Reporting on Elizabeth Shoaf
Los Angeles Times
Reported coverage offers a concise introduction.
2006 · Lugoff, South Carolina
Elizabeth Shoaf
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.
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The Story
When2006
WhereLugoff, South Carolina
In this collection29 resources
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Girl in the Bunker
Lifetime
A dramatized interpretation; compare it with the reporting.
Unseen — The Girl in the Bunker: Elizabeth Shoaf
Spotify
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
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Blogs & essays
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Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Movie Magg
Movie Magg: Girl in the Bunker (Cineflix Productons, Rare Fish Films, Lifetime, 2018)
A television review examines Girl in the Bunker, the drama based on Elizabeth Shoaf’s abduction and escape.
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Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
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Books
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Movies & TV
Movies
1 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. 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.
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TV & documentaries
1 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
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.
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Audiobooks
An audiobook edition has not been confirmed for this case yet. You can check the audiobook catalog or explore the case’s podcasts.
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Fiction Work
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.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
15 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
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.
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Crack House Chronicles
Ep. 221 The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Shoaf
Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released July 29, 2024. About 48 minutes.
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People are the Worst
Elizabeth Shoaf | 111
Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released August 1, 2024. About 46 minutes.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Killer Instinct
The Disappearance and Escape of Elizabeth Shoaf
Podcast coverage of the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Released May 29, 2019. About 28 minutes.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
0 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
No additional case-specific reading source was confirmed in this review. The reporting and original summaries elsewhere on this page remain available.
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemsLos Angeles Times
Reporting on Elizabeth Shoaf
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
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Newspaper clippings
1 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
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.
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Internet Archive
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
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
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
8 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Scary Mysteries
The INSANE Abduction of Elizabeth Shoaf
Video from Scary Mysteries covering the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Length: 22:30.
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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.
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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.
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Crack House Chronicles
Ep 221 The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Shoaf
Video from Crack House Chronicles covering the Elizabeth Shoaf case. Length: 48:16.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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