"Lover, stalker, killer": When love turns deadly
One man, two women. Netflix's new true crime documentary tells the tragic story of a love triangle paired with deadly jealousy. "Lover, Stalker, Killer" has been high up in the Netflix top 10 charts for the first two weeks.
First things first: This article contains a major spoiler in the last section. If you want to enjoy the documentary without spoilers, it's best to finish this article before the last section.
"Lover, Stalker, Killer" is a true crime documentary. This means that the film is based on a true crime case. It was released on Netflix on 9 February. The first three days after its release were excellent for the streaming platform: ten million viewers in the first three days is the best start for a Netflix documentary released on a Friday. And the success continues. Last week, "Lover, Stalker, Killer" was also able to establish itself in the top ten with 14.4 million viewers in second place in the weekly film charts.
What's it all about?
The year is 2012: After separating from his wife Amy Flora, the then 37-year-old Dave Kroupa moves to Omaha. He wants to start a new life there. The single man hopes to meet new women via an online platform. He wasn't looking for anything permanent. He's just looking for fun, casual dates. That's how he meets Liz Golyar online. Shortly afterwards, he also met Cari Farver in his garage.
He meets up with both women occasionally, but makes it clear to both that he only wants a casual relationship. On a date with Cari, Liz suddenly appears at the door. She has come to collect a few things from him. The two women briefly make eye contact as Cari leaves Dave's flat. A few days after that evening, Dave receives a message from Cari out of the blue. She wants to move in with him. When Dave refuses, she bombards him with messages. She threatens to ruin his life and take away everything he loves. She becomes his stalker.
Source: Cari Farver Memorial / Facebook
Dave no longer feels safe. His life, including that of his wife and children, was increasingly in danger. "I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown," he says in the trailer for the documentary. Liz also claims to have received similar text messages from Cari. The investigators are at a loss. They are completely in the dark. But things got even worse.
The story is told from the perspective of Dave Kroupa. Alongside him, other people close to him and the investigators also have their say.
We experience everything from the perspective of Dave, who has become entangled in a web of lies. I wanted the narrative to reflect Dave's confusion - and ultimately his utter bewilderment when he realises what has happened.
Warning: spoilers for the case
Weeks and years passed. Until investigators Ryan Avis and Sergeant Jim Doty hear about the story and volunteer to take on the case. At this point, no one had seen Cari Farver for two and a half years. But the text messages, some with pictures, and other threatening messages never stopped.
Investigators went back through the evidence and realised that Cari had not sent any of the text messages herself. It was Liz Golyar all along. She murdered Cari in 2012 and used the murdered woman's mobile to digitally impersonate her. She was in contact with Cari's mother online for several hours a week to give the impression that Cari was still alive. Liz tried to cover her own tracks and present herself as the victim. She even set fire to her own house and killed her pets in the process.
Source: Nebraska Department of Corrections
The final breakthrough in the case of Liz Golyar's murder of Cari Farver came when investigators gained access to an old memory card belonging to Liz. A photo of Cari's body was stored on it. Liz Golyar was eventually convicted of first-degree murder (the premeditated killing; the most serious of all homicides) of Cari Farver. She has been serving a life sentence ever since, but continues to maintain her innocence. The body was never found.
My interests are varied, I just like to enjoy life. Always on the lookout for news about darts, gaming, films and series.