‘Killer Sally’ Once Explained Why She Didn’t Leave Ray McNeil Despite His Infidelity
Ray McNeil was not faithful to his wife, Sally McNeil, who shot and killed him on Valentine’s Day in 1995. Ray’s death and Sally’s trial are the subject of the Netflix true crime series Killer Sally. However, there are some details the documentary leaves out. In an interview conducted while Sally was in prison, she details why she stayed with Ray for so long, despite his multiple relationships with other women outside of their marriage.
Ray McNeil reportedly cheated on Sally
As discussed in Netflix’s Killer Sally, Ray was unfaithful to Sally and reportedly had another relationship with a woman named Marianne, who also worked out at Gold’s Gym. Sally was aware of the relationship, which lasted for about three and a half years before Ray’s death.
During her trial, the prosecution used Ray’s infidelity to their advantage, claiming Sally was a jealous woman. This idea was used to emphasize the discrepancies in Sally’s story.
On Feb. 14, 1995, Sally shot Ray twice — once in the abdomen and a second time in the jaw. She claimed the casing for the second bullet was in her hand; however, officers found it in the bedroom, far from where Sally was at the time of the shooting.
Sally McNeil knew about Ray’s affairs with Marianne and other women
When asked about Ray’s reported affairs (of which there were several) throughout their relationship, Sally told RX Muscle: “Yes, Ray had many affairs.” She continued:
“I tried to stick through it, thick or thin, for better or worse. He always came back to me. Once these women realized Ray couldn’t leave me they left him.”
Sally McNeil, RX Muscle
According to Sally, one of the women Ray had a relationship with had an abortion because Ray “couldn’t leave” Sally. “I could give you a long list of women Ray had affairs with — one of them even had the nerve to testify against me during my trial,” she added.
Sally thought Ray McNeil was ‘the best she could get’ so she stayed
“I should have left him because one thing I was afraid of was catching HIV, AIDS, Hep C or any kind of STD,” Sally added. However, her self esteem got in the way. “I should have left him, but my self esteem was so beaten down by him that I thought he was the best I could get.”
Sally McNeil was convicted of second-degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to 19 years to life
In court, Sally explained Ray’s history of abusive behavior, claiming Sally took her shots in self-defense. Her legal representation focused on “battered woman syndrome” in their defense strategy, but prosecutors argued the former body-builder and ex-Marine was too physically strong.
Sally was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 19 years to life for Ray’s death. However, Sally only served 25 years. She was released from prison in 2020 after admitting to her parole board that she intended to kill her husband.
As a result, Sally gained her freedom on May 29, 2020 after her “Subsequent Suitability Hearing.” When she left prison, Sally began living at the Veterans Transition Center (VTC), a program that helps displaced veterans. She obtained a job at a warehouse and has since remarried.
Watch Killer Sally exclusively on Netflix.
