SUNBURY -- It is a story that has grabbed national attention. A young couple, Elytte and Miranda Barbour, charged with a thrill kill in Sunbury, Northumberland County.
Investigators said they used Craigslist, a place to post online ads, to lure a man they strangled and stabbed.
Now the story has taken another twist.
Miranda Barbour, 19, dropped a bombshell, telling a newspaper reporter she has killed more than 22 people in states including Alaska, North Carolina and California.
"I feel it is time to get all of this out. I don't care if people believe me. I just want to get it out," she said.
"It's an odd story actually because usually when somebody said they did something like this you can find a little more evidence," said Dr. Harry Damer.
Dr. Dammer is head of the criminal justice department at the University of Scranton. He said if what Miranda Barbour is saying is true, it makes her one of the more prolific female serial killers in recent American history.
In that shocking interview, Barbour said she was sexually abused at the age of 4 and only killed "bad people. "
"Often you have young women who are abused or maybe they were prostitutes or they were raped by husbands or family members, who turn the tables and do this kind of thing. That's happened in more than a few occasions. That would be the case when you have younger woman," said Dr. Dammer.
To put it in perspective, some of the most recent notorious female serial killers were Aileen Wuornos, who confessed to killing six men.
Velma Barfield was convicted of one murder and confessed to six others including her own mother's murder.
Gwendolyn Graham was convicted of killing five women while she worked as a nurse.
Of course there is also the possibility that Miranda Barbour is lying.
Barbour's own mother recently said she "can't imagine" her daughter killed all those people.
And investigators said "...there has been no verification of any of the information that has been the subject of media coverage regarding prior acts of the defendant, Miranda Barbour."
Dr. Dammer said he is inclined to believe Barbour is indeed lying.
"It's pretty good evidence that they're responsible for the one murder so maybe by showing this sort of eccentric behavior, it's setting up a situation for an insanity defense plea. That would be one possibility. "