Full Name Miranda Dean Criminal charge Murder | Residence Dunn, North Carolina Date 11 November 2013 | |
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Born 1994/1995 (age 22–23) North Pole, Alaska Spouse(s) Elytte Barbour (m. 2013) Location Pennsylvania, United States | ||
Troy LaFerrara was a Port Trevorton, Pennsylvania man murdered on November 11, 2013. Miranda Barbour and her husband, Elytte Barbour, were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in September 2014.
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Murder
The couple met Troy LaFerrara through an ad on Craigslist, where she offered to have sex with him in exchange for payment. Elyette has publicly denied that Miranda is a sex worker. He said that she met men that paid her for "delightful conversation." Miranda has stated that she agreed to meet LaFerrara for sex, charging $100.
On November 11, 2013, Miranda allegedly met LaFerrara at the Susquehanna Valley Mall parking lot in Hummels Wharf, Pennsylvania. After settling on payment, Miranda and LaFerrara then drove six miles to Sunbury, a small city located about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Elyette Barbour told police that he hid under a blanket in the backseat waiting. After she allowed Laferrara into her vehicle, Miranda signaled to Elyette, who jumped out and wrapped a cord around Laferrara's neck as Miranda stabbed him 20 times in their Honda CRV. LaFerrara's body was discovered the next day, November 12, 2013, in a residential backyard in Sunbury.
Police said after Miranda and Elyette dumped Laferrara's body, the couple then bought bleach wipes, towels, and cleaning liquid to remove the blood from inside the vehicle and then went to dinner. According to the arrest affidavit, Elyette Barbour said the couple killed Laferrara because they just wanted to murder someone together.
According to police, the Barbours initially denied even knowing LaFerrara, but police traced the last call from LaFerrara's phone to Miranda’s phone. As the investigation developed, the couple's stories allegedly changed from Miranda’s story of self-defense to a mutual confession to premeditated murder. The killing allegedly was a thrill killing, timed for the couple's three-week wedding anniversary, police have said.
Miranda Barbour, 19, and Elytte Barbour, 22, had previously pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges that carried a possible death penalty upon conviction. They changed their pleas to guilty of second-degree murder at what was to have been a routine status conference in Northumberland County Court in Sunbury.
Miranda Barbour
In an interview with The Daily Item, Miranda Barbour claims she was molested by a relative at the age of four. Barbour's mother, confirmed that Miranda's uncle was charged with sexual abuse of a minor and sentenced to 19 years in prison. Barbour claimed that she joined a satanic cult at the age of 13 and soon after, committed her first murder when the cult leader forced her to shoot a man indebted to their cult. She claimed to be responsible for the deaths of "at least 22 people" between 2008 and 2013.
A Northumberland County District Attorney told the The News-Item that he was skeptical of Miranda's claims, saying "We have been in contact with other law enforcement agencies where she has lived and haven't received any information verifying what she said." The Alaska State Troopers released a statement saying they have no evidence Barbour committed any murders during her time in Alaska.
Elytte Barbour
Elytte Barbour graduated from Triton High School in 2010. He married Miranda (née Dean) on October 22, 2013 when they were residing in Dunn, North Carolina.
On September 18, 2014, both were sentenced to life without parole.