The Woman That Turned a Love Triangle Deadly — What Happened to Shanna "Liz" Golyar?
Liz Golyar's downfall was caused by one critical mistake in hiding the evidence.
Updated May 23 2024, 11:53 a.m. ET
True crime has become a very popular subject in the form of documentaries, podcasts, and Netflix limited series, but that doesn't make them any less real or terrifying. On ABC's 20/20: A Tangled Web, audiences were made aware of the story revolving around the disappearance of Cari Farver in 2013.
In a bizarre fashion, family and friends of Cari began receiving text messages from her number that pointed to her beginning a new life in Kansas. That was a lie.
As it turns out, the messages weren't being sent by Cari, but the woman responsible for her disappearance: Shanna Elizabeth Golyar, who goes by the name "Liz." So, more than 10 years later, where is Liz Golar today?
Where is Shanna "Liz" Golar now?
Liz Golyar is currently being held at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women located in York County. Her sentence began on Aug. 15, 2017, and her next parole review board date is scheduled for November 2027, per the facility's website.
On Dec. 22, 2016, Liz was charged with first-degree murder of Cari Farver. What led to her eventual arrest was the discovery that she had used an app that would send scheduled text messages from Farver's phone to her contacts.
For years, Golyar pretended to be Farver, carrying on an imaginary life for the woman that she killed. There was even an instance where Golyar bought furniture to sell the fabricated story that Farver had moved states.
After being found guilty of the murder of Farver, Liz was handed a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Despite the evidence obtained by authorities, Golyar maintains her innocence and says she had nothing to due with Farver's case.
Why did Shanna "Liz" Golyar kill Cari Farver?
Golyar met David Kroupa, a 35-year-old single father, on an online dating site in 2012. After a few dates, they began having sex, although Kroupa said he did want to continue seeing other women.
Golyar, on the other hand, did not like the arrangement, which then led to a very sporadic relationship from there on out.
About six months later, Golyar went to Kroupa's home to gather some belongings that she had left, only to run into a woman that was with Dave at the time — Cari Farver. While the encounter was no longer than a few seconds, it would be enough to lead Golyar down a path of jealousy that would lead to Farver's disappearance weeks later.
It was eventually determined that Golyar stabbed Farver to death 24 hours before her disappearance. This conclusion came after Golyar sent text messages pretending to be Farver and an investigation by the authorities. She then decided to burn the body in order to be rid of any physical evidence that would have pointed to Golyar as the killer.
Golyar, however, made a critical mistake. She took a photo of what appeared to be a tied up, decomposing body on her tablet.
One photo, which may have removed any further doubt, showed a foot with a tattoo of a Chinese symbol. The kind of tattoo, along with its placement, was the same one that Farver had. As mentioned above, Golar was found guilty and will spend the rest of her days in the Nebraska Correctional Facility for Women.