Before He Wakes
Jerry Bledsoe
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1988 · Durham, North Carolina
Barbara & Russ Stager
The story behind Before He Wakes
Barbara Stager said her husband Russ’s fatal shooting in their North Carolina bedroom in 1988 was an accident. Investigators questioned her account and examined the earlier shooting death of her first husband. Russ had recorded concerns about his safety before his death. Barbara was convicted of his murder.
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The Story
When1988
WhereDurham, North Carolina
In this collection29 resources
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Forensic Files — Broken Promises (2000)
IMDb · TV episode
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Southern Fried True Crime — Barbara Stager (Episode 54)
southernfriedtruecrime.com
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
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Blogs & Essays
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From the journal
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Blogs & essays
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Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Kirkus Reviews
BEFORE HE WAKES
A book review evaluates Jerry Bledsoe’s Before He Wakes and its investigation of the Stager case.
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Books
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Books
1 itemsJerry Bledsoe
Before He Wakes
A nonfiction account of this case. See the linked edition for publication details and available formats.
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Movies & TV
Movies
1 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
Television Film · Jerry Bledsoe Book Adaptation
Before He Wakes (1998)
A scripted adaptation of Jerry Bledsoe’s account of Barbara Stager’s case, using changed character names. It is a dramatized interpretation rather than a verbatim depiction of the investigation or trial.
Fiction / DramatizationTitle & Source Information
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TV & documentaries
2 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
IMDb · TV episode
Forensic Files — Broken Promises (2000)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Listed release: 2000. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
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Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
IMDb · TV episode
American Justice — Till Death Do Us Part: The Barbara Stager Story (1999)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Listed release: 1999. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
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Audiobooks
Listen to a book connected to this story. Each edition below is matched to its author and audiobook source.
Audiobook
Before He Wakes: A True Story of Money, Marriage, Sex and Murder
Unabridged
Audio edition verified at the linked source. The Amazon button is a title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
Television Film · Jerry Bledsoe Book Adaptation
Before He Wakes (1998)
A scripted adaptation of Jerry Bledsoe’s account of Barbara Stager’s case, using changed character names. It is a dramatized interpretation rather than a verbatim depiction of the investigation or trial.
Fiction / DramatizationTitle & Source Information
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
15 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
southernfriedtruecrime.com
Southern Fried True Crime — Barbara Stager (Episode 54)
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
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Mountain Murders
Barbara Stager
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released January 4, 2021. About 123 minutes.
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Southern Fried True Crime
54: The Black Widow of North Carolina: Barbara Stager
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released May 24, 2019. About 77 minutes.
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True Crime Brewery
For the Love of Money: Barbara Stager
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released June 1, 2021. About 109 minutes.
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LOVE MURDER
The Black Widow and the Witness from Beyond the Grave
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released July 28, 2021. About 96 minutes.
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Bless This Mess: A Southern True Crime Podcast
68. The Murder of Russ Stager
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released November 17, 2022. About 64 minutes.
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Show 9 more podcasts
This Story is Nuts
Taped Premonition- The Murder of Russ Stager
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released April 14, 2021. About 20 minutes.
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American Justice
Till Death Do Us Part: The Barbara Stager Story
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released May 14, 2025. About 40 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Red Collar
Supermom Serial Killer: Barbara Stager
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released September 8, 2022. About 44 minutes.
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Hard Times and True Crimes
108. A Shot in the Dark: The Barbara Stager Case
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released August 20, 2025. About 87 minutes.
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Basically A Detective with Blake Wooten
1: Barbara Stager
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released May 16, 2020. About 15 minutes.
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True Crime Island
Episode 163 - Barbara Stager Black Widow
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released November 20, 2021. About 69 minutes.
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True Crimes and Weird Times
Episode 32 - Black Widow: Barbara Stager
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released April 28, 2021. About 41 minutes.
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Red Collar
Follow the Blood Money: Barbara Stager
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released September 9, 2022. About 6 minutes.
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Bitch I Can’t
27. The (Not-so) Good Wife: Barbara Stager
Podcast coverage of the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Released October 9, 2023. About 48 minutes.
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Social Media
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
2 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
Open Library · Catalog / Availability
Before he wakes by Jerry Bledsoe
Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.
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Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Before He Wakes
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
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Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Newspaper clippings
1 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
The Herald-Sun · 1989-05-23 · Page 1
Reporting after Barbara Stager’s sentencing
The Herald-Sun records a friend’s perspective after Stager’s conviction for killing Russ Stager.
Historical sentencing coverage; quoted opinions are the interviewee’s.
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Internet Archive
2 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · Library record · 1994
Before he wakes : a true story of money, marriage, sex, and murder
Bledsoe, Jerry. A library catalog record for a book connected with Barbara & Russ Stager. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
Forensic Files : CNNW : January 24, 2015 9:00pm-9:31pm PST
The archive indexes this broadcast under Russ Stager, Barbara Stager. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Court opinionArchive copy
State v. Stager — conviction and sentencing review
The North Carolina Supreme Court reviewed Barbara Stager’s prosecution for Russell Stager’s murder, upholding the conviction while ordering a new sentencing proceeding.
- Court / agency
- North Carolina Supreme Court
- Document date
- August 14, 1991
- Case / citation
- 212A89
- Hosted by
- Justia
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
5 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Southern Fried True Crime
Episode 54: Black Widow Barbara Stager
Video from Southern Fried True Crime covering the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Length: 1:13:09.
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True Crime Brewery
For the Love of Money: Barbara Stager
Video from True Crime Brewery covering the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Length: 1:44:27.
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Oxygen
Did This Widowed Sunday School Teacher Kill Her New Husband? | Black Widow Murders | Oxygen
Video from Oxygen covering the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Length: 14:40.
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Real Crime
The Story Of Women Who Kill | The New Detectives | Real Crime
Video from Real Crime covering the Barbara & Russ Stager case. Length: 53:19.
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Facebook · Creator channel
Southern Fried True Crime — Facebook page
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “54: The Black Widow of North Carolina: Barbara Stager.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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