A Tangled Web

by Leslie Rule

  Jim Masteller had barely glanced at the defendant throughout the trial. He was too focused on his work to notice her. He looked at her now. Her expression was as placid as a lake on a breezeless day. Her only sign of distress was the scarlet hue creeping up her neck.

  Garret had planned to be there for the verdict but arrived late. “I had to sit outside the courtroom,” he remembers. He learned of Liz’s fate when he saw her led away in cuffs. “I’ll never forget, as she left the courtroom, I was the last person she saw. We briefly locked eyes while they took her away.” Her eyes betrayed nothing, and he saw no tears. But there were lots of tears flowing among Cari’s family and friends as they gathered outside of the courtroom with the investigators to hug and congratulate each other. The verdict was exactly what they’d hoped for, but it was not a time of celebration. A guilty verdict did not bring their Cari home. They were relieved, and they were grateful to the judge. He had recognized the monster, and now the healing could begin.

  When JMD was approached by TV reporters, he praised his opponents as he admitted defeat. “In my three or four decades of practicing law, it’s one of the most powerful presentations of circumstantial evidence that I’ve ever seen.” He’d done everything he could to defend Shanna, but the truth had won.

  Shortly after the verdict, he got a phone call from his client. “I want to take the plea deal,” she announced. There had never been a formal offer for a plea deal. JMD recalls a vague reference to the possibility, with a prosecutor commenting that no deal would be considered unless Shanna revealed the location of the remains. JMD had mentioned that conversation to Shanna, but it was a moot point, because she’d insisted upon her innocence. He reminded her of that now. “Shanna, you told me you weren’t guilty,” he stressed, adding that even if she had been offered a deal, it was too late because she’d already been convicted.

  Shanna Elizabeth Golyar was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and eighteen to twenty years for arson in the second degree. Judge Burns ordered that the sentences run consecutively. She is currently incarcerated at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women in York, Nebraska, the same prison that had once been home to Starkweather’s companion.

  Does her young boyfriend still visit her? Detectives assume her romance with Josh Stemmer cooled after Liz’s conviction. They heard no more about it, and Doty and Avis last saw Josh’s relatives a few weeks after the trial when they were dispatched to the Stemmer home to deal with a complaint about a noisy domestic disturbance. Things had settled down by the time they arrived, and it wasn’t necessary to arrest anyone. But Henry Stemmer was not a fan of police, and he sat on the front porch, quite intoxicated, mouthing off as Doty and Avis prepared to leave. Detective Doty turned to Henry and advised, “Tell your son to pick better ladies.”

  “What?” Henry asked. “What do you mean?”

  “Liz Golyar,” Doty said over his shoulder. “I put her in prison.”

  “Deputy!” cried Henry. “Deputy, wait! I want to shake your hand.”

  “Henry got up,” Avis remembers. “He stumbled down the porch steps and fell into a mud puddle. He squirmed around in the puddle for a minute, and then he got up and shook Doty’s hand.” The detectives had finally earned the respect of one of their toughest customers.

  * * *

  In November 2017, James Martin Davis received two startling and anonymous emails from someone threatening to harm Liz’s kids unless the convicted murderer revealed the location of Cari’s remains. “Shanna will provide the location to police, or she will suffer for the rest of her life,” said one letter, pointing out that Shanna was unable to protect her children because she was in jail and that “a hole in the ground” was waiting for one of her relatives unless she cooperated.

  JMD alerted authorities, and many people suspected Liz was behind the threats, but no one knew how she’d pulled it off. While inmates at the York prison are allowed limited access to the Internet, those monitoring her activity found no evidence she’d sent the threats. The many people tortured by Liz’s electronic harassment before her incarceration were outraged to learn she was allowed to use a computer, even if she wasn’t responsible for the latest threats.

  If Liz had sent the threats, how had she done it? Did she have access to a cell phone? According to a January 2019 article in the Lincoln Journal Star, an estimated 250 to 300 cell phones were confiscated in Nebraska prisons in 2018, and officials suspect inmates are hiding many more. Cell phone contraband is a growing problem in prisons across the country, one perpetuated by crooked guards who sell phones to prisoners at greatly inflated costs. Phones are also delivered to prison yards via drones, and inmates have been known to conceal them in toilet tanks, body cavities, and books.

  The drama continues even with Liz behind bars. When Detective Schneider visited the York prison to interview an inmate about another case he was investigating, the woman mentioned Liz, claiming that Liz was either insane or pretending to be insane. Liz insisted that people call her Cari, said the inmate. It was startling news, but Schneider is uncertain of its veracity. No one else has come forward to confirm the story.

  Liz Goylar filed an appeal with the Nebraska Supreme Court, requesting that they reverse her conviction. She used the same arguments her extremely competent attorney had—no one had witnessed the murder, and neither a body nor a weapon had been found. She also claimed that JMD had failed her by advising her to waive a jury trial. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled against Golyar in November 2018, concluding her attorney was competent, and, in Judge Stephanie Stacey’s words, “There is no merit to Golyar’s claim that the evidence was insufficient to support her conviction for first-degree murder.”

  AFTERWORD

  MAXWELL FARVER IS ENGAGED to be married and has followed in his mother’s footsteps, studying computer programing and coding at a university. He recently added “Data Science” to his major. Nancy and Mark Raney have remained close to the investigators who helped them, and think of them as sons.

  Deputy Anthony Kava, Detectives Jim Doty, Ryan Avis, and Dave Schneider are frequently invited to speak to law enforcement groups about cyber-crimes and their involvement with the Golyar case.

  James Masteller is now a district court judge in Nebraska’s Fourth Judicial District, appointed by Governor Pete Ricketts in the autumn of 2018. Brenda Beadle is still winning cases for Douglas County. JMD was once again voted Omaha’s best defense attorney.

  While Garret has not dated since he broke up with Liz and is somewhat wary when it comes to meeting women, he insists he’s content with his life and grateful for his family, friends, and pets. “I’m not depressed, lonely or desperate to make a ‘love’ connection—not that I’m not open to it. It’s not a high priority right now.” He refuses to let his experience with Liz “have power over me,” and “I have forgiven—not to be confused with forgotten—her trespasses against me.”

  Amy Flora and Dave Kroupa continue to co-parent their kids and have no desire to reunite. Both participated in an autumn 2017 Dateline episode about the case. Dave plans to cooperate with every TV program Cari’s mother chooses to participate in. “I got her daughter killed,” he says sadly, explaining that the least he can do is support Nancy’s decision to tell Cari’s story. He’s still overwhelmed with guilt over what happened to Cari. Nancy Raney doesn’t blame Dave. “He was pretty much at the wrong place at the wrong time like Cari was,” she insists, adding that she hopes his feelings of guilt won’t hinder him. “Cari wouldn’t want that.”

  Dave admits that while he has cried, he’s not allowed himself to fully grieve for Cari. He can’t let his mind go there because “I can’t bear it.”

  Melissa Strom earned a degree in the medical field, has a great job, and met and married a wonderful man.

  Liz Golyar’s children were understandably devastated by their mother’s conviction, but reports say they are doing well. Trina lives with a supportive foster aunt, and Peter lives with his father.

&nb
sp; Liz Golyar still insists she is innocent.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  While most of those interviewed for A Tangled Web allowed their real names to be used, some requested pseudonyms to protect their privacy. Some professionals were also given pseudonyms to spare them possible embarrassment over being tricked by the killer.

  A few of those quoted in this story were not actually interviewed by this author, but their quotes were pulled directly from trial transcripts. The transcripts were also the source of all emails and texts, each one written verbatim—though most punctuation and spelling errors were corrected to reduce confusion for readers.

  My publishers are not fans of the cumbersome asterisk, often used to indicate a name change, but you can visit my website to see a complete list of the pseudonyms used. (The subjects’ real names, however, will not be revealed without their permission.)

  Please visit Deputy Anthony Kava’s website for tips on staying safe in the cyberworld. Links to donate to The Cari Farver Scholarship Fund can be found on both of our websites.

  Anthony Kava’s website is https:/forensic.coffee.

  Leslie Rule’s website is www.authorLeslieRule.com.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I am thankful to those who made it possible to shed light on a horrific tragedy—a story that needed to be told to warn potential victims about the killers in our midst and the digital tricks they use to deceive us. Thank you for your willingness to reveal often personal and painful things so that readers can truly understand what happened, how it happened, and can recognize danger if they see it headed their way: Nancy and Mark Raney, Maxwell Farver, Dave Kroupa, Trish Kroupa, Amy Flora, Cherokee Montoya, Tim Verbeek, Ray Strahan, Amber Jones, Holly Drummond, Brandie Bates, Tayandy Braver, and Heather. I’m equally grateful to those using the pseudonyms: Garret Sloan, Melissa Strom, Gloria Munson, Camila, Victoria, Christie, and Jean.

  I am forever grateful to the professionals who worked tirelessly to solve this case and seek justice for Cari Farver. Thank you for sitting down with me to share your insights, Detective Jim Doty, Detective Ryan Avis, Detective Dave Schneider, and Prosecutors Brenda Beadle and Jim Masteller. Special Deputy Anthony Kava, I’m in awe of your genius and so appreciate the fact you shared your materials with me!

  Thank you to James Martin Davis and Cheyann Forester Parr for the enlightening lunch at The Omaha Press Club. Thank you, Barbara Bisbee Pedersen, Adam Farver, LuAnn Smith, Cynthia Weisz, August Siefken, Stefan Stroebel, Shawn Flanigan, Alison Clark, Ann C. Miller, Matt Wilber and Tayandy Braver for your help with the photos. The following demonstrated excellence in transcribing trial testimony: Leslie B. Anderson, Joyce Kelly, Roana Smith, and Theresa Stevens. Thank you to Dhebi Siconolfi for flawlessly transcribing interviews. Kathy Lavato, I appreciate your insights about Omaha and Council Bluffs.

  I’m grateful to my editor, Michaela Hamilton, for her wisdom, encouragement, and enthusiasm. I’m grateful, also, to production editor Arthur Maisel for his sharp eye and patience. And to my agent, Sheree Bykofsky, for always believing in me.

  I couldn’t have completed this book without the encouragement of my husband, Glenn Scott, who nourished me with the world’s best Garden Burgers, so I would have the energy to write through the night!

  Thank you, Cari Farver, for being the wonderful person your family and friends loved so dearly. I wish I could have met you.

  Questions for Readers to Explore

  1. Despite horror stories about predators on the Internet, it is very common for couples to meet online. What precautions should be taken to insure safety?

  2. Did the killer in A Tangled Web use electronic ruses unfamiliar to you? If so, which devices had you never heard of?

  3. Dave Kroupa was unable to see the truth because he suffered from confirmation bias. Have you ever experienced something like this in your life? If so, how did you finally manage to see the truth?

  4. What do you think about the fact that Neil Munson was questioned in the back of a police car when he was exhausted?

  5. Do you think Liz was the real author of the letters she claimed Neil Munson had sent from jail? If so, why didn’t anyone question this?

  6. Why did so few people believe Melissa Strom when she told them Shanna was dangerous?

  7. Some of the survivors in this story believe they are alive because they trusted their gut instincts. Why do we so often dismiss our own intuition?

  8. Do you think the stalker in A Tangled Web was shaped by nature, nurture or a combination of both?

  9. Did the stalker possess the willpower to overcome her obsession and become a mentally healthy person?

  10. Why didn’t the police believe Nancy Raney when she told them her daughter was in trouble?

  11. In order to solve this case, investigators worked thousands of extra unpaid hours. In what way should investigators be rewarded if they work on their own time to solve a crime?

  12. Is it possible that the stalker focused on females to vent her rage because she felt abandoned by her mother? Though she had no conscious memories of her mother, could the fact her mother left her life so abruptly at such a young age influence who she became?

  Glenn Scott

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  LESLIE RULE is a Seattle-area artist and photographer, and the bestselling author of two suspense novels, five nonfiction books, and dozens of articles in national magazines, including Reader’s Digest. At seventeen, she began to assist her mother, author Ann Rule, as a research assistant and trial photographer. Many of Leslie’s courtroom photos appear in her mother’s books. For tips on how to stay safe on the Internet, visit Leslie’s website, authorleslierule.com.

  Cari Farver was a loving daughter, a devoted mother, and a loyal friend.

  Her future was bright until she crossed paths with evil.

  Photo by Stefan Stroebel.

  Cari was a tomboy who could keep up with her big brother,

  Adam (right), in his rough-and-tumble games.

  Photo by Barbara Bisbee Pedersen.

  In nursery school Cari could already read and would later be the star pupil of her kindergarten class, where she often read to the other children.

  Cari at about age five with her cat named Kitty.

  She loved both people and animals.

  Photo by Barbara Bisbee Pedersen.

  Cari, age nine, with her mother and stepfather, Nancy and Mark Raney, in 1983.

  Cari was thrilled with her dolls—including the popular Cabbage Patch Doll that nearly every girl in America asked for that Christmas.

  Photo by Nancy Raney.

  Cari at age three with her brother, Adam, five.

  Photo by Dennis Farver.

  Cari and Maxwell through the years.

  Mother and son were always close.

  Photos (clockwise from left) by LuAnn Smith, Nancy Raney, Cynthia R. Weisz.

  As an adult, athletic Cari could still look the part of tomboy, but she could also appear glamorous for a night out on the town.

  Photos by Nancy Raney.

  Amber Jones (left) was

  Cari’s best friend.

  The two were so close they often read each other’s thoughts.

  Photo by August Siefken.

  Cari Farver loved the little Iowa town of Macedonia and never imagined that evil would stalk her here.

  Photo by Leslie Rule.

  Amy Flora, a dedicated mother and hard worker, was shocked to find herself the target of a violent stalker.

  Selfie by Amy Flora.

  Dave Kroupa was an easygoing mechanic and father of two. His life was turned upside down when he realized someone with evil intentions was watching, waiting, and planning to kill.

  Photo by Leslie Rule.

  Shanna Elizabeth Golyar told acquaintances that she feared for her safety and was angry at police for doing little to protect her from a vicious stalker.

  Photo by Tayandy Braver.

  Cherokee Montoya, Shanna’s loyal friend, took this picture. She trus
ted Shanna to care for both her children and pets.

  Shanna Golyar flashed a dazzling grin as her pal snapped this shot.

  Photos by Cherokee Montoya.

  Cherokee (right) shot this selfie as she and Shanna prepared to go out on Halloween night.

  Cherokee (left) and Shanna turned heads when they hit the bars together.

  Photos by Cherokee Montoya.

  When Shanna received threatening texts, Dave was overwhelmed with guilt for inviting a cyberstalker into their lives. But Dave and Shanna had fun this night, engaging in flirtatious play at a restaurant.

  Photos by Cherokee Montoya.

  Dave and Shanna at the 2012 Freaker’s Ball, a big Halloween bash held at a Council Bluffs casino.

  Shanna Golyar was yanked from a sound sleep on a December morning in 2016. She was not expecting to have her photo taken and had no time to brush her hair.

  Shanna Golyar in the hospital after she was shot. She said she recognized her attacker’s voice and couldn’t understand why police were slow to make an arrest.