CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Sidney Moorer was found guilty of obstruction of justice on Wednesday afternoon in the case of missing woman, Heather Elvis. The jury made the unanimous decision in less than an hour.
“It’s a small victory,” said Elvis’ sister, Morgan Elvis, after the verdict. “It’s a breath of fresh air right now. You kind of feel like the ground is falling out from underneath you and things are still kind of in shell shock but it’s a really great feeling.”
Morgan Elvis and her parents have been in and out of court hearings for the past three years. Heather Elvis went missing back in December 2013 and has not been seen since.
“They say ‘guilty’ and you’re just like, you don’t realize how much it’s stressed you and stressed your whole body out until your body just quits,” said Heather’s mother, Debbi Elvis.
Judge Markley Dennis sentenced Moorer to 10 years in prison, which will include nearly one year of time he’s already served. Moorer’s attorney, Kirk Truslow, said he would appeal the decision on Thursday.
“It’s a non-violent offense,” said Truslow. “He has virtually no record and he’s young.”
Debbi Elvis said the guilty verdict is a step in the right direction, but it’s not a “happy” moment for her family.
“It’s not good. It’s not a great, happy thing,” said Debbi Elvis. “But it’s a step, and hopefully this will bring more steps and we’ll be able to get more information.”
The family’s main focus is still on finding Heather and bringing her home.
“I’m hoping there’s somebody else out there that knows something that wants to come forward and give us more information about where Heather is because that’s our ultimate goal,” she added.
Moorer still faces the retrial for his kidnapping charge and his wife, Tammy, also faces kidnapping charges.
