Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that the disappearance of Tammy Marie Esquivel Myers is arguably among the most harrowing cases to have come to light in recent years. That’s because, as chronicled in CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Day My Mother Vanished,’ she was reportedly shot to death before being disposed of by her then-live-in boyfriend, William Joseph Greer. Though despite the fact he subsequently went on the lam for over a decade, just to ultimately be found and arrested in Nacajuca, Mexico, in 2017, her remains have sadly never been recovered.
Who is William Greer?
It was reportedly right around the mid-2000s when 40-year-old William first came across stripper Tammy Myers at her workplace, only to quickly charm her despite their 12-year age difference. The truth is that while he was a divorced single father of two, she was a married mother of three who’d taken up this job solely to help make ends meet after her husband had gotten into an accident. The latter’s union was seemingly idyllic until this point, yet the way this cowboy hat-wearing man had wooed and showered her with expensive gifts had her leaving everything behind for good.
As if that’s not enough, once Tammy separated from her husband Ryan Myers, he even moved her into his more than comfortable suburban home in the 2500 block of Barmby and got to know her kids. It was only then that he showed her his true colors — he was allegedly extremely physically abusive, but she never left him owing to his seemingly sincere apologies before it evolved into pure fear. In fact, per Marcia Esquivel in ‘The Hunt with John Walsh: Confessions of A Killer,’ she’d once asked her daughter why she didn’t call the police, just for her to reply, “Mama, he’ll kill me if I do that.”
Little did either of them know this would actually turn out to be true — a messy argument between Tammy and William in the early hours of December 19, 2006, ended in her being shot to death. His two sons had heard it all — him slamming her against the wall prior to dragging her to their bedroom, the gunshot, plus him asking if she was alive — but they didn’t tell anyone until New Year’s. After all, the then-8 and 12-year-olds had spent the ensuing 11 days with their mother as planned before realizing they had to tell the truth in good conscience as their other home had seen a murder.
But alas, it was already too late — by the time officials confirmed William had lied to his sons about Tammy having gone to get her nails done on the fateful morning when they didn’t see her, he had long been on the run. This Texan had actually left the city shortly following his December 22 arrest in Cleveland after he’d been found wandering drunk, high on cocaine, as well as naked in a local field. He then told the authorities he was knowingly going 50 miles an hour before his truck ended up in a ditch since he wanted to see his common-law wife following a horrible fight they’d had.
“It was an accident,” William had candidly slurred, according to police records. “I love her with all my heart. I’d give my life right now in one second to have her back. The gun just went up.” He kept repeating the last phrase prior to adding, “I love her so much. I love her so much, I can’t believe it, but there is a divine reason for this. She was ready, but I’m not ready for her to go. I love her with all my heart.” However, once he gradually came to his senses, he began denying everything, resulting in him only being charged with public intoxication — there was no body, no missing person report, and no evidence against which they could arrest him for Tammy’s death.
Therefore, William bonded out with a fine, just to immediately leave for Houston plus a couple of other cities to visit relatives before making his way to New Orleans, Louisiana, with no plans to return. He changed his appearance here by shaving his head as well as his beard prior to landing a cooking job at a French Quarter delicatessen, that is, until he realized his cover was blown and ran away again. He was then reportedly located in Georgetown, Kentucky, only to later leave the nation altogether — it took years, yet the fact he was missing the second toe on his right foot eventually led to his identification.
William Greer is Now Behind Bars
It was in November 2017 that William was finally found with a new family in Nacajuca, Mexico, meaning he remained on the lam for nearly 11 years before his ultimate apprehension and extradition to Texas. He was subsequently placed into custody without the possibility of posting bail upon being considered a flight risk, soon resulting in him agreeing to a plea deal to the charge of second-degree manslaughter. This 58-year-old was hence handed down the sentence of 10 years on January 22, 2024, meaning he’s currently incarcerated at the Terrell County Jail in Sanderson, Texas. He was actually denied parole on April 24, 2024, so his next parole review is in April 2026 — if that is denied too, he’ll be released upon serving his entire term on November 28, 2027. We should also mention William had previously been sentenced to five years in prison in 1986 after pleading guilty to a charge of aggravated robbery in Harris County, Texas.
Read More: Ryan Myers: Tammy Myers’ Husband is Now Doing His Best to Move On
