There's something particularly unsettling about a missing persons case where the last known contact is a police officer. That's exactly what happened twice in Naples, Florida, three months apart, to two men who had nothing in common except the bad luck of crossing paths with the same deputy.
What Happened to Felipe Santos
On October 14, 2003, 23-year-old Felipe Santos was driving to work with his brothers when their car was involved in a minor accident. Santos, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico living in nearby Immokalee, tried to handle it quietly with the other driver -- no police, no paperwork. The other driver called it in anyway. Corporal Steven Calkins of the Collier County Sheriff's Office responded, cited Santos for reckless driving and driving without a license, and placed him in the back of his patrol car. Santos was never seen again. When his brother went to bail him out later that day, there was no record he had ever been booked into jail.
What Happened to Terrance Williams
Three months later, on January 4, 2004, Terrance Williams, a homeless man in Naples, was picked up by the same deputy, Calkins, after reportedly appearing intoxicated in a parking lot. Calkins said he drove Williams to a motel and left him there. Williams's family has never heard from him since.
The Deputy's Account
Calkins told investigators in both cases that he had released the men rather than formally arresting them -- in Santos's case, saying he changed his mind partway to the station and let him out along the road; in Williams's case, saying he dropped him at a motel. Investigators found no evidence corroborating either account, and no trace of either man was ever found.
Where the Case Stands
Despite two decades of intermittent investigation, including involvement from the FBI, no charges have ever been filed against Calkins or anyone else in connection with either disappearance. Both cases remain open.
FAQ
What do Felipe Santos and Terrance Williams have in common?
Both were last seen alive getting into the patrol car of the same Collier County Sheriff's deputy, three months apart, and neither has ever been found.
Has the deputy involved ever been charged?
No. Despite two decades of investigation, no charges have been filed against him or anyone else in either case.
Are the cases considered connected?
Investigators have treated them as related given the shared circumstances, though no direct evidence formally links the two disappearances beyond the common deputy.