Sartaj Singh
Helmed by director Paula Elle, ‘Lies and Ex Wives: Secrets on Maple Street’ is a Lifetime thriller that follows a woman who dates a divorced neighbor only to find herself being stalked while her new boyfriend’s ex-wife turns up dead. Katie had always been strong-willed, ready to take on whatever challenges life threw her way. When she began dating her recently divorced neighbor, she was well aware of the inevitable gossip that would spread through the tight-knit community of Maple Street. She braced herself for the judgmental whispers and knowing glances, confident in her decision to pursue happiness.
However, she instead became the target of a relentless stalker who began harassing her. The unsettling nature of her circumstances worsens when her partner’s ex-wife is found dead under suspicious circumstances. Spinning a tale of uncanny coincidences and hidden connections, the movie’s plot sparks curiosity regarding any real-life parallels present within it.
Lies and Ex Wives Secrets on Maple Street: The Tale of a Twisted Stalker and Murderer
The storyline, which involves a mysterious stalker appearing after the protagonist begins dating and a possible murder linked with the event, bears a resemblance to actual cases of stalking and murder out of jealousy. While the Lifetime movie is completely fictional, the real-life case of Dave Kroupa being stalked and threatened for three years before finding out the shattering truth is a reminder that reality can be stranger than fiction.
Dave Kroupa, an Omaha mechanic separated from the mother of his children, began online dating and met a single mother, Liz Golyar, through the dating site Plenty of Fish. The two hit it off as they shared plenty of interests and were in a similar situation of having had kids. However, despite their growing intimacy, Kroupa made it clear to Golyar that he did not plan to get married again under any circumstances. While maintaining a loose relationship with Golyar, Kroupa met an attractive single mother, Cari Farver, as she walked into his shop. Despite feeling like he didn’t have a chance with her, she agreed to come over to his place. When the mechanic was bringing her to his apartment, Golyar crossed their path on the way out.
Kroupa and Farver began dating, and she even started to stay with him since her place of work was close by. Their relationship, however, took a dark turn when Farver disappeared without a trace shortly after they started dating, apparently angered at him for not committing to her. Kroupa started receiving disturbing messages from her accounts, leading him to believe she was stalking him. Golyar showed him that she was receiving the threats as well. The increasingly aggressive, jealous, and hateful messages continued to harass Kroupa for three years despite no one having seen Farver. The police did not take her disappearance seriously, given her past of having bipolar disorder and being on medication.
Vandalism and A Shocking Revelation
In August 2013, Golyar’s house caught fire, burning down with her pets within it. The authorities believed that it was arson, and Golyar insisted that Farver was behind it. Further acts of vandalism continued against Kroupa, with obscenities spray painted in his auto shop and a brick was thrown into his window at night as he hung out with a high school friend. When new investigators looked into the case, they ascertained that the over 50,000 texts had come from someone impersonating Farver. While checking the victim’s phones, they found a picture of Farver’s car in Golyar’s metadata dated a month before the vehicle was actually found. They found further incriminating evidence, including dozens of fake email addresses in Farver’s name and an app that allowed messages to be scheduled.
Upon getting a search warrant for the suspect’s house, they found Farver’s possessions within and from an SD card, pictures of the missing woman’s body parts. Golyar was arrested for first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2017. Kroupa could not believe that the woman he had been dating had been killed in cold blood, burned her own house down, and continued to harass others. The case is covered in Netflix’s documentary, ‘Lover, Stalker, Killer.’ In ‘Lies and Ex Wives: Secrets on Maple Street,’ Katie’s relationship leads to mysterious harassment, echoing the relentless torment Dave Kroupa experienced. The presence of a deadly partner, culminating in murder, mirrors the tragic fate of Cari Farver. Both stories highlight the dangerous lengths to which an obsessed individual will go to control and manipulate those around them.
Read More: Lifetime’s Sister Wife Murder: Is the Movie Based on a True Story?
