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When 16-year-old Skylar Neese disappeared in July 2012, a large search effort began across Morgantown, West Virginia, where she was from. At first, authorities believed the teenager may have left her home voluntarily after climbing out of her bedroom window during the night. But as the investigation progressed, inconsistencies in the case began to emerge, raising concerns about what really happened in the hours before she vanished.
Neese’s story is explored in Hulu’s Friends Like These: The Murder of Skylar Neese, which uses archival footage, social media activity and police records to piece together the timeline of her disappearance and the developments that eventually led authorities to uncover the truth behind the case.
Clair Titley, director of the documentary, says the series approaches the story differently from what was already reported about the case: “Early on, what we want to do is create a sort of an inside-out investigation. We look at it from Skylar’s and her peers’ perspective, and it’s all about building that world.”
Close circle of friends
Skylar Neese grew up in Morgantown, a university town in northern West Virginia best known as the home of West Virginia University. By most accounts, her life was typical for a high school sophomore. She worked part-time at a Wendy’s restaurant, maintained good grades, and spent most of her time with a small group of friends.
At the center of the friend circle were two girls she had known for years: Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf. The three teenagers were frequently seen together at school and around town, often driving around late at night or spending time at one another’s homes.
Skylar’s parents later said she had been especially close with Shelia Eddy. The two met as children and remained friends throughout middle school and high school.
“They had been friends since they were eight years old,” Skylar’s mother, Mary Neese, said in the documentary. “They were inseparable.”
Despite their…
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