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REMEMBERING SKYLAR
Neese was reported missing for months before it was revealed that she had been murdered
- Nicole Cord-Cruz, Freelance SEO Reporter
THE tragic murder of Skylar Neese stands as one of the most gripping cases to ever captivate the nation.
The 16-year-old from West Virginia had been a victim of a murder planned and carried out by her best friends, Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf, back in 2012.
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Who was Skylar Neese?
Skylar Neese was a working student who vanished from her family's home in Star City, West Virginia.
She was a pupil of University High School and an employee of Wendy's with two of her best friends at the time of her death.
She was described as well-behaved and well-liked by her peers and had aspirations of becoming a criminal defense lawyer.
An honors student with a 4.0 GPA, her father, Dave, said that Skylar was also academically gifted.
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"She was reading and doing math before she was supposed to," he said in an interview with Dateline.
He also said that she was an all-around good kid and daughter.
“Skylar was a very bubbly person. She was also very loyal to her friends, the people she thought was her friends.”
What happened to Skylar Neese?
Skylar Neese died on July 6, 2012, after being murdered by her friends, Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf.
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Skylar was last seen on July 5, when she briefly returned to her family's apartment after her shift at Wendy's.
Camera footage showed that she slipped through her window a little after midnight and got into a car with Shelia and Rachel.
She was reported missing that night, with Shelia telling Skylar's parents that she, Skylar, and Rachel all hung out then.
“She proceeded to tell me that her, Skylar, and Rachel had snuck out the night before and that they had driven around Star City, were getting high, and that the two girls had dropped her back off at the house,” Skylar's mom, Mary, told 20/20.
“The story was they had dropped her off at the end of the road, because she didn’t want to wake us up sneaking back in.”
After months of searching Skylar with the help of the authorities, Rachel eventually confessed to being involved in Skylar's death.
She told the police that she and Shelia plotted Skylar's murder.
Ronnie Gaskins, the lead investigator of the case, told Elle that they never predicted that the two teens would be capable of killing their friend.
"We were expecting her to say, 'Yes, Skylar overdosed on heroin,' " he said on his encounter with Rachel. "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 youstabbedher?'"
The two are reported to have lured Skylar to hang out with them as they usually did and proceeded to stab her.
Skylar managed to get away, but she was eventually overpowered.
"I asked Rachel what Skylar was saying," Gaskins added. "She said Skylar was saying, 'Why?' I asked Rachel the same question, 'Why?' Her response was, 'Well, we didn't like her.'"
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Were any arrests made in the case?
Both Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf are in prison for the murder of Skylar as of this writing.
Shoaf had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with eligibility for parole after 10 years.
She bid for parole in May 2023 but her request was denied.
“I know, I can’t express how sorry I am for what I have done and for the pain I have caused,” Shoaf said at the hearing.
“I loved her. I know what we did was terrible and there’s no words to describe the pain that we caused and I know there is nothing I can say or do. I just pray for them all the time and pray for peace in their heart. I would trade places with Skylar so she could be with her loved ones. I just want them to know how deeply sorry I am.”
Shoaf is projected to have an April 2028 release date.
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Meanwhile, Eddy, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, was tried as an adult. She was sentenced to life in prison "with mercy" and is eligible for parole after 15 years in May 2028.
The two are serving time at Lakin Correctional Center in Mason County, West Virginia.
