The Baffling Story Of Skylar Nemetz

"He loved her, or so he said. He bought her an AR-15 for her birthday. Then, on October 16, 2014, he put a bullet in the back of her head."In this baffling true crime episode, we investigate the case of Skylar Nemetz, a 20-year-old Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier who claimed the shooting of his 19-year-old wife, Danielle, was a tragic accident [citation:9]. Skylar stated he was trying to "clear" the rifle after returning from training. His story immediately raised red flags: he first told a neighbor Danielle had shot herself, then later told police he "shook it and it shot her" [citation:2][citation:6]. Neighbors reported hearing frequent yelling from the apartment, and Danielle's sister recalled seeing bruises shaped like fingertips on the victim’s arms, hidden by turtlenecks [citation:2].Prosecutors argued it was murder fueled by rage and jealousy. They presented evidence that Skylar was "shaking with anger" after learning another man bought his wife alcohol while he was away [citation:3]. In contrast, the defense maintained it was a clean-handed mistake.Despite the prosecution's case, a jury found him not guilty of first-degree murder in March 2016. Instead, they convicted him of the lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter [citation:4]. He was sentenced to 13.5 years in prison. This is the story of a marriage that went from whirlwind romance to a fatal shot in a Lakewood apartment. Listener discretion advised.