A Tangled We - Leslie Rule Page 0,146

boyfriend still visit her? Detectives assume her romance with Josh Stemmer cooled after Liz’s conviction. They heard no more about it, and Doty and Avis last saw Josh’s relatives a few weeks after the trial when they were dispatched to the Stemmer home to deal with a complaint about a noisy domestic disturbance. Things had settled down by the time they arrived, and it wasn’t necessary to arrest anyone. But Henry Stemmer was not a fan of police, and he sat on the front porch, quite intoxicated, mouthing off as Doty and Avis prepared to leave. Detective Doty turned to Henry and advised, “Tell your son to pick better ladies.”

“What?” Henry asked. “What do you mean?”

“Liz Golyar,” Doty said over his shoulder. “I put her in prison.”

“Deputy!” cried Henry. “Deputy, wait! I want to shake your hand.”

“Henry got up,” Avis remembers. “He stumbled down the porch steps and fell into a mud puddle. He squirmed around in the puddle for a minute, and then he got up and shook Doty’s hand.” The detectives had finally earned the respect of one of their toughest customers.

* * *

In November 2017, James Martin Davis received two startling and anonymous emails from someone threatening to harm Liz’s kids unless the convicted murderer revealed the location of Cari’s remains. “Shanna will provide the location to police, or she will suffer for the rest of her life,” said one letter, pointing out that Shanna was unable to protect her children because she was in jail and that “a hole in the ground” was waiting for one of her relatives unless she cooperated.

JMD alerted authorities, and many people suspected Liz was behind the threats, but no one knew how she’d pulled it off. While inmates at the York prison are allowed limited access to the Internet, those monitoring her activity found no evidence she’d sent the threats. The many people tortured by Liz’s electronic harassment before her incarceration were outraged to learn she was allowed to use a computer, even if she wasn’t responsible for the latest threats.

If Liz had sent the threats, how had she done it? Did she have access to a cell phone? According to a January 2019 article in the Lincoln Journal Star, an estimated 250 to 300 cell phones were confiscated in Nebraska prisons in 2018, and officials suspect inmates are hiding many more. Cell phone contraband is a growing problem in prisons across the country, one perpetuated by crooked guards who sell phones to prisoners at greatly inflated costs. Phones are also delivered to prison yards via drones, and inmates have been known to conceal them in toilet tanks, body cavities, and books.

The drama continues even with Liz behind bars. When Detective Schneider visited the York prison to interview an inmate about another case he was investigating, the woman mentioned Liz, claiming that Liz was either insane or pretending to be insane. Liz insisted that people call her Cari, said the inmate. It was startling news, but Schneider is uncertain of its veracity. No one else has come forward to confirm the story.

Liz Goylar filed an appeal with the Nebraska Supreme Court, requesting that they reverse her conviction. She used the same arguments her extremely competent attorney had—no one had witnessed the murder, and neither a body nor a weapon had been found. She also claimed that JMD had failed her by advising her to waive a jury trial. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled against Golyar in November 2018, concluding her attorney was competent, and, in Judge Stephanie Stacey’s words, “There is no merit to Golyar’s claim that the evidence was insufficient to support her conviction for first-degree murder.”

AFTERWORD

MAXWELL FARVER IS ENGAGED to be married and has followed in his mother’s footsteps, studying computer programing and coding at a university. He recently added “Data Science” to his major. Nancy and Mark Raney have remained close to the investigators who helped them, and think of them as sons.

Deputy Anthony Kava, Detectives Jim Doty, Ryan Avis, and Dave Schneider are frequently invited to speak to law enforcement groups about cyber-crimes and their involvement with the Golyar case.

James Masteller is now a district court judge in Nebraska’s Fourth Judicial District, appointed by Governor Pete Ricketts in the autumn of 2018. Brenda Beadle is still winning cases for Douglas County. JMD was once again voted Omaha’s best defense attorney.

While Garret has not dated since he broke up with Liz and is somewhat wary when it comes to meeting women, he insists he’s content with his life and grateful for his family, friends, and pets. “I’m not depressed, lonely or desperate to make a ‘love’ connection—not that I’m not open to it. It’s not a high priority right now.” He refuses to let his experience with Liz “have power over me,” and “I have forgiven—not to be confused with forgotten—her trespasses against me.”

Amy Flora and Dave Kroupa continue to co-parent their kids and have no desire to reunite. Both participated in an autumn 2017 Dateline episode about the case. Dave plans to cooperate with every TV program Cari’s mother chooses to participate in. “I got her daughter killed,” he says sadly, explaining that the least he can do is support Nancy’s decision to tell Cari’s story. He’s still overwhelmed with guilt over what happened to Cari. Nancy Raney doesn’t blame Dave. “He was pretty much at the wrong place at the wrong time like Cari was,” she insists, adding that she hopes his feelings of guilt won’t hinder him. “Cari wouldn’t want that.”

Dave admits that while he has cried, he’s not allowed himself to fully grieve for Cari. He can’t let his mind go there because “I can’t bear it.”

Melissa Strom earned a degree in the medical field, has a great job, and met and married a wonderful man.

Liz Golyar’s children were understandably devastated by their mother’s conviction, but reports say they are doing well. Trina lives with a supportive foster aunt, and Peter lives with his father.

Liz Golyar still insists she is innocent.