The disappearance and death of 16-year-old Skylar Annette Neese from her home in Star City, West Virginia, on July 6, 2012, is a case that brought to light the extremes of teenage emotions. After all, as explored in Hulu’s ‘Friends Like These: The Murder of Skylar Neese,’ the young University High School student was stabbed to death at the hands of two of her closest confidants. The perpetrators were Shelia Rae Eddy and Rachel Elizabeth Shoaf. The latter eventually confessed that their motive was the fact that they simply did not want to be friends with Skylar anymore.
Sheila Eddy and Rachel Shoaf’s Friendship With Skylar Neese Eventually Turned Into Resentment
Although born on September 28, 1995, in Blacksville, West Virginia, to Tara Clendenen and Greg Eddy, Sheila Rae Eddy primarily grew up in the nearby areas of Star City and Morgantown. That’s where she first came across Skylar Neese at the tender age of 8, just for them to quickly develop such a tight-knit bond that they soon evolved into what they described as the bestest of friends. It was thus no surprise they enrolled at the same high school when the time came, unaware they would quickly end up welcoming former Catholic school attendee Rachel Elizabeth Shoaf into their unit.
As the only child of Patricia Shoaf and Rusty Shoaf, born on June 10, 1996, Rachel was the apple of her family’s eyes despite growing up to be a little rebellious owing to some strict household rules. According to her own accounts in the original, she had realized she was gay during her early teenage years, but it really started affecting her life when she became close to Sheila and Skylar in high school. They were initially just a perfect trio that loved spending quality time together, but things changed after a few months when Rachel and Sheila started excluding Skylar from conversations/hangouts.
As per Rachel in the aforementioned series, her connection with Sheila had quickly become mutually obsessive as well as rather toxic, with them soon also experimenting with one another sexually. Skylar knew of their involvement since she had allegedly taken photos and videos of them at their request, according to the show, yet their core friendship took a hit over time due to feelings of resentment. Therefore, by the summer of 2012, the duo had planned to get rid of their former best friend for good, which they carried out in the early morning hours of July 6, 2012, after luring her out of her home.
Sheila Eddy and Rachel Shoaf Lied to Investigators For Months in the Hopes of Getting Away With Murder
When Skylar was first reported missing, Sheila came forward to claim that the best friends had all snuck out the prior evening to have some fun before Rachel left for Church Summer Camp in the morning. As per records, she added she had dropped her off around the corner from her home shortly before midnight at her behest, following which she and Rachel returned to their respective homes to sleep. However, the duo’s accounts of the route they took that night did not match, surveillance footage showed Sheila picking Skylar up at 12:30 am, and phone records proved she and Rachel were in Blacksville at 4 am.
Thus, by the time December 2012 rolled around, officials were certain Sheila and Rachel at least knew more than they were letting on, driving them to organize a polygraph test for both teenagers. The former failed hers while maintaining she had no idea what had happened to Skylar or where she was, but the latter skipped her first appointment owing to a nervous breakdown and then confessed. On January 3, 2013, after 5 days in a local psychiatric hospital, Rachel asked to speak with investigators herself before quietly admitting that she and Sheila had killed their former best friend.
Rachel told investigators the initial idea was Sheila’s, but she went along with it as she was also afraid Skylar would spill their secret, especially since she hails from a devout Christian household. She then described the events of the fateful night in detail, led officials to the crime scene and the 16-year-old’s remains in Wayne Township, Pennsylvania, and agreed to continue cooperating. She and Sheila were arrested on charges related to the murder months later, with records quoting her confession as well as their motive of not liking her and not wanting to be her friends anymore.
Sheila Eddy and Rachel Shoaf Are Both Incarcerated in State Prison Today
It was mere months after the arrest, on May 1, 2013, that Rachel chose to plead guilty to one count of second-degree murder in connection with Skylar’s July 6, 2012, stabbing death over the state line. Her plea deal specified that she admits guilty to “unlawfully, feloniously, willfully, maliciously, and intentionally causing the death of Skylar Neese by stabbing her and causing fatal injuries.” Her recommended sentence from the State was 20 years, but after a judge heard the facts of the case and her public apology, she was handed down 30 years in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years on February 26, 2014.
On the other hand, it initially appeared as if Sheila would stand trial for the charges – one count of kidnapping, one count of first-degree murder, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. However, the day her trial was set to begin on January 28, 2014, she pleaded guilty to the charge of first-degree murder, in fear of facing additional charges from Pennsylvania authorities since the crime was committed there, outside West Virginia state lines. That same day, after she chose not to give a statement, she was sentenced to life in prison “with mercy,” meaning even though she was treated as an adult in court, her term allowed her to be eligible for parole after 15 years. Therefore, today, at the ages of 30 and 29, respectively, Sheila and Rachel are both incarcerated at the maximum-security Lakin Correctional Center in West Columbia, West Virginia. The former will become eligible for parole in May 2028, whereas the latter will become eligible for the third time in April 2027 — she has already been denied early release twice.
Read More: Skylar Neese’s Murder Details and Investigation Timeline
