The Shocking True Story That Inspired Lifetime’s The Amish Affair and “Stud” Eli Weaver’s Sick Plot to Kill His Wife

A sinister plot to kill a man’s wife has been revealed in Lifetime’s latest ripped-from-the-headlines show.

The Amish are best known for living without modern conveniences such as television and cars but they are also a pacifist community that historically avoids all violence and conflict.

So when the body of Barbara Weaver, a devoted Amish woman, was discovered, the news quickly made headlines across the country.

But the truth behind this shocking crime was more scandalous than anyone could have imagined.

A neighbor called Wayne County, Ohio, 911 on June 2, 2009, after finding Barbara, 30, unconscious in her home.

The neighbor said Barbara’s children asked her for help after finding their mother.

“No, I don’t think she’s breathing,” the neighbor told 911 in an audio recording obtained by Oxygen.

When authorities arrived, they found Baraba dead from a gunshot wound to the chest.

Suicide was immediately ruled out after police found no weapon nearby and Barbara had no gunshot residue on her hands.

The house showed no signs of forced entry and money had been deposited the open in several areas, leading them to believe that crime it was not a theft.

CHILLING REVELATION

Barbara’s husband, Eli Weaver, was nowhere to be found, and investigators quickly learned that he kept hunting equipment near the house.

Eli was later discovered while fishing with his friends – one of whom was not Amish and had a cell phone.

Investigators took Eli in for questioning, during which he quickly denied any involvement in his wife’s murder.

He said police that he had last seen his wife at 3 a.m., just before he went fishing, and that his friend had corroborated his story.

Despite this, Eli remains a suspect in his wife’s murder, especially after investigators speak with Barbara’s sister.

She told them that Eli had a history of infidelity that made the couple’s relationship difficult.

“According to Barbara’s sister, Eli’s infidelity had been a huge problem throughout their lives. marriageActually, it started during Eli’s Rumspringa, back when they started dating“, Kristin Farley, a former journalist, told Oxygen.

Rumspringa is a rite of passage that some young Amish teenagers perform to mark the transition from childhood to adulthood.

During this time, teens are subject to fewer rules and participate in activities that are generally discouraged, such as taking driving lessons, going to the movies, and attending parties.

“Eli was a lot wilder than Barbara, always partying and seeing people outside the Amish faith,” Farley said.

Eli allegedly cheated on Barbara twice with non-Amish women and temporarily left the marriage.

As a result, he was expelled from the community and had to obtain permission from elders to return, Barbara’s sister said.

Before her death, Barbara suspected Eli of cheating on her again.

“He just wanted to try things that were forbidden. He seemed to have a real attraction to things that were forbidden,” said Mary Eicher, the Weavers’ neighbor.

However, Barbara did not consider divorce as an option, as it went against her faith, but she was deeply hurt by her husband’s infidelity – and some of her friends said she was afraid of it.

“She told a friend that she wasn’t afraid of Eli, but she was afraid of Eli’s girlfriends and that someone would be so jealous and want Eli so much that they would hurt Barbara,” said Rebecca Morris, who wrote A Killing In Amish Country.

But Eli told investigators his infidelity was in the past despite rumors a new woman had entered his life.

“In the days following Barbara’s murder, police “I received a lot of information that Eli was spending a lot of time with someone called ‘the taxi lady,'” Farley said.

THE OTHER BARBARA

The “taxi lady” turned out to be Barbara Raber, a married mother of three who grew up in the Amish community but left with her husband to become a Mennonite.

Unlike the Amish, Mennonites can own cars and cell phones and Raber worked as a driver for the Amish and was seen spending a lot of time with Eli.

Raber said police that she and Eli had an affair but that she said it ended six months before Barbara’s death, adding that she was with her husband at the time of the murder.

However, another woman, Dandi Heasley, has come forward, claiming to have had a relationship with Eli after meeting him at a dating website, where he called himself an “Amish stud.”

Healsey told investigators that Eli contacted her with a secret phone, leading many to wonder what information it contained.

He just wanted to engage in forbidden activities. He seemed genuinely attracted to what was forbidden.

Marie EicherBarbara and Eli Weaver’s neighbor

Eli’s attitude toward his wife was also deeply disturbing, as investigators learned that he was unhappy in his life. marriage and made several comments alluding to the fact that someone might get rid of his wife permanently.

Other women began contacting them, revealing that they had had affairs with Eli and that he had made bizarre comments to them about having his wife killed.

Heasley worked with investigators to find the secret phone by creating a new dating profile and asking Eli to call him, which he did.

This helped investigators discover his phone number, which had been registered in Raber’s name.

DEADLY MESSAGES

Investigators obtained a subpoena for phone records and found several test messages between the two, which made it clear they were still together and wanted to get rid of Barbara.

Eli and Raber constantly talked about different ways to kill Barbara, including poisoning her with a cupcake, carbon monoxide, or an explosion in the house.

Eli even dismissed the possibility of his five children dying as collateral damage, saying, “They would go straight to heaven.”

The night Barbara died, Eli directed Raber where to park her car, telling her the door was unlocked and urging her to continue even though she thought she would not commit the murder.

The murderous couple was arrested on June 10, 2009, and investigators found 800 searches on Raber’s computer for how to poison someone.

“This can’t be taken as a joke. This is determination,” said Dayton Detective Doyle Burke. Police Department.

Raber admitted that she had fallen in love with Eli, who convinced her that they would only be together if Barbara was dead.

She snuck into the Weavers’ house with Eli’s shotgun and fatally shot Baraba, however, Raber claimed she was only trying to scare him and the gun went off.

Meanwhile, Eli accepted a plea deal in exchange for testifying against Raber.

He pleaded guilty to accessory to murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. prison.

Now 44, Eli has been denied parole in 2024, with his next date scheduled for February 2032.

Raber was tried and convicted of aggravated murder and sentenced to life in prison. prison.

She is eligible for parole in 2032.

The Amish Affair, a crime drama inspired by the murder of Barbara Weaver, follows the story of a young woman named Hannah, who moves in with Aaron, an Amish leader who needs help caring for his ailing wife.

Hannah and Aaron begin to grow closer, sparking a secret relationship until Aaron’s wife dies suspiciously and Hannah finds herself framed for murder.

The Amish Affair will premiere on Lifetime on Saturday, July 6.