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

New York Times Bestseller

Journalist Daleen Berry and investigator Geoffrey Fuller give you the little-known details behind one of the most horrific and shocking murders of our time.

One hot July night, three popular, pretty girls snuck out for a midnight joyride. Only two came back.

Stabbed so savagely she was almost decapitated, Skylar Neese was left bloody on the side of the road, buried beneath rocks and branches.

For six months, people wondered and waited, hoping Skylar would return. Instead, the community was stunned when Rachel Shoaf confessed to Skylar’s murder. The budding actress and singer accused the third member of the inseparable trio, Shelia Eddy, of being the ringleader. People were even more shocked to learn the murder was not a crime of sudden rage—but premeditated.

Now, friends, family, and the public are left with so many unanswered questions: Why did investigators believe her murder was connected to a rash of bank robberies and an interstate heroin ring? What part did drugs and social media play in Skylar’s killing and its aftermath? How did other high school students and even her own mother help discover who killed Skylar? And, if Rachel’s confession is true, what would lead two teenage girls to kill their best friend in one of the most horrific crimes in recent years?

With firsthand interviews with those close to the case and written in cooperation with the victim's parents, Dave and Mary Neese, The Savage Murder of Skylar Neese is the most comprehensive, detailed and in-depth source on the Skylar Neese murder.