When Truth Deceives: 5 Shocking Crime Cases That Defy All Expectations
“The details were … bone chilling because they were graphic,” Doty said.
The messages prompted investigators to search Farver’s vehicle again.
During the third search, they pulled back the fabric covering the passenger seat and discovered a red stain. Testing confirmed that it was Farver’s blood.
A search of Golyar’s apartment uncovered belongings investigators believed had been taken from Farver’s home, including a digital camera and a camcorder.
The camcorder contained a video of Farver discussing vandalism to her car, timestamped two days before her disappearance.
Another crucial discovery came shortly before trial. Kroupa remembered a tablet he had stored away and handed it to investigators. Its memory card contained thousands of deleted images, which Kava managed to recover.
One photograph showed a human foot bearing a Chinese tattoo representing the word “mother.” Farver had the same tattoo on her foot. Investigators concluded that the image showed her body.
On December 22, 2016, Golyar was arrested and charged with first-degree m**der.
At trial, prosecutors presented the digital evidence, photographs, blood found in Farver’s vehicle, and messages investigators had traced to Golyar.
The defence argued that the case relied on circumstantial evidence and pointed out that Farver’s body had never been recovered.
Douglas County attorney Brenda Beadle described the case as unlike anything she had handled before.
“This was by far the most difficult case I’ve ever tried,” she said.
In 2017, Golyar was found guilty of first-degree m**der and sentenced to life in prison. She was also convicted of second-degree arson.
Judge Timothy Burns made clear that Farver had not simply chosen to disappear.
“Cari Farver did not voluntarily disappear and drop off the face of the earth. Very sadly, she was m**dered,” he said.
Golyar has continued to maintain her innocence and claim that someone else ki**ed Farver. She remains incarcerated at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women.
The case left Kroupa with years of fear and painful questions. He sometimes wondered whether Farver might still be alive if he had never met her.
“If I’d have known the choice was this craziness or tell Cari I’m not interested, I would’ve told Cari I’m not interested,” he said. “But you don’t get that choice.”
He also thought about Farver’s family and the lasting consequences of the ordeal. “Nancy and Cari’s son were foremost … in my mind … They’re, unfortunately, the ones that have to live with the repercussions,” he said.
Kroupa praised the investigators who helped uncover the truth, calling Doty, Avis, and Kava “heroes.”
Farver’s mother wanted her daughter remembered for more than the circumstances of her d*ath. Investigators established a scholarship fund in Farver’s name at the community college she had attended, connecting her memory with something positive.
Raney remembered her daughter as smart, talented, warm, and full of life.
“Cari was only 37 when she died,” she said. “If I could talk to Cari right now, I’d say ‘I love you. I’m so glad that you are in my life. You have a beautiful son who’s got a wonderful life coming, and I miss you terribly.’”
The case later became the subject of Netflix’s true-crime documentary Lover, Stalker, Ki*ler, released in 2024 and directed by Sam Hobkinson, whose previous work included Fear City: New York vs. The Mafia.
The documentary reconstructs the investigation through interviews with Kroupa, people connected to the case, and law enforcement officials.
Dramatic reenactments also help viewers understand the fear and confusion that surrounded Kroupa for years. He even appears in scenes portraying parts of his own experience.
Rather than revealing the truth immediately, the film follows events largely through Kroupa’s perspective.
Viewers encounter the messages and claims as he did, sharing his uncertainty before learning how the deception unfolded.
“We enter this story from the perspective of Dave, who is caught in a complete web of falsehood,” Hobkinson told Netflix Tudum. “I wanted the storytelling to somehow reflect that confusion, and ultimately, his total disbelief when he realizes what’s happened.”
He added, “As a director, it was a gift of a story. Especially if you’re interested in making structured narratives that are about deception and identity.”
Hobkinson also wanted the documentary to restore Farver’s identity after years of impersonation had distorted how people perceived her.
“Everyone’s perception of [Cari] has been completely distorted by the fact that somebody hijacked her identity,” he said. “One of the things that I hope the film does is somehow cement her true identity.”
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