Murder of Stephen Mineo by Barbara Rogers: Killer blames cult led by Sherry Shriner as ID investigates

Mugshot of Barbara Rogers
Barbara Rogers was convicted of third-degree murder for killing Stephen Mineo. Pic credit: PA Dept. of Corrections

Devil in the Web is investigating the murder of Stephen Mineo by his girlfriend Barbara Rogers at their home near Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, in 2017. Rogers would later blame the murder on their involvement with a bizarre apocalyptic alien cult led by Sherry Shriner.

On July 15, 2017, Rogers placed the barrel of a pistol to the head of 32-year-old Mineo and pulled the trigger. Rogers admitted during a 911 call that she had killed Mineo but claimed he had asked her to do it. She also later claimed that she didn’t believe the gun was loaded.

The pair were both followers of Sherry Shriner, an online cult leader from Ohio who claimed the end days were coming and that alien reptiles secretly lived among humans. She preached the word mostly through online videos.

However, shortly before Mineo was shot dead, both he and Rogers appear to have had a falling out with Shriner. According to the Washington Post, Rogers had written a Facebook post stating her fondness for red meat; unfortunately, to Shriner, red meat was a sign of an alien reptilian.

Sherry Shriner called Barbara Rogers a ‘vampire witch’

Shriner reportedly warned Mineo that his girlfriend was possessed by a demon. She actually called Rogers a “Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier.” But Mineo didn’t believe Shriner; instead, he concluded that it was the cult leader herself who was an alien reptilian pretending to be a human.

At her trial for murder, Rogers would claim that Mineo had been so upset with the ongoings within the cult that he had essentially tricked her into killing him.

Despite the prosecutors doing their best to avoid the supernatural elements of the case and focusing on the fact Rogers had shot Mineo at point-blank range, the jury could still only bring themselves to convict her of third-degree murder. Rogers was sentenced to spend between 15 and 40 years in prison.

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At the time, Mineo’s family criticized the sentence for being too lenient; his aunt, Jackie Mineo, told reporters: “She got a break. She got a big break today.”

Sherry Shriner died less than a year after Mineo.

More from Devil in the Web

Follow the links to read about more internet-based crimes profiled on Devil in the Web.

Chrissy Chambers is a YouTube star who became a victim of revenge porn. The Atlanta-based Chambers became embroiled in a legal battle in the UK when her English ex-boyfriend posted videos online of him having sex with her without consent.

Andy Castillo from Lubbock, Texas, was caught harassing dozens of women online across multiple states; however, when he was in custody, the cops learned he was a suspect in the murders of Linda Carbajal and Cynthia Palacio. He died before he could stand trial.

Devil in the Web airs Thursdays at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery.

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