Barbara Stager said her husband Russ’s fatal shooting in their North Carolina bedroom in 1988 was an accident. Investigators questioned her account and examined the earlier shooting death of her first husband. Russ had recorded concerns about his safety before his death. Barbara was convicted of his murder.
Content note: violence, abuse, or loss. Linked material may contain graphic descriptions. Screen dramatizations may change events and dialogue.
Durham, North Carolina. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Map sources checked September 14, 2026. No case-specific Odd Stops location was found in this review.
See this case’s source review
Odd Stops
No verified match found. Source imagery is linked; only separately licensed photos are reproduced.
MurderData
No verified match found.
ArcGIS essay
Not included in this essay.
Reddit map
Reviewed as a general resource. Its coordinates and victim counts were not adopted as case evidence.
“No verified match” describes the accessible material found in this review, not proof that a source has never covered the case. MAP’s anonymous records were not individually matched to people.
Watch links, previews, and historical title listings are identified below. Availability varies by service and region; rentals or subscriptions may be required.
A verified movie listing has not been added yet.
New material will appear here after editorial review.
03TV & documentaries
2 items
Watch links, previews, and historical title listings are identified below. Availability varies by service and region; rentals or subscriptions may be required.
IMDb · TV episode
Forensic Files — Broken Promises (2000)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Listed release: 2000. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
American Justice — Till Death Do Us Part: The Barbara Stager Story (1999)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Listed release: 1999. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Original newspaper coverage, hosted by Newspapers.com. Read each article in the context of its publication date; later findings may differ. Full-page access may require sign-in.
Featured newspaper clipping
Read a featured clipping here, then explore more reporting in the newspaper archive.
The Herald-Sun · 1989-05-23 · Page 1
Reporting after Barbara Stager’s sentencing
The Herald-Sun records a friend’s perspective after Stager’s conviction for killing Russ Stager.
Historical sentencing coverage; quoted opinions are the interviewee’s.
Loads the article viewer from Newspapers.com. That service receives your browser and connection information and may use cookies. Access is controlled by the publisher; a subscription may be needed for additional archive material.
Case videos, posts, family pages, and creator communities. Creator channels and groups cover multiple cases; each includes a link to the relevant episode. Facebook or TikTok may require sign-in, and groups may require membership approval. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting.
Southern Fried True Crime
Episode 54: Black Widow Barbara Stager
Video from Southern Fried True Crime covering the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Length: 1:13:09.
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “54: The Black Widow of North Carolina: Barbara Stager.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
Outside blogs, personal essays, and creator write-ups. These reflect each author’s perspective. Check publication dates and compare claims with reporting and court records.
This section is awaiting its first entry.
New material will appear here after editorial review.
09Internet Archive
2 items
Individual records from Internet Archive: library books, historical broadcasts, and preserved web pages. A catalog listing does not guarantee free reading or full playback. Access, previews, and borrowing are controlled by Internet Archive.
Internet Archive · Library record · 1994
Before he wakes : a true story of money, marriage, sex, and murder
Bledsoe, Jerry. A library catalog record for a book connected with Barbara & Russ Stager. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
Forensic Files : CNNW : January 24, 2015 9:00pm-9:31pm PST
The archive indexes this broadcast under Russ Stager, Barbara Stager. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
New material will appear here after editorial review.
11Court records & documents
1 items
Court opinions, filings, transcripts, and dockets, alongside clearly labeled parole records, released investigative files, and courtroom recordings. Each item identifies its source and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. These selections are not complete case files. Where an online document could not be verified, a separate guide identifies the records office or archive to contact.
Court opinionArchive copy
State v. Stager — conviction and sentencing review
The North Carolina Supreme Court reviewed Barbara Stager’s prosecution for Russell Stager’s murder, upholding the conviction while ordering a new sentencing proceeding.
New material will appear here after editorial review.
13Where are they now?
0 items
The latest information verified for this collection is listed below. Each source has its own date; these are not live custody records.
A current-status update has not been verified for this case yet.
New material will appear here after editorial review.
14Positive Outcome
0 items
Documented laws, advocacy, and reforms connected to this case. Changes do not undo the harm, and listing a law does not claim that it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific law, reform, or advocacy initiative has been verified for this collection yet. This does not mean that none exists.
New material will appear here after editorial review.
Barbara & Russ Stager — media, court records & case files | Unforgotten Casebook
07Social Media
5 itemsCase videos, posts, family pages, and creator communities. Creator channels and groups cover multiple cases; each includes a link to the relevant episode. Facebook or TikTok may require sign-in, and groups may require membership approval. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting.
Southern Fried True Crime
Episode 54: Black Widow Barbara Stager
Video from Southern Fried True Crime covering the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Length: 1:13:09.
Watch on YouTubeTrue Crime Brewery
For the Love of Money: Barbara Stager
Video from True Crime Brewery covering the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Length: 1:44:27.
Watch on YouTubeOxygen
Did This Widowed Sunday School Teacher Kill Her New Husband? | Black Widow Murders | Oxygen
Video from Oxygen covering the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Length: 14:40.
Watch on YouTubeReal Crime
The Story Of Women Who Kill | The New Detectives | Real Crime
Video from Real Crime covering the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Length: 53:19.
Watch on YouTubeFacebook · Creator channel
Southern Fried True Crime — Facebook page
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “54: The Black Widow of North Carolina: Barbara Stager.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
Visit the Facebook page