Williams and Santos disappeared within months of each other almost 15 years ago, after allegedly being picked up by the same former Collier County, Florida deputy, Steven Calkins. Both men are presumed dead. The alleged victims were a black man and a Mexican immigrant, whose bodies have never been found. For Marcia Williams, the story of her son's disappearance is about to get more complicated. The lawsuit was sent to a neutral party or non-binding arbitration that found no evidence that incriminated Steve in Terrances disappearance, though the arbitrator found Steve uncooperative. Calkins attorney, John Hooley, said during a civil court proceeding that enough is enough. "They blew the telephones up," she recalls. Nor could she have known that her search for Terrance, a 27-year-old Black man, would lead her to suspect that a White police officer was involved, and that the officer had also been implicated in the disappearance of another young man of color, a 23-year-old Mexican immigrant named Felipe Santos. "Officer Calkins and three other deputies chased me down the beach, and they were gonna kill me, man," Denson said to Perry in front of the crowd. Calkins made several inconsistent statements to investigators, according to the lawsuit and arbitration. The car-tow report was signed by Deputy Steve Calkins, one of the deputies of the Collier County Sheriff's Department. Attorney Ben Crump, who also represented Trayvon Martin's family, said he hopes evidence presented in the civil lawsuit can lead to a criminal case against the former deputy. The evidence and the pleadings state that Mr. Calkins killed Mr. if he killed him at all would have killed Mr. Williams no later than February of 2004. No one did anything, not the cops or family. Gabby Petitos Family Says There Is No Doubt Brian Laundrie Murdered Her, The Mystery Of Who Betrayed Anne Frank And Her Family May Have Finally Been Solved. Here are some things to know about Williams and Santos. In June 1994, the 34-year-old ex-wife of American football star, O.J. 5, 2021 7:30 am698d ago, Tom Barton, Quad-City Times Business News Apr. A former Collier County Sheriff's deputy, then Corporal Steve Calkins, is believed to be the last person to see both of the men. was cited by Collier County deputy Steve Calkins for . Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code. Records show Calkins lives in a middle-class North Naples neighborhood at a home where no one answered the door Thursday morning. A court appointed arbitrator ultimately ruled against the lawsuit, citing a lack of evidence. The case was heard by a court appointed arbitrator, who made a decision against the family Wednesday, citing a lack of evidence. All rights reserved. Offer expires 5/17/22. This lawsuit is going to formally say what people for the last 14 years have been informally saying, that he intentionally murdered Terrance Williams and Felipe Santos.. "I went to the cemetery and I spoke with the workers there," recalls Marcia, "and they told me that a cop put him in the back of his cruiser and drove away with him.". When somebody goes missing and theyre a blue-eyed, blonde woman, theyre all over the news, he said. When he allegedly called Circle K, he came to know that Terrance did not work there. That didnt happen until 2009. Tyler Perry posts about Collier disappearances of minority men last seen with ex-deputy, Attorneys for Terrance Williams' estate given 20 days to amend complaint against ex-Collier deputy, Ex-deputy thought to be last to see two men in Collier contests wrongful-death lawsuit, Former CCSO deputy faces civil lawsuit in decade-old disappearances of 2 Collier men, Missing Collier men Terrance Williams, Felipe Santos remembered at ceremony, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Other restrictions may apply. Williams' mother, Marcia Williams, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in 2018 against Calkins, who is white, in the hope of providing more evidence to further a criminal investigation against him, her attorneys said at that time, according to Naples Daily News and other news reports. A wrongful death lawsuit against a former Collier County deputy returned to court Tuesday. On Jan. 12, 2004,. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Benjamin Crump, the civil rights attorney representing the family of Terrance Williams, said the legal filing was the culmination of more than a decade of investigative work with the cooperation of the Collier county sheriffs office, and would compel Calkins to explain his actions in a formal deposition. last year against Steven Calkins. He was last seen on a surveillance footage in the Var, and was never ever heard of again. The lawsuit gained national attention when it was filed because it involved Crump and actor and film director Tyler Perry, who commented on the case on social media and in People magazine, according to the Naples Daily News and other outlets. But late in December, Crump did file a motion for the judge to reconsider the arbitration as the final judgment and asked for a new trial. We reached out to attorneys on both sides of the lawsuit, and we are still waiting to hear back from them. The police at the time had one suspect that they were convinced was responsible, and after he was arrested the murders stopped. Boyfriend was older and abusive. The police shooting of Nicolas Morales Besanilla in 2020 rocked the farmworker community of Immokalee, Florida, already beset by Covid. In Naples, city council authorized the city manager to spend up to $100,000 to expedite the cleanup of dead fish within the city waterways []. "We often say Black Lives Matter when people we know are unjustly killed," says Crump, "but we also have to say Black Lives Matter when the person is Black and missing.". That officer, Collier County Sheriff's Deputy Steven Calkins, was fired in August 2004 after an internal investigation determined that he lied about his interaction with Terrance Williams. But although he was fired and named as a person of interest, he refused to appear before a grand jury, was not charged with a crime and subsequently moved to Iowa, where the lawsuit says he currently lives. Two women, just 20 and 22 years old, lost their lives in an overnight crash. The officer that reported to the scene was Corporal Steven Calkins - put a pin in him, we will be discussing him at length later. So yeah, and the crime remains unsolved. thislakeisgreat, Deputy Steve Calkins is 100% responsible. Contacted at home by his department's dispatch a few days after Terrance Williams' disappearance, Calkins initially denied having had any interaction with Terrance and even failed to recall towing a Cadillac from the cemetery on January 12. recalls Marcia, "And I'm like, 'Oh my God, they found my baby, they found my baby!' A Collier County judge allowed a wrongful death lawsuit against a former Collier County sheriff's deputy to move forward Thursday. He maintains a low profile and has refrained from making details of his private life as well as his current location public knowledge. A lawsuit seeking to hold a former Collier County sheriffs deputy accountable for the 2004 disappearance of a Naples man was denied on appeal Wednesday. Terrance Williams was last seen near a Naples cemetery in January 2004. Both men were last seen being arrested by Steve Calkins, then a deputy in the Collier County Sheriff's Department, for driving without a license. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Both men were declared dead after five years of being missing. Neither man has been seen or heard from since." ClutzyMe Are They Dead or Alive. After free month period, subscription automatically renews on a monthly or annual basis and your credit card automatically charged either (I) US $4.99 or $9.99/month (+ tax) as applicable; or (II) $49.99 or $99.99/year (+ tax) as applicable, at the start of each billing period unless you cancel. The suit alleges Calkins . Listening, from left, are NAACP President Ben Jealous, filmmaker Tyler Perry, and Marcia Williams, the mother of Terrance Williams. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. This woman [Williams mother] has been struggling for so many years just to get attention. she said in 2017. (AP Photo/Naples Daily News, William DeShazer), In a Jan. 10, 2013, file photo, Marcia Williams peaks at a news conference to discuss the special missing-person investigations of her son, Terrance Williams, and Felipe Santos. Film-maker Tyler Perry, center, speaks during a news conference announcing a lawsuit against former Collier County sheriffs deputy Steven Calkins on Monday in Naples, Florida, in the 2004 disappearance of Terrance Williams. Now, a deposition given by Calkins in 2020 in a civil lawsuit brought by Marcia Williams will air publicly for the first time on "Never Seen Again," a new Paramount+ docuseries about missing persons cases. As more people start to pile into the area, and beaches reopen, the fish kill will become a bigger problem. Nothing was filed until Dec. 23. Now, the only way this case sees a courtroom is if criminal charges are filed. The dogs picked up the scent of a deceased human on the corner of Floress mattress. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, Docuseries on unsolved missing persons cases, "Never Seen Again": New docuseries examines unsolved missing persons cases, Marcia Williams holding a portrait of her son Terrance, Tyler Perry appears in "Never Seen Again", Marcia Williams puts up a "Missing" poster, Steven Calkins gives a deposition in 2020, Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Man finds giant clam estimated to be 214 years old. Allison Christian faces a charge of aggravated animal cruelty, according to an arrest report. The sheriffs office says the incident has []. And whatever we have to do to make that happen, it's my hope that we do it. Further Investigation On The Case. Janine Zeitlin is an enterprise reporter in Southwest Florida. He told investigators several different stories about how he received the injury. u/mcwjdw33. Almost 17 years ago, Williams was last seen at a cemetery after he was pulled over by then deputy Calkins in Collier County. In December 2020, Crump filed a motion for reconsideration and a new trial but was denied on appeal in January 2022. Terrance Williams and Felipe Santos went missing in 2004 and 2003 respectively under similar circumstances in Naples Florida U.S. Privacy Policy. Denson plans to give his statement to investigators next week, Williams said. The Guardian left a message seeking comment at a telephone number listed for Calkins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. An angry Steve then ran Terrances number plate to discover that the tags had expired. Officer Calkins and three other deputies chased me down the beach, and they were gonna kill me, man, Denson said to Perry in front of the crowd. "If this is a coincidence, then he is the most unlucky man in the world, that this could actually be something that happened to him twice. Collier County sheriff's deputy Steve Calkins claimed both times to have changed his mind and left each of them at a different Circle K convenience store nearby. His family also lived in Cedar Rapids, records show. The Doodler was a serial killer in the 70s who killed up to 14 people, mostly gay men. She was shot in the temple, and was braindead, removed from life support a week later. Calkins responded to a minor traffic crash in which Santos was driving. A 15-year-old boy has been arrested and is being charged with the shooting death of another teen at the DeSoto County Fair. COVID-19 has made that difficult. Reporter covering state and federal courts. The case was heard by a court appointed arbitrator, who made a decision against. Further, he landed out of position . After his disappearance, his mother remained in the Naples area to continue searching for her son. Lee County announced that several beach parksLynn Hall Memorial Park, San Carlos Bay-Bunche Beach Preserve, Bonita Beach Park and Bonita Beach Accesses 1 to 10would reopen on Saturday. A judge has set a hearing on the motions for Feb. 18 in Collier County. The Atlanta-based media mogul on Sunday posted a video of a CNN story about Marcia Williams. Steve was fired in 2004 on the grounds of being uncooperative with the investigation and providing conflicting statements. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. In the other instance, witnesses told investigators they saw Calkins pull over Williams near a Naples cemetery, according to lawsuit and arbitration decision. Calkins claims that he changed his mind about both arrests, and last saw the men after he dropped them at Circle K convenience stores. An arbitrator found the case didn't show Calkins in a 'good light, based on his inconsistent statements to law enforcement and that he didn't cooperate in the investigation, but the evidence was mostly circumstantial. More: Tyler Perry posts about Collier disappearances of minority men last seen with ex-deputy. Detectives believe Steven Calkins is the last person to have seen Terrance Williams and Felipe. Hooley, in his motion against new trial, said the plaintiffs had adequate time to file a motion for new trial from the time it was rendered Nov. 24, 2020, to the judge's order, 27 days later on Dec. 21. Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com, Rod Boshart Government & Politics Apr. France, 2011. However, because some of his surviving victims were still in the closet and therefore unwilling to out themselves by testifying against him, he was never charged and to this day his name has never been released. ThatEnglishKid, Susan Powell. Williams was never arrested or charged. Lent him close to $100k. The only other person at the mansion was her brother in law. Calkins was fired following an internal investigation and is now living in Iowa. May 6, 2022 / 5:06 PM Judge Geoffrey Gentile denied Smith bond the first time because the November DUI arrest was not the first time law enforcement said she was caught drinking and driving. Lets find out. "I remember flipping through channels one day and I came across this story and I was shocked and outraged at what I was seeing," Tyler Perry says on "Never Seen Again." Tyler Perry boosts reward in cases. After the family found out about the car tow report, they contacted the sheriff's department and found that Calkins had not filed an incident report, nor had he made an arrest. Were hoping one day for justice, Perkins said. Marcia Williams and her attorney Benjamin Crump sued former Collier County deputy Steven Calkins, accusing him of murdering her 27-year-old son Terrance Williams after detaining him in January 2004. The attorneys will fly to Iowa, where Calkins now lives, to do an in-person deposition. Crump added that 680,000 people were reported missing in America in 2014. Williams was never brought to jail even though he was driving without a license. Her disappearance is an actively investigated missing person case. 2010 The Thought & Expression Company, LLC. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. But the Collier County suit came to an abrupt close in 2021 after Crumps team missed a deadline to file for trial. Williams has been missing since that happened. No refunds for partial months. In a 2018 interview Williams' mother, Marcia Williams, said his children struggled without their father, particularly his eldest child. He had arrested a twenty-seven-year-old man named Terrance Williams eighteen years ago, and he had never been found after that arrest. Filmmaker Tyler Perry posted this week about missing Collier County men Terrance Williams and Felipe Santos. In a Jan. 10, 2013, file photo, Collier County (Fla.) Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, at lectern, speaks at a news conference to discuss the special missing-person investigations of Terrance Williams and Felipe Santos. She's the mother of Terrence Williams, who went missing in Naples, Florida, in January 2004. Nothing really has changed from February of 2004 to the filing of this complaint.. Steve Calkins also was involved in the disappearance of a man that he pulled over three months before the disappearance of Terrance . And the last person Felipe was seen with was Deputy Steven Calkins. Felipe Santos was a 23-year-old undocumented Mexican worker who disappeared in October 2003, three months before Terrance vanished. Specifically, he was 49 when he captured Terrance Williams on January 12, 2004. Marcia Williams appealed to a Florida appellate court. Steven Calkins is set to be deposed Tuesday as part of a civil wrongful death suit filed in 2018 by the mother of Terrance Williams on behalf of his estate. "And I immediately thought, 'What can I do to help? The Collier County Sheriffs Office has released a composite sketch of a man sought in connection with distraction theft suspects who are targeting senior citizens for their jewelry. Marcia Williams remembers how, in the immediate aftermath of her son Terrance's disappearance, she and other family members launched an intensive search around Naples. In December 2020, as part of the civil suit, Calkins was forced into questioning by Crump and his team. Witnesses told investigators they saw Calkins pat down Williams and place him in the back of his patrol car without handcuffs. We believe that body language is very important and sitting in a room with someone is very important, Jacobs said. As of right now, the prosecutors have the option to retry the case, but who knows whatll happen. During the investigation, detectives learned another man, Felipe Santos, also went missing three months before Williams, who was last seen by Calkins during a similar encounter. Personally, []. According to unsealed court documents, witnesses saw Calkins put Williams in the back of his car and drive away. Not only was there a game, but college students showed up for a dunk contest. No body, no case. "I receive a phone call from the Mexican consulate." Steve followed the car to the cemetery parking lot and agreed to give the cordial Terrance a ride to the nearby Circle K since the latter stated he was late for work. During the investigation, authorities found Calkins didn't send records of Williams' tow to his in-car computer but instead had hard copies of the tow records mailed to him personally, the lawsuit states. Williams, a civil rights investigator with an office in Naples, said he hadnt come forward before for fear of retaliation and reprisal.. Details of the racially charged cold case came to light at a press conference in Naples on Tuesday, at which Tyler Perry, the prominent African American film-maker and activist, offered a $200,000 reward for information resulting in a criminal conviction of the officer. During those calls, Williams is heard in the background, so at that time Calkins still had Williams in custody but Williams was never booked and never seen again at his home, work or by family members, the lawsuit asserts. ago Serial killer he is Perry and Benjamin Crump said Tuesday that the lawsuit in a state court alleges former Collier County deputy Steve Calkins was responsible for the death of Terrance Williams, a black man who disappeared in 2003. The civil lawsuit filed on behalf of the victims families claims that the two men Terrance Williams, 27, and Felipe Santos, 24 were taken away in a squad car by Steven Calkins, a Collier county deputy, in January 2004 and October 2003 respectively but never booked into jail. Sharpton put his arm around the man, and a. Investigators discovered Calkins called a tow truck company for the car and had the towing records sent to himself rather than to Collier County Sheriffs Office. The case was supposed to be heading to trial, but the attorneys representing the family forgot to file the motion for trial in time, so that means the arbitrators decision is now final. Calkins didn't initially report he had contact with the car's owner, records show. According to Collier County sheriff's reports, both men went missing within three months of each other - Santos on Oct. 14, 2003, and Williams on Jan. 12, 2004 - and under similar circumstances. We reached out to Williams mother about the decision, who referred us to her attorney. Zachary Steven Johnson, 33, was found guilty as charged of burglary of a dwelling and two counts of dealing in stolen property after a two-day trial in Collier County. / CBS News. A civil rights attorney announced Tuesday that he has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against former Collier County Sheriff's deputy Steven Calkins. We are confident that the information uncovered will allow the DOJ to keep the investigation of what happened to Terrance active and moving forward to earn justice for his memory and all those who loved him.. Perry offered a $100,000 reward which has since doubled for information in the decade-old case of the two men, who went missing after separate encounters with Collier County Sheriff's Deputy Steven Calkins. Felipe Santos, a Mexican immigrant and Immokalee resident, disappeared at age 23 in October 2003 after his brothers saw him get into Calkins patrol car. Santos' wife gave birth to a daughter just four months before his disappearance. Those inconsistencies, combined with his decision to not cooperate in an investigation or appear before a grand jury, eventually resulted in Calkins' termination, according to authorities and the lawsuit. Initially, Steve said he had no memories of the incident, but later on, he was able to recollect meeting Terrance. To the dismay of Terrances family, Steve had never filed any incident report or arrest memo, leaving no paper trail regarding his contact with Terrance. Calkins had picked him up after Williams' car broke down. An attorney who [], Questions remain after a deadly crash killed two women while a shooting injured one person in Collier County as the new year began. He is married and has three children. He has several tattoos: a "T . Denson, now 30, made the tearful declaration during Thursdays news conference, where Hollywood heavyweight Tyler Perry and the Rev. Hooley, in his motion, asks the court not to grant Williams' motion and leave arbitration as final judgment. He has never been charged in either case. About a month ago a man was seized at Glasgow airport, they believed it was him, but no. 24, 2021 6:26 pm709d ago, Bailey Cichon Photos and Videos Mar. It turns out a tow company did indeed pick up Terrance's white Cadillac at the Naples Memorial Gardens Cemetery on January 12. The only common link between those two men is that they had been approached by then-officer Steve Calkins and were last seen getting into his car. I highly recommend Dave Cawleys podcast Cold about the case, even if youre familiar with the case. The cases remain open investigations. A judge entered the arbitration as final word in the case - meaning Calkins is not responsible for the disappearance - but that action is now being contested. If you are decent, human, kind person with a soul, I dont know how you cant be upset these two people were put in the back of a sheriffs car, disappeared, and have not been seen for 14 years.. Like in Williams' case, Calkins said he dropped Santos off at a Circle K in Naples. She never comes back. He was fired from the Collier County Sheriffs Office in late 2004 following an internal investigation that found he was deceptive in a polygraph and gave inconsistent statements about Williams disappearance. "I wish I could win the lottery. Lawsuit alleges a black man and a Mexican immigrant vanished after they were taken away in a squad car by a white deputy. Calkins lawyer in Naples, John Hooley, declined to comment on the decision beyond writing in an email: Judge Brodie heard the evidence and reached a conclusion that was upheld on appeal as the proper disposition of the case., In an interview last year, Hooley said about his client: This is not a guy who took Terrance Williams on a one-way ride to the swamp. And to this day Deputy Steve Calkins is a free man. By Caleb McCullough and Erin Murphy, - Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau, Williams' mother, Marcia Williams, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in 2018, Subscribe to the Public Safety newsletter. So who is Steve Calkins? He is also presumed dead. Calkins also was the last person seen with Felipe Santos, an illegal . The judge unsealed the arbitration decision and entered it as a judgment - meaning Marcia Williams won't receive any damages on her claims and Calkins is not responsible. The idea of suing for wrongful death, which has already happened, thats over and done, said attorney Pamella Seay, an FGCU justice studies professor. Calkins, a former Illinois farmer, was a seventeen-year veteran road deputy with a clean disciplinary record who had worked for the Sheriff's Office since 1987. And since hes not been prosecuted for that, then, there can be a prosecution later on.. He had captured a 27-year-old named Terrance Williams some time ago, and he was never found again.