Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Devil in Your Ear’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Devil of a Boss,’ the primary focus is on the controversial ideologies of Sherry Shriner, who talked about conspiracy theories and claimed to be a prophet and voice of God. The alleged online cult indirectly led to multiple deaths, including that of Stephen M. Mineo. During the investigation of his passing, the detectives uncovered a shocking claim from the perpetrator. The documentary features insightful interviews with Stephen’s loved ones and former members of Sherry’s alleged cult, providing a detailed account of the tragic demise.
Stephen M. Mineo Was Found Dead in His Pennsylvania Apartment
Born on May 14, 1985, in Belleville, New Jersey, Stephen Michael Mineo was the beloved son of Donna Mineo. Growing up in a seemingly unstable household, he started leading an independent life during his teenage years, after his mother got away from her allegedly abusive husband. He reportedly immersed himself in the online world and began following an alleged online cult led by Sherry Shriner, who posed as a prophet and warned her followers about aliens, reptilians, and an impending apocalypse. Ultimately, Sherry and Stephen developed a bond, wherein he began writing blogs for her. Around 2011, Stephen crossed paths with Barbara Rogers, who was also a follower of Sherry’s.
She had also been married before and had served in the army. By 2017, the couple moved in together to the Pocono Mountains area of Pennsylvania, where they lived on Barbara’s military disability payments. They reportedly rented a small studio apartment in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. All seemed to be going well for the couple, but their future plans were shattered as fate intervened. In the early hours of July 15, 2017, Barbara called 911 and informed the police that Stephen was dead. When the authorities arrived at the couple’s home, they found 32-year-old Stephen dead in the bedroom with a fatal gunshot to the center of his forehead, which was the cause of his death. Believing that it was an execution style shooting, the police launched a homicide investigation immediately.
Stephen M. Mineo’s Killer Changed Story Multiple Times During Interrogation
After inspecting the crime scene and gathering the evidence, the authorities interviewed Stephen M. Mineo’s girlfriend, Barbara Rogers, who had placed the 911 call and reported the incident. She told the detectives that she and Stephen went out to have some drinks in a local bar, after which he allegedly convinced her to practice shooting his gun in the woods, despite her reluctance. Upon returning home, Stephen allegedly handed her the gun and instructed her to shoot him. She claimed that while it was pointed at his head, the gun went off. Throughout the seven-hour-long interview, she changed her story multiple times. At some point, she also claimed that she was not aware that the gun was still loaded.
She had told the dispatchers, “My boyfriend had a gun. He told me to hold it here and press the trigger. Oh my God, he’s dead!’ She further claimed, “I was not in control of the situation that happened. I was not the dominating party in that situation.” After hours of questioning, her story had gotten to the point where she admitted to standing over Stephen when she pulled the trigger of the .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun. However, as per her account, it was Stephen’s desire to die. She also blamed Sherry Shriner and her cult for the murder. Ultimately, on July 15, 2017, Barbara Rogers was charged with criminal homicide of her boyfriend, Stephen Mineo.
Upon digging deeper into the couple’s relationship, the detectives learned that things began falling apart when Sherry Shriner, whom both Stephen and Barbara followed, started attacking Barbara on social media platforms as she had posted a photo of meat on her Facebook. Sherry also labeled her as a witch and associated her with Satanist groups. Slowly, her followers turned against Barbara, who was called a vampire and reptilian. It escalated to the point that the couple began receiving emails with photos of the building they lived in. Freaking out and becoming paranoid, Stephen got concerned about their safety. Meanwhile, Barbara allegedly suggested that he disengage from the computer altogether.
Barbara Rogers is Currently Incarcerated at a Pennsylvania Prison Facility
Nearly two years later, in March 2019, Barbara Rogers stood trial for the murder of Stephen Mineo. During the trial, Barbara told the jury that her boyfriend had been upset about the problems that Sherry Shriner and her followers caused them, leading him to become suicidal. She claimed that Stephen made her pull the trigger. The prosecution argued that she pulled the trigger and confessed to the same during her interrogation. Thus, on March 29, after deliberating for nine hours, the jury found Barbara guilty of third-degree murder.
More than two months later, on June 10, Barbara was sentenced to 45 years in prison for killing Stephen Mineo. Stephen’s family members were disappointed with the sentence and called it lenient. His aunt, Jackie Mineo, believed that Barbara had gotten a big break. Meanwhile, the defense attorney stated, “We had hoped that the judge would take that into consideration and give her a sentence that was closer to the bottom end of the range as opposed to the top end, but it is what it is, and we have to discuss with our client what to do.” In February 2021, her appeal to get her conviction overturned was denied by the Court of Appeal. As of today, the 51-year-old killer is serving her sentence at State Correctional Institution Cambridge Springs in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania.
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