A NATIVE SON

10/6/2025 LIBERTY COUNTY

COLD CASE BREAKTHROUGH - CAN'T SEEM TO  CROSS THIN BLUE LINE

"Joe Martin doesn't have a daughter", the Liberty County detective assigned to the Carl Wills' cold case murder investigation claimed.  He was responding to Carl's mother telling them the white woman that picked her son up the night he was murdered claimed to be Joe Martin's daughter.  

When Ms. Wills and I were talking with yet another Liberty County investigator in a separate place that day, he stated, "Joe Martin's daughter never was a suspect."

   It was only after The Sentinel picked up the story and began pressing for answers that the DNA from under Carl's finger nails was finally submitted to the lab.  "Backlog" was the only reason given as to why it had been years since his murder and no DNA test yet.   When the tests were completed, the only information the investigator would share with Carl's mother is that it was the DNA of a white woman.  The woman on the right in this picture has been positively identified as the woman Carl Wills was dating.   Ms Wills said, "That is the woman that picked my baby up"  A second witness also identified her as the white woman Carl was dating right then.  When you consider that the Ramen noodles Carl had eaten right before leaving with her on that fateful date were still in his stomach at the time of autopsy, It isn't rocket science to know that he was killed not long after she picked him up.  

   The Sentinel gave all of our evidence to the Liberty County DA's investigator a couple of months ago.

    Has he sought a warrant for the Martin daughter's DNA?  I don't know but there is one thing that I do know.

When I first broke the story about the family of the murder victim saying it was Joe Martin's daughter that had picked Carl up, within DAYS, Joe Martin as prosecutor pro tem had obtained several indictments against me on seven felony counts, had me arrested and all of my computers taken by the Rangers.   The Corrupt Lee Hon made every effort to silence me even threatening my web host with criminal prosecution for daring to publish evidence onThe Sentinel.

UPDATE 3/1/2022

RANGER BRANDON BESS GIVEN COLD CASE

A brief visit to Liberty County by the mother of Carl Wills today netted a little new information on the unsolved murder case of her young son.   Ms. Wills found out that the DNA evidence has already been forwarded to the "Ancestory" DNA data bank for comparison.  "We don't know exactly how long it will take but it has been submitted", The Liberty County Sheriff's spokesperson stated.  

     District Attorney Bergman has already taken the steps to get the investigation moving forward and took time outof a very busy day to visit with Ms. Wills in the halls of justice.  "I know Carl was killed in Polk County and they just dumped my baby's body in your jurisdiction but I need justice for my son.", Ms. Wills implored the DA.  With the knowing and understanding  touch of a hand to Ms. Wills shoulder, one mother to another and a simple nod spoke volumes between the two women.  

POLK CO 2/22/22 TODAY

tAKE AWAY DATE OF DEATH 8/30/2011

 Carl Wills, was just 22 years of age at the time of his murder.

And that is how long DNA has been sitting almost  11 years.

"I am not going to let these people get away with taking Carl's life. I have to keep fighting for justice for my son. I can't stop and I won't stop," Wills said. The Chronicle story quoted her.

The effort to find Carl's killer(s) seems stalled.  Here are a few things The Sentinel has learned during our investigation of events surrounding Carl's death.

It took three years for the DNA tests to be done on the flesh under Carl's nails.  DPS cites "backlog".

The only info Liberty Co is willing to share is that it was a "White woman" skin under Carl's nails.   That matches the eye witness accounts of who picked up Carl that night he was killed.  It was a 'white woman'.  The best the heretofore effort can get anywhere near "official" is that, "She never was a suspect".

This followed the immediate removal of all of her social media.  

WE read just yesterday of yet another Ancestry DNA match solving a 40 year old murder case.  

    At least after ten years, let the family have the evidence so they can do their own investigation.  If not, the automatic question is, "What are you hiding:"?

A mother's plea 

10/4/2017

Sheriff Bobby Rader

Liberty County DA

Liberty County Judge

Liberty, Texas

Good Morning,

Under the open records act, FOIA, public records statutes and specifically under any judicial rules that apply, I, Rhonda Wills, hereby request true and correct copies of any and all evidentiary documents, photos, memos, reports, statements, letters, emails, audio and/or video recordings or any communication or evidence including forensic evidence that relates to the death and investigation of the death of my son, Carl Wills, that is available to me by law. 

This includes but is not limited to any ‘interagency’ communication or assignment involving any Polk County law enforcement official that represented Polk County in any capacity during this investigation.

We understand and agree to only the most basic and undisputed legal redaction of personal identifiers.

Please contact me at the below address/phone to let me know when the records are available to be picked up.

Respectfully Submitted,

Rhonda Wills 

That was the open records request that remains unanswered to this day.