A Killing in Amish Country by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris

Hello beautiful people! Welcome to a new review! For this review, I get into another Gregg Olsen true crime novel A Killing in Amish Country with co-author Rebecca Morris. The book is a retelling of the life and death of Barbra Weaver, a beloved mother and community member who was found murdered by her children in their family home. Her husband Eli who was also Amish did not live as deeply in the faith as Barbra did, enjoyed the outside doings of modern life and often left his wife and children for his own needs. Heavily suspected of killing his wife the book follows the aftermath of Barbra’s death and how it shoved a sheltered community into the spotlight.

People in the book:

• Barbra Weaver: A loving mother and wife who was strong in her faith not only to her religion but also in sticking by her husband no matter his faults, was sadly found murdered in her bed by her children when her husband went out for an early morning fishing trip, her death would force her community to have to step into modern life to get her justice
• Eli Weaver: Just a horrible man who would much rather talk as though he is a good Amish man than act on it, despite being in the Amish life craved the modern life and would often leave his family for binges or sleep with other women, was not much help when his wife was found dead
• Barb Raber: A conservative Mennonite who was raised Amish but left to have a bit more freedom in the Mennonite community, would drive Amish people around like a Mennonite taxi and would often drive Eli around, having a long-time affair with Eli despite having her own husband and children, was heavily implicated in Barbra’s murder
• Ed Raber: Fully supported his wife throughout the court proceedings and always believed that she was innocent
• Fannie Toyer: Barbra’s sister who was heavily involved in finding her killer and also supporting her children who were now without a mother and father

My Review

In the utmost respect, I’ve always had an interest in the Amish community. I started reading Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder series when I was 17 and realized what an interesting way of life it is. I am not so drawn to the religious aspects of the community but living off the land, working hard, and being close to your neighbours all are interesting. Something that also always interested me about the community was their denial of modern life. I mean I understand the appeal to that totally, but I never understood how they could actually stay 100% separate. I think that it’s really hard and there are appeals to the Amish lifestyle and modern lifestyle. This book kind of speaks to the pros and cons of both, and how oftentimes we need to do what feels uncomfortable to do what’s right.

A Killing in Amish Country by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris tells the heart-shattering true story of the death of Barbra Weaver, an Amish woman who those around her would have never expected something like this could have happened to her or her family. After Barbra’s eldest children find her dead in bed they run to the neighbour to get help, which would eventually turn into a full-fledged investigation after it is clearly seen that Barbra died due to a gunshot to her chest. Her husband conveniently missing at the time is called to come home to his children. The small close-knit community Barbra and Eli come from could have never suspected what had fallen on their front steps that morning, and how it would change them forever. I am always really interested in things going on in the Amish community because it is rare that we as ‘modern’ people who live outside of the community get to be involved in their inner circles in this way. Amish people do not trust modern people and often will deal with things themselves before ever involving authorities like the police or the court system. The Amish have their own system of judgement and often don’t let the modern world into it. It’s only in these types of extreme cases to we get to see what’s going on. In terms of investigation, it can be tough for police because the Amish will often not communicate with them or will evade them.

A Killing in Amish Country breaks down how the police were able to work with the Amish community to bring justice to one of their beloved members, while also showing that sadly the tactic of shunning is not enough to deter someone from bad behaviour. I gave the book a 7.5/10 rating. It’s not a long read but one that is defiantly interesting from start to finish. It’s also a true crime novel though that will defiantly piss you off. I mean Eli Weaver is an insufferable man. I tried to look it up because this book was published in 2016 and Eli Weaver was to be eligible for parole this year. Seems like he was denied his first claim for parole and can’t apply again for some time but it’s hard to tell. Either way, I hope this man never gets out for what he did to his wife and family. His arrogance is enraging and the way she manipulated other people to do his dirty work is just sad and pathetic. He used this screen name Amish Stud to talk to women online but the reality of it is he’s an ugly little b-word who was so heavily insecure that he took advantage of other people to make himself feel better. He had no respect for his wife or children and just found sad women who also hated their lives to live out this sick fantasy with.

An important thing to me when it comes to true crime books is that they are handled respectfully towards the victim and the people who loved them. I felt like this book did a pretty good job of it but a lot of the book was around Barb Raber and Eli which did mean Barbra fell through the cracks a bit. I can admit though that with a book revolving around the Amish it may have honestly been hard to get more info on her, her family, and the children. I mean other than what’s available to the public I am not sure the community would speak any more on the situation so this information may have just been impossible to get. Publicly there would be way more information on Eli and Raber so it does make sense that they would end up taking up large portions of the book. It never ceases to amaze me how there is no love like godly hate. Eli did everything against the religion he claimed to follow and believed so deeply, and because of this religion, his consistent cheating on his wife and abuse of their finances were always let go. Eli was always allowed to come back home with no consequences, or none that lasted for long. I often wonder if he was legitimately punished by his community for what he did, or if Barbra was allowed to leave him for the infidelity if she would still maybe be alive today. Do not get me wrong at all I do not blame Barbra’s death on her community, but we have to look at how their allowance to let Eli repent and come back in made him more and more confident as to what he could get up to and get away with. I mean the man literally used to have one of his mistresses sit in his damn shop and no one batted an eye! Like you have to be kidding me! The confidence in a man like this who brings nothing to the table is dangerous and people should have recognized that.

This whole case is very reminiscent of the Chris Watts case. A sad pathetic man wants a new life but has too tiny of a peen to just own up to that and move on, and instead decides to destroy everyone’s lives around them because maybe, just maybe, they will get what they want in the end. Yet they never do it always falls apart for them. I think if anything this kind of speaks to the truth that despite Amish people’s desire to be different from us modern people, they aren’t. They have the same domestic and family issues that we have, they have the same infidelity issues, the same lying, cheating, and scamming. It could be argued that Eli only turned out this way because of modern life, but let’s be real, the man was going to cheat no matter what, he just used modern life to make it easier. So, sure maybe modern things did screw him up a bit, but I think that’s giving him too much credit. I think he was a terrible man who wanted to do terrible things and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

Overall A Killing in Amish Country by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris was a super interesting read and given that I have another Gregg Olsen Amish-based true crime novel sitting on myself this one made me excited to get into the other. I hope that wherever Barbra’s family and children are now they are happy and healthy. I hope Eli and Raber rot in prison, you all deserve it.

Has anyone else read A Killing in Amish Country by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris or any of Gregg Olsen’s other books?  What did you think?

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