Rachel Shoaf and Shelia Eddy had been planning their best friend Skylar Neese’s murder for months, yet they still managed to act like nothing was wrong.
The day after the murder, Shelia tweeted that Skylar neese would always be her best friend, seemingly unaware of the horrific crime she had committed.
The girls’ best efforts to cover their tracks couldn’t prevent the eventual exposure of their lies and revelation of their true motives.
Murderer Rachel Shoaf and her whereabouts
Rachel Shoaf murdered one of her best friends, Skylar Neese, on 5th July 2012. The crime was carried out when she herself was only sixteen years old. The crime shocked the nation and received wide coverage.
She was convicted after confessing to the crime after suffering a nervous breakdown. The friends planned the murder in their science class and decided they would count to three before stabbing their dear friend.
The reason for committing the murder was simple: they didn’t like her anymore.
Who is Rachel Shoaf?
Rachel Shoaf, a member of a trio, now stands as a convicted felon for committing the homicide of her best friend, Skylar Neese.
The crime, which occurred on July 5, 2012, still garners coverage to this day.
Rachel Shoaf was in her teens when she carried out the crime. She was sixteen, so it was natural that the crime received media coverage.
The exact reason, although, isn’t culpable, but the stated reason by the friends was they didn’t like the deceased anymore.
The friends Shelia Rae Eddy, Skylar Neese and Rachel Shoaf attended University High School.
It is obvious that since her arrest, Rachel could not continue her studies and is serving time for her sentencing.
Rachel Shoaf was sentenced to thirty years of imprisonment. People close to her were shocked to know she could even attempt such a crime.
Rachel was said to have the potential for a bright future as she had good grades despite developing some antics in her teenagers.
Biography of Rachel Shoaf
Rachel was born on 6th June 1996. She was born and grew up in the town of Morgantown, Virginia. She is now 25 years old.
During her upbringing, she earned a reputation as a well-behaved and obedient child. Culturally, she identifies as American.
Her parents’ names are Rusty Shoaf and Patricia Shoaf. Rusty is said to be working at a clothing/apparel store, while Patricia Shoaf was last reported to be in communications.
During the trial, there were doubts as to how the parents would support legal fees for the child. The suit was filed in the year 2014 by Skylar Neese’s mother against Rachel’s parents.
The aftermath of the crime committed
Rachel Shoaf, at the age of sixteen, planned the murder of one of her best friends in a science class. She and Shelia decided to ask Skyler to sneak out of her house so they could go to a secluded place to hang out and smoke marijuana.
Skyler jumped out of her house’s window and went to her friend’s car, in which they were waiting for her arrival. The destination was their usual hangout spot which was the Pennsylvania state border.
Unbeknownst to the girl, her two friends had come prepared with kitchen knives and weapons of murder to carry out the crime. They decided they would attack her when her back would be turned.
As soon as Skyler turned to get the lighter, the duo jumped on their friend with the items they had brought. Upon struggling, Rachel held her to the ground by tackling her, which injured her knees.
After the crime
After achieving what they set out to do, they hid the body and acted normally after it. Shelia even tweeted after the circulation of the news.
Rachel suffered from stress and started to become mentally unstable. She started acting abnormally, such as attacking her parents and screaming at people.
Confession of the crime
Due to her deteriorating mental health condition, Rachel Shoaf was then admitted to a mental health centre. It was there when she soon admitted and confessed to the crime of murdering Shelia.
She led the police to the body’s remains, which had yet to be found. The crime was because they didn’t want to be friends with her anymore. They didn’t like her anymore.
After confessing, she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder during the trial, resulting in a thirty-year prison sentence. The possibility of parole would only be available after ten years.
Rachel Shoaf marriage and relationships
According to reports, Rachel Shoaf got married to a woman while she was being held in the same prison. However, details about her are unknown.
Rachel Shoaf is homosexual. Even if Rachel had a boyfriend, which she stated she had fooled around near the church, people believe she had an intimate relationship with Shelia. This was also found in Skylar’s diary.
One of the reasons for the killing could be the revelation of Shelia and Rachel being homosexual. As Rachel’s family was religious, she was afraid about her family finding out her true nature of sexuality.
This revelation in sexual orientation only fed fuel to the fire in this side of the story.
Other facts about Rachel Shoaf
Rachel Shoaf is the sole child in her family. She is also a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Before her conviction, she was seriously involved with a pre-med student. His name was Mikinzy. Combine this with the fact that Rachel’s family was also very religious. Her mother was Catholic and followed strict teachings.
This probably led to the fact that she wanted to hide her true sexuality.
Lakin Correctional Center in Mason County, West Virginia, is where she is being held for sentencing. Her hearing and possibility of parole are set after ten years from the date of her imprisonment.
Just a day before her eventual demise, Skylar Neese wrote a tweet. The tweet was regarding her friends Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf.
The tweet read, “you doing sh** like that is why I can NEVER completely trust you.”
In the trunk of Shelia Eddy’s car was evidence consisting of murder weapons and accessories. Items included towels, bleach, a change of clothes for each of them, and a shovel for the burial of the body.
Items also included knives which they used to kill the victim.
The girls wore hoodies and planned to stab their friend at their usual hangout spot, dispose of the body by burying her, change their clothes, and head back home.
The next day saw both girls acting normally as if nothing had happened. Shelia Eddy even tweeted regarding her friend that she missed her.
Are Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf still friends?
According to EntrepreneurMindz.com, Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf’s friendship ended when they were found guilty of first-degree murder.
Eddy, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison, and Shoaf, who received a 30-year sentence, have not seen each other since the crime.
The pair’s story of friendship and murder dates back to their freshman year when they met Skylar and became acquainted with Rachel, who had been a friend of Skylar’s since they were eight years old.
From the 1940s case of Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme to the modern-day story of Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf, the criminal legal system has seen its fair share of pairs of best-friend killers.
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