In the late afternoon of February 18, 1999, 18-year-old Toby Jermele Bing was with his friend, 22-year-old El Shawndrae Jones, on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Bing had mentioned to his family that he had plans to move furniture that day. His plans changed after he received a phone call summoning him to Bluffton, South Carolina. Accompanied by Jones, who was visiting from Atlanta, Bing left in his white 1994 Toyota pickup truck. They were last seen at about 6:30 p.m.
in the 100 block of Wild Horse Road. After this sighting, both young men vanished, and neither has been heard from since. Their families were left with pressing questions and the start of a long and painful journey for answers.
The initial days of their disappearance offered no solace, only growing concern. Six days later, on February 24, 1999, Toby Bing's Toyota pickup truck was found abandoned in Savannah, Georgia. The discovery of the vehicle, however, provided no clues as to the whereabouts of Bing or Jones. The investigation soon led authorities to the Bluffton residence of a man named Sean Rico Sullivan. At Sullivan's home on Hyon Road, investigators uncovered grim evidence of violence. A significant amount of dried blood was found under the front porch, and it appeared the siding of the mobile home had been recently cleaned with a substance like bleach. Through DNA analysis, the blood was confirmed to be that of Toby Bing. This critical discovery shifted the focus of the case from a missing persons investigation to a homicide inquiry.
The forensic evidence found at Sullivan's residence led to his and an associate's, Kenneth Campbell's, arrests. In 2003, both Sullivan and Campbell were convicted for the murder of Toby Bing and received sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the trial, testimony suggested that Jones was also murdered at the residence, although his DNA was not found at the scene. The investigation revealed that the disappearance was connected to a drug deal. Despite the convictions that brought a form of legal resolution, the case remains profoundly unresolved for the families of the two young men. The bodies of Toby Bing and El Shawndrae Jones have never been recovered, leaving their loved ones in a state of perpetual grief and without the closure of a final resting place for their sons.Last Seen: Feb 18, 1999
