Hulu Explores Shocking Murder of Teen Best Friends in New Documentary

On July 6, 2012, 16-year-old Skylar Neese from Star City, West Virginia, snuck out of her home to meet two of her closest friends. By that night, she was dead — stabbed to death in a remote area near the Pennsylvania border by the very people she trusted most. Now, nearly 14 years later, Hulu is telling her story in a new three-part documentary series titled *Friends Like These: The Murder of Skylar Neese*, premiering March 6, 2026.

The docuseries dives deep into one of the most disturbing cases of adolescent violence in recent memory. Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf, both 16 years old at the time, lured Skylar to an isolated location and murdered her. The pair's motive was chillingly simple: they said they no longer wanted to be friends with her.

It took six months for the truth to emerge. In January 2013, Rachel Shoaf confessed to police and revealed her role in the killing. Her confession implicated Shelia Eddy as her co-conspirator. Months later, Skylar's remains were discovered just across the state line in Pennsylvania. In January 2014, Eddy pled guilty to first-degree murder.

*Friends Like These* uses an intimate approach to examine this tragedy. The series incorporates social media posts, previously unseen footage, and Skylar's own words to paint a picture of who she was beyond the headlines. Interviews with Skylar's parents, her friends, and others close to the case provide perspectives on how the case unfolded and its impact on the community.

The documentary explores deeper themes that resonate far beyond this single crime. It examines the pressures of adolescence in the digital age, the complexities of friendship during teenage years, how secrets can fester among young people, and how betrayal can turn violent. These are universal experiences for teenagers worldwide, yet this case shows how devastatingly wrong things can go.

Among the episode titles is "The Betrayal," which explores how police initially suspected that Skylar's best friends might have been protecting someone involved in her disappearance — only to discover that the friends themselves were the perpetrators. Another episode, "The Truth," presumably details the confessions and investigations that finally brought answers to Skylar's family.

The official trailer for the series dropped on February 19, 2026, on YouTube, generating renewed interest in a case that shocked West Virginia and the nation. For international audiences unfamiliar with the case, the documentary offers a comprehensive look at not just the crime itself, but the social and emotional landscape that surrounded it.

This release continues the true crime genre's focus on cases involving young perpetrators and victims. The series will be available on both Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, making it accessible to a global audience.

For Skylar Neese's family, this documentary represents another moment in the ongoing conversation about her death — one that keeps her memory alive while examining the cautionary tale of how teenage friendships can harbor darkness.

**Sources**

https://www.momsandmysteries.com/blog/skylar-neese-hulu-doc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3LrDEJVTwo

https://www.disneyplus.com/explore/articles/skylar-neese-documentary-friends-like-these

https://www.hulu.com/series/friends-like-these-the-murder-of-skylar-neese-aae2ba8d-84cc-4364-9216-9dc3a501e5c2