John and Liz Calvert The Death of Dennis Gerwing

The biggest story in Hilton Head since….. well forever continues. While it competes with the “Idiot Spitzer” story in New York, the search for John and Liz Calvert continues to gain national attention.

Reporters from the Associated Press, Fox and CNN as well as local and regional media were in attendance at Thursday morning’s press conference held by Sheriff P.J. Tanner on the steps of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.



Above: Sheriff Tanner tells reporters that Dennis Gerwing slashed his own inner thigh but leaves out that he was also stabbed in the chest several times. Photo: Island Packet

Tuesday’s tragic turn of events, the apparent suicide of Dennis Gerwing, at first seemed to present clear cut answers. But during the last 24 hours more questions have emerged. Learning early Thursday from Sheriff P.J. Tanner that Mr. Gerwing had killed himself by simply slashing his inner thigh with a knife, a process that that many describe as painful and agonizingly slow.

But late Thursday it became known that Mr. Gerwing had "multiple" stab wounds as well as a gash on his inner thigh. The autopsy report also stated that Gerwing had been dead about 12 hours when he was found placing the time of death around 4AM, a source told The State newspaper in Columbia.

Makes you wonder why the Beaufort County Sheriff was "spinning" the story and twisting the facts in the first place.

In the "suicide notes" that have not be released, Grewing appears to admit that he stole from the Calverts. If Mr. Gerwing had embezzled funds from the Calvert’s, what amount of money would make someone who by many accounts was not capable of violence suddenly embrace violence as the only solution, one million dollars, ten million dollars or more?

I suspect most people would just lawyer up and plan on spending some time at Camp Martha. Unpleasant, sure, but to bloody one's hand out of greed doesn’t seem to fit the profile of Mr. Gerwing.

If Mr. Gerwing is responsible for what happened to the Calverts then what was his step two? Clearly Mr. Gerwing knew the Calverts would be immediately missed, and how do you dispose two people and move their car all by yourself?

Was this a well planned plot with still to be discovered accomplices or a sudden desperate act to cover up something bigger than just financial misdeeds?

The whole series of events is shocking. The only thing certain at this point is that John and Liz are missing and they are good people and so are the people that work for them.

But did Dennis Gerwing bring this tragic chain of events to the otherwise quiet Hilton Head Island Community all by himself or were there others involved? Was he capable of killing the Calverts, disposing their bodies, hiding the evidence and then stabbing himself to death? Why would he admit to theft but not admit to the greater crime. Why not add a statement as to the whereabouts of the Calverts?

What other fact is the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office covering up?

Will anyone else turn up missing or stab themselves to death?

What deep secrets did Mr. Gerwing take to the grave?

It seems this story is far from over as every day there are more and more questions. I expect this morning's press conference will be pretty interesting.