Stephen Mineo, 32, died on July 15, 2017, in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, from a gunshot wound to the head. The shooting was carried out by his girlfriend, Barbara Rogers, who told authorities Mineo had asked her to shoot him because they were involved in an online group led by Sherry Shriner that promoted apocalyptic alien theories.

Prosecutors argued Rogers could have prevented the shooting and that it was not accidental. Rogers was arrested and charged with third-degree murder; she said she did not know the gun was loaded and was following Mineo’s instructions. A jury found her guilty of third-degree murder in March 2019, and in June 2019 she received a 15 to 40 year prison term. The judge rejected a request for a more lenient sentence, noting Rogers had placed the gun to Mineo’s head herself.

The case attracted media attention because of the online cult connection and the conflicting accounts of what happened.