The Savage Murder of Skylar Neese: The Truth Behind the Headlines Read Free

and drove Skylar home.
    Officer Jessica Colebank : The first Star City police officer to work full-time on Skylar’s case, Colebank was obsessed with finding Skylar throughout the fall of 2012. Along with the FBI and West Virginia State Police, she logged hundreds of hours on the case, and was one of the first investigators to insist that Shelia and Rachel were hiding something.
    Chief Vic Propst : Chief of the Star City Police Department, Propst is a longtime law enforcement officer who functioned in a supervisory role in the investigation into Skylar’s disappearance.
    FBI Agent Morgan Spurlock: An FBI agent and accountant, Spurlock is known for his boyish looks and ever-present backpack. He worked on the bank robbery case and Skylar’s disappearance.
    Corporal Ronnie Gaskins : The lead investigator on Skylar’s case, the thoughtful, soft-spoken state trooper initially took an interest in Skylar’s disappearance when he thought it might be connected to area bank robberies. Gaskins enlisted the aid of Trooper Chris Berry and together the two tracked down many of the key facts about the case.
    Senior Trooper Chris Berry [no relation to the author]: A self-assured, brash state trooper, Berry was originally transferred from the Fairmont detachment specifically to investigate the bank robberies. He took a personal interest in finding Skylar because he was so moved by the contents of her diary. Working on the case, often without pay, severely strained Berry’s marriage.
    Monongalia County Sheriff’s Deputy Timothy Hunn : A friend of Jessica Colebank’s, Hunn procured ATVs for himself, Colebank, and Berry to ride during their off-hours, searching the backwoods of the remote, tree-covered western panhandle of the county.
    Greene County Coroner Gregory Rohanna : An elected Pennsylvania official, Rohanna refused to release Skylar’s remains in early July. His actions created a huge public outcry and focused even more media attention on the murder, as people threatened to protest on his office steps.
    The Court
    Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney Marcia Ashdown : Ashdown has been prosecutor since 1996 and was lead prosecutor in the case of West Virginia v. Shelia Eddy. Although she runs a tight-lipped prosecutor’s office, she has been known to speak out on issues involving the rights of women and children. She is also a zealous prosecutor in child abuse cases.
    Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Perri DeChristopher : Second chair in the case against Shelia Eddy, DeChristopher is known as an effective litigator. She just completed a two-year term as secretary of the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Association. She functioned as the Neeses’ primary contact about progress in the cases against Rachel and Shelia.
    Mike Benninger : Shelia’s defense attorney, Benninger is a big bear of a guy who got his start as a personal injury attorney. Benninger has a commanding demeanor in the courtroom. He reportedly told Shelia’s parents his job was to simply keep her from receiving a life sentence.
    John Angotti : Rachel’s lead defense attorney, Angotti is known as a thorough and skilled criminal lawyer, the son of former Monongalia County prosecutor Sam Angotti. He is experienced, well-connected, and smart.
    Monongalia County Circuit Judge Russell M. Clawges : Known as a deliberative and fair judge, Clawges has held the position since 1997. He and his wife reared two daughters.
    University High School Faculty
    Sherri Burgess: A new principal at the time Skylar disappeared, Burgess mandated that faculty and staff not discuss Skylar’s murder or events subsequent to it. Her actions in the wake of Skylar’s murder have been widely criticized by students and parents.
    Pete Cheesebrough : An assistant principal at University High School, Cheesbrough was arguably the “face” of the UHS administration. He was well liked by UHS students.
    Richard Kyer : Rachel’s drama teacher, Kyer consistently defended Rachel, telling other