Never Forget: Slain Pleasantville Firefighter Remembered 27 Years Later

By Jonathan Notis

Twenty-seven years ago, Pleasantville resident and volunteer firefighter Thomas Dorr walked into the woods near his Pollywiggle Lane home to feed wild turkeys. He was never seen alive again.

Dorr, who was to report to the Washington Avenue firehouse on Jan. 6, 1996, ahead of a blizzard, was discovered buried under two feet of snow, stabbed to death, his throat slashed.

While Dorr’s murder has never been solved, making it a “cold case,” his friends and firefighter colleagues remain determined to keep his memory alive until his killer or killers are caught.

On Monday evening, Pleasantville firefighters, police and friends honored Dorr’s memory days after the anniversary of his murder at a vigil in Graham Hills Park. The memorial for the former White Plains Water Department employee took place near where he was murdered.

“He deserves the respect. What happened to him was brutal,” said his neighbor, Jimmy Danykan, who has been attending the annual vigil every year.

Fellow firefighter John Thys, one of the organizers and main speakers at the vigil, suggested that “there wasn’t enough proof, but people know what happened.”

Dorr’s wife, Jane Sawyer, and stepson, Jeffrey Sawyer, were the primary suspects early on in the investigation, but authorities have previously mentioned that much of the evidence was lost because of the snow and weather conditions at the time.

Once again, candles lit up the evening, with more than 30 attendees on hand to honor Dorr. Candles were also placed in front of a maple tree planted in Dorr’s memory.

Many of those who turned out, like John Cullen who joined the Pleasantville Fire Department the year after Dorr’s murder, have regularly attended the vigil to help the department mark the solemn event.

Friends and fellow firefighters said Dorr was someone who “was larger than life,” and who would “do anything for anybody.”

Thys described the 6-foot-8 Dorr as a “gentle giant,” and is hopeful that “next year, we’ll get our guy and keep our candles.”

Danykan echoed those sentiments.

“Hopefully someday we won’t be here, and we’ll see justice,” he said.

Anyone with information regarding Dorr’s murder should contact the Westchester County Police at 914-864-7700.

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