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Where is 'Killer Sally' and her two children now?
The new three-part Netflix documentary, Killer Sally, which charts the story of Sally McNeil, a successful bodybuilder and mother of two, has us all gripped. The series follows Sally's rise to notoriety and her unhealthy relationship with her husband, Ray McNeil - a fellow bodybuilder, who she shot dead on Valentine's Day in 1995, something she has always maintained was an act of self-defence (despite being found guilty of second-degree murder by a jury).
However, this case is far from clear cut – later on, Sally was released from prison in 2020 following a parole hearing and now, in the new documentary, she is speaking out for the first time and again alleges that Ray was unfaithful and abusive. She claims he was fuelled by steroid-induced rage when he apparently attacked her on the date of his death. It is also alleged that Ray was abusive towards her two children, son John and daughter Shantina, from a previous marriage.
So, in full, what's the true story behind the Sally McNeil shooting? Where is Sally McNeil now? And who are Sally McNeil's children?
What happened in the Sally McNeil case?
Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Sally Dempsey (later McNeil) was raised in a violent household and in the docu-series explains how she believed abuse in the home was, sadly, par for the course. Having grown used to defending herself, she went on to make her name in the bodybuilding world in the 1980s and became a US marine. Ironically, after being dismissed from the military, Sally focussed on a wrestling career and adopted the name 'Killer Sally' – long before shooting her husband, Ray McNeil, on Valentine's Day in 1995.
After meeting fellow bodybuilding fanatic Ray, the pair swiftly tied the knot in 1987, but early into the marriage, Ray cheated on Sally, who left the marines a few years later. To make money, Sally then began a career in 'muscle worship' as 'Killer Sally', where she claims she'd wrestle men for $300 an hour.
As for how her nickname became eerily accurate, it's said that Sally shot her husband Ray twice on 14 February 1995, exactly eight years after their first meeting, causing him to die instantly. When the case went to trial, the jury found her guilty of second-degree murder and she was sentenced to nineteen years to life – however, Sally has always maintained she shot Ray in self-defence, alleging he was abusive and strangling her at the time of his death. Her son, John, who was nine at the time of Ray's death, has publicly backed Sally on her allegations of abuse, as has her daughter, Shantina, who was 11 when her father figure was killed. In the documentary series, Killer Sally, John recalls, "I remember how tortuous it used to be to have to sit there and watch him abuse my sister and to know that I was next. I really hated him, he was like the devil."
During the 911 call Sally made on the day of Ray's death, she told the operator, "I just shot my husband because he beat me up." She has long alleged that Ray was consistently violent, fuelled by anabolic steroids that he purchased using the money she was bringing in from her wrestling career.
In the documentary, Sally says, "He said that I was inferior and he was the superior bodybuilder and everything should go towards him. From the start, I wasn’t good enough. I was never good enough. Ray felt as though he was the most important person in the family. He was trying to get me to give up my dream so I could support him." The series also features a friend of Ray's, who recounts the time Ray blinded a man in a fight during his time working as a doorman (something Shantina also says she was told about as a child).
Where is Sally McNeil now?
Now aged 60, Sally was released from prison after serving 25 years - she is now a free woman. She lives in Northern California, works in a warehouse and has remarried.
Who are Sally McNeil's children?
Sally has a son, John, and daughter, Shantina, both of whom are from a previous relationship - and both of whom appear in the Killer Sally docu-series. In the first instalment, John claims that Ray would regularly be physically violent towards him and Shantina, particularly when their mother wasn’t home. John was just nine years old when his mother was imprisoned and just like their mother, both of Sally’s children later went on to join the military in some capacity. Both sadly experienced PTSD after serving and both are now parents themselves.
After Sally was convicted, John and Shantina spent time in a care home before being raised by their maternal grandparents. John says that now, looking back, he wishes he could have done more for his mother and later experienced drug addiction issues. After a period of not speaking to one another, Sally and John pair now share a good relationship, regularly speaking on the phone. Sally and Shantina are also in touch.
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