The Savage Murder of Skylar Neese: The Truth Behind the Headlines

by Berry, Daleen

  So he decided to stake out a supposed “drug house” in Sabraton for several days. It was in a run-down part of the neighborhood commonly known as an easy place to get drugs. Many of the rumors Dave had heard connected Skylar’s disappearance to drugs. Because Dave had once been addicted to prescription painkillers following a work-related injury, he knew what to look for. He knew which people to watch on the street, what their reddened eyes would reveal, how the desperation on their faces could betray them.

  For days on end, Dave faithfully staked out the house. And when he saw someone who had all the signs of an addict, Dave got out of his car to investigate. Sometimes they mistook him for a dealer, and asked what he was selling. Other times he was mistaken for a buyer, and they offered to sell him something. They occasionally believed he was an undercover cop—and then they usually turned and ran.

  Except for the time he saw a woman so ravaged by her addiction she couldn’t stop shaking. She and the man with her looked at Dave with eyes full of fear when he approached them on the street.

  “Listen, I’m not a cop. I’m just a father looking for my daughter,” Dave said as he held up Skylar’s photo. “Have you seen her? Please, I have to know.”

  During the times people believed he was a junkie, it was almost tempting to take what they were offering. But Dave refused to return to that life. Despite knowing that drugs would envelop his conscious thoughts in a wad of cotton so thick he would no longer feel the pain, Dave still couldn’t do it.

  He’d made a promise to Skylar and he intended to keep it. He was going to be clean for the day when she finally came home.

  It was hard work. And the toll it took was even harder. No matter how many times Dave handed out Skylar’s picture or begged the junkies to tell him if they had seen her, they never could. They didn’t even know her. And they certainly hadn’t seen her. Not in Sabraton.

  Still Dave kept waiting and watching—but finding nothing.

  ***

  While Mary and Dave were feeling angry and frustrated in the real world, so were their online counterparts. It’s ironic that as much as people say they hate crime, they love to talk about it. Which explains why crime discussion sites see some of the heaviest traffic on the Internet.

  Websleuths is one of the largest, with hundreds of threads. The discussions range from high-profile cases like the Jon-Benet Ramsey murder to obscure unsolved crimes, and anyone can start a thread on any topic.

  Someone named “kmartin96” started a Websleuths thread about Skylar one week after the teen disappeared. WV - Skylar Neese, 16, Star City, 6 July 2012. He included a brief description of Skylar and a link to one of the MISSING posters. The earliest participants on the thread tried to expand on what little information was available.

  Then, on July 25, “Sheromom” voiced her aggravation: I don’t understand why some cases are followed so closely that I can’t keep up and yet here is this beautiful young lady that no one seems to care about?

  Wherever Skylar’s name was mentioned on social media, you could find people like Sheromom. Their written posts revealed a common pet peeve: they were angry over law enforcement’s perceived failure to do anything. They were annoyed about the lack of information about the case. The boiling point was finally reached on Facebook. Scalding criticism poured out of Becky Bailey, an old high school friend of Dave’s. Her online rant would eventually grow into landmark legislation, becoming law less than a year after Skylar disappeared.

  ***

  Across town on Wednesday, July 25, Shelia was hating the day. Tara was packing her daughter off to visit family in Florida because Shelia was so disturbed by Skylar’s disappearance. That morning she tweeted, seriously not looking forward to this 17 hour car ride.

  By Saturday, Shelia’s visit with her Florida family was well under way. Her attitude remained sour, though, as seen by a tweet to Shania: getting up this early and going to the beach isn’t even enjoyable.

  That same afternoon, Shania and her grandmother, Linda, visited the Neeses, as they had done every day since Shania returned from the beach. Mary noticed that Shania was often texting while Mary talked about the police investigation. Like the teen was more interested in her phone than in what was going on around her. That’s when Mary realized: once Shelia left for the beach, Shania had begun asking questions about the investigation. Her sudden interest definitely caught Mary’s attention.

  “You’re always playing with your phone,” Mary said. “Who are you texting all the damn time?”

  “Shelia. She wants to know how it’s going.”

  “I’ll bet she does.” Mary remembered Colebank’s warning about talking to Shelia, and she was suddenly suspicious of Shelia’s motives. In fact, she was getting angry. Furious.

  “She’s just scared for Skylar,” Shania said.

  “Right.” Mary’s sarcasm was palpable.

  With all the commotion, Shania didn’t hear her cell phone ringing. When it suddenly began vibrating like crazy, Shania looked down at her phone. She had a missed call from Shelia. When she didn’t get the call, Shelia had blown up Shania’s phone with several text messages. They begged Shania to call her back.

  Shania called Shelia while Mary continued to vent to Linda, loudly, about her suspicions that both girls were up to no good.

  “Mary found out I was texting you,” Shania said. After a brief pause, she added, “She thinks I’m passing info to you.”

  “This was supposed to be about Skylar,” Mary said, still angry, “but you two are acting like it’s all about you.”

  “Is she mad at me?” Shelia asked Shania.

  “Oh, yeah. She’s pissed. I don’t think she believes you.”

  “About what?”

  “She thinks you’re not telling her something. But you are, right?”

  “Mary doesn’t believe me?”

  “I don’t think so,” Shania said. “Look, Shelia, you can’t lie. Just tell Mary anything you know. Now.”

  Shelia completely lost it, sobbing into the phone that she wasn’t lying, that Mary had to believe her. She had to.

  Shania held the phone away from her ear, and everyone heard Shelia: “I’ve got to talk to her. She has to know I’m not lying.”

  “She wants to talk to you.” Shania reached toward Mary, who snatched the phone.

  “I know when you’re lying. I helped cover for you too much, remember?” Mary said, referring to all the times she had tried to save Shelia from punishment.

  Shelia continued to sob.

  “Remember? I know when you’re lying,” Mary repeated.

  “Please, Mary! Please!” Shelia pleaded through sobs. “You have got to believe me!”

  “Why should I?” Mary was beyond disgust. She suspected Shelia was lying. “Would you believe you?”

  There was a pause. Then Shelia sniffed and murmured a word that Mary thought sounded like, “No.”

  Chapter 15

  Facebook Friction

  Across town, someone else was growing suspicious, too. Daniel Hovatter wasn’t just Skylar’s coworker at Wendy’s. The boy with the blond curls was one of Skylar’s closest confidantes—and vice versa. Although it’s true that Skylar didn’t share much with anyone, if she did have something important to reveal, Daniel was one of the few people she would confide in.

  Daniel knew he could trust Skylar with his deepest secrets, which is why he came out as gay to her before he told anyone else. All his fears about revealing such a charged secret in that small town vanished when Skylar responded with nothing but love and unconditional acceptance.

  The two amigos had been tight since first grade, when they attended Cheat Lake Elementary together. Dave would do handyman work for Daniel’s mom, since Daniel’s dad worked overseas as a military contractor. Quite often, Dave would repair the damage inflicted by the family pet, a border collie named Duke, who would chew up the flooring in their home. When Dave came by he’d bring along Skylar, and the two children would entertain themselves playing L
ife or Battleship for hours on end. If they suspected that Dave was about finished, they’d move their game to the closet so they could keep playing.

  In February of their sophomore year, Skylar had gotten Daniel a job at Wendy’s. He tended to goof off at work, snapping photos and clowning around, while Skylar was all business. She was definitely more committed in her academic life, too, but it never got in the way of their friendship. At that point Daniel wasn’t serious about much of anything.

  That all changed though, after Skylar disappeared. Daniel suddenly became obsessed about one tremendously important matter—figuring out what had happened to his dear friend and confidante. Daniel began to reason that since Shelia and Rachel were the last two people to see Skylar, they had to know something. Skylar had said something, done something, texted someone, while she was joyriding with them. Daniel wasn’t sure what they knew, but he planned to find out.

  Daniel was often with Skylar, Shelia, and Rachel on their weekend joyrides. And he’d hung out with the trio before classes or during lunchtime. He and Rachel had performed in high school theater productions together, too. When he looked back on all their time together, Daniel began to remember small details he had noticed in the months leading up to Skylar’s disappearance—tidbits about the three girls’ behavior that were strange enough to lodge in his mind. These details haunted him, and his proximity to Rachel meant that he had an easy target for his suspicions. Since they shared drama class, Daniel vowed to pressure her until she came clean.

  For once in his life, Daniel was supremely focused and driven. He would not give up until Rachel Shoaf told him what she knew.

  ***

  By the time Skylar had been gone a month, the rumors were out of control, both in real time and online. Some Morgantown teenagers believed Skylar was off partying and would be back soon. Many adults thought this, too. But the peers who knew her best were highly doubtful—such cavalier behavior wasn’t at all characteristic of the Skylar they knew. Another theory suggested Skylar had met up with a boy and run off. Again, her inner circle thought that unlikely. Other, darker rumors had begun to circulate as well. Some wondered if Skylar had hooked up with an Internet predator or had been taken by a pedophile. After all, teens heard about these kinds of scenarios in the news all too often.

  Less malevolent but equally disturbing rumors were floated on Facebook and discussion sites: Skylar went to a party and got drunk, fell, hit her head and died. Skylar overdosed on drugs and died. On some boards the speculation turned lurid: Skylar was using hard drugs and running with the wrong people. Skylar was trading sex for drugs and was then killed when she fell in with a nasty crowd. Of course these rumors were incredibly wounding to Mary and Dave, who could only watch helplessly as the gossip grew. They knew these awful rumors were baseless, but they were powerless to stop them. Besides, they had no concrete leads, either.

  However, the teenagers who knew Skylar best had begun to believe one particular rumor. As it turns out, Officer Colebank and Special Agent Spurlock believed it, too: Shelia and Rachel were lying about what had happened that night.

  By this time, both Colebank and Spurlock had questioned Shelia and Rachel a number of times. They had their own opinions about each girl. Colebank believed from the very beginning the two teens knew something: “[Rachel] stuck with the story Shelia first gave. Their story was exactly—verbatim—the same. It was word for word.”

  ***

  One month to the day after Skylar disappeared, Shelia finally posted on the “TeamSkylar<3” page. The picture showed her smiling, head turned slightly, eyes closed, wearing a red tank top with white print flowers. Skylar is next to her, her right hand on Shelia’s bare shoulder, her face pressed to Shelia’s hair as if she’s about to whisper something, her eyes peeking impishly toward the camera.

  Shelia had been the photographer, taking a “selfie” of the pair. Underneath the picture Shelia posted were the words, want my bestfriend back
  Within minutes, eighty-two people signaled their approval by clicking Like. A little later Dave weighed in: Love you Shelia, I want her back too. In spite of his own pain, Dave still tried to be there for his daughter’s friend.

  A small cascade of approval followed, as people’s comments ranged from Skylar your family and friends miss you to So glad to see something like this! That evening, Shelia reciprocated: thanks guys. love you too Dave.

  Her post was a hit.

  TeamSkylar<3 soon became the place to post about all things Skylar. Anyone who wanted to learn more about the missing girl, offer assistance, leave a warm thought, or even discuss the case could do so. All they had to do was join the group, which was designated as open. This meant the public could see who was in the group and what they posted. In short, everything the group did could be seen by the outside world—and it was. In a very big way.

  Skylar’s distant cousin Hayden Hunt had started the group in July after he learned about her disappearance. Hayden lived with his mother, Jennifer, in Maryland and may have created the group because she asked him to. His mother had only met her distant cousin Dave once; Dave doesn’t remember ever meeting Hayden. Nonetheless, the Hunts seemed to want to help. They even added links to their Facebook page so people could click, download, and print early MISSING posters of Skylar.

  Over the next few months, the TeamSkylar<3 group would prove to be a nasty source for gossip and innuendo—and a considerable source of stress for Mary and Dave. But when it first began, neither of Skylar’s parents knew much about social media or how to use it. TeamSkylar<3 soon became the easiest place for the Neeses to find an outpouring of support and sympathy. The page was also the first online group where their friends and the general public could show how much they cared about both Skylar and her distraught parents.

  One teen after another joined the group to leave messages for Skylar, hoping she would see them. They tried to get her attention. They urged her to let them know she was safe. Some teens reminded her that school would resume in a week. Surely she would return to pick up where she’d left off, as a junior. School was what Skylar lived for. One teen’s simple hope was heartbreaking: Skylar, please come home, we miss you and just want you home safely. Your parents … just want to know your alright. You can even call me…. I won’t tell anyone where your at or what your doing. 304-555-9157 come home Skylar we love you.

  Four days after her first post, Shelia spoke up on the group page again. Her comment was equal parts longing for Skylar’s return and something else entirely, something that no other poster knew or particularly cared about:

  all i want is for my bestfriend to come home. i wish i knew something to give the police a lead or she can come home but i don’t know ANYTHING…. i wish i knew something like everybody thinks i do. come home skylar, it’s been five weeks too long. i miss and love you.

  With that post, Shelia revealed that she clearly knew law enforcement was watching. She also knew exactly who they had their eyes on: her.

  Chapter 16

  Social Problems

  When Dave read Shelia’s August 10 post, he swallowed the lump in his throat. Then he placed his large hands on the keyboard and began to type: Hang tough babe. Do not let things get you down!

  Despite Mary’s growing suspicion that Shelia was lying, Dave didn’t let that stop him from weighing in with his support. It was, after all, what Skylar herself would have done if the tables were turned and Shelia was missing.

  After a while, Shelia answered: it’s hard but im trying, love you !

  ***

  Skylar and Shelia had known each other more than half their lives. Dave and Mary repeatedly said Shelia was like a daughter to them—before and after Skylar’s death. They joked about it with the girls themselves, when Skylar was still alive. They continued saying it when she no longer was—repeatedly, online and in front of the TV cameras.

  To understand this, one only needs to go back to
when the two girls first met. They were second graders who spent long weekdays at the pool together at The Shack community center. Their play dates continued every weekend during the colder seasons. Usually Tara would take Skylar home with her after work on Friday, to save Mary and Dave from having to run all the way out to Blacksville. During summertime, Skylar was at Shelia’s home most weekends.

  Later, when the two were adolescents and cell phone coverage improved, whenever they weren’t together, they were calling or texting each other. Then a wedding set in motion a chain of events that would bring them into almost constant contact—and alter the course of both girls’ lives forever.

  Shelia’s mother, Tara, decided to remarry, which meant Shelia would no longer be near her father. Greg Eddy was by all accounts a great guy when he was younger, but he endured a series of difficult setbacks in his 20s that appeared to have broken him. When Shelia was about two years old, Greg was in a severe car accident in which he sustained brain damage and was left partially crippled. But still, he was her dad, and Shelia loved him. He and Tara were on reasonable terms, so Shelia visited Greg regularly when they still lived in Blacksville.4

  With Tara’s decision came more new things than Shelia had ever seen: she inherited a new stepfather, Jim Clendenen, and she found herself living in a nice new townhouse just outside Morgantown, no longer a thirty-mile trip from Skylar’s. Gaining a new husband who worked as a foreman for a union coal company meant Tara could say farewell to difficult financial times. So could Shelia.

  Shelia’s home was only ten minutes from the Neeses’ Star City apartment. The move allowed Shelia to attend UHS, five minutes away. Shelia and Skylar were excited about being together all the time. That became a reality in October 2010, when Shelia transferred to UHS the beginning of her ninth-grade year.