Podcasts > Three > Dear Diary | Chapter 3

Dear Diary | Chapter 3

By Wavland

In this episode of the "Dear Diary" podcast, the complex dynamics between three teenage friends, Sheila, Rachel, and Skylar, take a dark turn after Skylar's disappearance. Authorities suspect Sheila and Rachel are withholding crucial information, as their stories continue to change and their behavior grows increasingly evasive.

Investigators uncover unsettling details, including coded diary entries that seemingly reference "the Skylar situation," surveillance footage contradicting Sheila's alibi, and even a recording of her and her friends casually discussing murder methods. As the investigation progresses, authorities grapple with the emotional toll and uncertainty surrounding Skylar's fate, leaving more questions than answers about the circumstances leading to her disappearance.

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Dear Diary | Chapter 3

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Dear Diary | Chapter 3

1-Page Summary

Sheila and Rachel's Dishonesty and Self-Protection

According to investigators, Sheila and Rachel appeared evasive, frequently changing their stories while resisting police interviews and polygraph tests. Rachel even fled during her scheduled polygraph test. As Officer Kolbank observed, their mothers obstructed their cooperation with law enforcement. Increasingly isolating themselves from friends, the teenagers relied heavily on each other while engaging in excessive marijuana use.

Evidence Implicating Sheila and Rachel

Surveillance footage contradicted Sheila's statements about her car's route on the night of Skylar's disappearance. In coded diary entries after the disappearance, Rachel expressed desire to avoid repeating "the Skylar situation," adopting a religious tone. Investigators also uncovered a recording where Sheila casually discussed murder methods with Skylar and Rachel.

Skylar's Troubled Friendship Dynamic

Skylar documented intimate details about Sheila's adventures in her diary, living vicariously through her. After witnessing an encounter between Sheila and Rachel, Skylar felt like an outsider. Despite feeling undervalued by her friends, Skylar hoped to reconcile, known for her forgiving yet feisty nature.

Investigation Challenges

Authorities grew frustrated by the lack of progress despite suspicious behavior from Sheila and Rachel, whom they suspected were withholding information. While some believed the girls witnessed something but were too afraid to share, investigators puzzled over Rachel's extreme shift to religious devotion in her diary, unsure if it signaled witness protection needs.

1-Page Summary

Additional Materials

Clarifications

  • Skylar's troubled friendship dynamic with Sheila and Rachel highlights a complex relationship where Skylar felt overshadowed by her friends, particularly Sheila. Skylar's diary entries reveal her sense of alienation and longing for acceptance within the group. Despite feeling undervalued, Skylar maintained a forgiving nature and hoped to mend the strained relationships. The dynamics among the three friends were marked by a mix of admiration, jealousy, and a desire for belonging.

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Dear Diary | Chapter 3

Sheila and Rachel's Dishonesty with Police and Focus on Protecting Themselves

Sheila and Rachel's conduct during a critical investigation raises concerns about their honesty and their concerted efforts to shield themselves from police scrutiny.

Sheila and Rachel dodging interviews with police and refusing to cooperate

According to investigators, Rachel exhibited discomfort and nonverbal cues that clashed with her oral statements. It was the consensus among investigators that both Sheila and Rachel knew more than they were revealing. In contrast, Sheila appeared unfazed, even trying to sow doubt about facts presented by investigators while frequently changing her story and feigning apologies. Despite her apparent confidence, Sheila failed the polygraph test twice, indicating deception. The examiner posed questions under the assumption that Sheila knew what happened to Skylar that night but was either withholding information or felt threatened.

On the way to take her polygraph test, Rachel's anxiety peaked, leading her to jump from a moving car and bolt down the street. Her father, after informing the police, did not file a missing persons report, anticipating her eventual return. Justine Harman hinted at someone trying to "hide from Popo" and used the phrase "Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?" which implies attempts to evade the police. This evasion included Rachel's dramatic flight from the scheduled polygraph test.

Sheila and Rachel leaning on each other and excluding friends during the investigation

As the investigation intensified, Sheila and Rachel increasingly relied on one another, distancing themselves from their friends. They started to consume much more marijuana than was usual for them, going against their typical pattern of occasional recreational use at parties.

Sheila and Rachel's mothers resisting their cooperati ...

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Sheila and Rachel's Dishonesty with Police and Focus on Protecting Themselves

Additional Materials

Clarifications

  • Officer Jessica Kolbank is a law enforcement officer from the Star City Police department involved in the investigation related to Sheila and Rachel's conduct.
  • Tara is Sheila's mother, who was notably uncooperative during the investigation, complaining to the po ...

Counterarguments

  • Seeking legal representation is a constitutional right and does not necessarily indicate guilt or resistance to cooperation; it may simply be a prudent measure to ensure one's rights are protected.
  • Polygraph tests are not always reliable indicators of truthfulness and can produce false positives; failing a polygraph does not equate to definitive proof of deception.
  • Nonverbal cues and discomfort during questioning can be attributed to a variety of factors, including stress, fear, or anxiety, rather than dishonesty.
  • Changing one's story can sometimes be a result of remembering additional details over time or confusion under pressure, rather than an attempt to deceive.
  • Increased marijuana use could be a coping mechanism for stress unrelated to guilt, such as being under intense scrutiny during a police investigation.
  • Distancing from friends and leaning on each other for support could be a natural response to a stressful situation, rather tha ...

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Dear Diary | Chapter 3

Evidence Pointing to Sheila and Rachel's Involvement

The narrative around Skylar’s disappearance took a turn as evidence began to surface, implicating Sheila and Rachel in the case.

Security footage tracking Sheila's car movements that conflicted with her statements

Surveillance tape from a Sheetz gas station played a pivotal role in the investigation. The footage showed Sheila's car driving west towards Blacksville on the night of Skylar’s disappearance. This was a significant detail because it directly contradicted the girls' claim that they had driven east after picking up Skylar.

Rachel's diary entries coded about "the Skylar situation" after her disappearance

In an examination of Rachel’s diary, investigators found that she began writing in code about "the Skylar situation." The coded messages clearly expressed a desire not to have the events related to Skylar occur again. Rachel's entries right after the disappearance of Skylar shifted in tone; she wrote about being rebaptized and frequently asked for guidance to atone for her sins.

Rachel's diary was not just a collection of coded messages but contained detailed day-to-day entries that documented her life, even intimate moments. After Skylar’s disappearance, there was a notable transition to a more religious tone in her writings, which included reflections on the sins she had committe ...

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Evidence Pointing to Sheila and Rachel's Involvement

Additional Materials

Clarifications

  • The Sheetz gas station's significance in the investigation lies in the surveillance footage it provided, showing Sheila's car heading in a direction that contradicted the statements made by the individuals involved in the case. This discrepancy raised suspicions and pointed towards potential inconsistencies in their accounts of the events surrounding Skylar's disappearance. The footage from the gas station played a crucial role in uncovering new leads and challenging the credibility of the girls' initial claims. The information captured by the surveillance cameras became a key piece of evidence that helped investigators piece together a clearer picture of what might have transpired that night.
  • Rachel's coded diary entries referred to cryptic messages she wrote about the situation involving Skylar Neese's disappearance. These entries indicated a sense of guilt an ...

Counterarguments

  • The security footage does not necessarily prove intent or involvement; it only indicates that Sheila's car was in a different location than previously stated. There could be a variety of reasons for this discrepancy that do not involve wrongdoing.
  • Rachel's diary entries, even if coded, are open to interpretation and do not constitute direct evidence of involvement in a crime. The shift in tone could reflect a personal crisis or guilt over an unrelated issue.
  • Discussions about preferred m ...

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Dear Diary | Chapter 3

Skylar's Willingness to Overlook Sheila's Troubling Behavior

Skylar is portrayed as someone entangled in a complex friendship with Sheila, whose behavior spirals into territories that leave Skylar feeling sidelined and uncomfortable, yet she remains hopeful for the friendship's recovery.

Skylar living vicariously through Sheila's adventurous exploits described in detail

Skylar, often acting as a confidante, absorbed the details of Sheila's sexual adventures. Kolbank reports that Skylar meticulously documented these "sexcapades" in her diary, recounting Sheila's accounts with an attentive ear and a diary that bore witness to it all.

Skylar feeling like a third wheel after Sheila and Rachel's romantic encounter

During a sleepover laden with vodka, Skylar found herself feeling excluded while Sheila and Rachel became physically intimate with each other. This incident was crystalized into Skylar's memory and diary, encapsulating the alienation she felt being the third wheel in the situation. Dave Neese, Skylar’s father, referred to that diary entry when Skylar described witnessing Sheila and Rachel's romantic encounter, leading her to feel marginalized within her own friendship circle.

Skylar hoping her friendship with Sheila and Rachel could recover despite doubts

Even after feeling pushed asi ...

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Skylar's Willingness to Overlook Sheila's Troubling Behavior

Additional Materials

Clarifications

  • Skylar's emotional reactions and complexities stem from her feelings of being sidelined and uncomfortable in her friendship with Sheila, despite her hope for reconciliation. She grapples with a mix of emotions, including feeling like a third wheel during intimate moments between Sheila and Rachel, which leads to a sense of alienation and anger. Despite these challenges, Skylar's forgiving nature and desire for the friendship to me ...

Counterarguments

  • Skylar's meticulous documentation of Sheila's adventures could indicate an unhealthy obsession rather than simple confidante behavior.
  • Feeling like a third wheel might suggest Skylar has issues with boundaries or expectations within friendships that need addressing.
  • Skylar's hope for recovery of the friendship might be unrealistic or even detrimental if the relationship is inherently toxic or if it consistently undermines her self-esteem and comfort.
  • The act of venting on Twitter could be seen as a passive-aggressive way of dealing with conflic ...

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Dear Diary | Chapter 3

The Investigation Hampered by Lack of Cooperation and Motive

The investigation into Skylar's disappearance was significantly obstructed by uncooperative behavior, lack of clear motive, and suspicious activities from close acquaintances.

Investigators' frustration with lack of progress despite suspicious behavior

Authorities, befuddled by the lack of progress in the case, suspected that Sheila and Rachel, close to the missing girl, were deliberately withholding essential information. Their frustration was evident, as they considered Sheila's undeterred confidence during questioning and her calculated efforts to obscure details. This distress was compounded by the fact that Sheila, Rachel, and Sheila's mother persisted in their lack of cooperation which was marked by suspicious behavior, leading the investigators to constantly hit dead ends.

Focus early on that Sheila and Rachel witnessed something but were afraid

Both officials and Skylar's friend Daniel were convinced that Sheila and Rachel had likely witnessed something critical but were too frightened to share. The authorities keyed in early on the possibility that the girls' fear was inhibiting their willingness to divulge what they knew.

Confusion over extreme denial and lies for a potential witness protection motive

The investigation took a peculiar turn when investigators uncovered Rachel's diary, which co ...

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The Investigation Hampered by Lack of Cooperation and Motive

Additional Materials

Clarifications

  • Rachel's diary became significant in the investigation as it contained cryptic references to a "Skylar situation," which was unusual compared to her typical entries. The sudden surge of religious zeal in her notes following Skylar's disappearance puzzled investigators and raised questions about her motives and potential involvement. The diary's contents suggested a possible connection between Rachel's behavior and the events surrounding Skylar's vanishing, leading to further scrutiny of her actions and ...

Counterarguments

  • Sheila and Rachel's lack of cooperation could be due to fear of repercussions rather than guilt.
  • Confidence during questioning does not necessarily indicate that Sheila was trying to obscure details; it could also be a sign of innocence.
  • The persistent lack of cooperation from Sheila, Rachel, and Sheila's mother might stem from a distrust of law enforcement rather than complicity in a crime.
  • The belief that Sheila and Rachel witnessed something could be incorrect; they might genuinely not have information about the incident.
  • The frustration of the investigators might be leading to a biased view of the behavior of Sheila and Rachel.
  • Fear inhibiting someone from sharing critical information could also be due to trauma or shock, not necessarily because they are hiding something.
  • The cryptic references in Rachel's diary could be misinterpreted by the investigators and might not be directly related to the case.
  • A sudden surge o ...

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