Criminally Obsessed

Episode: Skylar Neese’s Dad Tells All About the "Friends" Who Killed His Daughter

Date: March 17, 2026
Host: Anne Emerson
Guest: Dave Neese (Skylar Neese’s father)

Episode Overview

This deeply emotional episode centers on the 2012 murder of 16-year-old Skylar Neese by her two closest friends, Sheila Eddy and Rachel Shoaf. Host Anne Emerson sits down with Skylar’s father, Dave Neese, for an unfiltered conversation about Skylar’s life, the trauma of her disappearance, the profound betrayal by her “friends,” and the aftermath—including the criminal investigation, court proceedings, and the ongoing fight to keep her killers behind bars. Dave shares new and previously unheard revelations about the case and offers heartfelt insight into the family’s grief, resilience, and quest to honor Skylar’s memory.

Skylar: More Than Her Tragedy

(00:00–05:46)

• Skylar Neese’s Personality and Spirit
  • Dave lovingly remembers Skylar as a joyful, funny, and imaginative child who was not a show-off and always had her parents' trust.
    • “Skylar was truly a joy to raise. She wasn’t a problematic child at all. She just loved life. ... She was funny, she was adorable." (01:10, Dave)
  • Heartwarming family anecdotes, including their “little old lady” kitchen skit.
    • “She used to be the little old lady and I was a little old man ... she’d take a little cane and she’d be walking through the living room just cracking me up.” (02:34, Dave)
  • Skylar got good grades, worked a part-time job, and was fiercely loyal to her friends—sometimes to her detriment.
    • “She would do anything for her friends. Anything. She had her friends’ backs." (03:13, Dave)
  • Dave and Mary, Skylar’s mother, always felt aware of changes in Skylar’s behavior, especially after Rachel became close with Sheila.
  • “Ninth grade, things started to change a little bit. ... She was always close to us. ... But things started going weird when Rachel entered the picture." (03:45, Dave)

The Night Skylar Disappeared

(05:46–11:09)

• Discovery of Her Disappearance

  • Dave describes the day Skylar went missing, her bedroom undisturbed, and the quickly dawning horror.
  • He recalls calling “killer number one, which was Sheila, Eddie.”
    • “No answer from her room. I tried the doorknob and it was locked ... her bed hadn’t been slept in.” (07:11, Dave)
  • The heartbreak of thinking it’s just a misunderstanding vs. parental intuition that something’s terribly wrong.

• Frustrations with Law Enforcement

  • The family’s early alarms discounted as a possible “runaway.”
    • “She had no reason to run away. She was happy. ... But they kept trying to convince us of that. And we knew our kid.” (09:31, Dave)
  • Lack of immediate action by authorities was a catalyst for later legislative change, “Skylar’s Law,” to speed up missing children reports.
    • “They couldn’t even do anything or write a report ... for what, 48 hours? ... That’s a long time.” (10:40, Dave)

Deception and Betrayal: “Best Friends” as Killers

(11:09–16:11)

• Sheila’s Manipulation

  • Sheila visited the Neeses, expressing faux concern and ingratiating herself during the search for Skylar—even “comforting” Skylar’s mom in her room.
    • “She walked in, and I said, what’s going on? She said, can I go in Skylar’s room? I need to feel close to her. ... She ended up leaving and putting on a performance.” (12:20, Dave)
  • Host Anne: “She was planting the seed ... throwing off the scent that she was involved.” (14:30, Anne)
  • Dave suspected she was searching for Skylar’s diary, which the police already had.

• Rachel’s Acting Skills and Crocodile Tears

  • Dave notes Rachel’s background in theater and questions the sincerity of her later apology.
    • “She’s an actress, a performer ... so the little crocodile tears while she’s reading that fake apology.” (15:26, Dave)

• Twisted Social Media

  • The discussion highlights disturbing tweets posted by Sheila, such as “we really did go on three” (referencing their murder plan) and “all you had to do is keep your damn mouth shut.”
    • “She had also tweeted, all you had to do was keep your damn mouth shut. But that was soon deleted.” (17:10, Dave)

The Investigation and Stunning Confession

(17:19–26:09)

• The Confession and Motive

  • Rachel confessed to the murder in January 2013, six months after Skylar vanished.
    • Motive, per prosecutors: “They didn’t want to be friends with her anymore.”
      • “When I looked at both of them and I said, why? ... They said, that’s the sickest part of this.” (18:24, Dave)
  • Dave shares for the first time his raw reaction: a near-murderous rage and suicidal desperation the night before Sheila’s arrest.
    • “I knew I only had one night, and I was going to kill Sheila Eddie. That was my plan.” (18:24, Dave)
    • He was talked down by friends and the lead detective, who asked, “Dave, what’s Mary gonna do without you?” (20:06, Dave)

• Aftermath of the Confession

  • Dave and Mary were “in a fog” after learning what Rachel and Sheila had done; unable to process the senselessness.
  • The emotional toll nearly pushed Dave beyond the point of no return.

• Suspicions in Hindsight

  • Dave reveals that someone close told him, in confidence, about Rachel and Sheila’s involvement before the official confession.
    • He initially thought maybe Skylar had overdosed and her friends had panicked—not cold-blooded murder.

Key Evidence, Arrests, and Courtroom Drama

(25:23–31:28)

• Underlying Evidence

  • Police efforts to gather meaningful evidence included wiring Rachel and finding Skylar’s blood in Sheila’s car trunk.
    • “There was no reason for Skylar’s blood to be in her trunk. So. ... That DNA evidence was critical.” (25:42–26:09, Dave & Anne)
  • Rachel received a plea deal for secondary murder in exchange for her confession and showing the body’s location.

• Feelings on Sentencing and Parole

  • Dave believes both girls should have received first-degree murder with no parole.
    • “I think both should’ve got first degree ... life in prison with no chance of parole.” (26:52, Dave)
  • Frustration that Rachel may be released as soon as 2028, due to “good time” credits.

• Courtroom Confrontations

  • Dave describes seeing Sheila in court:
    • “She was smiling right at me ... And I thought, you little bitch.” (28:00, Dave)
    • Security was increased, partly out of concern for what Dave might do.
  • On Sheila’s chilling nonchalance, Dave recalls her asking police if she could still attend her prom after arrest:
    • “She asked Jessica, ‘I’m gonna make it in time for my hair appointment...?’ ... Jessica said, ‘You’re not going to a prom. You’re going to jail.’” (31:04, Dave)

Parole Hearings, Ongoing Pain, and Public Response

(31:28–37:33)

• Rachel’s Apology and Dave’s Skepticism

  • Rachel spoke at sentencing; Dave found her apology empty and manipulative.
    • “It was all a bunch of BS because she didn’t mean any of it. ... She’s an actress.” (31:48, Dave)
  • Neither girl was permitted to say goodbye to their parents after sentencing, as reciprocation for taking that from Skylar.

• Sociocultural Aspects of the Case

  • Both Rachel and Sheila have received fan mail and money in prison—something Dave calls “sick.”
    • “If you people are listening to this and you’re the one sending the money, you’re as sick as they are.” (34:53, Dave)

• Parole Advocacy

  • Dave passionately opposes Rachel’s 2028 release, pursuing petitions and rallying widespread community support.
    • “The parole board has understood. ... If they had let her out, then they would have had huge public outcry.” (36:44, Dave)

Skylar’s Legacy: Memory, Activism, and Skylar’s Promise

(37:33–41:56)

• Memorials and Remembering Skylar

  • Heartfelt stories about Skylar’s friends leaving tributes at her memorial site, such as Daniel leaving his graduation cap.
    • “He thought that was a touching way to give Skylar something that she should have also.” (37:54, Dave)
  • Anne commends the Neeses for keeping Skylar’s spirit alive through advocacy and education.

• “Skylar’s Promise”

  • A grassroots initiative encouraging young people to “make the promise” to report potential violence or disturbing behavior to trusted adults—originated by a supporter in California.
    • “Skylar’s Promise ... if kids hear this stuff, they can report it to a responsible adult and, you know, maybe stop something before it happens.” (38:55, Dave)

• Skylar’s Aspirations and How to Remember Her

  • Skylar wanted to be a lawyer to “put the bad guys away and help the good people.”
    • “She always wanted to help people. ... She wouldn’t stop when she thought she was right about something.” (40:35, Dave)
  • On her legacy: “I would like Skylar to be remembered as the person that wouldn’t stop. The person that wouldn’t back down. ... Skylar was a friend to people, a true friend.” (41:22, Dave)

• Permanent Loss of Trust

  • Because of the betrayal, Dave admits: “Never. ... That’s gone forever, thanks to Sheila and Rachel. We don’t trust anyone.” (42:04–42:11, Dave)

Media Exploitation & Support for the Neese Family

(43:25–44:38)

• On Media Profiting from Tragedy

  • Dave’s candid frustration with true crime shows and documentaries profiting from the story without supporting the victims’ families.
    • “These people are taking a tragedy of somebody’s life and turning it into money for themselves. That’s not fair.” (43:25, Dave)
  • Shares a mailing address for legitimate supporters wishing to help the family:
    • “Dave and Mary Neese, P.O. Box 314, Mount Morris, PA 15349” (44:42, Dave)

• The Stolen Necklace Story

  • Dave recounts Sheila’s mother mailing him a necklace that had belonged to Skylar, only realizing later it was stolen from Skylar after the murder.
    • “The last hug Skylar ever gave me, that necklace flew out and hit me in the chin. So the little witch stole the necklace off her neck after she murdered her.” (44:59–46:29, Dave)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Skylar is more than the last few minutes of her life. ... Skylar was full of life.” (03:13)
• “She had me hook, line and sinker.” (01:48)
• “We really did go on three.” —Sheila’s tweet, referencing the stabbing (16:39–16:58, Anne)
• “They didn’t want to be friends with her anymore.” —The prosecutors’ stated motive for murder (18:24)
• “I was going to kill Sheila Eddie. That was my plan.” (18:24–20:06, Dave)
• “If you people are listening to this and you’re the one sending the money, you’re as sick as they are.” (34:53)
• “Due to sickness and evil, Skylar will be forever 16.” —from Jackie Morgan’s poem “Forever 16” (36:11, Anne)

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:00–05:46 | Remembering Skylar: Family life and personality
• 05:46–11:09 | The day Skylar disappeared, initial search, police frustrations
• 11:09–16:11 | Deceptive comfort from Sheila and Rachel; social media behaviors
• 17:19–22:55 | The confession, motives, and Dave’s revealing emotional aftermath
• 25:23–32:28 | Gathering evidence, court confrontations, and sentence reactions
• 34:32–37:03 | Fan mail for the killers, victim impact statements
• 38:55–41:22 | Skylar’s Promise and activism
• 43:25–44:38 | Media exploitation and call for direct support

Conclusion

This episode delivers a wrenching firsthand account of the devastating impact of Skylar Neese’s murder, not just as a dramatic true crime story but as a real family’s ongoing nightmare. Dave Neese’s raw testimony, interspersed with shock, vivid memories, and persistent outrage, turns Skylar from a victim back into a vivid person—a beloved daughter, a loyal friend, and a symbol for a community’s fight against senseless violence.

Listeners are left with a call to compassionate action, a plea for justice, and a reminder to cherish and protect those closest to us.

For information on supporting the Neese family:
Dave and Mary Neese
P.O. Box 314
Mount Morris, PA 15349