This is a heartbreaking story that deeply shocked my community. Both the girls who apparently perpetrated the killing and the victim attended my son’s high school. The victim, Skylar Neese, disappeared last July after sneaking out of the house in the late evening supposedly to attend a party with friends. The authorities and most of the community presumed that she was a runaway, and there were searches and missing person’s posters around the community for several months.
A few months ago, it was announced that the girls body was found in Pennsylvania. A few weeks ago, the rest of the story began to emerge when it was announced that her former friend, Rachel Shoaf, had pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder.
Evidently, Shoaf and another girl (whose name is known in the community but has not yet been named in newspapers because her case has not yet been transferred from juvenile to adult court) lured Neese out of her home on the evening she disappeared, and then stabbed her to death and hid her body. The pre-planned nature of the attack and the fact that they were able to conceal the crime for over half a year was especially shocking to the community.
Shoaf seems to have gotten a favorable plea deal (2nd degree murder) because the Prosecutor felt her confession and testimony was needed to assure conviction. The second as yet unnamed girl will likely be charged with 1st degree murder when her case is transferred to adult court.
The community is a relatively affluent area within the state, so I would not characterize this as an ‘urban’ crime. The kids involved may not have come from perfect home situations but they appeared to have some parental involvement and church involvement. The motive appears to have included jealousy over a situation with a boy. Drugs may have also clouded the moral faculties of the killers. Sometimes people just make evil choices.
Overall, a very tragic situation. I pray for all involved but especially the parents and family of Skylar Neese.
This strange stuff has been going on for a long time. I grew up on a quite street in Illinois. One kid killed his family and the dog so he could have a place to party. Another neighbor called all the kids outside to see something. He pored gasoline on himself and lit the match. I was there. There was more...it was like a Steven King novel and this was back in the 70’s. Drug overdoses ....stabbings...it was almost normal.
Thank you for the additional information. This tragedy is just heart breaking
I remember hearing about this on the news. I can’t believe it was a classmate. I know this area of Morgantown. My aunt used to live in Morgantown when she went WVU and I would stay with her when my parents went to their football games. (I’m a Marshall fan, so sue me) I used to love to ride the PRT, no other town in WV has something like that not even Charleston! So don’t anyone think Morgantown is a hick town because it is by no means not. I just can’t understand the actions of this little girl.
Interesting, possibly the one who did the actual stabbing could get off light.