3 Times Lifetime's Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story Left Us With More Questions About The Real Case

True crime lovers, prepare for the twists and turns of a story that will keep you wondering who killed Barbara Weaver. Lifetime has released the film "Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story," based on the book, "A Killing in Amish Country: Sex, Betrayal and a Cold-Blooded Murder" by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris, per Lifetime.

The story follows an Amish community faced with sudden tragedy as Barbara Weaver, played by Miranda MacDougall, is found shot to death in her home. The murder is a real-life case that occurred in June of 2009 in a small town in Ohio, per A&E. Now, being a true crime fan, you may be shouting it has to be the husband, it seems like it's always that way! And while that does have some truth to it in this case, her husband, Eli Weaver, played by Luke Macfarlane, didn't do it alone. Weaver relied on his mistress, Barb Raber, played by Kirsten Vangsness, to help him commit the murder. 

The two conspired to kill Barbara, but fortunately, they didn't get away with it. In September 2009, Raber, who was the one to shoot Barbara, was convicted to 23 years to life in prison, per A&E. As for Eli, he took a plea deal which allowed him to only get 15 years in prison with the possibility of parole in 2024. Although we know how the Weaver case unfolded, the Lifetime film left us with questions about his love life and the women tied to his life.  

You may be an expert in the Eli Weaver case, or maybe not, but "Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story" will certainly make you question some critical information. For one, the movie makes it seem like Eli's affairs were more than just sex. Although Eli was part of the Amish community, and one of the strictest ones at that, he still found ways to break the rules of his religion, including being unfaithful to his wife. In the actual case, they discovered that he had multiple affairs with different women, both in person and online, per Oxygen. Barb Raber wasn't special!

While the Lifetime film touched on his affairs, they made his connection with some of the women more meaningful than just him having sex with someone. In the movie, viewers are introduced to one of Eli's mistresses, Laura Kelli. Lifetime fans are taken on a journey of their romance as Kelli confesses that she fell in love with Eli, played by Luke Macfarlane. So, did Eli have a serious connection to some of these women? Well, that's how that's how the film portrays it. In the real-life case, the business owner may have developed feelings for the women he had affairs with. He admitted in trial, "I guess I just didn't love my wife the way I should have." Eli's feelings towards the women involved in his affairs were certainly questioned as the "Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story" unfolded.

The New York Post reports that Eli Weaver had multiple affairs by sneaking around on phones and computers to talk to other women. He would use the username "Amish Stud" in dating profiles, hence the title of the Lifetime film, "Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story." His online profile even had a tagline that said, "Who wants 2 do an Amish guy!" Apparently, many women were willing to take up Eli's offer.

Tamara Jones, played by Karolina Cubitt, was one of the women in Eli's life with whom he somewhat had an affair with. At least, that is what was portrayed in the film. Jones and Eli had quite the love story, but Jones wasn't willing to take it further than a friendship because she knew Eli was married. This fueled Eli to kick his plan of killing his wife into high gear, believing it would give him a chance with Jones.

The film truly made it seem as though Jones was his one true love, but was that what happened in reality? That's the question we asked ourselves as we watched the film showcase their romance. However, it seems Jones and Kelli may have all been a dramatization because research on a "Laura Kelli" or a "Tamara Jones" involved in Barbara's case never came up. It's likely Lifetime embellished the story a bit, including the fact that he was in love with Jones. 

Never would you think an Amish community would have so much drama and mystery behind it, but never say never. When Barbara Weaver was shot to death in 2009, it threw out all expectations of what a typical murder case looks like. And what you may have known from the case will be questioned while watching the Lifetime film, "Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story."

Eli Weaver and Barb Raber's relationship in the film made us doubt what may have actually happened. It was evident in the movie that Raber, portrayed by Kirsten Vangsness, loved Eli and was willing to do anything for him, including killing his wife. But Eli didn't seem as in love with Raber, and it appeared he was using her to be with Tamara Jones. But, Jones may have been an embellishment to the story to make the movie more interesting. So, was Eli actually in love with Raber, or did he just use her to kill his wife? That's the question that clouded our mind as we neared the end of the film. 

One thing we know for sure is that Eli wanted his wife gone. His attorney, Andrew Hyde, shared, "If he had left, he would have been shunned. If his wife is dead, they pat him on the back." Clearly, Eli was willing to use Raber's love for him to his advantage as he convinced her to kill his wife, but did he actually love her? Based on the film, it doesn't seem like it.