Shivangi Sinha
In November 2023, a man contacted the Columbia, South Carolina, police to report that his friend, Shandon Floyd, had left in his car and never returned. At first, authorities suspected a routine auto-theft case, but that changed quickly. After reviewing CCTV footage, investigators spotted something that immediately raised concern and shifted the direction of the inquiry. What began as a missing vehicle report rapidly turned into a far more troubling situation. Netflix’s ‘Missing: Dead or Alive?’ season 2 delves into the police work that followed and traces the investigation step by step, revealing how the final conclusions in Shandon’s case were reached.
Shandon Floyd Went Missing While She Was Staying at a Motel in Columbia
Shandon Tymiere Floyd was born on December 27, 2002, in Mullins, South Carolina. She was raised in a big, lively household with six siblings. Her brothers Ahmel (Peezy) Platt, Tayvion Lyfe Sanders, and Y’Drequis Floyd, and her sisters London Floyd, Mya Mason, and Tiffany Jones, ensured the home was always loud and full of life. Her parents, Amecil and Shannon Floyd, admitted that although they shouldn’t say it, Shandon was their favorite. She carried a natural warmth, a gentle spirit, and an energy that uplifted those around her. Smart and ambitious, she had clear goals for her future. After graduating from Mullins High School in 2021, she chose to pursue a career in the medical field.
Shandon enrolled in the nursing program at Newberry College in Newberry, South Carolina, where she truly began to come into her own. It was during this time that she came out as a trans woman, and her family embraced her identity with love and acceptance. Her mother later shared that she quietly worried about the dangers of the world but never let Shandon see that fear. On November 8, 2023, Shandon was visiting Columbia, South Carolina, with a friend and staying at the Rodeway Inn on Berkshire Drive. Around 3 am, her friend called the police, saying he was concerned because Shandon had left just after midnight to buy groceries in his car and had not returned for hours. On November 14, 2023, police discovered Shandon’s remains inside a vehicle on the 10000 block of Two Notch Road in Columbia. The autopsy later concluded that she had died from a drug overdose.
Shandon Floyd’s Death Did Not Lead to Further Investigation
The police began their investigation into Shandon Floyd’s disappearance by reviewing motel CCTV footage. They saw her drive away in the car, and moments later, an unidentified man left in a separate vehicle behind her. When no additional footage of Shandon appeared, officers shifted their focus to tracking the missing car. They also monitored activity on her credit cards to determine whether she was making purchases. A few days later, they were alerted that one of her cards had been used at a gas station. When officers checked the station’s surveillance video, they found a man and a woman in the vehicle, but Shandon was nowhere to be seen.
The police noticed something unusual in the gas station footage: the woman got out from the back seat of the vehicle, while the man stepped out from the driver’s side. This raised the question of whether Shandon had been in the front passenger seat, and, if so, why she hadn’t gotten out. After her remains were discovered, investigators determined that she had died on the same day she went missing. The man and woman seen using her card were eventually identified and interviewed. They claimed that they had been riding around with Shandon when she overdosed and died, and said they panicked, which was why they never contacted the police. They admitted to driving her in a car to an abandoned house and leaving it there.
Because the autopsy indicated no signs of foul play, the police did not pursue further investigation. Shandon’s family, however, alleged she may have been forcibly given the drugs and claimed she was not a habitual user and that the circumstances did not reflect who she was. No charges were filed against the individuals involved. Investigators noted that it was possible Shandon’s body had been in the front passenger seat when her card was used, but abandoning someone’s remains is not a criminal offense, and there was no evidence supporting any other wrongdoing. The discovery of her body at least allowed her family to gain some closure and lay her to rest peacefully.
Read More: Nancy Tegeder: How Did She Die? What Happened to Her?
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