Miranda Barbour, known as the “Craigslist Killer,” lured 42-year-old Troy LaFerrara to his death in 2013 with the help of her husband Elytte.
Early Life
Miranda Barbour was born on 14 December 1994, in North Pole, Alaska. From an early age, her life was marked by hardship and trauma. She was raised by her mother, Elizabeth, her father, Sonny Dean, and her older sister, Ashley.
During this time, Miranda’s Uncle Richard Fernandez moved into the neighborhood. Married to Elizabeth’s sister, Melissa, Richard became a frequent presence in Miranda’s life. However, instead of offering support, he turned out to be a predator.
When Miranda was 3 years old, Richard subjected her and Ashley to years of horrific sexual abuse. The nightmare ended only when Ashley found the courage to confide in their mother, the Newsweek reports.
Miranda Barbour: “I think he created a monster inside of me. It’s always there.”
The revelation led to a police investigation uncovering Richard’s disturbing handwritten manual detailing his crimes. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison but served only 10 before his release. However, his freedom was short-lived. He was later caught distributing illegal pornography online and sentenced to an additional 40 years in prison, per Anchorage Daily News.
Lingering Trauma and Rebellion
Despite Richard’s imprisonment, the scars of abuse remained. Miranda struggled emotionally often expressing her pain in her diary and questioning how someone could inflict such harm.
Miranda wrote in her diary: “I felt dirty, violated, hurt, and ashamed. How could he think he had the right to hurt me and my sister the way he did? I wanted him to hurt worse than he hurt me”, per BBC.
Seeking a fresh start, Elizabeth relocated the family to Palmer, Alaska, but Miranda’s inner turmoil only deepened. By age 13, she exhibited erratic behavior frequently running away from home for days at a time.
During one of these episodes, she met a man named Forrest, who introduced her to a Satanic cult. Under his influence, she became entangled in the group, claiming allegiance to him, according to the New York Post. As her involvement deepened, so did her exposure to criminal activities and gang violence.
Miranda Barbour: “When I became involved in Satanism, I knew I had something bad inside me, and I embraced it.”
By 14, Miranda had turned to substance abuse. Her family unable to manage her escalating behavior sought medical intervention. She was prescribed Prozac for depression and Adderall for ADHD but her mental health continued to decline.
Later diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, she struggled with stability. Multiple suicide attempts and ongoing conflicts with her mother only worsened her condition. Meanwhile, her parents’ divorce further distanced her from any real support system, per Starcasm.
Downward Spiral into Crime
With little parental guidance, Miranda sank deeper into a life of crime. She engaged in vandalism, drug use, and prostitution. At one point, she became pregnant but was forced by other cult members to undergo an unsafe abortion, the Jezebel reports. When she became pregnant again at 17, she decided to keep the child.
In 2011, authorities deemed Elizabeth unfit to care for Miranda leading to her relocation to North Carolina as part of an intervention. It was there that she met Elytte Barbour, a man who shared her struggles with mental health and substance addiction.
Elytte, recently out of an abusive relationship with his girlfriend Aimee Vaneyll, quickly became infatuated with Miranda. The two bonded over their shared fascination with the occult and violent rituals.
According to NBC News, they married when Miranda turned 18 and shortly after, they moved to Pennsylvania with her baby in search of a fresh start. However, their financial struggles soon led them down a dark path.
The Murder of Troy LaFerrara
By 2013, Miranda and Elytte were desperate for money. To earn quick cash, Miranda began posting Craigslist ads offering companionship services. One of the men who responded was 42-year-old Troy LaFerrara, an engineer married to his wife, Colleen.
On 11 November 2013, he arranged to meet Miranda in a shopping mall parking lot unaware that Elytte was hiding in the back seat of her car.
As they drove to a secluded area, Miranda gave a prearranged signal, saying, “Did you see the stars tonight?” In response, Elytte emerged from hiding and strangled Troy with a cord while Miranda stabbed him 20 times.
Despite his attempts to fight back, Troy succumbed to his injuries. The couple then discarded his body in an alley before using his stolen money to celebrate Elytte’s birthday, the CBS News reports.
That night, they dined at a restaurant, went shopping, and even visited a strip club, displaying no remorse for their crime.
Elytte told the police: “I ate a burger and it was fantastic”, per BBC.
Investigation and Arrest
The following morning, authorities discovered Troy’s body. His extensive injuries indicated an extremely violent attack leading investigators to suspect premeditated murder. Upon analyzing his phone records, they found that his last contact had been with Miranda Barbour.
When questioned, Miranda initially denied meeting Troy. However, when police seized her phone, she became visibly agitated. Meanwhile, Elytte also faced interrogation, attempting to downplay their Craigslist activities.
Elytte Barbour: “She is not a prostitute. What she does is meet men who have broken marriages or have no one in their lives, and she meets with them and has delightful conversation”, NBC News.
However, investigators soon noticed a key detail. Miranda had met Troy on Elytte’s birthday, raising immediate suspicions.
After their release from questioning, Miranda confided in a friend named Shea Dietz, admitting to the murder. Shea urged her to turn herself in and soon after, Miranda voluntarily went to the police station, claiming she had acted in self-defense. However, surveillance footage contradicted her story, revealing Elytte’s involvement, The Columbus Dispatch reports.
Confronted with the evidence, Elytte casually confessed, describing how they had chosen to kill someone as part of his birthday celebration. He explained how he had hidden in the back seat before strangling Troy while Miranda repeatedly stabbed him.
Trial and Sentencing
Both Miranda and Elytte were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Initially, authorities suspected robbery as the primary motive but later determined that the crime was committed purely for the thrill of killing, per Wikipedia.
While in prison, Miranda reached out to a journalist, asserting that she had killed over 20 people across multiple states. She showed no remorse claiming she only killed “bad people.”
Miranda Barbour: “I guess… I know that when I hit 22 I stopped counting.”
She alleged that she had been part of a Satanic cult since childhood and had committed her first murder at just 13.
“I feel it is time to get all of this out. I don’t care if people believe me. I just want to get it out”, per Townsville Bulletin.
However, law enforcement found no evidence to support her claims. Even her family dismissed them as fabrications.
Miranda’s father, Sonny Dean: “Miranda lives in a fantasy world made up in her own mind. She craves attention, is selfish, dishonest and manipulative”, per Jezebel.
Ultimately, both Miranda and Elytte pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
