Oxygen's Black Widow Murders: How did the police solve Russ Stager's murder case?

A North Carolina man, Russ Stager, died suspiciously in a shooting incident in 1988, inside the house he shared with his second wife Barbara Stager. A year later, Barbara was convicted in the murder case after authorities found evidence, including statements from the victim's former wife and an audio cassette, in which he spoke about fearing for his life.

Moreover, an autopsy and forensic examination later proved Barbara Stager's account of what transpired that night - that the gun "went off" accidentally - was wrong. Authorities also found out about her financial scams, infidelities, and attempts to acquire a life insurance policy under Russ' name. The wife was found guilty and sentenced to death, which was later changed to a life sentence.

Oxygen's Black Widow Murders will dive further into Russ Stager's tragic murder case, who co-incidentally died under similar circumstances as his wife's first husband, discussing the events in detail. The episode will air on Sunday, October 30, 2022. The synopsis says,

"A voice from beyond the grave helps investigators solve a crime after a Sunday School teacher loses two husbands in a row under suspicious circumstances."

---

Russ Stager's former wife's statements proved essential for Barbara Stager's ultimate conviction

According to Barbara Stager's statements about her husband's shooting incident, Russ allegedly kept a loaded gun under his pillow while sleeping on February 1, 1988, with the barrell pointing towards his head. Barbara alleged that the gun went off while she tried to retrieve it after assuming that there was an intruder in the house. A 911 call was placed and the victim died at a nearby hospital hours later.

Jo Lynn, Russ Stager's first wife and a good friend even after their separation, was instrumental in changing the course of the investigation. Lynn persisted in telling authorities her version of the story. She claimed that Russ was highly respectful of the Army Reserves and National Guard and that she never saw him sleep with a firearm under his pillow. He was also very cautious about unintentional shootings.

Additionally, Lynn disclosed to authorities numerous discussions she had with Russ regarding his wife. He reportedly confessed that Barbara was to blame for their severe financial situation, that she had kept the bills from him, tried to de-fraud banks, lied about having a book publishing contract, and he had discovered her infidelity.

---

A recorded tape proved that Russ Stager feared for his life and that his wife occassionally gave him sleeping pills

A few months before his death, in November 1987, Russ told Jo Lynn that if something ever happened to him, his wife was to be blamed and that she must investigate the situation. Three years prior, he also informed her that Barbara's former husband had accidentally shot himself in her presence, and that he had pondered whether he would face a similar situation.

Barbara claimed that the gun went off as she was pulling it out from beneath the pillow, but an autopsy showed that the bullet trajectory was from above. Authorities also found out about all the financial scams, lies, and debts. They also discovered a cassette tape recorded by the victim which proved to be the most significant turn in the murder investigation.

In the tape recording, he mentioned that Barbara used to give him sleeping pills on several occasions and also mentioned her extramarital affairs. Additionally, he briefly described Barbara's method of passing cheques between bank accounts by forging his signature, failing to make auto payments, and unpaid debts. Moreover, it was revealed that she was to claim about $200,000 in cash from his death alone.

After a high-profile and debated trial in 1989, she was found guilty of first-degree murder in husband Russ Stager's case and has been serving her life sentence in prison ever since.

---

Learn more about Russ Stager's murder case and his second wife's conviction in Black Widow Murder's upcoming episode, which is scheduled to air on Oxygen this Sunday, October 30.