Eli Weaver’s wife was Barbara Weaver, an Amish mother of five from Wayne County, Ohio. She was murdered on June 2, 2009 — shot in her bed by Barbara Raber, Eli Weaver’s mistress, in a killing Eli helped plan. Eli Weaver is now serving a 15-years-to-life prison sentence, and his next parole hearing is scheduled for 2032.
Table of Contents
- Who Is Eli Weaver?
- Who Was Eli Weaver’s Wife?
- The Murder of Barbara Weaver
- Trial and Prison Sentence
- Eli Weaver’s Five Children
- Where Is Eli Weaver Now?
- Eli Weaver’s Wife Picture
- Interesting Facts About the Case
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Eli Weaver?
Eli Weaver was a member of a conservative Old Order Amish community in Apple Creek, Ohio. To his neighbors he appeared to be an ordinary Amish husband and father. In secret, however, he carried a cell phone, used online dating sites under the alias “Amish Stud,” and conducted several extramarital affairs — a double life that ended in his wife’s murder. His story is detailed in the A&E case file on Eli Weaver and a widely read All That’s Interesting investigation.
Who Was Eli Weaver’s Wife?
Barbara Weaver was an Amish woman and devoted mother of five who lived with her family in Wayne County, Ohio. Friends described her as steadfast, deeply religious and committed to her marriage — she reportedly told a friend she had forgiven Eli’s earlier infidelity because she believed people could change.
At the time of her death she was about 30 years old and had been married to Eli for roughly a decade.
The Murder of Barbara Weaver
Early in the morning on June 2, 2009, one of the Weaver children found their mother dead and covered in blood in her bed and ran to a neighbor’s house for help. Barbara had been shot in the chest with a .410 shotgun. A pile of cash found in the bedroom told investigators robbery was not the motive.
Eli Weaver had an alibi: he had left at 3 a.m. on a fishing trip on Lake Erie with friends. But detectives soon focused on Barbara Raber, a Mennonite taxi driver Eli had met in 2003 and begun an affair with. Investigators recovered hundreds of text messages between Eli and Raber plotting the murder — discussing poisoning, staging an accident, and finally settling on a shooting.
Because Barbara was asleep when Raber entered the house and shot her, and because there was no forced entry, investigators concluded the killer was someone Barbara knew and trusted.
Trial and Prison Sentence
Eli Weaver and Barbara Raber were indicted for Barbara’s murder in June 2009. Raber went to trial that September and was convicted of aggravated murder, receiving a sentence of 23 years to life in prison.
Eli Weaver accepted a plea deal: he pleaded guilty to complicity to commit murder in exchange for testifying against Raber, and was sentenced to 15 years to life. He attempted to minimize his role at trial, claiming he never believed Raber would actually carry out their plans — but the text messages told a different story.
Both appealed their convictions; both appeals failed.
Eli Weaver’s Five Children
Eli and Barbara Weaver had five children, all young at the time of the murder. After the case, the children were taken in and raised by family members within the Amish community — reporting indicates Barbara’s sister played a central role in raising them — and they have been carefully protected from public scrutiny ever since. They are now adults in their late teens and twenties.
Where Is Eli Weaver Now?
As of 2026, Eli Weaver is incarcerated at the Grafton Correctional Institution in Ohio. He became eligible for parole in 2024 after serving 15 years, but the Ohio Parole Board denied release because of the seriousness of the offense. His next parole hearing is scheduled for 2032 — the same year Barbara Raber first becomes eligible for parole.
The case inspired the 2023 Lifetime movie Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story, listed on IMDb, which dramatized the murder and the investigation.
Eli Weaver’s Wife Picture
Many people searching for “Eli Weaver wife picture” hope to see a photograph of Barbara Weaver. The honest answer: no widely verified public photograph of Barbara Weaver is documented. The Weavers belonged to a conservative Amish group whose beliefs discourage being photographed, so very few — if any — images of her exist in public records. News coverage of the case has relied on court sketches, property photos and stock imagery of Amish country rather than pictures of Barbara herself.
Interesting Facts About the Case
- Eli Weaver called himself “Amish Stud” on online dating profiles.
- His mistress Barbara Raber performed hundreds of internet searches about poisoning before the murder.
- One of the children discovered Barbara’s body on the morning of June 2, 2009.
- Eli’s alibi was a 3 a.m. fishing trip on Lake Erie.
- A pile of cash in the bedroom ruled out robbery as a motive.
- Raber was sentenced to 23 years to life; Eli received 15 years to life under his plea deal.
- Eli was denied parole in 2024; his next hearing is in 2032.
- The couple’s five children were raised by Amish relatives and have stayed out of the public eye.
- The 2023 Lifetime movie Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story dramatized the case.
- Homicides are exceptionally rare in Amish communities, making the case one of the most shocking in Amish history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who killed Barbara Weaver?
Barbara Raber, Eli Weaver’s mistress, shot her. Eli Weaver orchestrated the murder but did not physically commit it.
Why did Eli Weaver want his wife killed?
Prosecutors said he wanted to be with his mistress and saw murder as a way out of his marriage — leaving his wife would have meant being shunned by his Amish community.
Where is Eli Weaver now?
He is serving his sentence at the Grafton Correctional Institution in Ohio. His parole was denied in 2024, and his next hearing is in 2032.
What happened to Barbara Raber?
She was convicted of aggravated murder in 2009 and sentenced to 23 years to life. She first becomes eligible for parole in 2032.
Are there pictures of Eli Weaver’s wife?
No verified public photograph of Barbara Weaver is documented. Her conservative Amish community’s beliefs discourage photography.
How many children did Eli and Barbara Weaver have?
Five children, all young at the time of the murder. They were raised by Amish relatives and remain out of the public eye.
