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

[Woofie]

Suicide notes left by Dennis Gerwing acknowledge that he stole money from John and Elizabeth Calvert, the missing Hilton Head Island couple, according to law enforcement sources.
But Gerwing’s notes are silent on whether he played any role in the disappearance of the couple, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The (Columbia) State newspaper on the condition of anonymity. They were last seen leaving a business meeting with Gerwing the evening of March 3.

more at the link: http://www.islandpacket.com/breaking_news/story/252868.html

 

[SuziQ]

Thanks for the link Woofie. Self inflicted knife wounds to the chest? Why do that if you planned to make a single fatal cut to your thigh?

http://www.islandpacket.com/breaking_news/story/252868.html

An autopsy report said Gerwing had been dead about 12 hours when he was found. His body had a gash across his inner thigh, according to the Sheriff’s Office, and multiple knife wounds to the chest, a source told The State. Authorities are treating it as a self-inflicted death, though they acknowledge the circumstances of the apparent suicide are odd, The State reported.

 

[concernedperson]

This truly is an odd suicide but I think he knew he was in over his head. I am also thinking that he knew the bodies would be discovered and that he hadn't any chance of getting out of it.

LE searching storage facilities on the island that belonged to The Club Group is a hint that they know a bit more. There were two rumors being checked out by LE. One of him purchasing something suspicious at a drug store and the other that a witness saw the 3 arguing in the parking lot of the Marriott where the couple's car was found.

 

[DeltaDawn]

This truly is an odd suicide but I think he knew he was in over his head. I am also thinking that he knew the bodies would be discovered and that he hadn't any chance of getting out of it.

LE searching storage facilities on the island that belonged to The Club Group is a hint that they know a bit more. There were two rumors being checked out by LE. One of him purchasing something suspicious at a drug store and the other that a witness saw the 3 arguing in the parking lot of the Marriott where the couple's car was found.

This is odd from the stand point that the three of them were arguing. Wouldn't you think a man and a woman could overpower just one man if it came down to a life or death situation. Even if he had a gun..he can't shoot both at once or knife both at once. And if he had a gun or other weapon ..why would he repeatedly stab himself to commmitt suicide... I know they don't mention a gun..I am just saying two against one just doesn't add up here . I think there are other people involved.

JMHO

 

[concernedperson]

This is odd from the stand point that the three of them were arguing. Wouldn't you think a man and a woman could overpower just one man if it came down to a life or death situation. Even if he had a gun..he can't shoot both at once or knife both at once. And if he had a gun or other weapon ..why would he repeatedly stab himself to commmitt suicide... I know they don't mention a gun..I am just saying two against one just doesn't add up here . I think there are other people involved.

JMHO

I am thinking there are others involved as well. With that said I am trying to figure out how it plays out. For one thing if the rumor is true about arguing in the parking lot then someone would have seen something if violence took place there. That is a busy hotel and it was early in the evening. The other thing is both of their cell phones were turned off right about that time.

So, whatever happened to them seemed to be some sort of coercion. Abducted at gunpoint and then told to turn off their phones? I don't know but this sure is a mystery.

 

[murdershewrote]

gee, makes me wonder how much money could have been involved...to cost 3 people their lives? Doesn't really make alot of sense.

 

[Leila]

I was just looking around too! I think he must have been trying for the femoral artery. In diagrams it looks like it's on top of the thigh towards the inner thigh. (lol does that make sense) I remember hearing "stab" or "knife" wounds or marks in the press conference but I wasn't listening all that closely at first.

The femoral artery leads directly to the heart and is what surgeons use when the do an angioplasty. They cut into the femoral artery and thread a tube with a small television camera on the end to see the arteries going into and out of the heart. The camera guides the surgeon in removing blockage of the heart arteries. After the surgery the patient is kept in the intensive care unit with a heavy sandbag on the femoral artery, which has been sewn up, to put pressure on it and prevent further bleeding.

My husband had a heart attack 7 years ago, and had emergency angioplasty surgery. Afterwards, the surgeon took me into a small room adjacent to the operating room and showed me a video tape of where the blockage was. Through the glass I could see other doctors still sewing my husband up and preparing to take him to ICU. I was shocked at the amount of blood loss! The sandbag was kept on my husband's leg for about 48 hours.

 

[KR2tonenow]

Thanks for the link Woofie. Self inflicted knife wounds to the chest? Why do that if you planned to make a single fatal cut to your thigh?

http://www.islandpacket.com/breaking_news/story/252868.html

An autopsy report said Gerwing had been dead about 12 hours when he was found. His body had a gash across his inner thigh, according to the Sheriff’s Office, and multiple knife wounds to the chest, a source told The State. Authorities are treating it as a self-inflicted death, though they acknowledge the circumstances of the apparent suicide are odd, The State reported.

Very difficult for me to believe that this man would stab himself in the chest.

There had to be 2 people behind the theft from the Calverts.

The other one is walking around free.

 

[SuziQ]

This case gets curiouser and curiouser. Snips from the below link:

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15592249/detail.html

Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner says the search for a missing South Carolina couple has expanded beyond the tiny resort island of Hilton Head.

The sheriff would not say specifically where deputies were searching Friday.
***
Tanner would not confirm published reports that in Gerwing's suicide note he admitted taking money from the Calverts. He said forensic experts are trying to make sure Gerwing actually wrote those letters.
***
"It appears, based on preliminary autopsy results, that he had been deceased for about 12 hours before our arrival," Tanner told reporters at a news conference. When asked whether foul play had been ruled out in Gerwing's death, Tanner said the death remained under investigation.

 

[Leila]

This case gets curiouser and curiouser. Snips from the below link:

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15592249/detail.html

Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner says the search for a missing South Carolina couple has expanded beyond the tiny resort island of Hilton Head.

The sheriff would not say specifically where deputies were searching Friday.
***
Tanner would not confirm published reports that in Gerwing's suicide note he admitted taking money from the Calverts. He said forensic experts are trying to make sure Gerwing actually wrote those letters.
***
"It appears, based on preliminary autopsy results, that he had been deceased for about 12 hours before our arrival," Tanner told reporters at a news conference. When asked whether foul play had been ruled out in Gerwing's death, Tanner said the death remained under investigation.

It could be a murder that was staged to look like a suicide. Someone else, perhaps someone who's familiar with Gerwing's handwriting, could have written those two notes.

 

[Taximom]

I believe when I posted my comments LE was not saying it was a suicide, right? It very well could have been staged, although I think that's a very slow way of killing someone and I don't think I heard about a struggle. They showed later on the news the shower stall in the bathroom where he was found. It wasn't very big. So I'm thinking suicide, but I don't think it's been announced for sure.

The other thing is that I've never found anything that proved the dead guy was the same one that went on Greta the night before. Just that one comment over there, but she could have been wrong too. Maybe there's proof now, but I haven't checked.

I haven't read all the comments here, so I hope I'm not duplicating anything, just hoping to clear up what I might have implied inerrantly in my comments!

ETA: I'm glad there have been more comments addressing the latest confusing news. So they still haven't been found and we don't know much more than we did yesterday. How strange.

 

[KR2tonenow]

From the above article:

>snip

"In December, Calverts decided they no longer needed the company and Gerwing was leading the transition out.

>snip

Imo, the investigators need to focus on this business that the Calverts were getting rid of. What employees were involved or possibly laid off.

I hope this helps. I don't think this Gerwing acted alone.

 

[LMax]

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is one of five law enforcement agencies searching a landfill today in Jesup, Ga
http://www.islandpacket.com/breaking_news/story/254317.html

 

[Bobbisangel]

If I was involved in a murder or I murdered someone by myself and decided to commit suicide I would leave a note and tell all. I sure as heck wouldn't commit suicide by knife. I can't even imagine that. Why not take a gun and blow your brains out? Something quick. I think someone murdered him.

 

[christine2448]

From the above article:

>snip

"In December, Calverts decided they no longer needed the company and Gerwing was leading the transition out.

>snip

Imo, the investigators need to focus on this business that the Calverts were getting rid of. What employees were involved or possibly laid off.

I hope this helps. I don't think this Gerwing acted alone.

I agree. I hope they are reading here

 

[christine2448]

If I was involved in a murder or I murdered someone by myself and decided to commit suicide I would leave a note and tell all. I sure as heck wouldn't commit suicide by knife. I can't even imagine that. Why not take a gun and blow your brains out? Something quick. I think someone murdered him.

I agree with this too, FWIW. This was my biggest problem with the Duckett case. I think if you were killing yourself because of something you did, you would confess all then off yourself.

I wonder if our thinking is right?? I wish I had time to research the stats of suicide and confessions/nonconfessions. That would be an interesting study, for some.

 

[Jolynna]

If I was involved in a murder or I murdered someone by myself and decided to commit suicide I would leave a note and tell all. I sure as heck wouldn't commit suicide by knife. I can't even imagine that. Why not take a gun and blow your brains out? Something quick. I think someone murdered him.

I can't imagine someone committing suicide by stabbing themselves either.

I also think that if you were staging a suicide you'd stage it in a way that LOOKED like suicide. But, killers don't always do the logical.

IF this man actually killed himself with a knife, it sounds like he was not mentally right at that time. Maybe he had a twisted mind that was thinking he could make his suicide look like murder?

As far as his notes go...what normal good people would do to make things right probably doesn't apply to a murderer escaping facing the consequences of his actions. Unfortunately, I'm not sure a selfish, narcissistic murderer would be thinking of others. I think the self-centered probably put themselves first down to the last breath.

With the information we have, I think a case could be made for this being a murder OR suicide. I'm leaning toward suicide but don't think anything should be ruled out.

 

[Utopia]

Snipped...

IF this man actually killed himself with a knife, it sounds like he was not mentally right at that time. Maybe he had a twisted mind that was thinking he could make his suicide look like murder?

Is anyone that commits suicide ever "mentally right" at the time?

I'm sincerely asking because I suppose it could be argued that there are situations where this is the case, but I would argue not.

 

[concernedperson]

I can't imagine someone committing suicide by stabbing themselves either.

I also think that if you were staging a suicide you'd stage it in a way that LOOKED like suicide. But, killers don't always do the logical.

IF this man actually killed himself with a knife, it sounds like he was not mentally right at that time. Maybe he had a twisted mind that was thinking he could make his suicide look like murder?

As far as his notes go...what normal good people would do to make things right probably doesn't apply to a murderer escaping facing the consequences of his actions. Unfortunately, I'm not sure a selfish, narcissistic murderer would be thinking of others. I think the self-centered probably put themselves first down to the last breath.

With the information we have, I think a case could be made for this being a murder OR suicide. I'm leaning toward suicide but don't think anything should be ruled out.

You are probably right. I do think that "cutters" could fall into the category. The ones with very low self esteem and have been doing this for years. They also have entitlement issues. This man has already confessed to stealing money from the Calverts but wouldn't give up where they could be. It could be that he has a long history of this type of crime and he knew he would be exposed. Down to the wire with being self-centered isn't too far off base.

 

[Jolynna]

Is anyone that commits suicide ever "mentally right" at the time?

I'm sincerely asking because I suppose it could be argued that there are situations where this is the case, but I would argue not.

I don't think suicide is ever rational but to deliberately choose to stick yourself with a knife more than once is extra twisted. If that is what happened I wonder why???