Rachel Shoaf and Shelia Eddy have been likened to real-life “Mean Girls,” but their respective murder convictions for the 2012 death of West Virginia teenager Skylar Neese are no laughing matter.
The three-part Hulu docuseries Friends Like These: The Murder of Skylar Neese begins streaming Friday, March 6, and examines what drove high schoolers Shoaf and Eddy to stab their classmate, then 16, to death on July 6, 2012.
Shoaf infamously told investigators the pair killed Neese because they simply “just didn’t like her,” but later shared in court she and Eddy had a secret romantic relationship they wished to conceal. In any case, Shoaf pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2013 and Eddy to first-degree murder the following year. They are still incarcerated today and even housed inside the same prison.
Here’s what we know about the teen killers and their lives now.
Which Prison Are Shoaf and Eddy Incarcerated At?
According to West Virginia’s Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, both Shoaf and Eddy and currently housed at Lakin Correctional Center, a maximum-security prison located in West Columbia, West Virginia.
Despite its strict security protocol, the facility has garnered a contradictory reputation. A former inmate named Stormy Wilson appeared on the Three podcast in 2014. She claimed to hosts Justine Harman and Holly Millea that inmates at Lakin are allowed music and gaming systems for entertainment, along with tablets to play games and contact family and friends.
The prison is sometimes called “Camp Cupcake,” a derisive nickname borrowed from the Federal Prison Camp Alderson also in West Virginia. The latter is where Martha Stewart served time following her 2004 conviction on counts of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and making false statements.
Wilson said she personally reached out to Skylar’s parents Dave and Mary Neese after her 2017 release to let them know about the lax protocols. Because of their status as high-profile inmates, Shoaf and Eddy receive also “stacks and stacks” of fan mail.
How Has Life Been for Shoaf in Prison?
According to Three, which featured a 10-part examination of Neese’s murder in its first season, Shoaf transferred to the prison from a juvenile facility once she turned 18 years old.
Shoaf, now 29, earned her cosmetology license while incarcerated, and she also started a prayer group and leads a choir and holiday plays.
Although inmates are not allowed to have any physical contact, Shoaf began a relationship with another inmate named Amy Cobb. According to the podcast, the pair were separated as cellmates, but continued to see each other in the recreational yard.
Following Cobb’s release after serving time for credit card fraud, she and Shoaf married on April 23, 2019. The two divorced a little more than three years later in July 2022.
What Is Eddy Like in Prison?
While Shoaf threw herself into artistic outlets, the more outgoing Eddy, 30, “thrives” in prison through social status.
Wilson recalled sitting next to Eddy for the first time while keeping score during a baseball game. “That was the first time like, I got like, close-up, eye-to-eye contact with Shelia. I don’t know, it’s like, you get cold chills looking at Shelia,” Wilson told the podcast. “I don’t know, it’s like a different feeling. It’s like how did people even not realize that in the real world, that she had that evil.”
According to Wilson, Eddy had a loud argument with Shoaf upon her arrival and blamed her for “telling on her.” Shoaf initially confessed their involvement in Neese’s murder in January 2013, and even attempted to wear a wire in an attempt to get Eddy to incriminate herself.
Shelia is very popular, has “a ton of friends,” and has manipulative tendencies, Wilson said. “It’s sad that she has her own little colony and is like the queen ant,” she added.
The hosts of Three said they reached out to both Shoaf and Eddy with questions about their life in prison and the events preceding Neese’s murder, but they didn’t receive a response as of the episode’s air date.
How Much Time Is Left on Shoaf and Eddy’s Prison Sentences?
Because of her cooperation with authorities, Shoaf was able to plead guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison with eligibility for parole after 10 years.
It was during a parole hearing that Shoaf offered a motive for Neese’s murder, revealing she and Eddy were in a romantic relationship at the time and feared their friend would divulge the secret. “We feared it would jeopardize our relationship,” Shoaf said, adding she feared expulsion from her family and church if the relationship became public. “There’s nothing I can say that can give anyone answers or closure.”
A state board denied Shoaf parole for the first time in May 2023 and again in July 2024, according to WDTV 5. The board also explained that Shoaf needed to remain free of write-ups in prison and acquire a home plan to have any chance of parole the following year. However, WBOY 12 confirmed that Shoaf waived her next hearing and is instead eligible in June 2026.
Because of her first-degree murder conviction, Eddy was sentenced to life in prison with mercy—a West Virginia legal stipulation allowing for parole after 15 years. She is first eligible for review in 2028.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
