Tyler Perry offers rewards in two Fla. missing person cases
ABOVE PHOTO: Terrance Williams (L) and Felipe Santos (R.)
collier county sheriff's office
Actor, director and producer Tyler Perry recently announced $100,000 in rewards Thursday in connection with two missing person cases in Collier County, Florida.
Perry is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the discovery of the present whereabouts of Terrance Williams or Felipe Santos, for a total of $50,000. Additionally, he is offering a $25,000 reward for information which, following an arrest, leads to a final conviction, adjudication or plea of guilty or no contest to a felony crime of causing, contributing to, or facilitating the death of Williams or Santos, for a total of $50,000.
Perry made the announcement during a press conference at the South Regional Library, 8065 Lely Cultural Parkway, Naples, Fla.
Saturday will mark the nine-year anniversary of Williams' disappearance.
Perry was joined by the Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network (NAN) and Ben Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP. Also attending were Williams' mother Marcia Williams and Monica Caison of the North Carolina-based CUE Center for Missing Persons, along with Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and members of the Collier County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Bureau.
Sheriff Rambosk said he is pleased that Perry is raising public awareness about the local cases. Perry's involvement, the Sheriff said, will continue to help keep the cases in the national spotlight. The Williams case has recently been profiled on Investigation Discovery's "Disappeared" and CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360." A profile of the case is also in production for an upcoming episode of TV One's "Find Our Missing."
"We need the right piece of new information," Sheriff Rambosk said. "We are hopeful that Tyler Perry's involvement will not only keep Terrance and Felipe in the public eye, but also prompt someone to step forward with the information we need."
The Sheriff added: "We are asking anyone who may have information to please contact us. Every tip, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is important."
Both Williams and Santos are considered missing and endangered and both were last seen in the company of now-fired CCSO deputy Steve Calkins.
Williams was 27 when he encountered Calkins in the area of 111th Avenue North and Vanderbilt Drive in North Naples on Jan. 12, 2004.
Williams is described as black, 5 feet 8 inches tall and 160 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. He has several tattoos: a "T" above his left chest, "ET" on his right shoulder, and "Terrance" in red with blue highlights on his left forearm. He has a gold crown with the letter "T" on the upper right tooth and the other upper front tooth is solid gold. He also has a vertical scar on his right shoulder and a dark birthmark on the right side of his abdomen.
He was last seen wearing a short-sleeve shirt, blue jeans and brown Timberland boots. He was wearing diamond earrings and a watch with a silver band. The face of the watch was surrounded by white stones. At the time he disappeared he owned a 1984 white Cadillac.
Santos was 23 when he disappeared on Oct. 14, 2003. He was last seen with Calkins at the Greentree Shopping Center at the intersection of Airport-Pulling and Immokalee roads in North Naples. He is a Hispanic man who stands 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. He lived in Immokalee at the time of his disappearance.
Multiple agencies are partners in the investigations into the Williams and Santos missing person cases. In addition to CCSO, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney's Office are involved. The CUE Center for Missing Persons, a national missing persons nonprofit organization, has conducted searches for Williams and Santos, advocated for the cases, and has held awareness events and meetings with law officials over the years the two men have been missing.
The families and supporters of the missing men have expressed gratitude toward Perry for his interest and generosity.
"After years of painful struggle concerning my son's disappearance I still refuse to accept anything other than finding a resolution to this nightmare," said Marcia Williams. "I will forever be grateful for what Mr. Tyler Perry has done for me and my missing child. He puts the truth into the saying, 'pay it forward' "
Julia Perkins of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers has helped publicize the Santos case.
"Although the years have gone by, Felipe's disappearance is still very painful to the family," Perkins said. "His disappearance without resolution has been devastating to the family and most importantly to his young daughter, who was still an infant at the time. We are all hopeful that these new efforts will bear fruit."
Santos and Williams are listed as missing on the Collier County Sheriff's Office website www.colliersheriff.org. Information and photographs can be found there by going to the "We Can Help" pull-down tab on the home page and clicking on "Missing Persons." Information can also be found on the National Center for Missing Adults website www.theyaremissed.org.
Both cases are open investigations, and the investigators encourage anyone who may have information on either Williams or Santos to contact the Collier County Sheriff's Office at 252-9300, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477), or the Cue Center 24-hour tip line at 910-232-1687.
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