Sally McNeil

Last updated

Sally McNeil (born September 30, 1960) is an American former sergeant, professional female bodybuilder and muscle worship practitioner, who was convicted for the murder of her husband Ray McNeil, a Mr. Olympia competitor.

Contents

Early life and education

McNeil was born Sally Dempsey in Allentown, Pennsylvania and describes her upbringing as tough, including exposure to violence so frequently that she had thought it to be commonplace in every home. Sally's father, Richard Dale Dempsey, was a raging alcoholic who was frequently abusive to her mother. [1] [ better source needed ] Her mother remarried when Sally was 3 years old, and they had two daughters, Judy and Jill, who were Sally's half sisters, according to the Killer Sally documentary.[ citation needed ]

McNeil attended Dieruff High School in Allentown, where she was on the school's swimming and diving and track and field teams. She enrolled at East Stroudsburg State College (now East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania) with aspirations of becoming a gym teacher. After three and a half years in college, however, she ran out of money to fund her education and dropped out.[ citation needed ]

Military career and marriages

As her brother and her uncle before her, McNeil served in the United States Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton. She rose to the rank of Sergeant. [2]

First marriage to Anthony Lowden

McNeil met her first husband, Anthony Lowden, at Parris Island while in the Marines, and were married for four years and had two children together: Shantina, John, and a third child from another man. [3] Sally described Anthony as abusive towards the end of their marriage.

As she was being transferred to Camp Pendleton, McNeil filed for divorce from Anthony, winning custody of their two oldest children in the process. During their divorce, the third child was put up for adoption. [4]

She won the U.S. Armed Services Physique Championship twice in the late 1980s. [5]

In 1990, McNeil was demoted from her position as a sergeant for a continuously poor behavioral record, including anger issues, violence, and lashing out at others. Her behavioral record also resulted in her being discharged from the military. [6]

Second marriage to Ray McNeil

McNeil started bodybuilding during her service at Camp Pendleton, where a friend introduced her to Ray McNeil, another competitive bodybuilder, in June 1987. They dated for about two months before getting married. Three days later, Ray began abusing both Sally and her two children. Sally was choked and punched by Ray. [7] The family settled in Oceanside, California.

Child services frequently visited her for reports of abuse to her children by her neighbors, teachers and family members. The children suffered from malnutrition, the apartment was unlivable and they were both left alone for multiple days in a row while Sally would go to the gym, out of town, out of the state, and out of the Country. [8]

When she was discharged from the military, Sally began a career wrestling men on video for $300 an hour, earning her the moniker Killer Sally. She was trained by videomaker Bill Wick, who was the husband of Kay Baxter. [9] She made enough money to enable Ray to leave the Marines and concentrate on his own bodybuilding career. Ray started using steroids, which Sally blamed for his violent behavior. [10] [11] Sally would even go to Tijuana, Mexico with her children to buy steroids for herself to use and sell at the Gym. Ray used top end steroids from a reputable distributor. Sally would admit she was not proud of this and considered this to be ‘bad parenting’. [12]

During this time, Ray won the heavyweight and overall titles in both the 1991 NPC California Championships and the 1991 IFBB North American Championships, [13] and competed in the 1993 Mr. Olympia competition, placing 15th. He also began participating in professional wrestling and did stand-up comedy, performing his material in free shows at The Comedy Club in La Jolla, San Diego.

According to his friend, Dwayne "DJ" Jeffers, Ray got into an altercation with another man one night whilst working as a bouncer at a nightclub and ended up sticking his fingers through his eyes. Shantina, Sally's daughter, spoke about the same night to verify this, as she recalled seeing Ray coming home covered in blood and how he told her he had to do what he did because the others were trying to kill him.

Ray had been dating another woman at the time and had decided to leave Sally for her. According to DJ, Ray actually planned to spend Valentine's Day in 1995 with the other woman, not his wife. Ray apparently even told DJ he would tell Sally about ending their relationship. DJ warned him about the shotgun in their house, saying she might shoot him. But he said Ray only laughed it off. [14]

Violent behaviour

McNeil was arrested in 1990, for brandishing a firearm at Lowden and smashing the windows of his vehicle with a metal bar. [15] She had been arrested previously for assaulting a mailman who had slapped her son John after he had a fight with the mailman's son.[ citation needed ]

McNeil attacked one of Ray's lovers at a bodybuilding show, pinning her to the floor and hitting her repeatedly. This resulted in the National Physique Committee suspending her for a year. It is thought she also physically took her anger out on her husband, pulling a gun on him for the first time before being pepper-sprayed by police officers.[ citation needed ]

In 1993, Sally was confronted by a club bouncer for dancing on the tables. Drunk and not wanting to do what he told her, Sally kicked him in the face three times. When police arrived, she threatened to kill them. [16]

Murder of Ray McNeil

On February 14, 1995, Sally called 9-1-1, telling them: "I just shot my husband because he just beat me up." Earlier in the night, Ray was on a date with Marianne Myers, a fellow member of Golds Gym, instead of Sally on Valentine's Day. Sally was about to go out and find where Ray was, but he turned up after 9:15pm. [17] Sally claimed and maintains that she shot Ray in self-defense when he, spurred by roid rage, began choking her after she accused him of adultery. The police transcript reads that Ray, "slapped her, pushed her down on the floor, and started choking her. McNeil squirmed away, ran into the bedroom, and took her sawed-off shotgun out of its case in the closet." Sally then shot Ray twice: once in the abdomen and once in the jaw.

Her bail was set at $100,000. Out of loyalty, this was paid for by McNeil's wrestling clients and others from the muscle worship community. [18]

Trial and conviction

Evidence arose during Sally's trial that questioned the validity of the story she had given, including her body language during the initial police interview, the trajectory of the rounds fired into Ray (one of which must have been fired while he was on the floor), and the blood spatter on their living room lamp. In addition, no DNA of Sally's was found on Ray, which eliminated any forensic evidence to back up her story.[ citation needed ]

In 1996, she was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 19 years to life. [2] [19] [20]

Imprisonment and appeals

After numerous appeals on a variety of grounds, including improper jury instructions, McNeil's conviction was initially overturned by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals [21] which resulted in the granting of a writ of habeas corpus. The State of California then appealed to the US Supreme Court which reversed the 9th Circuit's ruling and remanded the case back to that same venue for further action. [22] [23] Relying on information and instructions from the SCOTUS opinion, [24] the 9th Circuit reconsidered the matter and on March 29, 2005, issued their opinion ruling in favor of the State and reinstating McNeil's original conviction. [25]

McNeil served her sentence at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, California. [2]

Release

Her parole was granted by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on May 29, 2020. [26] [27]

Post-prison personal life

Following her release, McNeil married Norfleet Stewart, whom she met through her Veterans Transition Center support group. [28] She currently resides in Northern California. [29]

Bodybuilding

YearBodyCompetitionDivisionPlacing
1988NPCUS Armed Forces ChampionshipsMiddleweight1st
1988NPCUS Armed Forces ChampionshipsOverall1st
1991NPCJunior USALightweight5th
1991NPCNationalsMiddleweight13th
1991NPCPalm Spring ClassicMiddleweight4th
1992NPCJunior USAMiddleweight2nd
1992NPCNationalsMiddleweight12th
1992IFBBNorth American ChampionshipsMiddleweight9th
1992NPCUSA ChampionshipsMiddleweight5th
1994NPCNationalsHeavyweight16th
1994IFBBNorth American ChampionshipsHeavyweight6th
1994NPCUSA ChampionshipsMiddleweight5th

[30]

In media

In October 2022, Netflix released a three-part docuseries, Killer Sally, covering the case and its aftermath. [31] It was directed by Nanette Burstein, whose previous credits include On the Ropes (1999) and Hillary (2020).

Related Research Articles

Sally Clark was an English solicitor who, in November 1999, became the victim of a miscarriage of justice when she was found guilty of the murder of her two infant sons. Clark's first son died in December 1996 within a few weeks of his birth, and her second son died in similar circumstances in January 1998. A month later, Clark was arrested and tried for both deaths. The defence argued that the children had died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The prosecution case relied on flawed statistical evidence presented by paediatrician Roy Meadow, who testified that the chance of two children from an affluent family suffering SIDS was 1 in 73 million. He had arrived at this figure by squaring his estimate of a chance of 1 in 8500 of an individual SIDS death in similar circumstances. The Royal Statistical Society later issued a statement arguing that there was no statistical basis for Meadow's claim, and expressed concern at the "misuse of statistics in the courts".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorian Yates</span> English retired professional bodybuilder

Dorian Andrew Mientjez Yates is an English retired professional bodybuilder. He won the Mr. Olympia title six consecutive times from 1992 to 1997. Known for his high intensity training, top-level conditioning, and his wide, thick back, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest professional bodybuilders in history.

Lenda Murray is an American professional female bodybuilding champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bev Francis</span> Australian bodybuilder and powerlifter

Beverley "Bev" Francis is an Australian gym owner and retired professional bodybuilder, powerlifter, and national shot put champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Demayo</span> American bodybuilder (1967–2005)

Paul DeMayo was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iris Kyle</span> American bodybuilder (born 1974)

Iris Floyd Kyle is an African-Indian American professional female bodybuilder. She is currently the most successful, female or male, professional bodybuilder ever. She has a total of twenty professional bodybuilding titles, with ten overall and two heavyweight Ms. Olympia titles and seven overall and one heavyweight Ms. International titles.

<i>Stay Hungry</i> 1976 American comedy-drama film directed by Bob Rafelson

Stay Hungry is a 1976 American comedy-drama film by director Bob Rafelson from a screenplay by Charles Gaines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valley State Prison</span> State prison in Chowchilla, California, US

Valley State Prison (VSP), previously the Valley State Prison for Women (VSPW), is an American state prison in Chowchilla, California. It is across the road from Central California Women's Facility. It was formerly a prison for women.

Kay Baxter was a pioneer female bodybuilder.

Stacey Bentley was a registered nurse and former professional female bodybuilder of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Along with Claudia Wilbourn and Rachel McLish, Bentley was among the first role models of bodybuilding for women and the benefits that it can bring to them. She died on December 31, 2019.

Muscle is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from January 11 to May 24, 1995. It was set inside the fictional Survival Gym in New York City, and was a parody of prime time soap operas of the 1990s. The series was created by Rob LaZebnik, and was executive produced by Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas and Gary S. Levine.

Kristy Michelle Hawkins is an American powerlifter and chemical engineer, and former professional female bodybuilder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Pearson (bodybuilder)</span> American bodybuilder

Tony Pearson is an American bodybuilding champion. His bodybuilding championships include individual and couples competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Suzanne Capper</span> 1992 murder in Manchester, England

The murder of Suzanne Capper was committed in Greater Manchester, England in December 1992. Capper, aged 16, died in Withington Hospital on 18 December 1992, from multiple organ failure arising from 80% burns after being deliberately lit on fire on 14 December. Before her death, Capper relayed that she had been kidnapped and held captive for seven days at a house in Moston, Manchester, where she was beaten and tortured. She was taken from the house by car, driven into the countryside and forced out of the car into a wood at Werneth Low where petrol was poured over her and she was set alight. The murder arose from the "avenging [of] trivial grievances: a sexual insult, infection with pubic lice and the loss of a pink duffel coat."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alina Popa</span> Romanian-born bodybuilder

Alina Evelina Popa Molinari is a Romanian-born former professional female bodybuilder currently living in the USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helle Trevino</span> US-based Danish professional female bodybuilder

Helle Trevino is a United States–based Danish professional female bodybuilder and the title winner of the 2017 and the 2019 Rising Phoenix World Championships.

Alana Shipp is a Barbadan professional female bodybuilder, based in Jerusalem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Gabriel Fernandez</span> 2013 murder of an abused eight-year-old American boy

On May 24, 2013, Gabriel Fernandez, an eight-year-old boy from Palmdale, California, who had been abused and tortured over a period of months, died due to a beating from his mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, two days earlier. Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre were charged and convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances of torture. According to prosecutors, Aguirre allegedly abused Gabriel due to his perceived homosexuality. Pearl was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and Aguirre was sentenced to death.

Joanna Clare Dawson Thomas was a British professional female bodybuilder. She was the younger sister of British professional female bodybuilder Nicola Shaw. She was the youngest British female bodybuilder to win IFBB pro card, at the age of 21.

Veronica Anne Packman, known as Carole Packman, was a 40-year-old British woman who disappeared from her home in Bournemouth, England in June 1985. Her husband, Russell Causley, was found guilty of his wife's murder, but her body has never been found.

References

  1. ↑ "Where Is Sally McNeil Now? Meet Parents, Kids, Husband, Son, Daughter Net Worth". Sound Health and Lasting Wealth. November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Sally-Ray McNeil Murder". Muscular Development . February 12, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  3. ↑ Weston, Christopher (November 4, 2022). "Sally McNeil's first husband said 'it could've been' him instead of Ray McNeil". HITC. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Netflix dropped Killer Sally but did they cover everything? | Star Chef 2". starchef2.games. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  5. ↑ "The tale of Killer Sally: Her 12-gauge & her husband". New York Daily News. December 28, 2009. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  6. ↑ "The True Story Of Killer Sally (& What The Documentary Leaves Out)". ScreenRant. November 12, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  7. ↑ "'This is still happening today': the story of an abused wife accused of murder". the Guardian. November 2, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  8. ↑ murders and mysteries of oceanside
  9. ↑ "Netflix True Crime Documentary 'Killer Sally' Unveils Kinky Underbelly of Bodybuilding". November 7, 2022.
  10. ↑ Rowan, Iona (November 7, 2022). "Killer Sally - Where are Sally McNeil and her children now?". Digital Spy. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  11. ↑ "A bodybuilder said her husband abused her. Then, she was charged with his murder". The Independent. November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Netflix's 'Killer Sally' details why Sally McNeil shot her bodybuilding champ husband: 'A cycle of violence' | Fox News". www.foxnews.com. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  13. ↑ "McNeil, Ray".
  14. ↑ Vanapalli, Viswa (November 2, 2022). "Where is Ray McNeil's Friend DJ Jeffers Now?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  15. ↑ https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/11/04/sally-mcneils-first-husband-anthony-lowden-said-it-couldve-been-me/?amp [ bare URL ]
  16. ↑ "The True Story of 'Killer Sally' and Bodybuilder Sally McNeil". November 2, 2022.
  17. ↑ "'Killer Sally's Ray McNeil Was With His GF Marianne Before He Was Shot". Yahoo Finance. November 7, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  18. ↑ "'Killer Sally' McNeil Refused to do One Thing During Her 25 Year Prison Sentence". November 8, 2022.
  19. ↑ "The 50 Most Infamous Criminals in Sports History". Complex . May 16, 2014. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  20. ↑ "The tale of Killer Sally: Her 12-gauge & her husband". New York Daily News . December 28, 2009. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  21. ↑ "McNeil v. Middleton, No. 01-56565, 344 F.3d 988 (2003)". leagle.com. September 22, 2003. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Supreme Court reinstates wife's conviction in killing of bodybuilder". The San Diego Union-Tribune . May 3, 2004. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Supreme Court restores woman's murder conviction". The San Diego Union-Tribune . May 4, 2004. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Middleton v. McNeil, 541 U.S. 433 (2004)". courtlistener.com. May 3, 2004. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  25. ↑ "McNeil v. Middleton, No. 01-56565". findlaw.com. March 29, 2005. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  26. ↑ "Home". cdcr.ca.gov.
  27. ↑ Savin, Jennifer (November 3, 2022). "Where is 'Killer Sally' and her two children now?". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Sally McNeil is Not in Prison Today — Here's when and Why She Was Released". November 7, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Where is 'Killer Sally' and her two children now?". Cosmopolitan. November 3, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  30. ↑ "McNeil, Sally".
  31. ↑ Horton, Adrian (November 2, 2022). "'This is still happening today': the story of an abused wife accused of murder". The Guardian . Retrieved November 2, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.