Elytte Barbour was born on November 11, 1991, in the United States. He grew up in North Carolina and graduated from Triton High School in 2010. Public records show that he lived a relatively quiet life prior to the crime that would make headlines. Not much is known about his early childhood or family background, and he remained largely out of the public eye until his marriage to Miranda Dean, later known as Miranda Barbour. The two got married on October 22, 2013, in Dunn, North Carolina. Elytte was 22 at the time. Just three weeks after their wedding, the couple would become involved in a murder that shocked the nation.

Elytte presented himself publicly as a supportive and devoted husband. He denied that Miranda was a sex worker and instead described her as someone who simply met men for “delightful conversation.” But underneath this seemingly quirky narrative was a far more disturbing truth. Elytte’s participation in the murder of Troy LaFerrara, alongside his wife, would reveal a deeply sinister motive and bring attention to one of the most unsettling thrill killings in recent years.

On November 11, 2013, Elytte and Miranda Barbour executed a premeditated murder that gained nationwide attention. The couple lured 42-year-old Troy LaFerrara through a Craigslist ad, where Miranda allegedly offered sex in exchange for $100. According to Miranda, she met LaFerrara in a mall parking lot in Hummels Wharf, Pennsylvania, before driving him to Sunbury, a small city in Northumberland County. Unbeknownst to LaFerrara, Elytte was hiding in the backseat of the car under a blanket.

Once LaFerrara entered the vehicle and the transaction was agreed upon, Miranda gave Elytte a signal. At that moment, Elytte jumped from the backseat and used a cord to strangle LaFerrara while Miranda stabbed him approximately 20 times. After the killing, they dumped LaFerrara’s body in a backyard in Sunbury. His body was discovered the next day, on November 12, 2013.

Police later revealed that after the murder, the couple bought bleach, wipes, towels, and cleaning supplies to scrub the car’s interior. They then reportedly went out to dinner as if nothing had happened. During the investigation, both initially denied knowing LaFerrara. However, detectives traced the last phone call from LaFerrara’s phone to Miranda’s, which unraveled their story. They were arrested shortly after and eventually confessed.

The couple’s motive, as stated by Elytte to police, was simply that they wanted to murder someone together. Both were initially charged with first-degree murder and faced possible death sentences. However, in 2015, they pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Elytte Barbour is currently serving his sentence in a Pennsylvania state prison.