Parole board denies Sidney Moorer’s request for early release from prison

COLUMBIA, SC (WMBF) – A parole board has denied Sidney Moorer’s request for release from incarceration, more than a year after he was convicted of impeding the investigation into the December 2013 disappearance of Heather Elvis.

The board met Tuesday to hear arguments for Moorer’s early release from prison. He was sentenced to 10 years in August 2017 after being found guilty of obstruction of justice, and received credit for time already served, which is nearly a year.

Two of Moorer’s children and his mother-in-law joined him to speak to the parole board Tuesday morning. Christian and Nikki Moorer sat on each side of him while his mother-in-law, Alice Caison, sat behind him.

Moorer told the board he’s taken several classes, some of those being welding and song writing. He also said he’s worked in the dorm every day cleaning and that during his last year in prison, he’s tried to better himself as best he can.

The board also asked him about his conviction of obstruction of justice and what he thinks of it.

“I understand what I did was wrong. Any crime’s not a small crime," Moorer said.

The prisoner was also asked why he committed the crime if he understood it was wrong.

"Well I didn’t intentionally do it ... but I understand what I did was wrong. I know I did,” Moorer said.

His next parole hearing will be in one year.

Following a mistrial being declared in his 2016 kidnapping trial that was tied to Elvis' disappearance, Moorer will face a jury again on that count. A second trial will be held in Georgetown, but a date has not yet been set.

Last month, his wife Tammy Moorer was found guilty of both kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnapping charges in connection with Elvis’ disappearance.

She was sentenced to 30 years in prison on each of the charges, which she will serve at the same time.

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