20 Year Old Heather Elvis Missing Since 12/17/13 in Myrtle Beach, SC (2 convictions/kidnapping) no body

[texasmom]

https://www.facebook.com/PhotosMyztic/photos/t.798489405/152912498080579/?type=3&theater

[texasmom]

http://www.myhorrynews.com/news/crime/article_66828f7c-b372-11e3-b26a-001a4bcf6878.html

Father of Myrtle Beach area woman charged in Heather Elvis case dies
Posted: Monday, March 24, 2014 12:36 pm | Updated: 2:35 pm, Tue Mar 25, 2014.

By Staff Reports info@myhorrynews.com | 4 comments

The father of the woman charged with kidnapping and killing Heather Elvis of Myrtle Beach has died.

William Caison died of natural causes this morning, according to Horry County Coroner Robert Edge.

Tamra Willard, with the coroner's office, said because he died of natural causes there would be no investigation.

 

An Horry County grand jury indicted the couple for murder and kidnapping Friday.

Also Friday, Judge Steven John issued a gag order in the Heather Elvis missing persons case, which means officials working the case can no longer talk to the media about it.

[texasmom]

http://www.wistv.com/story/25038907/grand-jury-formally-indicts-moorers-in-heather-elvis-case1

Grand Jury formally indicts Moorers in Heather Elvis case
Posted: Mar 21, 2014 11:28 AM CST Updated: Mar 21, 2014 1:09 PM CST
By WMBF News Staff - email

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - The Grand Jury in Horry County has formally indicted Tammy and Sidney Moorer on murder, kidnapping, and other charges in the case of missing 20-year-old Heather Elvis.

The Grand Jury met Thursday at the Horry County Courthouse and handed up the indictments. The indictments filed Thursday list The State of South Carolina, County of Horry as the plaintiff, and Sidney Stclair Moorer and Tammy Caison Moorer as the defendants.

The charges are listed as: obstruction of justice, two counts of indecent exposure, murder, and kidnapping. Troy Large with the Horry County Police Department is listed as a witness on the indictments for obstruction of justice and indecent exposure, and Jeffery Cauble of the HCPD is listed as a witness on the murder and kidnapping indictments.

 

Tammy and Sidney Moorer have been in Horry County Jail since February 21, when the couple was arrested and a search warrant was served at their home.

[texasmom]

http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/25041061/gag-order

Judge signs gag orders in Heather Elvis case
Posted: Mar 21, 2014 3:28 PM CST Updated: Mar 24, 2014 11:03 AM CST
By WMBF News Staff - email

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) – Gag orders have been signed off on for the Heather Elvis case, restricting what information can be given by those involved in the case about the couple charged with the kidnapping and murder of 20-year-old Heather Elvis.

Gabriel Richardson, Assistant to Senior Solicitor Donna Elder in the Horry County Solicitors Office, confirmed the gag orders were signed by Judge Steven John on Friday. Separate gag orders were filed for Tammy Moorer and Sidney Moorer.

 

Each gag order states:

"The Court finds that it is likely that there will continue to be inquiries made by non trial participants and that any Statements and information responsive to such inquiries are likely to be widely disseminated and could jeopardize the fair administration of justice in these Cases. As such, without some restraint on the trial participants and those involved with the investigation of these cases there is a substantial likelihood that the Defendant may be denied a fair trial."

View the complete text of Sidney Moorer's gag order here (PDF): http://ftpcontent4.worldnow.com/wmbf/pdf/SidneyMoorerGagOrder.pdf

View the complete text of Tammy Moorer's gag order here (PDF): http://ftpcontent4.worldnow.com/wmbf/pdf/TammyMoorerGagOrder.pdf

These gag orders apply to the Solicitor, all law enforcement agencies currently or formally involved in these cases, the defendants, and the counsel for the defendants. The order also applies to any employees of any of these entities.

Any of these entities may still put out a written release about these cases, but the release must be approved by the court first.

 

[texasmom]

http://www.wbtw.com/story/25038367/grand-jury-indicts-couple-in-heather-elvis-murder

Grand Jury indictment claims couple kidnapped, killed Heather Elvis
Posted: Mar 21, 2014 10:35 AM CST Updated: Mar 21, 2014 3:42 PM CST
By Eric Walters - email
By WBTW News Staff
By Meghan Miller - email

CONWAY, S.C. - An Horry County Grand Jury formally indicted Tammy and Sidney Moorer in the murder of missing 20-year-old Heather Elvis.

According to court documents, the Grand Jury met at the Horry County Courthouse Thursday and gave its decision.

The indictment claims both Moorers intentionally kidnapped and killed Heather Elvis on December 18, 2013.

 

The hearing, which was scheduled for 2 pm and lasted until 3:30 pm, allowed the prosecution to present a PowerPoint to Judge Johns that included multiple elements of evidence not made public until Monday's hearing. The prosecution's presentation outlined communications between the Moorers and Heather Elvis starting as early as November and up until the night heather vanished on December 18.

The prosecution noted a relationship between Sidney Moorer and Heather Elvis blossomed in June 2013 and ended in October when it was discovered by Tammy Moorer. When Tammy Moorer learned of the relationship, she contacted Heather Elvis multiple times, sending explicit photos and messages to Heather, the prosecution said.

The discovery of the relationship between Sidney Moorer and Heather Elvis prompted Tammy Moorer, according to prosecutors, to allegedly go to work with her husband, monitor all cell phone activity and handcuff him.

In court Monday, the prosecutor introduced at least two messages from November:

Nov. 1, 2013

To Heather.. someone's about to get their a-- beat down.. your b--- is about to take his last breath... You can tell me where you are right now or I will find out another way... that way wont have a great turn out for you... I am giving you one last chance to answer before we meet in person.. only one.

To Heather.. I've been having Sidney followed since Jan. 2012.. it's best you call back and speak to me, save yourself. Hey ...... you ready to meet the MRS?

Heather responds...
I think you are a little obsessed with me. I'm nobody you need to worry about anymore.

Nov. 3, 2013

To Heather.. by the way dad no longer owns a phone.

The prosecutor also presented timeline of several phone calls and video that was captured the night/morning that Heather Elvis disappeared from Peachtree Boat Landing.

Here is the timeline that the prosecution presented of Dec. 18:

1:35 am.. phone call from pay phone by Sidney to Heather.. call is 4:53 minutes

1:44 Heather calls (person unidentified) who is in Florida at the time. And says Sidney just called and is leaving Tammy. Heather appears upset because she had been trying to get her life back on track after the affair and the harassment by Tammy. Heather is still at her home when she makes this call. The call lasts 2:20 minutes.

2:29 Heather attempts to call the number Sidney called from which is a pay phone. Several times it does not appear anyone answered.

3:16 am Heather attempts to call Sidney's phone with no response.

3:17 am .. Heather calls Sidney's phone and has a 4:15 minutes conversation with Sidney. Heather is at her home at this point. Sidney is at his home which is approx. 3 miles from the boat landing. After this conversation, Heather gets into her car and drives directly to Peachtree Boat Landing. Sidney also denies this conversation until police confront him with Heather's phone record and then he says he did talk to her but it was just to tell her to quit calling and leave them alone.

3:38 am.. Heather attempts to call Sidney's phone. She has arrived at the boat landing at the time of this call. She attempts to call at 3:39, 3:39:46 and 3:41..

Her phone data ends at that point. 3:41 am.

3:36 am.. A private residence video surveillance captures a vehicle coming from the direction of Sidney's headed towards the boat landing. This camera is 1.7 miles from the Moorer's residence.

3:39 am ... a business video surveillance a mile from the first camera closer to the landing captures this vehicle still proceeding in the direction of the boat landing.

3:45 am.. same business video surveillance captures the vehicle coming from the boat landing headed towards the Moorer residence. The camera is approximately 1.2 miles from the landing.

3:46 am the private residence video surveillance captures the vehicle headed from the boat landing to the Moorer residence.

Also in the bond hearing, the prosecution displayed a message that Tammy Moorer allegedly wrote on Facebook after Heather Elvis disappeared in which she called her husband, Sidney, stupid:

Well Sidney cheated on me in the months of Sept/Oct with a psycho whore who has since went missing and now her crazy daddy is threatening to kill my children and Sidney, therefore making Sidney stupid. (This girl grabbed his business card out of the office at her workplace and had fantasies about him as far back as March, but talked about it in July, naming him!) I don't know of any other word to describe my "husband" at this point. All you have to do is research this girls Twitter (although 4 months of it has gone missing in the past couple of weeks) and her Tumblr to see what a twisted person she truly is.
I could care less seeing that I had a boyfriend of my own for the past couple of years, but when someone brings my children into the scenario it's a whole other story. I will not tolerate anyone hurting my children because my husband banged a hoe 3 times in the backseat of her car and nothing more. I could care less what he screwed around with, but the fact that this jerk is stalking my family is unacceptable.

 

[texasmom]

http://www.myhorrynews.com/news/crime/article_4ed58492-b6ba-11e3-b1bb-0017a43b2370.html


Florida examination of human remains continues, no direct link to Heather Elvis found

 Posted: Friday, March 28, 2014 4:48 pm | Updated: 5:06 pm, Fri Mar 28, 2014.

By Staff Reports info@myhorrynews.com | 0 comments

It's still too soon to say whether or not the skeletal remains found last week in Florida are linked in any way to the Heather Elvis case, according to Florida investigators.

A spokesman for the Volusia County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office said Thursday it would be at least another week or two before any results are known.

"The Medical Examiner's Office hasn't concluded its investigation yet," Gary Davidson, spokesman for the sheriff's office, said via email Thursday. "And when they do, the remains may require additional analysis. For that reason, we still have no idea who they belong to and, therefore, haven't ruled anyone in or out as far as a possible ID."

Horry County police contacted Volusia County authorities last week about the Heather Elvis investigation after human remains were found at an intersection in DeLand, Fla.

Deland is along commonly traveled routes to Orlando, Fla., where Sidney and Tammy Moorer - who've been charged in Elvis' disappearance - vacationed about three weeks after Elvis vanished on Dec. 18, 2013.

All activity on Elvis' cell phone ceased at 3:41 a.m. Dec. 18, prosecutors said during a recent bond hearing. Her car was found the evening of Dec. 19, 2013, but her body has not been found.

Sidney Moorer competed in a Disney half marathon on Jan. 12, 2014, according to the marathon's website.

 

[texasmom]

http://m.myhorrynews.com/news/crime/article_f8e9b3ce-c0ea-11e3-be01-001a4bcf6878.html

Tammy Moorer's attorney asks for bond reconsideration in Heather Elvis case

By Michael Smith michael.smith@myhorrynews.com | Updated 3 days ago

An attorney in the Heather Elvis case has filed court papers asking a judge to reconsider bond for one of the defendants facing murder and kidnapping charges.

Myrtle Beach attorney Greg McCollum filed a notice of motion on Monday, April 7, asking Circuit Court Judge Steven John to reconsider his previous order denying bond on March 17 for his client, Tammy Moorer.

"The Defendant requests that this Honorable Court hear new and substantial grounds for relief relating to the denial of bond and hear grounds forming a basis of the immediate necessity," the motion obtained by Waccamaw Publishers states.

What the immediate necessity entails isn't clear because Judge John has imposed a gag order in the case. The gag order includes any extrajudicial statements, including any that may be made in future court filings.

"In compliance with Judge John's March 21, 2014 order prohibiting extrajudicial statements and release of documents, a memoranda of facts and law will be forwarded to the court under seal for the court's consideration," the motion states. "This memoranda of facts and law has not been furnished to the state."

A court date to hear McCollum's motion hasn't been set as of this posting, but the motion says he and his client plan to move before the court within 10 days of the motion "or as soon thereafter as counsel can be heard."

Similar court documents had not been filed for Sidney Moorer, who is being represented by Kirk Truslow.

 

[Sister]

can't help but wonder what they consider "immediate necessity."

too bad, as far as I am concerned!

 

[texasmom]

http://www.wbtw.com/story/24565490/2-charged-with-interferring-in-case-of-heather-elvis

2 charged with interfering in case of Heather Elvis, Horry County Police say
Posted: Jan 28, 2014 2:44 PM CST Updated: Jan 28, 2014 7:14 PM CST
By WBTW News Staff

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -

 

William Christopher Barrett, age 52, and Garrett Ryan Starnes, age 25, both of Myrtle Beach, are facing charges of obstructing justice.

"During the course of the investigation, suspect (William) Barrett began posting misleading information on a social media site regarding the disappearance of Heather Elvis, which created a community reaction that diverted investigating officers," police said.

It was also discovered that in an effort to conduct a separate investigation from law enforcement, he began questioning a witness in an attempt to gain confidential information about the law enforcement investigation, police said.

In addition, he conducted an independent search, where potential evidence was uncovered and did not immediately report it to law enforcement, police said.

"Also during the investigation, (Garrett) Starnes fabricated misleading information regarding the disappearance of Heather Elvis and then relayed the false information to law enforcement," police said.

This information was then posted to a social media site, causing investigating officers to obtain legal process regarding the information which diverted them from legitimate leads, police said.

 


Garrett Ryan Starnes (left) and William Christopher Barrett. (Photos from J. Reuben Long Detention Center)

http://www.thestate.com/2014/04/17/3393470/charges-dropped-against-one-man.html?sp=/99/132/

Charges dropped against one man in Heather Elvis case

By Amanda Kelley

akelley@thesunnews.com

April 17, 2014 Updated 19 hours ago

Authorities have dropped charges against a man who was arrested earlier this year in connection with the disappearance of 20-year-old Heather Elvis, according to Horry County public records.

Garrett Ryan Starnes was charged with obstruction of justice Jan. 28., but those charges were dropped this week, according to court records.

Horry County police charged Starnes because officers said the 25-year-old fabricated misleading information regarding Elvis’ disappearance, relayed the false information to police and posted it to a social media site, which diverted officers from legitimate leads.

 

An obstruction of justice charge against William Christopher Barrett, 52, remains pending, according to court records.

Police said Barrett began posting misleading information on Facebook about Heather Elvis’ disappearance and “created a community reaction that diverted investigating officers.”

[texasmom]

http://www.myhorrynews.com/news/crime/article_0c1e322e-c656-11e3-b27f-0017a43b2370.html

Charge dropped against Myrtle Beach area man in Heather Elvis-related case


Posted: Thursday, April 17, 2014 1:31 pm | Updated: 2:11 pm, Thu Apr 17, 2014.

By Michael Smith michael.smith@myhorrynews.com | 0 comments

 

Jimmy Richardson, solicitor for the 15th Judicial Circuit, said a judge dismissed the case during a recently held preliminary hearing because an officer who was supposed to testify didn't show up, thinking the case had been continued.

Richardson said the solicitor's office could decide to directly indict, but he said no decision has been made to do so.

As a general rule, direct indictments must occur within 90 days of an arrest, which would be on or about April 28, he said.

"That 90 days rule is a good benchmark, but if there's some new evidence, that’s never been a problem," Richardson said. "If nothing new comes about and it's just a fact that the officer misses the hearing, chances are nobody will move to indict him."

 

The notice of dismissal in the Starnes case says charges against him have been dismissed, but the notice doesn't say why.

According to an arrest warrant filed Jan. 28, the defendant on or about Jan. 19 "did unlawfully take action which prevented, impeded or interfered with an investigation by providing and creating false information regarding the disappearance of Heather Elvis."

In doing so, it caused police to "divert resources to investigate these false allegations," the warrant states.

William Christopher Barrett, 52, of the Myrtle Beach area, was also charged with obstructing justice in connection with the Elvis case. That charge is still pending, according to the Horry County Public Index.

[texasmom]

http://www.myhorrynews.com/news/crime/article_6002d384-c4d2-11e3-887b-001a4bcf6878.html

Florida remains Horry County police asked about undergo more testing

Posted: Tuesday, April 15, 2014 3:15 pm | Updated: 9:26 am, Wed Apr 16, 2014.

By Michael Smith michael.smith@myhorrynews.com | 0 comments

Human remains found March 20 in DeLand, Fla. that Horry County police inquired about while investigating the Heather Elvis case have been sent to a forensic specialist for additional testing.

The Volusia County (Fla.) medical examiner’s office has analyzed the remains and issued a preliminary report, but the sheriff’s office there is withholding the findings pending further testing by a human identification specialist at the University of Florida.

“We still have no idea who the victim is and don’t have a firm fix yet on the age/gender,” Gary Davidson, spokesman for the Volusia County sheriff, said via email.

“The Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office analyzed the remains and provided us with their preliminary findings, but we want to corroborate their findings before going public with the information.”

 

The DeLand discovery sparked interest because the Moorers frequently visited Orlando, Fla., which is nearby, and because they also looked into possibly buying property in the Sunshine State.

They vacationed in Walt Disney World about three weeks after Elvis disappeared and a month prior to their arrest on Feb. 21. Horry County police contacted Florida investigators shortly after the remains were found March 20.

Davidson said the University of Florida’s analysis is designed to generate a profile as to the race, gender and approximate age of the victim as well as any individual characteristics that may aid in the identification process.

"Additionally, they’ll be looking for any signs of trauma to the remains or any other evidence that might reveal the cause/manner of death," Davidson said. "That’s where things stand with the investigation.

[texasmom]

http://www.myhorrynews.com/news/crime/article_0b520f58-ca5e-11e3-9718-0017a43b2370.html

WMBF anchor asks for jury trial in trespassing report filed by Tammy Moorer's family

 Posted: Tuesday, April 22, 2014 4:45 pm

By Scott Harper info@myhorrynews.com | 1 comment

A local television news anchor who was scheduled to appear in magistrate’s court Tuesday for a hearing on trespass charges has asked for a jury trial.

No date has been set for the jury trial.

WMBF morning news anchor Michael Maely was charged in March for the incident that a police report said took place in February.

According to the report, Maely entered the property of William and Polly Caison while trying to interview families in the Heather Elvis disappearance case.

 

A police report from the trespassing case states William Caison – who has passed away since the incident – told police that Maely came onto the property without permission.

According to the report, the victim says Maely "attempted to force the door open" of their home off Highwya 814 and that he was told nine times to leave.

Maely told police in the report he never came within eight feet of the front door. He also said, according to the report, that he has video of the incident and will provide it.

Polly Caison and her daughter, Ashley Caison, appeared Tuesday at the Horry County Magistrate’s Office for the hearing.

Ashely Caison said the information about Maely being at the door “has been retracted,” but he is still facing trespassing charges.

 

In a previously released prepared statement, WMBF denied the trespassing charge.

"Michael did nothing wrong and was in pursuit of answers for a major story affecting our community,” the press release states. "He was giving those involved the opportunity to share their side of the story. We believe that the judicial system will reach the same conclusion."

[texasmom]

http://www.thestate.com/2014/05/07/3432887/judge-to-reconsider-bond-for-heather.html?sp=/99/132/

Judge to reconsider bond for Heather Elvis murder suspect

By Amanda Kelley

akelley@thesunnews.com  May 7, 2014

 A Circuit Court judge will reconsider bond for one suspect accused of murdering and kidnapping 20-year-old Heather Elvis.

Horry County Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said a second bond hearing for Tammy Moorer will be held the morning of May 23.

Tammy Moorer, 42, and her husband Sidney Moorer,38, are both charged with murder, kidnapping, obstruction of justice and two counts of indecent exposure related to Elvis. A second bond hearing has not been requested by attorneys for Sidney Moorer.

Circuit Court Judge Steven John denied bond for both Moorers during their initial hearing on March 17. On March 21, the couple was indicted on the charges by an Horry County grand jury, which met the day before, according to court records. That day, John also signed a gag order, which prohibits any prosecutors, defense attorneys or their staffs and members of law enforcement, who have investigated the case, to publically speak about it.

 

[texasmom]

http://www.myhorrynews.com/news/crime/article_bafdc9fc-d615-11e3-b93a-0017a43b2370.html

Tammy Moorer bond reconsideration in Heather Elvis case to be heard May 23


Posted: Wednesday, May 7, 2014 4:45 pm | Updated: 5:12 pm, Thu May 8, 2014.

By Michael Smith michael.smith@myhorrynews.com | 0 comments

Tammy Moorer, charged in connection with the disappearance of 20-year-old Heather Elvis, is scheduled to reappear in an Horry County courtroom on May 23, according to attorneys.

Jimmy Richardson, solicitor for the 15th Judicial Circuit, confirmed the hearing will be held on that date at 9:30 a.m. The purpose of the hearing is a request for bond reconsideration by Moorer's attorney.

Richardson said Circuit Court Judge Steven John remains the chief administrative judge in the Moorer case.

The solicitor said he couldn’t discuss the case any further, citing the March 21 gag order that’s been imposed by Judge John.

 

Defense attorney Greg McCullom, who’s representing Tammy Moorer, filed a motion for bond reconsideration on April 7, according to Horry County court records.

"The Defendant requests that this Honorable Court hear new and substantial grounds for relief relating to the denial of bond and hear grounds forming a basis of the immediate necessity," the motion states.

What the immediate necessity entails wasn’t made clear in the motion.

Moorer, 42, and her husband, Sidney Moorer, 38, are charged with murder, kidnapping, obstruction of justice and two counts of indecent exposure in connection with Elvis’ disappearance.

[texasmom]

http://www.myhorrynews.com/news/crime/article_222fd43a-dc2e-11e3-aee6-0017a43b2370.html

Tammy Moorer moved back to J. Reuben Long Detention Center in March

 Posted: Thursday, May 15, 2014 8:40 am | Updated: 6:34 pm, Thu May 15, 2014.

By Michael Smith michael.smith@myhorrynews.com | 0 comments

A woman charged in connection with the disappearance of Heather Elvis has been moved back to J. Reuben Long Detention Center, according to the Horry County Sheriff's Office.

Tammy Moorer, 42, has been back at the county jail since her March 17 bond hearing, said Sgt. Jeff Benton, spokesman for the sheriff's office.

 

For "safety and security reasons," Tammy Moorer was moved from J. Reuben Long to the Georgetown County Detention Center in the days following her arrest Feb. 21.

Benton wouldn't comment about Tammy Moorer's disciplinary or health history since she was taken into custody. She is due back in court Friday, May 23 for a hearing to determine bond reconsideration.

 

[texasmom]

http://www.wach.com/news/story.aspx?id=1048380

Bond Denied for woman accused of killing Heather Elvis
Posted: 05.23.2014 at 10:31 AM

MYRTLE BEACH (WPDE) - Bond was once again denied for Tammy Moorer, the woman charged with killing missing Horry County woman Heather Elvis.

Moorer appeared before Judge Steven John this morning to ask for her bond, which was denied in March, to be reconsidered.

Judge John denied her request.

Moorer's attorney revealed during the hearing that she is pregnant.

 

[texasmom]

http://www.thestate.com/2014/05/23/3463195/woman-charged-in-heather-elvis.html?sp=/99/132/

Pregnant or not, woman charged in Heather Elvis disappearance denied bond for second time
BY TONYA ROOT
troot@thesunnews.comMay 23, 2014

CONWAY — For a second time, a judge on Friday denied bond for a 42-year-old woman who is charged in connection with the disappearance of 20-year-old Heather Elvis.

Tammy Moorer petitioned for a hearing to have her bond reconsidered, saying she is pregnant and is concerned about her health while jailed. Her attorney also relayed concerns about the lack of evidence against her in the case.

But the prosecutor said they are unsure she is pregnant because lately she has refused to take prenatal vitamins, be examined by a doctor and take another pregnancy test.

Circuit Court Judge Steven John denied Moorer’s request and ordered that jail staff “closely monitor the health of Mrs. Moorer and continue to offer services to her with the assumption she has a viable pregnancy.”

“If the defendant continues to refuse those services . . . I want that documented in writing,” John said.

Moorer interrupted John before he issued his ruling to deny her bond, and John gave her time to speak to her attorney, Greg McCollum, who said she expressed concerns about being exposed to diseases such as HIV, herpes, MRSA infections and bugs in jail.

After John left the courtroom, Moorer’s mother openly sobbed while another family member loudly spoke of her disapproval of the ruling. Horry County Sheriff deputies quieted the family and removed a man from the audience after he made a remark to the family.

A few minutes later in the parking lot, there was a report of a confrontation, but deputies found the same family member yelling about her purse being in the trunk of a vehicle. Deputies stood watch until family members of Moorer and Heather Elvis left the parking lot.

Neither family made a public comment about Friday’s hearing.

 

[texasmom]

http://www.thestate.com/2014/05/23/3463195/woman-charged-in-heather-elvis.html?sp=/99/132/

 

During the hearing, McCollum said Moorer has been under stress in jail because of the death of her father and she was taken to a hospital and learned she was pregnant. McCollum said Moorer and her husband were trying to get pregnant before they were arrested in February.

McCollum asked for John to set a bond for Moorer because she has had miscarriages in the past and the stress of being jailed could jeopardize this pregnancy.

Donna Elder, a senior solicitor, said on March 13 Tammy Moorer took a pregnancy test at the Georgetown County Detention Center and it was negative. On March 18, Moorer told officials she believed she was pregnant and requested to be examined by an obstetrics and gynecology doctor because the last time she had one was in 2005, Elder said.

On March 26, Elder said Moorer was taken to Loris Hospital for a human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG, test, which is a hormone produced during pregnancy. That urine test showed hCG levels had increased and indicated she was pregnant, but an ultrasound showed it was questionable, Elder said.

On March 28, Moorer was taken to Conway Medical Center for another hCG test to confirm, but it showed her levels had not risen much from the first test two days prior.

“The doctor said if it was a viable pregnancy it would have doubled,” Elder said.

Officials have asked Moorer to take another pregnancy test and be examined by an OBGYN, but Elder said she has since refused those tests and refused to take any prenatal vitamins offered to her by jail staffers.

“They have many inmates who are pregnant that they take care of every day,” Elder said of the jail staff’s ability to address Moorer’s needs regarding the possible pregnancy.

 

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/05/23/3463195/woman-charged-in-heather-elvis.html?sp=/99/132/#storylink=cpy

[texasmom]

http://www.myhorrynews.com/news/crime/article_cae5bb8e-e76f-11e3-9373-001a4bcf6878.html

Moorer relatives struggling to cope with harassment during Heather Elvis case

Posted: Thursday, May 29, 2014 4:28 pm | Updated: 4:38 pm, Thu May 29, 2014.

By Tom O'Dare and Michael Smith info@myhorrynews.com | 0 comments

The teenage son of the couple charged with murdering Heather Elvis says he and his younger siblings have lived in fear for months because of constant threats to their family.

They are afraid to leave their home and they don’t understand why someone would want to harm them.

“There have been men with rifles standing across the road looking up here,” said 15-year-old Christian Moorer. “It’s hard to just live our lives knowing somebody out there is threatening to kill you.”

Christian’s parents, Sidney and Tammy Moorer, face charges of murder and kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of Elvis.

The 20-year-old Carolina Forest woman disappeared in the early morning hours of Dec. 18. Her vehicle was found the following evening at Peachtree Boat Landing in Socastee, about eight miles from her apartment and about two miles from the Moorers’ residence on Highway 814.

All activity to her cell phone ceased at 3:41 a.m. Dec. 18, and her body has not been found.

The Moorers were taken into custody on Feb. 21 after police executed a search warrant at their home. They were indicted on March 21. A trial date for the case has not been set.

Harsh reality

Tammy Moorer’s relatives say they have prayed for the family of Heather Elvis since they first heard she was missing.

They’ve hoped she would be found safe and returned to her loved ones. But they say some people have treated them harshly since Elvis vanished. The Moorers live just off S.C. 544 next to Tammy’s parents’ home.

Her father, William Caison, died of a heart attack in March and his family says it was the stress of the case that killed him.

The Moorers’ children — Christian, 12-year-old Nikki and 8-year-old Caison — have been living with their grandmother Polly since Tammy and Sidney were arrested in February.

Last week, a host of aunts, uncles and cousins gathered in the Caison home to discuss how they have been forced to live since Elvis disappeared.

From the beginning, family members say, the police focused primarily on the Moorers.

According to police records, Sidney Moorer and Heather Elvis were in a relationship last year. Joanne Todd Dry, Tammy Moorer’s aunt, said 38-year-old Sidney Moorer may have gotten mixed up with Elvis, but he’s not a killer.

Another aunt, Lisa Bonechans, said every family member, especially Tammy Moorer’s mother and children, have been scared for their lives for months.

“Our family shouldn’t have to live in fear just because the police say Tammy and Sidney did something,” she said.

Christian Moorer said the police have been called to their property dozens of times since December because people have come into their yard, thrown bricks at the house and even called on the phone threatening their entire family.

Waccamaw Publishers has requested reports about these incidents from the Horry County Police Department. Lt. Robert Kegler, the agency’s spokesman, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

It’s unclear what Kegler could say anyway because police are under a judge’s order not to discuss the Heather Elvis case. Family members said the police have searched both houses twice, trying to find evidence.

The first search came just a few days after Elvis was reported missing.

“They haven’t found anything,” Dry said. “And that’s why they’re trying to keep everybody quiet.”

Intense questioning

Christian Moorer said on the February morning that police arrested his parents, the three children were taken by investigators to a small office at Coastal Carolina University.

With no other adults present, Christian Moorer said the police interrogated him and his sister while their little brother remained in the car.

“They started off being nice,” he said. “Then they started telling me I was lying about things and I wasn’t. I was being very truthful with them.”

Christian said on the night that police say Elvis was murdered, he never heard his parents leave the house or any other noises.

As the family was recounting what everyone has gone through, one cousin started crying as she was looking at a picture on her phone.

Someone had just posted a picture in a private Facebook room of Tammy Moorer with a Photoshopped gunshot wound in her forehead.

Her aunt screamed that this is the kind of things they have been dealing with. They talked of a poster that had been circulated showing Tammy, Sidney and Tammy’s dad with the caption, “one down and two to go.”

Dry said the police told them that their complaint about the poster would be forwarded to the planning or public works department since it dealt with a sign.

Sitting on the floor near her aunt, Nikki said she is always scared. Christian just shook his head.

“I don’t understand how people can do this,” he said.

 

Also in court Friday, McCollum restated that his client is innocent.

“There’s a misconception and misbelief about the lack of evidence against Tammy Moorer,” McCollum said. “There’s been a lot of speculation that they found forensic evidence, that they’ve found a hair sample or a tissue. That’s absolutely not true. There’s no evidence to link Tammy Moorer to the disappearance or possible death of Heather Elvis.”

McCollum said law enforcement focused on the Moorers almost immediately after Elvis disappeared on Dec. 18, and that arrests were made to quell public pressure.

“The desire for law enforcement to do something, it’s my belief the method of arrest was done in such a way that [the Moorers] would be taken into custody, they could be interviewed and that [law enforcement] would crack the case,” McCollum said. “They arranged to have her [Tammy Moorer] arrested with the intention of trying to get some kind of incriminating statement.”

Elder took exception to the notion that law enforcement buckled under public pressure, noting that investigators didn’t file charges until two months after Elvis disappeared.

“This is not a case where law enforcement rushed to make an arrest because of public pressure,” she said. “This is a case where law enforcement, contrary to public pressure, they waited.”

Back home after the hearing, Christian Moorer fought back tears. He said he wasn’t sure how his family would endure this.

“Our family is sticking together,” he said quietly. “It’s tough when you hear and see these things about your parents and you never know when someone out there is going to try to kill you. But we’ll just keep praying. That’s all we can do.”

[texasmom]

http://www.thestate.com/2014/06/01/3479239/family-of-tammy-and-sidney-moorer.html

Family of Heather Elvis murder suspects speak about struggles since couple’s arrest

By Amanda Kelley

akelley@thesunnews.com
June 1, 2014
Updated 11 hours ago

SOCASTEE — Family of the couple facing charges in the disappearance of 20-year-old Heather Elvis say the pair are good parents who were working to improve their relationship and are innocent.

Alice “Polly” Caison is the mother of 42-year-old Tammy Moorer who, along with her 38-year-old husband Sidney Moorer, is charged with murder, kidnapping, obstruction of justice and two-counts of indecent exposure in connection with the Elvis case.

Polly Caison said her daughter and son-in-law couldn’t have committed such crimes, that they are good parents who wouldn’t hurt a fly and should be home with their three children. Tammy is a stay-at-home mother who homeschooled the couples’ three children — two boys ages 8 and 15, and a girl age 12, while running a part-time travel agency. Sidney Moorer owns Palmetto Maintenance, LLC.

“You can ask anybody, Tammy is a good mother,” she said. “Tammy would not have done something like this to put her kids in jeopardy.”

Caison said she hopes for a fair trial if the charges aren’t dropped.

“I promise you one thing, whatever happened to that girl it did not happen here,” she said. “God help him [Terry Elvis] find his daughter because my family did not have anything to do with it,” she said. “I hope they find her and I hope she comes home.”

 

During the initial bond hearing, prosecutors pointed to cellphone records and video surveillance – which showed a truck authorities said belonged to the Moorers – to build their case against the couple. But defense attorneys call the evidence is circumstantial, with no link to tie the couple to Elvis’ disappearance.

Polly Caison said the truck police referred to never left the yard and that police didn’t spend enough time looking for other suspects, but instead targeted the Moorers, whose home sits behind the Caison home on the same property off Secondary Highway 814.

Horry County police along with attorneys involved in the case are under a gag order and blocked from talking about the case, but in a court hearing in May, Horry County senior solicitor Donna Elder said authorities took time to investigate before filing charges.

“This is not a case where law enforcement rushed to make an arrest,” Elder said. “Contrary to public pressure . . . they arrested them over two months later after a full investigation.”

 

During a bond hearing prosecutors said that Elvis and Sidney Moorer had begun a relationship in June 2013 and ended it in October. Prosecutors said when Tammy Moorer found out about the affair she began to harass Heather Elvis.

“Heather was in fact fearful of Tammy during this time period,” Elder said, during the March hearing. Elder said after learning of the affair, Tammy Moorer handcuffed her husband to the bed at night, a condition he agreed to for a six-month probationary period.

Polly Caison said she didn’t know about the affair until the investigation.

“Tammy and Sidney decided to put their life back together,” she said. “They went on vacation for three weeks and when they came back this thing started against them. They were over it ... they had forgiven each other and decided to put things aside and that’s why Tammy was trying to get pregnant.”

Tammy Moorer used the pregnancy as a basis for her second request for bond, which was made in May, but bond was again denied. Her attorney had requested that bond be reconsidered citing pregnancy, a prior miscarriage and concern that the stress of being jailed could jeopardize her current pregnancy.

 

Being locked away from family is hurting Tammy Moorer, according to her mother.

“It’s running her crazy,” she said. “You can tell by reading her letters. She loves her kids and she’s happy about this baby coming.”

Despite negative chatter in the community, particularly on social media, about the Moorers, Polly Caison said her family has a large group of support, including some family that she said had to sit on the prosecution side during the initial bond hearing.

Polly and Ashley Caison said they hope the truth surfaces soon.

Polly Caison said her house and the Moorer house each were searched twice, including once with a search warrant. Police took boxes of belongings, but she said she’s sure there wasn’t any evidence in either house to support the charges.

“There’s no way that my child done this and I’m sick and tired of every time I see the news or read the paper it says my kids are charged with murder,” she said. “There’s no way the child could do anything like that.”