Posted on 02/19/2026 10:25:08 AM PST by V_TWIN
Deranged transgender gunman Robert Dorgan was cousins with his ex-wife, Rhonda Dorgan, whom he gunned down along with their son at a high school hockey game.
The twisted relationship emerged after records showed the killer had the same name as his murdered ex and her parents, who were also seriously injured in his rampage Monday, according to the Providence Journal.
A deep dive then showed that he and Rhonda were first cousins once removed when they tied the knot in 1992.
The twisted relationship emerged after records showed the killer had the same name as his murdered ex and her parents, who were also seriously injured in his rampage Monday, according to the Providence Journal.
A deep dive then showed that he and Rhonda were first cousins once removed when they tied the knot in 1992.
Roberta Esposito (aka Robert Dorgan) and Rhonda Dorgan with Aidan Dorgan at his graduation.
At first, the reason for the shooter having the same last name as his ex-wife’s parents was not immediately clear, but the outlet delved into their family tree via the 1950 Census.
Edward Dorgan and his wife, Eva Dorgan, lived in Smithfield, Rhode Island, at the time with their two sons, Raymond Dorgan and Robert J. Dorgan.
Robert J. Dorgan was the father of the trans shooter Robert Dorgan, and Raymond Dorgan fathered Gerald Dorgan, who was a victim in the shooting and remains in critical condition with his wife, Linda.
Gerald and Linda were the parents of Rhonda Dorgan, who would marry the Robert Dorgan who massacred his family before divorcing him in 2021.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
There’s also a story about the son getting arrested for setting fire to a black church last year.
It’s pretty f-ing close. Man marries chid of brother. Or woman marries brother of father. I can’t imagine marrying my brother’s daughter. I would be pissed if my brother tried to marry one of my daughters. I don’t know where you come from. I come from Olivehurst which is a lot like Rio Linda and we don’t condone cousin marriages.
-PJ
First cousins once removed, isn’t that called second cousin?
I happened in my family. One ancestor married his grandfather’s grand daughter. It’s a mess in genealogy.
With the Dorgans, there is always a
“But wait, there’s more!”
It can also be the first cousin of one’s parent.
Again, it’s not really close enough to be a worry in most cases.
The country was created by generations who often married cousins of varying distance. It was very common among aristocrats in Virginia (where even first cousin marriage is still legal) and probably other areas.
Legal question:
If a man and woman were married in Massachusetts and later moved to Rhode Island and then after a few years get divorced, are they still brother and sister?
That isn’t what it means. It’s when you marry a first cousin of your parent, or your own first cousin’s child -
https://www.genealogyexplained.com/what-does-once-removed-mean/
After more thought, I think what it means they are the child of your first cousin.
-PJ
Thanks. So it’s 1/2 way between a 1st and 2nd cousin. Got it!
And I still just call them my cousins.
/lazy hillbilly
😁
To make it even weirder, the shooter was also the father of a Rhode Island man who was convicted of a hate crime by setting fire to a black church a year or so ago.
No. That would be niece/nephew aunt/uncle if it's a child of your sibling or a sibling of your parent. First cousin once removed is the child of your first cousin. Still much closer DNA-wise than second cousin.
My uncle married a woman with a son.
Then he adopted him legally.
From that second on, the kid was in the “Eeeeeewww No Zone” because he was my cousin, blood relative or not.
But that’s just me.
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