Skylar Neese — Murdered by Her Best Friends

An Ordinary Summer Night

On the night of July 6, 2012, 16-year-old Skylar Neese climbed out of her bedroom window at her family's apartment in Star City, West Virginia. It was not unusual — teenagers sneak out at night. A security camera in the building's entryway captured her at 12:30 a.m. as she got into a car. The car belonged to her best friend, Shelia Eddy. Skylar never came home.

When her parents, Dave and Mary Neese, discovered she was gone the following morning, they reported her missing immediately. Police in Star City launched a search, and the case spread quickly on social media as classmates and the local community shared missing persons appeals. Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf — Skylar's two closest friends — took an active part in the campaign to find her, publicly expressing concern and grief.

What no one yet knew was that the two girls had driven Skylar into the woods in the Monongalia County area, stabbed her with knives, and left her body behind.

Social Media as a Double Game

In the months following Skylar's disappearance, Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf continued to present themselves as worried friends. Shelia posted heartfelt tweets about missing Skylar and used the hashtag #FindSkylar. At the same time, the two girls shared selfies and appeared outwardly unaffected in their daily lives.

Beneath the surface, however, Rachel Shoaf was falling apart. She was sleeping poorly, plagued by anxiety, and began seeking psychological help. In January 2013, she admitted to her therapist that she and Shelia had killed Skylar. The therapist was legally obligated to notify the authorities.

On January 16, 2013 — exactly six months and ten days after Skylar's disappearance — Rachel led police to a wooded area near Brave, Pennsylvania, close to the West Virginia border. There, investigators found Skylar's partially buried remains in a snow-covered forest floor.

Arrests and Confessions

Rachel Shoaf reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. She testified against Shelia Eddy and was sentenced in 2013 to 30 years in prison. With good behavior, she could be released in 2034.

Shelia Eddy initially denied all wrongdoing, but in 2014 she changed course and pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. In doing so, she avoided a potential death sentence and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. When the judge asked her about the motive, her answer has since circulated widely in true crime circles: "We just didn't want to be her friend anymore."

No clearer motive has ever been officially established. Speculation has pointed to a falling-out within the friend group, jealousy conflicts, and a desire to remove Skylar from their social circle — but none of these theories have been legally confirmed.

The Investigation and Its Challenges

The case is a textbook example of how missing persons investigations can be complicated by the involvement of close associates. Police in Star City had limited experience with homicide investigations, and the initial effort cast a wide net without zeroing in on the two friends who were the last people seen with Skylar. It was Rachel's psychological breakdown and her therapist's report — not conventional police work — that ultimately solved the case.

Dave and Mary Neese, who actively participated in the investigation themselves and kept public attention on the case through social media, have since stated that they felt the police investigation moved too slowly and without sufficient focus on the two friends Skylar was last seen with.

A True Crime Phenomenon and Media Coverage

The Skylar Neese case received massive media coverage across the United States and has since been regarded as an early case that illustrated the dual role of social media in murder investigations: as a tool for families to mobilize public attention, and as a platform where perpetrators can maintain a façade.

The book Pretty Little Killers, published in 2014 and written by journalists Daleen Berry and Geoffrey Fuller, documented the case in depth. The case has also inspired television documentaries and episodes of true crime series including Dateline NBC and 48 Hours.

In West Virginia media and the local community, the case left deep scars. Star City is a small town, and the shock that two apparently well-functioning teenage girls from the community had committed such a brutal murder against their best friend was difficult to process.

Skylar's Legacy

Skylar Neese is described by family and teachers as an intelligent, funny, and social girl who dreamed of a future in comedy. She wanted to work in television production and was passionate about Saturday Night Live.

Her parents have kept her memory alive and spoken openly about the case to draw attention to juvenile crime and the dangers of overlooking warning signs in young people's friendships. They have also established a foundation in Skylar's name.

The case raises uncomfortable questions about adolescent psychology, the dynamics of friendship, and the apparent absence of empathy in two girls who planned and carried out a murder — and then logged on to Twitter to grieve in public.