"They Know" | Chapter 5

Summary

Podcast Summary: "They Know" | Chapter 5 of Three Host/Author: Waveland
Release Date: March 8, 2024

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Introduction

In Episode 5, titled "They Know," of Waveland's gripping true crime series Three, hosts Holly Millay and Justine Harmon delve deeper into the tragic case of Skylar Neese. This episode focuses on the aftermath of Rachel's confession, the intense search for Skylar's body, and the unraveling relationships among those involved. Through detailed interviews and firsthand accounts, the episode paints a comprehensive picture of the events that unfolded in Morgantown, West Virginia.

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Case Background

Three explores the mysterious and sorrowful disappearance of Skylar Neese, a 17-year-old from Morgantown, West Virginia. On July 6, 2012, Skylar vanished after being last seen in a surveillance video where she was leaving her home to join friends for what seemed like a typical teenage night out. The case quickly evolved from a missing person investigation to a dark tale of betrayal and tragedy involving Skylar and two of her closest friends, Rachel and Sheila.

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Rachel's Confession and Initial Reactions

The episode opens with a poignant recollection by Ronnie Gaskins, a State Trooper involved in the case:

Ronnie Gaskins [04:22]: "They did it. What do you mean? He said, Rachel and Sheila. And I was like, I remember off side of the road. You serious?"

Rachel's confession to Gaskins and FBI agent Robert Ambrosini marks a pivotal moment in the investigation. Holly Millay narrates the tension-filled drive as law enforcement attempts to locate Skylar's body based on Rachel's directions.

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The Search for Skylar

Despite precise instructions, the search teams faced significant challenges:

Holly Millay [05:30]: "State Trooper Chris Berry... watching a recording of what happened inside the Shoaf residence."

The team navigates through snow-laden Appalachian woods, hampering their efforts to locate Skylar. Their search is methodical yet thwarted by harsh weather conditions, leading to a temporary setback as they turn back without finding Skylar.

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Internal Struggles and Strained Relationships

Back in Morgantown, Rachel and Sheila's interactions reveal deep-seated tensions. Holly Millay provides an inside look at a fraught conversation:

Ronnie Gaskins [06:26]: "They'll never know. That's what she said. Keep your mouth shut."

The friends’ deteriorating relationship is further illustrated through social media interactions and personal accounts, highlighting their reluctance to fully cooperate with authorities.

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Renewed Efforts and Breakthroughs

Eight days post-confession, renewed efforts intensify as weather conditions improve, allowing for a more thorough search:

Chris Berry [18:22]: "There was a fear that the creek was so high it might have carried potential evidence downstream..."

A breakthrough occurs when a canine unit detects Skylar's presence near a towering oak tree, leading to her eventual recovery:

Ronnie Gaskins [21:03]: "She turned across the cement bridge... And that's where we found Skylar."

Detailed forensic work, including the retrieval of Skylar's cell phone and matching her Instagram photos, solidifies the case against Rachel and Sheila.

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Aftermath and Legal Proceedings

Following the discovery, the episode delves into the legal ramifications and the psychological impact on those involved:

Ronnie Gaskins [25:14]: "...she was more scared than anything. I mean she wasn't like bawling..."

Rachel's emotional state during her confession underscores the complexity of her involvement. Additionally, the strained communications between Rachel and Sheila post-confession hint at underlying tensions and possible ulterior motives.

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Community and Media Impact

The case's evolution from a local missing persons report to a widely scrutinized investigation is captured through insights from crime reporter Alex Lang:

Ronnie Gaskins [16:17]: "It became, we're not this safe little community that's just known for a college football team."

The community’s heightened interest and media attention amplified the pressure on law enforcement, shaping the narrative surrounding Skylar's tragic end.

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Concluding Insights

Holly Millay reflects on the enduring impact of the case on all parties involved:

Jessica Colbank [28:44]: "I couldn't solve that case. That eats me."

The episode concludes by emphasizing the lingering emotional scars and the relentless pursuit of truth by those determined to find closure.

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Notable Quotes

• Ronnie Gaskins [06:26]: "They'll never know. That's what she said. Keep your mouth shut."
• Chris Berry [18:22]: "There was a fear that the creek was so high it might have carried potential evidence downstream..."
• Ronnie Gaskins [25:14]: "...she was more scared than anything. I mean she wasn't like bawling..."
• Jessica Colbank [28:44]: "I couldn't solve that case. That eats me."

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Conclusion

In "They Know," Three by Waveland masterfully intertwines investigative rigor with human emotion, shedding light on the harrowing circumstances surrounding Skylar Neese's death. Through meticulous storytelling and evocative interviews, Holly Millay and Justine Harmon provide listeners with a profound understanding of the case's complexities, the fragile nature of teenage friendships, and the relentless pursuit of justice.

---

Three continues to unravel the layers of this haunting case, promising further revelations and deeper insights in upcoming episodes.

Transcript

[Ashley Flowers]

Hi, everyone. I'm Ashley Flowers.

[Britt]

And I'm Britt.

[Ashley Flowers]

And every Monday, we bring you a new episode of our number one true crime podcast, Crime Junkie, where we dive into all the gripping cases, from mysterious deaths to missing person cases to the headlines. Solved, unsolved, you name it.

[Britt]

And this year, we're bringing you Crime Junkie in a whole new way. Live on tour.

[Ashley Flowers]

That's right. We're hitting the road for a nationwide tour, traveling all over the country to bring you a seriously wild case for an in person investigative experience like you've never seen before.

[Britt]

We truly cannot wait to see you there. But tickets are selling fast, so don't wait.

[Ashley Flowers]

Yeah, a couple of venues are already close to being sold out, so head to crimejunkiepodcast.com to grab your tickets before they're gone. That is crimejunkiepodcast.com we'll see you soon. Your boyfriend took our money in. Dicks.

[Issa Rae]

For producer Issa Rae, how we gonna.

[Ashley Flowers]

Make $1,500 by 6? You bought this?

[Issa Rae]

Okay, on January 17th.

[Ronnie Gaskins]

You want a loan?

[Ashley Flowers]

Don't do it. I've never seen a credit score this low.

[Issa Rae]

What if we combine our SC Palmer is having one of them days.

[Ashley Flowers]

First the rent and now Lomo's trying to kill us.

[Issa Rae]

SZA is having one of them days.

[Ashley Flowers]

He showing cheat and steal on the same day.

[Britt]

Run. Damn.

[Issa Rae]

One of them days. Directed by Lawrence Lamont. Exclusively in Peter's January 17th. Rated R. Under $17.90 minute without ferret.

[Britt]

@ Capella University, we believe accessible education can make a difference.

[Holly Millay]

That's why we offer scholarship opportunities to all eligible students. Un futuro diferente estam mas cerca de.

[Ashley Flowers]

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[Britt]

Edu Skipping cold and flu season is plan A. But if you do get sick, be prepared for plan B with Kleenex lotion tissues. Kleenex lotion tissues moisturize skin, helping prevent the added discomfort of red, irritated skin on top of your cold and flu symptoms. So this cold and flu season, grab Kleenex lotion tissues. Visit kleenex.com to learn more and buy now. For whatever happens next, grab Kleenex.

[Holly Millay]

This podcast is intended for mature audiences.

[Issa Rae]

Listener discretion is advised.

[Ronnie Gaskins]

I always told everybody, I said, if you could bet on crimes in Vegas by gambling, I said, I'd put a hundred thousand dollars down if the girls wouldn't do it. But they witnessed something and were threatened by that person who did it not to say anything. That's why I would have went through that's what I thought was happening. And then I'll never forget the night she confessed. Ronnie called me. They did it. What do you mean? He said, they did it. They stabbed her to death. I'm like, who? What? What are we talking about? Like, yeah. And like I was like. I was still thinking like, okay, who stabbed Skyler? Like. And he goes, rachel and Sheila. And I was like, I remember off side of the road. You serious? He goes, yes. And he goes, I gotta go. We're heading out to retrieve the body and I'll call you back.

[Holly Millay]

From Waveland. I'm Holly Millay.

[Britt]

And I'm Justine Harmon. This is three Episode five They Know After Rachel's confession in her attorney's office to State Trooper Ronnie Gaskins and FBI agent Robert Ambrosini, the group gathered their things, put their coats on and in two cars drove the 30 miles out past Blacksville to brave Pennsylvania. Rachel, riding in the backseat of Gaskin's cruiser, was leading them to the scene of the crime. Unlike Sheila, who grew up in the area, her father lived just miles from the murder site. Rachel had to go by memory, which was all the more difficult given a recent winter storm. The deeper they drove into the backwoods, the deeper the snow, every twist and turn looking just like the one before. Until Rachel recognized a tall oak tree and said, that's the spot where Skylar's at. The snow, knee deep and hardened by the freezing temperature, impeded a detailed search of the crime scene. And so the cars turned around, leaving Skylar entombed in the elements, still waiting to be found. That same evening, inside Rachel's house at 402 Arabella Court in Morgantown, she was anxious for Sheila to come by just next door. Kim Keener watched the action.

[Ashley Flowers]

Sheila's mom pulled up and dropped Sheila off and she like drove around the neighborhood while Sheila sat there and talked to Rachel for a a little while.

[Holly Millay]

Inside the 10 split level home at the end of the scenic cul de sac, there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms, ample places for law enforcement to hide. And they were there listening from the wings as a 16 year old Broadway hopeful attempted to extract a confession from her best friend. Earlier in the evening, Kim Keener watched as law enforcement descended on the house.

[Ashley Flowers]

My youngest was out playing basketball. I had to bring her in. I was like, abigail, you need to come in. Because I was afraid they wouldn't be able to hear her.

[Holly Millay]

State Trooper Chris Berry, recently taken off the case, remembers sitting in his office watching a recording of what happened inside the Shoaf residence.

[Ronnie Gaskins]

That night I saw the video. They had cameras set up there, too, because the whole house was polluted with officers hiding in closets or bathrooms and shit. But I have to give Rachel credit. She tried like hell, and Sheila would not budge. And I didn't think Rachel, like, looked at her and she goes, they know. And she was like, what do you mean, they know? And she said, they know what happened. And of course she was like, no, they don't. The only thing Sheila would say is, keep your mouth shut.

[Chris Berry]

Nobody knows nothing.

[Ronnie Gaskins]

They'll never know. That's what she said. Keep your mouth shut. They'll never know.

[Britt]

If Sheila was nervous, let alone aware of the recording device under her friend's sweatshirt, she didn't show it.

[Ronnie Gaskins]

She kept changing the subject. She talked about a boy or several boys. You know, just. This is what's happened to school. We're driving to school, and Rachel, like, would try to keep going back and one back, and, man, she just wouldn't budge. I remember watching it. I was like, damn, she's pretty good. Your Sheila's done her homework of watching a lot of crime movies. You couldn't get that verbal commitment of like, they don't know we kill Skyler. It was just, they don't know.

[Britt]

Sheila did say one thing that alluded.

[Ronnie Gaskins]

To her complicity, and then she made a statement like that she's been out the protection six months. But once again, any defense attorney could be like, who's she? That could be a female cat or a female dog that they're talking about that they put out there.

[Jessica Colbank]

I think. I think she knew at that point. I'm sure Sheila could pick up on something even if she didn't say anything directly.

[Holly Millay]

After seeing her best friend that evening, their relationship devolved, the final act playing out. Where else on Twitter. Here's Sheila the very next day, January 4th.

[Britt]

First time I've been completely speechless. Holy fuck.

[Holly Millay]

Three days later, she tweeted, walk straight.

[Britt]

Through hell with a smile.

[Holly Millay]

On January 9, Sheila was home when the doorbell rang. She opened the front door to find both the state police and. And the FBI. Armed with warrants, Ronnie Gaskins confiscated all remaining electronics. A cell phone, a tablet, and a computer. And all the kitchen knives, some 17, including steak knives, paring knives, and chef knives. The FBI sees the silver Toyota Camry parked in the driveway. Despite the ambush, Sheila was on the offensive. She soon acquired another phone. On January 15, she logged on and.

[Britt]

Tweeted, you don't even know the amount of shit you have caused.

[Ashley Flowers]

Your boyfriend took our money in Dicks.

[Issa Rae]

From producer Issa Rae.

[Ashley Flowers]

How we gonna make $1,500 by 6? Be about this.

[Issa Rae]

Okay, on January 17th, you want a lo?

[Ashley Flowers]

I've never seen a credit score this low.

[Issa Rae]

What if we combine our scores? Kinky. Palmer is having one of them days.

[Ashley Flowers]

First the rent and then Alomo's trying to kill us.

[Issa Rae]

SZA is having one of them days.

[Ashley Flowers]

He telling cheat and steal on the same day.

[Britt]

Alyssa, run.

[Holly Millay]

Damn.

[Issa Rae]

One of them days. Directed by Lawrence Lamont. Exclusively in theaters January 17th. Rated R. Under $17.99aminute without parent. At Capella University, we believe accessible education.

[Britt]

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[Holly Millay]

That's why we offer scholarship opportunities to all eligible students.

[Issa Rae]

Whether you're considering a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, our teams will walk you.

[Britt]

Through the process and help you get the savings you are eligible for. Furthering your education is an investment in yourself.

[Issa Rae]

Entonces ques tas esperando un futuro diferente esta macerca de los cres con Capella University.

[Ashley Flowers]

Learn more at Capella.

[Jessica Colbank]

Eduardo, my son was 11 at the time. And, you know, during the case, it was. It was hard because I had my own family to take care of. And he would come with me in the evenings after shift because I still had to answer calls.

[Holly Millay]

Like Chris Berry, Star City police officer Jessica Colbank, booted after calling Sheila's mom Tara a tool, could not let this case go. After working her case assignments, Colbanks stayed at the office after hours, turning her attention back to Skylar, reviewing her old notes and files, phone records, and the written statements from the girls.

[Jessica Colbank]

Even though I was kicked off the case, you know, I wasn't kicked off in my mind. So I was still trying to do what I could do from my side without the knowledge of where they were at. And I'd bring my son with me, and he would do his homework and, you know, I would help him with that and, you know, have snacks for him. And he understood what I was doing was important. Chris and Ronnie both called me right after Rachel confessed. And they called and they said, jess, you'll never believe. You'll never believe what happened. And they said that Rachel came in and she confessed that they killed her. And I was like, no, shit. You know, that was my initial response, just because it was a relief to finally hear we had an answer. And it was a frustration that I couldn't get that answer.

[Ashley Flowers]

They were always very anti police, which I couldn't understand. Screw the police. F the police from the get go.

[Britt]

The friendship between Kim Keener and her neighbors had grown strained during the last few months. She couldn't understand Rachel and Patricia's refusal to help authorities find Skylar.

[Ashley Flowers]

I mean, their. Their thing was the police have no one and that they are trying to pin this on these girls. Like, I. I would say to them, your friend is missing. The police are looking for her. I don't know why you're fighting with them. And I. I just. I sat with Rachel and I said, don't you understand if they take your phone and they dump it and there's a picture in there, if they might be able to find someone that has taken her.

[Britt]

Kim recalls being in Patricia's kitchen, watching her destroy what could have been crucial evidence.

[Ashley Flowers]

She took a hammer to a cell phone, and that made me think she knew, you know, And I kept saying, you are going to get in trouble. Like, I don't understand why. Why you. You are taking a hammer to the cell phone. When she had her breakdown and finally went to the attorney's office, Patricia came over and said to me, we are cooperating now. It was like she knew that I was mad about that. You know what I mean? Like, she knew I was mad, and she was letting me know, we are cooperating now.

[Holly Millay]

When the U.S. attorney's office notified Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Perry Jo DeChristopher that Rachel had confessed, she immediately phoned her boss, Prosecuting Attorney Marcia Ashdown, who was out of town.

[Marcia Ashdown]

I got that call. She was not. She was actually out of town. And I called her and said, you need to wake up. It was an early morning hour, and she was in a different time zone.

[Holly Millay]

I was in New Orleans. And though they'd been following the stories in the papers and noting the rumors around Morgantown, nothing prepared them for the details of Rachel's statement. Let me just say that I didn't go out of the room that day, and I was sick about it.

[Marcia Ashdown]

Sick, yeah. So it was shocking.

[Britt]

Perry Jo and Marcia knew they had to keep a tight lid on the information. Leaks to Dave and Mary could easily jeopardize the case. At best, the physical evidence was sketchy, and the truthfulness of Rachel's confession was still arguable, since she'd been lying to authorities for months. What they needed was proof of Sheila's involvement.

[Marcia Ashdown]

It would not have been good for us to call Mary and Dave, because, first, you don't know if it's true, and second, like, you don't want to.

[Holly Millay]

Deliver that kind of note by a phone call.

[Marcia Ashdown]

News over the phone and finally, like, you know, if, if someone had called Mary and Dave that very minute, their reaction would have been to call Aunt Carol and to call this person and to call that person. And as you can imagine, there would have been a mushroom cloud of information flowing to everyone that the police still needed to interview. I mean, they hadn't gone out to the scene at that moment, they hadn't recovered any body, they hadn't done anything. And so truly at that very minute, there was nothing to do but kind of close our law enforcement circle and figure out what to do next.

[Holly Millay]

You know, we have to continually remind ourselves that it's for a reason and for a good reason so that things don't get out and, and get out of control. When Skyler first disappeared, crime reporter Alex Lang was still a general assignment editor. He remembers the small story of a missing teen ballooning into a major mystery, with Dominion Post readers wanting to know more.

[Ronnie Gaskins]

I remember when the case started, it wasn't the world's biggest deal. It was just a missing person case, and it was over a holiday weekend. But then she remained missing. Every detail we found was almost always reported. Littlest update, the littlest interviews, the littlest detail all became stories because the community just wanted to know so much about this case in Morgantown. It's a college town. It's home to wvu. The biggest story in that town in any particular year is how the football team does this was a close second for especially the town people. It became, we're not this safe little community that's just known for a college football team.

[Holly Millay]

On January 11, eight days after Rachel's confession, her boyfriend, Mackenzie Boggs, tweeted, shout.

[Britt]

Out to Aich for being the best girl in the world.

[Holly Millay]

Three days later, the Dominion Post published a story with the headline, search for Niece Goes on.

[Britt]

Police believe they know who Skylar left with, juveniles who she knew. But that hasn't helped find her. Skylar was initially considered to be a runaway because the surveillance video showed her leaving on her own accord. No one is sure what happened to her. Police have said they are not sure if she's alive or dead.

[Holly Millay]

Anyone following the case, which was everyone, knew the names of the unnamed juveniles Skylar trusted. Two days after that story ran on January 16, 2013, the cold snap broke and a light rain was falling, melting the snow. Over 30 law enforcement officers, including Ronnie Gaskins and Morgan Spurlock, journeyed back out to where Rachel had said Skylar would be found.

[Chris Berry]

I can tell you that the FBI Evidence Response Team did a search and recovery operation. We all gathered at the Morgantown detachment early in the morning. And then Arani and I, we led the first caravan of the ERT of FBI out to the site. There are some administrative issues of, you know, getting a lay of the land and, you know, it was like safety briefings because it was near a mine shaft that I think was terminated or discontinued, but still wanted to make sure the safety of everybody that was there.

[Holly Millay]

The canine dog circled the area, smelling the earth, pawing at the wet ground here, then there. With the recent rain and snow melt, there was a fear that the creek was so high it might have carried potential evidence downstream, where officers were also searching. Finally, the dog stopped, looking up at the towering oak tree. The GPS collar around his neck snapped and fell. And there, beneath a mound of snow and forest debris, was Skylar. Quickly, a tent was erected to protect her from the rain.

[Chris Berry]

She was approximately 40 or so feet from the roadway edge. There was a small creek that ran alongside, not far from the road, but she was in between a creek and the roadway. She was kind of like out in open area that covered up branches and dirt.

[Britt]

One member of the small army of law enforcement combed the area with a metal detector and made a key discovery.

[Chris Berry]

At the crime scene. The FBI evidence recovery team out in Pittsburgh. We found her cell phone or we found Oz cell phone out there, but it was locked. There was also a SD card, so that had her photos or the photos that were on it, so we were still able to access that. People up in Pittsburgh were able to see those photographs. Those were the exact same pictures on Skylar's Instagram account. So I was able to match that up so we had something to anchor to while the investigation continued and all the forensic and scientific exams were being conducted by the lab.

[Holly Millay]

The sky was cement gray. The creek was flowing, and though the trees were bare, it was just as the psychic had described it to Mary and her sister Carol. We would find her by water. We'd have to go over a bridge.

[Ronnie Gaskins]

She turned across the cement bridge, go across the railroad tracks, and about another what mile on the left hand side, there's a little stream running down. And that's where we found Skylar.

[Britt]

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[Ashley Flowers]

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[Britt]

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[Issa Rae]

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[Ashley Flowers]

How we gonna make $1,500 by 6? Be about this.

[Issa Rae]

Okay, on January 17th.

[Holly Millay]

You want to loan?

[Ashley Flowers]

Don't do it. I've never seen a credit score this low.

[Issa Rae]

What if we combine our scores? Kinky Palmer is having one of them days.

[Ronnie Gaskins]

First the rent and then our lo.

[Ashley Flowers]

Mo's trying to kill us.

[Issa Rae]

SZA is having one of them days.

[Ashley Flowers]

He showing cheat and steal on the same day.

[Britt]

Alyssa, run.

[Holly Millay]

Damn.

[Issa Rae]

One of Them days. Directed by Lawrence Lamont. Exclusively in theaters January 17th. Rated R. Under 17. 90 minute without parenting.

[Holly Millay]

Just how was it that Skylar came to be alone in such a remote area of the woods through summer and autumn and winter? The story would be unbelievable had it not been told by one of the last two people to see Skylar alive, one of the two people who watched.

[Britt]

Her die that night. Rachel brought a shovel from her father's garage. Sheila brought two kitchen knives from home. They put the shovel, cleaning supplies and a change of clothes in the trunk of Sheila's car and drove to Skylar's apartment building. On the way, Rachel called Skylar and the two had a seven minute conversation. Although the temperature that day was in the 90s. Sheila and Rachel wore hoodies under which the knives were wrapped in rags so they wouldn't cut themselves. Once they got to Skylar's, they took the knives out of the cloths and put them back under their hoodies in the armpit area to have them ready. They called Skylar again and she came out, hurried across the parking lot and got into the back seat of the car. The footage caught by the surveillance cameras. They were taking a joyride out to Brave, just across the Pennsylvania state line, where they'd gone before and gotten high. Skylar brought her bong and Rachel had her pipe. The drive is some 30 miles, giving Rachel or Sheila plenty of time to back out of the plan. Along the way, they passed two Sheetz gas stations with CCTV cameras, Clay Battelle Middle School, Sheila and Shania's alma mater, and past the shack, daycare and camp where Skylar and Sheila first met and bonded as girls. After parking, the trio began walking into the woods. When Skylar turned back to retrieve a lighter from her purse in the car, Rachel said on three. That was the agreed upon signal. A count of one, two, three, and they began stabbing Skylar from behind. At one point, Skylar got away, but Rachel tackled her. In the struggle, Skylar managed to get the knife from Rachel and cut her right below the knee. But then Sheila was upon her and fighting them both. Skylar was overpowered. According to Rachel, after killing Skylar in the road, they took the shovel from the trunk of the car and tried digging a grave. But even in July, the dense earth was too hard to break. So they dragged Skylar's body to the large oak tree and hid her under leaves and sticks.

[Holly Millay]

Ronnie Gaskins recalls Rachel's emotional state as she recounted the horror of what happened in the woods.

[Chris Berry]

She wasn't holding in anymore. Now, you know, it's finally out. We know what happened. Her parents are going to find out. No more secrets, you know, it's finally out. She was able to get through the confession and tell us what happened. So she was definitely scared because she, I remember her having a waste basket next to her in case, you know, she threw up. So she was more, more scared than anything. I mean she wasn't, she got carried, I guess you could say. She wasn't like bawling, she wasn't like, you know how someone gets so upset that you can't understand what they're saying. It was a mutual decision as a mutual attack. And Rachel did a countdown on three for them to start stabbing Skyler. So she did not minimize her role. Rachel was there. She did the countdown. She murdered scholar. It was, it was a mutual tax is a mutual tact.

[Holly Millay]

With Skylar dead, the two girls, adrenaline coursing, stripped off their bloody clothes and either washed in the creek or cleaned themselves with the Clorox wipes hidden in the trunk of the car along with a fresh change of clothing. After getting dressed, they headed back to Morgantown, but not before pulling off the road, popping the trunk and getting rid of their blood stained clothes and Skylar's purse exactly where Rachel couldn't recall. As for the knives, they'd been in the trunk too. But Rachel said she didn't know what Sheila had done with them. It wasn't until Rachel was home that she realized something was missing.

[Ronnie Gaskins]

Yeah, Rachel lost her phone during the fight when they were attacking Skyler. That's how we were able to prove too Sheila's back out there because we had a 4 o'clock in the morning ping on Sheila and Rachel's phone. And then Rachel's phone stayed pinging the whole time, but Sheila's didn't. And then all of a sudden like it was like 9 or 10 o'clock in the morning, Sheila's phone was on that tower again and that's what time she was out there looking for the phone. She drove all the way back out there to look for the phone. That's why Rachel was freaking out, because she was getting her to go on the boat with her mom and aunt and stuff. That's why we had the pictures of them out in the boat partying the next day. And if you notice on the pictures of the boat, she's got cut marks on her legs because we saw those. What were those? We got something about one night of the party and we ran through the woods and hit a brier bush. Well, there were actually knife marks and scratches from Skylar fighting back. Skylar was able to get the knife off of Rachel at one point.

[Holly Millay]

Hearing that her body was found, Jessica Colbank was both relieved and reminded of her own futile efforts searching for Skylar.

[Jessica Colbank]

We rented four wheelers. We didn't rent them. We borrowed from the people of Blacksville. Four wheelers to go just look. And we were one ridge away from where she was found, so we were close. We had no idea we were that close.

[Holly Millay]

You were in the car behind Morgan's car when Rachel was taking them out to where the body was?

[Jessica Colbank]

No, I wasn't a part of that. I had heard that they were going out there, but I wasn't part of. I never. I've never been to the scene.

[Holly Millay]

Why?

[Jessica Colbank]

I don't know. It's not my case.

[Holly Millay]

I have to say, I'm both moved and surprised that you haven't been out there. No.

[Jessica Colbank]

Sorry.

[Holly Millay]

It's okay.

[Jessica Colbank]

I couldn't solve that case. That eats me.

[Holly Millay]

Skyler's remains were sent to the FBI's lab in Quantico for DNA testing. But Rachel, Sheila, and others seemed to know what was coming.

[Chris Berry]

Sheila found out somehow that Rachel had let the FBI at the scholar's body because I saw a tweet that Sheila had made to Rachel, and she said something along the lines of, like, you stupid bitch, you could have kept your mouth shut. We wouldn't be in this situation. About an hour after she had tweeted it, she deleted it because I don't think she wanted people to know.

[Holly Millay]

On January 16, Josie Snyder wrote, Sky.

[Britt]

Is so gloomy today.

[Holly Millay]

Then on January 22, Sheila tweeted what could be considered another taunt or wishful thinking.

[Britt]

Wonder if there's a law and order SVU where they don't figure it out. Next time on three.

[Ronnie Gaskins]

I'll never forget these words. They haunt me every damn day. Rachel confessed that everybody went, holy crap, it actually happened. And then I was gonna find Sheila, take her somewhere and start blowing fingers and toes off until she can fit.

[Ashley Flowers]

There's Patricia and Rachel standing on the steps, and I'm outside yelling, tell me you didn't do this.

[Jessica Colbank]

And you know that's not a typical reaction of someone that's just been picked up for Murder.

[Britt]

Three is an original production of Waveland. The series is created and written by Holly Millay and me, Justine Harmon. The executive producer is Jason Hoak, who produced and edited the series. Associate producers are Lydia Horne and Leo Culp. Fact Checking by Lydia Horne sound engineering by Shane Freeman, music by Robert Ellis, Studio Recording at CDM Studios in New York and Wildwood's Picture and Sound in Los Angeles. Special thanks to Dave and Mary Nese in the city of Morgantown, West Virginia. If you love the series, leave a review and please tell your friends. Follow Waveland on Instagram avelandmedia for more on this series and upcoming new shows. Thanks for listening.

[Issa Rae]

Netcredit is here to say yes to a personal loan or line of credit when other lenders say no. Apply in minutes and get a decision as soon as the same day. Loans offered by Netcredit or lending partner banks and serviced by Netcredit application subject to review and approval. Learn [e-mail] partners netcredit credit to the People Some things are worth waiting for. Getting your diploma, finding the right partner. Really good pit Smoked barbecue. You know what's not worth waiting for? The cable guy. Fortunately, US Cellular's home Internet is so simple to install, you can do it yourself. It's just $39.99 per month when bundled with a wireless plan with a three year price lock guarantee. Get home Internet made simple without the waiting just $39.99 per month when bundled with a wireless plan with a 3 year price lock guarantee.

[Holly Millay]

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[Issa Rae]

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