Upcoming Netflix documentary Lover, Stalker, Killer highlights the perils of online dating

I would rather be single forever than try my luck on dating apps again and Netflix's upcoming documentary Lover, Stalker, Killer just reinforces that for me as the true crime doc delves into the sinister case of a love triangle gone terribly, terribly wrong.

If you've spent any time on dating apps then you know that it's basically a pitiless exercise in misery where you're bound to be ghosted dozens of times or get locked into a myriad of dead-end conversations that go nowhere. Or maybe you're one of the lucky ones who found "the one" your first time out. More power to you.

Netflix documentary Lover, Stalker, Killer tells a twisted tale

In Lover, Stalker, Killer, we meet a Nebraskan man named Dave Kroupa who was ready to get back into the dating game after getting out of a long-term relationship. He first met a woman named Cari Farver. They went on a date and agreed to keep things casual. Shortly after, Dave met another woman named Liz Golyar and that's when things turned ugly.

When "Cari" found out Dave was seeing someone else, she started sending him threatening text messages, saying he "ruined her life" and threatening to come after him. She started stalking him, and even claims to have set the other woman's house on fire. But was the person texting Dave really Cari?

There's even more to this story than what first meets the eye. If you watch the trailer below, you'll hear from Dave and the investigators firsthand, mentioning that this became one of the "strangest, most unpredictable cases" ever.

As Dave himself says, "No matter how well you hit it off with somebody on a dating site, you don't really know who they are."

Lover, Stalker, Killer is a new documentary from Curious Films, the company behind Running with the Devil. Fear City: New York vs The Mafia director Sam Hobkinson steps behind the camera to put together the pieces of a truly twisted case. Dov Freedman and Charlie Russell executive produce alongside producer Sophie Clayton-Payne.

Here's the official synopsis shared by Netflix.

"Dave was recently out of a long-term relationship and eager to restart his romantic life, so he did what most people do: He tried online dating. Liz and Cari were two of his most promising connections, both single moms with winning personalities who helped bring him out of his shell in different ways. It should have been an opportunity for this hard-working, devoted dad to enjoy a second chance at casual romance, but it turned into a twisted love triangle, putting Dave and everyone he cared about at risk. Using interviews with those involved – including the law enforcement officers who cracked the case – alongside vivid reenactments that bring viewers into the tension and paranoia of Dave’s four year nightmare, this feature documentary from Curious Films (Running with the Devil) and director Sam Hobkinson (Fear City: New York vs The Mafia), deftly assembles the pieces of a mind-bending true tale of harassment, digital deception, and murder in America’s heartland."

The true story about the murder of Cari Farver

For those who watch a lot of true crime, there is a good chance you've heard this story before as its been covered by the Investigation Discovery Channel and true crime podcasts in the past. Despite the texts appearing to be from Cari, the truth is that the real Cari went missing 2012.

Shanna "Liz" Golyar, murdered 37-year-old Cari Farver and then pretended to be her, sending thousands of texts and emails to Dave Kroupa. You can read more about the case ahead of the documentary here. In 2017, Golyar was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and second-degree arson.

Lover, Stalker, Killer will be released on Friday, February 9, 2024 on Netflix. Set a reminder via your Netflix account right here.