Vicky Marie Elliott, a 21-year-old woman, disappeared on September 7, 1984, in Tampa, Florida. She was reported missing by her employer when she failed to show up for work at a Ramada Inn coffee shop, where she had been employed since July 1983. At the time of her disappearance, Elliott had already purchased an airline ticket to return to Muskegon, Michigan, on October 5, 1984, with plans to attend school and become a paramedic.
Her remains were discovered on November 16, 1984.
Elliott was one of the victims of Bobby Joe Long, a serial killer who terrorized the Tampa Bay area in 1984. Long was responsible for the murders of at least ten women over a ten-month period. His victims were often found in gruesome conditions, with some strangled, others bludgeoned, and some with their throats slit. Elliott was among those murdered during his spree.
Bobby Joe Long was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to death for his crimes. He received 28 life sentences and one death sentence for the murder of Michelle Simms, another victim. After more than three decades, Long was executed by lethal injection on May 23, 2019, in Florida. His execution was witnessed by Lisa McVey Noland, one of his surviving victims, who had been kidnapped and assaulted by Long before being released. Noland played a crucial role in providing information that led to his arrest.
Elliott's murder was part of a larger investigation into Long's crimes, which ultimately led to his conviction and execution. The case remains a tragic chapter in Florida's history, highlighting the devastating impact of violent crime on victims and their families.
