Where Is Sally McNeil Now? Inside the Former Bodybuilder's Life After Murdering Her Husband By Emily Weaver

Sally McNeil earned her “Killer Sally” nickname long before fatally shooting her husband, Ray McNeil, in 1995.

An ex-Marine, Sally became a bodybuilder in the late 1980s, quickly earning her stage name. Around the same time, she met and fell in love with Ray, a fellow former Marine and bodybuilder. They met in June 1987 and were married within two months.

However, Ray started abusing her just days after their nuptials, Sally claimed in the Netflix documentary Killer Sally. Ultimately, she shot and killed Ray on Valentine’s Day in 1995; in 1996, Sally was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder.

Sally was ultimately released on parole in 2020 and has since gotten married again.

So, where is Sally McNeil now? Here’s everything to know about her life today.

Who is Sally McNeil?

Sally was born in September 1960. She grew up in Allentown, Pa.

In the 1980s, she joined the Marines and was sent to Camp Pendleton, just outside of San Diego, according to Esquire. She started bodybuilding on base; after leaving the Marines in 1993, Sally pursued a professional career in wrestling and bodybuilding, eventually earning her stage names, “Killer Sally” and “Killer McNeil.”

However, Sally’s career was put into question following a slew of attacks. In 1990, the National Physique Committee suspended Sally after she charged at another woman who allegedly flirted with Ray. Back in Allentown, in 1993, Sally faced trouble again after allegedly assaulting a bouncer at a local bar, per Killer Sally.

Sally shares two children with her ex-husband, Anthony Lowden. They welcomed a daughter named Shantina in 1983 and a son named John in 1985.

Who was Sally McNeil’s husband, Ray McNeil?

Ray was a bodybuilder and former Marine sergeant.

He and Sally met at a gym in June 1987. As far as first impressions go, Sally said in Killer Sally that Ray “was beautiful” and “looked like the statue of David,” adding that it was “lust at first sight.”

The pair quickly struck up a romance, marrying just two months later. They moved to Oceanside, Calif., with Sally’s children.

However, Sally said the violence began just three days after they wed. According to Sally, Ray allegedly punched her in the face, resulting in a split lip, and repeatedly choked her. During one of his alleged outbursts, Sally claimed that Ray broke her nose in front of Shantina and John, which John affirmed in Killer Sally.

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During their marriage, Ray and Sally became the first husband-wife duo to win the Armed Forces Bodybuilding Championships. However, as Ray’s individual bodybuilding career took off, Sally claimed his relationship with anabolic steroids worsened. In the docuseries, Sally revealed that she engaged in something called “muscle prostitution” — in which she wrestled with men for money — to allegedly help pay for Ray’s steroid use.

“He said that I was inferior and he was the superior bodybuilder and everything should go towards him,” she recalled in the docuseries. “From the start, I wasn’t good enough. I was never good enough. Ray felt as though he was the most important person in the family. He was trying to get me to give up my dream so I could support him.”

Why did Sally McNeil kill her husband?

After years of alleged domestic abuse, Sally shot her husband twice, killing him, on Valentine’s Day in 1995.

“I should’ve left, but I was so broken,” she says in the docuseries. “I was so broken I didn’t know I was broke.”

That night, Ray got home late for a Valentine’s Day celebration, per Killer Sally. She later told police she believed Ray had a girlfriend, as shown in archival footage.

Sally and Ray got into a fight, with Sally claiming in the docuseries that Ray hit her and then choked her. After running away, Sally grabbed a sawed-off shotgun from her bedroom and shot Ray twice; she maintains it was in self-defense.

“I got scared and thought, ‘He’s gonna kill me and I’m not gonna make it through this night,’ ” she said in the docuseries.

In a 911 call played in Killer Sally, Sally can be heard telling the operator, “I just shot my husband because he beat me up.”

Was Sally McNeil found guilty? 

On March 19, 1996, Sally was found guilty of second-degree murder.

Prosecutors suggested that Ray’s murder was premeditated, alleging that they found a shell found in the couple’s bedroom which could have indicated that Sally may have tried to reload the weapon, per Esquire. Additionally, the former allegations of assault against Sally were used in court against her, with the prosecution arguing that Sally was “too strong to be battered,” per Killer Sally.

Sally was ultimately sentenced to 19 years to life in prison. She appealed her sentence and, in 2003, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned her conviction, per A&E. However, her conviction was reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2005.

She ended up serving 24 years in prison. 

Where is Sally McNeil now? 

Sally was granted parole by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in May 2020. She joined a local support group for veterans, which is how she met her now-husband, Norfleet Stewart.

In a November 2022 Newsweek interview, Killer Sally director Nanette Burstein shared a long-awaited update on Sally’s life since finding love again.

“She’s out in the world, she has a job, and she’s married to a really good man. She is currently in touch with her children and just trying to forge new paths,” she said.

According to a GoFundMe page started after Hurricane Helene, Sally now lives in Hephzibah, Ga.

“I didn’t deserve the sentence I got. But I don’t care anymore, I’m free,” she told Killer Sally cameras.