Sally McNeil also known as Killer McNeil, is an American former professional bodybuilder who was convicted of second-degree murder in the 1995 Valentine’s Day shooting execution of her husband and fellow bodybuilder, Ray McNeil, on March 19, 1996. Sally McNeil was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison for her conviction.
Her conviction was initially overturned by the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals after numerous appeals on a variety of grounds, including improper jury instructions, resulting in the granting of a writ of habeas corpus.
The State of California then filed an appeal with the United States Supreme Court, which overturned the 9th Circuit’s decision and remanded the case back to that same court for further proceedings.
Using information and instructions from the SCOTUS decision, the 9th Circuit reconsidered the case and issued an opinion on March 29, 2005, ruling in favor of the State and reinstating McNeil’s original conviction.
McNeil served as a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton.
In the late 1980s, she won the United States Armed Services Physique Championship twice.
In October 2022, Netflix released Killer Sally, a three-part docuseries about the case and its aftermath. Nanette Burstein directed it, and her previous credits include On the Ropes (1999) and Hillary Clinton (2020).
Table of Contents
Facts About Sally McNeil
| Full name | Sally McNeil |
| Birthday | 1960s |
| Known as | Killer McNeil |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Bodybuilder |
| Spouse | Ray McNeil |
| Children | 2 (John and Shantina) |
| Convicted for | second degree murder |
Does Sally McNeil Have A Son Or Daughter?
Sally McNeil was 27 years old when she married Ray, who was only 23 at the time, but she had previously been married and divorced.
Her first marriage lasted four years, and she had two children, John and Shantina, during that time.
The Killer Sally, a new documentary, features her children’s accounts of what allegedly occurred behind closed doors.
The family was struggling to make ends meet in Oceanside, California, and John remembered his mother collecting discarded cans in exchange for cash.
Ray’s bodybuilding career took off, but Sally’s daughter Shantina claims they began “arguing a lot more.”
“He said that I was the inferior bodybuilder and that everything should go to him,” Sally says in the documentary.
John and Shantina described the abuse they witnessed at the hands of their stepfather, confirming their mother’s claim that Ray had once broken her nose.
Where Ara Sally McNeil’s Children Now: Shantina and John McNeil
Sally McNeil had two children: Shantina, a daughter, and John McNeil, a son. Ray McNeil is not their biological father, and they are the children of her previous relationship.
Shantina and John’s lives were turned upside down on Valentine’s Day, 1995. Their stepfather passed away, and their mother was imprisoned for 25 years.
Both of them were sent to a children’s home shortly after the incident before being relocated to Eastern USA. They were with their grandparents 3000 miles away from Sally.
John and Shantina used to visit Sally in prison once a year in California, but they eventually stopped. Shantina revealed that she stopped visiting her mother after 2004 and assumed she was no longer alive.
She even remembers telling her new friends that her parents passed away on Valentine’s Day in 1995.
Sally McNeil’s children eventually enlisted in the military and served in war zones. John even served in Afghanistan before returning home and falling victim to addiction and domestic abuse.
Shantina’s life was difficult, and she was in a bad relationship. She is a single mother raising her son on her own. They are now living in the United States and were featured in a Netflix documentary.
John And Shantina McNeil Age Now
Shantina and John McNeil, Sally McNeil’s children, are over 35 years old. Their exact ages have not yet been revealed.
In 1987, Sally married Ray McNeil. According to reports, by the time the 1995 Valentine’s Day incident occurred, both of her children were small children born before she married Ray.
As a result, they were born before 1987. As a result, Shantina and John are both over the age of 35.
Sally was 27 years old when she had to endure four years of constant violence from her husband, which resulted in a failed marriage.
Meanwhile, after only four years, it felt like a lifetime burden to continue the relationship. The couple appeared to have many disagreements.
Sally began a professional wrestling career, which enabled Ray to leave the Marines. While Sally engaged in “muscle worship,” Ray launched his own full-time bodybuilding business. She took part in videotaped sessions where she was paid to wrestle with men.
Sally McNeil Case Update: Where Is She Now?
Sally McNeil was convicted of second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement in 1996, despite claiming self-defense and sentenced to a total of 19 years to life in prison.
While her conviction was quickly overturned, it was reinstated in May 2004 after the state filed an appeal. She was thus imprisoned for approximately 25 years before being released on parole in the summer of 2020.
Sally initially lived at the Veterans Transition Center in California and worked in a warehouse, but it appears that she has been enjoying her freedom since then.
She has not only reconnected with her daughter and son, but she is also establishing contact with her grandchildren.
Aside from that, she’s a wife, having met Norfleet Stewart while attending the VTC’s support groups. They began dating soon after and eventually married after taking things slowly, as per her standards.
The former bodybuilder has also learned to use social media and is active on Facebook, indicating that she now lives in Hephzibah, Georgia, while also spending time in Santa Cruz, California.
She appears to have a new home and has even started a gardening project to keep herself busy as of now.
Some FAQs
Who is Sally McNeil?
Sally McNeil aka Killer McNeil is an American former professional bodybuilder who, on March 19, 1996, was convicted of second degree murder in the 1995 Valentine’s Day shooting death of her husband and fellow bodybuilder, Ray McNeil.
For how many years was she sentenced death?
Sally McNeil was sentenced 19 years to life for her conviction.
Did she win anything before commiting such crime?
She won the U.S. Armed Services Physique Championship twice in the late 1980s.
Where did she serve her sentence?
McNeil served her sentence at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, California. Her parole was granted by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on May 29, 2020.
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