ABSTRACT
After Miranda and Elytte Barbour were arrested for murder in 2013, the media focused on Miranda’s claims of multiple murders committed as a member of a satanic cult. Ignoring evidence to the contrary, the press elaborated on the alleged cabal. The legend prevailed over more plausible narratives because it helped resolve cognitive dissonance for the public. Miranda’s crime defied her society’s ideals of femininity, but her story offered a culturally recognizable explanation for apparent contradictions. The study of the paranormal in popular culture can help us think more critically about the information we consume on a regular basis.
