Skylar Neese, a 16-year-old from West Virginia vanished on 6 July 2012. Months later, it was revealed her two best friends Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf, had lured and murdered her.
Early Life
Skylar Neese was born on 10 February 1996, in West Virginia, United States. Raised by her parents, David and Mary Neese. She was their only child and known for her intelligence, loyalty and friendly nature. With aspirations of becoming a criminal lawyer, she dedicated herself to her studies and consistently excelled academically, per Tuko.
At the age of eight, Skylar formed a close friendship with Shelia Eddy, whom her parents welcomed as part of their family. Later, during high school, Rachel Shoaf joined their friendship. The trio became inseparable frequently spending time together.
Author Daleen Berry: “Rachel entered the duo that Skylar and Shelia were and immediately it became a trio”, per The Sun.
However, their bond was not always perfect, as tensions occasionally surfaced.
The Disappearance of Skylar Neese
On 5 July 2012, 16-year-old Skylar returned home from her shift at Wendy’s greeted her parents and retired to her room. The following morning her father found her room empty.
A window was open and a bench was placed outside suggesting she had snuck out. Attempts to contact her were unsuccessful. When Wendy’s called to report that Skylar had missed her shift, her parents became alarmed and reported her missing.
“She came over and hugged me, told us both she loved us and went to her room and that’s the last time we ever saw her.” – Dave Neese.
That evening, Shelia Eddy contacted Skylar’s parents stating that she, Rachel and Skylar had sneaked out the night before.
She claimed they picked up Skylar at 11 P.M. drove around Star City while getting high, and dropped her off an hour later, leaving her at the end of the road so she could sneak back in without waking her parents.
Authorities reviewed surveillance footage that showed Skylar willingly entering a car at 12:30 A.M. but they couldn’t determine whose car it was due to the grainy quality of the video, according to ABC News.
The case was initially classified as a runaway due to the lack of immediate evidence of foul play. However, her parents doubted this theory, as Skylar had left behind essential items like her phone charger and contact lenses.
Investigation
As the days passed authorities intensified their efforts to locate Skylar. Rachel and Shelia maintained their story but law enforcement grew suspicious as they repeated identical details in their statements.
Investigators also noted concerning tweets from Skylar, which hinted at trouble in their friendship. Some of her tweets suggested she felt betrayed and had knowledge of secrets involving her friends.
Skylar Neese Tweets: “sick of being at fucking home. thanks ‘friends’, love hanging out with you all too.”
“you doing s*** like that is why I can NEVER completely trust you.”
“youre a twofaced bitch and obviously fucking stupid if you thought I wouldnt find out.”
Further suspicions arose when a classmate reported hearing Shelia and Rachel discuss harming Skylar.
Authorities also found inconsistencies in their statements. Surveillance footage revealed that Shelia’s car picked up Skylar at 12:30 A.M. not 11:00 P.M. as they initially claimed. Another video showed their car traveling west toward Blacksville not east as they had stated.
As scrutiny increased, Shelia displayed an upbeat demeanor online while Rachel became more withdrawn. Both girls faced public accusations and online harassment. The pressure took a toll on Rachel leading to a psychological breakdown in December 2012. Her mother called 911 reporting an emergency due to her daughter’s unstable behavior.
“I have an issue with a 16-year-old daughter of mine. I can’t control her anymore. She’s hitting us, she’s screaming, she’s running through the neighborhood. My husband’s trying to contain her. Please hurry”, per ELLE.
Confession and the Truth
On 3 January 2013, after being released from medical care Rachel Shoaf confessed to law enforcement.
According to Lead investigator Gaskins: “We were expecting her to say, ‘Yes, Skylar overdosed on heroin. The first three words out of her mouth were: ‘We stabbed her.’ The agent and I were speechless for a little bit. Then we were like, ‘Let’s start over. Tell us exactly what happened. What do you mean you stabbed her?’ “
She admitted that she and Shelia had plotted Skylar’s murder months in advance. They devised the plan during science class and prepared by bringing kitchen knives, shovels, cleaning supplies and extra clothes. Their motive was that they no longer wanted to be friends with Skylar.
On the night of the murder, they lured Skylar into their car under the pretense of going for a drive and smoking marijuana.
They took her to a secluded wooded area.
As Skylar turned her back to retrieve a lighter from the car Shelia and Rachel counted to three and began attacking her with knives.
Skylar attempted to flee but was overpowered and stabbed over 50 times. During the assault, she managed to ask “Why?” but received no answer.
Dave Neese: “Skylar trusted those two little witches and it cost her life”, per DailyMail.
After the murder, they attempted to bury her body but found the ground too hard. Instead, they covered her remains with branches and debris. Rachel later led police to the location, where Skylar’s remains and phone were recovered. An autopsy confirmed her identity and cause of death.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Following the confession, investigators obtained a warrant to search Shelia’s car, where they discovered Skylar’s DNA in the trunk. Authorities arrested Shelia and Rachel charging them with first-degree and second-degree murder respectively.
Rachel pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with eligibility for parole after ten years. Shelia was convicted of first-degree murder and received a life sentence, with a chance of parole after fifteen years.
Neeses worked hard to pass Skylar’s Law, which mandates the issuance of Amber Alerts in West Virginia for all missing children.
In May 2023, Rachel attended her parole hearing but the parole board denied her request. However, after 11 years, Rachel finally revealed the motive behind the murder.
She said that she and Sheila were engaged in a sexual relationship which Skylar was aware of and they feared she might disclose this information to others.
Dave Neese: “We found out finally after 11 long years what the real reason why they murdered Skylar. She (Shoaf) was in a relationship with Shelia Eddy, a gay relationship and they were both afraid Skylar was going to tell people”, The Metro News reports.
Rachel Shoaf was denied parole in July 2024 and will be eligible again in June 2025. Her projected release date is 30 April 2028. Shelia Eddy, serving a life sentence will be eligible for parole in 2028, the WDTV reports.
