En teenagers forsvinden i West Virginia endte med en af de mest chokerende afsløringer i nyere amerikansk true crime-historie
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 12:27 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.
Skylar Neese forsvinder
Sent om natten kravler 16-årige Skylar ud af sit vindue og stiger ind i en bil tilhørende Shelia Eddy. Et overvågningskamera fanger hende kl. 00:27. Hun ses ikke i live igen.
Savnet anmeldt
Skylars forældre, Dave og Mary Neese, anmelder datteren savnet. Politiet iværksætter eftersøgning, og en social medie-kampagne begynder at sprede sig.
Shelia Eddy og Rachel Shoaf efterspørges
Politiet taler med Skylars to bedste veninder, som begge hævder ikke at vide, hvor Skylar er. De deltager aktivt i kampagnen for at finde hende.
Liget fundet i Pennsylvania
Rachel Shoafs tilståelse over for sin terapeut fører politiet til en skov nær Brave, Pennsylvania, hvor Skylars rester bliver fundet i sneen.
Rachel Shoaf erklærer sig skyldig
Rachel Shoaf erkendes skyldig i drab i anden grad og indgår aftale om at vidne mod Shelia Eddy. Hun idømmes 30 års fængsel.
Shelia Eddy erklærer sig skyldig
Shelia Eddy erkender sig skyldig i drab i første grad og idømmes livstid uden mulighed for prøveløsladelse. Hendes motiv angives som: 'Vi ville bare ikke have hende med os mere.'
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 without the possibility of parole. 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.