Barbara Opel
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Barbara Opel | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 16, 1963 USA |
| Occupation | Live-in caretaker |
| Criminal status | In prison |
| Children | Heather Opel |
| Conviction | Aggravated first degree murder |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole |
| Details | |
| Victims | Jerry Duane Heiman |
Barbara Marie Opel is an American woman convicted of paying a group of teenagers to murder a 64-year-old man with terminal cancer in 2001. She is serving a life sentence, with no prospect of parole.
Opel was living with Jerry Duane Heimann, aged 64, and his 89-year-old mother, for whom she cared. In order to steal $40,000, she paid five teenagers, including her own 13-year-old daughter, to murder Heimann. Her other children, aged 7 and 11, were instructed by her to help mop up his blood.[1] Kyle Boston, aged 14, received $220, whilst his 13-year-old cousin was paid roughly $100, for the killing. 17-year-old Jeffrey Grote was given a car.[2]
On April 13, 2001, the five teenagers ambushed Heimann and attacked him with knives and baseball bats. He was found eight days later, in a shallow grave, roughly ten miles from his house.