Skylar Neese's Dad Tells All About The "Friends" Who Killed His Daughter

Summary

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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)

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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.

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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

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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.

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

Transcript

[A]

Hi everyone, I'm Ann Emerson. Welcome to crimly obsessed 16 year old Skylar niece loved hanging out with her two best friends, Sheila and Rachel. They did everything together. Then Skylar disappeared. She snuck out of her house one night right after 4th of July 2012. She's seen on surveillance hopping into the back of a car. And then she's never seen again. For six months her family held on to hope. And then a confession changed everything. Her best friends Rachel and Sheila stabbed her in the back figuratively and literally. Right now we're seeing renewed interest in Skylar's case because of the new documentary Friends Like These. I spoke with Dave Neese, Skyler's dad, and he told me things that he has never told anybody else, including a revelation about the night before Sheila and Rachel were arrested. And it is jaw dropping. Thank you so much for joining me. I really appreciate it. I've been able to learn a little bit about your beautiful daughter and I would love it if you would tell me about Skylar right now.

[B]

Just being her dad, Skylar was truly a joy to raise. She wasn't a problematic child at all. She just loved life. And she was a great kid. She was funny, she was adorable. I mean, you've seen the clips. She's a cute little kid that had a very good imagination.

[A]

I have a daughter as well and I would definitely say that, I think I said it last night. That little girl's got her daddy wrapped around her finger. Would you describe Skylar like that with you?

[B]

Oh, absolutely. She had me hook, line and sinker. She had both those hook, line and sinker. She wasn't a kid. That was a show offy kid. Or you know, Mary made a joke. Not joke, but she was serious about when they put up the electronic billboard that had Skyler's picture on it, it said missing. She said, if Skyler's out there, she'll be home and she'll say, get it down, get it down now. And she was exactly right. Skyler didn't like that publicity. She didn't, she didn't want to see anything like that.

[A]

I remember there's this amazing moment in the documentary where you we hear about or we see Skyler pretending to be a little old lady.

[B]

Yeah, that was hilarious. Me and her used to do a little act together. She used to be the little old lady and I was a little old man. And we'd walk through the kitchen and through the living room all hunched over and walking real slow and she'd say, come on, come on, let's go, Paul. She was just so doggone cute. And she would be taking a little cane and she'd be walking through the living room just cracking me up. She was so cool.

[A]

Oh, she was adorable. She was adorable. What would you like people to know about your daughter that you don't feel like they may know?

[B]

Skyler is more than the last few minutes of her life. Okay. And that's what people tend to concentrate on. And that wasn't Skyler. Skyler was full of life. She loved life. She was a good kid. She had your back, you know, unlike some people. And she also would do anything for her friends. Anything. She had her friends backs.

[A]

Dave, tell me, tell me what life was like for skyler back in 2012.

[B]

I can tell you that things started going weird when Rachel entered the picture. Okay. And the love that her and Sheila had for each other as best friends was still there. And ninth grade, well, it started slipping a little bit. And you could see Skylar at home when she used to be out hanging with Sheila. But every time we asked her about it, it's nothing. Leave me alone.

[A]

It was typical teen behavior. And that's one thing that really struck me, was that we put typical teen behavior in perspective of where we're at right now. We're used to our kids, like with phones attached to their hands right. These days. But back then it was like the online was more like at your computer or it was a little bit more clandestine.

[B]

I like, yeah, she started like all teens will do. She was always close to us. Okay. But ninth grade, things started to change a little bit. You know, Mary heard her crying in the shower one time and boohoo and bad. And she walked in and said, honey, what's wrong? Talk to me. Get out. Leave me alone. So that's. That's a typical teen and it is.

[A]

It is typical, but she was a. She sounded like a very special little girl, you know, with an and teenager with her new. With her job and with her good grades. She worked hard.

[B]

Yeah, she did. She worked hard. She was incredibly smart. And she had a 4.0 clear through junior high and all the way up. I mean, she's a very intelligent kid. She, like I said, she loved life. She. She just liked to be alive and having fun. And, you know, I don't think the kid ever really took anything serious in her life. She always found a way to joke around something. She always had a bright spot in

[A]

her day right after 4th of July in 2012. Can you take me through that? Those first few hours of what happened?

[B]

Okay. I will tell you What? I know we woke up, Mary and I, like we did every morning we got ready for work and there was no reason to wake Skyler up. She worked that little part time job at Wendy's and she, you know, she didn't want to be woken up that early. And I had always come home, give her my car at noon, you know, during my lunchtime, she would take me back to work and then go to work on hers. And for the first time ever, I'm going to tell you, Skylar did not have a driver's license. She had her permit, but she was such a good driver that we trusted her.

[A]

Yeah. And, you know, I. It's different in every state, but that's interesting. Like, you know, that's how, how special Skyler was. I get it. I ran with these teenagers. I, you know, I've through teenagers too. And I'm sure if, you know, we had a waiver that let them drive if they needed to, to get somewhere. Right. That's. That really speaks volumes, Dave. That tells me a lot about your relationship with Skyler.

[B]

Yeah. And when I came back home at noon to give Skyler the car, I yelled, hey, sky, come on, you got to take daddy back to work so you can have the car. No answer from her room. I tried the doorknob and it was locked. So I took the coat hanger and popped the lock. And she. Her bed hadn't been slept in. And I noticed the window was about 3, 4 inches open and the screen was out of the window. So immediately. It didn't dawn on me at first what was going on. So I thought, well, maybe she locked the door behind her and didn't mean to and she went somewhere. So you're always thinking the best instead of the worst. And then I called. God, I hate saying her names. Killer number one, which was Sheila, Eddie. And I called Mary first and said, where's Skyler? She said, I don't know. Calm down. She said, call Sheila. So I did. Sheila answered on the first ring and I said, sheila, have you seen Skylar? She said, no, haven't seen her at all. I said, when's the last time you talked to her? She said, last night, about midnight. And I said, okay, okay, thank you. And I hung up. And I called Mary back, said Sheila hadn't seen her. She said, dave, calm down, because I was getting freaked out. And then she, Mary came home from work in the meantime, and she said, wait until 4 if, you know, we'll call Wendy, see if she showed up for her job, and if she didn't then we'll call the police. I said, okay, because she didn't like to miss work at all. So at 4 o', clock, right before 4 o', clock, Wendy's called us and said, hey, is Skyler coming to work today? And I said, oh, no. So I called 911 and that's a recorded call you can hear. And she. Then our life went to hell.

[A]

What were your early frustrations with the investigation as you realized Skylar wasn't where she was supposed to be? And that was unusual.

[B]

Right? And they kept telling us, well, she ran away. She ran away. She had no reason to run away. She was happy. She. There was no reason in the world for her to run away. But they kept trying to convince us of that. And we knew our kid. And all you adults out there, you know, your kids, you know, whether they would run away or not. Now, yeah, there are times when, you know, it happens and it just happens. But you know, that child, you raise that child, you know, whether they're going to run away or not. And she had no reason. Plus she didn't take anything that she would have took if she, like cell phone charger, contact solutions, stuff like that, she would have needed, you know.

[A]

And none of that was with her?

[B]

Nope.

[A]

It is one of the reasons, Dave, that you pushed so hard to have, you know, legislation changed in Skyler's name, is that right? Because. Because there was such a lag time in, in alerting more people that there was a problem.

[B]

They couldn't even do anything or write a report or Nothing for what, 48 hours? I think it was.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And during that time, a 48 hour, a long time. And especially if you don't know where your kid is. And it seemed like days, but, you know, the whole time we're thinking, God, something must have happened. I hope she's okay. Thinking about dragging a river and all this stuff because the river was just down from us about a half mile.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And then we're thinking about walking through the neighborhood and, you know, so after we figured out, yes, she is missing, Sheila calls back and Mary answers. And she said, I have to tell you the truth about last night. And then Mary said, yes, she said, I picked Skyler up with Rachel and we drove around Star City, but I dropped her back off right at the end of the street. And then we went home. And Mary said, sheila, why do you guys do stuff like this? If you ask us, we always let you do what you want within reason.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Of course, we probably wouldn't allow her to do that. But, I mean, you know, I said, Mary told her, she said, you don't need to sneak around and do this stuff. Ask us, if it's within reason, we'll let you do it. And Sheila said, do you want me and mom to come over and help you look?

[A]

And, I mean, you literally are talking about. For people that aren't familiar with this story, you're literally talking about her best friends.

[B]

Yes, Sheila was definitely her best friend. And since age 8 and now it's 16, so they're, you know, 8 years being solid best friend. And that. It was just. I knew, you know, when she came over to look, I thought it was legit. Never once in my deepest, darkest dream did I ever realize she would have had something to do with it, you know, and that's why the hate is so persistent with me and Mary toward them, because they lied for six months, came and comforted us for six months. She only come over and Mary was laying down, resting, and she never really knocked. She. I mean, she would knock and stick her head in and say, hey, what's going on? And that was fine. Well, this time she didn't have her mom with her. It had been about a month and a half. Scott had been missing. And she walked in, and I said, what's going on? She said, can I go in Skyler's room? I need to feel close to her. And I said, yeah, I guess. So. She went in Skyler's room and shut the door, which I thought was kind of weird, but I never said anything at the time. I thought she was mourning as much as we were and, you know, worried to death about Skylar. And Mary had woken about the same time, and she went into the. Skyler's room. She asked who it was, and I told her it was Sheila. And I said, she's in Skyler's room. She said, why? And I said, I don't know. She said she wants to feel close to her. So she. Mary opened the door, went in there and shut the door. Well, about five minutes later, I heard this hysterical crying. So I opened the door, and there's Mary is hugging Sheila, holding her tight. And Sheila's saying, I don't understand how my best friend can run away and not tell me sick. But anyway, I'm sorry. But anyway, it is.

[A]

That is absolutely horrific. It's like she was. She was planting the seed that. That this obviously was. Or throwing off the scent that she was involved.

[B]

Exactly. Yep.

[A]

That is just. That is psychotic.

[B]

And trying to find out. We came to the Conclusion, she was looking for Skyler's diary, which the police already had, so she wasn't going to find anything. And I, we think she was looking for that. But she never got anything. And she ended up leaving and putting on a performance before she left. And let me stop real quick and tell you guys that Rachel is a actress, a performer. That's what she does. That's where she's happiest, when she's acting. Okay, so the little crocodile tears while she's reading that fake apology.

[A]

I mean, terrible, terrible mistake. And it's something I can never take back and I can't change. But I know that I'm not that person. I'm not a bad person because I made one bad choice.

[B]

Sheila. I'm glad she chose to say nothing at her sentencing because that's would have sent me crazy. And those two are nothing but two psychological liars, psychopath liars. And to do stuff they did to us, not to mention what she's done to Skyler is do you see the sense of urgency to keep them where

[A]

they are a hundred percent. It felt like the Twitter that they were using amongst themselves. And then after the fact, using Twitter now X is sort of like the Snapchat of today, if you know what I mean. Like, right. It was, it was just prolific. The amount of social media evidence that we, we were able to see in this investigation.

[B]

Yeah, we really did go on 3.

[A]

For those of you watching on YouTube, I'm going to show you this tweet from Sheila's Twitter account. She tweeted on April 1, 2013, quote, we really did go on three. When Rachel confessed to the killing, she said the plan was for Sheila and her to count to three before they stabbed their best friend to death.

[B]

I mean, Dave and the police and

[A]

you're talking about go on three. And that is so sick and disturbing. I couldn't actually believe it. I couldn't actually believe it.

[B]

Well, she had also tweeted, all you had to do is keep your damn mouth shut. But that was soon deleted after she tweeted that.

[A]

So as far as this confession and this had, this was months after Skylar had. Had vanished. Rachel confesses in January 2013 to killing Skyler along with her friend Sheila Eddy. And we, we get to that. What was that confession like? For those who haven't seen the documentary and have not. Have not seen as much about this, this case, what was that like for you as a parent?

[B]

Well, they only told us one day before they arrested Sheila. Okay, okay. One day is all I Had. And Perry Jo and Marsh Astound had Perry Joe to Christopher, who's a judge now, right? And Marsh Ashdown.

[A]

Dave's talking about the prosecution for Rachel and Sheila's cases. Moningalia County Prosecuting Attorney Marcia Ashdown and Assistant Prosecuting attorney Perry Jo DeChristopher had

[B]

brought us in, told us what happened. And when I looked at both of them and I said, why? Why did they do this? And Marcia said, dave, you're not going to like this answer. They didn't want to be friends with her anymore. And Mary and I just stood there and stared at him like, you've got to be kidding me. And they said, that's the sickest part of this. And I said, now the second part of them is those two doing that somebody they called a friend and that nobody knows this story. So you guys are going to be the first. Maybe somebody does. I don't know. But Mary and I had went home after they told us what they had and who they were going to arrest the following day. I knew I only had one night, and I was going to kill Shield Eddie. That was my plan. And I was going to drive to where she lived. I dropped Skyler off there a bunch of times so I knew exactly where it was. I was going to drive there and choke her with my own hands. I wasn't thinking straight. My head was all messed up. And as soon as I left in the car, Mary kept saying, where are you going? I said, I'm going to take care of something. I'll be back. And she knew by the look on my face whatever I was going to do was not going to be something that was very smart to do. So I started driving. And Tom Bloom, who was the city council president now, he was all my guidance counselor. He was Skyler's guidance counselor also. And he had called me when I was at the top of the mile ground, close to Sheila's house. And he said, dave, where are you? And I said, it don't matter. By the time you get here, it'll be done. And I said, tom, that girl killed my daughter in cold blood. And then I hung up on him. Now I was crying. I was a mess. Then Ronnie Gaskins called me. He's lead investigator on the case. And he said, dave, where are you? And I said, it doesn't matter. By the time you get here, the problem will be taken care of. You won't have to rush or anything. He said, dave, think about what you're doing. And then he said the only thing that could have possibly stopped me is what Ronnie told me. He said, dave, what's Mary gonna do without you? And that stopped me dead in my tracks. And I apologized to Ronnie. I. I called Tom and apologized to him the next day, and I was a mess. I wanted justice, and I wanted an eye for an eye. And I wanted. I. My head was so messed up. And I'm glad I didn't do what I need, what I thought I needed to do, and that was to rid the world of a psychopath. But I didn't know. Even know how I was going to do it. I just knew it needed done. And to look into Sheila Eddie's eyes. And you can still do it to this day. She has no soul. She is a sick, psychopathic killer. And that's what I have to say about that. Stupid.

[A]

That is. I mean, hey, like, to hear that the love of Mary was able to stop you from that is. Is also incredible. You and Mary have been a force to watch together, to go through this. And. And. And I'm so grateful that that was what was able to save you as well, because I know that would have created a whole nother layer of grief for her.

[B]

And it's something that. No one in this world has that power but has that right to take a life. Okay? No one has that power or should have that power to take a life. And for this little witch who thinks she's God and she's not, she's nothing but a psychopath killer think she has a choice to end the life? She doesn't. And neither does a little psychopath sidekick. And I will fight every day I'm alive to keep those two little witches where they are. But unfortunately, in 2028, Rachel Soap will walk unless I can find some way to get her.

[A]

Before you actually got that confession, did you have any suspicions of Rachel and Sheila besides some of Those, in hindsight, 2020 kind of suspicions.

[B]

We had a birthday party for Skylar on February 10 of 20, 2013. And during that, the birthday party, I can't say his name because I swore I never would, but came over to me and said, dave, I need to talk to you. And I said, okay. So we took a walk around the house. And he told me, he said, you know, I found out that Rachel and Sheila involved in Skyler's murder. And I said, I kind of thought so because they dropped off the radar. They weren't allowed to come to our house or, you know, they hadn't come to our house. So it's not that they weren't Allowed. They just hadn't. And Rachel never did come to our house. Sheila did a bunch of times. And I. The person that told me said he knew for a fact this was true. I'm sorry, I'm holding the phone. And I said, well, you know, I had suspected something was going on like that. And he said, you cannot tell anybody. You cannot. And I didn't. I never told anybody. And.

[A]

But you didn't think it was like that. You didn't think it was what it was, did you?

[B]

No. Like the documentary said, we had suspected that someone gave something to Skyler and she had overdose. They freaked out and got rid of the body. That's what we had thought. And Sheila was trying to point the finger. She even tweeted once, the niece is ought to check their backyard if they want to spine Skyler. And I'm like, okay, why would she say something like that? She knows damn well we would never hurt our kid. You know, And I know a lot of times the suspicion goes on the parents, because their parents, I mean, and the sick way people do stuff. But, you know, Sheila was trying to blame everybody but herself, you know, and you'll see in the documentary that they got a hold of the part where Rachel called her to come to her

[A]

house and yeah, the FBI, like, tap, basically put a wire on her. Right. And so after Rachel confessed, she go, she calls Sheila over to the house to try and get her to basically talk about what. What they did to your daughter.

[B]

Yeah, she didn't say anything incriminating enough to get her arrested. But what got her arresting got to stick was the blood they found in her trunk. There was no reason for Skyler's blood to be in her trunk. So. Truck of her car.

[A]

Well, and that DNA evidence was critical. The DNA evidence that there was some blood. Right. Blood in the. In the trunk of Sheila's car.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And then as far as. Yeah, as far as the. What happened to Skyler, that was the link they needed. I mean, as far as getting there, though, it was a long road to that hearing where you saw Rachel. She was the first one. Right. So Rachel confesses and she goes. She gets. She got a deal. She got a deal.

[B]

She's a rat that got a deal.

[A]

Yeah, she got a deal. How do you feel about that deal that she was able to get a second degree murder charge? And, and, you know, now that you're. You're going to have to deal with these parole hearings with her that she's able to go up for parole, I

[B]

think both of them should have got first degree murder and got life in prison with no chance of parole is what I think. And then I think it ain't fair for us to pay tax dollars to keep those people alive. And so they told me that Rachel will get 30 years. And I thought, cool, that's 30 years. I'll probably be dead and gone by then. And, you know, that's. That's good. That's where she needs to stay. And then I find out it's a day for a day, and, you know, day a good time for a day that you spent, so. Which means she'll be released with no parole, no nothing in 2028. And that's so unfair.

[A]

How are you going to handle that?

[B]

I haven't figured that much out yet. I don't know.

[A]

What was that first court appearance like when Sheila came in? The very first time you see her in court, I. In the documentary, I see this sort of what people described as a smirk on her face. What did you see when Sheila came in?

[B]

Oh, she was smiling right at me. She was sitting far to the right of us, and we were sitting right behind her parents, which are her mom, at least, which. We didn't pick that out. Somebody in the court must have. And I think it was a mistake, actually. But I looked back at her and just looked at her, and she smiled. And I thought, you little bitch. And I knew at this time what she'd done. And I knew there wasn't maybe it was a definite. And I knew, oh, my God, I want to get at her. If it hadn't been for Gary and his brother Jerry White, the two bailiffs and the core security guy, I would have. Well, I would have tried to get to her, but I doubt I'd have made it. They had so much security around that. And I found out later she had so much security because of me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Although she had gotten death threats. You know, I'm sure everybody in that kind of thing gets death threats, but she. She was trying to get a reaction out of me, and Mary wouldn't even look at her. And I thought, okay, I got to get up and walk out of the court before I do something stupid. So I got up and I walked out of the court, and Gary followed me out. And Gary and Jerry's been my buddies for years. They played softball with me all through the years. And I know. Well, Gary came outside and he said, dave, shaking his head like this, he said, judge collages will throw you out of here. You won't be allowed to come back And I said, gary, she's trying. She's pushing me. And he said, don't look at her and don't give her a reaction. That's exactly what she wants. And I said, that's what she's going to get to. And he said, dave, think about what you're saying. And he said, do I have to let you go back in there? And I said, no, no, I'll. I promise I'll behave myself. I knew I had to do it for Skyler, you know, and matter. So I did. I was behaving myself.

[A]

The. You know, and. And Dave, the. There was also this moment where Sheila told the police in the documentary. We hear this in the documentary that. That Sheila had told the police about her hair appointment for the prom. And when she was arrested, what did that tell you about her? Like what? You know, that she. She wanted to make sure she was going to be able to go to the prom. And the. The police said, you're not going to the prom, honey. You're going to jail. Like, you're not going anywhere near the prom again. What does that tell you about Sheila?

[B]

Yeah, Jessica. Oh, my God, I love her. Jessica and Lonnie, I think, were the ones taking her to jail or juvenile detention center she was home to or whatever she went to. And yeah, she asked Jessica, Jessica being

[A]

Officer Jessica Colbank of the Star City Police Department.

[B]

She says, I'm. I'm gonna make it in time for my hair appointment because I gotta get my hair done for the prom. Jessica said, you're not going to a prom. You're not going to. Your hair. Get your hair done. You're going to jail. And she started crying for a little bit, and she said, I want my mom. Well, your mom can't get you out of this one, you know. You know how I feel about her.

[A]

I know. And, you know, Rachel did speak, and we. We touched on this earlier. Rachel did speak, and she looked at you guys and, And. And apologized and Sheila did not speak. What would you have preferred if they had. If. How did you feel about Rachel, speaking of that?

[B]

It was all a bunch of BS because she didn't mean any of it. I've let down the niece, family. I've let down whatever. She's hurt this person. She's an actress. That's what she does. Okay, so she got the crocodile tears. She isn't sorry about anything she did because it wasn't done by accident. It was done on purpose. Yeah. Okay. And at the first parole hearing, she said it. It was an accident. Okay. An accident. Stepping on somebody's foot or bumping into somebody. It's not planning to kill a friend for a year and then carrying a loud.

[A]

They did not let her say goodbye to her parents in the room as it was asked. Do you remember that?

[B]

Yeah. I didn't know about it until after because I. I had already left. I think I had went into a room with Perry Jo to Christopher and Marsha, and they were telling us, hey, we got to go in front of the press and talk to them. So I think I already left the room. But Gary told me about it, and he said that little. Or he said the attorney had asked for permission for Sheila to go into the jury room and have a few minutes with her parents. And Gary said, Skyler didn't get a few minutes with her parents. She's not getting any either. And gotta love Gary for that, you know, she took away any. Any means of communication with Skyler forever. And she wants to say goodbye to her mother and father. Her mother, whatever that. Sorry. No. And I'm glad Gary did what he did. She didn't deserve it. She had not. The torment, the heartbreak, the sense of betrayal that little witch put us through is unbelievable. And she made us. She made us hate her. And you're gonna come all these years later and say you're sorry. I'm sorry. That ain't working. And she hasn't tried to say she's sorry either. So that's good. Because the first Sheila. Rachel. Sheila, either one ever tried to tell me they're sorry. I'm not bound by court anymore. I'm not in front of Gary and Jerry anymore. And they'll probably get exactly what I want to say to them.

[A]

Right?

[B]

And that you're nothing but a psychopath killer that you never need to be released from. Lincoln. How does a convicted killer gets between them both? Get over $60,000. That's from sickos sending the money. And if you people are listening to this and you're the one sending the money, you're as sick as they are.

[A]

You heard that, right? People send Rachel and Sheila fan mail and even money. It's weird, right? Why would. Why would there be fan mail or. Or any kind of money sent to them?

[B]

I guess that's how people get their 15 seconds of fame, right? It's sick.

[A]

You know, you said in Rachel's 2023 parole hearing, you said this inmate is just the rat that knocked and got a deal. And talking about Rachel, the first one, because she did get a deal. She did get a Deal. She was second degree murder. It's a different deal. Yes. She showed us where she had murdered Skylar. Yet she's also the narcissist liar that put my daughter in that place. This monster is a danger to society. And if released, no parent can close their eyes at night without fear that their own child could possibly be the next victim.

[B]

Yeah. My friend that I met after all this, her name's Jackie Morgan. She. She's a phenomenal writer. And she wrote all that for me. She's just amazing. And she wrote something else called Forever 16. I would read it to you, but if you guys have a chance, go on Team Scotter and look it up. It's called Forever sixteen. It's simply beautiful.

[A]

I found the poem and read it twice. Boy, it was a tough read. I'll pull it in the description for you. But I wanted to share the last line with you because it is so powerful, due to sickness and evil, Skylar will be forever 16. Well, you know, I mean, to have words like that, to be able to express how you feel, I think the impact, even though it's so re. Victimizing for you and Mary to have to go through these parole hearings, for you to be standing in those parole hearings has got to make a massive difference for the parole board to see.

[B]

The parole board has understood. So the first time we had like 38, 000 signatures on a petition and we had all this media behind it, and if they would have let her out, then they would have had huge public outcry.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

And they knew that. And I don't physically. I. I don't mentally see her getting out until 2028 and then that's only two years. But she could do something stupid between now and then, which she has done a lot, and get herself put in there with more time. But in order to do that, it's hard to get an inmate with more time when they're already incarcerated. Let me just like that.

[A]

I wanted to ask you about the. The memorial site that's been set up for Skyler. And there was something that just really, really touched us when we watched this. It was really amazing. This. There was a red cap of one of her dear friends had left his graduation cap. Did you. Did you know that?

[B]

Yeah. It was Daniel. Daniel and Skyler have been friends since they were little kids. I know Daniel's mom and dad and Mary knows him and Daniel's. Daniel's a good dude. And he thought that was a touching way to give Skyler something that he. That she should. Had also yeah. And Daniel's been right there, man. He's a good kid.

[A]

I wanted to say, you know, I know that you keep Skylar's beautiful spirit alive. You and Mary do an incredible job to keep her spirit and what she meant to you alive and use all of that good that Skylar had in her to move forward with some of the work that you do. One of the things that really touched me was Skylar's promise. And I wanted to ask you about that because I thought that was so incredible. Have you seen it in action?

[B]

Skyler's promise wouldn't even thought of by me or Mary. It was thought about. A young lady in California came up with that, and she said, you know, you ought to do something called Skyler's Promise where, you know, if kids hear this stuff, they can report it to a responsible adult and, you know, maybe stop something before it happens. And we adopted it. And we, you know, strongly feel that if any kid out there now, come on, parents, you know, your kid, okay, you raised that kid. You know, when something's wrong, make sure they know it's cool to come to you and talk to you about it. Scottish promises. If you hear somebody in court, in classroom or in a gymnasium or wherever, talking about doing something bad, make Scottish promise and tell somebody so it can be stopped.

[A]

Yeah, I hope that gets adopted in every school, because if they just knew what could happen, like what happened to Skyler, that, that. That it did happen, if it could be stopped, that would be. That would be a turning point. That would be a turning point. But I truly. I love talking to you. I mean, as far as what. One thing I did want to ask you, because I know Skyler had great ambitions to be an attorney, you know, and. And you've now spent more time in the court systems than you could have even never imagined. What kind of an attorney would a scholar made if she. If she had been with us.

[B]

Scholar's favorite question right up to the end is why? And she always wanted to help people. She always wanted to put the bad guys away and help the good people. And she would have made an awesome attorney. She really would have. She. She wouldn't stop when she thought she was right about something. He turned her back down quick because she's gonna. She gonna win that fight.

[A]

I think it sounds like you have done an amazing job of turning as much as you can into good. And I know that you're going to be fighting hard to make sure Rachel and Sheila stay behind bars as. As long as they possibly can. You know, how would you like Scholar to be remembered. I mean, as you said, she's not defined by our last few moments on this earth.

[B]

I would like Scholar to be remembered as the person. That person that wouldn't stop. The person that wouldn't back down. You know, had she not had two people trying to kill her, she probably would have won that fight, you know, even though they got her, you know, jumped her. But Skyler was a friend to people, a true friend. And I'm not so sure people know the meaning of a true friend anymore, but Skyler was that person.

[A]

Do you. I know this level of betrayal, and I can feel it. And I've heard it in your voice. Do you think you'll be able to trust again?

[B]

Never.

[A]

So they took that away?

[B]

Yeah, that's. That's gone forever, thanks to Sheila, Eddie, and Rachel Shoaff. We don't trust anyone. And after we've been through what we've been through, do you tr. Do you blame us?

[A]

No, I don't. I don't blame you for anything. Dave. You're a great parent.

[B]

Thank you. I appreciate that. Mary was a great pair. I was just.

[A]

Mary. Mary's gorgeous. She's absolutely gorgeous. And I'm. I'm so grateful that you two. I know she's off in the wings, so I feel her presence, and I know that she's there, and she's been keeping an eye on you, too, and I. And I appreciate that. I want to. I want to say thank you very much for doing this interview and. And. And I hope that it wasn't. I hope it doesn't re. Traumatize you every time you have to talk to people like me in the media. But I do want you to know that for people, especially moms like me that have kids, to hear these stories and be able to. To share the importance of stopping bad behavior before it gets started is beyond words.

[B]

Can I say one thing before we end this? Please?

[A]

Please.

[B]

I've saw a lot of different shows on Skyler, Okay? Most of them we've never had anything to do with. These people are taking a tragedy of somebody's life and turning it into money for themselves. That's not fair. That's not fair at all, you know, because we're not getting anything out of that. Documentaries don't pay money. Podcasts don't pay money. You know, and for. I hate to say this, but going forward, if they want to hear this story again, they're gonna pay, because it's so hard to tell it, and it's not. It's not cool to take somebody's misfortune and turn it into money and not even even ask, hey, would it be cool if I sent you something? Or, hey, I know you guys need this. Or, I know Dave wants to retire one day. No. Hell no. They just stick all that money in their pocket and move on and don't even think about the people that are involved. That makes me sick. All the rest of them, they're just like that. They stick the money in their pocket and don't give a shit about anybody but them. And that makes me sick.

[A]

Do you have a GoFundMe app? Is there a GoFundMe for your family?

[B]

If somebody wants to help us, cool. You know, they can send it to our address, which is Dave and Mary, niece, P.O. box 314-mount Morris, PA 15349. That's cool.

[A]

Straightforward way of doing it. It's a very straightforward way of doing it.

[B]

Let me tell you a quick story, okay? This is. This is about the necklace. So about five years ago, maybe. Maybe it was seven years ago, I received this package in the mail, and it's from my attorney. And I open it up, and a little necklace falls out. And it was. It was actually from Tara Clandena. Who? Sheila's mother. And the note said, sheila's mother found this while cleaning Sheila's room, what, 10 years later. But anyway, she found this necklace and knew it didn't belong to Sheila and thought it might be Skyler's. And I told Mary, I said, mary, where have I seen that before? And then it dawned on me. The last hug Skyler 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. You sick bitch. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know. I don't mean to cuss like that, but. And then her mother sends it to me in the mail. And I'm sure her mother didn't know that. I'm not blaming her, but how sick do you have to be to steal a necklace off somebody you just murdered? Ah, that girl's a serial killer. And if she allowed to leave, she'll always be a serial killer. She'll kill somebody else, too.

[A]

Well, I think that showing up in the parole hearings is probably the smartest thing you could possibly do to. To mitigate that.

[B]

I wish everybody would please. I'm gonna have a petition going around again. I think June 20, something is Soph's next appearance, and the petition will be up to keep her where she is. Okay.

[A]

Well, we'll certainly keep an eye on that, too. It's difficult to hear the pain in Dave's voice, but the anger and outrage, it's valid, especially knowing that he's going to have to fight to keep Skyler's killers behind bars again. Rachel's next parole hearing is in June 2026. It's right around the corner. We have more interviews coming soon with people who are deeply involved in Skyler's case and will be keeping a close eye on Rachel's upcoming parole hearing. So be sure to like and subscribe to Criminally Obsessed so you don't miss an episode. And tell me what you think of the documentary as well. Friends like these.