Murder: True Crime Stories | SOLVED: Mystery in Myrtle Beach 1

Date: November 18, 2025
Host: Carter Roy
Podcast: Crime House Originals

Overview of the Episode

This gripping episode kicks off a two-part deep dive into the 2013 disappearance of 20-year-old Heather Elvis in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Host Carter Roy meticulously explores Heather’s background, the allure and danger of her relationship with married maintenance man Sydney Moorer, and the tense events leading up to her vanishing. Listeners are taken beyond just the facts, delving into the profound impact the case had on Heather, her loved ones, and the Myrtle Beach community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Heather Elvis and Myrtle Beach

[05:01 – 07:20]

• Carter Roy sets the scene, contrasting the glamorous resort image of Myrtle Beach with the small-town feel of neighboring Socastee, South Carolina.
• Heather Elvis is introduced as a creative, “artsy, wild child” growing up in a tight-knit family:
  • "Heather was more likely to draw outside the lines…that artsy, wild child grew into a free-spirited young woman." (05:51, Carter Roy)
• Her drive to escape small-town life, pursue dreams in makeup and fashion, and early independence is emphasized.

2. Life Transitions and the Tilted Kilt

[07:20 – 10:30]

• Heather moves to Myrtle Beach, gets tattoos, embraces nightlife, and starts working at the Tilted Kilt (a sports bar).
• She is depicted as charismatic, popular, impulsive, and unafraid of risk.
• The local bar’s environment provides a backdrop for Heather’s first meeting with Sydney Moorer:
  • "Unlike most young adults, Heather was impulsive and unpredictable. No one could really guess what she might say or do next." (09:44, Carter Roy)

3. The Fateful Romance with Sydney Moorer

[10:30 – 12:58]

• Sydney, the 37-year-old maintenance man, draws Heather’s interest despite a 17-year age gap and the knowledge he is married.
• The relationship escalates quickly:
  • “They were never official, but everyone at the Kilt knew they were an item. And not everyone approved.” (12:15, Carter Roy)
• Colleague Brianna “Bree” Worrelman shares her skepticism and protective instincts, noting Sydney seemed “manipulative, the type of guy who changed who he was to get what he wanted.” (paraphrased, 09:00–09:30)
• Heather, undeterred by warnings, becomes deeply involved.

4. The Moorer Family Backstory

[15:16 – 18:10]

• Sydney’s background: drifter turned local business owner, married to Tammy Cason, living with her insular family in rural Socastee.
• Tammy is characterized as controlling and the family patriarch.
  • "Tammy was the type of person who thought she was the smartest one in every room. ... she kept a particularly tight leash on Sydney." (16:50, Carter Roy)
• Sydney’s prior infidelity is subtly mentioned, casting further shadow over his relationship with Heather.

5. Discovery of the Affair and Escalation of Threats

[18:10 – 22:50]

• Tammy discovers the affair and directly confronts Heather with repeated, harassing calls.
  • "Being screamed at by Tammy was bad enough, but then Sydney got on the line. He didn’t just break up with her, he crushed her." (18:46, Carter Roy)
• Sydney, under Tammy’s influence, coldly ends things: “Sidney said their affair had just been about sex. Heather had never mattered to Sidney in any real way.” (18:56, Carter Roy)
• Heather is subjected to ongoing harassment from Tammy: threatening texts, explicit pictures, relentless calls—all leaving her “paranoid all the time… constantly looking over her shoulder.” (21:42, Carter Roy)
• The harassment ceases abruptly when the Moorers leave for an extended family road trip, giving Heather a brief period of relief.

6. A New Beginning?

[22:50 – 26:50]

• Heather moves in with Bree, begins to recover, and pursues her dream of being a makeup artist.
• She lands a new job and goes on a promising date with Steven Schiraldi.
• A sweet, hopeful vignette:
  • “For the first time in a while, Heather was excited about the future.” (26:43, Carter Roy)
• A pregnancy scare is introduced, but Heather seems determined to move forward.

7. Sydney’s Frantic Midnight Call

[27:18 – 30:50]

• After weeks of silence, Sydney contacts Heather in the early hours, claiming he loves her:
  • “He said he’d just left Tammy and was calling from a pay phone. … He told Heather that he was in love with her. She was the one he wanted to be with.” (28:19, Carter Roy)
• Heather, distrustful yet emotionally shaken, calls Bree for advice. Bree warns her: “Don’t listen to Sydney… he doesn’t deserve a second chance.” (paraphrased, 29:22)
• Overcome by turmoil, Heather ultimately agrees to meet Sydney at the remote Peachtree Boat Landing.

8. Heather’s Final Actions and Disappearance

[30:50 – 35:00]

• Around 3:30 a.m., Heather drives alone into the night to meet Sydney:
  • “Heather grabbed the keys to her green Dodge Intrepid and headed out into the South Carolina night. She would never come back.” (31:58, Carter Roy)
• Her disappearance becomes the focal point for an intense years-long investigation.
• Carter Roy closes with the haunting question:
  • “Where was Heather Elvis?” (32:10, Carter Roy)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “People’s lives are like a story. There’s a beginning, a middle, and an end. But you don’t always know which part you’re on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon and we don’t always get to know the real ending.”
  — Carter Roy [02:42]

• “Heather was more likely to draw outside the lines…that artsy, wild child grew into a free-spirited young woman.”
  — Carter Roy [05:51]

• “They were never official, but everyone at the Kilt knew they were an item. And not everyone approved.”
  — Carter Roy [12:15]

• “Tammy was the type of person who thought she was the smartest one in every room. ... she kept a particularly tight leash on Sydney.”
  — Carter Roy [16:50]

• “Sidney said their affair had just been about sex. Heather had never mattered to Sidney in any real way.”
  — Carter Roy [18:56]

• “Don’t listen to Sydney… he doesn’t deserve a second chance.”
  — Bree Worrelman (relayed by Carter Roy) [29:22]

• “Heather grabbed the keys to her green Dodge Intrepid and headed out into the South Carolina night. She would never come back.”
  — Carter Roy [31:58]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 05:01 — Heather’s childhood and character
• 08:10 — The Tilted Kilt and introduction to Sydney Moorer
• 12:15 — Development of Heather-Sydney relationship
• 15:16 — Background on Sydney and the Moorer family
• 18:10 — Tammy discovers the affair, harassment begins
• 21:42 — Heather becomes fearful and isolated
• 22:50 — Heather’s efforts at a fresh start
• 27:18 — Sydney’s late-night confession and call
• 30:50 — Heather’s disappearance

Tone and Storytelling

Throughout, Carter Roy maintains a somber, reflective, yet empathetic narrative tone—immersing listeners in emotional complexity while grounding the episode in hard facts, first-hand accounts, and community impacts. The story is told with compassion for Heather and insight into the broader consequences for all involved.

Conclusion

The episode ends on a suspenseful note, with Heather driving out to her midnight meeting—the last time she would ever be seen—and the local headlines soon dominated by the haunting question of her fate. Listeners are left anticipating part two, which promises to unravel the ensuing investigation, the Moorers’ role, and the quest for answers and justice.