Town file
Socastee, South Carolina
Socastee, South Carolina (Horry County, South Carolina) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 445, "Bed Chains & Dark Deeds" (30 November 2023). Heather Elvis was twenty years old in December 2013.
- Town
- Socastee
- County
- Horry County
- State
- South Carolina
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 445
- Approximate location
- 33.687, -79.009
Episode 445 / 30 November 2023 / 171 min / full
Bed Chains & Dark Deeds
"Socasti, South Carolina... This is in eastern South Carolina over by the shore. It's right by Myrtle Beach... This is in Horry County." about 0:04:17
The case: Disappearance and murder of Heather Elvis (December 18th, 2013). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2023
- Population
- 24,657
- Median age
- 42 and a half
- Median household income
- about $49,179 a year
- Median home value
- $196,600
- Two-bedroom rent
- $1,190
- Cost of living
- 90
- Religious
- 42.6%
- Property crime
- ▲ almost double
- Violent crime
- ▲ about a third high
History, in brief
- The town takes its name from a local swamp; the area was called Saucasty in the early colonial days. about 0:05:34
- A skirmish between small forces of American and British troops took place near Socastee Creek in 1781. about 0:05:56
- In the next hundred years it became a big centre for the production and distribution of naval stores, turpentine and tar. about 0:06:07
- It had a sawmill, a turpentine distillery, a cotton gin and a grist mill. about 0:06:59
- The historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. about 0:07:26
- The town has one of the ten operational swing bridges in South Carolina, built in 1935. about 0:07:38
The reviews read out
5 stars
"Bought a home over a year ago and loves it; the house backs onto a creek leading to the waterway and the cul-de-sac is peaceful with great neighbours."about 0:09:27
4 stars
"A small community with a lot of hidden gems to find, getting bigger every day with new developments, stores and offices."about 0:10:17
3 stars
"Being a tourist-trap town makes the crime rate higher than other areas of South Carolina."about 0:10:49
3 stars
"It has a lot of improvements to make."about 0:11:34
"Doesn't know a whole lot about them personally but has no complaints."about 0:11:37
2 stars
"The area is bad for locals and seems to be getting worse; the cost of living is going up and pay is at a standstill."about 0:12:07
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Conway, South Carolina10 miles
- Nixonville, South Carolina12 miles
- Coward, South Carolina47 miles
- Red Springs, North Carolina78 miles
- Summerville, South Carolina82 miles
- James Island, South Carolina85 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.