Lately, Netflix has been cashing in on the true crime craze. One of the streaming service’s most popular additions is Killer Sally. The docuseries features in-person interviews with Sally McNeil, who was convicted of killing her husband, Ray McNeil. Viewers hear Sally and her children telling their stories. But Killer Sally doesn’t take Sally’s word as gospel.
There’s another side to Sally and Ray’s story. Friends of Ray and Sally appear on camera discussing her violent and jealous tendencies. It turns out that Sally had a history of violence before meeting her husband. And Ray was no angel either.
The new Netflix documentary ‘Killer Sally’ details Sally and Ray McNeil’s tragic tale
Ray and Sally McNeil met while both were enlisted in the Marines. They shared a love of bodybuilding. From the outside, Ray and Sally’s romance seemed perfect. They had a lot in common and got along great. Ray moved, and they married soon after they met. Sally’s children from a previous relationship began referring to Ray as “dad.”
But behind closed doors, things were far from ideal. Ray managed to make it to the professional bodybuilding leagues, but the competition was stiff. He began to take steroids to improve his performance. Sally was also driven to win her bodybuilding competitions and took steroids.
Ray was abusive to both Sally and her children. He was also unfaithful. Sally did not react gracefully to Ray’s indiscretions. She was violent too, and not just with him.
Sally McNeil had a history of violence before she killed Ray McNeil
The Netflix docuseries highlights an incident where Sally beat up a woman Ray was talking to at a bodybuilding competition. The assault got Sally suspended from bodybuilding competitions for a year.
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But according to Screen Rant, Sally had a violent childhood. She was abused by her stepfather but was also prone to angry and violent outbursts. That’s understandable, considering she was a child suffering horrific abuse at the hands of a parent who was supposed to protect her. But Sally’s violent tendencies didn’t end when she left her parents’ house.
In the Marines, Sally had trouble keeping her temper under control. In 1990, three years after she had married Ray, Sally was demoted due to her violent tendencies. She was eventually discharged from the military and unable to re-enlist because of her record. Just five years later, Sally killed Ray in their home with a shotgun.
Is Sally McNeil still in prison?
Sally was sentenced to 19 years to life after being convicted of second-degree murder. But she didn’t stop fighting for her freedom. She claimed to suffer from Battered Women’s syndrome and killed Ray in self-defense because he was beating her. Although there was evidence of abuse, jurors felt that the crime scene didn’t match Sally’s story.
Less than 10 years after the judgment, Sally’s conviction was overturned. But it was reinstated shortly after, and Sally would stay in prison for 25 years. She had to take responsibility for killing her husband and show remorse before the parole board would release her. In May 2020, Sally was released from prison.
Now, Sally is trying to make a life for herself again. She’s still in contact with her children, and she married again.
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