EVANSVILLE, IN – A jury found an Indiana woman guilty of masterminding the murder of her firefighter husband, leading to a sentencing of 90 years. Elizabeth Fox-Doerr, 52, directed her extramarital partner to execute the killing when her husband would be returning home from the fire station, according to the police investigation.
On February 26, 2019, Robert Doerr, aged 51, was gunned down in his driveway moments after arriving from a 12-hour shift at the fire department in Evansville. Prosecutors in the case point to the infidelity and financial gain as motives, noting that Fox-Doerr stood to inherit a portion of her husband’s pension and a death benefit.
The sentencing on Monday saw friends and family of both the victim and the defendant gathered in a packed courtroom, reflecting the divided emotions. Nathan Guthrie, Fox-Doerr’s son from another relationship, condemned his mother’s action, stressing his inability to forgive her for breaking apart their family. Conversely, Taylor Barrett, another of Fox-Doerr’s sons, defended his mother, highlighting her positive impact on his life and denying her capacity for murder.
Allegations against Fox-Doorer originally included obstruction of justice based on suspicions that she had deleted a phone log before alerting the authorities on the night of the murder. These charges have since been supplanted by the more severe counts of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Her cohort, Larry Richmond, 45, is currently awaiting his trial for the role in Doerr’s murder. Reports cite that Richmond, who has a prior conviction for murder, was apprehended thanks to a tip from his son, who mentioned a concerning letter from his father. Police investigations led to the discovery of firearms with obliterated serial numbers buried in Richmond’s backyard.
Throughout the trial and her sentencing, Fox-Doerr has maintained her innocence, confronting the allegations with assertions of her shock and devastation on the fateful night. However, during the trial, prosecutors presented evidence of phone logs that established communication between Fox-Doerr and Richmond prior to the murder and discussed the financial benefits she would receive upon her husband’s death.
Robbie Doerr served with the Evansville Fire Department for nearly three decades, remembered in his obituary as a dedicated worker with a love for fishing, bowling, and cherishing moments with his granddaughters. His tragic demise, as described by fellow firefighter Larry Wildt, disrupted the lives of many who knew him.
