July 4, 1988. San Angelo, Texas. 16-year old Shane Stewart and his 18-year old girlfriend, Sally McNelly, go out to watch a fireworks show together, but never return home and Shane’s abandoned car is found in a park the following morning. Four months later, the couple’s skeletal remains are discovered in a remote pasture and they have both been murdered by shotgun blasts to the head. For years, rumours circulate that Shane and Sally were members of a Satanic cult and were killed for attempting to leave the group. In 2017, a person of interest is named after evidence which seems to be connected to the crime is found inside his residence, but no charges are ever filed in relation to Shane and Sally’s deaths. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the unsolved double murder of a young couple which was sometimes overshadowed by Satanic panic.

If you have any information about this case, please contact San Angelo Crime Stoppers at (325) 658-HELP (4357).

Additional Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Sally_McNelly_and_Shane_Stewart

https://unsolved.com/gallery/sally-mcnelly-shane-stewart/

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Shane_Stewart_and_Sally_McNelly

https://archive.gosanangelo.com/news/unsolved-murder-haunts-father-investigators-ep-440761552-357255691.html

https://archive.gosanangelo.com/news/dna-evidence-eyed-in-1988-slayings-ep-458032062-354911441.html

http://archive.gosanangelo.com/news/officials-make-developments-in-cold-case-ep-503215001-354714431.html

https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/local/2017/06/22/new-evidence-found-29-year-old-cold-case/421822001/

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2017/06/25/blood-fingernail-found-at-home-of-texas-man-link-him-to-1988-slayings-of-2-teens-authorities-say/

https://sanangelolive.com/news/crime/2018-07-04/30th-anniversary-unsolved-murders-shane-and-sally-remembered

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is now doing a weekly livestream show on  GetVokl every Thursday from 7:00-8:00 PM ET as part of their “True  Crime Thursday” line-up. For more information, please visit their website.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.