Murder charges dismissed against Moorers in Heather Elvis case

Murder charges for Tammy and Sidney Moorer have been dismissed, according to court paperwork filed March 10.

The Moorers were charged with murder in connection to the disappearance of 20-year-old Heather Elvis, who was first reported missing in December 2013. The Moorers were charged with murder in February 2014.

An obstruction of justice charge has also been dismissed for Tammy Moorer, 43, and two charges of indecent exposure have also been dismissed against both.

Tammy and Sidney Moorer are still charged with kidnapping in connection to the case, according to the Horry County Public Index. Sidney Moorer, 39, also still faces obstruction of justice charges, according to court records.

Elvis, 20, was last heard from on Dec. 18, 2013. Her car was found abandoned at the Peachtree Boat Landing in Socastee on Dec. 19, and she remains missing.

Moorer and wife Tammy were arrested in February 2014 and charged with murder, kidnapping, indecent exposure and obstructing justice in connection with the Heather Elvis case. The couple remained jailed through 2014. Tammy was released in January 2015 and Sidney was released in February 2015 after bond at $100,000 was set for each of them by Circuit Court Judge R. Markley Dennis, according to records.

Sidney Moorer was set to appear in civil court in January after defaulting on $6,600 of payments on a Toys R Us account. Moorer said he was unable to pay the bill because he was “incarcerated on false charges,” according to court documents.

The civil suit was settled out of court in January, according to court records.

In December, Heather Elvis’ family started an online petition to remove Circuit Court Judge R. Markley Dennis from presiding over the the murder trial. That petition gained over 3,300 signatures in the past three months.

A murder trial date was set for May 11, but that date was canceled when a continuance order was filed March 24, and a new trial date was not set.

Many questions about Elvis’ disappearance remain, and a gag order – set in place March 2014 – prevents involved parties from saying what they know about the case – which has fueled speculation and rumors. Monthly vigils are still held at the landing, which volunteers cleaned and cleared just months after Elvis disappeared. The family also put a prayer rock in place at the landing to create an area where people can find comfort and to remember others at the landing because they said it isn’t just Heather Elvis’ place.

The Moorers received permission to move to Florida in September after saying they found work in the Sunshine State. While the couple relocated, they remain under restrictions there, including home detention monitoring, and they must also provide officials with their home and work information and must alert them immediately if anything changes, among other stipulations, court records show.

In September, Kirk Truslow, Sidney Moorer’s attorney, filed a second supplemental motion for discovery, calling the prosecution to “produce certain evidence,” according to records. It doesn’t state the type of evidence requested.

This story was originally published March 10, 2016 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Murder charges dismissed against Moorers in Heather Elvis case."