Allison Russell "Russ" Stager III, a 40-year-old Caucasian male, was a respected baseball coach at Durham High School in Durham, North Carolina. On the morning of February 1, 1988, he was found shot in the head while sleeping in his bed. Initially, the police accepted the account of his wife, Barbara Stager, who claimed the shooting was accidental.
However, further investigation revealed inconsistencies in her story.
Barbara Stager, born Barbara Terry and previously married to Larry Ford who died under similar circumstances, was arrested on April 15, 1988, for the murder of her husband, Allison Russell Stager III. The evidence against her included testimony from friends, coworkers, and family members, as well as the suspicious nature of her first husband's death. On August 30, 1989, Barbara Stager was found guilty of first-degree murder and was initially sentenced to death. However, this sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment due to a procedural issue.
The case garnered significant media attention and was featured in several television programs and books, including the A&E series "American Justice" and Jerry Bledsoe's book "Before He Wakes: A True Story of Money, Marriage, Sex and Murder," which was later adapted into a TV movie. Barbara Stager has been denied parole multiple times and remains incarcerated.
The tragic death of Allison Russell Stager III and the subsequent investigation into his wife Barbara Stager's actions highlight the complexities and emotional turmoil involved in cases of domestic violence and murder.
