Judge orders suspect in cold case homicide to trial in district court

A judge has ordered Shanna Goylar, 41, to stand trial in district court for the murder of Cari Farver.

Farver was reported missing in November, 2012. Her mother told police Cari had last been seen in Omaha on November 13 of that year. Farver's vehicle was located in Omaha on January 10, 2013.

The case eventually went cold but in February 2016 Pottawattamie County Sheriff's detectives contacted Omaha Police to assist in the investigation. Goylar was arrested in December 2016.

Police stated in a press release that a grant awarded to the Omaha Police Department’s Cold Case Unit allowed for DNA testing regarding Farver’s homicide.

Prosecutors believe the motive for the alleged murder was that Goylar and Farver were dating the same man.

Prosecutors allege that Goylar stabbed Cari Farver to death in her SUV in 2012. They say Goylar burned the body and then cleaned up the vehicle and returned it to the apartment complex where Farver was staying at the time with her boyfriend.

Later in the investigation property of the victim was found in Goylar's home. Investigators also found fingerprints on a mint container in Farver's vehicle.

Prosecutors also allege that Goylar used apps and other methods to conceal her identity to send fake e-mails to make it look as if Farver were still alive

Prosecutors say she also used fake e-mails to frame other woman for the murder. Attorney James Martin Davis says prosecutors have no body, no murder weapon, and no witnesses.

“You don’t have any medical evidence that saying that this blood came from a stabbing, this blood came from a shooting - We don’t even know when this blood was shed and how it was shed,” said defense attorney James Martin Davis told WOWT 6 News.

Davis argued the prosecution doesn't even know if a murder occurred or where it could have happened.

“We don’t have any medical evidence saying the blood that indicates the victim died. We don’t have an eye witnesses that says she disposed of the body. We don’t have any body fragments who have nothing,” said Davis.

Davis says he plans to have a medical expert testify the blood lost on the seat cushion is not enough to cause death when his case continues in district court.

Goylar, of Persia, Iowa, had bond set at $ 5 million.

Ms. Farver's body has never been found.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Homicide Unit at 402-444-5656 or call Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP. All tips will remain anonymous. Tips on all homicides that lead to an arrest will be paid up to $25,000.00.