50K Texts Later, Woman Convicted of Murdering, Impersonating Ex's New Girlfriend
The case of Cari Farver stands out in the history of American true crime, not just for its chilling conclusion but also for the intricate web of deceit that unraveled before anyone could fully grasp the horrors at play. What seemed like a mysterious disappearance turned out to be an elaborate plot, fueled by obsession and a love triangle, that led to murder.
The Disappearance
Cari Farver, a 37-year-old single mother and computer programmer from Iowa, was last seen alive on Nov. 13, 2012. Friends and family described her as a dedicated mother and a hard-working professional. Farver was excited about starting a major project at work, but never made it there.
What followed was a confusing and frustrating ordeal for Farver's loved ones. Strange and uncharacteristic text messages began flooding in from Farver's phone to her boyfriend, Dave Kroupa. These messages said that she had moved to Kansas, left her life behind, and no longer wanted anything to do with her family or her son, Max. For those who knew Farver, this behavior was completely out of character. They were convinced that something terrible had happened to her.
A Lover's Triangle Revealed
At the heart of this case was a tangled web of romantic relationships. Farver had recently started dating Kroupa, a man she met online. Their relationship was casual, but unbeknownst to Farver, she had entered a toxic situation. Kroupa had recently ended a long-term relationship with another woman, Shanna "Liz" Golyar, but Golyar was far from over him. The two women had briefly met in passing, and it would prove to be a precursor to murder.
After Farver's disappearance, an intense campaign of harassment against Kroupa began. Over the next several years, he received thousands of emails and text messages, many of them threatening and disturbing. The messages claimed to be from Farver, but the content suggested something much darker was at play.
Kroupa and Golyar got back together for a while after Farver's disappearance.
Golyar reported her property damaged and pets killed, all of which she attributed to Farver. The police were baffled, unable to connect the dots between the harassment and Farver's disappearance. It wasn't until Golyar began receiving messages similar to Koupa's that the case took a significant turn, three years after Farver's disappearance. Investigators started to piece together that Golyar was impersonating Farver in an attempt to cover up her crimes.
The Shocking Truth Revealed
The breakthrough in the case came when investigators recovered deleted photos from a memory card that belonged to Golyar. Among the pictures was one of Farver's vehicle, taken after her disappearance, and another showing a decomposing human foot with a tattoo that matched one Farver had. This gruesome discovery was enough to arrest Golyar, who, even in custody, maintained her innocence.
Shanna "Liz" Golyar's mugshot. Photo Courtesy of Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Public domain.
Further investigation revealed that Golyar had murdered Farver shortly after they met, and for years, she had been impersonating her online. Golyar used Farver's phone to send messages to Kroupa, friends, and family, creating an elaborate facade that Farver was still alive.
Over three years, Golyar sent 15,000 emails and 50,000 texts posing as Farver. It was one of the most sophisticated cases of identity theft and cyberstalking that law enforcement had ever encountered. She also had burned down her own house, killed her own pets, and shot herself in the leg — a failed attempt to cast suspicion on another one of Trouba's ex-girlfriends, who had an alibi — to try to hide the truth.
In 2017, Golyar was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The case of Cari Farver was finally closed, but the scars left behind by Golyar's deception remain.
The Aftermath
The tragic story of Cari Farver has since gained widespread attention, including a feature in the Netflix documentary series "Unsolved Mysteries," which sparked renewed interest in the case. The exposure from the documentary even led to a surge in donations to domestic violence organizations in the Omaha area, as viewers were moved by Farver's story and the broader implications of her case.
The murder of Cari Farver is a stark reminder of the dangers of online dating and the potential for deception in our chronically online society. It also highlights the importance of trusting one's instincts; Farver's family knew something was wrong from the start, even when the messages from her phone suggested otherwise. In the end, this intuition, coupled with persistent investigation, brought Golyar to justice.
References: Lover, Stalker, Killer: Where Are Dave Kroupa and Liz Golyar Now? | The Mysterious Murder of Cari Farver and How Digital Evidence Helped Crack the Case | The Chilling Murder Of Cari Farver, The Woman Who Seemingly Sent Texts For Years After Her Disappearance
