A former U.S. Navy service member accused in the mysterious 2014 disappearance and killing of his wife has returned to San Diego to face one count of murder, and is set to appear in court on Valentine's Day.
Matthew Sullivan, 32, was extradited from Wyoming, Delaware, to San Diego Friday and booked into San Diego Central Jail. According to inmate booking records, he's being held on $2.1 million bail. He'll make his first-ever court appearance in connection with the case on Wednesday.
Matthew was arrested on Jan. 31 outside his home in Delaware for the murder of his wife and mother of his children, Elizabeth Sullivan, 31.
Elizabeth was reported missing on Oct. 14, 2014. She was last seen one day earlier near San Diego’s Liberty Station, the area where she lived. A text message sent on Oct. 13, 2014, was the last contact Elizabeth had with loved ones. Her phone was then turned off. Detectives found her car at home, but no trace of Elizabeth.
A few days later, Elizabeth was reportedly spotted near soccer fields at Liberty Station and again near the San Diego International Airport. Those leads, however, were nothing more than reported sightings and never panned out for detectives.
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Police searched for the missing Navy wife and mother of two for two years. The mysterious case grew cold as her family pleaded for her safe return.
On Oct. 6, 2016, the case experienced a major break when Elizabeth’s decomposed body was found floating in the San Diego Bay near Farragut Road, about a half-mile from where she had last been seen alive years earlier.
The SDPD determined she had been a victim of a homicide.
After Matthew's arrest two weeks ago, San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Lt. Mike Holden said investigators believe Elizabeth was murdered around the time of her disappearance in 2014. When Elizabeth’s body was discovered, it was in an advanced stage of decomposition but investigators believe it had not been in the bay since her death.
At this point, it is unclear where her body was from the time she was killed until the time she was found in the bay. The details of how she was killed and where also remain unknown.
Holden said San Diego detectives were present during Matthew’s arrest and are confident they have their suspect.
“We have the right person,” Holden told NBC 7. “We’re happy to bring someone into custody and get the judicial process going. Hopefully, we’ll be able to bring justice to Elizabeth and her family.”
In February 2017, police reports obtained by NBC 7 showed that Matthew, a Navy service member at the time, had called 911 on the same day Elizabeth vanished. He reported his wife was “going to frame him and have him arrested,” and also claimed she had made a mess at their home.
NBC 7 also discovered records from another 911 call made by Elizabeth in March 2014. In that call, she told authorities there was a history of domestic violence in her marriage and that she and Matthew had been arguing over custody of their two young daughters and child support.
Per that police report, Elizabeth told officers she was concerned that their fighting might escalate. At that time, Matthew told the SDPD that his wife had drained their shared bank account.
A final call to 911 was made on Oct. 14, 2014, from the Sullivans’ home by a friend concerned over Elizabeth’s whereabouts. The friend told police Sullivan was “very afraid” of her husband.
Following the release of those police reports, the SDPD said Matthew, at that point, was not yet considered a suspect in his wife’s murder. A lieutenant said investigators on the case still had “more questions than answers.”
Over the course of the investigation, however, detectives ultimately identified Matthew as the suspect in his wife's slaying. In late January, detectives obtained a homicide warrant for Matthew's arrest.
After the arrest, NBC 7 spoke with Elizabeth’s father, Edward Ricks, over the phone. He lives in Virginia and said he’s grateful to police staying on top of his daughter’s case and to the media for covering it over the years.
“Now I’m going to wait and see what happens,” Ricks added.
For a timeline of the disappearance and death of Elizabeth Sullivan, click here.
