MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — It’s been nearly a year since Dave Neese last saw his daughter and Monday morning those frustrations boiled over as, Skylar Neese’s body has yet to be released by the Greene County, Pa. Coroner’s Office.
“Today I finally lost it,” Neese said. “Today was the day I finally told them all what I thought of it and it takes a lot for me to get to that point.”
Skylar was killed in July 2012 but it wasn’t until January 2013 her remains were discovered just across the West Virginia-Pennsylvania line in Greene County. On Monday, Dave and his wife Mary Neese had planned to protest outside of the Coroner’s Office but Monongalia County Prosecutor Marcia Ashdown intervened on the Neese’s behalf.
“They had a big change of heart for some reason. They were scared,” Neese said.
Greene County Coroner Greg Rohanna told Ashdown he had not been given all the information from the FBI necessary to release Skylar’s body. According to Neese, Ashdown agreed to get all the required documents to the coroner and he would complete the reports as quickly as possible. Then Skylar’s body could be released to the West Virginia State Police.
Neese admits he felt a sense of victory when he learned of the news but says the whole ordeal could have been avoided in the first place. Neese says Rahanna was rude and confrontational when they spoke last week and that’s why he and his wife decided to protest.
“It might be your county, your world, your whatever else but it’s my daughter and I am sick and tired of people telling me I can’t see my daughter,” asserted Neese.
Neese acknowledges there’ll likely never be complete closure but says he at least wants to give his daughter a proper funeral and burial. Neese also promises he won’t give up the fight.
“If they don’t do what they say they’re going to do I will go up there and I won’t cancel it this time,” he vowed. “They made me a promise on the phone today they’d better stick to it.”
Rachel Shoaf, 16, has already pleaded guilty to second degree murder in the slaying of Skylar Neese. A second teen has also been charged but she has not been identified. Her case is still pending in juvenile court.