When firefighters arrived at a house fire in Pueblo, Colorado, they discovered something more than just smoke and flames. They unearthed a heinous plot to split apart a loving family.
When 911 operators in Pueblo, Colorado, got a report about a burning house, they didn’t waste any time dispatching firefighters to the scene.
The firefighters, on the other hand, were unprepared for what they found once the fire had cooled down: Susan Hernandez’s horrifically charred and beaten body.
‘The Murder Tapes: Blunt Force Trauma,’ a documentary on Investigation Discovery, explores the horrible murder and how the police investigation unearthed a nefarious conspiracy that left the local community rattled to its core.
If this case piques your curiosity and you’re curious about the perpetrator’s current whereabouts, we’ve got you covered.
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Who is Susan Hernandez? How Did She Die?
Susan Hernandez, 77, was a well-respected member of society who lived in Pueblo, Colorado.
She had recently lost her husband and was slowly recuperating from the loss with the support of her dog before her murder.
Neighbours reminisced about her vivacity and how she would brighten everyone’s day by walking her dog along with the neighbourhood.
Susan was also a devout Christian who was well-liked in her neighbourhood. Her kindness and good nature endeared her to the majority of people, making it all the more difficult to accept her early demise.
Katrina Livecchi, a daughter, remarked, “She raised seven children.” “Her existence revolved around us. Her entire universe revolved around us.”
“She was a beautiful person, a wonderful mother, and a fantastic grandma,” Brenda Lovato said of her mother.
It had been six months since Susan Hernandez’s lifelong love, Carlos, her 59-year-old husband, had died. Her dog and daughter Vanessa, who lived across the street, kept her company in her Pueblo, Colorado home. Katrina, who lives 45 minutes away, spoke with her mother on a daily basis.
Katrina claims that her mother had been having trouble sleeping. She’d been worried about the new roof that her grandson Anthony Sena, Vanessa’s son, had been contracted to install.
“Every day of my life, when I wake up in the morning, I relive that day. She was everything to me, she was my life “Katrina expressed her thoughts. “What he did to my mother will never be forgiven.”
On July 29, 2015, 911 operators in Pueblo, Colorado, got a call regarding a house fire. One of Susan’s kids answered the phone and stated that the house’s basement was on fire, filling the entire house with smoke.
She also stated that her mother resided alone and that she had screamed her name but received no response. When first responders arrived, they started putting out the fire while police officers interrogated the family members who were there.
One of Susan’s grandsons even claimed that he had paid Susan a visit the day before with his brother but received no answer from her.
Officers were taken aback when they discovered Susan’s gruesomely charred body in the basement after the fire had been put out.
Her face and back were unaffected, but her pelvic region and legs were reduced to skeletons. The authorities immediately recognised that the inconsistency of the burn pattern suggested an intentional attempt to burn the remains.
The victim also died as a result of a blunt force trauma to the head, which was determined to be the cause of death.
Susan’s death was ruled a homicide after investigators discovered traces of alien DNA beneath her fingernails, indicating that she attempted to struggle and scratch the assailant.
Furthermore, the house’s front door was smashed in, indicating that the death was caused by an outside force. The residence, however, had not been trashed, and there was no evidence of a robbery.
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Who Was The Killer of Susan Hernandez?
Officers first collected DNA samples from Susan’s relatives and conducted many interviews with Susan’s acquaintances.
Despite this, DNA tests took a long time, and neither family members nor others were able to provide authorities with a concrete lead on anyone who had a vendetta against the deceased.
Because nothing was taken from the house, officials suspected it was an inside job. Nonetheless, most family members looked genuinely upset by their loss and had even posted remembrance notes on social media, making their participation highly doubtful.
When authorities interrogated one of Susan’s grandsons, Anthony Sena, they discovered he was acting suspiciously.
Anthony’s aunt had already alerted the authorities that he was a problematic lad who had been in conflict with the law since he was a child, according to the episode.
Susan had also given her grandson over $8000 for roof repairs that were never completed, according to investigators.
Despite this, Anthony insisted that he was not engaged in the murder when questioned. He even said he couldn’t recall where he got the roof repair materials, which the cops considered to be contradictory and suspicious.
Despite this, they were compelled to let him go due to a lack of evidence. Authorities found that the sample was a match to five guys in Susan’s family — Anthony Sena, Devin Sena, Bruce Sena, Sebastian Sena, and Joseph Sena — after the DNA results were in.
The police began validating their alibis one by one in order to narrow down the suspect list.
Meanwhile, the show addressed Anthony’s daughter coming forward to say she saw blood on her father’s ear when he returned from Susan’s house on July 28.
As a result, officials concentrated their investigation on Anthony after the other four suspects were cleared. They didn’t have to wait long for a reason, as they discovered Susan was dissatisfied with the lack of progress on her roof and wanted Anthony to refund her money.
Authorities detained Anthony and charged him with murder after suspecting him of killing his grandma during the altercation.
What Has Happened to Anthony Sena?
When Anthony was brought before the court, he pled not guilty to the charges levelled against him.
The jury, however, did not appear to agree, and he was found guilty of stealing, attempted first-degree arson, and first-degree murder.
As a result, Anthony was sentenced to six years in prison for stealing, twelve years for attempted first-degree arson, and life without parole for first-degree murder in 2016.
As a result, Anthony continues to spend his days in the Buena Vista Correctional Complex in Chaffee County, Colorado.