No one has ever been convicted of killing Heather Elvis, because her body has never been found and murder charges were dropped. But a South Carolina jury found Sidney Moorer and his wife Tammy Moorer responsible for her disappearance, convicting both of kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap the 20-year-old hostess who vanished from Horry County in the early hours of December 18, 2013. Both are serving 30-year prison sentences. The question of who killed Heather Elvis, in the legal sense, remains formally unanswered; in the practical sense, prosecutors built their case around the Moorers and juries agreed.
The Affair That Set the Case in Motion
Heather Elvis worked as a hostess at the Tilted Kilt in Myrtle Beach. Sidney Moorer, then 37, was a maintenance worker who made rounds at area restaurants and began an affair with her in 2013. He was married to Tammy Moorer and had three children. Coworkers knew about the relationship.
The affair ended about two months before Heather disappeared, after Tammy discovered it. Prosecutors argued Tammy’s response went well past anger. She sent threatening messages to Heather, and phone evidence showed that in the weeks before December 18, both Moorers’ phones repeatedly registered near Heather’s location, a pattern the state described as surveillance.
What Happened the Night Heather Vanished
On the evening of December 17, 2013, Heather went on a date and was dropped off at her apartment. What followed is reconstructed almost entirely from phone records and surveillance video.
At about 1:35 a.m. on December 18, a gas station camera captured Sidney Moorer making a call from a payphone to Heather’s cell. Heather then called her roommate, Brianna Warrelmann, and said Sidney had called wanting to meet. She left her apartment soon after.
Her phone tracked to the area around Peachtree Landing, a boat launch on the Waccamaw River in Socastee, where it logged several unanswered outgoing calls to Sidney’s number before going silent for good. Her green Dodge Intrepid was found locked and abandoned at Peachtree Landing on the evening of December 19. Her phone, keys, and purse were gone. She has not been seen since.
The Evidence Against Sidney and Tammy Moorer
The case was circumstantial but layered. Cell records placed Heather’s phone near the boat launch calling Sidney’s number in the final minutes it was active. Sidney lied to investigators about making the payphone call, a lie that later brought him a separate obstruction of justice conviction.
Private security cameras along the road to Peachtree Landing captured a truck believed to be the Moorers’ Ford F-150 driving toward and away from the launch during the relevant window. The SD card from the truck’s GPS had been removed, so no location data from that night existed. Days after Heather vanished, surveillance from the Moorers’ own property showed several people extensively washing the F-150. A detective testified that by the time police obtained a warrant and examined the truck, DNA testing would have been futile given the cleaning captured on video.1FindLaw. State v. Moorer (2023) – SC Court of Appeals
Why There Was No Murder Conviction
Horry County police arrested both Moorers in 2014 and initially charged each with murder and kidnapping. The murder charges were later dismissed because Heather’s body was never found, leaving prosecutors without enough direct evidence to sustain those counts. A grand jury indicted both on kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap instead.1FindLaw. State v. Moorer (2023) – SC Court of Appeals Heather is widely presumed dead, but no one has been tried or convicted for her killing.
Trials and Sentences
Tammy Moorer went to trial in October 2018. The jury convicted her of both kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap, and the trial court sentenced her to 30 years on each count, to run concurrently.1FindLaw. State v. Moorer (2023) – SC Court of Appeals
Sidney Moorer’s path was longer. His first kidnapping trial in 2016 ended in a mistrial when jurors could not reach a verdict. While awaiting retrial, he was tried and convicted in 2017 of obstruction of justice for lying about the payphone call, drawing a 10-year sentence. His kidnapping retrial took place in September 2019 and ended in conviction. He too received 30 years.
Appeals Denied
Both Moorers appealed. In June 2023, the South Carolina Court of Appeals affirmed both convictions.1FindLaw. State v. Moorer (2023) – SC Court of Appeals2FindLaw. State v. Moorer (2023) – SC Court of Appeals The South Carolina Supreme Court denied Sidney’s petition for review in April 2024 and Tammy’s in October 2024, ending their state appellate options.
Where the Moorers Are Today
Both remain in the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Tammy is held at Graham Correctional Institution with a projected release date of May 9, 2043, and is not eligible for parole.3South Carolina Department of Corrections. Inmate Search Detail Report – Tammy Caison Moorer Sidney’s inmate record lists him as ineligible for parole and shows no projected release date, reflecting his overlapping sentences for kidnapping and obstruction.4South Carolina Department of Corrections. Inmate Search Detail Report – Sidney Stclair Moorer
Heather Elvis has never been found. Anyone with information can contact the Horry County tip line at 843-915-TIPS, and a $30,000 reward remains available for information that helps locate her.