Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
An episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered, titled “Secrets by the Bay,” will air on Oxygen on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET. It delves into the murder of Elizabeth Sullivan by her husband, Matthew Sullivan. A synopsis of the episode reads, “A San Diego mother suddenly vanishes in 2014; nearly two years later, her body is found in the San Diego Bay, but medical examiners say that she has only been dead for a month or two.”
In 2020, Matthew, a former Navy officer, was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Elizabeth, Fox 23 reported. Elizabeth disappeared on October 13, 2014. According to CBS News, the San Diego police launched an investigation while her family hired a private investigator to look for her. However, she wasn’t found for another two years until October 2016, when her remains were found in San Diego Bay.
The 31-year-old mother of two, Elizabeth Sullivan, was reportedly in a conflict over child support and custody with Matthew. Before the wife’s remains were discovered, Matthew moved out of San Diego and into Maryland with his fiancée, his two daughters, and the couple’s newborn. A homicide investigation revealed that there was a blood-soaked carpet at the Sullivans’ home. They also found that the wooden floor had some of Elizabeth’s blood on it.
According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, authorities also found a knife under the attic insulation. The defense claimed that Elizabeth Sullivan probably hid the knife, considering her history of self-injury. They further argued that she had an inclination towards drug abuse and often didn’t come home.
How much prison time did Matthew Sullivan get?
Matthew Sullivan was sentenced to 16 years in prison after the court found that he killed hsi wife and froze her body for two years. He reportedly stabbed Elizabeth in their home while their daughters were in a different room. He then froze her body until he moved out to Maryland and then dumped her remains in the San Diego Bay. The cause of death was found to be multiple stab wounds, NBC San Diego reported.
Elizabeth reportedly threatened to leave him and take $1000 from their joint bank account. She also said she would take her children with her, the Los Angeles Times reported. Although the defense argued that Matthew Sullivan had no history of crime or criminal record, authorities found that the marriage was troubled by domestic violence. The prosecution told the jury that Matthew stabbed Elizabeth at least five times and hit several of her ribs. He then left her in a pool of blood in her bedroom, as per another report by NBC San Diego.
According to Fox 23, by the time of the murder, Elizabeth and Matthew Sullivan’s relationship was strained. They had been sleeping on separate floors in their townhome. Moreover, on the day of her disappearance, she had met a divorce attorney. She was reportedly planning to see a lawyer the next day. She was last heard from her friend in a text.
Dateline: Secrets Uncovered’s “Secrets by the Bay” will air on Oxygen on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET.
