The Incredible Story Of 14-Year-Old ‘Girl In The Bunker’ Elizabeth Shoaf

In September 2006, everything changed for 14-year-old Elizabeth Shoaf. What was supposed to be a normal day for the teen turned into her being abducted and held in a bunker against her will. Her family had no idea where she’d gone, but Elizabeth was closer than they ever imagined.

The events that followed saw Elizabeth Shoaf become known as ‘Girl in the Bunker,’ but there is so much more to her story. After all, if it weren’t for the teen’s bravery and quick thinking, things could have ended very differently for everyone involved.

Vinson Filyaw had always been a troubled individual

People often wonder what drives certain people to do extreme things. In the case of Vinson Filyaw, it might be tough to ever find that answer. After all, he was - by his own admission to NBC's ‘Dateline’ - brought up by “pretty much a normal family.” So what caused him to become the man who would do such terrible things?

Vinson’s father passed away when he was young, but his mother remarried, with his stepdad raising Vinson like one of his own. Even the man in question wonders how he ended up like he did. When talking to ‘Dateline,’ Vinson admitted he had nothing “traumatic” happen, especially nothing to “make a person go out and do something crazy.”

He loved the outdoors but soon found a darker passion

Throughout his childhood, Vinson Filyaw seemed to do most things other youngsters his age were doing. For one, he became a Boy Scout, and it wasn’t long before Vinson fell in love with camping. He also had a special place in his heart for the action ‘Rambo’ film series and enjoyed practicing his martial arts.

Unfortunately, there was something darker that crept into Vinson’s life when he was just a teenager. Drink became a huge part of his life, and it’s something doctors think ultimately affected the way Vinson’s brain worked. After all, it wasn’t long until he was drinking heavily almost every day, and that damage would have dangerous consequences.

Vinson Filyaw hoped meeting Cindy Hall would be his redemption ark

Like many others, Vinson Filyaw wanted to try and find a way out of his life of drinking. While he battled his own demons, someone else came into his life who hoped to turn things around. Vinson was heavily gripped by his drinking by the time his adult years came about, but it was then he also started dating.

Eventually, Cindy Hall was the one who really caught Vinson’s eye, and the pair settled into a new life together. Here, Vinson hoped that Cindy would be his repetition arc, focusing on his new girlfriend and her family instead of drinking heavily day after day. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out the way he hoped.

Everything began to turn around as Vinson Filyaw stepped up as a stepfather 

It turned out that getting into a relationship with Cindy Hall was more than just a new girlfriend on Vinson Filyaw’s arm. Cindy also had three children from her previous relationships, meaning Vinson really had to turn things around if he wanted to keep the new family he’d found. Thankfully, things initially started well for the blended family.

Vinson found work as a construction worker and was able to provide for Cindy and the children. It’s said it wasn’t long until he grew incredibly close to the children, but there was one who stood out more than the others: Cindy’s daughter, a girl Vinson referred to as Peanut. On the outside, it appeared Vinson loved being a stepfather.

Peanut and Vinson Filyaw appeared to share an unusual relationship

To the rest of the world, most people assumed that Vinson Filyaw had finally gotten his life back on track. After all, he had three stepchildren, a girlfriend, and regular work as a construction worker. However, things might not have been entirely as they seemed behind closed doors, especially when it came to Vinson and Peanut’s relationship.

It seemed that Vinson had nothing but good things to say about the youngster, admitting to NBC’s ‘Dateline’ that they “grew real close” and became “inseparable” after they first met. To make matters even stranger, Vinson admitted that Peanut “pretty much felt like she was my little, second housewife if you know what I mean.”

Everything changed when Peanut accused Vinson Filyaw of assaulting her

Sadly, things took a worse turn for Peanut by the time the end of 2005 rolled around. Peanut went to school just like any other day when she had something to say to her teacher. Here, she confessed that she had been assaulted by Vinson Filyaw. It wasn’t long before law enforcement was involved with the case.

A judge granted investigators a search warrant in November 2005, and it wasn’t long before police started looking more into the matter. After speaking to those who worked with Vinson, gathering information from the home, and talking to Peanut, all signs were pointing toward the idea that Vinson was guilty of assaulting the young girl.

Vinson Filyaw made it clear how unhappy he was with the accusations

While Vinson Filyaw might have had nothing but nice things to say about Peanut before, it was clear by the time he spoke to ‘Dateline’ that he had an incredible amount of resentment for the young girl and all of the police involved. According to Vinson, the investigators only ever believe other people’s side of the story.

Instead, he argued that officers “never came and questioned me” and instead focused on questioning “everyone I worked with.” Vinson also claimed the police “never came in the house” or asked if he had committed the crimes, meaning he never got to proclaim his side of the story. Still, none of that seemingly mattered to the police.

He tried to keep away from the law by using his camping skills

Of course, most people don’t want to go to prison. What about when they argue they have done nothing wrong? That can lead some people to go to extreme measures, which is how Vinson Filyaw ended up turning to the great outdoors. For years, he’d been in love with camping and being outside in general.

Now, all of those skills were the things Vinson relied on to start living outside. To start, he camped in a tent in the woods, but he soon decided he needed something more permanent. Ultimately, Vinson settled on building a bunker. After planning and mapping out everything he needed, Vinson started digging to bring his plans to life.

His finished bunker apparently had all the home comforts he could need

Most of the time, bunkers are used in case something goes wrong. However, there was more to this bunker than most others. Rather than having it just in case, Vinson Filyaw needed a place to call his home - it just so happened to be underground in the woods and hidden away from the rest of the world.

Amazingly, Vinson still found a way to fill his new bunker with “all the furnishings of home.” That included things like a propane gas stove, a solar shower, a fireplace, and even a collapsible top. If that wasn’t enough, Vinson also kept a cell phone in his bunker and wired it up to power everything through a 12-volt system.

The bunker was a secret, but Vinson Filyaw was surprisingly close to home

A lot of work went into keeping his location hidden from the rest of the world. After all, Vinson Filyaw was now a wanted man following the investigation into Peanut's claims, and he couldn't risk going to prison. Instead, he tried to keep as far away from the rest of the world as possible - kind of.

Apparently, Vinson's new bunker was incredibly close to his former backyard, meaning it wouldn't have taken much for someone to find out where he was hiding. To make matters even riskier for Vinson, he would often sneak out of his bunker under the cover of night to see his former girlfriend, Cindy Hall, without anyone noticing.

Peanut had already gone by the time Vinson Filyaw returned

There was just one problem with Vinson Filyaw’s plan: Peanut was already long gone. Following her accusations against her stepdad, Peanut had been placed into foster care to keep safe, and Vinson had no idea where she had gone. Of course, there was no way he could ask either without risking exposing his location to the police.

There was another problem: Vinson told ‘Dateline’ he’s “a person that holds a grudge.” In his eyes, Peanut was the reason he had to go on the run. Now she was out of the picture, Vinson couldn’t find a way to get revenge on her. Instead, he was left to brew over ways he could get back at the world.

He invested in supplies in a bid to get revenge against Peanut

To start, Vinson Filyaw had no idea that Peanut was gone. Instead, he began plotting a way to get revenge against her for accusing him of assault - and it seems Vinson had something very sinister in mind. After all, he headed to a local Walmart to get some pretty disturbing items to kit out his bunker with everything he needed.

Here, Vinson bought things like a weapon, a taster, night vision goggles, and a set of handcuffs. Apparently, he planned to kidnap Peanut before he found that she had been safely relocated to live with another unknown family. Instead of giving up on his plan, Vinson merely decided he needed to change a few things.

Losing Peanut meant Vinson Filyaw had to change his plans

It wasn’t until Vinson Filyaw spoke to NBC’s ‘Dateline’ that we learned more about his sinister mind, as he admitted, “The second plan was to kidnap someone else.” In Vinson’s eyes, it seemed he had everything he needed to take someone against their will; why let that go to waste when he could get revenge against everyone instead?

Rather than kidnapping the person who accused him of assault, Vinson now planned to “draw all of Kershaw County into one general area” before he let off a host of explosives and “[blew] them all up.” It was a huge task and one that could result in plenty of people losing their lives, but that didn’t seem to matter.

It’s said that Vinson Filyaw just so happened to run into Elizabeth Shoaf

Sadly for Elizabeth Shoaf, it really did seem like it was a case of her being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There are varying reports about how the 14-year-old crossed paths with Vinson Filyaw in the first place, with some claiming that he had been watching her for a few days before he struck.

Others state that Vinson happened across Elizabeth and decided she would be the perfect fit to put his plan in motion. Whatever the case, everything changed forever on September 6, 2006. Vinson was apparently walking around the woods looking for a victim when he saw Elizabeth step off of her school bus. Now was his time to strike.

Vinson Filyaw disguised himself as a police officer to trap Elizabeth Shoaf

According to a report from A&E, Vinson Filyaw was fully prepared to take Elizabeth Shoaf the moment he saw the teenager. Apparently, he had disguised himself as a fake police officer, complete with a forged badge to make him look as official as possible. Now, Vinson needed to get Elizabeth to follow him to the bunker.

Rather than leave things to chance, it’s believed that Vinson made up a story about Elizabeth being arrested for possessing narcotics before he handcuffed the teen and started to lead her off to his fake cop car that just so happened to be parked in the woods. Seemingly alone, there was no one around to help.

Elizabeth Shoaf was captured and held for several horrific days

It didn’t take long for Vinson Filyaw to drop the act. He continued to march Elizabeth Shoaf around for a while in the woods until she became disoriented before he took the teen to his 8x8 handmade underground bunker. At the time, no one had any idea just how close Elizabeth was to her home. Sadly, it was too late.

As soon as Elizabeth was inside, Vinson got to work removing her clothes and using chains to restrain the teenager. Unfortunately, things got even worse for Elizabeth. With nowhere to go and no way to escape, Vinson started to assault the teenager, something that would happen again and again in the next ten days to come.

She knew something was wrong not long after being captured by Vinson Filyaw

It turns out Elizabeth Shoaf was a lot smarter than Vinson Filyaw realized when he kidnapped the teenager. On the way to the bunker, Elizabeth realized that something was wrong and decided to leave some clues in the hopes that she would be found. One thing she did was drop her shoes in the woods as a kind of trail.

Sadly, nothing could stop Vinson from assaulting the teen while she was chained in the bunker. Elizabeth later recounted that she “didn’t know what to do” and was scared she was going to lose her life. To make matters worse, Elizabeth stated her “Day-to-day” life was to “wake up, get assaulted. Couple hours later, if that.”

The police assumed Elizabeth Shoaf had merely run away from home

To start, the police thought that Elizabeth Shoaf was like many other teenagers and decided to run away from home. Even though Amber Alerts had been used for several years by this point, the police thought Elizabeth wasn’t in danger and would return home eventually. However, not everyone bought this idea and took matters into their own hands.

Volunteers began to launch their own search and rescue mission in the hopes of bringing Elizabeth home before something terrible happened. The problem? There were miles of dense woodland that needed to be searched. They looked high and low, but no one could find her. Little did they know Elizabeth was within one mile of her home.

Elizabeth Shaof’s mother had no idea how close she was to her daughter

Madeline Shoaf is Elizabeth’s mother and the one who really struggled to deal with the idea that her teenage daughter had merely run away like the police initially believed. Instead, she thought Elizabeth was out there somewhere - they just needed to know where to find her. Eventually, Madeline opened up to NBC News about the entire experience.

Here, Madeline confessed that she would “get up and walk out of my driveway” in the middle of the night to “this empty lot and just stand there.” According to the mom, she “could only go so far” as it felt like something was holding her back. Here, Madeline confessed she would just “stand there” in the dark and “prayed.”

Vinson Filyaw would regularly threaten to end Elizabeth Shoaf’s life, but she had a plan

One of the most unimaginable things Vinson Filyaw did to Elizabeth Shoaf involved scaring the teenager into staying in the bunker. It later turned out that Vinson would hang explosives around her neck and threaten to detonate them if she tried anything. Amazingly, that didn’t stop Elizabeth from coming up with a plan to get out.

The teenager knew there was a small chance of her captor trusting her if she spoke to his human side and earned his trust. She wanted Vinson to see her as a person, so she began to talk about things that interested him and the things he liked. Slowly, Elizabeth was getting Vinson to trust her more and more.

She began to pretend to enjoy the assaults and asked to run away together

One of the ways that Elizabeth Shoaf hoped to get Vinson Filyaw on her side was by pretending that she wasn’t there because she had to be - she enjoyed the assaults she would receive multiple times a day. That wasn’t all, as Elizabeth admitted she would often talk about being in love with Vinson when they were together.

Elizabeth told MS News Now that she would “tell him I loved him and I want to run away with him.” That was all she needed to do to be unchained while she slept. Apparently, Vinson also stopped being “as violent” when he was assaulting her and “wasn’t yelling at me and threatening me 24/7.”

Elizabeth Shoaf managed to convince her abductor she was falling in love

Another way that Elizabeth Shoaf learned she could earn Vinson Filyaw’s trust was to always “do what he told me to do.” For Vinson, it was all about having control over Elizabeth as he put his grander plan into action - and it’s something the teenager quickly learned. She also started to mirror his behavior and the way Vinson spoke.

Something else Elizabeth noticed about Vinson was how “he’d always call me baby.” The result? “I’d call him that back.” When “he’d tell me he loved me,” she “told him I love him.” Elizabeth learned she had to “act like I really liked him and I wanted to be with him” if she stood a chance of getting out alive.

She was allowed to leave the bunker, and Elizabeth Shoaf used this to her advantage

Things seemed to be working for Elizabeth Shoaf. She had only been missing for a few days, but it probably felt like an eternity while she was locked away from the rest of the world. However, things took a major turn when Vinson Filyaw allowed his capture to leave the bunker, even if it was just for a moment.

Elizabeth knew it was far too risky to try and run at this point, but she did think there were ways she could lead people to her whereabouts. Once outside, Elizabeth started to pull out strands of her hair and place them over branches and on trees in the hopes that scent dogs would pick them up and find her.

Getting her hands on his phone was the biggest turn of events

After days of being held captive by Vinson Filyaw, Elizabeth Shoaf really pushed her luck when she asked if she would be able to play games on his cell phone. It seems her plan had worked enough to earn his trust, as Vinson eventually handed it over - but the teenager had another idea. She just needed Vinson to fall asleep.

When Vinson was finally asleep, Elizabeth used the cell phone to text her mother and a handful of her friends. The problem? There was a new issue, as many of the messages weren’t sending. Being underground and in the woods was seemingly a huge issue, but thankfully, the most important message made its way through.

Elizabeth Shoaf’s mother couldn’t believe it when she saw the text message

“Hey mom,” started the text. It continued to read that “it’s Lizzy,” and she was “in a hole across from Charm Hill where the big trucks go in and out.” Thankfully, the text in question made it to Madeline Shoaf, and she instantly knew that it was her missing daughter on the other end of the message.

According to Madeline’s interview with CNN in 2006, she ran straight to her husband to explain, “It’s Elizabeth” as “No one else has my cell phone.” The text also read that they needed to “Call police” as there was an explosive, with Madeline realizing she had more than just a clue; Elizabeth told her exactly where she was being held.

The police initially thought the message was a cruel hoax

Sadly, not everyone was so convinced that Elizabeth Shoaf was the one behind the text message. After all, it’s not uncommon for people to play cruel pranks in big cases by pretending to be someone they’re looking for or owning up to crimes they didn’t commit. Plus, it was incredibly strange for the captive to send a text message.

Sheriff Steve McCaskill was one of many working the case who thought that it was nothing more than a hoax. Surely this couldn’t be the breakthrough they had been looking for? Still, Madeline Shoaf was convinced, and it wasn’t long before the investigators realized it was Elizabeth on the other end of the phone. They just needed to find her.

Vinson Filyaw’s former girlfriend revealed more about his twisted plans

It turned out they had even more help bringing Elizabeth Shoaf home than investigators ever thought possible. His former girlfriend reached out to Kershaw County’s Department of Social Services and offered Vinson Filyaw’s cell phone number to try and help. Only then could they start to track down where the message came from and where Elizabeth was being kept.

However, that wasn’t the only thing she had to say. To start, the investigators had no idea that Elizabeth was being kept underground. That was until his former girlfriend showed the team the first bunker Vinson ever built. Sadly, Officer Dave Thomely merely assumed it was a trash pit and almost wrote it off as nothing.

The police quickly tracked down Vinson Filyaw’s cell phone to the bunker

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before the investigators had everything they needed to narrow down where the text message must have come from - they just needed to head out and bring Elizabeth Shoaf to safety. The U.S. Marshal’s Office used software to trace the location of the phone before sending out officers and helicopters to scout the area.

Sadly, there was another issue. It turned out Vinson Filyaw had been watching the search for Elizabeth on TV and suddenly learned they had tracked the pair down via a text message thanks to a news report. Apparently, he flew into a fit of rage but was also starting to panic about what this meant for his freedom.

Elizabeth Shoaf convinced Vinson Filyaw that he needed to run from the police

Knowing there were just moments until the pair were caught in the bunker, Elizabeth Shoaf put the final stage of her plan into action. Rather than risk something happening if the police showed up at the bunker, she managed to convince Vinson Filyaw that his only chance at freedom was to leave as quickly as possible.

Apparently, Elizabeth told Vinson he “needed to leave because if they’d catch him, he would go to jail.” However, this was what Vinson wanted. After all, he wanted to lead the police to his bunker and set off an explosive. However, something changed, and Vinson no longer wanted to lose his life; he wanted to steal a car and leave.

The police found the bunker and immediately found it was boobytrapped

The police, helped by the U.S. Marshals, managed to track down the bunker’s locations and started searching the area for clues that Elizabeth Shoaf was around. However, Vinson Filyaw was long gone. Apparently, he decided to leave before, and the teen didn’t dare to venture outside of the bunker until the following morning when she called for help.

Eventually, a rescue team heard Elizabeth and rushed to the area, stating that she wasn’t chained up and was coherent by the time they arrived. The issue? Vinson had already boobytrapped the entrance of the bunker. Once inside, CNN reports they found it was “well-built and stocked with food, clothing and a toilet” as well as explicit material.

Vinson Filyaw was caught with a host of weapons when he was caught

While they might have found Elizabeth Shoaf safe - something many started to worry would be far from the truth - there was another issue. Now, they needed to find Vinson Filyaw. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to track him down, as he was just five miles from his home when Vinson was arrested by the police.

However, it seemed he could have been planning something sinister before he was caught. When Vinson was arrested, he was found with a knife, a pellet gun, a taser, and a flare gun. Ultimately, he was charged with impersonating an officer, kidnapping, and carrying a weapon, with Sheriff Steve McCaskill admitting Vinson was “a very calculated” and “very thinking man.”

He claimed he thought the police were going to end his life

According to Vinson Filyaw, there was a time when he was arrested that he thought he was going to lose his life. By the time the officers caught up to him, Vinson was completely surrounded, with him telling ‘Dateline’ “There were cops everywhere.” Although he surrendered, Vinson claims that things continue to escalate between him and the officers.

Vinson went on to explain he “got down on my knees and put my hands up,” but “all three” of the police “jumped on me” and began to beat him. He continued that he initially thought he was going to lose his life before he was even arrested, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, Vinson was finally brought to justice.

Vinson Filyaw claimed he was justified in his actions when writing about the crime

Sadly for Elizabeth Shoaf, things were far from over. Sure, she had been found alive, but there were the mental scars that she would live with for the rest of her life. Then there was the fact that Vinson Filyaw had plenty to say about the kidnapping and assaults, using his time behind bars to write about it all.

Here, Vinson penned 120 pages of manuscript describing everything that happened, including how people used to be married by the time they were 12 years old. Perhaps even more worryingly, Vinson appeared to use this as an excuse and justification as to why he kidnapped 14-year-old Elizabeth in the first place and not because he wanted revenge against Peanut.

Detectives have long claimed Elizabeth Shoaf was the one to save herself

For years, people have thanked the detectives for bringing Elizabeth Shoaf back to safety, but they know the teenager is the one who determined the outcome of her kidnapping. In fact, Chief Investigator David Thomley confessed he “did not” save Elizabeth; “That child saved herself.” It turns out he’s not alone in his thoughts on it all.

Many have spoken about how calm and poised Elizabeth was throughout the entire ordeal, even when the police finally found her at the bunker. David Thomley later stated that she was not only “very brave,” but Elizabeth was also “very smart and did several things that greatly improved her chances of survival.” Without Elizabeth, things could have ended very differently.

Elizabeth Shoaf was too emotional to testify, but Vinson Filyaw was still convicted

It didn’t take long for the long list of charges to rack up against Vinson Filyaw, but there was another plot twist. Rather than take things to trial, Vinson pleaded guilty to all the charges shortly before he was meant to head to court. Sadly, it was all too fresh for Elizabeth Shoaf at the time.

The teen was too emotional to give a victim impact statement but did prepare something that was read by her attorney at court before later giving a public statement. Eventually, Vinson was sentenced to 421 years in prison by Judge G. Thomas Cooper without the possibility of parole. It was the maximum penalty that could be given in South Carolina.

Elizabeth Shoaf has since tried to move on with her life

Amazingly, Elizabeth Shoaf seemingly hasn’t let her traumatizing experience hold her back in life as she eventually graduated from college. From there, Elizabeth found work as a dental assistant and spoke about what life has been like to WIS10 in 2013. Here, she wanted to talk about what it’s been like to move on from Vinson Filyaw.

According to Elizabeth, her faith was the main thing that got her through, but that’s not all. Now, she wants to use what happened as a way to tell the world, “You can be a survivor just like I am.” Elizabeth added it “simply takes faith” and “talking to someone and encouragement that it’s not the end of the world.”

She’s opened up about the experience to try and help warn others

Moving on from what happened in the bunker might have seemed impossible at one point, but Elizabeth Shoaf has since become a strong activist in the hopes that she can prevent what happened to her from happening to other youngsters. In fact, in 2013, Elizabeth spoke at Lugoff-Elgin Middle School about it all and what to do differently.

Here, Elizabeth said she is “the perfect example of what can happen,” warning mothers and daughters that they should always be more wary of strangers and about where they are when they’re alone. Elizabeth continued in her speech that she “survived and I can help others survive” if they follow her advice and learn from her experiences.

Elizabeth Shoaf also spends her time taking self-defense classes

When Elizabeth Shoaf spoke about the abduction in 2013, she was 21 years old but felt like she could “feel normal” at long last. She explained to WIS10 that she would “hang out with friends on the weekends” and “play video games” to help her “not think about it and feel like I’m living a normal life.”

That’s not all that Elizabeth was doing. She added she also spends a lot of her time exercising and learning self-defense at a local karate studio. While she can’t change what happened in the past, Elizabeth was hopeful at the time that sharing her story would “reduce” the number of kidnappings if “parents are more cautious of what’s going on.”

Vinson Filyaw lost his life in 2021, over a decade into his sentence

As soon as Vinson Filyaw was sentenced to 421 years in prison, he was sent to the Kirkland Correctional Institution. Here, he was a part of the Maximum Security Unit, but he was eventually moved to the McCormick Correctional Institution. It was here that Vinson ultimately breathed his last breath as he passed away on May 3, 2021.

Vinson was 51 years old by the time he passed away and was 14 years into his sentence by the time he lost his life. However, no known cause of passing has ever been released. All we know is that Vinson passed as the police later released a statement with the news. At last, part of Elizabeth’s story has concluded.

The Girl in the Bunker brought Elizabeth Shoaf’s story to life for Lifetime

Just because it’s been almost twenty years since Elizabeth Shoaf was kidnapped doesn’t mean the world has forgotten about what she went through in the bunker. She has made several media appearances throughout the years, including an appearance on the documentary series ‘Surviving Evil,’ on the ‘Today’ show, and in various other interviews. That’s not all.

In 2018, Lifetime also released a movie based on her life, Girl in the Bunker.’ Here, Julia Lalonde brought Elizabeth back to life while Henry Thimas played the part of Vinson Filyaw. However, there are a few changes to the story. Here, Elizabeth is sick of being bossed around by her mom and instead walks through the woods.