Daleen Berry - Pretty Little Killers: The Truth Behind the Savage Murder of Skylar Neese

Copyright 2014 by Daleen Berry and Geoffrey C. Fuller

Family photographs on pages courtesy of Dave and Mary Neese

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction; however, certain liberties have been taken with scenes and dialogue in an attempt to recreate what happened the night Skylar Neese was murdered. So, this is the authors version of what might have happened that fateful evening, based on extensive research. It is their attempt to comprehend the incomprehensible. Some names and locations have been changed to protect the privacy and anonymity of the people they interviewed.

BenBella Books, Inc.

10300 N. Central Expressway, Suite #530 | Dallas, TX 75231

First e-book edition: July 2014

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Berry, Daleen.

Pretty little killers : the truth behind the savage murder of Skylar Neese / by Daleen Berry and Geoffrey C. Fuller.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-940363-66-0 (electronic) 1. MurderWest VirginiaMorgantownCase studies. 2. Murder--InvestigationWest VirginiaMorgantownCase studies. I. Title.

HV6534.M778B47 2014

364.1523092dc23

[B]

2014017783

Editing by Erin Kelley

Copyediting by James Fraleigh

Proofreading by Greg Teague and Cape Cod Compositors, Inc.

Cover design by Sarah Dombrowsky

Text design by Silver Feather Design

Text composition by John Reinhardt Book Design

Distributed by Perseus Distribution | www.perseusdistribution.com

To place orders through Perseus Distribution:

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For Skylars familymay you find peace.

And for todays youth, the first generation to grow up swimming in social media, and to their parents, who must help them navigate strange waters.

Contents

The following people appear in the pages of Pretty Little Killers. This is not meant to imply cooperation with the authors investigation or interview process, howeveronly that the individual played a role in the case.

The Neese Family

Skylar Neese | The only child of Dave and Mary Neese, Skylar was a University High School (UHS) honors student focused on her goals of earning a scholarship, attending college, and becoming a lawyer. The sunny sixteen-year-old was an informal counselor for many of her friends.

Mary Neese | Skylars mother and an administrative assistant in a cardiac lab, Mary fought like a mama bear to find out what really happened the night of July 6, 2012. She fought equally hard for the return of Skylars remains and for justice for her only child. Mary prefers not to speak in televised interviews, but she has been active on Facebook.

Dave Neese | Skylars father and a product assembler at Walmart, Dave reluctantly took center stage before the media: discussing his daughters murder, fighting for passage of Skylars Law, and seeking justice for his little girl. Daves on-camera dignity, despite his visible grief and anger, has been widely commented on by the public.

Carol Michaud | Skylars maternal aunt, Carol developed a special bond with Skylar when she was born that lasted until the teens death. She read the Bible to her niece and took her to church, and the two loved to playfully argue and prank each other.

Kyle Michaud | Skylars brainiac older cousin and Carols son, Kyle was once like a big brother to Skylar. He watched as she grew into a popular, pretty teen and questioned her choice of friendship in Shelia, whom he called a bad seed when the girls were still in middle school.

Joanne Nagy | Daves aunt by marriage, who lost contact with her ex-husbands side of the family after the divorce, Joanne had begun reestablishing connections with the Neeses when Skylar disappeared. Joanne was a great comfort to Mary and Dave, as well as a one-woman army when it came to coordinating volunteers to search for Skylar in the fall of 2013.

Rikki Woodall | A cousin of Skylars who did not know her at all. This didnt stop her from posting a Facebook alert about Skylars disappearance, however.

The Hunts | Jennifer and her son, Hayden, started the first and largest Facebook page, TeamSkylar<3. At first useful in the search for Skylar, TeamSkylar<3 degenerated into a forum for gossip and innuendo. Jennifer Hunts claims to insider information became increasingly bizarre throughout the fall of 2013.

Skylars Friends and Acquaintances

Shania Ammons | One of Skylars closest friends, Shania is a fiery redhead and Clay-Battelle High School volleyball player. She hung out with Shelia Eddy and Skylar as much as Rachel Shoaf did. Because she came to Shelias defense early on, she was viewed as a suspect in Skylars disappearance and falsely accused by many local teens. She is still ostracized by them today.

Mikinzy Boggs | Rachels ex-boyfriend, Mikinzy is a guitarist and vocalist who was head over heels in love with her. When he finally learned the truth about Rachel, he came to believe he had been lied to and used for months.

Darek Conaway | The older of two Blacksville brothers, Darek was indicted in September 2012 on five counts of third-degree sexual assault. He pled guilty to count one of the indictment and is now under home confinement. He was also a person of interest in Skylars disappearance until Rachels confession cleared him.

Dylan Conaway | The younger of two Blacksville brothers, Dylan was linked sexually with Shelia. Before moving to Morgantown in the early summer of 2012, he hosted small parties that Shelia, Skylar, and Rachel attended. Dylan was a person of interest in Skylars disappearance until Rachels confession cleared him.

Shelia Eddy | One of Skylars two best friends, Shelia Rae, as her family calls her, is an only child. Pretty and intelligent, Shelia was an honors student at UHS until the fall of 2013. Shelia pled guilty to first-degree murder in January 2014 and was sentenced to life with mercy, making her eligible for parole in fifteen years.

Eric Finch | Because he was the last person known to have interacted with Skylar before she snuck out of her familys apartment on July 6, 2012, police questioned Eric early in her disappearance. He was also one of three teens called to testify at a federal grand jury.

Daniel Hovatter | Skylars closest male friend, Daniel said Skylar was the first person he came out to. He was the only boy who was involved in social activities with Skylar, Shelia, and Rachel outside of school. He became obsessed with finding Skylar, and his unremitting pressure contributed to Rachels confession.

Amorette Hughes | Skylars partner in dance class. The pair texted each other for moral support when they realized they shared a common bondthey both had two best friends who were excluding them.

Morgan Lawrence | Skylars oldest friend and an aspiring meteorologist, Morgan is the only child of a local doctor and his wife. Skylar was a daily visitor in the Lawrence home during elementary school, and the Lawrence family took Skylar with them on many day trips and extended vacations.

Hayden McClead | Another of Skylars closest friends, the soft-spoken Hayden had distanced herself from Skylar because she didnt like Shelia. Hayden got Skylar a job at Wendys. Not long before Skylars murder, the two friends were becoming close again.

Brian Moats | A friend of Floyd Pancoast, eighteen-year-old Brian was driving the night Officer Teets pulled Skylar and her friends over for curfew violation.