Odell Williams, Sr., 74, of Calvert, was found deceased on Saturday, February 15, at approximately 10:30 a.m. Volunteers from Calvert and surrounding areas gathered at the Community Center off W. Texas Ave. at 9:30 a.m. to begin a street and house-to-house search for Williams. The search concluded with his discovery about 100 yards behind the Community Center in a tree line where the search initially began. According to volunteers and family members present, Williams had difficulty walking and “would never go this far up the street.” These statements, along with other evidence, have led law enforcement to suspect that foul play may have been a factor in Williams’ death. “Somebody had to put him back there,” said Jay Grimes. “He was right here under our nose; we just missed him.” Grimes took to social media on Friday to ask for help locating Williams. “Odell Williams, aka Tuddin, has been missing since February 9, and we, the town of Calvert, have no answers; the family has no answers. I’ve reached out to some people here locally in Dallas, and I’m still making more calls to see what happened because it just doesn’t make sense. This is a cry to the Texas Department of Public Safety, state troopers, Texas Rangers, and whoever can help. Somebody must know something,” Grimes said in a video post. Other Leads Late Monday evening, a single-family home on Texas Ave. in Calvert (the same street as the Community Center) was destroyed by fire. Robertson County News on scene observed Robertson County Sheriff Bill Ruland present as the Sheriff’s Department secured the area to investigate the fire debris for signs of Williams. However, the department quickly left the fire scene when a call came in about the discovery of Williams behind the Community Center. More than 100 people participated in the search for the missing lifelong resident. Family members shared that Williams left Calvert only once—when he joined the United States Army. After being discharged, Williams returned to work and lived in Calvert, where he resided with his mother, who is now 95 years old. “This man was born and raised right here, and now he has been murdered in his hometown. He doesn’t go that far; he stays with his mother. This is so sad; he’s lived his whole life right here,” said a family member who requested anonymity. “I called the Calvert Police Department on Wednesday when I noticed nothing was being done,” said Aaliyyah Bowie. “I tried contacting the new Chief of Police, Cedrick Watson, and two other Calvert police officers, but none answered the calls. So, I decided to contact dispatch myself. The following day, Thursday, Chief Watson returned my call, unaware of the situation, and informed me that he didn’t have the manpower to assist. At that point, I reached out to Constable David Ray and said, ‘David, I need a big favor.’” According to Aaliyyah, Constable Ray was the first law enforcement officer to start helping. “I helped with an event up here (Community Center) Wednesday evening; I just can’t believe he was right here the whole time.” Many on the scene questioned the Robertson County Sheriff’s Department’s response during the early stages of the missing person’s case. According to Sheriff Bill Ruland, the department’s investigators began working to secure a cadaver dog to assist in the investigation as early as Thursday morning after recognizing the situation from Bowie’s report. Official Press Release The sheriff released a statement on Sunday following the discovery of Williams’ body: “On Saturday, February 15, 2025, as part of an ongoing missing person investigation involving Mr. Odell Williams Sr., the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office announced the recovery of a deceased person within Robertson County. Further investigation indicated the deceased person was Mr. Odell Williams Sr. The Robertson County Sheriff’s Office will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. The Robertson County Sheriff’s Office will release further updates at the appropriate time.” Anyone with information regarding this investigation must contact the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office at 979-828-3299. Under Investigation Following the discovery, the Sheriff’s Department contacted the Texas Rangers, who are legally responsible for investigating murder cases. Mr. Williams’ body was transported for autopsy, which is standard procedure. According to law enforcement, Mrs. Dorie Williams, the surviving mother of Odell Williams, was informed of her son’s situation that afternoon. At that time, EMS was called to attend to her. Mrs. Williams is also a beloved lifelong member of the Calvert community. The Robertson County Sheriff’s Department, Constable Pct. 1 David Ray, the Calvert Fire Department, Justice of the Peace Pct. 1 Carla Barker, and the Texas Rangers were at the scene. Notably absent from the search efforts and the scene was the Calvert Police Department, along with the new Chief of Police, Cedric Watson. For more on this story, see page 3, “Then again... I could be wrong,” the Publishers personal opinion column.