Murder for Hire: The Death of Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett
A $3,000 murder plot leads to one violent death, one life sentence, two death sentences, and one suicide
45-year-old Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett was well-loved in her Sheffield, Alabama community. She was described by those who knew her as kind to everyone she encountered and devoted to her family. She was the wife of a minister, mother to two sons, and grandmother to their children.
When her husband, Reverend Charles Sennett, returned to their Coon Dog Cemetery Road home from his service at the Westside Church of Christ on March 18, 1988, he discovered Elizabeth lying nearly dead in a pool of her blood. He contacted emergency services, and paramedics were sent to assist. Tragically, Elizabeth died shortly after reaching Helen Keller Hospital.
Her physical injuries made it immediately evident that she had been attacked. The local coroner concluded that she had been beaten with a blunt object and stabbed repeatedly. She had eight stab wounds to the chest and one on each side of her neck. There were also multiple other scrapes and cuts.
A Search for the Killer
At first, investigators believed Elizabeth was killed during a home robbery. There was evidence that items had been taken from…
