Press release - Series

April 10, 2024

‘20/20’ Investigates the Murder of a 16-Year-Old Girl Killed by Her Best Friends

Program Airs Friday, April 12 (9:01-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC, Next Day on Hulu

ABC News*

When 16-year-old Skylar Neese disappeared, authorities initially suspected she was a runaway. The only lead police had was a mysterious security surveillance video showing Skylar getting into the back seat of an unknown vehicle shortly after midnight. After months of searching, the tight-knit West Virginia community was shocked when Skylar’s two best friends confessed to luring Skylar out of her family’s apartment, stabbing her to death, and hiding her body under branches in the woods. In a new “20/20,” ABC News correspondent Ryan Smith investigates the unthinkable crime committed by murderers no one saw coming — teenage girls.

The two-hour program features one of the killer’s recent disclosure of an alleged love affair with her co-defendant as the motive for the murder and interviews with Holly Millea, Justine Harman and Jason Hoch, the hosts and executive producer of the podcast based on the story, “Three”; Tom Bloom, a former counselor at University High School, the school the victim and killers attended; Chris Berry, a retired West Virginia police officer; Marcia Ashdown, a retired Monongalia County prosecutor; and Perry Joe DeChristopher, a former assistant Monongalia County prosecutor and current chief judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court. “20/20” airs Friday, April 12 (9:01-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC, next day on Hulu.

ABC News’ “20/20” is the No. 1 award-winning primetime program anchored by David Muir and Deborah Roberts. A proven leader as a long-form newsmagazine for over 45 years, “20/20” features unforgettable, character-driven true-crime mysteries, exclusive newsmaker interviews, hard-hitting investigative reports and in-depth coverage of high-profile stories. Janice Johnston is the executive producer. The two-hour “20/20” events air Fridays from 9:01-11:00 p.m. EDT on ABC and are available to stream on ABC News digital platforms and Hulu.

*COPYRIGHT ©2024 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All photography is copyrighted material and is for editorial use only. Images are not to be archived, altered, duplicated, resold, retransmitted or used for any other purposes without written permission of ABC News. Images are distributed to the press in order to publicize current programming. Any other usage must be licensed.

RELEASE:

ABC News Media Relations
Sarah Jautz
sarah.jautz@abc.com

Bridgette Maney
bridgette@bridgepr.net