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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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.
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 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.
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
Sheila and Rachel's conduct during a critical investigation raises concerns about their honesty and their concerted efforts to shield themselves from police scrutiny.
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.
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 Dishonesty with Police and Focus on Protecting Themselves
The narrative around Skylar’s disappearance took a turn as evidence began to surface, implicating Sheila and Rachel in the case.
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.
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 ...
Evidence Pointing to Sheila and Rachel's Involvement
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, 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.
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.
Even after feeling pushed asi ...
Skylar's Willingness to Overlook Sheila's Troubling Behavior
The investigation into Skylar's disappearance was significantly obstructed by uncooperative behavior, lack of clear motive, and suspicious activities from close acquaintances.
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.
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.
The investigation took a peculiar turn when investigators uncovered Rachel's diary, which co ...
The Investigation Hampered by Lack of Cooperation and Motive
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