Bio

John Forrest Parker was born on May 21, 1968. He grew up in Alabama. He was diagnosed with hyperactivity at a young age and was treated with medication. This treatment may have affected the way he developed during his formative years.

During his teenage years, Parker began using drugs and alcohol. He reportedly started to hang out with older boys who influenced his behavior. By the time he was in high school, his substance use had escalated, which created difficulties for him in maintaining relationships and performing academically.

Parker's early life set a course for many of the challenges he would face in adulthood. He continued to grapple with addiction and risky behavior, which would eventually lead him into criminal activities.

Murder Story

On March 18, 1988, John Forrest Parker and Kenneth Eugene Smith were hired to murder Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett. The plan was orchestrated by Charles Sennett, her husband, who had financial troubles and wanted to collect insurance money after taking out a policy on his wife's life.

On the day of the murder, Parker and Smith arrived at the Sennett home under the pretense of needing to check the property for hunting. They received permission from Dorlene to enter. After using the bathroom, Parker put cotton socks on his hands to avoid leaving fingerprints. He then attacked Dorlene alongside Smith.

In a brutal assault, they used a galvanized pipe to hit Dorlene and stabbed her multiple times. Dorlene pleaded with them not to hurt her during the attack. Following their violent actions, they attempted to stage the scene as a burglary. They broke a glass in the medicine cabinet and took a stereo and a VCR from the home.

After the murder, Parker burned his clothing and disposed of the stereo. He later collected the agreed-upon money for his involvement in the crime. When Dorlene’s husband returned home, he found a chaotic scene with his wife gravely injured. He called for help, but despite efforts to revive her, she died at the hospital from her injuries.

Parker was eventually arrested, convicted of capital murder, and sentenced to death, with the judge overriding the jury's recommendation for a life sentence without parole. He spent several years on death row before being executed by lethal injection on June 10, 2010.