Shane Paul Stewart, a 16-year-old male from San Angelo, Texas, was murdered on July 4, 1988. Shane and his girlfriend, Sally Ann McNelly, 18, went to watch the annual fireworks display at Lake Nasworthy on the evening of their deaths. They were last seen together by a fisherman before midnight. After they didn't return home, their disappearance was reported on July 7, 1988.
Their bodies were discovered several months later, Shane's on November 14, 1988, and Sally's on November 11, 1988.
Both had died from shotgun blasts to the head. The case received national attention due to rumors that they were involved in a Satanic cult, which was part of the broader Satanic panic phenomenon of the 1980s. The case was profiled on national media and the television show "Unsolved Mysteries".
In 2017, the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office named John Cyrus Gilbreath as a person of interest in the case after finding writings, audio tapes, and biological material in his house that might be connected to the homicides. However, no arrests have been made, and the case remains unsolved.
The investigation into Shane Paul Stewart's death continues to be a priority for the Texas Rangers Cold Case Investigation Unit, and a cash reward is offered for information leading to an arrest. The case remains one of the most infamous unsolved murders in Texas history.
