Article in today's paper. the Dominion Post.
Rachel Shoaf told police that she and another juvenile planned and conspired in the murder of Skylar Neese, according to a court transcript from
Shoaf ’s May 1 plea hearing. That transcript quotes Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney Marcia Ashdown as saying,“... at a planned and
agreed upon moment,[Shoaf] and the other juvenile attacked
and stabbed Skylar to death, and they left her there.” The Dominion Post obtained a copy of the transcript Wednesday. The media had not been notified of Shoaf’s plea hearing, which began as a juvenile proceeding
but, at Shoaf ’s and her attorney’s consent, was transferred to adult
status. The adult part of the hearing is public record. Shoaf, 16 — one of Skylar’s closest friends and a former University High School student —
pleaded guilty to second-degree murder during the hearing.
A second teen has been charged as a juvenile in the case, and, as
such, no information in her proceedings has been made public. It is possible
that her case could be also transferred to adult status if ordered by a
judge or if, like Shoaf, she consents to the transfer. According to the transcript, Circuit Judge Russell Clawges said that, after reading information
provided with Shoaf’s case, he felt that the state could’ve charged Shoaf with
first-degree murder. He wanted to make sure that Shoaf ’s plea agreement was OK with Skylar’s family. Ashdown replied that the family was OK with the
agreement and noted that the agreement was recognition of Shoaf ’s assistance in the investigation, which resulted in the recovery of
Skylar’s remains. During Shoaf’s plea hearing, Ashdown briefed
the court of the state’s evidence in the case. According to the transcript,
Ashdown said Shoaf told police that she and the other juvenile planned to kill Skylar and carried out the plan July 6 the date Skylar was last seen alive.
Ashdown said it wasn’t until Jan. 3 that Shoaf agreed to give information
to police.“I think police who nwere involved in the front lines of that interview and that part of the investigation were stunned at Rachel Shoaf’s confession,” Ashdown said in the transcript.“She confessed
to a plan and conspiracy with another juvenile to kill Skylar Neese.
A plan carried out.” Ashdown outlined Shoaf ’s statement to police.
She said Shoaf said she and the other juvenile picked up Skylar in a vehicle
belonging to the other juvenile just after midnight July 6. Skylar had planned
to meet them outside. Ashdown said they drove to Pennsylvania.
“They got out of the car along the way on a road there and were socializing
in some degree, and, at a planned and agreed upon moment,
[Shoaf] and the other juvenile attacked and stabbed Skylar to death,
and they left her there,” the prosecutor said. Ashdown said Shoaf
and the other teen attempted to bury Skylar or thought that they
would be able to bury her but couldn’t. They covered her with branches
and left her along the road, she said. She does not say specifically where
Skylar was killed or where she was left. Clawges asked Shoaf if
Ashdown’s summary of her statement was correct and Shoaf replied,
“Yes, sir.” Ashdown said during the hearing that a small amount of Skylar’s blood was found on the vehicle. Ashdown also said that witnesses have recently come forward to say that they had heard “this kind of conversation” going on between Shoaf and the other juvenile. The witnesses said they thought it was just a joke, but “only later decided and believed it was all too true and all
too prophetic,” Ashdown said. Investigators were able to locate Skylar’s remains because Shoaf told them where the remains would
be found, Ashdown said. According to the coroner’s office in Greene
County, Pa., Skylar’s remains were found Jan. 16, off Morris Run Road in
Wayne Township, Pa. FBI testing confirmed that the remains were
Sk ylar’s and, in March, federal authorities released that information to
the public. Some juvenile hearings were held Wednesday in Monongalia County Circuit Court, but Ashdown said she could not confirm that any of those hearings were held in connection with Skylar’s case because state code prevents her from discussing juvenile matters. Ashdown has told The
Dominion Post, however,that her office would release more information
on the juvenile charged in Skylar’s case if that juvenile’s case is transferred
to adult status. If that occurs, proceedings would be open to the public.
According to Shoaf ’s transcript, Clawges ordered Shoaf to undergo
a diagnosis and classification evaluation, which lasts up to 60 days
and is common in high-profile cases. She will be sentenced after that occurs and could face anywhere from 10 to 40 years, per state code.