Rachel Shoaf and Shelia Eddy had been plotting the murder of their close friend Skylar Neese for months, yet they still managed to appear as if nothing was amiss.
The day after the murder, Shelia posted on Twitter that Skylar Neese would always be her best friend, seemingly oblivious to the horrific crime she had committed.
Despite the girls’ best efforts to conceal their actions, their lies were eventually uncovered and their true motives revealed.
Perpetrator Rachel Shoaf and her present location
Rachel Shoaf ended the life of her close friend Skylar Neese on July 5, 2012, when she was just sixteen years old, shocking the nation and garnering significant media coverage.
Following a nervous breakdown, she confessed to the crime and was convicted. The murder was planned in their science class, where they decided they would count to three before stabbing their dear friend.
The motive for the murder was simple: they no longer liked her.
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 receives 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 that they didn’t like the deceased anymore.
The friends Shelia Rae Eddy, Skylar Neese, and Rachel Shoaf attended University High School.
Since her arrest, Rachel has been serving time and was unable to continue her studies.
Rachel Shoaf was sentenced to thirty years of imprisonment, shocking people close to her who had believed she was capable of 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 teenage years.
Biography of Rachel Shoaf
Rachel was born on June 6, 1996, and grew up in the town of Morgantown, Virginia. She is now 25 years old.
She was known as a well-behaved and obedient child during her upbringing and culturally identifies as American.
Her parents are Rusty Shoaf and Patricia Shoaf. Rusty works at a clothing/apparel store, while Patricia Shoaf was last reported to be in communications.
During the trial, there were doubts about how her parents would support legal fees for her. The suit was filed in 2014 by Skylar Neese’s mother against Rachel’s parents.
The aftermath of the committed crime
At the age of sixteen, Rachel Shoaf planned the murder of her best friend 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.
Unbeknownst to Skyler, her two friends had come prepared with weapons to carry out the crime.
After the crime
After achieving what they set out to do, they hid the body and continued to act normally. 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 admitted to a mental health center. It was there that she soon admitted and confessed to the crime of murdering Shelia.
She led the police to the body’s remains. The crime was due to their dislike for Skyler, and 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
Reportedly, Rachel Shoaf married a woman while 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, people believe she had an intimate relationship with Shelia, as 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 sexuality.
Other facts about Rachel Shoaf
Rachel Shoaf is the only child in her family and also a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Before her conviction, she was seriously involved with a pre-med student named Mikinzy. Considering that Rachel’s family was very religious, this probably led to her wanting to hide her true sexuality.
Lakin Correctional Center in Mason County, West Virginia, is where she is being held for sentencing, with her hearing and possibility of parole set after ten years from the date of her imprisonment.
A day before her eventual demise, Skylar Neese wrote a tweet regarding her friends Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf.
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.
The girls wore hoodies and planned to attack 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 about missing her friend.
Are Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf still friends?
EntrepreneurMindz.com reports that 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.
Rachel Shoaf was involved in a high-profile criminal case in 2012. Along with her friend Shelia Eddy, she lured and murdered their mutual friend, Skylar Neese. The crime shocked the community and received significant media attention.
Rachel Shoaf eventually confessed to her involvement in the murder and led authorities to Skylar Neese’s body. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Due to her cooperation with the investigation, her sentence was reduced to 10 to 30 years.
Since then, Rachel Shoaf has been serving her sentence in a correctional facility.