Shanna Golyar, now serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, orchestrated a disturbing impersonation that spanned four years.
The victim, 37-year-old Cari Farver, mysteriously disappeared from Omaha in 2012, leading to a bizarre series of events.
Obsession, stalking & impersonation
Shanna Golyar, driven by obsession, murdered Farver upon discovering her involvement with Dave Kroupa, a man Golyar had been romantically entangled with on and off for several months.
What followed was a prolonged period of stalking and harassment, with Golyar impersonating Farver through numerous text messages, emails, and Facebook posts.
Farver’s ex-boyfriend, Kroupa, dated her for only two weeks before receiving a breakup text from her phone number.
In a bizarre attempt to mislead authorities, Golyar went to extremes, sending threatening messages and emails about herself, pretending they were from Farver.
One such email, referencing Golyar, contained derogatory comments aimed at confusing the investigation.
The impersonation extended to Farver’s mother, Nancy Raney, who received numerous messages seemingly from her missing daughter. Alarmed when Farver failed to attend significant events, Raney began to question the authenticity of the messages, which turned increasingly mean and accusatory.
Authorities grew suspicious of Golyar as inconsistencies in her story surfaced.
Building a case against her, they gathered data from cellphones and IP addresses, linking Golyar to the messages purportedly from Farver.
Additionally, police discovered Golyar in possession of incriminating photos displaying tattoos identical to Farver’s.
Although Farver’s body was never found, prosecutors assert the murder occurred in an Omaha apartment on November 13, 2012.
The case rested on circumstantial evidence, including Golyar’s fingerprints in Farver’s car and a disturbing photo allegedly taken by Golyar, depicting Farver’s decomposing foot.
Describing the case during the 2017 murder trial, Chief Deputy Douglas County Attorney Brenda Beadle labeled it “one of the most calculated and bizarre cases” in her over 20 years as a prosecutor.
Shanna Golyar’s elaborate deception serves as a stark reminder of the depths to which obsession can lead, leaving devastation in its wake