“Feral Urban Animal” is not a description of race. It is a description of endemic soulessness in a dangerously large part of our “youth.”
Morgantown is not very urban, with a population of around 30,000, and the murderer isn’t feral - she appears to have been raised by a family with notions of responsibility.
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.