BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — A former Plattsburgh resident convicted of killing his wife in their Connecticut home in 2010 was recently sentenced in Bridgeport Superior Court.
Judge Robert Devlin Jr. gave Frank Dore 40 years in prison, suspended after 28 years, and five years probation for the death of his wife, Patti Joy Rothermel-Dore, who was also from Plattsburgh.
Dore, 57, pleaded guilty in Superior Court on Nov. 16, 2011, to first-degree manslaughter with a firearm.
He was arrested in his home on Jan. 12, 2010, after Rothermel-Dore, then 49, was found dead there, their 11-year-old daughter crying, but unharmed, outside.
The two had lived together in Connecticut for more than 10 years.
A LOCAL FACE
Rothermel-Dore was a Plattsburgh High School graduate.
Her mother, Veronica Rothermel of Plattsburgh, said in a phone call Wednesday that her daughter was an outgoing and fun-loving person who enjoyed art.
"I guess I named her right when I named her Patti Joy because she was a very loving individual. She was a person who ... always went for the underdog. She had a very big heart, a very good spirit."
Pictures of Rothermel-Dore show a smiling woman with long locks of red hair.
"It seemed like everybody would say, 'Oh, that lovely red-haired girl.' She was a very humble and happy person," Veronica said.
Kathy Latinville, a cousin of Rothermel-Dore who lives in Plattsburgh, said via phone that Patti was also a master gardener and a kind-hearted woman who loved her children.
She had three children: two boys from a previous marriage and a daughter from her marriage with Dore. It was the young girl who was at their Connecticut home when Rothermel-Dore was killed.
ACCEPTING A PLEA
It was up to the Rothermel family whether they would accept a plea agreement in lieu of a trial.
Latinville said the family opted for the plea because they didn't want to go through a trial. She said they asked the court to impose the maximum penalty, without the possibility of parole for Dore.
"We didn't want our family dragged through all the mud," Veronica said.
She said that once the agreement was accepted and sentencing day came, it gave the family a sense of release.
"It gave my husband, Donald, and our daughter, Peggy Ann, a great deal of comfort knowing that, finally, I think, our daughter (Patti) can rest in peace."
FAMILY SPEAKS
At Dore's sentencing on Feb. 3, the court gave the family the option to get up and present their feelings.
Veronica was the first to speak.
"In essence, it was directed toward Frank (Dore)."
She said she made Dore aware in her statement what had happened to her family since the brutal killing of her daughter.
"It gave us the opportunity to vent our feelings about the situation, which was two years ago. We've had to wait two years."
Other family members also expressed their remorse and anger.
Latinville said their cousin Mike LaJoie read to the court: "'When Patti tried to leave your control, you pointed a shotgun at her and fired, knowing the damage that a shotgun round can inflict ...You destroyed Patti and created a hole in the lives of her parents and sister, her children and only grandchild, all her relatives and friends ... There is not enough prison time that can be imposed to make up for the abuse.'"
A statement from Latinville and her mother, Frances, was read in court for them, as they were unable to be there.
"Words cannot express the pain and anguish our family and friends have endured ... Our family is broken," it said.
Email Rebecca Webster at: rwebster@pressrepublican.com
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