Unforgotten CasebookThe cases. The books. The screen stories.
The case library /

Lugoff, South Carolina · 2006

Elizabeth Shoaf

Movie artwork: Girl in the Bunker — Lifetime
Movie artworkGirl in the BunkerLifetimeScreen artwork via Lifetime

Abduction & survival

Fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Shoaf was abducted in South Carolina in 2006 by Vinson Filyaw, who posed as a police officer. While held in an underground enclosure, she obtained access to his phone and contacted her family. Her messages helped bring about her rescue.

Content note: violence, abuse, or loss. Linked material may contain graphic descriptions. Screen dramatizations may change events and dialogue.

Roads Traveled

Open case map →

Lugoff, South Carolina. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.

Map sources checked September 14, 2026. No case-specific Odd Stops location was found in this review.

See this case’s source review
Odd Stops
No verified match found. Source imagery is linked; only separately licensed photos are reproduced.
MurderData
No verified match found.
ArcGIS essay
Not included in this essay.
Reddit map
Reviewed as a general resource. Its coordinates and victim counts were not adopted as case evidence.

“No verified match” describes the accessible material found in this review, not proof that a source has never covered the case. MAP’s anonymous records were not individually matched to people.

See the full case checklist →

The map shows regional context for this case. No individually sourced historical place is included below.

Explore outside maps & location guides →

Fiction Work

Browse all →

Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.

Lifetime

Girl in the Bunker

Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.

Viewing options & film details

01Books

0 items

This section is awaiting its first entry.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

02Movies

1 items

Watch links, previews, and historical title listings are identified below. Availability varies by service and region; rentals or subscriptions may be required.

Lifetime

Girl in the Bunker

Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.

Viewing options & film details

03TV & documentaries

1 items

Watch links, previews, and historical title listings are identified below. Availability varies by service and region; rentals or subscriptions may be required.

IMDb · TV episode

#TextMeWhenYouGetHome — Elizabeth Shoaf (2022)

IMDb episode reference connected to the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Listed release: 2022. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.

Credits & title details on IMDb

04Newspaper clippings

1 items

Original newspaper coverage, hosted by Newspapers.com. Read each article in the context of its publication date; later findings may differ. Full-page access may require sign-in.

Featured newspaper clipping

Read a featured clipping here, then explore more reporting in the newspaper archive.

Valley News · 2006-09-18 · Page 9

Elizabeth Shoaf rescued after sending a text message

The report explains how Shoaf contacted her mother from captivity and how police located and arrested Vinson Filyaw.

Contemporary rescue and arrest coverage, published before trial.

Open full clipping at Newspapers.com

Keep following the newspaper trail.

Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.

Explore more on Newspapers.com

Newspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.

05News & reporting

1 items

Los Angeles Times

Reporting on Elizabeth Shoaf

Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.

Read source

06Podcasts

15 items

Direct links open the selected episode in Apple Podcasts or on its publisher’s site. Some editions may require a subscription.

Spotify

Unseen — The Girl in the Bunker: Elizabeth Shoaf

Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.

Listen to the episode

Crack House Chronicles

Ep. 221 The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Shoaf

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released July 29, 2024. About 48 minutes.

Listen to the episode

People are the Worst

Elizabeth Shoaf | 111

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released August 1, 2024. About 46 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Unseen

The Collar, the Chains, and the Bunker: The Girls Who Escaped Hell | The Cases of Jeannette Tamayo & Elizabeth Shoaf | UNSEEN

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released July 29, 2025. About 41 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Unseen

The Girl in the Bunker: The Disturbing Case of Elizabeth Shoaf | UNSEEN

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released November 22, 2022. About 19 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Once Upon A Crime

Survivor Stories: The Abduction of Elizabeth Shoaf

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released January 9, 2018. About 42 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Residue: A True Crime Podcast

Girl in the Bunker: The Elizabeth Shoaf Story

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released September 1, 2026. About 43 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Every Town

She Outsmarted Her Abductor And Managed An Unreal Escape To Freedom - The Elizabeth Shoaf Story

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released October 13, 2023. About 24 minutes.

Listen to the episode

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

228 - The Season of the Abyss

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released June 25, 2020. About 93 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Carolina Crimes

EPISODE 28: "Bravery in the Bunker": The Elizabeth Shoaf Story (originally aired 8/15/21)

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released September 13, 2021. About 56 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Camping is Canceled.

EP14: "Held Captive In a Bunker": The Abduction & Incredible Survival of 14-yr old Elizabeth Shoaf

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released July 5, 2023. About 70 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Killer Instinct

The Disappearance and Escape of Elizabeth Shoaf

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released May 29, 2019. About 28 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Wife of Crime

Not Me, Not Today!- The survival of Elizabeth Shoaf

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released September 14, 2019. About 51 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Bang to Rights

THE GIRL IN A BUNKER - The abduction of Elizabeth Shoaf

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released September 5, 2022. About 82 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Araknne

DIRECTO. Roorow nos cuenta el caso del secuestro de ELIZABETH SHOAF. RETENIDA EN UN BÚNKER.

Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released April 9, 2026. About 94 minutes.

Listen to the episode

07Social Media

8 items

Case videos, posts, family pages, and creator communities. Creator channels and groups cover multiple cases; each includes a link to the relevant episode. Facebook or TikTok may require sign-in, and groups may require membership approval. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting.

Scary Mysteries

The INSANE Abduction of Elizabeth Shoaf

Video from Scary Mysteries covering the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Length: 22:30.

Watch on YouTube

Mollie Westbrook

She Was ABDUCTED and Locked in a HOLE Underground - The Terrifying Case of Elizabeth Shoaf

Video from Mollie Westbrook covering the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Length: 50:31.

Watch on YouTube

Once Upon A Crime | True Crime

Episode 073: Survivor Stories: Chapter 1: The Abduction of Elizabeth Shoaf

Video from Once Upon A Crime | True Crime covering the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Length: 42:14.

Watch on YouTube

Crack House Chronicles

Ep 221 The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Shoaf

Video from Crack House Chronicles covering the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Length: 48:16.

Watch on YouTube

LMN

Teen Abducted Near Her South Carolina Home (S1, E7) | #TextMeWhenYouGetHome | Full Episode

Full episode or film as labeled by the publisher from LMN covering the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Length: 41:43.

Watch on YouTube

Reddit · r/TrueCrimeDiscussion

Discussion: In 2006, 14-year-old Elizabeth Shoaf was abducted and held captive in a secret underground bunker. Eventually, she gained her captor's trust, tricked him,…

Public community discussion connected to Elizabeth Shoaf. Posts and comments are reader perspectives, not independently verified reporting.

Read the discussion

TikTok · Creator channel

Crack House Chronicles — TikTok channel

Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “Ep. 221 The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Shoaf.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.

Visit the TikTok channel

Facebook · Creator channel

Crack House Chronicles — Facebook page

Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “Ep. 221 The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Shoaf.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.

Visit the Facebook page

08Blogs & essays

0 items

Outside blogs, personal essays, and creator write-ups. These reflect each author’s perspective. Check publication dates and compare claims with reporting and court records.

This section is awaiting its first entry.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

09Internet Archive

0 items

Individual records from Internet Archive: library books, historical broadcasts, and preserved web pages. A catalog listing does not guarantee free reading or full playback. Access, previews, and borrowing are controlled by Internet Archive.

This section is awaiting its first entry.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

10From the journal

0 articles

This section is awaiting its first entry.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

11Court records & documents

1 items

Court opinions, filings, transcripts, and dockets, alongside clearly labeled parole records, released investigative files, and courtroom recordings. Each item identifies its source and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. These selections are not complete case files. Where an online document could not be verified, a separate guide identifies the records office or archive to contact.

Court opinionArchive copy

State v. Filyaw — sentencing appeal

A South Carolina appellate decision reviewing Vinson Filyaw’s sentence following the kidnapping and assault of Elizabeth Shoaf.

Court / agency
South Carolina Court of Appeals
Document date
February 1, 2010
Case / citation
2010-UP-075
Hosted by
Justia

12Nicknames & media names

0 items

No sourced nickname has been added for this case.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

13Where are they now?

0 items

The latest information verified for this collection is listed below. Each source has its own date; these are not live custody records.

A current-status update has not been verified for this case yet.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

14Positive Outcome

0 items

Documented laws, advocacy, and reforms connected to this case. Changes do not undo the harm, and listing a law does not claim that it is effective or universally supported.

No case-specific law, reform, or advocacy initiative has been verified for this collection yet. This does not mean that none exists.

New material will appear here after editorial review.