Heather Elvis vanished between Dec. 17 and Dec. 19 2013 and still hasn't been located. It's in the back of everyone's minds:
Is there a predator on the loose in Myrtle Beach? That question is amplified by the fact that this is the same location where Brittanee Drexel vanished several years ago. I don't know how much research is being done, but I am sure authorities are doing what they can. Nonetheless, I was compelled to dig a little on my own to find out if there are any actual signs of serial killer activity in the Myrtle Beach area (or outlying area. I'm glad I started digging, because I'm beginning to see patterns in unsolved disappearances in the area -- which leads me to believe that something foul is going on in South Carolina.
I've mapped the past 20 years of disappearances and unsolved homicides, and as you can see from the following post, the results are a little disturbing. Could any of this research indicate that Heather is the victim of a serial predator? I believe that if Heather herself isn't a victim of some kind of serial killer in the area, then she's at least inspired a look into the possibility. I believe that authorities in South Carolina have their work cut out for them.
Dail Dinwiddie * Sept. 24, 1992 * Columbia, S.c.An attractive woman in her early 20s, Dail was reportedly kidnapped after walking from a bar in the late night/early morning hours. A known murderer has been connected to her case before, but never proven. Her case remains unsolved and there appears to be a complete and total lack of evidence leading in any direction for this woman. The picture on the far left is the most recent photo prior to Dail's disappearance. The photo on the right is an age-progressed image of what she may look like today. It should be noted that the town of Columbia is just a two hour drive west from Myrtle Beach.
Paula Louise Merchant * Jan. 3, 1999 * Forest Acres, S.c.Last seen leaving her home at approx. 6:30 p.m. to head to church but never made it. Her car was later found abandoned at the 2000 block of Commerce Drive in Columbia, S.c. It had been burned and no other evidence has presented itself over the years. However, much like the case of Dail Dinwiddie, officials believe Paula was the victim of presumed serial killer Reinaldo Rivera. It should be noted that Forest Acres is in/around Columbia, making it only around two hours west of Myrtle Beach.
Brooke Henson * July 4, 1999 * Travelers Rest, S.c. Brooke vanished after a party when she reportedly left on foot to walk to a convenience store. Her case has been a volatile one over the years with many of her friends and loved one refusing to cooperate due to the level of illegal activity surrounding their lifestyles. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that any of her loved ones are responsible for her disappearance. Nonetheless, officials claim to have a suspect but they've never found the evidence to warrant an arrest. It should be noted that Travelers Rest is four hours west of Myrtle Beach -- with Columbia, S.c. being the central point between the two locations.
Sherri Lynn Puzjak * Oct. 29, 2005 * Orangeburg, S.c.Virtually no details available in this pretty young woman's disappearance. She was reportedly last seen with an Hispanic male. Otherwise, nothing is known about her disappearance. It seems that Sherri is one of those missing woman who has slipped through the cracks of awareness and justice. Is she alive? Is she dead? Who's the Hispanic male she was last seen talking to?
Note: Orangeburg is approx. two hours west of Myrtle Beach, just a little south of Columbia.
Brittanee Drexel * April 25, 2009 * Myrtle Beach, S.c.Of course everyone is currently talking about this disappearance and drawing comparisons between it and the disappearance of Heather Elvis. Officials in Myrtle Beach don't appear convinced that the cases are related, but it would be dishonest to omit Drexel's profile from this list. Brittanee vanished without a trace after heading to Myrtle Beach with friends against her mother's wishes. She vanished after leaving the motel she was staying at and was never seen or heard from again. A small handful of people have been suspected but nothing concrete. She remains missing and her case is unsolved.
Stacy Lester * Aug. 09, 2009 * Sumter, S.c.She was last seen at a hospital having what is being reported as a "common medical procedure" done -- but what exactly isn't being shared, for clear reasons of medical privacy. She was never seen or heard from again, but police accidentally closed her case at one point on mistaken info that she had been located. She still hasn't been located and very little information exists about her case for some reason. The pretty blonde vanished from under two hours away from Myrtle Beach.
Brandy Renee Hanna * May 20, 2005 * Charleston, S.c.Vanished from her home without a trace. No suspects in her case, and not very many details at all. Her loved ones believe that she left her home for something, intending to return, but never made it back. The lack of details in her case is just perplexing, but it doesn't seem like anything new as far as South Carolina disappearances go. Charleston is just about two hours south of Myrtle Beach.
Christine Marie Ludwig * Jan. 17, 2012 * Richland County, S.c.Little is known about Christine's disappearance other than she was last seen at a business near the 1400 block of Bluff Road, Columbia. Her car was later found abandoned in a Bi-Lo parking lot in the same city.
There have been no detail providing whether or not she's a victim of foul play, but the fact that she's never been found and her car abandoned just reeks of suspicion.
Take note that this is just the research of the missing women in the area who are missing under similar or unknown circumstances. This is not yet counting the unsolved homicides or Jane Does in a two to four hour radius yet, but it's already shaping up to be a profile of missing women who remain missing with no answers.
It's likely that not all of these cases are connected -- if even any of them are at all -- but I have a gut feeling that someone is responsible for at least a couple of the disappearances, and this person is likely centrally located -- meaning he travels outward for his victims -- possibly from the Columbia area, outward. This is just a hunch.
Jane Doe #856UFSC (Doe Network) *1992* Charleston, S.c.No case information available, near-complete skeleton of a female. Age 15-20 years old, no clothing or jewelry present. No police information about this particular Doe either.
Jane Doe #347UFSC (Doe Network) *1995* Yemassee, S.c.Possibly biracial or Hispanic, but it must be noted that bone structure may tell anthropologists one thing, but still not be entirely accurate. This woman died by strangulation/homicide and presumably laid on her back for around 12 hours before she was moved and dumped in a ditch where she was found. This is likely because pooling may have been noticed on her backside (pooling is when blood settles where a body is laying on whatever part of the body). Officials believe this means she was transported from 12 hour away (likely) but it could also simply mean that she had just been dead for 12 hours prior to being moved for any other variety of reasons.
Jane Doe #830UFSC (Doe Network) *2006* Mount Pleasant, S.c.Female aged 14 to 19 but unidentifiable. She had been dead for an undetermined amount of time (likely several years) and had no clothing or jewelry. No trauma to her skull, which was found beneath a bridge apparently separated from her body.
Is someone preying on women in South Carolina? Very likely. I find it worrisome that some of the more recently missing women have yet to be located. This could mean a number of things, but there do appear to be themes shared by their disappearances and the disappearance of Heather Elvis. So what happened to her?(Please wait for Part II)
