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Before He Wakes
She led an almost perfect life, and committed an almost perfect crime.
Barbara Stager appeared to be a devoted mother, loving wife, and dedicated church leader in her Durham, North Carolina, community. When she “accidentally” shot her husband, popular high school coach Russ, the police were inclined to believe her—until they found out ten years earlier her first husband had died in a strangely similar way. Detective Rick Buchanan’s relentless investigations into Stager’s life revealed a stunning vortex of compulsive lying, obsessive spending, and sexual promiscuity.
With every shocking new discovery, more of Barbara’s impeccable image unraveled. But the greatest shock—a damning piece of evidence Russ Stager left behind—revealed the nightmare truth about Barbara. New York Times bestselling author Jerry Bledsoe takes us deep into one of the most spellbinding cases of double life, lethal lust, and almost perfect murder.
“Mesmerizing…Barbara Stager is yet another prime example of the fragile Southern female who will kill her men as quick as kiss them, and I loved every page about her. Bledsoe is one of a handful of natural-born true-crime writers.”—Ann Rule“A profile of evil…fascinating, absorbing and gossipy.”—Baltimore Sun
“In the art of true-crime reportage, Jerry Bledsoe is the best in the country. Combining a journalist’s sense of fact and detail with a storyteller’s instinct for pace and plot, Before He Wakes has he suspense of a novel.”—Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Jerry Bledsoe is one of the great chroniclers of true crime…the grand master of Southern madness and murder.”—Sharyn McCrumb
“Thanks to the fine-toothed-comb reporting of ace crime journalist Bledsoe, there’s no mistaking for fiction this seemingly incredible tale of sex, greed, and murder.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The success of Bledsoe’s book lies in his thorough reporting, objective writing, and thoughtful analysis of Barbara Stager’s character.”—Charlotte Observer
“World-class reporting at its best…Barbara Stager is truly the church lady from hell, sweet, pious, loving and lethal.”—Edna Buchanan
“Fascinating…fast-paced suspense that puts me right in the courtroom and keeps me on the edge of my bench.”—Margaret Maron
“Jerry Bledsoe is the master of true crime, the conclusion to what Truman Capote began. Three cheers for another stunning success.”—Patricia Cornwell
Barbara Stager appeared to be a devoted mother, loving wife, and dedicated church leader in her Durham, North Carolina, community. When she “accidentally” shot her husband, popular high school coach Russ, the police were inclined to believe her—until they found out ten years earlier her first husband had died in a strangely similar way. Detective Rick Buchanan’s relentless investigations into Stager’s life revealed a stunning vortex of compulsive lying, obsessive spending, and sexual promiscuity.
With every shocking new discovery, more of Barbara’s impeccable image unraveled. But the greatest shock—a damning piece of evidence Russ Stager left behind—revealed the nightmare truth about Barbara. New York Times bestselling author Jerry Bledsoe takes us deep into one of the most spellbinding cases of double life, lethal lust, and almost perfect murder.
“Mesmerizing…Barbara Stager is yet another prime example of the fragile Southern female who will kill her men as quick as kiss them, and I loved every page about her. Bledsoe is one of a handful of natural-born true-crime writers.”—Ann Rule“A profile of evil…fascinating, absorbing and gossipy.”—Baltimore Sun
“In the art of true-crime reportage, Jerry Bledsoe is the best in the country. Combining a journalist’s sense of fact and detail with a storyteller’s instinct for pace and plot, Before He Wakes has he suspense of a novel.”—Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Jerry Bledsoe is one of the great chroniclers of true crime…the grand master of Southern madness and murder.”—Sharyn McCrumb
“Thanks to the fine-toothed-comb reporting of ace crime journalist Bledsoe, there’s no mistaking for fiction this seemingly incredible tale of sex, greed, and murder.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The success of Bledsoe’s book lies in his thorough reporting, objective writing, and thoughtful analysis of Barbara Stager’s character.”—Charlotte Observer
“World-class reporting at its best…Barbara Stager is truly the church lady from hell, sweet, pious, loving and lethal.”—Edna Buchanan
“Fascinating…fast-paced suspense that puts me right in the courtroom and keeps me on the edge of my bench.”—Margaret Maron
“Jerry Bledsoe is the master of true crime, the conclusion to what Truman Capote began. Three cheers for another stunning success.”—Patricia Cornwell
271 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1994
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About the author
Jerry Bledsoe
54 books89 followersJerry Bledsoe is the author of "The New York Times "#1 bestseller "Bitter Blood, "and others. He has written for "Esquire, The New York Times, "and many other publications. He lives in North Carolina and Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
January 24, 2025
4.5 stars— Finding a really good true-crime author can be difficult. I have been very fortunate to have found some really good authors who have authored several well-researched, well-written accounts of some very interesting cases. (Thomas Thompson and Greg Olsen immediately come to mind). I now add Jerry Bledsoe to my list of go-to true crime authors. I read “Bitter Blood” last year and was amazed at one of the most amazing and unbelievable true-crime murder stories ever told, so I had high expectations that this follow-up would be just as good. Although “Before He Wakes” did not have the twists and turns that “Bitter Blood” did, I would still highly recommend it if you like in-depth, well-researched accounts of the life of an unexpected killer. I have always found that stories about female murderers who kill multiple victims are usually more interesting than most other true crime books. This is because females who murder are a rare breed, and their crimes are usually more planned out killings rather than heat of passion crimes that males are the more predominant offenders. ‘Before He Wakes’ tells the story of Barbara Ford Stager who was accused of killing two spouses over a several year period. The details of each case are fascinating , and I was unable to put this book down. The author definitely did his homework with interviews with all of the interested parties as well as detailed research on both the police investigation and trial of Ms. Sager. I cannot recall a dull moment at any point in the book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading true crime books.
December 14, 2015
This audiobook kept me entertained while working out, but it so awful in so many ways. I cannot believe how many people gave this book a good rating. I get that people don't care for too much ambiguity when murder is involved. There is a murderer and a victim. The style chosen by this author to tell this story was just absurd.
Everything she, the murderer, did was awful. She wanted a new washing machine, talked about sex with her friends, talked about her period (that whore!), wanted a new house, etc. All of this had the tone, "Of course it was clear that she was the murdering type. After all, who needs a new washer and dryer? That was a sign." It was ridiculous. There was enough actual material to show that she was unstable, selfish, and psychopathic. She had a spending problem, lied, cheated, manipulated, etc.
Everything he, the victim, did was painted in the best possible light. He, the coach at a high school was having sex with a 16 year old female student. The author glossed over it, as if it were some tiny mistake, like forgetting to take the trash out.
The truth was that they were both horrible at times, and in the end, she was far more horrible than anyone could have imagined.
Way too sensationalized. (And yet i read it all the way until the end:)
Everything she, the murderer, did was awful. She wanted a new washing machine, talked about sex with her friends, talked about her period (that whore!), wanted a new house, etc. All of this had the tone, "Of course it was clear that she was the murdering type. After all, who needs a new washer and dryer? That was a sign." It was ridiculous. There was enough actual material to show that she was unstable, selfish, and psychopathic. She had a spending problem, lied, cheated, manipulated, etc.
Everything he, the victim, did was painted in the best possible light. He, the coach at a high school was having sex with a 16 year old female student. The author glossed over it, as if it were some tiny mistake, like forgetting to take the trash out.
The truth was that they were both horrible at times, and in the end, she was far more horrible than anyone could have imagined.
Way too sensationalized. (And yet i read it all the way until the end:)
June 18, 2009
"Before He Wakes" is a frightening tale of sleeping with a monster and a bit of a cautionary tale.
Barbara Stager - - devoted wife, loving mother, churchgoer, obedient daughter or cold blooded murderer? If you believe this book, not to mention the State of North Carolina and good, basic common sense, she is nothing more than a cold blooded murderer, masquerading as the devoted wife, loving mother, churchgoer and obedient daughter.
This book is an in-depth profile of a female sociopath. There are many true crime books on the market disecting the male sociopath but female sociopaths are more fascinating, perhaps, because there are fewer of them.
Jerry Bledsoe's writing is strong, the story is too bizare for fiction and the characters come to life.
In reading this tale, my heart bleeds for both Larry Ford's and Russ Stager's families, just as much victims of Barbara's as her husbands were. So self-absorbed, indulged and without conscience was she that she thought nothing of putting bullets in her husbands' sleeping bodies so that she might collect the insurance money. Pure evil.
Definitely a good read - - and will make you think twice about the person you sleep next to!
Barbara Stager - - devoted wife, loving mother, churchgoer, obedient daughter or cold blooded murderer? If you believe this book, not to mention the State of North Carolina and good, basic common sense, she is nothing more than a cold blooded murderer, masquerading as the devoted wife, loving mother, churchgoer and obedient daughter.
This book is an in-depth profile of a female sociopath. There are many true crime books on the market disecting the male sociopath but female sociopaths are more fascinating, perhaps, because there are fewer of them.
Jerry Bledsoe's writing is strong, the story is too bizare for fiction and the characters come to life.
In reading this tale, my heart bleeds for both Larry Ford's and Russ Stager's families, just as much victims of Barbara's as her husbands were. So self-absorbed, indulged and without conscience was she that she thought nothing of putting bullets in her husbands' sleeping bodies so that she might collect the insurance money. Pure evil.
Definitely a good read - - and will make you think twice about the person you sleep next to!
August 19, 2021
Blessedly, I've finished.
Look this isn't a bad book, it's just not particularly well-written. It's very straightforward - this happened, then this happened, then she said this, then they found this, etc. If you're looking for poetic, thoughtful, or socially conscious prose, allow me to direct you to I'll Be Gone in the Dark . This is not that type of book. That being said, I needed to read it because this tells the true story of a murder that happened in the city where I grew up by a woman who lived in my neighborhood and who I now know had even more points of interest in common with me than I was aware of.
The basic facts are these: Barbara Stager shot her husband, Russell, in the head while he slept. She told the police it was an accident, that he slept with a loaded pistol under his pillow and she felt it under there in the night and it "just went off." Meanwhile, her most immediate concern is collecting the life insurance check. This happened in the late 1980s. But get this - it turns out that Russell was Barbara's second husband, and her first husband had died in an "accident" a decade earlier. The "accident?" A gunshot wound to the head caused by an accidental firing of a pistol that was kept under his pillow, in the middle of the night. Y I K E S.
So, clearly, Barbara killed both of her husbands for the money. She was a regular black widow. This book goes into tons of detail about her life, from the many boyfriends and affairs she had, to what is written as promiscuity but sounds to me more like a sexual addiction stemming from a need for affection, to her undeniable addiction to shopping and living far above her means. She was a pathological liar and constantly hid bills from her husband, wrote invalid checks, said she made calls that she didn't. LIED ABOUT BEING PREGNANT and having miscarriages MULTIPLE TIMES to her husband, family, and friends when in reality she'd had her tubes tied after having two sons with her first husband, Larry. You know I have zero patience for fake pregnancy.
The best things about this case is that enough people had the sense to convict Barbara despite the uproar her being accused created in this community. Thank goodness Russell started getting concerned and talked to his ex-wife, Jo Lynn, at one point saying "I know this sounds crazy, but if something happens to me like what happened to Barbara's first husband, I want you to tell the cops to look into it." And THEN after his death, a co-worker found a cassette recording in his office of Russell talking about Barbara's weird behavior of insisting that he take some "aspirin" a few nights in a row, him feeling weird about it and not taking them, and then waking up to Barbara rooting around his side of the bed looking for them because she didn't believe he had taken them. He took one of them to a pharmacist to check out and it was actually a heavy duty sleeping pill. Like....omg. Talk about damning evidence. But of course half the people questioned said it wasn't Russell's voice on the tape even though it obviously was. The lengths people went to to defend Barbara just makes me cringe. I'd be shocked if anyone at my church murdered her husband, too, but church attendance and friendliness are not automatic grounds to dismiss the notion that someone can be a psycho murderer!
The rest of this review is just going to be a dump of notes I took about places I'm familiar with from the Durham, NC setting:
-Barbara attended Northern High School as a teen. I WENT TO NORTHERN HIGH SCHOOL.
-After the death of her first husband, Barbara moved to 5516 Genesee street, a 3 bedroom brick house on the corner of Genesee and Bramble. I LIVED ON BRAMBLE DRIVE AND WALKED PAST THAT HOUSE ALMOST DAILY FOR THE ALMOST 2 DECADES I LIVED THERE. My parents still live in the same house we moved into when I was 3, on Bramble drive. Okay okay, I think Barbara was in jail by the time we moved to Durham, but it was still her house not too long before. And there was a different murder in the neighborhood while I was living there so I'm still cool.
-Russell Stager attended E.K. Poe Elementary School. I didn't go there, but I am very familiar with it. It's on the end of 9th street, a popular little area with restaurants and eclectic boutiques. I used to love eating at this place called Bali Hai right next to the school with friends in high school.
-Russell went to Graystone Baptist Church for a while. I have been to several events and worship nights there, knew lots of people who went there. It's a pretty popular church in Durham.
-Russell and his first wife, Jo Lynn, bought the house across from Barbara's on the opposite corner of Genesee and Bramble. THAT'S HOW HE AND BARBARA MET, AS NEIGHBORS. Now there are two houses I know well that held murderer and murder-ee. Also, Russell and his first wife split because he was dating a 17 year old student from his workplace at Durham High School YIKES GROSS.
-After Russell and Barbara was married, they left Graystone Baptist Church because they didn't like the language that was being used by the "rough" boys in the childrens' Sunday School class. This is when they moved to Rose of Sharon Baptist Church. THIS IS THE CHURCH I GREW UP AT. My family attended ROSBC and was pretty involved (my mom was children's pastor for a time, dad played the piano weekly and filled in as worship pastor sometimes, I went on youth mission trips in middle school) from the time I was maybe 5 to 14. We moved to another church when I started high school but we kept in touch with many families at ROSBC and (unfortunately) attended their Christmas Eve services for many years after. I say unfortunately because those services were so terrible I was always incredibly embarrassed. Ask me about them and I'll go off.
-one of the friends who defended Barbara during her trial as a character witness was a woman named Ann Hilliard, who knew her from ROSBC. YOU GUYS I KNEW ANN HILLIARD. She was an older woman by the time we came around but I KNEW HER at the church! She knows my family. She was super active in the church. It's a whole thing. I don't think there's anything wrong with her character because honestly how could she possibly know Barbara was a psycho but it's really bizarre and surreal knowing a sweet lady from your childhood church called Barbara Stager-who-killed-two-husbands a "warm, loving person. There's no greater friend."
That's about it. Do I recommend this book? No. Was it worth reading for the mind-blowing realness of knowing the setting intimately? Yeah, for me. On 1.35x speed.
Look this isn't a bad book, it's just not particularly well-written. It's very straightforward - this happened, then this happened, then she said this, then they found this, etc. If you're looking for poetic, thoughtful, or socially conscious prose, allow me to direct you to I'll Be Gone in the Dark . This is not that type of book. That being said, I needed to read it because this tells the true story of a murder that happened in the city where I grew up by a woman who lived in my neighborhood and who I now know had even more points of interest in common with me than I was aware of.
The basic facts are these: Barbara Stager shot her husband, Russell, in the head while he slept. She told the police it was an accident, that he slept with a loaded pistol under his pillow and she felt it under there in the night and it "just went off." Meanwhile, her most immediate concern is collecting the life insurance check. This happened in the late 1980s. But get this - it turns out that Russell was Barbara's second husband, and her first husband had died in an "accident" a decade earlier. The "accident?" A gunshot wound to the head caused by an accidental firing of a pistol that was kept under his pillow, in the middle of the night. Y I K E S.
So, clearly, Barbara killed both of her husbands for the money. She was a regular black widow. This book goes into tons of detail about her life, from the many boyfriends and affairs she had, to what is written as promiscuity but sounds to me more like a sexual addiction stemming from a need for affection, to her undeniable addiction to shopping and living far above her means. She was a pathological liar and constantly hid bills from her husband, wrote invalid checks, said she made calls that she didn't. LIED ABOUT BEING PREGNANT and having miscarriages MULTIPLE TIMES to her husband, family, and friends when in reality she'd had her tubes tied after having two sons with her first husband, Larry. You know I have zero patience for fake pregnancy.
The best things about this case is that enough people had the sense to convict Barbara despite the uproar her being accused created in this community. Thank goodness Russell started getting concerned and talked to his ex-wife, Jo Lynn, at one point saying "I know this sounds crazy, but if something happens to me like what happened to Barbara's first husband, I want you to tell the cops to look into it." And THEN after his death, a co-worker found a cassette recording in his office of Russell talking about Barbara's weird behavior of insisting that he take some "aspirin" a few nights in a row, him feeling weird about it and not taking them, and then waking up to Barbara rooting around his side of the bed looking for them because she didn't believe he had taken them. He took one of them to a pharmacist to check out and it was actually a heavy duty sleeping pill. Like....omg. Talk about damning evidence. But of course half the people questioned said it wasn't Russell's voice on the tape even though it obviously was. The lengths people went to to defend Barbara just makes me cringe. I'd be shocked if anyone at my church murdered her husband, too, but church attendance and friendliness are not automatic grounds to dismiss the notion that someone can be a psycho murderer!
The rest of this review is just going to be a dump of notes I took about places I'm familiar with from the Durham, NC setting:
-Barbara attended Northern High School as a teen. I WENT TO NORTHERN HIGH SCHOOL.
-After the death of her first husband, Barbara moved to 5516 Genesee street, a 3 bedroom brick house on the corner of Genesee and Bramble. I LIVED ON BRAMBLE DRIVE AND WALKED PAST THAT HOUSE ALMOST DAILY FOR THE ALMOST 2 DECADES I LIVED THERE. My parents still live in the same house we moved into when I was 3, on Bramble drive. Okay okay, I think Barbara was in jail by the time we moved to Durham, but it was still her house not too long before. And there was a different murder in the neighborhood while I was living there so I'm still cool.
-Russell Stager attended E.K. Poe Elementary School. I didn't go there, but I am very familiar with it. It's on the end of 9th street, a popular little area with restaurants and eclectic boutiques. I used to love eating at this place called Bali Hai right next to the school with friends in high school.
-Russell went to Graystone Baptist Church for a while. I have been to several events and worship nights there, knew lots of people who went there. It's a pretty popular church in Durham.
-Russell and his first wife, Jo Lynn, bought the house across from Barbara's on the opposite corner of Genesee and Bramble. THAT'S HOW HE AND BARBARA MET, AS NEIGHBORS. Now there are two houses I know well that held murderer and murder-ee. Also, Russell and his first wife split because he was dating a 17 year old student from his workplace at Durham High School YIKES GROSS.
-After Russell and Barbara was married, they left Graystone Baptist Church because they didn't like the language that was being used by the "rough" boys in the childrens' Sunday School class. This is when they moved to Rose of Sharon Baptist Church. THIS IS THE CHURCH I GREW UP AT. My family attended ROSBC and was pretty involved (my mom was children's pastor for a time, dad played the piano weekly and filled in as worship pastor sometimes, I went on youth mission trips in middle school) from the time I was maybe 5 to 14. We moved to another church when I started high school but we kept in touch with many families at ROSBC and (unfortunately) attended their Christmas Eve services for many years after. I say unfortunately because those services were so terrible I was always incredibly embarrassed. Ask me about them and I'll go off.
-one of the friends who defended Barbara during her trial as a character witness was a woman named Ann Hilliard, who knew her from ROSBC. YOU GUYS I KNEW ANN HILLIARD. She was an older woman by the time we came around but I KNEW HER at the church! She knows my family. She was super active in the church. It's a whole thing. I don't think there's anything wrong with her character because honestly how could she possibly know Barbara was a psycho but it's really bizarre and surreal knowing a sweet lady from your childhood church called Barbara Stager-who-killed-two-husbands a "warm, loving person. There's no greater friend."
That's about it. Do I recommend this book? No. Was it worth reading for the mind-blowing realness of knowing the setting intimately? Yeah, for me. On 1.35x speed.
January 11, 2016
You don't need to be interested in 'true crime' stories to find this a fascinating and worthwhile read.
For me it shed light on a number of subjects.
1) the practical/legal aspects of living in a gun culture. "Accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun in the middle of the night" and "Accidentally shot her husband while removing the loaded gun he kept under his pillow for fear he would wake up and mistakenly shoot their son thinking him an intruder." seemed reasonable and not incredibly noteworthy explanations for the death of these men on the part of the police officers and emergency technicians who arrived on the scenes.
And indeed each incident, if you read the daily news in the US, was isolated from the other, not that unusual. It was only when they realized that the second man was married to the widow of the first man that some found the explanations that both were accidents hard to accept.
2) the practical/legal aspects of small-town 'Christian' social norms overriding 'technicial' rules. The mountains of debt that many Americans managed to accumulate becomes easier to understand when one reads of bank officers (on the stand and under oath) agree that they directed a colleague to notarize a signature because "Barbara said her husband had signed it and she was a good Christian woman and if she said he had signed it I just knew I could believe her."
(Note that when I needed my husband's signature notarized to indicate that he, as a beneficiary, was aware of a change I was making in a financial instrument the notary not only examined documents proving his identity she asked that he read the documents in her presence so she could be sure that he really knew what he was signing. Thank you notary for carrying out your job in a highly professional manner.)
The woman whose murder trial is covered in this book was able to incur stunningly high levels of debt, as did her second husband, largely because of lax conduct on the part of many other individuals.
3) The degree to which lawyers on both sides felt comfortable, indeed felt it necessary, to drag the Bible into the question of guilt and innocence and into the question as to what sentence should be passed once the defendant was found guilty, is stunning to this non-American.
For me it shed light on a number of subjects.
1) the practical/legal aspects of living in a gun culture. "Accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun in the middle of the night" and "Accidentally shot her husband while removing the loaded gun he kept under his pillow for fear he would wake up and mistakenly shoot their son thinking him an intruder." seemed reasonable and not incredibly noteworthy explanations for the death of these men on the part of the police officers and emergency technicians who arrived on the scenes.
And indeed each incident, if you read the daily news in the US, was isolated from the other, not that unusual. It was only when they realized that the second man was married to the widow of the first man that some found the explanations that both were accidents hard to accept.
2) the practical/legal aspects of small-town 'Christian' social norms overriding 'technicial' rules. The mountains of debt that many Americans managed to accumulate becomes easier to understand when one reads of bank officers (on the stand and under oath) agree that they directed a colleague to notarize a signature because "Barbara said her husband had signed it and she was a good Christian woman and if she said he had signed it I just knew I could believe her."
(Note that when I needed my husband's signature notarized to indicate that he, as a beneficiary, was aware of a change I was making in a financial instrument the notary not only examined documents proving his identity she asked that he read the documents in her presence so she could be sure that he really knew what he was signing. Thank you notary for carrying out your job in a highly professional manner.)
The woman whose murder trial is covered in this book was able to incur stunningly high levels of debt, as did her second husband, largely because of lax conduct on the part of many other individuals.
3) The degree to which lawyers on both sides felt comfortable, indeed felt it necessary, to drag the Bible into the question of guilt and innocence and into the question as to what sentence should be passed once the defendant was found guilty, is stunning to this non-American.
July 2, 2010
Barbara Steger appeared to be a devoted mother, loving wife, and dedicated church leader. In the Durham community of North Carolina. When she accidently shot her husband popular high school coach Russ the police were inclined to believe her-until they found out that ten years earlier her first husband had died in a strangely similar way . When Det Rick Buchanan starts relentlessly investigating her life a stunning vortex is revealed of compulsive lying, obessive spending and sexual promiscuity. But the greatest shock is a damning piece of evidence Russ Stager left behind It is a case of double life lethal lust and almost perfect murder. This story reveals the nightmare truth about a women obsessed with having to have it all and to have the perfect life.
August 27, 2010
It is a rarity that I find a book that impacts me, even a true crime book. I still remember every detail of this book even though I probably read it 15 years ago. This story impacted me so much that I still follow where Barbara Stager is in the North Carolina judicial system..thank God she has been up for parole numerous times yet has failed to get it...Keep up the good work North Carolinea Parole Board! Now, too bad the police can't get it together to figure out the murder of her first husband. I have read other Jerry Bledsoe true crime books and they are not as good as this one.
September 20, 2014
Some people like The Love Dare or Gary Chapman when they need to recharge their marriage batteries. Some of us just need a good old she-killed-him-true-crime to get us through. Guess which one I subscribe to?
July 2, 2016
Started off as an excellent read, but--like many true crime books--fell apart in the last third, which was a long, drawn-out description of the trial, with biographies of all the lawyers, the judges, etc.
Up until that point, it was an intriguing, fast-paced story.
Up until that point, it was an intriguing, fast-paced story.
January 12, 2018
I've read this book several times in the last twenty years and I heartily recommend it. It tells the story of Barbara Stager, who lost two husbands in firearm 'accidents' (think about those odds for a moment). Full of memorable sequences; I wish more true crime books were this good.
July 26, 2014
Guilty pleasure time...crazy lady kills husband. AGAIN.
August 10, 2021
This is the third book I've read by this author and the one I enjoyed the most. The research is tremendous as I've come to expect from him but I didn't find it quite as laboured as I did his prior books. I like that he writes of cases I've somehow not heard of. Though once I saw Barbara's photo at the end of the book I think I recognised her. Maybe I've heard a true-crime podcast on her and looked her up before.
I felt especially bad for Larry's family as they never really got justice at all. The so-called investigation was a crap one. And thank goodness for Jo Lynn and her assistance in going the extra mile in Russ's case. I find it pretty bloody sad, too, that Barbara's sons had 2 really decent fathers taken away from them by her hand, yet they can't take that on board. Maybe someday they'll realise what a wrongun' she really is, whether she believes in God or not. Some of the most evil people that ever walked this earth professed to be religious, so believing this absolves them of any type of justice, so it's a pity they've been so taken in by her, along with her friends. As for her parents, they did nothing to put her right, sadly, and managed to breed themselves a selfish, greedy monster. The number of men she chose to sleep around with and the staggering amount of times she stole money was just appalling behaviour, and hardly the acts of a good Christian sort !!
I was really surprised just how many people she associated with who themselves died violent deaths, aside from having been around her !! That was a shock. I did wonder why they didn't conduct a toxicology test after they found Russ's tape as well, considering its content.
This wasn't without errors and some of them seem to be formatting mistakes, because we had comer not corner, then bum not burn (more than once in both instances) and gamer not garner.
He does that horrid American thing, too, writing lighted and not lit, which I hate to see. There was the odd apostrophe and hyphen missed and he wrote dictates and not dictats, then the odd word was dropped from a sentence or a fullstop was missed here and there. Then, near the end, he wrote die and not the, quite bizarrely !!
I did google her once I finished it and I'm heartened to see she's still incarcerated, as she should be, though I did read she's been let out now and then in public. Still, as long as she doesn't get married again, I think the general population are pretty safe.
I felt especially bad for Larry's family as they never really got justice at all. The so-called investigation was a crap one. And thank goodness for Jo Lynn and her assistance in going the extra mile in Russ's case. I find it pretty bloody sad, too, that Barbara's sons had 2 really decent fathers taken away from them by her hand, yet they can't take that on board. Maybe someday they'll realise what a wrongun' she really is, whether she believes in God or not. Some of the most evil people that ever walked this earth professed to be religious, so believing this absolves them of any type of justice, so it's a pity they've been so taken in by her, along with her friends. As for her parents, they did nothing to put her right, sadly, and managed to breed themselves a selfish, greedy monster. The number of men she chose to sleep around with and the staggering amount of times she stole money was just appalling behaviour, and hardly the acts of a good Christian sort !!
I was really surprised just how many people she associated with who themselves died violent deaths, aside from having been around her !! That was a shock. I did wonder why they didn't conduct a toxicology test after they found Russ's tape as well, considering its content.
This wasn't without errors and some of them seem to be formatting mistakes, because we had comer not corner, then bum not burn (more than once in both instances) and gamer not garner.
He does that horrid American thing, too, writing lighted and not lit, which I hate to see. There was the odd apostrophe and hyphen missed and he wrote dictates and not dictats, then the odd word was dropped from a sentence or a fullstop was missed here and there. Then, near the end, he wrote die and not the, quite bizarrely !!
I did google her once I finished it and I'm heartened to see she's still incarcerated, as she should be, though I did read she's been let out now and then in public. Still, as long as she doesn't get married again, I think the general population are pretty safe.
August 22, 2023
True Story. Barbara Terry (Ford) Stager a church going, endearing friend, neighbor, and an apparent loving wife, was convicted of her 2nd husband's, Russ Stager, murder. She claimed the gun went off
accidentally while she was moving the loaded pistol he slept with under his pillow. This didn't ring true with his family or friends or his National Guard associates, or his ex wife, Jo Lynn, whom he had told to look into his death if anything happened to him. Barbara's first husband, father of her two boys, was also killed accidentally with a gun ten years earlier, that according to her he was handling. What do most TV detectives say, "There are no coincidences!" She was convicted and sentenced to death, then had a resentencing and was sentenced to life in prison, with possible parole after 12 years. Neither former husband's parents were happy with this. As of October 2022, she was still in prison. The book goes into her, and her husbands' spending habits, and financial worries, Barbara's suspected forgery of their signatures on financial documents, and Barbara's love affairs. She is/was a true Black Widow. Book covers 1988 - 1993 (Larry Ford's death to resentencing hearing).
accidentally while she was moving the loaded pistol he slept with under his pillow. This didn't ring true with his family or friends or his National Guard associates, or his ex wife, Jo Lynn, whom he had told to look into his death if anything happened to him. Barbara's first husband, father of her two boys, was also killed accidentally with a gun ten years earlier, that according to her he was handling. What do most TV detectives say, "There are no coincidences!" She was convicted and sentenced to death, then had a resentencing and was sentenced to life in prison, with possible parole after 12 years. Neither former husband's parents were happy with this. As of October 2022, she was still in prison. The book goes into her, and her husbands' spending habits, and financial worries, Barbara's suspected forgery of their signatures on financial documents, and Barbara's love affairs. She is/was a true Black Widow. Book covers 1988 - 1993 (Larry Ford's death to resentencing hearing).
December 13, 2022
This book covers the case of Barbara Stanger, who was convicted of first degree murder in the death of her husband, Russell. Russell Stanger was found shot in his bed. Barbara claimed that she shot him on accident while removing a gun from beneath his pillow. The forensics of the case say otherwise, and Russell also was suspicious of his wife leading up to his death. Interestingly, her first husband died from an accidental gunshot wound as well...but I am not quite sure I believe her story about that either. She certainly gained from the deaths as far as life insurance and assets went, which was the primary motivation for her behavior. She is currently still serving a life sentence, and is in her mid 70s.
My sister found two copies of this book while we were at the bookstore this weekend, and I mentioned that I had watched this case on Forensic Files last week. I had to get the book to read. I enjoyed it, even though I already was familiar with the case. This book included more facts and backstory than the episode of Forensic Files did, and I love more details about things. I really liked how this book had more details about her personal life, her upbringing and such, because that gave more depth to the case. I always find it interesting to consider how background and upbringing could have played a part in the actions. Overall, this was a decent little accidental find.
My sister found two copies of this book while we were at the bookstore this weekend, and I mentioned that I had watched this case on Forensic Files last week. I had to get the book to read. I enjoyed it, even though I already was familiar with the case. This book included more facts and backstory than the episode of Forensic Files did, and I love more details about things. I really liked how this book had more details about her personal life, her upbringing and such, because that gave more depth to the case. I always find it interesting to consider how background and upbringing could have played a part in the actions. Overall, this was a decent little accidental find.
December 16, 2019
It was difficult for me to feel strongly for any character, though intriguing storyline.
September 13, 2021
OH
MY
GOSH!
This story was nuts! I kept having to double check that it was really true, Barbara was just unbelievable! This book was well written, engaging and easily digestible. It felt like I was reading an episode of Dateline. Now off to read more of his books!
MY
GOSH!
This story was nuts! I kept having to double check that it was really true, Barbara was just unbelievable! This book was well written, engaging and easily digestible. It felt like I was reading an episode of Dateline. Now off to read more of his books!
November 13, 2013
****Spoiler Alert******
Wow. I was surprised that it took such a short time to come up with a verdict. And that to this date she's still rotting in prison. She was deceitful, disgusting and received no sympathy from be at all. Maybe it's the way the book was written but I somehow doubt that. An interesting read for sure.
Wow. I was surprised that it took such a short time to come up with a verdict. And that to this date she's still rotting in prison. She was deceitful, disgusting and received no sympathy from be at all. Maybe it's the way the book was written but I somehow doubt that. An interesting read for sure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2016
An excellent read about some really hideous crimes. The author kept things moving at all times and never bogged down for a moment. Instead of telling you what he thought should have been the outcome, he asked the parties involved in the situation. Really well done. Made me wonder how often other people get away with this sort of thing.
November 28, 2016
This book made me nervous about having a step parent for the longest time. It made me feel relieved that my step dad at the time, while we have disagreements on many things, I know that he loves and respects my mom.
The book started off very strong in my opinion as it held onto my attention. however around the last third of the book I noticed that my attention wandered.
The book started off very strong in my opinion as it held onto my attention. however around the last third of the book I noticed that my attention wandered.
August 7, 2015
From the moment you read the jacket, you know who gets killed, and you kinda know who gets caught, but you still can't put it down. Jerry Bledsoe did a great job both on detailed research and in putting all the facts in order in a way that really flows.
October 22, 2014
A good book that left me wondering if justice was served.
October 15, 2014
Excellent true crime murder story. Wife who kills two different husbands in bed. Says they both were shot in bed by accident.
Read
January 22, 2015Wicked one interesting mystery
Love the book. Very detailed. Different from all the books I've read. She was such a evil bxtch but very good story line.
Love the book. Very detailed. Different from all the books I've read. She was such a evil bxtch but very good story line.
January 9, 2016
A book I re-read over and over again. It's a classic.
March 16, 2018
She sooo did it! Two husbands “accidentally” killed 10 years apart? Very convenient.
It is a well written, page-turner for true crime enthusiasts.
It is a well written, page-turner for true crime enthusiasts.
September 10, 2018
Both times just as good
Read this book a few years ago and second time around just as good. Well written and to the point without a lot of unnecessary wording.
Read this book a few years ago and second time around just as good. Well written and to the point without a lot of unnecessary wording.
June 18, 2021
Well researched
What a story. A very “devout” baptist woman with a pathological need for sex and shopping buries her family in debt taking out loans to pay other loans. She has caught herself in a web of deceit forging checks, embezzlement and fraud. She becomes so desperate there seems to be only one way out. She murders her husband and makes it look like an accident. Then she can buy her way out with the insurance payments. After all, it worked once before.
The book follows the trail that the detective painstakingly traced step by step. It covers the trail and the similarities of her first murder that she was able to get away with. It was a very interesting psychological study of a woman who was very involved with her church who people described as a very giving and devout Christian. This is a woman who is very calculating and who believes her own lies so much so that in spite of all the evidence presented at the trial she was shocked when the verdict came back as guilty. She was given the death sentence but the sentence was overturned by appeal and was changed to life.
Since then she has been up for parole three times but so far has been turned down. She has also been allowed to go on lunch outings with a sponsor. This is a dangerous woman. She believes in the facade she puts on for others but given the opportunity she would repeat her pattern again without remorse. This is a woman who should spend the rest of her life in prison.
What a story. A very “devout” baptist woman with a pathological need for sex and shopping buries her family in debt taking out loans to pay other loans. She has caught herself in a web of deceit forging checks, embezzlement and fraud. She becomes so desperate there seems to be only one way out. She murders her husband and makes it look like an accident. Then she can buy her way out with the insurance payments. After all, it worked once before.
The book follows the trail that the detective painstakingly traced step by step. It covers the trail and the similarities of her first murder that she was able to get away with. It was a very interesting psychological study of a woman who was very involved with her church who people described as a very giving and devout Christian. This is a woman who is very calculating and who believes her own lies so much so that in spite of all the evidence presented at the trial she was shocked when the verdict came back as guilty. She was given the death sentence but the sentence was overturned by appeal and was changed to life.
Since then she has been up for parole three times but so far has been turned down. She has also been allowed to go on lunch outings with a sponsor. This is a dangerous woman. She believes in the facade she puts on for others but given the opportunity she would repeat her pattern again without remorse. This is a woman who should spend the rest of her life in prison.
July 9, 2018
Listened to in audio format.
This was a fascinating account of murderer Barbara Stager. In the early hours of the morning mother of two
Barbara accidentally shot her husband High school coach Russ Stager. When interviewed she told the police she accidentally shot Russ whilst removing the gun from under his pillow.
The police ruled the shooting as an accident until Russ's ex wife contacted the police. Russ told her that he and Barbara were heavily in debt, he said a number of times that if anything ever happened to him she should contact the police
The police soon discovered that Barbara's first husband Larry Ford also died in an apparent accident whilst cleaning his gun. Witness accounts showed that whilst Barbara was married to Larry she flirtatious and had a number of affairs. She was also sacked from a job as a bank teller for irregularities in her bank draw. The ex wife along with the Sager family worked with the police to obtain evidence against Barbara.
On the outside Barbara and Russ appeared to be a church going couple. However Russ also liked the high life and contributed to the families debt. Russ mysteriously died after Barbara took out a life insurance policy against his life.
This was a well researched book. I especially felt sorry for the Ford family who never saw justice for the murder of Larry. I recommend this book to all true crime fans.
This was a fascinating account of murderer Barbara Stager. In the early hours of the morning mother of two
Barbara accidentally shot her husband High school coach Russ Stager. When interviewed she told the police she accidentally shot Russ whilst removing the gun from under his pillow.
The police ruled the shooting as an accident until Russ's ex wife contacted the police. Russ told her that he and Barbara were heavily in debt, he said a number of times that if anything ever happened to him she should contact the police
The police soon discovered that Barbara's first husband Larry Ford also died in an apparent accident whilst cleaning his gun. Witness accounts showed that whilst Barbara was married to Larry she flirtatious and had a number of affairs. She was also sacked from a job as a bank teller for irregularities in her bank draw. The ex wife along with the Sager family worked with the police to obtain evidence against Barbara.
On the outside Barbara and Russ appeared to be a church going couple. However Russ also liked the high life and contributed to the families debt. Russ mysteriously died after Barbara took out a life insurance policy against his life.
This was a well researched book. I especially felt sorry for the Ford family who never saw justice for the murder of Larry. I recommend this book to all true crime fans.
September 29, 2024
This book took a semi interesting case and made it incredibly dull and drawn out. I really wish I had listened to a podcast or something about the case instead because I do think it’s an interesting story, just not a 10 hour long book kind of interesting. The book wasn’t written badly, but it was far too long, going into detail about things that really were unimportant to the story. I’m all for a backstory on the perpetrator and the victims, but I don’t need to know everything about the perpetrators sister, or the victims father, when it is completely unrelated to the case.
I can appreciate how well researched the author was when writing this book, but I would recommend saving time and simply listening to a podcast about the case or some kind of YouTube show that would outline the important keys of the case instead of the long drawn out story I just consumed.
November 15, 2021
I missed some of the wit of Bledsoe's other works, but there are times he throws in a detail or phrase that often shows the absurdity of life. For example:
"Clearly, this was too much for them to face alone, and they sought help from a greater power. Both men prayed aloud, asking for guidance, for healing, for restoration. Afterward, there was a long silence, then Bill and Harry walked outside to the pen where the Welches kept a pet lion, talking quietly. When they returned, they had agreed that Russ had to be told, and that Harry, who was the closest to him and had known him longest, was the one to do it."
Does anything stand out to you about this? There is one detail mentioned once and is never brought up again.
I love it when Bledsoe does this stuff.
"Clearly, this was too much for them to face alone, and they sought help from a greater power. Both men prayed aloud, asking for guidance, for healing, for restoration. Afterward, there was a long silence, then Bill and Harry walked outside to the pen where the Welches kept a pet lion, talking quietly. When they returned, they had agreed that Russ had to be told, and that Harry, who was the closest to him and had known him longest, was the one to do it."
Does anything stand out to you about this? There is one detail mentioned once and is never brought up again.
I love it when Bledsoe does this stuff.
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