Bad Romance: No Trace (Revisited)

Summary

20/20 Podcast Summary

Episode: Bad Romance: No Trace (Revisited)

Host: Debra Roberts, ABC News
Original Air Date: December 31, 2025

---

Episode Overview

This gripping episode from the "Bad Romance" true crime series revisits the mysterious disappearance of 20-year-old Heather Elvis in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in December 2013. The episode unpacks the tangled web of a clandestine love affair, jealousy, suspicion, and a community left desperate for answers, tracking the emotional journey from Heather’s vanishing through the investigation and eventual convictions of suspects.

---

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Myrtle Beach and Peachtree Landing

• The geographical and social divide in Myrtle Beach—tourist beaches vs. close-knit local community.
• The ominous nature of Peachtree Boat Landing, depicted as a "black hole" where things (and people) can easily disappear.
  • Memorable Line: “In these swamps, anything can happen. Anything can disappear, even a body.” (A, 00:42)

2. Heather Elvis: Life & Disappearance

• Heather, 20, is remembered by friends and family as charismatic and full of life.
• She worked at the Tilted Kilt, an Irish-Scottish-themed sports bar.
  • Quote: “She lit up a room when she walked in. She was precious.” (A, 02:51)
• Discovery of her abandoned car at Peachtree Landing triggers immediate concern.

3. The Timeline Leading to Her Disappearance

• On Dec 17, 2013, Heather went on a date with Steven Schiraldi, returning home later that night.
• Her car is found abandoned; all her belongings are inside except her phone and wallet—considered highly suspicious by family and police.

4. The Love Triangle: Heather, Sidney, and Tammy Moore

• The podcast details Heather's affair with Sidney Moore, a married, 37-year-old maintenance man at her workplace, 17 years her senior.
• Tammy Moore, Sidney's wife, emerges as a controlling figure who reacts with relentless harassment and threats.
  • Quote: “Tammy Moore was definitely the more domineering part of that couple. She told Sidney where to work, when to work, what to do.” (A, 12:24)
• The affair escalates to suspicion when Heather is contacted and threatened by Tammy directly.
  • Quote: “Your B is about to take his last breath.” (B, 12:16)

5. Investigation and Early Breaks

• The case begins as a routine missing person but escalates quickly due to discovered relationships and suspicious behaviors.
• Focus shifts quickly to Sidney and Tammy after police hear from Heather’s coworkers.
• Prank calls and real confrontations between Tammy and Heather escalate the situation’s intensity.

6. Key Evidence: Cell Phone & Video Surveillance

• Cell phone records and video footage show a series of calls between Heather and a payphone, later proved to have been used by Sidney.
• Sidney lies to the police about the payphone, but surveillance pins him there the night Heather disappears.
  • Quote: “I did. I called her from the payphone. I asked her to please leave me alone.” (A, 15:53)
• Heather’s phone location pings and surveillance show her driving to Peachtree Landing in the early hours, in parallel with a black pickup—the Moore’s truck—traced on the same route.
• Major discovery: The truck’s GPS was manually disabled the night Heather vanished—never done before or after.
  • Quote: “It had only been taken out once, and that was the night she went missing.” (B, 22:03)

7. Community and Social Media Frenzy

• Social media amplifies the case, with rumors and accusations spreading rapidly.
• A gag order is put into effect to control the information.

8. Prosecution Strategy and Trials

• Both Sidney and Tammy are arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping; the murder charge is later dropped due to lack of physical evidence.
• The prosecution proposes jealousy as a primary motive, fueled by rumors of Heather’s possible pregnancy.
• Timeline and circumstantial evidence (surveillance, cell phone data, purchase of a pregnancy test) become central at trial.
  • Quote: “She went from an A cup bra to B cup bra then a B to a C… that's the kind of thing that typically happens when someone is pregnant.” (A, 24:07)

9. Outcomes of Legal Proceedings

• Sidney’s First Trial (2016): Ends in a hung jury; later convicted of obstruction of justice for lying about the payphone.
• Tammy’s Trial: Convicted of kidnapping based on cell phone tracking, testimony, and circumstantial evidence despite no direct link to her being at the scene. Tammy testifies in her own defense, asserting her innocence.
  • Tammy Quote: “Absolutely not.” (on kidnapping, B, 35:44)
• Final Evidence:
  • Home security footage (days after disappearance) shows Sidney and Tammy extensively cleaning their F150 and burning rags—a key moment interpreted as possible evidence tampering.
  • The jury finds both Sidney and Tammy guilty of kidnapping; each receives 30 years in prison.

10. Aftermath

• Both maintain their innocence and appeal; their petitions are denied.
• The Elvis family continues to hold vigils for Heather at Peachtree Landing, clinging to hope and demanding the truth.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I hold out hope that I’ll turn around one day at the front door and she’ll walk in. Do I really think that’ll happen deep down? No, I don’t. But I’ll never give up.” (A, 43:06)
• “This is why this is important, because while Heather was making those phone calls, video surveillance cameras along the route to Peachtree Landing also show a black pickup headed in the same direction.” (A, 19:40)
• “She has this way of being very, very intimidating. I… I mean, I get goosebumps still thinking about it to this day.” (B, 30:44)
• “I think the surveillance footage was absolutely key because it created a timeline that showed everything.” (B, 27:11)
• On the cleaning video: “To me, that just screams guilty.” (B, 40:41)

---

Timeline & Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:42–02:12: Myrtle Beach setting, community background, Heather Elvis introduction.
• 04:10: Discovery of Heather’s car at Peachtree Boat Landing.
• 06:47–07:13: Focus shifts to the affair between Heather and Sidney Moore.
• 11:00–12:13: Tammy Moore’s discovery and harassment of Heather.
• 14:00–16:46: Cell phone and payphone evidence tightens focus on Sidney Moore.
• 19:27–20:36: Final phone calls and parallel movements of Heather and the Moore’s truck.
• 22:08–23:13: Arrest of Sidney and Tammy; spread of rumors and social media impact.
• 24:07–24:14: Possible pregnancy as motive.
• 25:48–27:58: Trial, hung jury, and obstruction of justice verdict.
• 32:58–33:14: Prosecution pivots to Tammy’s controlling behavior.
• 36:09–39:18: Tammy’s defense, cross-examination, and the verdict.
• 40:27–41:58: Home surveillance of post-incident truck cleaning and burning rags.
• 42:46–43:06: Aftermath, family reflections, closure.

---

Conclusion

This episode delivers a thorough, emotionally resonant account of a notorious Myrtle Beach disappearance—blending investigative journalism with testimonies that draw listeners deep into tragedy, suspicion, and pursuit of justice. Through precise police work, painstaking circumstantial evidence, and the tenacity of family and prosecutors, the mystery edges toward resolution—but with lingering pain, unanswered questions, and a family still searching for closure.

---

Transcript

[A]

This is Debra Roberts. We're taking a few weeks off from new podcast programming on Wednesdays while we work on a new interesting series to share with you. So in the meantime, we're bringing back some of our installments from our classic series, Bad Romance. Here's this week's episode. Hey there, 2020 listeners. This is Debra Roberts, co anchor of 20 20. We've got a new spinoff series we think you're gonna want to hear, so we're making it available for you right here on our podcast. It's called Bad Romance. Have a listen. She works at a bar. He was the maintenance man. Their affair is sudden, intense. But there are three people in this relationship, and late one night, one of them disappears. And there's no trace. The swamps of Horry County, South Carolina, are like a black hole. Peachtree Boat Landing is a dark, desolate place. There is no reason for a car to be there, abandoned in the middle of the night. In these swamps, anything can happen. Anything can disappear, even a body. Only a few miles from the dark swamps are these pristine beaches and the bustling boardwalks of the South Carolina coast. Myrtle beach is about 75 miles of beach. White, sandy beaches. We get 20 million tourists a year. The actual permanent population of Myrtle beach is more like around 30,000.

[B]

So this is still a really small town.

[A]

When I first came down to Myrtle beach to report on this story, one of the things that I noticed first was this great divide between the tourists on the coast and the locals who live west of the Intracoastal Inlet. And it was there that In December of 2013, a young woman, just 20 years old, Heather Elvis, disappears. When people talk about Heather, they smile because she was so full of personality. She lit up a room when she walked in. She was precious.

[B]

She had a wonderful life. She has a beautiful life. She lived it the way she wanted.

[A]

We've always been a tight knit family. Everybody does for everybody else. She loved makeup. She wanted to be in front of.

[B]

The camera and behind the camera and design everything that she wore in front of the camera.

[A]

Heather Elphis worked at a sports bar here called the Tilted Kilt.

[B]

Tilted Kilt is an Irish Scottish version of Hooters. So the girls wear kilts. They have TVs everywhere. They have a whole bunch of different beers on tap. Heather might have come off a brace of some people, but she was just. She was very real. When you're young in Myrtle beach, you don't think bad things are gonna happen.

[A]

Way before dawn. A week before Christmas. Horry County Sheriff's deputy Ken canterbury is on a routine patrol near peachtree landing when he catches sight of a parked car. Cars don't usually park here.

[B]

He checks the vehicle. There doesn't appear to be anything out of the normal. So he then gets back and continues patrolling.

[A]

The next day, someone reported that car as a suspicious vehicle because of the length of time it had been sitting at peachtree boat landing.

[B]

Officer canterbury runs the tag. He finds it belonged to Terry Elvis.

[A]

I had a knock at the door. It was a county police officer, and he was asking if we were missing a green dodge intrepid. Oh, yeah, that's Heather's car. And then he goes on to explain that it's been found at peachtree landing, apparently abandoned. He said, let's ride down and take a look. Mr. Elvis immediately suspected something was wrong. He knew that that was his daughter's only mode of transportation. It had no business being at that landing. She never went to that landing.

[B]

I was just sitting there, twiddling my thumbs and waiting, Calling Heather's phone. It was going straight to voicemail, which is way out of character with Heather.

[A]

It really didn't hit me, where's Heather? Until he started looking through things.

[B]

Clothes, art, shoes, purses, makeup, you name it was in her car. But they don't find her phone. They don't find her wallet. They don't find a pocketbook.

[A]

Just looking into the woods to see if there's anything out of place. And everything looked normal. My panic had really set in. Heather's never done anything like this before. Something's wrong. What's wrong? That's when police began piecing together the last known movements of Heather on the night she disappeared. So December 17, Heather went on a date with Steve schiraldi.

[B]

Steven and Heather had gone to high school together. She was looking forward to that date very much.

[A]

Steven says they went to dinner at a place called bandidos. After dinner, they went to Steven's house briefly to watch a movie. His mother corroborates that. Police across the country know that in any missing person's case, the first 48 hours are absolutely critical. Right now, they're leaving no stone unturned. And as part of this initial investigation, they send an officer over to the tilted kilt to see if Heather had missed work. One of the first things that investigators hear from Heather's co workers is that there is a different man who they should be talking to, other than the man Heather went on a date with the night before.

[B]

The manager said, you really need to call Sydney Moore. There had been a relationship between the two of them.

[A]

Sydney Moore, back in 2013, was a night maintenance man at the Tilted Kilt, which is where he met Heather Elvis.

[B]

Heather and Sydney started talking. She noticed that, you know, he was good looking, he had a good attitude, and she went for it.

[A]

Now, he may have been good looking, but he was 37, which made him 17 years older than Heather Elvis. What was the actual nature of their relationship?

[B]

I mean, most people would call it a sexual relationship, but from my opinion of talking to her, they were in love. Sidney and Heather were having sex all the time, anywhere that they could.

[A]

There were allegations that there was sex in the restaurant nearby during work hours.

[B]

Everything else, I guess Sydney just made her happy.

[A]

When they were together, I knew that.

[B]

She was talking to a boy named Sydney, that he was sweet and she was smitten. Had no idea he was married. Heather received a phone call and she said, I know you're with my husband.

[A]

Betrayal, jealousy. Someone was gonna pay. Hey, guys, it's Kamel Nanjiani. My new stand up special, Night Thoughts is now streaming on Hulu. I promise you're gonna laugh. I am an immigrant. Are there any other immigrants here? Okay, what you can't do is point at someone else. My Thoughts is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundled subscribers. Terms apply. That wasn't my call. If it was my call, terms would not apply. But it's not my call. Terms apply. How's everybody feeling tonight? The New York Times hails Is this Thing On? Is one of the best films of the year. I've been doing stand up. Is it like a hobby? Well, I'm about to quit my job and go on tour. What I like about noon, that comes out of your head. You put on a piece of paper and you get up there. It's like Therapy. Starring Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andrew Day and Bradley Cooper. Doing this helps. How does it help to have a room full of people laughing at you? Is this Thing on now? Playing in select theaters everywhere. January 9th. Rated R under 17. Not admitted without parent. Is there anything you want to say if she happens to be watching right now? Heather, if you're watching this, if you can see it, if you can hear it, we miss you. We want you home.

[B]

Originally, this case was just assigned out as a missing person. We did not know or have any reason to believe a crime had been committed in the beginning, that the car showed no sign of a struggle. There was no blood, no broken glass, nothing to believe that a crime had been committed.

[A]

However, they do know that she was having an affair with a married man who also worked at the Tilted Kilt by the name of Sydney Moore. When you're in love, you're in love.

[B]

When you're 20, you don't always necessarily think through all of those things.

[A]

Sidney Moore was 37 years old. He had three kids and he was married to a 40 year old woman named Tammy. She was nearly twice Heather's age. The affair between Sidney Moore and Heather Elvis was the worst kept secret in Horry County.

[B]

It wasn't a secret to those that worked at the Kill. You know, we all knew about.

[A]

Comes out that three months into the relationship, Heather's co workers have played a prank on her.

[B]

One day, two of the girls decided to call the Tilty Kill and pretend to be Tammy, Sydney's wife, and said, this is Tammy Moore. I know about you and my husband. I need you to stop right now. And when Heather got that phone call, she totally freaked out.

[A]

After that prank, co workers say Sidney stops coming around the Tilted Kilt. About a month later, the phone rings. Only this time, it really is Tammy Moorer.

[B]

It was Tammy on the other end, essentially, like, I know you've been sleeping with my husband. Sydney got on the phone and said you were just some girl that spread your legs and that he just used her for a booty call. Heather was crying because they broke up and she was very upset about it.

[A]

After Tammy felt found out about the affair, she was absolutely livid. She did call Heather a lot, text Heather a lot. Someone's about to get their beat down. Heather was legitimately terrified. You can tell me who you are.

[B]

Right now or I will find out another way.

[A]

And what did they say? Do you remember?

[B]

Oh, she was threatening her. Hey, sweetie, you ready to meet the missus? Basically just letting her know that she was there and she knew.

[A]

And what did she say? Are you ready to meet the missus? That doesn't sound that bad.

[B]

Well, she did mention something about Sidney taking his last breath. Your B is about to take his last breath.

[A]

Tammy Moore was definitely the more domineering part of that couple. She told Sidney where to work, when to work, what to do. If I would classify Sydney as anything in that relationship, it would be utterly submissive.

[B]

Tammy was relentless. She was sending pictures of her and Sydney performing sexual acts, videos of, you know, the two of them together, I guess kind of to taunt Heather.

[A]

Heather didn't shy away from responding. I think you're a little obsessed with me. Nah, it was a bore, really. So that's why you're still childishly texting me from your cheating husband's phone. Your skank needs to leave me alone. Were you concerned for Heather? And was Heather concerned after those text messages came in?

[B]

Her demeanor completely changed over the next few weeks, like she was. She was very paranoid. In September 2013, Heather wrote on her Twitter page, once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love, and it did not end well. She probably was referring to her and Sydney. Heather just kept saying, leave me alone. Leave me alone. I don't want anything to do with this. And finally, the calls did stop. By the beginning of December, there was no communication between Heather and the Moores.

[A]

Heather was really looking forward to her.

[B]

Future after putting everything to rest with Sydney.

[A]

Remember the night she disappears? Heather's on a date with a friend from high school. But investigators think the affair with Sidney Moore is worth checking out.

[B]

So the police immediately go to Sydney's house. They talk with him in December 20, early morning.

[A]

When's the last night before? Either last night or night before. I can't remember. What's your relationship with her? There is no relationship. There was a relationship. I broke it off.

[B]

Look, I'm over her. Haven't reached out to her. I don't know where she is. I've had zero contact with her at any point.

[A]

Did you go down around the Peachtree Landing area? No. So what do they have to go on? There's no real physical evidence at Peachtree Landing, so investigators turn to cell phone records from that night. And there are a bunch of calls to and from a payphone outside a gas station. It's a number Heather has never called before. Heather dials that payphone back nine times. The only reason she could possibly be calling that phone nine times that she's never heard of before is to get the other person that just talked to her back on the line.

[B]

They find that the payphone has surveillance video. It was very grainy. You see an individual, he's on the payphone over five minutes. Even though they didn't know who it was, they had evidence then that the payphone had been used. They called Sydney Moore back.

[A]

Horry county police begin questioning Sidney about his whereabouts on December 18. And he tells them that he and his wife Tammy were going around doing errands, and at one point, they stopped at a Walmart. Oh, it was at Walmart, actually. Myrtle Beach, Walmart. Was your wife with you? Yes. Yes, she was with me the whole time. They asked him about the pay phone call. Had you used any other Phones that night, your wife's phone? No. Did you make any payphone calls? Nope. I still have payphones. Who makes a phone call today from a pay phone? Sidney Moore has a cell phone. Tammy Moore has a cell phone. And Tammy Moore used that cell phone to great length to harass and essentially stalk Heather Elvis. They were calling from a payphone to hide the call. There was a phone call made to Heather that night from a pay phone at the gas station on 10th Avenue, but we have video from that. Okay. Did you try calling her? Just a minute, a second. You sure? Maybe. How about we start again? I. I did. I called her from the back home. What did you say? I asked her to please leave me alone. It sounded like a very innocent explanation. But Heather's roommate Brianna tells police a very different account of that phone call.

[B]

At 1:44 in the morning she called me. She was hysterically crying and she said, Sydney called me. She told me that he said he left his wife and that he was sorry and that he wanted to see her and be with her. And I told her, don't do it. By the end of the phone call, I was under the assumption that she wasn't going to meet Sydney. That's when everything starts moving in a very different direction.

[A]

There is no way this story is going to end well. After interviewing Heather's roommate Brianna about that conversation that Sydney and Heather had on the payphone, police begin by reconstructing the movements of Tammy and Sidney that night. They begin by pulling security video from that Walmart in Myrtle Beach. Sydney spent approximately nine minutes inside that Walmart, then went got back in the truck where Tammy was waiting outside. After that, they drove directly to the pay phone where you see Sydney make the call to Heather Elvis. Day 20 in the search for missing 20 year old Heather Elvis. Dozens of cars and horse trailers line the heavily wooded area. While the police look at the Walmart and pay phone surveillance videos, everyone in town seems to be out searching for Heather. Well, everyone but Sydney and Tammy, because they're busy trashing Heather on social media.

[B]

Tammy Moore put out a Facebook post shortly after she went missing calling her a whore, saying these terrible things.

[A]

We've all heard the term a woman scorned, right? And that's what Tammy Moore was. But when you see these posts, the way she's hounding this 20 year old kid, it's disturbing. Using Heather's phone records and her Gmail account, investigators begin to piece together her movements after that phone call from Sydney. At 1:35am Heather ends up calling his Cell phone several times between 3:17am and 3:21am finally, he picks up, and the two have a conversation for about four minutes. And it's at that point that Heather gets in her car and begins driving. We trace Heather's phone all the way to Peachtree boat Landing.

[B]

And once she gets to the landing, she's again calling Sydney Moore. 3:37, 3:38, 3:39, 3:40. It was four phone calls right in a row.

[A]

This is why this is important, because while Heather was making those phones phone calls, Video surveillance cameras along the route to Peachtree Landing also show a black pickup headed in the same direction. Right there is the camera that caught what the FBI and the prosecutors say is that Ford F150 going south towards Peachtree Landing. When you look at a map, it's immediately clear that driving Highway 814 and Mill Pond Road is the quickest way connecting Peachtree Landing and Tammy and Sydney Moore's house. In fact, they're only four miles apart. There's nothing else at the end of that road but Peachtree boat landing and Heather Elvis at 3:41am is when Heather's cell phone goes down.

[B]

Heather's phone dies. And then you see the truck immediately coming back across the same two cameras heading back to the moon. Moore's residence.

[A]

So assuming that whoever was doing this was roughly driving the speed limit, they only had about 60 seconds at Peachtree Landing to do whatever they were going to do and get back on this road in time to be captured by those surveillance cameras at 3:45am at the.

[B]

Time, Sidney Moore and Tammy Moore own a 2014 Ford 150 trucks. Horry County Police department found there was only one, and it was Sydney Moore who also happened to be the only person that lived that close to the landing on in that truck. Originally, when the officers showed up at Tammy and Sydney Moore's house on December 20th of 2013, they noticed that there were cameras up outside the house. However, once they went back, they found out that the surveillance system in there was a new system and it had not recorded anything. On December 18th of 2013, they had.

[A]

No idea what was on the new system, but they knew that they, out of an abundance of caution, they needed to seize that system. Investigators also scoured the Moore's black pickup truck, where they make an important discovery. The truck is equipped with a GPS tracking system, which has been manually deactivated. It's like a camera sim card. You push down, it'll pop out. When you take it out, warnings will show up all over Your vehicle. So it could not have been a mistake.

[B]

It had only been taken out once, and that was the night she went missing.

[A]

According to prosecutors, it's a bombshell piece of evidence. The case of a young woman who simply vanished.

[B]

Two people have been taken into custody.

[A]

Both Sydney and Tammy Moore are being held here at the J. Rubin Long Detective Detention Center. Two months later, the police arrested Sidney Moore and Tammy Moore and charged them with murder and kidnapping immediately. In this case, the defendants, the victims, everyone went to social media. It was like wildfire. It spread exponentially in a matter of hours. I never experienced anything like it. Where there were so many so called facts that came from somewhere but did not come from a police investigation. To quiet all the chatter, the judge grants a gag order. The order prohibits all parties, including defendants, prosecutors and law enforcement agencies, from speaking to the media.

[B]

It was just a very traumatic time. So we were in a fog.

[A]

So initially, when the Moores were arrested, they were charged with murder in addition to kidnapping. That murder charge was later dropped. I assume, given the lack of physical evidence in this case, no body, no blood, no murder weapon, that it would have been hard to prove for the state. Prosecutors decided to try Sidney and Tammy separately. So Sidney goes on trial first in 2016 for the kidnapping of Heather Alvis. Now, prosecutors are not required to show motive when they try a case, but they do understand that motive often helps juries understand the background and what's really going on. And in this particular case, prosecutors were not going to disappoint that jury. And the motive they do bring to the jury is pretty startling. In the weeks before Heather Elvis goes missing, she puts on noticeable weight.

[B]

She went from an A cup bra to B cup raw than a B.

[A]

To a C. I mean, that's the kind of thing that typically happens when someone is pregnant.

[B]

Yes, definitely.

[A]

And remember that errand that Sydney ran at the Walmart the night Heather disappeared? He made two purchases and he paid in cash. If she is pregnant with Sydney's child, that changes everything. Friday, Avatar Fire and Ash arrives in theaters. I am the fire. Get your 3D tickets now for the greatest chapter of the biggest saga in history. Whatever happens, protect this family. Critics rave. It's by far the best Avatar movie. If your father and I do not.

[B]

Return, you go as far and as fast as you can.

[A]

Movies don't get any bigger than this. Avatar, Fire and Ash, rated PG 13. Get tickets now. The College Football Playoff isn't over.

[B]

Not yet. That epic run, that wild dream, not.

[A]

Over till the clock hits zero. Till the Stadium shakes till the wild things are let loose, till the trophy is lifted and the confetti falls. This is the national championship. When it's over, you'll feel it. This is the wild world of College Football, the CFP National Championship. Monday, January 19th at 7:30pm Eastern on ESPN and the ESPN app.

[B]

The trial of the man accused of kidnapping Heather Elvis is now underway.

[A]

More than three years after Heather Elvis vanished in a corner of South Carolina, Sidney Moore is facing trial on kidnapping charges. But prosecutors know convincing a jury will be an uphill battle.

[B]

There was no direct evidence to say it was Tammy and Sydney Moore. Everything we had was circumstantial.

[A]

But prosecutors do have that video of Sydney shopping at Walmart. On that video, it shows Sydney Moore in his dream truck F150, drive into a handicapped parking spot, exit his vehicle, walk into the Walmart. Receipt showed that he had purchased a.

[B]

Pregnancy test and a cigar type cigarette and he paid cash.

[A]

The conjecture is that they're going to take it to Heather and make her take a pregnancy test. According to Sydney, that pregnancy test wasn't for Heather. It was for his wife to. He insisted they were trying to have another baby. There was no hard evidence of guilt to me. There was a bunch of bad character evidence and there was a tremendous amount of circumstantial evidence.

[B]

Tell this story about how old you are.

[A]

Prosecutors built what they believed was a very convincing case, knowing that asking a jury to convict based solely on circumstantial evidence is always a steep hill to climb.

[B]

I think the surveillance footage was absolutely key because it created a timeline that showed everything. All attention was on Tammy Moore and Sydney Moore. No questions, Rob? Very well, thank you.

[A]

When the state rested, I felt pretty good about it. So we did not put up a defense at that point. I think most people thought it'd be several hours for a verdict. Right? This is a slam dunk. But it wasn't. It was news that a family and a prosecutor hate to hear. Jury is still deadlocked and will be unable to resolve it. Therefore, I'll declare mistrial and this case will have to be tried again.

[B]

I think all of us were wondering, what now? What do we do from here?

[A]

The hung jury was a painful blow to the prosecutors and the Elvis family. And prosecutors were convinced that Tammy and Sidney were responsible. Investigators felt sure that the Moores knew more than they were telling. And they thought that maybe if they pressured them hard enough, long enough, one of them would begin cooperating with authorities. That's why prosecutors decide now to pursue an additional charge, obstruction of justice. Because Sidney had lied to police. It's over the payphone call where he's denying it, and then, yeah, we all know he made that phone call. The jury reached the decision in only 50 minutes.

[B]

On the charge of obstruction of justice.

[A]

Guilty. He's found guilty of obstruction of justice and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The office family says today's verdict is the beginning, not the end. I don't think it'll be like dominoes. I think the first one fell. I think the rest will fall into place. You can't hide it forever. About two years after Sidney's conviction for obstruction of justice, now it's Tammy's turn to face trial on kidnapping charges. Today, the trial for one of the suspects, Tammy Moore started. Tammy Moore didn't kidnap anyone. She didn't conspire to kidnap him. For the prosecution, this will not be an easy case to prove Tammy's not in any of the video, not at the Walmart, not at the payphone. They'll need something else to connect Tammy to Heather.

[B]

When you collate evidence, police normally focus on that very tight time that she goes missing at. But we started looking at a much larger time frame.

[A]

Prosecutors cracked Sidney and Tammy's movements all over town before, during, and after Heather's disappearance. And what they found was damning.

[B]

They were chasing her, basically watching her to find out when she may be the most vulnerable. The key witnesses really were those individuals that knew that she was dating Sydney Moore. And at the time, she thought she was. Do you know who she was having sex with? Sydney. Who was she scared of?

[A]

Tammy.

[B]

I had never been face to face with Tammy up until that point. Who's in this picture? That's Heather. And how did she feel about Sydney? She loved him. And she's staring into my eyes and. And she. She has this way of being very, very intimidating. I. I mean, I get goosebumps still thinking about it to this day.

[A]

The jury is about to hear the prosecution's theory that Tammy's rage at Heather's possible pregnancy had turned simple jealousy into a plot for revenge that would end in her kidnapping and dis. Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree. Zoe. This thing weighs a ton. Drew, Ski.

[B]

Live with your legs, man.

[A]

Santa. Santa, did you get my letter? He's talking to you, Bridges. I'm not.

[B]

Of course he did.

[A]

Right, Santa, you know my elf Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list. And elf. I'm six three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T mobile. You can get it on them that center stage front camera is a map. Amazing for group selfies, right? Mrs. Claus.

[B]

I'm Mrs. Claus's much younger sister and at T Mobile there's no trade in.

[A]

Needed when you switch. So you can keep your old phone or give it as a gift. And the best part, you can make.

[B]

The switch to T mobile from your.

[A]

Phone in just 15 minutes. Guys, my side of the tree is slipping. Kimber, the holidays are better. AT T Mobile switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed. And now T mobile is available in US cellular stores with 24 monthly bill credits for well qualified customers plus tax and $35 vice action charge credit and balance due to payout earlier cancer financing agreement 256 gigs $830 eligible for in a new line $100 plus a month plan with auto payments, taxes, fees required. Check out 15 minutes or less per line. Visit t mobile.com tell me lies returns with an all new season. I'm willing to forgive you after everything you've done.

[B]

Everything I've done?

[A]

What about everything you've done on January 13th? Every single time you try to make something better, you end up making it so much worse. Every betrayal. Why are you doing this? Has consequences. Because I want to hurt you and I don't know how else to do it. Tell me lies new season January 13th streaming on Hulu and for bundle subscribers on Disney plus terms apply. As much as the witnesses talk talk about Sydney Moore's relationship with Heather, the prosecution wants to talk about Tammy's relationship with her husband.

[B]

Tammy Moore was an extremely dominant, controlling person.

[A]

She takes his phone, he can't work at the Tilted Kiltney Hall. She even changed him to the bed at night. But a jury needs facts, needs proof that Tammy was involved in Heather's kidnapping.

[B]

Testimony and evidence was Everything we had was circumstantial. But the circumstantial evidence we had I don't think could be contradicted.

[A]

Like the cell phone tracking Tammy and.

[B]

Sydney, both of their phones began following around Heather Elvis's phone after November 2.

[A]

And on the night of December 18, both Sydney and Tammy's cell phone pinged on the same tower near the payphone, proving they were together that night.

[B]

Is Tammy and Sydney's phone in the area of this pay phone at 1:30?

[A]

Yes, they are.

[B]

Immediately after that phone call, she calls her roommate. My exact words were, do not call Sydney back. Don't do anything rash. Go to sleep and we'll talk about it tomorrow. When is the Next time that you heard from her. I haven't.

[A]

When prosecutors presented video surveillance footage showing that Ford F150 driving back and forth from Peachtree Landing just before and just after Heather disappears, they were actually able to call a person who teaches forensic video analysis at Quantica. The work that we do includes help with questions primarily of identification.

[B]

Is it your opinion today, after looking at everything you've looked at, that indeed it was the same truck as the known truck which belonged to Tammy Moore?

[A]

Yes. The state rests, but the defense has a surprise for them. When the state rested, they excused the jury. It was pretty clear Tammy wanted to say something. All right. And do you wish to testify to this case?

[B]

I do not.

[A]

When she said, yes, I want to testify, there was a gasp in the room. Any prosecutor will tell you that's an amazingly big risk, but not as big as the risk she takes by sitting down with 2020 in violation of a gag order that had been imposed on her. And Tammy didn't want her attorney present. There are people who say that you wore the pants in the. That you are really the powerhouse here.

[B]

The man that makes the money is the one that's running the house. I paid the bills.

[A]

After he had the affair with Heather. Did you actually handcuff him to the bed? Never.

[B]

Never.

[A]

Were you angry enough that your husband cheated on you, that you were ready to kidnap?

[B]

Absolutely not.

[A]

It seems that the prosecution, to some degree, thinks that you are the linchpin here, not Sydney.

[B]

They change it according to what they need to say. These were Facebook posts, triple coupons, Bilo schools. All done.

[A]

So it looks like you are putting together a timeline. It starts with early in the night at 1:47. My sister texts me 3:10. I pull into the driveway.

[B]

I text her I got the ad, and then I'm home. So I just. I want to make sure that everything.

[A]

That I did was accounted for, that it's looking normal, just like any other.

[B]

Day in my life.

[A]

Life. It seems like everybody is lying here except you.

[B]

And that's why I am terrified of tomorrow, because I feel like this town is going to crucify me because of all the lies and all of the that's happened.

[A]

What happened to Heather. Elvis. Today, Tammy Moore took the stand in her own defense. Tammy thinks, in my opinion, that no matter where she's at, she's the smartest person in the room.

[B]

She sat there and smiled the entire time. She batted her eyelashes, and it just seemed like she was an actress putting on a play.

[A]

You know what time? 0800 is 8:00am you had to worry, was the jury really going to buy this? But when she's asked directly, no smiling, nothing coy. Did you kidnap Heather Ellis?

[B]

No, I did not.

[A]

Do you know who kidnapped her?

[B]

I do not. When Tammy first took the stand, she came across very credible. I think it was the next day she called.

[A]

It was a nice conversation. She was a nice girl. She wasn't mean to me. I wasn't mean to her. Woman.

[B]

It took very little to push her button. And you said on 11 11. I think the bitch is in Hyde. Isn't that what you said? If it's on there, okay, then what makes you think the bitch is in high?

[A]

I was just being a jerk at.

[B]

The time, I guess, Nancy, that's all I can say. Have we ever met outside of this courtroom? I don't think so.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Just didn't know what we got. On a first name basis. That had to be the first defendant that had called me by my first name. I felt like that was a almost power play on her part. Me and you are equal and I'm gonna be controlling the temperament of these questions and answers. I'm asking the 12 of you to give this young woman and this family the n ending that they deserve.

[A]

It was such a contentious trial. I didn't know what the jury was going to do. Heather's family is about to find out.

[B]

Thousands of you watched online for the past two weeks as the state laid.

[A]

Out its case against Tammy Moore. Today, the jury returned a verdict. Ladies and gentlemen, jury has reached your verdict. Is that correct? Yes, sir. I just closed my eyes and kept them closed. I was almost afraid to open them. We the jury, find a defendant, Tammy.

[B]

Casey Moore, guilty of consciously kidnapped.

[A]

Even though Tammy Moore's trial is over, the Elvis family have to still go through the trial of Sidney Moore. In September 2019, after a hung jury and a conviction for obstruction of justice, Sidney Moore thought that he might have a chance. You can't abduct somebody. You can't do all the things they're saying they're doing and not leave some trace of physical evidence. We're gonna show you, but it's not the same old case. Prosecutors have something new, something pretty shocking, and it's on tape. This DVD is a copy of the video surveillance system that was in Namora's house. Remember, there was no tape from the day Heather disappeared, but this is from a few days later. And what that security camera video shows is Sidney and Tammy spending hours cleaning their F150 pickup truck. And not just cleaning the truck, but focusing on the rear passenger side. About 30 minutes into cleaning the truck, Sydney starts a burn pile over in the side yard and starts burning some of the rags that they're cleaning with. And that continues throughout the whole time they're there.

[B]

To me, that just screams guilty.

[A]

The defense claimed that burning the trash is common in the Moore's neighborhood. I need additional witness, Mr. Hill. Your Honor, the state has nothing further. After six years, multiple trials, three convictions, and a lot of heartache, the Elvis family brace themselves for for the verdict. As for the prosecutors Nancy Livesay and Chris Helms, all they could do was wait and hope. The verdict came back. After two hours of deliberation, we the jury, by unanimous consent, find the defendant Sidney St. Clair Moore on the charge of kidnapping, guilty. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Like Tammy, Sydney was also sentenced to 30 years on each charge to run concurrent. And the jury, they thought it was pretty clear. They tried to raise reasonable doubt, and that was their job, to raise reasonable doubt. But they didn't do their job because I wasn't doubting. Were you? No. I know the right people are behind bars. I have no doubt about that. The perfect solution would be to find Heather Elvis alive, but I don't believe that'll ever happen. Sydney and Tammy Moore say they are innocent of all charges. In June of 2023, they asked the South Carolina Court of Appeals to overturn their convictions for kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap. That petition was denied. For six years now, they've met at Peachtree Landing in Socastee. This event brings other families who have lost loved ones or are missing loved ones during a time of year when family really means the most.

[B]

If I could talk to Sidney, I would want to tell him that this has been just a really long nightmare for everybody. But he could make it better if he would tell the truth.

[A]

I hold out hope that I'll turn around one day at the front door and she'll walk in. Do I really think that'll happen deep down? No, I don't. But I'll never give up. You can watch fresh episodes of bad romance from 2020 on Monday nights at 10pm right after the Bachelor. And of course, tune in on Fridays at 9 for all new episodes of 2020. Thanks for listening.