Betrayed by Best Friends

0:00 The murder of Skyler Nice. On the night of July fifth, twenty twelve, sixteen year old Skyler Nie quietly climbed out of her bedroom window in Star City, West Virginia. Her parents were asleep. She left behind her cell phone charger, her glasses, and a note saying she would be back soon. She never returned. Skyler was an only child who lived with her parents, David and Mary Nice. She was bright, independent and had a close circle of friends. Two of those friends, Sheila Eddie and Rachel Chauff, had been inseparable with her throughout high school.

0:36 Security footage from Skuyler's apartment complex showed her climbing into a sedan around twelve thirty am. Investigators quickly identified the car as belonging to one of her friends. When questioned, Sheila and Rachel claimed they had picked Skyler up, driven around for a short time, and then dropped her off near her apartment. Police initially treated the case as a missing person investigation. Days turned into weeks. Search teams combed forests, rivers, and abandoned properties throughout the area.

1:07 Flyers appeared across West Virginia and neighboring states, but something felt wrong as detectives dug deeper. They discovered inconsistencies in the stories told by Sheila and Rachel. Their accounts changed repeatedly. Social media posts from both girls also raised suspicions. Despite claiming to be devastated by Skuyler's disappearance, they often appeared carefree online. Months passed without answers. Then, in December twenty twelve, investigators received a major breakthrough. Rachel Chauff suffered an emotional breakdown and confessed she revealed a horrifying truth.

1:45 According to Rachel, she and Sheila had planned Schuyler's murder for months. On the night of July fifth, they picked her up and drove across state lines into a remote wooded area in Pennsylvania. Once there, the three girls got out of the vehicle without warning. Sheila and Rachel attacked Skyler with knives. Skyler tried to run. She fought desperately for her life, but the attack was relentless. The two girls stabbed her repeatedly before leaving her body hidden in the woods. When detectives asked why they did it, Rachel's answer stunned everyone.

2:20 We just didn't like her anymore. Investigators later recovered Skyler's remains in a remote area of Pennsylvania, based on Rachel's directions. The discovery devastated her family and shocked the nation. In twenty thirteen, Rachel Chauff pleaded guilty to second degree murder and received a sentence of thirty years in prison, with eligibility for parole after serving part of her sentence. A year later, Shila Eddie pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after fifteen years under West Virginia law.

2:54 At the time, the case became one of the most disturbing crimes involving teenage pertrators in modern American history. What made it especially chilling was that Skuyler had not been lured by a stranger. She had gotten into a car with the two people she trusted most for her parents. The betrayal was almost impossible to comprehend. The girls, who had spent time in their home, shared meals with their daughter and called themselves her best friends, had secretly planned her murder. Today, Skuyler's story remains a haunting reminder that danger does not always come from strangers.

3:29 Sometimes it comes from the people standing closest to you, smiling for photographs, sharing your secrets, and calling you their friend.