Hearing not scheduled yet in Myrtle Beach man’s request for bond modification in Heather Elvis case

A hearing has not been scheduled nor has an order been filed in the case of a Myrtle Beach man, who is charged in the Heather Elvis case, seeking a second bond modification motion, according to court records.

Sidney Moorer’s attorney sent a request for the second bond modification dated Aug. 18 and it was filed with the clerk on Monday, according to the motion.

Moorer, 39, and his 43-year-old wife, Tammy Moorer, were each charged in February 2014 with murder and kidnapping in connection with 20-year-old Heather Elvis’ disappearance. The couple were each released in January on $100,000 bail following a hearing before Circuit Court Judge Markley Dennis in Charleston. Restrictions on their bond included GPS monitoring, they stay five miles away from the home of Heather Elvis’ parents and report to court. Those conditions are still in effect.

Elvis, who was 20 at the time, was reported missing Dec. 19, 2013, after Horry County police found her car, which was registered to her father, parked at the Peachtree boat landing. Elvis’ keys, cellphone and purse were not found in the locked car and she remains missing.

On Aug. 6, the couple appeared before Dennis for a bond modification to allow them to travel to Florida for a week for a job interview. Sidney Moorer, who is a vendor for restaurant repairs for national chains, said he had an interview in Orlando, Fla., and Dennis allowed the couple to go for a week.

It is unclear if this motion is in relation to that job or another interview.

In the motion, Sidney Moorer’s attorney, Kirk Truslow, said he had attempted to resolve the issue with prosecutors before he filed the motion.

Officials with the case could not be reached Friday for comment.

In March 2014, Circuit Court Judge Steven John issued a gag order, which prohibits any prosecutors, defense attorneys or their staffs, and members of law enforcement who have investigated the case to speak publicly or release documents regarding the case.

Truslow cited the gag order in the motion and said the particulars and grounds of the motion were set forth in a memorandum filed under the gag order.

“They have really been struggling financially. All we are asking is so he can work to earn a living,” Truslow said during the Aug. 6 hearing in Charleston. He also said pretrial publicity in Horry County made it difficult for the Moorers to find work in the area.

Horry County’s home detention “can monitor him anywhere in the country,” Truslow said during the Aug. 6 hearing.

Tammy Moorer was included in the previous motion and allowed to leave with her husband, whom she helps with his restaurant repair business, the couple’s attorneys said. As of Friday afternoon she wasn’t included in the most recent motion.

During the Aug. 6 hearing, attorneys said the couple had not violated their bond restrictions since being released.

Also during the previous hearing, Dennis also said he would entertain a motion to modify the couple’s bond again and a hearing might not be necessary if Sidney Moorer got the job or got another job interview.

It was unclear if that is the case with this motion.

It also remains unclear when the case may be called for trial again. A trial date was set for May, but it was postponed and another trial date has not been set.

During a March 17, 2014, bond hearing for the couple, prosecutors pointed to cellphone records and video surveillance to build their case against the couple. But defense attorneys said the evidence is circumstantial, with no link to tie the couple to Elvis’ disappearance.

During that hearing, Circuit Court Judge Steven John denied to set bond for the couple on the charges of murder and kidnapping.

On March 21, 2014, an Horry County grand jury indicted the Moorers on the murder and kidnapping charges, according to court records. The couple also face two counts of indecent exposure and one count of obstructing justice, according to court records.

In June 2014, state officials charged the couple with making a false statement on an application for Medicaid and obtaining a signature or property under false pretenses with a value of $10,000 or more, authorities said.

This story was originally published August 28, 2015 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Hearing not scheduled yet in Myrtle Beach man’s request for bond modification in Heather Elvis case."