Shelia Eddy stays in prison until 2026 because she received a life sentence with parole eligibility beginning in 2029 after she participated in the deadly 2012 stabbing of her best friend Skylar Neese. The case which shocked West Virginia and gained renewed attention through Hulu’s docuseries Friends Like These continues to captivate true crime audiences worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On July 6, 2012, 16-year-old Skylar Neese snuck out of her Star City, West Virginia home to meet friends Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf for what she thought was a casual night of smoking marijuana. The two women led her to a woodland area which exists in Pennsylvania’s Panhandle Trail where they used kitchen knives to stab her more than 50 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The three friends had developed mounting tensions which reached a breaking point because of minor online arguments and typical adolescent conflicts. Shoaf later confessed that she and Eddy planned the attack simply because “they didn’t like her anymore,” a chilling motive that underscored the senselessness of the crime. Skylar’s body remained missing until January 2013 when Shoaf experienced a guilt breakdown which resulted in her directing police to the location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eddy who was 18 at the time first acted as the sorrowful best friend who searched for Skylar while posting emotional videos which he shared on social media. The deception she maintained throughout her life collapsed when Shoaf made his confession and attempted to frame her by using a wire recording device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eddy faced arrest in 2013 after authorities charged him with kidnapping and first-degree murder and conspiracy. In 2014 she went to trial but accepted a plea agreement which required her to admit guilt for murder and receive a life sentence with parole eligibility after 15 years. She received her sentence in February 2014 after showing no remorse during the court proceedings while she reportedly smiled at her supporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, 30-year-old Shelia Eddy is housed at Lakin Correctional Center, a maximum-security women’s prison in West Columbia, West Virginia\u2014same as Shoaf. Inmates there have access to tablets for games and family calls, music systems, and gaming consoles, offering some normalcy amid strict routines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former inmates describe Eddy as thriving socially, building a “colony” of friends and acting like the “queen ant” with manipulative charm. She reportedly clashed loudly with Shoaf upon her arrival, blaming her for the confession. Eddy was once engaged but the relationship ended; rumors swirl of romantic ties inside, mirroring Shoaf’s outside girlfriend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n