Suvechha Sarkar
On a quiet December night in 2013, 20-year-old Heather Rachelle Elvis vanished without a trace from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Her car was found abandoned at a remote boat landing, sparking fear and speculation among the community. As her family searched for answers and the investigation unfolded, a troubling narrative of a tangled relationship gradually unfolded. NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Landing’ takes an in-depth look at this case, exploring her final days, the suspects, and courtroom revelations. It also features interviews with her loved ones, highlighting how they are still yearning for closure.
Heather Elvis Went Missing Right When Her Life Took a Turn For the Better
Terry and Debbie Elvis welcomed their second daughter, Heather Rachelle Elvis, into this world on June 30, 1993, in Carolina Forest in Montgomery County, North Carolina. Growing up, she was surrounded by the affection of her parents, her older brother, Christopher, and her younger sister, Morgan. Heather was incredibly passionate about creating and often indulged herself in drawing and doodling around her house. She was also exceptional at Cosmetology. She graduated from St. James High School in 2011 and began working as a hostess at a local pub, Tilted Kilt. Soon after, Heather moved out and got her own apartment with her best friend, Brianna “Bri” Warrelmann.
However, Heather experienced a difficult relationship with an older guy named Sidney St. Clair Moorer. Her life changed for the better on December 17, 2013, when she got a new job as a make-up artist and even went on a date with a new guy. During the date, she even texted a photo of herself to her father, Terry, learning how to drive a stick shift. However, everything went downhill from the moment Heather was dropped off at her apartment. Heather had called Bri around 1:44 am to talk about her new date. She reportedly told her she was upset because she got a call from Sidney, who wanted to meet with her. Her cell phone activity ended around 6 am.
On December 18, Heather’s vehicle, registered in her father’s name, was found abandoned at the Peachtree Landing. Officials found the car doors locked and reached out to her family. When Terry opened the car with spare keys, they found her driver’s license in the console. Although there was no sign of struggle or foul play, her purse and phone were missing from inside. This led to a full-blown search and a missing person investigation. Despite multiple flyers, online outreach, and police investigation, Heather was not found anywhere. Unfortunately, her friends and family continue to seek closure as her remains have never been found.
A Mysterious Payphone Call Pointed Towards Heather’s Killers
During their search, officials initially questioned Bri, who informed them about Heather’s call and what she had said to her that day. They also called the local hospitals and discovered that she had been in one of them and had been released. Although Terry was relieved, her mother, Debbie, doubted Heather would spend so much money in the emergency room. After several family calls, they found out that it was one of Terry’s cousins’ daughters, who also had the same first and last name. Since the hospital only had “Heather Elvis” as the patient’s name, it had caused confusion. Detectives then questioned her new date, whom she had last seen. He was ruled out as a suspect when his alibi checked out. Heather’s family then went to their cell service provider to retrace her call records.
Heather’s family discovered that she had made several early morning calls that day, and it was none other than Sidney’s number. When Terry called him to inquire about Heather, the latter denied knowing her. Upon questioning Bri further, officials found out that Heather and Sidney’s relationship began despite the latter being married. In October 2013, his wife, Tammy, found out about the affair, and she used to send her threatening messages. When Sidney was questioned, he claimed he was home that night. Police further found a mysterious, unknown number in Heather’s call records. It traced back to a gas station payphone, with a CCTV capturing a person making the call. Although Sidney confessed to being the caller, he insisted on not being involved in Heather’s disappearance.
Multiple Circumstantial Evidence Brought the Kidnappers to Justice
Officials found that Heather had tried to call back the payphone several times between 2:29 am and 3:05 am. She had connected with Sidney around 3:17 am before she headed out for the Peachtree Landing between 3:25 am and 3:37 am. CCTV footage from a woman’s house near the landing revealed a pickup truck driving past around 3:30 am. This prompted investigators to deduce that it was Sidney’s vehicle and Heather had probably gone with him. Cell phone records also reportedly showed him and Tammy around her workplace, home, and bars she frequented, indicating stalking. A CCTV footage at Walmart captured Sidney buying a pregnancy kit and calling Heather soon after. This made the detectives believe that she might have been pregnant, which angered Tammy, prompting her to take a bad step.
Hence, Sidney and Tammy lured her to the landing before committing the crime. They were arrested on February 21, 2014. Both of them were charged with obstruction of justice and two counts of indecent exposure. Upon searching their home, officials found a spent shotgun shell case, fresh concrete mix, and a bottle of cleaning supplies. On February 23, they were charged with Heather’s kidnapping. The following day, Sidney and Tammy were further charged with her murder. However, due to her missing remains and lack of evidence, the murder charges were eventually dropped in 2016. In the case of Tammy, the obstruction of justice charges were also dismissed. Meanwhile, the charge of indecent exposure was dismissed for both.
Sidney’s initial trial began in June 2016 and ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury. In August 2017, Sidney was convicted of obstruction of justice for lying to police during the investigation and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Tammy’s trial began on October 8, 2018, and she was convicted of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping on October 23, 2018. She was sentenced to 30 years for each charge to be served concurrently. Sidney’s kidnapping charges trial began on September 9, 2019, and he was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison to serve concurrently. Although both of them appealed their kidnapping convictions, the court upheld the decision and sentencing. Sidney is serving his sentence at Lee Correctional Institution in Lee County, South Carolina. Tammy is incarcerated at Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina.
Read More: Debbi and Terry Elvis: Where Are Heather Elvis’s Parents Now?
