Pretty Little Killers
Page 30
“Believe what you want,” she says, “but it really happened.”
Timeline of Events
1996
FEB. 10
Skylar is born.
2003
As second graders, Skylar and Shelia meet and become friends at The Shack Neighborhood House, a local community and youth center.
2010
SEPTEMBER
Skylar and Rachel meet when they enter UHS as freshmen.
OCTOBER
Shelia transfers to UHS from Clay-Battelle High School when her mother, Tara, marries Jim Clendenen and the family moves to Morgantown. She and Skylar are ecstatic to be in high school together, and soon Rachel joins their little group. Before long, the three teens begin to argue among themselves.
2011
LATE SPRING
Skylar, Shelia, Rachel, Floyd Pancoast, and Brian Moats are caught joyriding after curfew in Star City.
AUG. 16
Shelia and Rachel have sex in Rachel’s bedroom while Skylar watches; Skylar and Shelia fight afterward and Patricia Shoaf separates the girls.
AUG. 21
Skylar angrily tweets she has learned a secret.
AUG. 28
Skylar angrily tweets to Shelia, saying she hates her.
SEPT. 6
Skylar threatens to tell the whole school “all the shit” she has on them, if she could; believed to have meant Shelia and Rachel.
OCTOBER
Shelia and Rachel are overheard asking how to dispose of a body in biology class, and mention Skylar’s name at the same time. Another student tries to tell Skylar her two best friends don’t really like her.
NOV. 27
Skylar tweets about the pain of losing a best friend.
NOV. 29
Skylar does not tweet to or about Shelia or Rachel for eleven days.
2012
LATE MARCH
Shelia and Skylar come to blows at the local Hollywood Stadium 12 theater.
MAY 10
Skylar tweets that obsessive girlfriends and ex-girlfriends are pathetic.
JUNE 1
Shelia and Skylar leave for the beach, where they have a huge argument.
JUNE 4
Rachel leaves for Young Life church camp in Rockbridge, Virginia.
JUNE 7
The Blacksville branch of Huntington National Bank is robbed, and police later suspect the robbery could be connected to Skylar’s disappearance.
JUNE 7
Shelia and Skylar return from the beach.
JUNE 9
Rachel returns from Young Life very early that day, about the same time Skylar argues with an unnamed person on Twitter. Based on police reports that she, Rachel, and Shelia regularly argued online, it is believed Skylar was angry with one or both girls.
That night, Shelia and Rachel are seen arguing in the UHS parking lot about “something on Skylar’s Twitter,” and they decide Skylar must die.
JUNE 10
Shelia and Rachel put the plan to kill Skylar into action, beginning with an online search about the best ways to kill someone.
JULY 6
Skylar sneaks out of her family’s apartment just after midnight.
Shelia and Rachel murder Skylar not long after she leaves her home.
Alarmed to learn Skylar did not show up for work, Dave calls 911. Shelia admits she, Skylar, and Rachel went joyriding the night before, but says they dropped Skylar off at the end of her street just before midnight. Star City police officer Bob McCauley responds to the 911 call and begins investigating Skylar’s disappearance.
Skylar’s parents, their landlord, Shelia, her mom, Tara, and Officer McCauley watch the apartment complex surveillance video. They see Skylar leave in a vehicle no one seems to recognize.
Chief Propst asks West Virginia State Police headquarters to issue an AMBER Alert for Skylar, but his request is denied.
Shelia and Tara help Mary and Dave canvass the neighborhood, looking for Skylar.
Online, word begins to spread about the missing teen.
Rachel and her mother visit Cheat Lake. That night Rachel writes in her diary, in a personal conversation to God, about something that went wrong the previous night.
JULY 7
Rachel leaves town to attend Catholic summer camp for two weeks.
Shelia and Tara help Mary and Dave canvass the neighborhood again, and Shelia begins to question the Neeses about what the police know.
JULY 8
Officer McCauley hands off the case to Officer Jessica Colebank.
JULY 9
Colebank conducts her first interview with Shelia.
The public learns Skylar is missing via TV, radio, and internet.
JULY 10
First print mention of Skylar’s disappearance occurs in the Dominion Post, Morgantown’s newspaper.
Dave’s aunt Joanne organizes first coordinated search for Skylar.
JULY 13
First Websleuths thread about Skylar’s disappearance is started by kmartin96, leading to a crowdsourcing of the investigation. Pisces_Sun later posts how people in Morgantown are not paying attention to Skylar’s case.
JULY 15
Mary and Carol realize Skylar must be dead–or she would have come home by then.
JULY 16
The Blacksville branch of the Huntington National Bank is robbed a second time. State troopers Gaskins and Berry respond to the scene, which will later lead them to become involved in Skylar’s case.
JULY 19
First police interview of Rachel Shoaf.
Gaskins and Berry interview Darek Conaway and other Blacksville residents about the area bank robberies. They return to the Conaway residence later with State Police, sheriff’s deputies, and the FBI to search the house.
AUG. 6
Shelia posts selfie of her and Skylar along with the words, want my bestfriend back
AUG. 16
University High School classes begin.
Daniel Hovatter is suspicious of Rachel and Shelia, and begins pressuring Rachel during drama class to talk. He doesn’t let up throughout the fall or winter.
AUG. 17
Mary and Dave start TEAMSKYLAR 2012, a closed Facebook group.
AUG. 25
Dissatisfied with the status of the Star City Police investigation, Mary calls West Virginia State Police and asks them to get involved.
AUG. 27
Trying to see if Skylar’s disappearance is linked to the bank robberies, Gaskins and Berry visit the Neese home and begin investigating Skylar’s disappearance.
Police begin hearing vague rumors that the Conaway boys are involved, but later discover that isn’t true.
SEPTEMBER
The Eddy and Shoaf families each hire attorneys. A major breakthrough occurs in the case when Trooper Chris Berry realizes the car seen on the apartment complex surveillance video belongs to Shelia.
SEPT. 7
First search warrant is served at UHS, and Shelia and Rachel’s cell phones are confiscated.
First searches are conducted at the Eddy-Clendenen and Shoaf homes, and all of the girls’ electronic equipment is seized.
NOVEMBER
A Midsummer Night’s Dream performances take place at UHS; Rachel and Daniel have prominent roles. Upon hearing Rachel missed her opening night performance because she was with Shelia, Patricia confronts Rachel before show time.
The FBI and West Virginia State Police question Crissy Swanson, Eric Finch, and Aaron Roupe about Skylar’s disappearance. The three teens are subsequently served with subpoenas for a federal grand jury.
Crissy tells Shelia she appeared before the grand jury.
DECEMBER
Shelia fails polygraph.
Rachel jumps from her father’s car on the way to take her polygraph and runs to Tara’s office.
DEC. 25
Shania gives Shelia a collage of photos with Shelia and Skylar as a Christmas gift.
DEC. 28
Rachel has a nervous breakdown and is committed to a local psychiatric hospital.
2013
JAN. 3
Rachel is discharged from the hospital.
Rachel confesses to her attorney, John Angotti, and the police that she and Shelia stabbed Skylar to death.
Snowfall hinders Rachel from leading police to Skylar’s remains.
Rachel talks with Shelia while wearing a microphone, but Shelia fails to incriminate herself. There are no direct tweets from Shelia to Rachel from this day forward.
JAN. 16
Using GPS coordinates, police return to kill site after snow melts. They find Skylar’s remains, where they discover her head is missing.
JANUARY
Skylar’s Law is introduced to the West Virginia Legislature.
FEBRUARY
Dave speaks to House legislative committee.
MARCH 13
Remains publicly identified as Skylar’s by the U.S. Attorney.
MARCH 29
Gaskins returns to the kill site and finds Skylar’s skull.
MAY 1
Rachel turns herself in to authorities at the Monongalia County Circuit Court.
Shelia arrested in Cracker Barrel parking lot.
Rachel transferred to criminal court in closed hearing. After Rachel is assigned adult status, she pleads guilty to second-degree murder and is incarcerated at the Northern Regional Juvenile Detnetion Center in Wheeling, WV.
Gaskins, Spurlock, and Colebank take Shelia to the Lorrie Yeager Juvenile Center in Parkersburg, WV.
UHS students are stunned when they learn Rachel has confessed to killing Skylar, after news of her plea is broadcast on radio and TV.
JUNE 2
Mary and Dave begin to clean up the spot where Skylar’s remains were found and create a memorial site in Skylar’s honor.
JUNE 23
Memorial held for Skylar by family and close supporters at site of murder.
JUNE 24
Planned protest for Greene County coroner’s office is canceled after coroner agrees to release Skylar’s remains.
JULY 3
Mary, Dave, and Carol visit with Skylar’s remains at Morgantown Detachment of WVSP.
JULY 10
Dave receives word the Greene County coroner will release death certificate so Skylar’s memorial service can be held.
JULY 20
The public turns out for Skylar’s final memorial service.
SEPT. 4
Shelia’s status changed from juvenile to adult when she is transferred to criminal court; for the first time mainstream media reveals her identity in this case.
SEPT. 5—6
Shelia indicted on four felony counts during September term of grand jury.
SEPT. 17
Shelia pleads not guilty to all four counts at her arraignment.
SEPT. 30
Michael Benninger files motions on behalf of his client, Shelia Eddy.
OCT. 15
Judge Clawges hears motions in State of West Virginia v. Shelia Eddy.
DEC. 2
Shelia’s trial date is rescheduled from February 11 to January 28.
2014
JAN. 24
Shelia pleads guilty to first-degree murder for her role in Skylar’s death. She is sentenced to life in prison. She will be eligible for parole in fifteen years.
JAN. 29
Clawges signs the order to have Shelia transferred from juvenile detention to Lakin Correctional Facility for Women, the only women’s prison in West Virginia.
FEB. 26
Judge Clawges sentences Rachel to thirty years in prison for her role in Skylar’s murder. She will be eligible for parole in ten years. He sets a hearing for June 6, to determine if Rachel will also be transferred to Lakin on June 10, when she turns eighteen.
Red Flags for Parents to Watch for—and Prompt Actions to Take
1.Your child is overly secretive.
Teens can become secretive as they gain more independence. Strive for an open-door policy, and encourage communication by talking to your child about your life and interests, too. Encourage your child to open up by getting involved in activities they enjoy, such as playing video games, reading the books they like, shopping for clothes, playing outdoor sports, or some other form of recreation, hobby, or social cause. As you interact on a regular basis, your child or teen will naturally open up and confide in you more.
2.Your child asks you to “cover” for her friend.
Stay involved and supervise your child or teen’s interactions, but don’t lie for her or her friends. Explain to your teen lying only makes more problems and doesn’t build good character, and if necessary, explain it to her friend, too. If you feel your teen may be headed for trouble or have friends who are, take them to the mall yourself and supervise them instead of dropping them off to run around on their own.
3.Your child tries to sneak online.
One of the best pieces of advice for today’s parents comes from parenting and law enforcement experts. They say one of the most important ways to protect children and teens is keep the computer in an open area of the home—not a bedroom. This helps reduce the likelihood your teen will begin chatting with an online stranger who could be a dangerous predator, or become involved in digital bullying.
4.Your child seems to be on their smartphone nonstop.
Experts advise parents to limit their child or teen’s use of these tools. This will automatically reduce the amount of time they spend with their friends through chats, texting, and phone calls. It will also limit their online surfing. Set up workable boundaries such as: “No calls after 9 p.m.” or “You can only call or text friends we’ve pre-approved.” There are also apps you can install to track your child’s phone usage. Many parents have found great success with them. If you are concerned about your child’s phone usage, you may want to randomly search its contents.
5.You find out your child is behaving badly on social media.
Today’s teens live on social media, and experts say it’s causing them to become antisocial. The first way to prevent this is to explain the rules for acceptable online behavior. Second, set time limits. Third, learn what social media sites are popular with teens and create your own accounts. Assure your teen you will be watching her online behavior. If you see something suspicious like online bullying, put an immediate stop to it and discipline your teen accordingly. Download or purchase software or apps that help you monitor your teen, such as uKnowKids.com.
6.Your child sneaks out at night.
Discipline promptly and firmly to avoid repeat behavior. Explain why you are taking a privilege and do not back down—no matter what. When you say “yes,” mean it. Ditto for “no.” Parents who repeatedly give in because it’s inconvenient to follow through with the promised discipline measures teach their children to be irresponsible. Require your child to earn back your trust. If necessary, take the lock off your child’s bedroom door and be prepared to lock windows from the outside. Make sure your child knows sneaking out is unacceptable behavior.
7.Your child has an unexpected, negative personality change.
If you notice any unacceptable behavior, such as hateful and disrespectful language or violent speech or actions, make it clear this will not be tolerated. If it only happens when your child is around certain friends, curtail the friendship. (A word of caution: If you do not see a clear connection, have a firm but loving heart-to-heart with your child. This could be a serious problem such as sexual abuse or drug use.)
8.You find weed or other drugs (including alcohol) in your child’s possession.
Many parents turn a blind eye to some amount of drug or alcohol use today. That’s a big mistake. If your child is using, chances are she is well on the road to abusing one substance or another. Sit down and explain why it’s harmful and discipline accordingly. Make it clear drug and alcohol use is unacceptable in your home. Follow through by not misusing alcohol yourself. If you as a parent have a kno
wn drug problem that you refuse to get under control, chances are your child will, too.
9.Your child lies to you about who she is with or where she will be.
Tell your child lying is unacceptable, and explain why it causes other people to lose trust in her. Set the proper example by being honest with your child and other people. If your child has been dishonest while with her friends, curtail any association with those friends for a specific time. If the problem continues, cut off that friendship—in real time and online.
10.Your child seems obsessed with one of her friends.
Using gentle questions, try to find out what it is about the friend that your child likes. See if your teen feels like something is missing in her life. Try to fill that gap and draw closer to your child—while still acting like an authority figure, not her friend. More than ever, today’s teens need parents who can set limits for them—and stick to them. They will respect you if you do this and don’t break your own rules. Ultimately, they will be healthier and happier for it, and appreciate that you cared enough to intervene.
Acknowledgments
Telling this tragic all-too-true story has been an honor. It has taken tremendous time and effort from many people without whom this book would never have come to fruition. The entire creative team at BenBella Books has been fabulous, from Publishers Glenn Yeffeth and Adrienne Lang to Clarissa Phillips, Annie Gottlieb, James Fraleigh, Sarah Dombrowsky, Monica Lowry, Jennifer Canzoneri, and Lloyd Jassin.
A special word of thanks goes to Editor Erin Kelley, who took our “baby” and gave it just the right amount of tender loving care so it could face the world on its own.
In addition, we cannot thank our publicist enough. Michael Wright (and his partner, Leslie Garson) did an outstanding job, whether working with local or national media. He went above and beyond.
A handful of people deserve special mention: Mary and Dave Neese, who were courageous enough to share their story with us; Katherine Boyle, the best agent ever, and one we were so fortunate to find; Ken Lanning, whose analytical skills prevented us from being blinded by easy answers; Diane Tarantini, who provided an endless stream of encouragement and whose eagle eye helped our words shine; and Kinsey Culp, who helped Daleen survive this journey.