BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
Press Release

Calvert Missing Persons Investigation Update
Hilton Head Island, SC (March 11, 2008 3:15 pm)
Last seen in Hilton Head, SC on March 3, 2008.

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the disappearance of John and Elizabeth Calvert. The Calverts disappeared after a scheduled 5:30 pm business meeting in Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island on Monday, March 3, 2008. Their Mercedes E320 also disappeared after that meeting. The Mercedes was subsequently discovered in the Marriott Hotel parking lot on Palmetto Dunes Plantation on Friday morning, March 7th.

As a result of the on-going investigation, the Sheriff's Office has confirmed that Dennis Ray Gerwing, a business associate of the Calverts, was the last person to see the two of them together. Subsequent to that investigation, search warrants were obtained and executed on several locations on Saturday afternoon, March 8th. These locations were:

  1. The Club Group business offices at 71 Lighthouse Road in Sea Pines
  2. Mr. Gerwing's residence at 8 Bent Tree Lane on Hilton Head Plantation
  3. A 2004 pewter colored Toyota Avalon registered to Dennis Gerwing
  4. A 2001 dark gray GMS Yukon registered to Dennis Gerwing

Mr. Gerwing has retained the services of counsel and is not cooperating with the Sheriff's Office in this ongoing investigation.

The Sheriff's Office is taking the disappearance of John and Elizabeth Calvert very seriously and has dedicated considerable resources to the investigation. The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the FBI and the Dekalb County (Ga) Sheriff's Office are continuing to pursue leads in the investigation in coordination with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

To date the Sheriff's Office has interviewed a large number of witnesses and more interviews are anticipated, however there are others in the community who may information that they may not consider important. The Sheriff's Office is encouraging those people to contact investigators so that this information can be obtained and evaluated.

In addition to interviews, several ground searches have been executed by BCSO and state law enforcement officers pursuant to leads in this investigation.

The Sheriff's Office is asking anyone who may have seen either the Calverts or Dennis Gerwing or his vehicles after 5:30 pm on Monday afternoon, March 3, 2008 to contact BCSO investigators. They may be reached at either (843)524-2777 or (843)842-4234 ext 258.