Barbara Stager Should Never Be Paroled

Barbara Stager, convicted husband killer and evil bitch

Murder between strangers is despicable enough but imagine the fear and pain of having someone you love and trust betray you in the worst way by taking your life and doing so for nothing more than financial gain.

Russ Stager

Barbara Stager did just this.  Twice.  Although no charges were brought against her for the gunshot death of her first husband Larry Ford in 1978, it's almost certain that Larry did not accidentally shoot himself (in the chest, no less) shortly after Barbara acquired a handgun and life insurance on Larry.  She was charged and convicted for the 1988 death of her second husband, Russ Stager, in which she stood to make a hefty life insurance collection as Russ' beneficiary. 

As looking into Larry's eyes while she killed him probably gave her an unsettled feeling (but no remorse) she changed her M.O. when dispatching Russ.  She claimed that her husband was sleeping with a loaded handgun under his pillow and while trying to remove it while Russ slept, she accidentally shot him in the head.  The story is as ridiculous now as it was back in 1988 - - not only that someone as well versed in guns as Russ Stager would sleep with a loaded handgun under his pillow (discounted by his family and former wife) but that out of everything in that bedroom, including Russ' entire body, that he was "accidentally" shot directly in the back of the head.  In other words, executed.  The trajectory of the bullet also indicated that he was shot from above and behind, in direct contradiction to Barbara's story of the bullet coming from underneath him.

She was convicted and sentenced to death by a North Carolina jury.  The right sentence in my opinion if you support the death penalty.  However, the death sentence was overturned and commuted to life in prison.  I have no doubt that it was only because Barbara is a woman.  If she had been a man that executed his wife for financial gain, the death sentence would have been upheld.

Her attorneys stressed that Barbara was a churchgoing woman, who had so much to still offer the world from her religious knowledge and support to her crafts.  They also stressed what a loving daughter and sister she was and that she was needed to continue being the loving mother of her two sons.  The last statement makes me irate.

Barbara proved herself to be anything but a loving and supportive mother when she obliterated her sons' father.  TWICE.  She killed their biological father, Larry Ford, without a thought or care as to how much emotional damage she would do to them.  She then married Russ Stager, who lovingly adopted Larry's sons and took them as his own.  He loved them, they loved him.  And Barbara cruelly killed Russ as she had Larry; again, with no consideration as to what this might do to her sons. 

She has already lucked out in that her death sentence was overturned.  She was given mercy and life when she gave Larry and Russ neither. 

Larry Ford's final resting place

Barbara had a parole hearing in 2009, in which parole was denied.  She had another hearing in 2012, again denied.  She was scheduled for a hearing in August of 2015 but I cannot find further information on that hearing.  She is still listed as incarcerated so I would guess she was again denied or that hearing was postponed.  I would hope that North Carolina never forgets the irreparable damage she did to the Ford and Stager families, as well as to her own children.  If Barbara Stager, the ultimate actress, who lied to, cheated on and then killed both of her husbands so that she might buy a nicer car, new jewelry and clothing, doesn't deserve to be locked up with the key thrown away, I don't know who does.

UPDATE:  As of April 15, 2020 Barbara remains behind bars at the North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women, where she should be.  Her next scheduled review is August 1, 2020