Before He Wakes: A True Story of Money, Marriage, Sex and Murder

Barbara Stager was regarded in her Durham, North Carolina community as a devoted mother, loving wife, and dedicated church leader. When she shot her husband Russ, a popular high school coach, police initially accepted her account of an accident. However, their investigation took a different turn when they discovered that her first husband had died ten years earlier under strangely similar circumstances. Sergeant Rick Buchanan's investigation into Stager's life uncovered a pattern of compulsive lying, obsessive spending, and sexual promiscuity that contradicted her public image. As the investigation deepened, evidence emerged that revealed a hidden side to Barbara's life. A crucial piece of evidence left behind by Russ Stager proved particularly significant to the case. This account examines a case involving double life, deception, and murder, drawing on detailed investigative reporting to piece together the events surrounding these deaths.