Woman blames internet alien 'cult' for boyfriend's death

Hope Schreiber
·Writer


A woman charged with shooting her boyfriend, Stephen Mineo, in the head in July 2017 said during her murder trial on Monday that his death is a result of an online alien cult turning on them, according to WNEP.

Barbara Rogers and her boyfriend, Mineo, belonged to the online cult run by Sherry Shriner, according to investigators.

Shriner described herself as a “Servant, Prophet, Ambassador, Daughter, and Messenger of the Most High God,” who preached that the “New World Order” is in cahoots with aliens and demons to take over the world. She spread messages of the existence of chemtrails, that reptilian aliens pose as humans, and that a substance called Orgone can kill zombies, as well as ward off aliens. Shriner passed away in early 2018, although some of her followers believe she was intentionally targeted by the “elite” to prevent her from spreading her message.

According to Rogers, the cult turned against her and Mineo, which is why Mineo wanted her to kill him. The Daily Beast reported the fallout started after Rogers shared on Facebook how much she loved steak tartare. Shriner’s followers allegedly believed that Roger eating raw meat was a sign she was a reptile, not a human.

The prosecution revealed in the opening statements at the trial that Rogers and Mineo were at a nearby bar until 2 a.m. on the night of the shooting. Rogers claimed they had a few drinks but were not intoxicated. When they arrived home, Mineo suggested going into the woods behind their house to shoot his gun. When they reentered the home, Rogers said that Mineo put the gun to his head in their bedroom, wrapped her hands around it, and told her to pull the trigger.

“My boyfriend had a gun. He told me to hold it here and press the trigger. Oh my God, he’s dead!” Rogers told the 911 dispatchers 20 minutes after firing the gun, according to WQAD.

Rogers claims she wasn’t aware the gun was loaded and called the shooting an accident, according to FOX 8. Before the jury entered the courtroom, Rogers was asked by the judge if she would accept a guilty plea deal of third-degree murder, which carries a sentence of 10 to 15 years in prison. Rogers declined.

Shriner had shared on her website after Mineo’s death: “I warned Steve Mineo she was a Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier… and now he’s DEAD because he wouldn’t listen.” She had also published a July 2017 YouTube video about the incident. She denied, at the time, that Mineo was a member of a cult, and claimed she was not a cult leader.

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