*Last Updated – July 31, 2024*
LEAD UP TO DISAPPEARANCE:
On the evening of April 3, 1987, Sarah Boyd, her two-year-old daughter Kimberly and her friend, Linda McCord, attended a gospel concert in Waltersboro, South Carolina. They were last seen at the event between 10:30 PM and 11:00 PM.
At the time they went missing, they were driving through Dorchester County, South Carolina, en route to their residences in Orangeburg County. A witness recalled seeing the blue Lincoln they were in, which belonged to Linda’s husband, driving between 30 MPH and 40 MPH along Route 15. Another vehicle was driving behind it, but they were unable to describe it or its occupants.
DISAPPEARANCE:
Sarah’s husband, Phillip J. Boyd, returned home from work around midnight on April 4, 1987. While he was initially concerned that she and Kimberly weren’t yet home, he assumed they were with relatives or Linda.
Phillip notified the local authorities after waking up at 6:00 AM and finding they still hadn’t returned.
SEARCH:
On April 5, 1987, the vehicle in which the three had been travelling was located by Linda’s husband at Wells Crossroad, near the intersection of Highways 15 and 176. It had been disabled and abandoned; the freeze plug had blown and the engine had overheated. There was no sign of the trio at the scene, and it’s theorized they pulled over to assess the situation when they disappeared.
On April 27, 1987, the State Law Enforcement Division assisted the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office in a search of a half-mile radius around where the Lincoln was recovered. An aircraft was brought in to assist. Unfortunately, no evidence was located.
The case overall has received limited media attention. In August 1987, an advertisement was placed in a local newspaper, offering a $6,000 reward for information leading to Kimberly, Sarah and Linda whereabouts.
In 1990, Sarah’s credit card was used at a local mall. Police stated the signature was barely legible and didn’t match the missing woman’s handwriting. The identity of the person who used it has never been established, and it’s currently unknown if they had any involvement in the trio’s disappearances.
The case has since gone cold, and it’s the belief of investigators that foul play was involved. At the time, the Dorchester County Sheriff claimed to have a few suspects, but they never named anyone. It’s the belief of Linda’s family that her husband, John, may have had something to do with the case. He’d been physically abusive toward her throughout their marriage, and many on Linda’s side of the family were scared of him.
According to Linda’s mother, John and his nephew had returned to the house sweaty and covered in dirt on the evening of April 3, 1987. At the time, she hadn’t questioned it, as the former worked in the construction industry. It’s reported he told officers that he returned home from a construction site around 7:30 PM, at which point he left to check on concrete he’d poured earlier that day and went to the local Piggly Wiggly for a drink.
John claimed to have arrived at Linda’s mother’s house at 11:00 PM, before leaving around midnight to search for his wife in Ridgeville. He then returned to the local area, after which he drove to Holly Hill, Vance and Santee, grabbing gas at the latter location. According to John, he was out until 5:00 AM on April 4, looking for Linda.
While this story aligned with what Linda’s mother said, John failed to mention that his nephew was with him. When asked to take a polygraph test, he refused, citing issues with a previous one he’d sat for, for an unrelated accusation. Linda’s first cousin, Tanya Boyd, believes he refused because he’d tampered with the car the trio were in on the night they went missing.
In 2020, investigators received a tip, which alleged Sarah, Linda and Kimberly were buried beneath concrete, at a residence in Santee, South Carolina. It’s reported that the slab was the exact same one John said he’d poured on April 3, 1987. Investigators spent three days at the house, digging up the concrete and using ground-penetrating radar, but nothing of value was uncovered.
DETAILS:
Sarah and Kimberly Boyd and Linda McCord went missing from Orangeburg, Dorchester County, South Carolina, on April 3, 1987.
Kimberly was two years old, stood at 3’4″ and weighed 25 pounds. She had black hair and brown eyes, and what she was last wearing is unknown.
Sarah was 32 years old, and she was last seen wearing a beige floral-print dress. At the time of her disappearance, she stood between 4’6″ and 5’6″ and weighed between 105-110 pounds. She had black hair and brown eyes. She may wear eyeglasses, and was known to sometimes go by the name “Genette”.
Linda McCord was 31 years old, and what she was last wearing is unknown. At the time of her disappearance, she had black hair and brown eyes. Her height and weight are currently unknown. She may wear eyeglasses.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Currently, Kimberly’s disappearance is being investigated as a non-family abduction, while Sarah and Linda are classified as Endangered Missing.
Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office at either (843) 873-5111 or (843) 832-0300. Tips can also be called into the Sheriff’s Office’s Missing Person’s Unit at (843) 563-3511.
Image Credit: NamUs/The Charley Project
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