Sally McNeil, as depicted in Killer Sally on Netflix, was convicted of shooting and killing her husband, Ray McNeil, on Valentine’s Day, 1995, she has since served time in prison. Sally McNeil was a marine, amateur bodybuilder, and professional wrestler, her husband, Ray, competed professionally in bodybuilding. Sally McNeil’s life was filled with violence, suffering abuse from her father, and both of her husbands. Despite her murder trial arguing that Ray McNeil’s death was the result of a battered woman acting in self-defense, Sally was convicted of second-degree murder.
Sally McNeil’s sentence was 19 years to life in prison. She attempted to appeal her conviction, and it was briefly overturned before it was reinstated. She ended up serving 25 years in Central California Women’s facility, on the other side of the country from her children, as seen in one of Netflix's best true crime documentaries to date. Her children stayed with Sally’s mother in Pennsylvania and originally visited her once a year, but eventually stopped. Due to the time she spent in jail, her relationships with her family suffered. She laments that she missed so much of her children’s lives while in prison in Killer Sally, explaining that “You can't expect a lot from your family, you can't make big demands, because they have a life to live out there.” While in prison, Sally consistently fought for parole, so she could be released and see her children again.
Why Was Sally McNeil's Conviction Overturned (& Later Reinstated)
After her sentencing, Sally made several attempts to appeal her conviction on the basis of an unfair trial. This is not addressed in Netflix's Killer Sally, as unlike other recent true crime releases like The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez or The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, the Netflix special focuses less on the court proceedings and more on the backstory and effect on her family. Initially, when she filed for an appeal, she was granted a writ of Habeas Corpus by a California Court of appeals, confirming she was unlawfully imprisoned. After this, the state of California appealed to the Supreme Court, which overturned the appeal and reinstated Sally McNeil’s sentence.
Why Sally McNeil Was Granted Parole in 2020
Sally addresses her numerous pleas for parole in Killer Sally. She explained that, since 2011, she went through five different parole board hearings. At her early hearings, she continued to claim self-defense and deny guilt, so the parole board denied her maintaining that she was not a battered woman. As seen in another Netflix true-crime documentary, I Just Killed My Dad, self-defense is tricky and complicated to prove. In describing being denied, Sally implies that they wanted her to take responsibility for her actions, despite the fact that she believes she acted in self-defense, and it was justified. On her fifth hearing, she told the board she meant to murder Ray McNeil, “like he never abused me or beat me, or broke my bones, or choked me,” she stated. She was finally granted parole and released from prison in May 2020. After her release, she lived at the Veteran’s Transitional Center, where she met her husband, Stewart. She plans to make an appeal for her time served but is currently enjoying her freedom.