Vigil held on 29-year anniversary of Pleasantville firefighter Tom Dorr’s passing
Pleasantville firefighters held a vigil on Monday for the 29th anniversary of the unsolved murder of Tom Dorr.
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Pleasantville firefighters held a vigil on Monday for the 29th anniversary of the unsolved murder of Tom Dorr.
Dorr was brutally beaten and stabbed to death and the next day; his body was found by fellow volunteer firefighters.
"Twenty-nine years ago, Tom Dorr went out to feed turkeys, which he always did, and he never returned to his house," says John Brooks, Tom's friend and co-worker at the fire department.
Dorr was a volunteer Pleasantville firefighter and City of White Plains employee.
"He was a nice guy, very quiet, very hardworking," says Brooks.
Dorr was found beaten and stabbed to death at Graham Hills Park 29 years ago. Since that day, firefighters and the community have gathered every year at the park to honor him and remind the community about his murder.
"I was there the morning he was found and it's been rough ever since then," says Jimmy Danyko, Tom's neighbor. "He just really was a helpful person. Spent his time helping people, whether in his neighborhood or at the fire department."
His fellow firefighters and neighbors want justice. Even though only a handful of firefighters at the department now knew Tom, they say it's important to tell the story of what happened and keep his memory alive.
"There's not too many people around here who knew him, but everybody still shows up. It's a strong community," says Brooks.
Police say this is still a very active investigation. Last year, investigators traveled throughout the country to interview witnesses and investigate again. They're asking anyone with information to contact them.
"I think it's important to remind people and sometimes it might jar someone's memory with a piece of evidence that they didn't think they knew," says John Thys, Tom's friend and co-worker at the fire department.
