Oxygen's Black Widow Murders: What happened to Barbara Stager's first husband Larry Ford?

Oxygen's Black Widow Murders revisits the tragic stories of two men who died almost a decade apart in suspicious yet similar ways, with the same woman at the center of both crimes.

When Barbara Stager's second husband died under similar circumstances as her first husband, Larry Ford, authorities realized that they had a black widow on their hands.

Ford, as was revealed during Russ Stager's 1988 murder investigation, died after he "accidentally" shot himself in the chest with a .25 caliber pistol while cleaning it in bed.

The investigation into the incident was eventually dropped and the death was ruled an accident. Years later, when Stager was "accidentally" shot in bed by his wife, she claimed it happened when she tried to pull the loaded gun from under his bed.

The uncanny similarities between the two cases raised multiple questions, but did not have the push on authorities to re-investigate Ford's 1978 shooting death.

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About Larry Ford and wife Barbara's married life

Larry Ford and Barbara Terry first met at Appalachian State Teachers College in Boone, North Carolina, during the fall semester of their respective years. Barbara and Larry established a steady relationship by the winter of 1967.

Not long after, Barbara got pregnant, and the two married a year into their relationship. Their families were notified about the marriage afterwards.

By December 1968, their first son Bryan was born, followed by their second child, Jason, a few years later in July 1974. Sources state that Barbara dropped out of college not long after their marriage, but Larry kept working to support his family, proving himself to be a solid, trustworthy, and an honorable family guy.

However, on March 22, 1978, Larry Ford was shot in the Windemere Heights, North Carolina, house he shared with his then-wife, Barbara Terry Ford, and their two young sons.

He was discovered lying on his back in bed, dead. Barbara told the cops that her husband shot himself while cleaning a loaded gun. They reportedly found a loaded gun clip near his body and a tiny bullethole in his chest.

Barbara reportedly stated that they watched TV before going to sleep. She said that while she was asleep on the couch with the TV on, she heard a loud noise that allegedly woke her up.

Barbara then found Larry in bed, gasping for air and probably breathing his last few breaths. Barbara claimed she had bought the gun one day before the incident for protection purposes.

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Larry Ford's death was ruled an accident due to lack of evidence

Authorities thought Larry Ford accidentally shot himself while checking the gun, thinking it was empty, and not noticing there was a round in the chamber. The fatal shooting was classified as an accident.

Within days, he was buried without an autopsy being conducted. His hands were checked and cleaned for gunshot residue, but no such signs were found in the tests.

But according to a forensic scientist, Larry did not fire the shot that killed him. The gunshot that killed Larry was discovered lodged in his spine when his body was exhumed and re-examined.

The wound appeared to imply that Larry was shot at close range, but there was no way to be positive about it since his body had been cleaned and embalmed before it was ever viewed and captured on camera.

Despite being categorized as a homicide, the case swiftly came to a halt and only resurfaced when Barbara Stager's second husband, Russ Stager, was killed in a similar manner.

Although she was found guilty in her second husband's shooting murder, she was never tried for Larry Ford's death. Barbara is currently serving her life sentence in prison.

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Learn more about Barbara Stager's involvement in her two husbands' shooting deaths on Oxygen's Black Widow Murders.