In the quiet community of Peabody, Massachusetts, the life of 37-year-old Mark Greenlaw was brought to a violent and tragic end on February 18, 2017. He and a female companion, Jennifer O'Connor, age 39, were discovered deceased in the basement of a home at 19 Farm Avenue. Their bodies had been found wrapped in rugs and plastic. An investigation revealed that Greenlaw had been fatally shot, while O'Connor had been stabbed to death.
The grim discovery was made after a woman fled the
residence and managed to flag down a passing vehicle, which transported her to the State Police Barracks in Danvers. This set in motion an investigation that would uncover a scene of brutal violence and lead to the identification of two suspects. The authorities indicated that the murders were not a random act of violence, as the house was known to local police.
Two men were subsequently arrested in connection with the double homicide. The first, Michael Hebb, 45, of Peabody, was apprehended and initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Hebb later pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to O'Connor's murder and to attempted arson of the dwelling. He was sentenced to serve six to seven years in prison, with five years of probation to follow. The charge of being an accessory to Greenlaw's murder was dismissed, although with the possibility of being refiled.
The second suspect, Wes Doughty, 42, was located and arrested in South Carolina several days after the murders. Prosecutors argued that the killings were fueled by Doughty's fear that Greenlaw would interfere with his drug business. Following a week-long trial, a jury found Doughty guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, as well as armed carjacking, kidnapping, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and attempted arson. For the murders of Mark Greenlaw and Jennifer O'Connor, Doughty was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole.
