‘Killer Sally’ McNeil Refused to Do One Thing During Her 25 Year Prison Sentence
Sally McNeil, the subject of Netflix’s three-part true crime documentary series Killer Sally, is a former Marine and bodybuilder who spent 25 years in prison for the murder of Ray McNeil. McNeil shot and killed her husband on Valentine’s Day 1995 and was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison. In a jailhouse interview, McNeil once explained how she kept busy while serving her sentence. Here’s what “Killer Sally” did while she was in prison.
Sally McNeil was released from prison in 2020
McNeil is no longer in jail. She got out in the summer of 2020 after serving 25 years in the Central California Women’s Facility. The bodybuilder turned wrestler’s freedom came after her “Subsequent Suitability Hearing,” which took place on May 29, 2020 (via the California Department of Corrections).
Sally McNeil would not fight other inmates in prison
In an interview with RX Muscle, McNeil, who was dubbed a “violent woman” by the prosecution, refused to fight with her fellow inmates. “When I first came to prison, everybody wanted to fight the bodybuilder and get a notch on their belt saying they beat up the bodybuilder,” McNeil told the outlet. “I could have put them in a headlock and it would have been all over.”
According to McNeil, if correctional officers caught her fighting, there would be a report. “After the D.A. screamed to the media that I am the most violent person he ever tried, I saw the writing on the wall,” McNeil added. “If I protected myself and beat these women down, I would be put in front of the parole board. There would be no report that the 5′ 10,” 280lb ‘she cow’ attacked me for my personal belongings. I would never be able to be granted parole.”
Despite feeling like she couldn’t defend herself, McNeil did adapt to prison life thanks to her experience in the Marine Corps. However, she never felt like she “fit in.”
Sally McNeil worked out during her sentence and stayed a ‘lean, mean fighting machine’
Despite not wanting to participate in violence, McNeil maintained her physique in prison. As she told RX Muscle, the prison took weights away in 1997 because the men were getting too big for correctional officers to handle. For resistance, McNeil made her own weights with gallon jugs by filling them with water and pebbles. She also had access to pull-up bars, dip bars, an ab wheel roller, a push-up bar, and a track.
“I weigh 145 [pounds] right now,” she said at the time. “I am still a lean, mean fighting machine!”
McNeil also spoke of the importance of exercise in terms of her physical therapy. “I have to exercise for physical therapy because Ray destroyed my back and right shoulder,” she said.
‘Killer Sally’ McNeil’s family and wrestling community helped her get through her prison sentence
Before Ray’s murder, McNeil had a successful career wrestling men for money. That community rallied around McNeil after her arrest, helping her to raise the $100,000 for her bail. McNeil’s wrestling clients remained loyal to her throughout her sentence, too.
“What has helped me get through prison is the hope of a successful appeal, my family, and the love of my children,” she stated. “Also friends I made in the wrestling world and a few from the bodybuilding world.”
Where is Sally McNeil now in 2022?
Upon her release, McNeil found housing at the Veterans Transition Center (VTC), which helps displaced veterans. McNeil married another man and is a free woman at publication.
Watch Killer Sally exclusively on Netflix.
