Suvechha Sarkar
Tammy Myers, AKA Tammy Marie Esquivel, was a kind woman and a loving mother of three children. However, her beautiful life was cut short when she was brutally killed on December 19, 2006, in Houston, Texas. Her disappearance without any trace left behind a worried family and a growing mystery that would haunt her loved ones for years. CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Day My Mother Vanished’ delves deep into more than a decade-long investigation and the relentless pursuit to bring her killer to justice. It also features interviews with her loved ones and officials who were related directly to the case.
Tammy Myers Disappeared Right When She Was Trying to Start Over
Tammy Marie Esquivel was born on January 14, 1978, and arrived as a source of immense joy in the lives of her father and mother, Marcia Esquivel. She had always been an outgoing individual who loved immersing herself in fun activities. She met the love of her life, Ryan Myers when they were just teenagers. By the time he turned 20, he had asked her to marry him, and they tied the knot. Over the next few years, they welcomed their daughter, Nicki Myers, and their two sons, one of whom was Anthony Myers, into this world. However, tragedy struck their household when Ryan fell from a high building at work. He had broken his back and legs, forcing Tammy to step into the workforce to pay the bills.
Since Tammy had no previous experience, she began working as a stripper/female dancer. That was where he met William Joseph Greer, a regular at her workplace. As they grew closer, it led to Ryan and Tammy’s separation. In 2006, she moved in with William and his two sons from a previous marriage in Spring, Texas. Even Tammy’s children began spending their weekends there and grew closer to her boyfriend. However, he began getting physically abusive towards her, and she began to contemplate getting back together with Ryan. However, everything changed on Christmas 2006, when the latter called her but received no response. After a missing persons report was registered, officials began searching for her.
However, things took a turn when a disturbing account about Tammy from William’s children came forward. Investigators obtained a search warrant for their house, only to find that William’s brother-in-law was already cleaning it. Upon inspection, they found blood smears on the walls and in the mattress of the bedroom. Furthermore, they discovered that there were bullet holes in the bedroom. All of these indicated a violent crime scene. However, they could not find Tammy’s remains on the property. Eight days earlier, William was arrested for public intoxication in a wooded area in Cleveland, Texas. Even after thoroughly searching that area, it was of no avail. Tammy’s remains were never found. To this day, her family has continued their search for her remains and closure.
A Disturbing Admission Led to More Than a Decade of Manhunt
On December 22, 2006, officials arrived at a road in Cleveland, Texas, following a report of suspicious activity. When they arrived at the scene, they found William’s truck running, with lights on and the door open. As they searched the fenced field bordered by a large wooded area, they found him intoxicated on some drug and naked from the waist down. He confessed before the two deputies that he had accidentally shot Tammy in the chest and killed her. When a welfare check was consequently done, officials found nothing suspicious. He was only charged with public intoxication and released the next day since there was no further evidence. However, things changed when his two young sons returned from Christmas holidays with William’s ex-wife.
William’s sons revealed before their mother that on December 19, 2oo6, they had heard an argument between 2 am and 5 am. One of them added that he heard Tammy running down the hallway, and then she was thrown against the wall. She was taken to the bedroom from where the gunshot was heard. His sons also informed that they had heard William comment on her being alive or dead. Their mother promptly informed the investigators, and the search warrant was executed. This uncovered the violent crime scene at his home. William was charged with first-degree murder, with the jury formally indicting him on March 16, 2007. However, by that time, he had already fled. This marked the beginning of a decade-long chase.
A Trail of Tips Across Borders Brought Tammy’s Killer to Justice
Detectives discovered that the day after his release, he had gone to his sister’s home. There, he had mentioned how he had done something bad and was leaving town to start over. From there, he went to Savanna, Georgia, to his half-brother. When the latter was questioned, he informed the police how William had told him that he had buried Tammy in a place where she was never going to be found. This prompted his brother to get him off his property and drop him off at a truck stop, following which he never met him again. In July 2007, officials learned that William had gotten himself a new job and a new roommate, John Morales, in New Orleans. His roommate informed them that he had begun drinking and doing drugs increasingly. William had claimed that his ex-wife didn’t allow him to meet his children.
William further alleged that his name was Billy and never mentioned his last name. The next tip came from a member of a church congregation where he was working as a handyman. He had reportedly also gotten baptized there on August 26, 2007. That member had recognized him from his picture on ‘America’s Most Wanted.’ However, he had once again taken off before law enforcement could reach him. Since William had a signature missing toe, Operation Catch a Toe was launched in 2012. When they followed the lead where he was last seen, officials discovered he was using railways and 18-wheelers to travel. They learned that he had last boarded a southbound train, which led them to Mexico. Outlaw was placed on the US Marshall’s 15 most wanted list, putting law enforcement worldwide on the lookout for him.
Ultimately, a new tip revealed that William was living in the southern town of Taxco, Mexico. Officials from Mexico confirmed the tip, and he was identified by his missing toe and arrested in November 2017. When he was awaiting trial in 2023 after being brought to the country, the prosecution offered him a plea deal where he would plead guilty in exchange for giving up information about the location of Tammy’s remains. He accepted and pleaded guilty to a second-degree manslaughter charge. Although William led officials to the area where he was first arrested, the search still could not uncover Tammy’s remains. On January 22, 2024, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison with eligibility for parole in three years. He became eligible for parole right after the sentencing, but it was denied. The next parole review date is in 2026, with his projected release date being November 28, 2027. William is serving his sentence at Charles T. Terrell Unit in Brazoria County, Texas.
Read More: Nicki Myers Bates: Where is Tammy Myers’ Daughter Now?
