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The True Story Of Elizabeth Shoaf, The 14-Year-Old ‘Girl In The Bunker’ Who Escaped Her Kidnapper By Sending A Text

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After Elizabeth Shoaf was abducted by 36-year-old Vinson Filyaw, she did everything she could to escape — and eventually succeeded when she stole his phone to send a text to her mom.

For 10 harrowing days in September 2006, 14-year-old Elizabeth Shoaf was held in an underground bunker by a rapist named Vinson Filyaw…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Filyaw had posed as a police officer and “arrested” Shoaf just after she had gotten off the school bus. Then, he led her through the woods to a dank bunker, where he sexually assaulted her repeatedly for days.

Despite the perilous situation she found herself in, however, Shoaf managed to turn the tables on her captor. She won his trust by pretending to be in love with him, and when he let his guard down, she used it to her advantage.

One night, while he was sleeping, Shoaf used Filyaw’s phone to text her mother, writing, “Hi mom. I’m in a hole across from Charm Hill where the big trucks go in and out. There’s a bomb. Call police.”

She led police directly to the bunker — and saved herself.

Vinson Filyaw Was “A Person That Holds A Grudge”

Vinson Filyaw was a troubled man. His father died when he was an infant, and his mother remarried, but as he explained to NBC’s Dateline, he had “pretty much a normal family” after his mother remarried.

“I mean, nothing traumatic. Nothing you would think would make a person go out and do something crazy or psychotic or anything like that,” he said.

As a teen, Filyaw was a Boy Scout who enjoyed the outdoors and camping. He had fallen in love with the Rambo movies and enjoyed martial arts, but he fell in love with something else too, something that doctors later claimed damaged his brain: alcohol.

Filyaw was effectively in the throes of alcoholism before he reached full adulthood, so when he later began seeing a woman named Cindy Hall, he viewed their relationship as his redemption from alcoholism. Hall was a single mother of three, and Filyaw began working construction to provide for her and the children, with whom he says he had become close — especially with the child he called Peanut.

“Me and her grew real close,” he said. “I mean, we were inseparable you know? She pretty much felt like she was my little, second housewife if you know what I mean.”

Then, towards the end of 2005, Peanut told her teacher that Filyaw had been sexually assaulting her. In November of that year, a judge issued a search warrant for Filyaw. Police gathered information, talked to people who worked with Filyaw, and corroborated Peanut’s story. All signs pointed to Filyaw going to jail.

From his Dateline interview, it was clear that Filyaw resented both Peanut and the police.

“Kershaw County [Police] never came and questioned me,” he said. “Instead they questioned everyone I worked with. You know, they never came in the house. Why not ask me whether I did something or not?”

AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain, Pool/Alamy Stock PhotoVinson Filyaw saw his abduction of Elizabeth Shoaf as a game he was playing with police.

Filyaw really didn’t want to go to prison — so he decided to start living in the woods. At first, he camped out in a tent, but then he started making plans for a bunker, and he started digging.

According to Filyaw, this bunker had “all the furnishings of home,” including a solar shower, a propane gas stove, a fireplace, and a collapsible top. He kept a cell phone in the bunker and powered everything via a 12-volt system.

Despite all of his trouble keeping this location a secret, it was shockingly close to his backyard, and at night he would often sneak out to see Hall.

But Peanut was gone. She had been placed into foster care. And Filyaw couldn’t let the perceived sleight against him go unpunished.

“I guess you could say I’m a person that holds a grudge,” he admitted.

He went to a nearby Wal-Mart and picked up handcuffs, night vision goggles, a taser, and a gun. He had intended to kidnap and abuse Peanut, but with her safely with another family, Filyaw had to make a new plan.

“The second plan was to kidnap somebody else,” Filyaw explained, “and to basically, to draw all of Kershaw County into one general area and then just blow them all up.”

By pure chance, that somebody ended up being Elizabeth Shoaf.

The Kidnapping Of Elizabeth Shoaf

Filyaw continued to skulk around the woods looking for his next victim — and he found her on Sept. 6, 2006, when he saw Elizabeth Shoaf step off her school bus.

According to an A&E report, Filyaw had crafted himself a fake cop costume and badge. Disguising himself as a police officer, he approached Shoaf, made up a story about a marijuana charge, and placed the 14-year-old in handcuffs. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

He didn’t keep the masquerade up for long, though, as he led Shoaf through the woods and back to his bunker. There, he ordered her to strip naked, chained her by the neck, and raped her.

He continued to sexually assault her over her 10 days in the bunker. Still, this abduction was never really about Shoaf — or so Filyaw later claimed.

Filyaw's Bunker

WIS News 10A screenshot of a local news broadcast visiting the bunker where Vinson Filyaw kept Elizabeth Shoaf.

“I was in a game mode,” the abductor said. “My one and only purpose was to get back at Kershaw County, at all cost. It all fell together like clockwork. I mean, I didn’t have to do anything.”

Shoaf soon realized that if she ever hoped to escape from this underground prison, then her only hope was to make Filyaw like her.

“I always would do what he told me to do,” she later explained. “And like he’d always call me baby. So I’d call him that back. And he’d tell me he loved me, and I told him I love him. Which is — I’d act like I really liked him and I wanted to be with him.”

Shoaf’s ploy worked. An odd relationship developed between them, and Filyaw suddenly began to show his victim some semblance of pity. He unchained her, let her go outside, and occasionally allowed her to play games on his phone.

Then, one night while Filyaw was sleeping, Shoaf followed through on her plan — and sent a text that would save her life.

How Elizabeth Shoaf Saved Herself

“Hi mom,” the text read. “I’m in a hole across from Charm Hill where the big trucks go in and out. There’s a bomb. Call police.”

Detectives were skeptical at first. This was either one of the most incredible breakthroughs in a missing persons case they had ever seen or it was nothing more than a cruel prank. Thankfully, investigators realized the text was, in fact, from Shoaf and moved into action.

Vinson Filyaw, meanwhile, had been keeping a close eye on news reports about him. The U.S. Marshal’s Office traced the phone’s location and police and helicopters quickly surrounded the bunker.

Filyaw saw the report on how police learned of the bunker’s location via a text and flew into a rage — but he was scared and panicked, too.

“I told him he needed to leave because if they’d catch him, he would go to jail,” Shoaf recalled.

Filyaw’s plan was coming to fruition; he had the Kershaw County Police exactly where he wanted them — and then he fled. He would later tell investigators that he didn’t really want to die. He had planned to steal a car and make his escape, but he was completely surrounded.

Vinson Filyaw's Arrest

Kershaw County Sheriff’s OfficeVinson Filyaw after his arrest.

“There was cops everywhere,” he said. “So I got down on my knees and put my hands up in the air… I mean, all three of [the cops] just jumped on me and beat the crap out of me. Honestly, I thought they were going to kill me after they started beating me like that.”

After his arrest, Filyaw tried to take advantage to the morbid notoriety he’d earned with his cruelty toward Shoaf.

He wrote a 120-page manuscript about his crime, including several references to the fact that people used to get married at 12, which he saw as justification for his actions.

Shoaf, on the other hand, moved on with her life. Detectives heard her screaming and found her, but they refused to take any credit for her rescue.

“I received credit many times for saving her and I did not,” recalled former chief investigator David Thomley. “That child saved herself.”

Shoaf eventually graduated from college and began working as a dental assistant. In 2013, she spoke about her experience and how she moved on from it, saying, “You can be a survivor just like I am. It simply takes faith, it takes talking to someone and encouragement that it’s not the end of the world.”

 

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Man Drugs 2-Year-Old Baby With Cocaine So He Can Abuse Her While The Mom Lets Him –

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Cases of abuse against children seem to be more common but are no less shocking despite their regularity.

Recently, a shocking case of child abuse came to light for law enforcement in Madison County, Illinois when a two-year-old was taken for medical help by her mother.

Staff at the medical facility immediately identified abuse against the child and called in law enforcement to investigate further.

The shocking details of the case came to the attention of the public when they were released after the child’s mother, Lacey Take and her partner, Matthew Miller appeared in court…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

The details of the case are shocking and reveal the lack of care for her daughter from 31-year-old Take and the depravity of 40-year-old Miller.

The case against the two detailed the two-year-old was assaulted by Miller on at least two occasions on July 10th and 23rd.

Authorities believe Take knew her daughter had been sexually assaulted by Miller, but she failed to inform law enforcement or medical professionals of the abuse.

It is believed the mother of the child continued to leave Miller alone with her daughter despite the abuse she had already suffered.

Court papers reveal the shocking events of the two weeks endured by the infant who has been taken to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital where she is undergoing treatment. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Police believe the couple was using cocaine prior to the abuse of the two-year-old with reports stating the drug was used to subdue the child during the periods of abuse.

Miller is accused of sexually assaulting the child and biting her during the attacks which police believe took place two weeks apart.

When medical assistance was finally sought for the child following the second assault that took place on June 23rd, medical staff at Anderson Hospital, Troy, Illinois called in police because they suspected abuse had taken place.

Police reports show medical staff identified human bites covering the body of the two-year-old, including those identified on her leg, foot, and hand.

Appearing in court, the couple were charged with a range of crimes including three charges of sexual assault and four of aggravated battery for Matthew Miller.

Police do not believe Lacey Take took part in the sexual abuse of her daughter but they do agree she was complicit in knowing the abuse was ongoing and failed to act in the interests of the child.

Take was eventually charged with two counts of child endangerment and permitting sexual abuse of a child.

The seriousness of the crimes committed by Take and Miller was shown in the high level of bail set at $1 million for Miller and $500,000 for Take.

 

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Wife Comes Home After Long Trip and Catches Husband with Her Mom Are Doing THIS in The Kitchen –

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Sabrina, a 25-year-old archaeologist, had roamed the globe uncovering ancient secrets and braving forgotten ruins. Yet, no matter where she went, her thoughts always drifted back to Franklin, her partner. Franklin, a 30-year-old history professor, had entered her life under the dim lights of a museum, their shared curiosity sparking an undeniable connection. When Franklin proposed during a candlelit rooftop dinner in his classic apartment, Sabrina’s joy was immediate and overwhelming. She said yes without hesitation, and as Franklin slid the ring onto her finger, their embrace marked the intertwining of two lives…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Eager to introduce Franklin to her mother, Veronica, Sabrina drove with him to her childhood home in the countryside. The house, framed by a rose-covered fence and surrounded by fields and forests, felt like a world apart from their busy lives. When Veronica opened the door, her eyes studied Franklin with fleeting recognition.

“He looks so much like Francis,” she murmured, her voice tinged with something Sabrina couldn’t place.

“Who’s Francis, Mom?” Sabrina asked, puzzled.

Veronica hesitated before replying, “An old friend of mine.”

Sabrina sensed something odd but brushed it off, thinking her mother’s reaction was just nerves. What she didn’t realize was that her mother’s past was about to cast a long shadow over their future.


In the early days of their new life together, Sabrina, Franklin, and Veronica filled their home with laughter and warmth. They gathered around the dining table, shared meals, and reminisced over Sabrina’s childhood. Franklin quickly became part of the family, and Veronica’s initial reserve melted into genuine affection for her future son-in-law.

One evening, as Sabrina flipped through old photo albums, her phone rang. The urgency in her voice cut through the cozy atmosphere as she learned of a week-long assignment in Egypt. Excitement sparkled in her eyes as she hugged Franklin goodbye.

“I’ll be back soon. Wait for me,” she whispered.

Franklin’s smile was soft but sincere. “I’ll wait for you,” he replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

With Sabrina away, Veronica and Franklin spent more time together. Meals carried a nostalgic flavor for Franklin, as though he had tasted them before. Evenings turned into chess games, a ritual they both enjoyed. Veronica began noticing uncanny similarities between Franklin and Francis, her lost love from years ago—his subtle habits, the way he sipped his tea, his laughter, and his strategic moves on the chessboard. It became harder to dismiss the notion that these similarities were more than coincidence.

One evening, as they prepared dinner, Franklin accidentally cut his palm. Veronica swiftly grabbed a first-aid kit, but as she bandaged his hand, her breath caught. A small scar on his palm mirrored one Francis had from a childhood accident. Veronica’s hands trembled as she retrieved an old photograph of herself and Francis and handed it to Franklin.

Franklin’s gaze locked onto the photo. A wave of dizziness struck him as memories once murky began to crystallize. Faces, places, and moments he had forgotten surged forward. His past, a puzzle missing critical pieces, now began to make sense. Veronica, too, saw the truth as the puzzle pieces aligned.


Sabrina returned home eager to reunite with Franklin, but unease crept in as her neighbor, Delilah, mentioned seeing Franklin and Veronica unusually close, even dancing together in the living room. Entering the house, Sabrina’s heart sank at the sight of Franklin and Veronica locked in an intimate embrace.

“What is going on here?” Sabrina choked out, tears springing to her eyes. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Veronica and Franklin exchanged heavy glances, their faces etched with guilt and sorrow. Veronica took a shaky breath.

“Sabrina, there’s something you need to know,” Veronica began. “Franklin isn’t who you think he is. He’s actually Francis—your biological father.”

The words hit Sabrina like a punch. Her mind raced, struggling to process the revelation. Franklin stepped forward, his voice trembling.

“It’s true,” he confessed. “When I was with Veronica, fragments of my memories returned. I was Francis, deeply in love with her, but I lost those memories after a lightning strike. I didn’t age, and I became someone else—Franklin. I had no idea I had a daughter, no idea about my past until now.”


On a stormy afternoon years ago, Francis and Veronica had a heated argument. In a moment of fury, Francis stormed out into the tempest. Lightning struck him, erasing his memories and halting his aging. He wandered into a new city, unaware of the family he had left behind. It was only after reconnecting with Veronica and Sabrina that his memories resurfaced.

Sabrina’s world crumbled. The man she had loved and planned to marry was her biological father. Overwhelmed, she fled into the torrential rain, desperate to escape the unbearable truth.


Veronica and Franklin raced after her, calling her name through the storm. Near the edge of the forest, they found Sabrina beneath a tree, shivering and drenched. Veronica sprinted to her daughter, but Sabrina shrank back.

“Why has everything turned out like this?” Sabrina sobbed.

Veronica, tears streaming down her face, took Sabrina’s trembling hand. “I’m so sorry, my dear. I never knew Francis was alive. I never wanted this to happen.”

Suddenly, lightning tore through the sky. Franklin lunged forward, pulling Sabrina out of harm’s way. The lightning struck him, and he collapsed. Veronica rushed to his side but slipped and hit her head, losing consciousness.


At the hospital, the doctors revealed that Franklin had survived, but the lightning had triggered a change—he was aging normally again. Gray streaks appeared in his hair, and wrinkles lined his face. As Franklin and Veronica regained consciousness, the family embraced, their tears mingling with relief.

Despite the pain, Sabrina began to accept the truth of her origins. Conversations with Veronica helped mend their fractured relationship. She came to see Franklin’s love for her as her father, not a mistake, and found forgiveness in her heart.

Ten years later, Sabrina had become a renowned archaeologist, her life filled with adventures and discoveries across the globe. Through it all, she carried a profound peace, knowing that love and forgiveness had been the cornerstones of her healing and growth.

 

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A Poor Cleaner Stole Her Boss’s Used Condom, What She Did with it, left everyone In Shock –

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At 25, McKenzie, a graduate of a prestigious school, had no interest in hard work or gradual success. Instead, she dreamed of luxury and opulence, believing the quickest path to it was landing a wealthy man. While her classmates built careers, McKenzie hunted for rich men, but none met her high standards.

One day, while in Times Square, her eyes landed on Vincent’s image on a huge billboard. Vincent, in his 40s, was the owner of a renowned private bank. McKenzie’s eyes sparkled with opportunity. She soon learned that Vincent needed a housekeeper for his grand estate. Wasting no time, she applied for the position and was hired. McKenzie’s plan was clear: get close to Vincent, seduce him, and secure the luxurious life she craved…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

One evening, as Vincent showered, McKenzie explored his bedroom. Her eyes fell on a used condom in the trash. An impulsive idea struck her. She took it, intending to get pregnant and bind Vincent to her. McKenzie hadn’t considered the true cost of her reckless gamble.

After successfully becoming pregnant, McKenzie quit her job, eager to start her new life with the twins she believed were Vincent’s. She spent months meticulously planning her next steps—giving birth and confronting Vincent to demand his support. Convinced that presenting the children would force him to accept her and elevate her into his high society world, she waited for the perfect moment.

When the twins were born, McKenzie, fueled by excitement and confidence, brought them to Vincent’s home. She demanded that he acknowledge the children and provide financial support. Vincent, taken aback, clearly remembered never having an intimate relationship with her. Realizing McKenzie’s deception, he promptly ordered her to leave his home.

Furious and determined to exact revenge, McKenzie devised a dramatic scheme. She sought not just financial support but public retribution. She returned to Vincent’s bank, bringing the children with her. In the lobby, she caused a commotion by projecting fabricated images onto a large screen—doctored photos of intimate moments between her and Vincent. The provocative visuals quickly drew a crowd. People gossiped, filmed, and shared the footage on social media.

Amid the chaos, McKenzie accused Vincent of seduction and abandonment, claiming he had fathered her children. The video spread rapidly, becoming one of the most infamous scandals of the time. The fallout was severe. Vincent faced immense public pressure. His reputation crumbled, clients withdrew their money, and business partners severed ties with his bank. The financial losses escalated, and Vincent knew he needed to resolve the situation swiftly to save his career.

McKenzie was relentless, taking Vincent to court and demanding child support for the twins. She believed her fabricated evidence and story of being a single mother abandoned by a wealthy man would secure her victory. Vincent, however, remained quiet, watching her drama unfold.

At the trial, when the judge ordered a DNA test, McKenzie eagerly agreed, confident it would confirm Vincent’s paternity. She thought her fabricated evidence would shield her from the truth. But when the DNA results were revealed, McKenzie was struck dumb—the test confirmed that Vincent was not the father of the twins.

Shock and panic swept over McKenzie. In her desperation, she blurted out a confession she had never intended to make: “That’s impossible! These kids have to be his! I took his used condom to get pregnant!” READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

The courtroom fell silent in disbelief. Vincent, who had been observing calmly, burst into laughter. This was the moment he had been waiting for. McKenzie’s scheme unraveled before the entire court. Her reckless and manipulative plot had backfired spectacularly.

Vincent stood and addressed the judge with calm authority. “Your Honor, the night McKenzie claims to have stolen my used condom, I wasn’t even home. I was hosting a party but left early due to an emergency at the bank. I didn’t return until the next morning.”

McKenzie’s face drained of color. She stammered, “Then whose condom was it?”

Vincent smiled, his eyes glancing toward the courtroom doors. “It belonged to Sawyer, my gardener.”

At that moment, Sawyer, Vincent’s former gardener, entered the courtroom. It was revealed that during Vincent’s absence, Sawyer had been sneaking into the house and using it as his own. The condom McKenzie had taken was not Vincent’s but Sawyer’s.

Vincent presented additional evidence, including a DNA test confirming Sawyer was the father of the twins. He accused McKenzie of fabricating her story, defaming him, and attempting to extort money. The judge, having heard the full truth, delivered a verdict: McKenzie was found guilty of defamation, fraud, and orchestrating a scandal to extort Vincent.

McKenzie was sentenced to prison and held responsible for raising the two children. Her screams of denial echoed through the courtroom as the reality of her downfall set in.

Vincent, having won the case, restored his reputation and salvaged his career. Despite the temporary setbacks, he successfully defended himself against McKenzie’s deceitful scheme. McKenzie, once a young woman seeking a shortcut to luxury, learned the harsh lesson that shortcuts and deceit only lead to painful consequences.

 

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