On July 4, 1988, sixteen-year-old Shane Stewart and eighteen-year-old Sally McNelly went out for the night in the West Texas town of San Angelo. 

They watched the fireworks, stopped for burgers, and drove out to the lake outside of town.

They were never seen alive again.

The murders of Shane and Sally have haunted their family and friends, and frustrated generations of investigators—from the local authorities to the FBI—for 35 years. 

Over the years, key evidence has disappeared. And other clues have appeared just as mysteriously—Sally’s missing driver’s license was found on the floor of the San Angelo Police Department; hair, blood, and a fingernail, along with notes about the murder, were all found in the home of a key suspect. One investigator believes the killer was a former police officer. Another suspect left the country.

In Texas Monthly’s latest podcast series, Shane & Sally, hosts Rob D’Amico and Karen Jacobs take listeners behind the scenes, with exclusive access to investigators, case records, and friends and suspects who have never spoken publicly about the case before.

From the Texas Monthly team behind Tom Brown’s Body and Stephenville comes another true story of crime and suspicion—this time set against a backdrop of occult rituals, drug deals, kidnapping, and corruption in an isolated West Texas town during the height of the nation’s “Satanic panic.”

The investigation begins Tuesday, March 19, when we release the first two episodes. Look for Shane & Sally on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. And throughout the series, dive deeper into the story with bonus videos at texasmonthly.com/shaneandsally.

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