Facebook For law enforcement, nothing is worse than when a murder case goes old. The public is begging for answers, the family for closure, and the system for justice. But sometimes there’s just not enough evidence. Like with the 1988 murder of two Texas teenagers in what investigators considered a possible religious (read Satanic) ritual. But their story isn’t over by a long shot. Now 30 years later, Texas police have made an arrest that just so happened to uncover new evidence in one of the state’s most grisly cold cases. Read on to find out what happened.
Independence Day
Wikimedia Commons It was the 4th of July, 1988. The fireworks screeched to an explosive halt and lit up the sky over the dry lands of San Angelo, Texas.
Sally And Shane
Facebook Sally McNelly and Shane Stewart were reunited at last after not seeing each other for several months. The two high school sweethearts were spotted watching the fireworks, but they were never to be seen again.
Shane’s Truck
YouTube The next morning, a ranger spotted Shane’s car by a local lake. The car was littered with fast food wrappers and the keys were lying on the dashboard, but no bodies were found.
No Big Deal
Photopin Louis A. Hargraves, a Lieutenant for the Tom Green County Sherriff’s Department, said that “there were no signs of a struggle and so consequently we looked at it from a standpoint of two kids ran off and got married.”
Finally Found
YouTube That November, Shane’s father heard the call on his police scanner: two bodies had been found by a lake just 17 miles from where Shane’s car had been found.
Father And Son
Flickr Shane’s father arrived on the scene and had a gut reaction when he saw that one of the bodies was wearing the exact outfit that Shane was wearing when he left that evening on July 4th.
Cold Case
Pixabay All evidence had eroded away. Authorities could only identify that the two victims had been shot with a gun. With no evidence to support their suspicions, police had to put the case on the back burner.
Dealing With The Devil
Wikepedia The four-month long search raised more questions than it answered. Through their investigation, police discovered that the couple had actually been involved in a local Satanic cult…
Wild Parties
Flickr Sally had introduced Shane to the group, which had many ritualistic parties where they did drugs and performed sexual acts. But was this tied to the murder?
Asking For Help
Pixabay Maybe so. Months before their death, Sally and Shane had turned a gun over to the police. They said that a secret group they were in wanted them to do a robbery. They also expressed concern for their safety.
A New Lead
Flickr Authorities believe that friends and witnesses are too afraid to come forward with any details about the murder. However, they might not need their help due to a recent arrest…
The Arrest
Florida Arrests Nearly thirty years later, there’s been a new break in the case. John Gilbrith of San Angelo was arrested after police found a weapon, armor, and marijuana in his car.
Passenger Spills It All
Pixabay A woman in his passenger seat confessed that she and Gilbreath and were on their way to pick up more drugs so they could sell them. She also said that he had more drugs at home as well as a scale and other drug paraphernalia.
Search And Seize
Wikimedia Commons This gave police enough of a cause to search Gilbreath’s home, so they got a search warrant and executed it. However, they found more than they expected…
Unexpected Evidence
USAFE While they were searching his home for evidence of drug trafficking, police actually found evidence that tied Gilbreath to Sally and Shane’s mysterious murder…
For Safe Keeping
Flickr Police found three audio tapes labeled “SS,” handwritten notes and letters that mentioned both Sally and Shane and a fingernail and lock of hair that were kept along with the other evidence.
Biological Substances
Pixabay A written statement by the authorities said that they found “biological substances including but not limited to hair; blood; fingernails and other biological substances that constitute potential evidence of a double homicide, which occurred in Tom Green County, Texas, on or about July 4, 1988.”
Bailing Out
Flickr John Gilbreath, 47, was charged with drug paraphernalia, theft, and illegal possession of a weapon. His bond was set at $175,000 but he has since bonded out.
No Charge
Wikipedia While the evidence ties Gilbreath to the case and points to him as the main suspect, he has not yet been charged with the murder of Sally and Shane.
FBI Involvement
Wikipedia Is John Gilbreath the murderer? For now, that question is being investigated by the FBI. He remains free until more substantial evidence can tie him to the case.
Execution
Flickr Whoever it was, Lieutenant Tom Low of Tom Green County sheriff’s Department sadly pointed out that “Somebody looked these kids in the eyes and killed them.” He added that it was basically an execution.
Spreading Rumors
Flickr Many believe that the murder was related to the Satanic Cult that Sally and Shane were allegedly in. Though, some believe that this is just a rumor…
A New Attitude
YouTube Though Sally and her mother were like sisters for much of Sally’s life, her mother noticed a shift in her behavior that is believed to have started when she joined the cult.
Desperate For Love
YouTube Sally’s mother, Pat Wade, stated that Sally “would do anything for a friend. Sally tried hard to please people. She wanted people to like her. She wanted people to respond to her. And love her.”
Dirty Secrets
Flickr So did her new “friends” actually murder her and Shane? Was her murder an effort to keep them quiet about the cult’s secrets? Was the cult even real?
Satanic Panic
Wikipedia The Satanic Cult could be the result of the Satanic panic of the 1980’s. San Angelo, Texas is a fairly religious town, and it is natural for teenagers to rebel against what they’re taught to believe.
Rebels Without A Cause
Flickr No one wants to admit that teens are capable of vandalism, graffiti, drug use and or sex. So, it is probable that the town, in an attempt to explain a mysterious murder case, resorted to spreading Satanic cult rumors.
Bad Friends
Flickr However, the evidence pointing to John Gilbreath is striking. He was only 17 at the time of the murder, and he could have been involved in Sally and Shane’s “Satanic” friend group.
Cover-Up
Flickr There are many other rumored suspects. Some believe that the murder is related to two other Texas murder cases. And some even believe that law enforcement is involved in covering it up.
Getting Closure
YouTube Thirty years have passed, and more questions have been raised than answered. Sally and Shane’s families’ still don’t have the closure they need.