Pretty Little Killers Read online

  Pretty Little

  KILLERS

  Pretty Little

  KILLERS

  The Truth Behind the

  Savage Murder of

  Skylar Neese

  DALEEN BERRY

  AND GEOFFREY C. FULLER

  BenBella Books, Inc.

  Dallas, TX

  Copyright © 2014 by Daleen Berry and Geoffrey C. Fuller

  Family photographs on pages 3, 7, 12, 89, and 214 courtesy of Dave and Mary Neese

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a work of non-fiction; however, certain liberties have been taken with scenes and dialogue in an attempt to recreate what happened the night Skylar Neese was murdered. So, this is the authors’ version of what might have happened that fateful evening, based on extensive research. It is their attempt to comprehend the incomprehensible. Some names and locations have been changed to protect the privacy and anonymity of the people they interviewed.

  BenBella Books, Inc.

  10300 N. Central Expressway, Suite #530 | Dallas, TX 75231

  www.benbellabooks.com | Send feedback to [email protected]

  First e-book edition: July 2014

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Berry, Daleen.

  Pretty little killers : the truth behind the savage murder of Skylar Neese / by Daleen Berry and Geoffrey C. Fuller.

  pages cm

  Includes bibliographical references and index.

  ISBN 978-1-940363-66-0 (electronic) 1. Murder—West Virginia—Morgantown—Case studies. 2. Murder--Investigation—West Virginia—Morgantown—Case studies. I. Title.

  HV6534.M778B47 2014

  364.152’3092—dc23

  [B]

  2014017783

  Editing by Erin Kelley

  Copyediting by James Fraleigh

  Proofreading by Greg Teague and Cape Cod Compositors, Inc.

  Cover design by Sarah Dombrowsky

  Text design by Silver Feather Design

  Text composition by John Reinhardt Book Design

  Distributed by Perseus Distribution | www.perseusdistribution.com

  To place orders through Perseus Distribution:

  Tel: 800-343-4499 | Fax: 800-351-5073

  E-mail: [email protected]

  Significant discounts for bulk sales are available. Please contact Glenn Yeffeth at [email protected] or 214-750-3628.

  For Skylar’s family—may you find peace.

  And for today’s youth, the first generation to grow up swimming in social media, and to their parents, who must help them navigate strange waters.

  Contents

  Relevant Individuals

  Preface

  One: Where the Children Play

  Two: Early Years

  Three: The Lesbian Connection

  Four: Big Girls Do Cry

  Five: The Game of Death

  Six: She’ll Tell Our Secrets

  Seven: Skylar Neese Must Die

  Eight: Vanished

  Nine: On the Verge

  Ten: The Timeline

  Eleven: Long Weekend

  Twelve: Rumor and Silence

  Thirteen: Nagging Doubts

  Fourteen: A Wild Child Runaway

  Fifteen: Gone

  Sixteen: Digging a Hole

  Seventeen: Business in Blacksville

  Eighteen: The Wall Is Built

  Nineteen: A Spy in the House?

  Twenty: Facebook Friction

  Twenty-One: Social Problems

  Twenty-Two: Roll Call

  Twenty-Three: Two’s Company . . .

  Twenty-Four: Behind the Scenes

  Twenty-Five: About a Boy

  Twenty-Six: You’re Either With Us . . .

  Twenty-Seven: And Tara Makes Three . . .

  Twenty-Eight: Facebook Follies

  Twenty-Nine: Opening Night Approaches

  Thirty: Becky’s Rant

  Thirty-One: Hiding Out

  Thirty-Two: About a Girl’s Car

  Thirty-Three: Contents under Pressure

  Thirty-Four: Nervous Breakdown

  Thirty-Five: “We Stabbed Her”

  Thirty-Six: All That Remains

  Thirty-Seven: Skylar’s Law

  Thirty-Eight: Finding Skylar

  Thirty-Nine: The Close of the Day

  Forty: Rachel Cops a Deal

  Forty-One: Looks Can Deceive

  Forty-Two: Skylar Comes Home

  Forty-Three: Her Day in Criminal Court

  Forty-Four: Judgment Days

  Forty-Five: On Three!

  Forty-Six: The Affair

  Forty-Seven: Society Is Naïve

  Timeline of Events

  Red Flags for Parents to Watch for—and Prompt Actions to Take

  Acknowledgments

  Relevant Individuals

  The following people appear in the pages of Pretty Little Killers. This is not meant to imply cooperation with the authors’ investigation or interview process, however—only that the individual played a role in the case.

  The Neese Family

  Skylar Neese | The only child of Dave and Mary Neese, Skylar was a University High School (UHS) honors student focused on her goals of earning a scholarship, attending college, and becoming a lawyer. The sunny sixteen-year-old was an informal counselor for many of her friends.

  Mary Neese | Skylar’s mother and an administrative assistant in a cardiac lab, Mary fought like a mama bear to find out what really happened the night of July 6, 2012. She fought equally hard for the return of Skylar’s remains and for justice for her only child. Mary prefers not to speak in televised interviews, but she has been active on Facebook.

  Dave Neese | Skylar’s father and a product assembler at Walmart, Dave reluctantly took center stage before the media: discussing his daughter’s murder, fighting for passage of Skylar’s Law, and seeking justice for his little girl. Dave’s on-camera dignity, despite his visible grief and anger, has been widely commented on by the public.

  Carol Michaud | Skylar’s maternal aunt, Carol developed a special bond with Skylar when she was born that lasted until the teen’s death. She read the Bible to her niece and took her to church, and the two loved to playfully argue and prank each other.

  Kyle Michaud | Skylar’s brainiac older cousin and Carol’s son, Kyle was once like a big brother to Skylar. He watched as she grew into a popular, pretty teen and questioned her choice of friendship in Shelia, whom he called a “bad seed” when the girls were still in middle school.

  Joanne Nagy | Dave’s aunt by marriage, who lost contact with her ex-husband’s side of the family after the divorce, Joanne had begun reestablishing connections with the Neeses when Skylar disappeared. Joanne was a great comfort to Mary and Dave, as well as a one-woman army when it came to coordinating volunteers to search for Skylar in the fall of 2013.

  Rikki Woodall | A cousin of Skylar’s who did not know her at all. This didn’t stop her from posting a Facebook alert about Skylar’s disappearance, however.

  The Hunts | Jennifer and her son, Hayden, started the first and largest Facebook page, TeamSkylar<3. At first useful in the search for Skylar, TeamSkylar<3 degenerated into a forum for gossip and innuendo. Jennifer Hunt’s claims to insider information became increasingly bizarre throughout the fall of 2013.

  Skylar’s Friends and Acquaintances

  Shania Ammons | One of Skylar’s closest friends, Shania is a fiery redhead and Clay-Battelle High School volleyball player. She hung out with Shelia Eddy and Skylar
as much as Rachel Shoaf did. Because she came to Shelia’s defense early on, she was viewed as a suspect in Skylar’s disappearance and falsely accused by many local teens. She is still ostracized by them today.

  Mikinzy Boggs | Rachel’s ex-boyfriend, Mikinzy is a guitarist and vocalist who was head over heels in love with her. When he finally learned the truth about Rachel, he came to believe he had been lied to and used for months.

  Darek Conaway | The older of two Blacksville brothers, Darek was indicted in September 2012 on five counts of third-degree sexual assault. He pled guilty to count one of the indictment and is now under home confinement. He was also a person of interest in Skylar’s disappearance until Rachel’s confession cleared him.

  Dylan Conaway | The younger of two Blacksville brothers, Dylan was linked sexually with Shelia. Before moving to Morgantown in the early summer of 2012, he hosted small parties that Shelia, Skylar, and Rachel attended. Dylan was a person of interest in Skylar’s disappearance until Rachel’s confession cleared him.

  Shelia Eddy | One of Skylar’s two best friends, Shelia Rae, as her family calls her, is an only child. Pretty and intelligent, Shelia was an honors student at UHS until the fall of 2013. Shelia pled guilty to first-degree murder in January 2014 and was sentenced to life with mercy, making her eligible for parole in fifteen years.

  Eric Finch | Because he was the last person known to have interacted with Skylar before she snuck out of her family’s apartment on July 6, 2012, police questioned Eric early in her disappearance. He was also one of three teens called to testify at a federal grand jury.

  Daniel Hovatter | Skylar’s closest male friend, Daniel said Skylar was the first person he came out to. He was the only boy who was involved in social activities with Skylar, Shelia, and Rachel outside of school. He became obsessed with finding Skylar, and his unremitting pressure contributed to Rachel’s confession.

  Amorette Hughes | Skylar’s partner in dance class. The pair texted each other for moral support when they realized they shared a common bond—they both had two best friends who were excluding them.

  Morgan Lawrence | Skylar’s oldest friend and an aspiring meteorologist, Morgan is the only child of a local doctor and his wife. Skylar was a daily visitor in the Lawrence home during elementary school, and the Lawrence family took Skylar with them on many day trips and extended vacations.

  Hayden McClead | Another of Skylar’s closest friends, the soft-spoken Hayden had distanced herself from Skylar because she didn’t like Shelia. Hayden got Skylar a job at Wendy’s. Not long before Skylar’s murder, the two friends were becoming close again.

  Brian Moats | A friend of Floyd Pancoast, eighteen-year-old Brian was driving the night Officer Teets pulled Skylar and her friends over for curfew violation.

  Floyd Pancoast | Tattooed and with a buzz cut, nineteen-year-old Floyd Pancoast was a brooding young man who confided in Skylar. They often went joyriding together.

  Rachel Shoaf | Another of Skylar’s best friends, Rachel was an honors student at UHS. The budding singer and actress broke down just after Christmas 2012 and was hospitalized at Chestnut Ridge Center. Upon her release, Rachel confessed, led police to Skylar’s body, and pled guilty to second-degree murder on May 1, 2013. Rachel’s confession implicated her best friend, Shelia Eddy.

  Crissy Swanson | A distant cousin of Shelia Eddy, Crissy, twenty-one, was also like Shelia’s older sister. She staunchly defended Shelia on Facebook and Twitter, which made her the target of false accusations from the public.

  The Parents

  Tara Eddy-Clendenen | During most of Shelia’s childhood, Tara was a struggling single mother. She works as an accountant for a car dealership. In October 2010, Tara moved with her new husband and Shelia from the economically depressed town of Blacksville to the more affluent Morgantown.

  Jim Clendenen | Shelia’s stepfather, Jim is a foreman in a coal mine who sent his new wife, Tara, flowers every month on their anniversary date. Jim is rumored to have cashed in his retirement to pay $500,000 for Shelia’s legal fees.

  Greg Eddy | Shelia’s birth father, Greg had a serious car accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury and permanent disability. He and Tara divorced in 2000. His family’s land is near the murder site. Greg, who was devastated by his daughter’s actions, loyally stood by her.

  Patricia Shoaf | During much of Rachel’s childhood, Patricia was a single mother. She works in communications. By turns lenient and controlling, Patricia believed presenting an image of perfection to the world was vital.

  Rusty Shoaf | Rachel’s father, Rusty works at an upscale men’s store in Morgantown. He looked the other way as Patricia controlled Rachel, preferring to be his daughter’s friend rather than her parent.

  Law Enforcement (in order of appearance)

  Officer Mike Teets | Teets stopped Skylar and her friends after curfew in the late spring of 2012. He released Floyd Pancoast and Brian Moats, both of whom were over eighteen. He called Shelia’s and Rachel’s fathers and drove Skylar home.

  Officer Robert McCauley | A part-time Star City police officer at the time of Skylar’s disappearance, McCauley is a veteran law enforcement officer who took the initial 911 report of Skylar’s disappearance. McCauley turned the case over to Officer Colebank because it required a full-time investigator. He has since retired.

  Officer Jessica Colebank | The first Star City police officer to work full time on Skylar’s case, Colebank was obsessed with finding Skylar throughout the fall of 2012. She logged hundreds of hours on the case and was the first investigator to realize Shelia and Rachel were hiding something. Colebank insists the murder was a thrill kill.

  FBI Agent Morgan Spurlock | An FBI agent and accountant, Spurlock is known for his boyish looks and ever-present backpack. He worked on the Huntington National Bank bank robbery case and Skylar’s disappearance.

  Corporal Ronnie Gaskins | The lead investigator on Skylar’s case, the thoughtful, soft-spoken state trooper initially took an interest in Skylar’s disappearance when he thought she could have discovered who the bank robbers were, resulting in them killing her. Gaskins enlisted the aid of Trooper Chris Berry and together, the two tracked down many of the key facts about the case.

  Senior Trooper Chris Berry (no relation to the author) | A self-assured, brash state trooper, Berry transferred from the Fairmont detachment specifically to investigate the bank robberies. He took a personal interest in finding Skylar because he was so moved by the contents of her diary.

  Chief Vic Propst | Chief of the Star City Police Department, Propst is a long-time law enforcement officer who functioned in a supervisory role in the investigation into Skylar’s disappearance.

  Monongalia County Sheriff’s Deputy Timothy Hunn | A friend of Jessica Colebank’s, Hunn procured ATVs for himself, Colebank, and Berry to ride during their off-hours as they searched the backwoods of the remote, tree-covered western panhandle of the county.

  FBI Agent Tessa Cooper | An FBI victim liaison, Cooper helped guide the Neeses through difficult times after they learned their daughter had been murdered. She led the Neeses to the site where Skylar’s remains were found.

  Greene County Coroner Gregory Rohanna | An elected Pennsylvania official, Rohanna refused to release Skylar’s remains in early July. His actions created a huge public outcry and focused even more media attention on the murder, as people threatened to protest on his office steps.

  The Court

  Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney Marcia Ashdown | Ashdown has been prosecutor since 1996 and was lead prosecutor in West Virginia v. Shelia Eddy. Although she runs a tight-lipped prosecutor’s office, she has been known to speak out on issues involving the rights of women and children.

  Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Perri DeChristopher | Known as an effective litigator, DeChristopher just completed a two-year term as secretary of the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Association. She functioned as the Neeses’ primary contact about progress in the cases against Rachel and
Shelia.

  Mike Benninger | Shelia’s defense attorney, Benninger is a big bear of a guy who got his start as a personal injury attorney. Benninger has a commanding demeanor in the courtroom. He reportedly told Shelia’s parents his job was simply to keep her from receiving a life sentence.

  John Angotti | Rachel’s lead defense attorney, Angotti is known as a thorough and skilled criminal lawyer, and is the son of former Monongalia County prosecutor Sam Angotti. He is experienced, well-connected, and smart.

  Monongalia County Circuit Judge Russell Clawges Jr. | Known as a deliberative and fair judge, Clawges has held the position since 1997. He and his wife reared two daughters.

  University High School Faculty

  Shari Burgess | The new UHS principal at the time Skylar disappeared, Burgess mandated that faculty and staff not discuss Skylar’s murder or events subsequent to it. Her actions in the wake of Skylar’s murder have been widely criticized by students and parents.

  Pete Cheesebrough | An assistant principal at UHS, Cheesebrough was arguably the “face” of the UHS administration. He was well liked by UHS students.

  Richard Kyer | A drama teacher at UHS, Kyer took a personal interest in his students and was viewed as a saint by many of them. He consistently defended Rachel, telling other students to leave her alone.

  Dan Demchak | A UHS science teacher at the time of Skylar’s murder, Demchak taught the class in which students say they overheard Rachel and Shelia discussing the best way to dispose of a body. He has since retired.

  Skylar’s Law

  Becky Benson Bailey | Becky went to school with Dave Neese and was ranting one night over the inaction in Skylar’s case when she came up with the idea to expand the AMBER Alert program. Skylar’s Law requires police to contact the AMBER Alert system and to treat all missing children and teenagers as actual kidnapping cases unless an investigation proves otherwise.