Nearly 15 years after two Collier County men disappeared within months of each other, a renowned civil rights attorney has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the deputy who last saw the men alive.

Felipe Santos and Terrance Williams went missing in October 2003 and January 2004, respectively. They were last seen in the custody of Collier County Sheriff's Office Cpl. Steven Calkins. The deputy was fired during an internal investigation after he became uncooperative and gave conflicting statements. He is considered a person of interest in the men’s disappearances.

Ben Crump, the attorney representing Williams’ estate and family, announced the lawsuit in a news conference Tuesday at the Naples Daily News community room, flanked by actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry and Williams' mother, Marcia.

Perry said he is doubling the reward in the missing men's cases to $200,000.

Crump said he hopes evidence presented in the civil lawsuit, filed Aug. 30 in Collier Circuit Court, can lead to a criminal case against the former deputy. Crump said he would also represent the Santos family if they wanted to participate in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges Williams is dead and that Calkins is responsible for his death. Neither of the men’s bodies has been found, but Florida statutes state a person is presumed dead if they have not been home for at least five years and their absence can’t be explained by an investigation.

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Crump said Calkins will be subpoenaed and required to give sworn testimony about his encounters with Santos and Williams and the circumstances that led to their disappearances. If Calkins does not respond to a summons and subpoenas, Crump said he will seek an order from a judge to hold Calkins in contempt of court.

“We are building a case irrespective of his cooperation,” Crump said.

A message left for Calkins was not immediately returned. The civil suit states he is living in Iowa.

Perry became involved with the missing men's cases and in 2013 offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to their location. He decided to raise the reward after the initial offer did not net any viable leads, Perry said.

Perry said it's inconceivable that two men would be put in a deputy's patrol car and disappear.

"No matter who you are, this has got to bother you," Perry said.

In 2013: Tyler Perry offers $100K for leads in mysterious disappearances

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Santos' and Williams’ disappearances have baffled investigators for nearly 1½ decades, and the cases have been called a “black mark” against the Sheriff’s Office. The cases are still open and active.

In an emailed statement Tuesday, Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said he supports "all lawful methods" to bring closure to the investigations.

“We thank our community which has been working this case together with us for years and for providing numerous tips and leads to investigators,” Rambosk said in the email. “We also thank actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry for continuing to raise public awareness about these local cases and keeping them in the national spotlight.”

Santos, who was 23 when he vanished, was involved in a minor crash in North Naples on Oct. 14, 2003, while on his way to work. Calkins was dispatched to the crash scene and arrested Santos on suspicion of driving without a license, according to Sheriff's Office reports.

Santos was never booked at either of the county jails. Calkins told Sheriff’s Office investigators he dropped the man off at a nearby Circle K.

On Jan. 12, 2004, witnesses told investigators they saw Calkins pull Williams over near a North Naples cemetery. Williams, who was 27 at the time, was suspected of driving with an expired license. Calkins told investigators he also dropped off Williams at a nearby Circle K instead of arresting him.

The men’s disappearances have drawn the attention of national media outlets, celebrities and civil rights leaders, but their families have had no closure. The men have not been heard from since they disappeared, and their bodies have not been found. The families suspect Calkins, but there is no criminal evidence linking him to Santos' or Williams’ disappearances.

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Marcia Williams, Terrance Williams’ mother, said the day her son disappeared, she woke up with “this feeling” all over her body and knew something was wrong. She prayed. The next day she got a call from her son’s roommate asking if she had heard from him. More than 14 years later, she hasn’t stopped praying.

She said her son’s children, especially the eldest, are struggling without their father.

“I’m not going to let it go until they have the answers they deserve to have,” Marcia Williams said.

Marcia Williams has had boots on the ground searching for her son, talking to witnesses and practically running her own investigation since she reported him missing. She said she won’t give up her fight.

She hopes the wrongful death lawsuit against Calkins will provide some of those answers and evidence that prosecutors can use in a trial. The attorneys representing the Williams family in the wrongful death suit will have to prove Williams died because of negligence or an intentional harmful act by Calkins. If the case makes it to trial, it may be difficult for prosecutors to prove Calkins killed Williams without his body being found.

“We don’t know if we’ll ever find remains for Terrance Williams or Felipe Santos,” Crump said. “But our hope and prayer is to get Ms. Williams answers."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at 239-252-9300. To remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward, contact Crime Stoppers at 800-780-8477.