Suspects in newspaper reporters' death to be extradited from Georgia

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - Escambia County Circuit Judge Thomas Santurri signed warrants for twin brothers accused in the death of a Pensacola newspaper crime reporter, authorities said they will be extradited to Pensacola.

The warrants were issued on William J. Cormier and Christopher Cormier, both 31, of Winder, Ga. who are currently imprisoned in Georgia in connection with the August homicide of, Sean Dugas, a former Pensacola News Journal reporter.

“Our Criminal Investigations Division spent many intensive hours on this case, and I am very proud of the work they have done,” said Pensacola Police Chief Chip W. Simmons.

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On September 13, the PPD received a report that Dugas had not been heard from since August 27 when he talked with a friend by phone. Dugas and the female friend who reported him missing planned to go to lunch that day, but when she arrived at his house to pick him up, he wasn’t home.

She continued trying unsuccessfully to contact Dugas over the next few days. When she returned to the house on Sept. 7 to check on him, the house was empty except for a television.

Detective Danny Harnett, who worked along with James Parsons to investigate the case, determined the Cormier brothers had been houseguests of Dugas in the days leading to his disappearance.

The investigation also determined that, in addition to contents in the home, a collection of Magic
the Gathering gaming cards worth an estimated $25,000-100,000 had been stolen from the house.

Harnett said the cards were sold in Pensacola, Tennessee and Georgia.

While investigating the missing person report, officers developed leads, which led to them contacting police in Winder, Ga., on October 8. Police in Winder discovered Dugas’ body that same day buried in the Cromier brothers' father’s yard at his residence in Winder.

William and Christopher Cormier were taken into custody by Georgia authorities and charged with concealing the death of another. An autopsy determined Dugas died from blunt force trauma.

The investigation determined Dugas was murdered August 27 in Pensacola, and that William Cormier drove to Wal-Mart afterward to purchase materials to conceal the body, Harnett said.

There is no bond on the homicide charges and $250,000 each on the armed robbery charges. The brothers will be extradited to Pensacola but it is not known when that will occur.