On July 6, 2012, a Morgantown teenager named Skylar Neese snuck out of her bedroom window in the middle of the night to meet her two best friends, Sheila Eddy and Rachel Shoaf.
Eddy and Shoaf later returned to their homes – Skylar did not.
The three girls, all students at University High School at the time, drove to a backroad in Brave, Pa., where Skylar would be stabbed to death by the girls she knew as friends.
Ten years after the brutal murder of their only child at the hands of her two so-called buddies, Skylar’s parents want to make sure she is remembered as the kind, fun, caring, beautiful girl she was.
Skylar’s father, Dave Neese, still struggles to find the words to describe his feelings, but said a poem called “Forever Sixteen,” written by family friend Jacki Morgan, sums it up perfectly.
“I am often told how strong of a man I am. That is not a true statement. I do what is necessary to survive each day,” the opening line of the poem reads.
“Due to sickness and evil, Skylar will be forever sixteen,” the poem closes.
For several months after her disappearance, the Morgantown community, including her killers, helped search for the missing teen.
Shoaf, who ultimately confessed first and led investigators to the location of Skylar’s body, will be eligible for parole next year.
The Neeses say they will continue to honor their daughter by speaking out in the community and encouraging parents to get involved and ask questions when seeing changes in teenagers.
For the complete story on the 10-year anniversary of Skylar Neese’s murder be sure to check out this week’s Sunday edition of the Dominion Post.
