Barbara Raber, a former Amish woman turned Mennonite driver in rural Ohio, was convicted in 2009 for the aggravated murder of Barbara Weaver, wife of her lover Eli Weaver, in Apple Creek on June 2, 2009. Raber entered the Weaver home with a shotgun while Eli was on a fishing trip, shooting Barbara at close range in the chest as she lay in bed; their five children discovered the body. The case shattered the local Amish community, fueled by Eli’s serial infidelity—he used a secret phone as “Amish Stud” for multiple affairs—and text messages plotting Weaver’s death via poisoning, suffocation, or shooting.
Relationship and Motive
Raber met Eli as a repeat customer for rides to Amish clients, sparking a multi-year affair despite his 1999 marriage and her own family. They discussed killing Weaver months prior, contradicting claims the affair ended; Eli took a plea for complicity, testifying against Raber for a lighter sentence. Raber confessed post-arrest but claimed accidental discharge while trying to scare Weaver.
Sentences and Current Status
Raber received 23 years to life for aggravated murder (Ohio Rev. Code § 2903.01), serving at Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville; parole eligibility shifted to around 2032 per records. Eli got 15 years to life at Grafton Correctional Institution, eligible sooner (next hearing ~February 2032). The saga inspired books like A Killing in Amish Country and the 2023 Lifetime film Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story.
