SC SC - John, 47, & Elizabeth Calvert, 45, Hilton Head, 3 March 2008

[christine2448]

Openness breeds respect, trust in law enforcement

Money and mystery is a potent combination. Add to it the name recognition and image conjured up by Hilton Head Island, and you get the recent media frenzy over the disappearance of John and Elizabeth Calvert and the death of longtime island businessman Dennis Gerwing.

Publicity cuts both ways, and Hilton Head has had its share of positive and negative stories over the years. From Arnold Palmer's win at the first Heritage Classic to bankruptcy to recurring charges of racism inherent in the area's modern development to today's mystery, the island has seen it all. This wave, too, will wash over us and eventually roll away.
But in the meantime, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner has his work cut out for him, both in investigating the case and handling the myriad questions surrounding it.

Tanner's challenge is to strike a balance between
doing what's necessary to bring the investigation to a successful conclusion and his obligation to the people he serves and who pay his salary. He shouldn't make striking that balance harder than it needs to be.

 

[SuziQ]

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15898332/detail.html

Investigators are searching computers, cell phones and personal digital devices to try to find out what happened to a missing Hilton Head couple.

Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner tells The Island Packet newspaper that detectives are going line-by-line through thousands of e-mails and other information. Tanner's comments were the first update on the investigation in three weeks. (more at link)

 

[DeltaDawn]

Thanks for the upadte SuziQ.

 

[SuziQ]

An accountant who killed himself after police questioned him in the disappearance of two wealthy clients had embezzled $2.1 million from the couple and seven companies, his former employer said. (more at link)

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/23/missing.couple.ap/index.html

 

[DeltaDawn]

TY SuziQ.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Hmmm...2.1 million more reasons for others to want him dead, huh?

 

[Schmerty_Jones]

WOW . Interesting. All roads lead the same way???

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I don't know. I still find it so hard to believe he commited suicide in that manner. If this guy embezzled that much money...where is the money now? How does anyone know if they didn't doctor the books to make it look like this guy did all the wrong doing? With all of the people gone who could substantiate any of it...it seems too convenient.

 

[dimples37398]

I agree with you completely SS.......Who knows who had access to the books before they were turned over....

 

[DeltaDawn]

I don't know. I still find it so hard to believe he commited suicide in that manner. If this guy embezzled that much money...where is the money now? How does anyone know if they didn't doctor the books to make it look like this guy did all the wrong doing? With all of the people gone who could substantiate any of it...it seems too convenient.

I agree. We need to know also who else may have profited from this embazzlement. Could it be the girlfriend? He and his girlfriend were selling their home for $1.5..how much money did this guy really need? And how does this tie into the Atlanta couple? Certainly other holders were embezzled too? This leads to more questions then answers.

 

[murdershewrote]

yup, the article mentions other holders were victims of the embezzlement too...but my thought is that the couple discovered it and confronted him with it. Which was their fatal mistake (IMO) rather than going to the police with any information/evidence they had.

I work for a firm that does forensic accounting and with this small an operation, the money trail would be pretty easy to trace. He had a "secret" checking account, and maybe some of the money was still there.
Course he probably paid for his house with it, and all the travelling, fine wines, etc. Hard to say at this point whether his gf knew where all his money was coming from or not. You know what they say... a couple million doesn't go as far as it used to.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Yes, but you would think in the past few years...if his lifestyle was so far above what others suspected it should be...they would have noticed in such a tight knit community!

MSW, You seem to be agreeing with LE which is fine, but I think people who are driving this investigation are the same people who have the most to gain from this man being dead and the couple being gone. It is a relative small community where this happened and money is their driving force.

How many times have you heard of 3 lawyers and a handyman showing up to find a suicide victim?! Doesn't happen that way. Too convenient. Their stories are down pat, but differ a bit from the handyman's. No one seems to be questioning how odd all of it is. No one seems to question the manner of death in this case either!

I do think that the man met with the couple (he may have told them the truth about everything and everyone) then I think the people who were already aware that they were soon to be found out about the embezzlement set up an elaborate scheme to kill the couple, kill the man, and set up the whole embezzlement on him. (I think he was part of taking the money and he knew too much on others.) If the couple remained alive and still wanted to pull out to run things themselves...the other people were in serious trouble. With all the three people gone who attended that meeting, they had a perfect patsy!

 

[murdershewrote]

You make some very good points...and I have always thought his death was a bit questionable. Especially that he didn't tell in his notes where the couple was put. It's possible he didn't know.

But I do think he was the only one involved in moving the money out into this secret account. If others were involved, forensics would have found the other accounts by now.

Just from my professional experience, in companies like these, it's usually just one person involved because too many people just increases the likelihood of being discovered or someone turning on another...that sort of thing. Actually stealing money is usually a very private undertaking. Not to say though that others didn't realize he was doing it...maybe somebody else did and told the couple about it.

 

[DeltaDawn]

Just checking for any updates to this story. It just seems unbelievable that this wealthy, high profile couple could just vanish without a trace. There has to be some evidence somewhere. In their yacht, their car, their plane? Someone has to know more then they are sharing with the LE.

 

[concernedperson]

Just checking for any updates to this story. It just seems unbelievable that this wealthy, high profile couple could just vanish without a trace. There has to be some evidence somewhere. In their yacht, their car, their plane? Someone has to know more then they are sharing with the LE.

I have seen no updates either. The problem is Gerwing may have taken all the clues of their demise with him to his grave. If he forced them out of the car in the swampy area around Hilton Head and say shot them both it could be years before the remains are discovered, if ever. They were seen together IIRC in the parking lot of the hotel arguing and he was a poi. I dunno it does seem we would have heard more about this case.

 

[DeltaDawn]

I have seen no updates either. The problem is Gerwing may have taken all the clues of their demise with him to his grave. If he forced them out of the car in the swampy area around Hilton Head and say shot them both it could be years before the remains are discovered, if ever. They were seen together IIRC in the parking lot of the hotel arguing and he was a poi. I dunno it does seem we would have heard more about this case.

Where was their car found, concerned?

 

[concernedperson]

Where was their car found, concerned?

Sorry, I didn't see this until now. Either at the Hilton or Marriott at Palmetto Dunes. I would have to hunt the original articles but it was one or the other. The car was found in the parking lot.

 

[DeltaDawn]

Sorry, I didn't see this until now. Either at the Hilton or Marriott at Palmetto Dunes. I would have to hunt the original articles but it was one or the other. The car was found in the parking lot.

Concerned that is quite alright! I have more questions if you don't mind?

Sorry to ask so many questions.

Was the car locked?
Were the keys found with it?
Was the ignition intact?
Did the police release any info after their forensic investigation of the car?
I assume they checked it for blood, hair, DNA, fingerprints?
Also did LE check the video tapes from the hotel to see who may have dropped off the car or what occurred at the point the car was left there?

 

[concernedperson]

Concerned that is quite alright! I have more questions if you don't mind?

Sorry to ask so many questions.

Was the car locked?
Were the keys found with it?
Was the ignition intact?
Did the police release any info after their forensic investigation of the car?
I assume they checked it for blood, hair, DNA, fingerprints?
Also did LE check the video tapes from the hotel to see who may have dropped off the car or what occurred at the point the car was left there?

No info on the most questions but witnesses claimed the 3 of them in the parking lot were arguing. I think it was the Island Packet newspaper.

 

[Littledeer]

This is where the car was found:

The car was found at a parking lot at the Palmetto Dunes resort. The Calverts don't own or manage property at the resort, said co-worker and friend Tony Gibus.

Will look for answers along with concerned on your other questions Delta.