Sheila LaBarre was born on July 4, 1958, in Fort Payne, Alabama—a small-town girl from a large Baptist family of six siblings. On the surface, it was a traditional southern upbringing. Her father, Manuel Bailey, worked for the state highway department, and her mother, Ruby, cleaned homes to help make ends meet. But within the walls of their modest home, life was anything but peaceful.
Manuel struggled with alcoholism and had a violent temper that often turned their weekends into battlegrounds. One night, in a drunken rage, he flipped a cast iron heater and threw food at his wife and children. As they tried to escape in their car, he shattered a window, but lost his footing just long enough for the family to flee. Six-year-old Sheila was hit in the hand with a can of antifreeze during the chaos, leaving a scar that lasted forever. That night, they hid in a cornfield before walking six miles in darkness to safety.
Years later, a darker truth emerged: Sheila and one of her sisters were victims of sexual abuse by their own father.
Sheila LaBarre didn’t let her traumatic upbringing stop her from dreaming. She graduated high school, grew into a striking young woman, and pursued fame in beauty pageants. Her charisma and presence turned heads, but there was another side to Sheila—controlling, manipulative, and unpredictable.
In late 1980, Sheila met 19-year-old John Baxter. Despite being four years older, she married him within weeks, on New Year’s Eve, 1981. It didn’t last. Sheila showed resentment toward Baxter’s young daughter, even locking the girl in a closet and forcing her to use a bucket as a toilet. The abuse was too much—John ended the marriage after only six weeks.
A Pattern of Control
Soon after, Sheila worked at a fast-food restaurant and began dating Ronny Jennings. Though Ronny was hesitant, she pushed for marriage after finalizing her divorce. They moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, but happiness didn’t follow. Ronny became frightened of her rage and once confided he feared she’d stab him in his sleep.
As their relationship crumbled, Sheila started an affair with Sam Williams, a married executive at her workplace. When Sam’s father uncovered the affair, Sheila was fired. Heartbroken, she attempted suicide by overdose and fell into a coma. She was institutionalized after waking up and later claimed she had been assaulted by a staff member. Doctors released her after 30 days, declaring her mentally stable—her husband strongly disagreed. They divorced not long after.
In 1987, Sheila answered a personal ad placed by Wilfred “Bill” LaBarre, a wealthy 60-year-old chiropractor from New Hampshire. She mailed him a photo of herself in a pink bikini, and he was instantly smitten. Though they never legally wed, she took his last name and moved into his home near Hampton, managing both his clinic and finances.
Sheila impressed him professionally but brought chaos into his life. The police were often called to the residence due to her violent outbursts. Once vibrant and sociable, Wilfred became withdrawn and anxious. Eventually, he moved out—but allowed Sheila to live in an apartment above his clinic.
A Dangerous New Love
In 1994, a new name entered Sheila’s life: Wayne Ennis, a Jamaican man recovering from an accident. Sheila began seeing him during his visits to the clinic. By August 1995, they were married. But this relationship, too, turned toxic. She accused Wayne of violence—claiming he punched her, kicked her, and tried to run her off the road. Yet despite the abuse claims, Sheila didn’t sever contact.
Instead, she tried to use him.
According to legal documents, Sheila asked Wayne to kill Wilfred so she could inherit his property and business. Wilfred’s daughter discovered the plot and successfully obtained a restraining order to keep Sheila away from her father.
After her turbulent marriage to Wayne Ennis, Sheila didn’t stay alone for long. She set her sights on James “Jimmy” Brackett, a shy and developmentally delayed man in his twenties. Vulnerable and eager for connection, Jimmy was easy for Sheila to dominate. He moved into her apartment in Hampton, and once again, Wilfred LaBarre extended his generosity—allowing Jimmy to live on his property as well.
But just like every other relationship Sheila had nurtured, this one spiraled into violence. In 1998, a confrontation between the two escalated into an attack involving a pair of scissors. Jimmy filed second-degree assault charges, but they were quickly dismissed as a “lover’s spat.”
Inheritance and Suspicion: The Sudden Death of Wilfred LaBarre
In 2000, Wilfred LaBarre died unexpectedly. The official cause: heart failure.
But the circumstances surrounding his death raised immediate red flags for his daughter, Laura. To her, it was unthinkable that her father would have willingly left everything—his clinic, his properties, and a nearly $2 million horse farm—to Sheila, a woman known for her violent outbursts and manipulative tendencies.
Laura believed her father had been threatened, manipulated, or worse—poisoned. But Sheila made sure there would be no investigation. She arranged for Wilfred’s body to be cremated and had his ashes scattered across the horse farm, closing the door on any possibility of a second autopsy.
With no evidence and no body, Laura’s suspicions would remain unanswered. Meanwhile, Sheila moved into the estate like nothing had happened.
Outwardly, Sheila appeared to be living her best life. She was often spotted zipping through New Hampshire in a sleek silver Mercedes-Benz, her platinum blonde hair styled to perfection. But beneath the surface, her mental health was in free fall.
She began arming herself—sometimes with knives, other times with firearms—and brandished them freely to control or threaten those around her. Her behavior became so erratic that she was the subject of over 100 calls to the local police department. But the calls were rarely about real emergencies. More often, they were noise complaints, fabricated break-ins, or invented domestic issues.
Many believed the calls were a ruse to lure attractive officers to her door. Some officers reported being greeted by Sheila in little—or no—clothing, with a seductive tone and inappropriate comments. She quickly became a problem officer patrols preferred to avoid.
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Relentless Obsession and Escalating Abuse
Among her many targets, Sheila remained fixated on Jimmy Brackett. In 2002, she reportedly tried to run him over with her car. In 2003, she pulled a gun on him and fired. Incredibly, the bullet missed—and Jimmy, battered but frightened, refused to press charges.
Sheila also developed a habit of hiring drifters—often young, homeless men—under the guise of offering them work. Once under her roof, they were subjected to psychological and physical abuse. Some were seduced, then terrorized. Many left bruised and traumatized.
Rumors spread that a few of these men vanished altogether. Though no proof ever emerged, locals whispered of disappearances tied to the woman in the big farmhouse.
What did come to light were chilling audio tapes. In hundreds of hours of recordings later recovered, Sheila could be heard berating, mocking, and interrogating her victims—sometimes rambling to herself in eerie monologues. Her paranoia and cruelty were growing more unstable by the day.
A Predator with a Plan: The Targeting of Michael Deloge
By 2004, Sheila LaBarre had adopted a new tactic: preying on the vulnerable in homeless shelters. That’s where she met 38-year-old Michael Deloge.
Once a hopeful songwriter performing in New Haven and New York, Michael had spiraled into addiction after losing custody of his son. By the time he crossed paths with Sheila, he was homeless and desperate for a fresh start.
Sheila offered him shelter at her farm—food, warmth, and companionship in exchange for help on the property. It seemed like salvation.
Michael was charmed by her at first, even calling his family to rave about his “girlfriend,” the rich farm owner who was giving him a second chance. But behind the scenes, his life began to mirror the torment of her previous victims.
Their relationship became sexual. Drugs and explicit films became part of the daily routine. Sheila LaBarre began isolating him—especially from his mother, Donna. Any sign of emotional attachment to family triggered Sheila’s rage.
That Christmas, Michael joined Sheila LaBarre for a visit to his parents’ home. What was meant to be a warm reunion became a bizarre performance. Sheila sang alone for attention, sulked when ignored, and hijacked the evening.
Weeks later, Donna was hospitalized and could no longer reach her son. Her gut told her something was wrong.
Imprisoned in Plain Sight
Back at the farm, Michael’s condition worsened. He was being physically abused—humiliated, punished, and controlled. Those close to him would later say he seemed “broken.”
But in Sheila’s world, that was exactly how she liked her victims—dependent, damaged, and too weak to leave.
And for Michael Deloge, like many before him, there would be no escape.
The terror Michael Deloge endured on Sheila LaBarre’s farm was not just mental—it was brutally physical. Witnesses would later describe haunting scenes: Michael being beaten with a wooden rod, trembling in fear inside a dark, windowless room, and blindly obeying Sheila’s every command.
In one disturbing episode, Sheila LaBarre accused Michael of damaging a horse carriage. For hours, she berated and abused him until he broke down and confessed—just to end the torment. Then she beat him unconscious.
By July 2005, Sheila LaBarre allowed Michael to visit his mother. Donna, horrified by his appearance, saw a man who was gaunt, jumpy, and deeply broken. When she asked what was wrong, Michael—under Sheila’s influence—accused his own mother of childhood abuse. Donna instantly knew those words weren’t his.
Soon after, Sheila forced Michael to write a fabricated confession, claiming he had been a child abuser himself.
Then—he was gone.
Weeks later, Austin Wiggin, a man who had previously worked at the farm, stopped by looking for work. When he asked about Michael, Sheila LaBarre flew into a rage. She accused Austin of making up stories, then quickly changed her tone, calmly insisting Michael had left because his family had rejected him.
Austin didn’t buy it—and never returned.
Donna, meanwhile, was consumed with worry. She hadn’t heard from her son in months, and the silence became unbearable. While she mourned in uncertainty, Sheila LaBarre moved forward as if nothing had happened—cold, composed, and already searching for a new target.
A New Victim: Kenneth Countie
In early 2006, Sheila LaBarre began calling a phone service that matched lonely women with men seeking companionship. That’s how she met Kenneth Michael Countie.
Born on July 18, 1981, in Massachusetts, Kenneth had been diagnosed with autism as a child. He loved hockey, baseball, and war films, and dreamed of one day becoming a soldier. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and began basic training at Fort Benning. But the physical challenges proved too much, and he was medically discharged.
Back in Massachusetts, Kenneth rebuilt his life. He got a job at a car wash and moved to Vermont to try living independently. Though kind-hearted and well-liked, Kenneth was also deeply lonely. He craved connection—and that vulnerability made him the perfect prey.
One sleepless night in early 2006, Kenneth saw an ad for a hotline. He called.
Sheila answered.
Their first call was flirtatious and intense. Kenneth was enthralled. Sheila LaBarre, older, bold, and glamorous, made him feel desired for the first time.
They met in person on Valentine’s Day at a beachside motel. Four days later, Kenneth abandoned his life—without telling anyone—and moved in with Sheila. She promised him love, a future, and a new identity. But the dream quickly turned dark.
Soon after, Kenneth’s family contacted police, reporting their belief that he was being held against his will by a much older woman named Sheila. When officers visited the farm, Sheila denied knowing Kenneth—then suddenly changed her story and brought him to the door.
He looked pale and weak, but insisted he was staying there by choice. Sheila LaBarre glared at him, then ordered the police off her property.
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A Tightening Grip
The next day, Sheila LaBarre bombarded the police with angry calls. She claimed they had violated her rights and demanded access to Kenneth’s missing person report. Then, she took full control of his life—convincing him to sign over power of attorney. From that point forward, she controlled his mail, his bank account, and his legal affairs.
She even recorded a video of him “confessing” to false crimes—just as she had done with Michael Deloge.
On March 17, 2006, police were called to a supermarket after a disturbance involving Sheila and Kenneth. Officers found Kenneth slumped in a wheelchair, face bruised, hands swollen, and too weak to stand. Sheila LaBarre claimed he had been in a car accident.
When officers tried to speak with him, Sheila’s piercing glance silenced him.
They watched her lift him into the car—he could barely move.
Four days later, on March 21, 2006, Sheila LaBarre killed Kenneth Countie using a combination of poison and a knife.
The Pattern Repeats
By the time of Kenneth’s death, the pattern had become chillingly clear: Sheila LaBarre isolated, manipulated, and broke down vulnerable men. Then, when she had complete control—she destroyed them.
But this time, something changed.
People started to ask questions. And the truth Sheila LaBarre tried so hard to bury… was about to rise.
After murdering Kenneth Countie with poison and a knife, Sheila LaBarre set about erasing the evidence. She dismembered his body and incinerated the remains. Then, as if nothing had happened, she called the police—not to confess, but to complain. Furious that she was under suspicion for the supermarket incident, she calmly informed officers that Kenneth no longer lived with her.
Two days later, Kenneth’s mother, Caroline Countie, called the police again. She was told her son had returned to Massachusetts. It was a lie—but one that deepened her despair.
That very night, Sheila contacted police once more. This time, she played them a recording of Kenneth giving a bizarre, coerced confession—one he had been manipulated into making. The call was so unsettling that officers returned to the farm. But once again, Sheila LaBarre offered nothing.
Search Warrants and Shocking Discoveries
Still suspicious, investigators obtained three search warrants and returned on March 26. What they found was chilling.
Bloodstains were detected in nearly every room—some so old they were hidden beneath dust. Human bones and teeth were uncovered, along with charred areas that suggested the burning of remains. In spite of this, Sheila LaBarre wasn’t immediately arrested. Officers were assigned to watch her, but she slipped away.
Disguised with vibrant red hair, carrying $85,000 in cash and checks, Sheila LaBarre talked her way into rides from strangers—people who had no idea they were helping a murderer flee justice.
A warrant was issued on March 31. Two days later, Sheila LaBarre was captured. She was carrying $33,000 in cash, a $50,000 check, and a stash of marijuana. On April 3, she was officially charged in Massachusetts as a fugitive and for drug possession. She waived extradition and was sent to New Hampshire to face a far more serious charge: first-degree murder.
In court, Sheila LaBarre remained emotionless. As Kenneth’s family held up a photograph of him, she sat stone-faced beside her attorney. To the media, she denied everything and accused law enforcement of a conspiracy against her.
Meanwhile, the court froze her assets and nullified her inheritance from Wilfred LaBarre. Laura, Wilfred’s daughter, challenged the will—arguing that Sheila LaBarre had manipulated her father into signing away his entire estate.
As the investigation continued, suspicion deepened. Not all of the blood recovered on the farm belonged to Kenneth. Attention turned to another missing man: Michael Deloge.
In the spring thaw, authorities pumped the farm’s septic tank. What they found was damning: a bullet, cell phone fragments, bone shards, Michael’s birth certificate, and a handwritten “confession.” There was also a note listing his mother’s contact information.
Donna Deloge hadn’t heard from her son in nearly a year. Now, she received confirmation that he, too, had been murdered.
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The Trial of a Manipulator
In October 2007, Sheila LaBarre was declared indigent, meaning the state would fund her legal defense. Her trial was scheduled for March 2008. Then came a stunning development: Sheila confessed to killing both Kenneth and Michael.
She claimed she was sent by God, chosen as an “angel” to punish child abusers. Until that confession, she had not been formally charged in Michael’s death.
The families of the victims were horrified.
Prosecutors feared that Sheila, through her charm and mental health claims, might manipulate her way into a psychiatric facility. Then, investigators uncovered something else: severed fingers found on the farm—fingers that belonged to neither Kenneth nor Michael. Though this evidence wasn’t used in court, it raised the terrifying possibility that more victims had never been found.
Justice Delivered
In May 2008, Sheila LaBarre’s trial began. Her defense team argued that she suffered from delusions and hallucinations—believing she was on a divine mission and haunted by ghosts. They painted her as mentally ill, not criminal.
But the prosecution had a different story: a calculating predator who used false accusations of abuse as weapons to isolate, control, and destroy.
More than 40 witnesses took the stand, including former partners James “Jimmy” Brackett and Wayne Ennis, as well as Laura LaBarre. They painted a picture of a woman who used seduction, coercion, and violence with disturbing ease.
After five weeks, the jury deliberated for two days.
On June 20, 2008, Sheila LaBarre was found guilty on all counts.
She collapsed into her attorney’s arms and whispered, “Thank God they found me sane.”
She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Aftermath and Legacy
As families embraced and wept, justice had finally caught up with Sheila LaBarre. No other remains were ever conclusively linked to her, but authorities remain convinced that Kenneth and Michael were not her only victims.
In 2010, Sheila LaBarre appealed her sentence. The motion was denied.
She is currently serving her sentence at Homestead Correctional Institution in Florida.
Sheila LaBarre’s story is one of manipulation cloaked in charm, of unchecked violence behind a polished exterior. She wasn’t just a killer—she was a master of deception, and her legacy is one of pain, control, and cold-blooded cruelty.
