Springfield homicide victim remembered as loyal, fun-loving family man

News-Leader

It was a simple question, but one that Amy Agee maybe hadn't thought much about.

What did her cousin, Craig Dorser, like to do for fun?

"He was up for anything that was fun," Agee said after a pause. "Whatever you liked to do, he would do it to make you happy."

Agee said Dorser was a man who put others first and always had a smile on his face.

On Wednesday night, Springfield police say Dorser, 43, was stabbed to death after a disturbance in the 3200 block of West Walnut Street.

A juvenile suspect has been arrested in connection with the homicide.

Agee said Friday she was still in shock after getting news of her cousin's violent death.

"I still can't believe it," Agee said. "It's just really hard for it to register that he's actually gone and I'm never going to hear his voice."

Agee said what she will miss most about Dorser is his goofy laugh and the way he made others feel welcome.

"Everybody liked him," Agee said. "He was always having fun, always goofing around."

Dorser's brother, Jacob Agee, said he did not meet Dorser until later in life but they developed a strong bond and became best friends.

More:Springfield police investigate Wednesday night homicide, suspect is juvenile, police say

Jacob Agee said Dorser loved cars, bikes, trucks and fishing, but his favorite thing to do was spend time with family and friends.

"Family was always No. 1 with him," Jacob Agee said. "And he hated seeing anybody sad or pissed off."

Jacob Agee said it was impossible to be in a bad mood around Dorser, because Dorser would tease and goad someone incessantly until they cracked a smile.

Dorser had some run-ins with the law during his life, but Jacob Agee said Dorser had turned his life around in recent years, gotten clean, landed a good job working on cars and become a role model for others who were struggling.

Jacob Agee asked the Springfield community to not judge his brother by what shows up after a search on Case.Net, Missouri's online court records system.

"He deserved for everybody to know that he wasn't this hardcore criminal that everybody thinks," Jacob Agee said. "He had the biggest heart I've ever known and will help anybody with anything."

Jacob Agee said Dorser was inspired to turn his life around after his father died, and he became "a big teddy bear, almost" over the last few years.

"Ever since then, he's just been my best friend, my role model," Jacob Agee said.

Another of Dorser's cousins, Latashia Masten, agreed that Dorser put his family first. She recalled a time after her grandmother's funeral that Dorser made a passionate speech about the importance of family before buying everyone's meal.

"Craig was big on family," Masten said. "He was always putting everyone before himself, even strangers. He never turned his back on anyone and would help out in a time of need with no questions asked."

Since the suspect in Dorser's killing is a juvenile, police have not released his name. His initial court appearance has been scheduled for Monday in Greene County. The case could eventually be transferred to adult court.

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