On February 18, 1999, 22-year-old Elshawndrae Devon Jones and 18-year-old Toby Bing were reported missing, after last being seen leaving a family member’s home to meet with unknown subjects in Bluffton.
Their disappearance quickly became suspicious, as It was learned by investigators that Jones was involved in sales of illegal drugs and may have been engaged in a drug deal at the time of his and Bing’s disappearance.
Investigators discovered that, shortly before the disappearance, Jones received a telephone call from and was to meet a subject named Sean Sullivan at Sullivan’s residence in Bluffton.
An examination of Sullivan’s Hyon Road residence revealed that violence had occurred on his front porch, as an area with large amount of dried blood was discovered under the porch and the mobile home’s siding showed it had been recently cleaned with a bleach type substance.
In addition, the vehicle driven by Jones and Bing was discovered abandoned in Downtown Savannah. A video of subjects parking Jones’s car was obtained, but was of poor quality; no identification could be made from the video.
As the investigation continued, DNA analysis of the blood discovered beneath Sullivan’s front porch was performed and matched the known profile of Toby Bing.
Based on this evidence, investigators charged Sullivan in the murder of Toby Bing. Those charges were later dismissed in the interest of federal prosecution of Sullivan for drug conspiracy.
In the federal trial, testimony was offered that Sullivan and a close associate, Kenneth Campbell, lured Jones and Bing to Sullivan’s Hyon Road residence on February 18 and murdered them. Ultimately, Sullivan and Campbell, who was also tried in federal court on the drug conspiracy, were both convicted.
Sullivan and Campbell are currently serving sentences in federal prison.
Although Jones’s DNA was not found at the crime scene, it is believed he met the same fate as Bing.
The bodies of Jones and Bing have not been recovered.
