Sally McNeil is the focus of the new Netflix docu-series Killer Sally – and, if you love true crime, you’ll want to dive right in.
Killer Sally tells the real-life story of the ex-Marine, who blasted her husband Ray McNeil to death with a sawn-off shotgun.
Both were famous bodybuilders.
The shocking Valentine’s Day killing made headlines around the world and rocked the bodybuilding community.
Sally McNeil called the police straightaway, claiming it was self-defence.
But the jury didn’t believe her.
So what happened, and where is Sally McNeil now?
Here’s everything you need to know.
***Warning: Contains distressing details about the murder of Ray McNeil***
Killer Sally on Netflix: How many episodes are there?
The true crime documentary series is released on Netflix on Wednesday November 2 2022, and has three episodes.
It follows Sally’s story from growing up with alcoholic parents to joining the Marines, having children with her first husband Anthony Lowden, and meeting her second husband, Ray McNeil, in 1987.
Through interviews with Sally and Ray’s close friends, her children Shantina and John, and experts and lawyers on both sides, Killer Sally pieces together how their toxic relationship ended in tragedy.
What did Sally McNeil do to her husband?
On the evening of Valentine’s Day 1995, Sally McNeil was in her California seaside apartment with her children.
She was angry that her husband Ray hadn’t come home.
Sally claimed she went into the bedroom to get ready and put on make-up to look for Ray in a local bar.
However, he suddenly showed up and a huge row erupted between them.
According to Sally, Ray hit her and tried to strangle her.
Sally’s young daughter, Shantina, was in the room next door and heard her mum “choking”.
Then, former Marine Sally clambered into the bedroom and grabbed their sawn-off shotgun.
Did Sally kill her husband instantly?
Sally loaded the gun, returned to the living room and shot Ray in the stomach.
Hearing the commotion, Shantina ran into the room carrying a baseball bat.
She saw her stepdad Ray “falling to the ground”.
According to the prosecution, Sally went back to the bedroom and reloaded her gun.
Then she returned to blast him in the face as he lay fatally injured.
Sally denied this – she said she shot him again immediately.
But forensic evidence from blood splattered inside a lamp showed Ray was already on the floor when the second shot hit him. And a used bullet case (from the first shot) was found in the bedroom.
The prosecution argued this bullet case proved she had gone to the bedroom to re-load between shots. This, they said, made her actions pre-meditated and showed she wanted to kill him.
The second shot blasted off half his face.
Sally immediately called the police and said: “I just shot my husband because he beat me up.”
Soon after, paramedics arrived and rushed him to hospital, but the first shot proved fatal. It had ripped through his liver and internal organs.
Killer Sally on Netflix: Were Sally and Ray on steroids?
Steroids can increase aggression and, on the day of the murder, Ray was using five different types.
Sally McNeil claimed she worked relentlessly to pay for his steroids – spending $24,000 (£21,800) in one year on them.
He used several different types to bulk up his muscles for bodybuilding.
Sally drove across the border to Mexico to buy them, sometimes with her kids in the car.
“Every time he’s doing a show, he’s doing more steroids, and that’s when the beatings got worse,” Sally said.
Sally also took steroids from time to time, and her military records showed she had assaulted people in the past.
Even her son, John, said she could be aggressive.
How did Sally McNeil pay for the steroids?
Sally made her money from performing in wrestling “fetish” videos, and men would pay $300 (£260) a hour to wrestle privately with her.
Some just wanted to look at or touch her muscles. Others wanted her to pin them down.
She denied that any demanded or expected sex.
Her daughter Shantina described the men as “creepy and embarrassing”.
When Sally was charged, some of the men – and other supporters – raised $100,000 (£86,000) so she could be released on bail.
Was Ray having an affair?
Ray was having an affair, according to his friends.
In fact, he’d allegedly had many of them.
One said Ray was in love with another woman, Marianne. They’d reportedly been together for three and a half years, and he planned to leave Sally for her.
He was said to be with Marianne on Valentine’s Day, which is why he was late home.
Sally had already threatened Marianne and told her to stay away from their gym.
The prosecution argued that Sally killed Ray in a jealous rage.
Killer Sally on Netflix: Was Sally McNeil a victim of domestic abuse?
Yes, Sally McNeil was the victim of domestic abuse according to her children.
Both of Sally’s children, Shantina and John, saw Ray attack their mum on many occasions.
John recalled how Ray spanked him with a belt, and forced him to watch as he hit Shantina.
Sally also claimed Ray regularly raped her.
So in court, the defence argued that Sally was a “battered woman” who lived in fear for her life and acted in self-defence.
Later, her son John admitted that seeing his stepfather dead was “a relief” because the beatings would stop.
John did not give evidence in court as he was so young.
As an adult, John said his mother was aggressive towards some people and recalled how Sally would wear rings on her fingers to make her punches stronger.
What happened to Sally?
Sally was found guilty of second-degree murder. She spent 25 years in prison.
Today, much more is known about “battered woman syndrome”. It leads some women to kill their partners after years of abuse.
Such a defence has seen some convictions overturned.
So we will never know whether a jury today would have reached a different verdict.
Where is Sally McNeil now?
Sally was released on parole in June 2020. She lives in Northern California.
Sally has yet to file an appeal to quash her conviction and, for now, says she is happy being free.
Evidently, the killing of Ray McNeil devastated all their lives, but they continue to rebuild them.
Sally recently married a new boyfriend. Both her children attended their mum’s wedding.
She is now 62 years of age.
Killer Sally on Netflix: What happened to Sally McNeil’s children?
At first, Sally McNeil’s children Shantina and John went to a children’s home.
Then they went to live with their grandparents in Eastern USA, 3000 miles from the California prison where Sally was held.
To begin with, Shantina and John visited Sally in prison once a year, in July.
But by 2004, Shantina decided to stop making the journey.
She said it was easier to tell people her parents died on Valentine’s Day 1995 than admit the truth.
Both Shantina and John went into the military and served in war zones.
John did five tours in Afghanistan, before struggling with addiction and domestic violence issues.
Later, Shantina left a violent relationship and is now bringing up her son alone.
Read more: Libby Squire death: The clues that caught her killer Pawel Relowicz
Sally McNeil is the focus of Killer Sally on Netflix, which airs from November 02 2022.
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