David Darnell Carter was one of those people who was easy to like. He lived in Melvindale, Michigan, and was a proud, loving father who was especially close to his family. He shared a strong bond with his dad, Elton, and his sister, Tasia Carter-Jackson. His teenage son, DJ, was the light of his life, and even though David and DJ’s mom, Samia Conner, were no longer together, they maintained a warm and friendly relationship and shared custody of their son. David was a hardworking man at a top auto supplier and still found time to coach with the Melvindale Junior Football League. He also regularly visited his parents and had recently started his own clothing line, Lavish Habits Clothing.
On October 2, 2018, when David didn’t show up for work at the Magna Seating Plant in Highland Park, Michigan, for three days straight, his family knew something wasn’t right. The last time anyone saw him was on September 28, when he attended DJ’s football game. His girlfriend of six months, Tamera “Tammy” Williams, was also at the game, but they didn’t sit together. David’s sister, Tasia, later mentioned that she thought David was breaking up with Tammy because of her possessive behavior.
David was supposed to work on September 30, a shift that would have paid triple time, and he wouldn’t have missed that. That same day, DJ was supposed to see his dad, but both he and his mom got a text from David’s phone saying he wasn’t feeling well and had to cancel. This was very unlike David, who never let anything come before his son. DJ decided to check on his dad anyway and went over to his apartment at Gale Gardens. There, he saw Tammy outside, taking out the trash. When she noticed him, she quickly went inside and locked the door. DJ used his key to get in and found Tammy inside. She claimed David was out walking, which seemed odd since he had just said he wasn’t feeling well.
A Disturbing Discovery
When David’s workplace called the family, Tasia and her husband, Derrick, went to his apartment to see what was going on. They found David’s car in its usual spot, and the apartment door was unlocked. David was known to be very security-conscious, so this was concerning. Tasia called her father, Elton, and DJ’s mom, Samia, to join them. Together, they went inside and were met with a horrifying scene. The usually spotless bedroom was in disarray. The bed was unmade, there was a gunshot hole in the mattress, and bloodstains were on the bed and carpet. But David was nowhere to be found.
Worried sick, the family reported David missing to the Melvindale Police Department. The next day, Elton received a call from the police about a discovery made in Ohio, about 95 miles from David’s home. On October 1, a transportation worker found a “weird-looking sleeping bag” in the weeds along I-75 in Eagle Township. Inside the bag were the lower torso and legs of a human being. When the police asked Elton if David had a tattoo of a pit bull on his upper left leg, Elton confirmed it. David had been found, but in the most heartbreaking way possible.
The Investigation Unfolds
The police opened a homicide investigation and began gathering evidence from David’s apartment. A few days later, on October 5, they arrested Tammy Williams, suspecting her involvement based on her odd behavior and lack of concern about David’s disappearance. However, due to a lack of concrete evidence, they had to release her after three days. Tammy remained a person of interest in the case.
In the days that followed, police found more of David’s remains along the same highway, including his dismembered head in a duffle bag, which confirmed that he had been shot in the head. By October 16, they had found the rest of his upper torso, arms, and hands. David, who had lived for his son and family, had been tragically killed and discarded like trash along a stretch of I-75, far from home.
Authorities believed Tammy had something to do with it, especially after she fled the area. She made large cash withdrawals, traveled by train from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Chicago, and then headed to New York, where she was last seen leaving a hotel in Brooklyn. After that, the trail went cold, and her whereabouts remain unknown.
Today, investigators are still searching for Tammy Williams. She has connections worldwide from her previous job as a travel agent. Tammy is also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and has ties to the Freemason community and the medical field, where she worked as a phlebotomist. On December 20, 2018, a felony warrant was issued for her arrest on charges of first-degree homicide, disinterring a dead body, and tampering with evidence. Williams is 5'5 and weighs 190lbs and has a large identifying tattoo of a rose on her left shoulder. She is considered armed and dangerous, and it’s believed she is receiving financial help. There’s a $10,000 reward for information leading to her arrest.
David’s family is left to mourn the loss of a beloved son, brother, friend, and father. DJ fondly remembers working out with his dad, tossing the football around, and just “talking junk.” David’s sister, Tasia, was touched by the love and support from friends and family at his vigil. His father, Elton, heartbreakingly said, “Whoever did this took the best of us.” DJ holds on to his dad’s advice to “keep grinding, no matter what,” and he tries to live by that every day.
David’s family has praised the Melvindale Police Department for their work on the case, and they hope that the attention brought by the “Unsolved Mysteries” episode “Body in Bags” will help bring justice for David.
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