Alaska News

Former Alaskan Miranda Barbour admits to killing Pennsylvania man

Former Alaskan Miranda Barbour, who claims to have killed 22 people in Alaska and elsewhere, admitted Tuesday to killing a Pennsylvania man she met online just for thrills.

The WNEP reports Barbour, 19, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, aggravated assault, robbery and possession of an instrument of crime in Northumberland County Court during a scheduled status hearing Tuesday. Her husband, Elytte Barbour, 22, also pleaded guilty to the same charges as part of a plea deal. Both were facing the death penalty. WNEP reports they now face possible life in prison.

The charges stem from the Nov. 11 murder of Troy LaFerrara, of Port Trevorton, Pennsylvania. The couple killed LaFerrara after he responded to an online companionship ad from Miranda Barbour. The Barbours, married for only three weeks at the time of the murder, specifically posted the ad in an attempt to lure someone to kill.

Miranda Barbour, née Dean, grew up in North Pole. She claimed in an interview with The Daily Item that she killed 22 other people starting at age 13, mostly in Alaska. Her family quickly refuted those claims.

FBI spokesman Kevin Donovan said in an email Tuesday that the investigation into Barbour's claims of Alaska killings and elsewhere are ongoing, though he could not release information related to that at this time.

Alaska State Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said troopers had been in contact with other authorities regarding Barbour's claims. Peters said none of the claims has been substantiated.

Suzanna Caldwell

Suzanna Caldwell is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Dispatch. She left the ADN in 2017.

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