The Misery Machine - The Murder of Skylar Neese: The REAL Mean Girls

Episode Date: January 24, 2022

This week, Yergy and Drewby discuss the case of Skylar Neese, a teenage girl who disappeared from her home in Star City, West Virginia, around midnight on July 6, 2012. Her body was found on January 16, 2013, in Wayne Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania. Skylar was kidnapped and murdered by two of her high school best friends, Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf. On January 3, 2013, Shoaf told authorities that she and Eddy planned and carried out Skylar's murder. Skylar's disappearance led to new West Virginia legislation that made changes to the AMBER Alert missing child alert system. Check out Hollie's masks here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HollsNDolls Check out Yergy on Caffeinated CX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD78_aM6Ib4&ab_channel=CaffeinatedCX Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine Join Our Facebook Group to Request a Topic: https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1 Instagram: miserymachinepodcast Twitter: misery_podcast Discord: https://discord.gg/kCCzjZM #themiserymachine #podcast #truecrime Source Material: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Skylar_Neese https://allthatsinteresting.com/skylar-neese-murder https://skylarneesemurder.com/ https://www.vizaca.com/skylar-neese-story-case/ https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-murder-of-skylar-neese-stabbed-55-times-fe77b3b0f9d3 https://www.grunge.com/382849/the-tragic-murder-of-skylar-neese/ https://www.ranker.com/list/skylar-neese-facts/amandasedlakhevener https://abcnews.go.com/US/teenage-killers-eerie-tweets-stabbing-friend-death/story?id=64541231 https://www.voxbliss.com/shelia-eddy-now/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfU9SWKk9Dg&ab_channel=wroueshowpre

These were her best friends. She trusted them. It wasn't enough for them to stop being friends with her. They had to kill her. This is one of the more senseless and disgusting things I've ever heard a teenager do. Born on February 10, 1996, 16-year-old Skyler-Neice was the only child of Mary and David Nees. The family lived in a small town called Star City, which is a suburb of Morgantown, West Virginia. At the time, Mary Neese worked as an administrative assistant and a cardiac lab, and David Nees was a product assembler at Walmart. Schuyler was a straight-A student at university high school, and she wanted to become a criminal defense lawyer.

Her parents described her as being able to read and do math far before many of her classmates. Skyler loved to read, had an active social life, and, like most teens, was all about posting her thoughts on social media. Skyler loved animals and was said to often bring home strays. Like many teenagers, she had her first part-time job in the fast food industry. She worked at Wendy's with two of her close friends and loved her job, to the point where she never missed a day of work. On July 5, 2012, Skylar returned to her family's apartment after working her schedule shift that day.

At around 12.30 a.m., Skylar left her family's apartment through her bedroom window and crossed the street, getting into a sedan, which was captured on surveillance cameras outside of her family's apartment complex. Skyler left that evening with two girls, Sheila Eddie and Rachel Schof, with whom she attended University High School. Skyler had recently fallen out with the two and was initially hesitant to go with them,

but after a series of phone calls and text from the girls, Skylar changed her mind. Skyler had known Sheila since she was eight years old after meeting at a summer rec program. The two had met Rachel their freshman year. The trio were inseparable, and Scholar was said to have served as an emotional rock for the other two girls, as Sheila and Rachel both had parents who were divorced.

Schuyler, however, was the only child of her parents, and they wanted everything for her. They nurtured her intelligence and encouraged her to be her own person. According to Skyler's mother, Mary, quote, Schuyler thought she could save her. I would hear her on the phone giving Sheila all kinds of hell. Don't be stupid. What were you thinking? On the other hand, Sheila was so much fun.

She was always silly and doing crazy stuff, end quote. Sheila, the fun-loving girl of the trio, was accepted by the niece family as if she was one of their own. Sheila didn't even have to knock on the door when she came to visit Schuyler as she was allowed to just come on in. Rachel, on the other hand, was the opposite of Sheila. Though she was well-liked and enjoyed being in school plays, she came from a strict Catholic family and idolized Sheila for her somewhat wild and carefree attitude. While Rachel and Skyler enjoyed some of the freedom that Sheila enjoyed, they didn't have that same freedom to the same extent.

and that particular dynamic would eventually begin to cause a rift which would play out on social media. It appeared to Skyler based on her post and through friends that corroborated this at school, as though Sheila and Rachel were becoming closer friends without her. So according to classmate, Daniel Hovatter, quote, Sheila and Skyler were fighting a lot. One time sophomore year, me and Rachel were at a practice for pride and prejudice, and Rachel had her phone up to her ear and she was laughing. Sheila and Skyler were fighting, but Skylar didn't know Sheila had put it on a three-way calling and Rachel was listening in, end quote.

But this wouldn't be the only thing that would cause a rift within the group. It's been alleged that despite having boyfriends of their own, Sheila and Rachel had become more than just friends. And there was some fear that their secret would be leaked. On one occasion, it was alleged that the two even locked Skyler in a bedroom with them while they hooked up. Another source claimed that Skyler had filmed such an encounter between the two girls and planned to leak the film. Earlier on the afternoon of July 5th, Skyler took to social media. to throw more barbs directed at the two.

Quote, sick of being at home, thanks, friends. Love hanging out with you all too, end quote. The day before, Skyler posted, quote, you doing things like this

is why I can never completely trust you, end quote. But that evening, things took a darker turn. This wasn't going to be any normal joyride with friends. Sheila and Rachel had far more sinister plans in mind. In fact, they had been plotting it for months.

The two teens left Rachel's house with kitchen knives, paper towels, bleach, cleaning cloths, a change of clean clothes, and a shovel. Even though it was a balmy summer evening, the two wore hoodies to hide the fact that they were carrying knives on them and hid the rest of what they called their kill kit in the trunk of Sheila's car. tragically, Skyler's ill-fated tweet was correct. She couldn't ever completely trust the two. Rachel and Sheila had planned to kill her. The three girls then headed northwest from Star City toward Blacksville via U.S. Route 19.

They had planned to travel along West Virginia Route 7, but turned around after spotting a state police car parked in front of a gambling lounge. They eventually arrived at their destination just across the Pennsylvania state border, a spot where all three girls would occasionally go to smoke. Once the girls were out of the vehicle, the perpetrators told Skyler they had forgotten to bring a lighter. Skyler volunteered to go back to the vehicle to fetch her own lighter. Once Skyler had

turned her back, Rachel and Sheila counted to three. They were agreed upon signal, then began to stab Schuyler. She attempted to run but was only able to run a few feet before Rachel tackled her to the ground and continued to attack her. Skyler managed to wrestle Rachel's knife from her and in an apparent attempt to defend herself, she cut Rachel's knee. Sheila continued to stab Skyler until there was complete silence and, according to Rachel, Skyler's neck stopped making gurgling sounds. In her dying breaths, after being stabbed dozens of times, Skyler's final words consisted of a single question. Why? Rachel and Sheila dragged Skyler to the side of the road and looked for a place to bury her body,

but the road ran along a creek and the soil there was just. too hard and rocky to dig a hole. They instead covered Skyler with rocks, fallen branches, and dirt, and shut her cell phone off. They washed up in a nearby creek, returned to the car to change their clothes, and then left the scene, disposing of the clothes they wore that was soaked with Skyler's blood, and then returned to their homes. It should also be noted there is a source that states that Sheila and Rachel disposed of the clothing in a lake after Rachel was going on a boating trip with her family. the following day, but that's just alleged. We haven't really heard much about that in other sources. Now, Cole Botaromo, I'm hoping I'm saying his name correct.

It was a news blogger that was covering Skyler's case closely, and he claimed that a cousin reached out to him and said that the girls disposed of the clothes in a lake with the family's knowledge, but this is just alleged and the person wished to remain anonymous. Yeah, they also stated that they possibly, had gone back to the scene of the crime several times and moved Schuyler's body around. Now, Skyler was initially considered by law enforcement authorities to be a runaway, and an Amber Alert was not immediately issued in connection with her disappearance.

Now, this was pretty gross because the police officer who originally reviewed the surveillance footage said something to the effect of, oh, Skyler probably ran off with some guy. And so the police just did not take this seriously at first. But the nieces knew their daughter didn't run away because her cell phone charger, toothbrush, contact lens kit, and even her special blanket were still in her room. Skyler also missed her morning shift at Wendy's, something she had never done before. They actually knew that this was a big deal because Wendy's called them to see if she was coming into work. Thankfully, her parents were very insistent on the matter, and I think that's why this case moved along quicker than it could have based on. the police just being lazy about it.

An early tip indicated that Schuyler had been seen in North Carolina, but the Star City Police Department determined that that person that was spotted was not Schuyler. During this time, Schuyler's parents began to distribute missing persons flyers about their missing daughter. So later that day, Sheila actually called the nieces. And according to Mary, quote, she proceeded to tell me that her, Skyler and Rachel had snuck out that night before, and they had driven around Star City and were getting high. in that the two girls had dropped her back off at the house.

The story was that they had dropped her off at the end of the road because she didn't want to wake us up sneaking back in, end quote. And as the investigation went on, she would contact the nieces almost daily for updates on Skyler's case. Not only that, she would make these posts on social media going back and forth with the nieces saying how much she missed Skyler, how much she wanted information, she wanted her to come home, I can't believe you're doing this to me,

you're my best friend, why haven't you called me? She even went over to the niece's house and cried on Skyler's bed with her mother. Sheila was also interviewed by the police and shared the same story. However, there was a big discrepancy. Sheila stated that she had dropped Skyler off at midnight, but the surveillance footage from Skyler's apartment complex clearly shows Sheila's car picking Skyler up at 1230 a.m. The FBI and West Virginia State Police joined the search for Skyler on September 10th, and began interviewing her classmates at university high school.

It should also be noted in the original police report. After reviewing the surveillance footage, the police could not even recognize that that was Sheila's car. They had actually written it down that she got into an SUV. And we have some of the footage right here. And I do not think this looks like an SUV. It's very clearly a sedan. Yeah, I don't think it looks like an SUV at all. Also, they went to interview Rachel as well.

and she was really, really hesitant to talk to them. So after the murder took place, she actually went to like a Bible camp for a week. And she talked to him a little bit then, but wouldn't get into it. And when she got home, they actually had to chase her down to get an interview. Rumors swirled that Skyler went to a house party and overdosed.

Corporal Ronnie Gaskins, one of the investigators in the case, said that people told them that the teenager attended a party and died. Even some people alleging that people panicked and disposed of her body. There were even crazy rumors circulating that Skylar had robbed a bank and Black's villain was on the run. This just shows what happens in high schools when people die or go missing. And it was proven that Skylar didn't even touch hard drugs, so it was kind of a crazy rumor.

So Star City police officer Jessica Colbank's instincts said otherwise on this. Quote, their stories were verbatim the same. No one's story is exactly the same unless it's rehearsed. Everything in my gut said that Sheila was acting wrong and Rachel was scared to death." But with no legitimate cause to make an arrest yet, the police had to keep investigating and the nieces had to endure an agonizing wait before the truth about their daughter would finally come out. Officer Colbank realized that the car and the security footage belonged to Sheila. Authorities cross-reference surveillance footage from nearby businesses of that night.

They found the same car on surveillance footage near a convenience store in Blackstone, West Virginia. west of Star City and Morgantown. However, both Sheila and Rachel had said they went east on the night of Mesa's disappearance, and thus the girls were caught in a lie. Unfortunately, Officer Colbank was removed from the case after a confrontation with Sheila's mother, where Officer Colbank called her a tool. So they're being it's comfy.

So Christopher Berry, who was a state trooper assigned to the case in August of 2012, always believed that any murderer could not conceal what they had done for very, long, which is very true. And in some cases, Barry had seen the murderers would even brag about their deeds. He had a feeling that this was one of those cases and thus believed that Rachel and Sheila would in time come to confess. State Trooper Barry created a fake online persona as an attractive teenage boy who attended West Virginia University in Morgantown and scoured Facebook and Twitter, linking up with other girls. Then investigators could use this access to glean in some of on the mental states of Sheila and Rachel from their posts on social media.

I mean, this reads kind of creepy, but I guess it was effective in this case. Investigators observed that Sheila was perky, while Rachel was reserved and quiet online. Neither of the girls hinted that they were upset about their best friend's disappearance outside the stuff that Sheila started to post later. Sheila would tweet mundane things and even posted photos of her and Rachel together. Eventually, Sheila's tweets became strange and crucial. cryptic, some of which even alluded to the killing. For example, she made a few tweets that stated something to the effect of, we really did go on three. Yes, that was probably the most

damning one in my opinion. Meanwhile, Sheila and Rachel began hearing things on social media that made them nervous. Some people on Twitter outright accused them of having committed the murder and told them it was only a matter of time before they would get caught. Authorities continually brought Sheila and Rachel in for the interviews. Over time, the two became more secluded from their other friends and relied more on each other. And at some points, the nieces actually started calling them out on social media as well. Yes. So the stress and the strain of concealing their crime continued to take its toll on Rachel and Sheila.

And on December 28th, 2012, a frantic parent called 911. And that parent was actually Patricia Shoeff, Rachel's mother. And we have the footage and we'll play it for you now. She's screaming. She's running through the neighborhood. Give me the phone. Rachel was primed to confess, and authorities picked her up for questioning. She was transported to mental health facilities where she stayed for five days and was banned from seeing Sheila.

Soon she told them the horrifying truth about Schuyler-niece's murder. The motivation Rachel gave for the murder was that they didn't like her and didn't want to be friends with her anymore. Skyler's father, David, stated that these two girls were among his daughter's best friends, and that Sheila had even helped the family back. by distributing missing persons flyers. After her confession, Rachel led investigators to Skyler's body, which was covered in snow and couldn't be immediately recovered.

She wasn't also immediately arrested and wore a wire whilst visiting Sheila. However, no information regarding Skyler was discussed. On March 13, 2013, U.S. Attorney William J. Illand Feld I issued a press release stating that a body was found in Wayne Township, Green County, Pennsylvania. on January 16th, 2013, and had been identified as the body of Schuyler-niece. Her body was found less than 30 miles away from her home. Schuyler's post-mortem examination revealed more than 50 stab wounds.

The girls were promptly arrested. At the time, Sheila was at the cracker barrel with her mother. It should be noted, the girls went about their lives during this time. Eventually, they were homeschooled, but they knew that they had a body. they knew what had been done because there was confession, and they didn't immediately pick them up. They just let them live their lives out in the world. It really makes no sense.

I'm not sure if they were trying to get more evidence that they could convict these girls, but it felt like to me they already had more than enough. Like it really made it so they could flee. One of the detectives, when interviewed, talked about how he didn't consider Rachel to be a reliable narrator and thought that she could have just been lying about killing Sky. So they wanted to make sure.

Yeah, it was really crazy because their stories had changed a few times. They at one point had said they had dropped her off in Blackstone. And I think they were going for the angle that Skyler had possibly done this robbery and was on the run. And when they interviewed the other one, I think Sheila was first and then Rachel was second. The story was identical. On May 1st, 2013, Rachel pleaded guilty to second degree murder. According to court transcript, Rachel said that she and Sheila picked up Skyler in Sheila's car. The girls drove to Pennsylvania, got out of the car, and began socializing.

At a prearranged time, Rachel and Sheila stapsed Schuyler to death. The teens attempted to bury her body, but were unable to do so instead covered the body with branches. The court transcript indicates that other students overheard conversations between Rachel and Sheila about the murder plot, but failed to report it, thinking that they were joking. I believe they even told Skyler about this plot, and she didn't think that they could do that to her. It's just insane. So according to Rachel's plea agreement, she pled guilty to murder in the second degree by unlawfully, feloniously, willfully, maliciously, and intentionally causing the death of Skylar Nice by stabbing her and causing fatal injuries. In the plea agreement, the state of West Virginia recommended a sentence of 20 years of incarceration.

Rachel's family issued a public apology for her actions through their lawyer. On September 4th, 2013, West Virginia prosecutors publicly identified Sheila as the second alleged perpetrator of the murder. of Schuyler and announced that she would be tried as an adult. Sheila was indicted by a grand jury on September 6, 2013 on one count of kidnapping, one count of first-degree murder, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. She pleaded not guilty. The date of the trial was originally set for January 28, 2014. Facing the prospect of additional charges from the Pennsylvania authorities, Sheila pled guilty to first-degree murder. She expressed no remorse, but was sentenced to life in prison with mercy. Under West Virginia law, she is eligible for parole in 15 years.

Pennsylvania authorities did not file charges as per the plea deal. Following her guilty plea on May 1, 2013, Rachel received a sentence of 30 years in prison and will be eligible for parole after 10 years. Both women are incarcerated at the Lake and Correctional Center in Mason County. Dave and Niece says the two girls did not deserve leniency from the courts. Quote, they're both sickos, and they're both exactly where they need to be, away from civilization, locked up like animals, because that's what they are, they're animals, end quote. The morning father occasionally visits a tree in the woods in Pennsylvania, decorated with photos

of his only child, his beloved daughter, killed because of two jealous best friends. Quote, I wanted to take the horrible thing that happened here and try to turn it into something good, a place that people can come and remember Skyler and remember the good little girl that she was, and not the little beast that they treated her like, end quote. So you might wonder, why wasn't there an Amber Alert in this case? Well, Schuyler's disappearance, according to police, did not meet the circumstances for an Amber Alert, and there's four of a mental rhythm to you now. The person is believed to be abducted.

The person is under 18. The person may be in danger of death or serious injury. There is sufficient information to indicate that the Amber Alert would be helpful. This doesn't mean that we agree with this. I think an Amber Alert was necessary. but apparently police did not think so. So a waiting period of 48 hours had to elapse before a teenager could be considered missing

and a lot of times this is not true state to state. A West Virginia state legislator from the Nice Family Home District introduced a bill called Skyler's Law to modify the West Virginia Amber Alert plan to issue immediate public announcements when any person under the age of 18 is reported missing and in danger

regardless whether the person is believed have been kidnapped. Opinion columns appeared in both West Virginia and national media in support of Skyler's law, some of which also acknowledge criticism and drawbacks of the legislation. On March 27, 2013, the West Virginia House of Delegates approved Skyler's law with a 98 to zero vote. On April 12, 2013, the West Virginia Senate unanimously passed the law, but made minor technical changes to the bill which the House of Delegates voted to accept the same day. West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomlin signed the legislation into law in May of 2013.

Thank goodness that he did. Now it should be noted that the nieces then filed a civil suit against the parents of Rachel and Sheila claiming that the parents had responsibility in Skyler's murder. Now this was never brought to court, but allegedly it was settled out of court for $5 million. If you appreciate this video, the best thing that you can do is watch it to the end, like, subscribe, share this video with someone that might like it.

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discord snapchat groups and you may even get a postcard once it one patreon dot com slash the misery machine and finally i was a special guest this week on my friend david's podcast caffeinated cx he also has a youtube channel and i will go ahead and link for you the episode down below it's a recap of the aces murders but until next week we love you we love you bye