KILLER COUPLES ‘Amish Stud’ Eli Weaver convinced Barbara Raber to murder his sleeping wife

Tonight’s new episode of Oxygen’s Killer Couples explores the chaotic life of self-proclaimed “Amish Stud” Eli Weaver, who sent waves through Ohio’s Amish country when he had one of his many girlfriends murder his wife Barbara Weaver, the mother of his five children.

In a chilling irony, the woman who shot Barbara Weaver in her bed was also named Barbara. She worked as a taxi driver for the strict Amish community in Apple Creek, Ohio.

Amish people rely on horse-and-buggy for most of their transportation needs, but sometimes business requires that they travel places they can’t get to without a modern vehicle. Barbara Raber, who was born Amish, filled that role before her life took an irrevocable turn.

Eli Weaver was abusive to his wife physically and financially. Their children witnessed Eli shoving their mother, and he purposefully withheld money he made running a hunting shop to control Barbara.

He had tried to leave his marriage, and the Amish lifestyle twice before his wife’s murder, but both times he came back and asked to be forgiven. Still, while he practiced piety in public, privately Eli created dating profiles under the same “Amish Stud.”

He cheated on his wife with multiple women, sometimes in the family’s barn where Barbara’s funeral was held. One of his girlfriends got pregnant and had his sixth child.

Eli not only used his computer, which was forbidden in Amish culture outside of what is necessary for work, to cheat on his wife, he also searched how to poison her. He would often bring up killing his wife with the ladies he met online. Most of the women didn’t take his talk of killing his wife seriously, but Barbara Raber did.

She took her husband’s gun and entered the Weaver’s house through the basement while Eli was conveniently fishing.

In 2009 Barbara Raber was sentenced to 23 years to life in prison for the murder of Barbara Weaver. Eli Weaver was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in his wife’s murder.

A Killing in Amish Country (this link is an affiliate link and purchases made through the link benefit Starcasm) by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris.