WTOC Exclusive: 2021 Murder trial involving victim found beneath porch, machete evidence presented

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Opening statements are underway in a nearly five-year-old murder case that shocked the Savannah community.

A caretaker, Michael Cimato, is accused of killing a man, then trying to dismember and hide his body.

WTOC was the only news station in the courtroom as opening statements began & the first witness took the stand.

The case dates back to August 8th, 2021 and centers around the death of 51-year-old Calvin Owens, who was found dead under the back porch of a home on McIntyre Street.

Homeowner Gregory Stewart testified in court Tuesday that he stopped by his rental property and noticed several concerning signs.

Michael Cimato — the man hired to renovate his 2 home and live there during the work — had left behind what Stewart described as red flags... including blood on the carpet that was covered by a table, tons of flies near the back porch, and a strong odor coming from the property.

When Stewart confronted Cimato about a large red spot on the carpet, Cimato said he had cut his finger.

During testimony, Stewart described what else he saw inside the home.

“Well, the room was freshly painted, and the molding around the doorways and the floor was freshly painted, but there were specks of red on portions of that newly painted surface,” Stewart said.

He has worked there the last 2 days with his employee, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Out of frustration, the homeowner left the property then.

Stewart later returned to the property with his sister and began searching for the source of the odor. That’s when he & his sister made a discovery under the back porch.

“Well, from the stench, my sister and I decided to survey the property,” Stewart testified. “And as I got near the back porch, the smell got stronger and stronger.”

“I had never seen that boulder there before, so when I pulled the boulder back, then later on I saw what appeared to be a blanket… Stains, possibly blood stains,” he said.

Authorities say Owens’ body was found in a sleeping bag beneath the porch. Investigators also testified that his hand had been removed.

Under the mattress where Cimato had been sleeping, prosecutors say police found a machete with Owens’ blood on it and Cimato’s DNA on the handle.

Michael Cimato, 58 at the time, was apprehended by U.S. Marshals in Danville, Illinois, on June 23rd, months after the homicide.

His defense team says the trip was planned in advance, and he told his boss he was leaving that day for a birthday visit with family there.

The defense also argues that multiple people had access to the home, not all the evidence was tested, and Cimato’s DNA on the machete can be explained by his work at the property, and the machete being a working tool.

“Did he ever come back to finish the remodel project that you had discussed? No, he didn’t,” Stewart testified. “Did you expect him to leave and never come back? No, I didn’t expect that.”

Testimony and additional evidence are expected to continue throughout the week.

Another development in the case involves former Savannah Police Detective Ashley Wood, who is expected to testify. Wood signed much of the police paperwork connected to the case.

Before the trial began Tuesday morning, a judge heard a motion to suppress the search warrant tied to the investigation.

Wood pleaded guilty the day before to perjury and violation of oath by a public officer. During testimony, Wood said she does not specifically remember this case.

Jacob Hildebrand, with the FBI Task Force through SPD, testified he was on scene for the homicide and stands behind the evidence used to obtain the warrant, regardless of Wood’s conduct in other cases.

He reflected all of the information in the warrants as fair and accurate.

Chief Judge Morse ultimately ruled the search warrant will stand, and that no evidence was presented showing the warrant is invalid or false in any way.

Jurors are expected to see crime scene photos and physical evidence collected from the property as the trial continues through the week.