“Rest easy Skylar. You’ll ALWAYS be my best friend.”
– Shelia Eddy, the killer posing as the mourner
That haunting tweet in 2013 wasn’t just a chilling tribute—it was a twisted breadcrumb from a murderer, a cryptic digital confession posted by Shelia Eddy, just months after she and her best friend Rachel Shoaf stabbed Skylar Neese to death.
Throughout history, there have been friendships that turn toxic—and then turn fatal. From teenage fantasies to jealous vendettas, these infamous best friends who killed together expose the dark side of devotion, obsession, and betrayal. Behind their grins and matching selfies lurked secrets that ended in bloodshed, trials, and life sentences.
Here are five of the most chilling cases—and where these “best friends forever” ended up.
Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme: A Brick, a Fantasy, and a Murder That Shocked 1950s New Zealand
In 1954, teenage soulmates Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme bludgeoned Pauline’s mother to death in a Christchurch park. Their motive? Honora Parker disapproved of their intense, delusional friendship and plans to stay together forever.
They used a brick wrapped in a stocking and struck her 45 times.
Both girls were convicted and served five years in prison, then vanished into new identities. Juliet Hulme reinvented herself as Anne Perry, a bestselling crime novelist, while Pauline changed her name and worked as a riding instructor.
Despite public outcry, both have lived free since their release, with Anne Perry passing away in 2023.
Karen Severson and Laura Doyle: Mourning Missy—While Hiding Her Murder
In 1985, best friends Karen Severson and Laura Doyle murdered their childhood friend Michele “Missy” Avila, holding her underwater in a stream after years of jealousy and teenage drama. They pretended to grieve with her family for three years before being exposed.
Their motive? Accusations of stealing boyfriends and gossiping—a betrayal they chose to end with murder.
Convicted in 1990, both women received 15 years to life. Severson sparked controversy by publishing a book about the murder after her release. Doyle has stayed out of the spotlight.
Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf: A “Best Friend” Slaughter in the Woods
On July 6, 2012, 16-year-old Skylar Neese climbed out of her bedroom window to meet her two best friends, Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf. What she didn’t know was that they had planned her murder for months.
The reason?
“We just didn’t like her.” — Rachel Shoaf’s confession.
They stabbed Skylar over 50 times and left her in the woods. Shoaf later cracked under guilt and confessed. Eddy was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder. Shoaf received 30 years with the possibility of parole.
As of 2023, Shoaf became parole eligible. Eddy remains behind bars.
The Collie Killers: Teen Girls Who Thought Murder “Felt Right”
In 2006, two unnamed teenage girls in Collie, Australia, lured their friend Eliza Davis to a sleepover. After partying with drugs and alcohol, they strangled her with speaker wire, then buried her body under a house.
When questioned, the girls said they killed Eliza because it “felt right.”
They had even practiced the murder by killing kittens beforehand. Tried as minors, their identities were sealed. They were each sentenced to 15 years, serving time in juvenile facilities before being moved to women’s prisons. Both remain incarcerated today.
Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser: Slender Man’s Sinister Spell
The crime was surreal. In 2014, two 12-year-old girls—Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser—led their friend Payton Leutner into the woods and stabbed her 19 times, hoping to appease Slender Man, a fictional internet demon.
Miraculously, Payton survived.
Morgan, diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia, was sentenced to 40 years in a psychiatric hospital. Anissa received 25 years with supervision and was released in 2021 under conditions including GPS monitoring and mental health treatment.
This case raised disturbing questions about mental illness, internet mythology, and juvenile justice.
🧠 What Makes Best Friends Kill Together?
Experts point to a toxic mix of social exclusion, shared delusions, and emotional codependency. When two unstable minds collide in a tight friendship, reality can fracture—and violence becomes their shared language.
Some duos formed fantasy-fueled delusions (Parker & Hulme), others spiraled from jealousy (Severson & Doyle), and some simply sought control or power (Eddy & Shoaf). Regardless of the motive, their friendships became deadly alliances.