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Father of Skylar Neese said he wanted to look Rachel Shoaf 'in the eyes' as she is denied parole

Skylar Neese's father, Dave, said he wished he was able to look his daughter's murderer 'in the eye and tell her exactly what I thought of her' as she was denied parole today

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Dave Neese said he hoped Rachel Shoaf will remain behind bars where 'she belongs' for the rest of her sentence, after a parole board on Tuesday rejected her efforts for early release.

'My feelings towards her will never change,' Dave Neese said moments after the Zoom parole hearing. 'This girl made her mark on me and my family by taking away our only daughter. She meant to do what she did.' 

Teens Shelia Eddy and Shoaf lured Skylar Neese from her home in West Virginia in July 2012. They drove to the woods in Pennsylvania, and Eddy and Shoaf stabbed Skylar to death and dumped her body along the road.

Both teenagers comforted Skylar's parents and played the part of grieving friends when Neese was reported missing, before Shoaf finally admitted to the senseless murder in early 2013.

In May of that year, Shoaf, then 17, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison with the possibility of parole in 10 years.

That possibility was rejected today.  

Skylar's father, Dave, pictured with his wife, Mary, and their daughter when she was a child said he wished he was able to look his daughter's murderer 'in the eye and tell her exactly what I thought of her'

Skylar's father, Dave, pictured with his wife, Mary, and their daughter when she was a child said he wished he was able to look his daughter's murderer 'in the eye and tell her exactly what I thought of her'

Rachel Shoaf was denied parole today after being sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2013

Rachel Shoaf was denied parole today after being sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2013

Dave and Mary Neese hold up a photo of their missing daughter months before Shoaf admitted to the killing

Dave and Mary Neese hold up a photo of their missing daughter months before Shoaf admitted to the killing 

The hearing was held on Zoom and wasn't open to the public. Dave Neese spoke from a conference room, while Shoaf spoke from her West Virginia woman's prison. After the hearing, Neese said he was disappointed he was not able to see his daughter's murderer face-to-face a decade after she was ordered to prison.  

'I wanted to look her in the eye and tell her exactly what I thought of her but I didn't get that chance. But she heard it,' he said. 

He said he believed 'justice spoke for itself today.'     

'The parole board saw through her lies. It didn't take them a long time to deliberate and come back with an answer,' he continued.

Skylar's parents wore purple to the hearing - which was their daughter's favorite color - and quickly posted on social media the board's decision.

'Rachel Shoaf and Shelia Eddy are both where they belong,' Dave Neese said. 'And hopefully they will stay there. Today there was a little bit of justice served.'

Shoaf, 26, appeared via video link at the hearing, which was also attended by Skylar's mother, Mary. 

Shoaf was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the brutal and senseless murder in May 2013

Shoaf was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the brutal and senseless murder in May 2013

Sheila Eddy (pictured) and Rachel Shoaf, now both 23, lured 16-year-old Skylar Neese from her home in July 2012 and stabbed her to death ter confessing to the murder, Shoaf (pictured) said it was because they didn't like Neese anymore

Sheila Eddy (left) and Rachel Shoaf (right) smile in mugshots from 2019. The pair lured 16-year-old Skylar Neese from her home in July 2012 and stabbed her to death. After confessing to the murder, Shoaf said it was because they didn't like Neese anymore 

According to WBOY 12 News, when asked what she would say to the family, Shoaf said in a statement: 'I can’t express how sorry I am for what I have done and for the pain I have caused.

'I loved her. I know what we did was terrible and there’s no words to describe the pain that we caused and I know there is nothing I can say or do.

'I just pray for them all the time and pray for peace in their heart. I would trade places with Skylar so she could be with her loved ones.

'I just want them to know how deeply sorry I am.'

Shoaf also allegedly said: 'I’ve made a terrible, terrible mistake that I can’t change, but I’m not a bad person because I made one bad choice.' 

Speaking to DailyMail.com, Neese said he believed it was all 'an act.' 

'She's an actress. That's what she does, she acts. That's all it was today, it was an act. She knew what she was doing,' he said.  

'She at one point called it an accident. An accident is when you bump into somebody. An accident is not planning something over the year and then carrying it out.'

Prosecutors said Shoaf and Eddy plotted to kill their friend, but at the time of Shoaf's confession, a motive for the brutal murder was not revealed.

Shoaf allegedly told police the girls no longer wanted to be friends with Skylar, and prosecutors said it was due to a deteriorating friendship and fears that Skylar would divulge secrets.

Speaking at the hearing today, Shoaf reportedly said that she and Eddy were in a relationship and feared consequences if they were exposed.

'After things became known with the relationship, there was tension between us,' Shoaf said. It was hostile and violent, in our teenage minds we didn’t know how to handle the conflict and we just wanted it to stop.'

Neese said he was 'furious' when he heard Shoaf trying to 'blame Skylar.' 

'She said she was afraid Skylar would tell that they were in a lesbian relationship. Skylar could care less. She had gay friends, it didn't bother her a bit,' he said.

'For those girls to do what they did, you have to be insane. You don't want people like that walking around the streets,' he added. 

Neese said he felt 'justice spoke for itself today' after the hearing, where was able to testify a decade on from his daughter's murder Neese said he was 'furious' when he heard Shoaf trying to 'blame Skylar' at the parole hearing

Neese said he felt 'justice spoke for itself today' after the hearing, where was able to testify a decade on from his daughter's murder

This photo was allegedly taken just a day after the murder showing Rachel (right) looking carefree at the beach

This photo was allegedly taken just a day after the murder showing Rachel (right) looking carefree at the beach

Killers Rachel Shoaf (left) and Sheila Eddy (center) with their friend, and later victim Skylar Neese (right) in a Facebook photo

Killers Rachel Shoaf (left) and Sheila Eddy (center) with their friend, and later victim Skylar Neese (right) in a Facebook photo

In a prepared statement obtained by WBOY 12 News, Neese told the hearing why he believed Shoaf should not be granted parole. 

'This narcissistic, first-degree, cold-blooded killer is not sorry for the brutal murder of my only child. It’s my belief that she is proud she murdered my daughter in cold blood. The day after she plunged kitchen knives into my child, this devil was seen on a friend’s boat, smiling and posing for photographs,' he said.

He said that Shoaf had chosen the day of July 6 as she wanted to kill Skylar before she went to church camp.

'Just another task to mark off of her list, like standing over my child saying “Die, b****!” as my baby girl took her last breath, because the evil butcher didn’t want to be her friend,' he continued.

Before the hearing, over 33,000 people signed an online petition with hopes that Shoaf will remain behind bars.

Shoaf is currently incarcerated at the Lakin Correctional Center in Mason County.

Eddy was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole after 15 years. 

In the early hours of July 6, the pair picked up Skylar from her apartment in Star City, before smoking marijuana and driving toward Pennsylvania.

Shoaf allegedly also blamed her actions on being under the influence of the drug.

Shoaf and Eddy hid kitchen knives under their clothes and on the count of three, began to stab Skylar repeatedly.

The pair planned to bury the body, bringing a shovel with them, but authorities said they were not strong enough to break the ground and so they dragged her body away from the road and covered her in debris.

Shoaf and Eddy then returned home and played the part of distraught friends, crying and grieving with Skylar's parents.

Shoaf tweeted: 'Where @ highastheSky?' - the name Skylar used on Twitter, and both teenagers continued to post chilling messages on social media in the months following the murder.

Sheila Eddy, pictured in court in 2014, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder

Sheila Eddy, pictured in court in 2014, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder

The place where the teenagers left Skylar's body in Pennsylvania is now a memorial

The place where the teenagers left Skylar's body in Pennsylvania is now a memorial 

Skylar's father, Dave, said how the pair helped the family distribute missing person flyers, and Eddy asked to come over and sit on the missing girl's bed.

Skylar's aunt Carol Michaud said in 2013: 'She came and acted as if she knew nothing. She pretended and stayed with us and comforted us and swore she had no idea what was going. To come to this day and admit she did just shows how evil she can be.'

In January 2013, Shoaf finally cracked and told investigators what had happened and where to find the body.

The site is now a memorial to Skylar, with photos and mementos of her life.

According to the West Virginia Division of Corrections, Shoaf's projected release date is April 30, 2028.

Since her death, Skylar's parents spearheaded a push to create Skylar's Law, which would require Amber Alerts to be issued in West Virginia for all missing children. 

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