Shraman Mitra
When 911 operators in Pueblo, Colorado, received a call about a burning house, they did not hesitate to send firefighters over immediately. However, the firefighters weren’t ready for what awaited them as once the fire died down, they discovered Susan Hernandez’s horribly burned and beaten body. Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Murder Tapes: Blunt Force Trauma’ chronicles the brutal murder and how the police investigation revealed a sinister plot that ended up leaving the local community shaken to their core. If this case tickles your interest and you want to know where the perpetrator is today, we have you covered.
How Did Susan Hernandez Die?
77-year-old Susan Hernandez resided in Pueblo, Colorado, and had a high standing in society. Shortly before her murder, she lost her husband and was slowly recovering from the grief with the help of her dog. Neighbors recounted her liveliness and how she would brighten everyone’s day when she took her dog on a walk down the street. Susan was also a regular churchgoer and quite revered among her community. Her generosity and kind-heartedness endeared her to most and made it even more difficult to accept her untimely death.
911 operators in Pueblo, Colorado, received a call about a house fire on July 29, 2015. The caller — one of Susan’s daughters — claimed that the house’s basement was on fire, which filled the whole house with smoke. She also confirmed that her mother lived alone and was not responding even after she screamed out her name. Once first responders arrived on the scene, they began clearing out the fire while police officers questioned the family members present. One of Susan’s grandsons even claimed that he had visited the previous day with his brother but found no response from his grandmother.
Once the fire was subdued, police officers were stunned to find Susan’s gruesomely burned body in the basement. Although her face and back weren’t that affected, her pelvic region and legs were almost reduced to bones. Immediately, the police knew that such an inconsistent burn pattern hinted at a deliberate attempt to burn the body. Moreover, the victim also suffered a blunt force trauma to the head, which was determined as the cause of death.
With the death confirmed to be a homicide, the police found traces of foreign DNA below Susan’s fingernails, ensuring that the victim did try to fight and scratch the attacker. Besides, the front door to the house was also broken in further confirming an external influence on the demise. However, the house wasn’t ransacked, and nothing indicated a robbery.
Who Killed Susan Hernandez?
Initially, officers resorted to gathering DNA samples from family members and conducting numerous interviews with Susan’s acquaintances. Nevertheless, the DNA tests took quite a bit of time, and neither family members nor others could give officers a definite lead on anyone bearing a grudge against the deceased. With nothing stolen from the house, authorities had a slight suspicion of it being an inside job. Yet, most family members appeared to be visibly broken by their loss and had even put up remembrance posts on social media, making their involvement quite unlikely.
However, once police began questioning one of Susan’s grandsons, Anthony Sena, they found him behaving strangely. According to the show, Anthony’s aunt had already informed the police how he was a disturbed boy and had been in trouble with the law even at a young age. Besides, authorities discovered how Susan had paid her grandson close to $8000 for roof repairs which were never started.
Still, when questioned, Anthony kept insisting that he was not involved in the murder. He even claimed that he did not remember where he bought the roof repair supplies, and the police found his answers to be contradicting and suspicious. Still, with no proper evidence, they were forced to let him go. Once the DNA results came in, authorities noticed that the sample was a match to five males in Susan’s family — Anthony Sena, Devin Sena, Bruce Sena, Sebastian Sena, and Joseph Sena. One by one, the police began confirming their alibis to thin down the suspect list.
Meanwhile, the show mentioned how Anthony’s daughter came forward and claimed that she had seen blood covering her father’s ear when he returned from Susan’s place on July 28. Thus, with the other four suspects cleared, authorities focused their investigation on Anthony. Nonetheless, they did not have to wait long for a motive as they learned that Susan was quite disappointed with the lack of progress on her roof and wanted Anthony to return the money. Believing Anthony to have killed his grandmother over this altercation, authorities arrested him and charged him with murder.
Where Is Anthony Sena Now?
Once produced in court, Anthony pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Yet, the jury did not seem to agree and instead convicted him of theft, attempted first-degree arson, and first-degree murder. As a result, in 2016, Anthony got six years for theft, twelve for attempted first-degree arson, while the first-degree murder charge saw him sentenced to life in prison without parole. Thus, even to this day, Anthony is living out his days behind bars at the Buena Vista Correctional Complex in Chaffee County, Colorado.
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