SUNBURY, Pa., Sept. 18 (UPI) -- The young newlyweds who lured a Pennsylvania man with an ad on Craigslist and then killed him were sentenced Thursday to life in prison.
Miranda Barbour, 19, and her husband, Elytte, appeared at separate hearings in Northumberland County. Judge Charles Saylor told both that he found the killing of Troy LaFerrara, 42, of Port Treverton, Pa., hard to understand.
LaFerrara was stabbed by Miranda and strangled by her husband on Nov. 11, 2013.
"As I told your co-defendant earlier, it is so difficult to comprehend how someone could be so indifferent to the value of a human life, so as to hide in the back seat of a car and murder him, rob him and then clean up the blood to drive on to Harrisburg for a birthday celebration," Saylor told Elytte.
Miranda Barbour claimed in an interview after her arrest that she had been involved in more than 20 satanic killings as far away as Alaska. Police investigated her story and have found no evidence she was telling the truth.
Saylor told her that her difficult childhood, including sexual abuse, did not justify her actions.
"Your conduct has drawn a lot of attention to you. This was fueled further by statements made by you to a reporter that were incredulous -- very disturbing claims going well beyond the act of murder for which I will be sentencing you at this time," the judge said.
The couple, who moved to Pennsylvania shortly after being married in North Carolina, pleaded guilty in deals that spared them the death penalty. Saylor imposed fines of $500 each and restitution of $2,560 to Colleen LaFerrara, their victim's widow.
