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The first season of Fatal Affairs features Matt Sullivan's mysterious case in its sixth episode Murder She Wrote. Premiered on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, on Investigation Discovery (ID), the episode unpacks the events surrounding the sudden disappearance and eventual murder of Elizabeth Sullivan, a young mother and wife.
It shows her clandestine involvement in an extramarital affair through the dating app Tinder, which became a crucial aspect of the investigation after she disappeared in 2014, later leading to the uncovering of her body in San Diego Bay nearly two years post-disappearance.
Elizabeth's husband, Matt Sullivan, was sentenced on March 12, 2021, after being convicted of second-degree murder of his wife. Matt Sullivan is currently serving a prison sentence at North Kern State Prison in Delano, California.
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The conviction concluded a lengthy legal process that began with his arrest on January 31, 2018, in Delaware. Following his arrest, he was extradited to San Diego to stand trial. The trial, started on February 21, 2020, culminated in his sentencing to 16 years in prison.
His case drew major media attention due to the nature of the crime and the delayed discovery of Elizabeth Sullivan's body, found nearly two years after her disappearance in San Diego Bay.
What did Matt Sullivan do to his wife?
Matt Sullivan was convicted of the second-degree murder of his wife, Elizabeth Sullivan, after a series of events that led to her death in October 2014. Elizabeth was a mother of two and a Navy wife who was reported missing from her San Diego home near Liberty Station.
Nearly two years after her disappearance, in October 2016, her decomposed body was discovered in San Diego Bay, indicating that she had been deceased only a month or two before being found.
The investigation into Elizabeth's disappearance and death revealed a troubled marriage fraught with issues - including arguments over finances, child custody, and Elizabeth’s extramarital affair. Evidence presented during the trial suggested a violent end - Elizabeth had suffered multiple stab wounds and a fractured skull, injuries consistent with a brutal attack.
Matt Sullivan’s actions following Elizabeth’s disappearance were central to the prosecution’s case. The day after Elizabeth was last seen, Matt purchased a substantial quantity of carpet cleaner from a local store. Forensic analysis of their home in 2018 revealed Elizabeth’s blood beneath the bedroom carpet, seeped into the wooden floorboards, showing an attempt to clean up the scene of the crime.
Further damning evidence was found in the attic of their home, where a knife was hidden, stained with Elizabeth’s blood. The knife was then identified as the murder weapon. Additionally, cadaver dogs alerted to a freezer in the garage, supporting the theory presented by prosecutors that Matt Sullivan had kept Elizabeth's body hidden there before disposing of it in the bay.
Matt Sullivan's arrest and trial
Matt was arrested in January 2018 in Delaware, where he had moved with his new girlfriend shortly after Elizabeth’s body was discovered. His trial began in February 2020, and he was eventually found guilty of second-degree murder.
During the trial, it was revealed that on the day of her disappearance, Elizabeth had met with a divorce attorney, who was paid using Matt’s credit card. This act, alongside a distressing 911 call made by Matt where he claimed Elizabeth was trying to frame him, painted a picture of a tumultuous and deteriorating relationship.
Sullivan was sentenced to 16 years in prison in March 2021. He currently remains incarcerated at North Kern State Prison in Delano, California, as reported by Fox News. Throughout the proceedings, Matt maintained his innocence but the accumulation of forensic evidence, coupled with his suspicious activities post-disappearance, led to his conviction.
Catch Fatal Affairs on the Investigation Discovery (ID) channel to learn more.
