Episode 4: Sheila LaBarre
Born in Alabama in the late 50s, Sheila Bailey had a hard life from the very beginning. Passed around as a sexual toy between her father and his friends, she endured years of sexual assault as a young girl. Although she aspired to be an artist and a model, life had different plans for Sheila- she married her first husband at just 19 and became a step mother, which was not a suitable title for her. The marriage lasted just 6 weeks, due to Sheila’s incessant abuse towards her step daughter and her physical and mental abuse towards her husband. Not too long after that failed marriage, Sheila wed another man, who she physically, mentally, and emotionally abused to no end. Their marriage ended in a brutal divorce.
In 1987, Sheila Bailey found herself in Epping, New Hampshire, answering a “Lonely Hearts” ad for a widowed chiropractor, Wilfred LaBarre. Sheila moves into his 100+ acre horse farm, isolates Wilfred, and essentially takes over his finances, his medical practice, and his entire property. Despite never being married, Sheila takes his last name. During her many years at this farm, she brought many men home, even though she was supposedly in a romantic relationship with the man she was living with and mooching off of. It was in this time that she married her third husband, Wayne Ennis, and abused him brutally, right under Wilfred’s nose. Eventually, although never legally divorced, Wayne escaped Sheila’s conniving hands and left the farm.
Years pass and Sheila is still bringing home men and abusing them physically, emotionally, and financially. In 2000, Wilfred died of natural causes, although this is later disputed. It is in this time that Sheila meets her first fatal victim (that we know of), Michael DeLuge. His remains are never found, but after living with Sheila for several months, he mysteriously disappeared and stopped all contact with his family, which raised concerns. Michael had a history of drug abuse and homelessness, and was more susceptible to manipulation- just Sheila’s type. The only reason Michael’s disappearance is connected to Sheila is due to his birth certificate being found in her septic tank.
About a year later, Sheila manipulates a young, vulnerable man named Kenneth Countie into her home, promising him love and shelter. After just a month of pure torture, including intense physical abuse, starvation, and countless hours of emotional manipulation, Sheila murders Kenny in cold blood. Thanks to his mother, Epping Police finally close in on Sheila and discover her burning his body in the backyard. After she runs away to Boston, she is apprehended and brought back to stand trial. She was eventually sentenced to life in prison for her crimes. It is believed that she killed more men, who remain unknown at this time.
Image sources:
imdb.com - “Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer”
The Eagle Tribune