1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,100 For Jeff to get into a position where he was fearful, 2 00:00:04,166 --> 00:00:06,867 there would have to be something very serious. 3 00:00:06,867 --> 00:00:08,700 [man] How did a simple hunting expedition 4 00:00:08,767 --> 00:00:11,266 turn into something so tragic and violent? 5 00:00:11,266 --> 00:00:14,266 The person that killed him knew him. 6 00:00:14,266 --> 00:00:15,667 Isn't that right? 7 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,467 [woman] I don't understand why he waited that late to call. 8 00:00:21,467 --> 00:00:23,100 That's concerning to me. 9 00:00:24,667 --> 00:00:26,266 Like Jeff stumbled upon 10 00:00:26,266 --> 00:00:28,667 something somebody had going on in the woods. 11 00:00:30,900 --> 00:00:34,667 This case has been a riddle from the onset. 12 00:00:34,667 --> 00:00:36,467 It was horrible. 13 00:00:36,467 --> 00:00:38,467 I was so scared for Marshal. 14 00:00:40,100 --> 00:00:42,100 Every kind of scenario that we think about, 15 00:00:42,100 --> 00:00:43,467 it all comes back to the truck 16 00:00:43,467 --> 00:00:45,967 and the chaos that was there. 17 00:00:45,967 --> 00:00:48,767 [Mike] You can't plug this area into a GPS. 18 00:00:48,767 --> 00:00:51,467 It would have to be somebody with local knowledge. 19 00:00:51,467 --> 00:00:54,767 It's crazy to our family because all the signs, 20 00:00:54,767 --> 00:00:56,467 especially the truck in itself, 21 00:00:56,467 --> 00:00:59,367 are pointing to something serious. 22 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:15,166 [narrator] September 23, 2012, in the remote wilderness of Wilkes County, Georgia, 23 00:01:15,166 --> 00:01:18,000 a young man turns up dead on a hunting trip 24 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:22,100 and his devastated family is left with many questions, 25 00:01:22,166 --> 00:01:23,867 but no answers. 26 00:01:23,867 --> 00:01:27,200 The officer was just beating around the bush about it. 27 00:01:27,266 --> 00:01:29,967 And I said, "Tell us what has happened." 28 00:01:29,967 --> 00:01:30,000 [Marcia] And then he told us that Jeff was gone. 29 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:32,266 [Marcia] And then he told us that Jeff was gone. 30 00:01:32,266 --> 00:01:34,700 It's a day that I will never forget. 31 00:01:34,767 --> 00:01:37,000 [Jason] I remember screaming out on the phone 32 00:01:37,066 --> 00:01:40,200 and I just started bawling, crying, screaming. 33 00:01:43,500 --> 00:01:47,200 [narrator] 35-year-old Jeff Gebhardt is known for his kind spirit 34 00:01:47,266 --> 00:01:49,500 and love of the outdoors. 35 00:01:49,567 --> 00:01:51,367 We had a great childhood together. 36 00:01:51,367 --> 00:01:52,667 We were best friends. 37 00:01:52,667 --> 00:01:54,800 We played all kinds of sports together. 38 00:01:54,867 --> 00:01:56,000 Baseball, football. 39 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,367 Jeff was a very friendly person. 40 00:01:59,367 --> 00:02:00,000 He liked to talk with people. 41 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:01,467 He liked to talk with people. 42 00:02:01,467 --> 00:02:03,200 He was just an outgoing person. 43 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:05,467 Pooh Bear was his nickname, 44 00:02:05,467 --> 00:02:07,567 and he was my Pooh. [chuckles] 45 00:02:07,567 --> 00:02:10,867 I always told him he was my baby. 46 00:02:10,867 --> 00:02:13,667 [narrator] In 2012, Jeff is living with his parents 47 00:02:13,667 --> 00:02:16,767 in the small town of Blairsville, Georgia, 48 00:02:16,767 --> 00:02:19,500 working as a butcher at a local meatpacking plant 49 00:02:19,567 --> 00:02:22,200 and studying computer science. 50 00:02:22,266 --> 00:02:25,266 Jeffrey and I were very close and we used to always have, 51 00:02:25,266 --> 00:02:27,567 you know, talks in the evening, 52 00:02:27,567 --> 00:02:30,000 and he told me that he was the happiest he had been 53 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:31,367 and he told me that he was the happiest he had been 54 00:02:31,367 --> 00:02:32,967 since he had moved back home. 55 00:02:32,967 --> 00:02:34,767 I think he had found his place. 56 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,066 [narrator] In late September 2012, 57 00:02:40,066 --> 00:02:42,166 Jeff is invited to go on a hunting trip 58 00:02:42,166 --> 00:02:44,100 with his friend David Smith, 59 00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:47,266 a former coworker at the meatpacking plant. 60 00:02:47,266 --> 00:02:51,266 They had planned to go catching alligators to begin with, 61 00:02:51,266 --> 00:02:53,066 but that didn't work out 62 00:02:53,066 --> 00:02:55,900 so they went on this trip of hunting deer. 63 00:02:55,967 --> 00:02:58,767 Jeff was an avid hunter. He enjoyed it. 64 00:02:58,767 --> 00:03:00,000 I think he enjoyed it more for the brotherhood 65 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,367 I think he enjoyed it more for the brotherhood 66 00:03:02,367 --> 00:03:04,700 or the communal part of it. 67 00:03:06,867 --> 00:03:08,467 [narrator] September 21st, 68 00:03:08,467 --> 00:03:11,800 a day after arriving at the Clarks Hill Wildlife Area, 69 00:03:11,867 --> 00:03:15,166 the two men head into the woods in search of deer. 70 00:03:15,166 --> 00:03:17,900 They split up to hunt in different places, 71 00:03:17,967 --> 00:03:19,600 but plan to reconnect at dark. 72 00:03:22,166 --> 00:03:24,967 As the sun sets, Jeff gets lost 73 00:03:24,967 --> 00:03:26,667 and he calls David for help. 74 00:03:28,467 --> 00:03:30,000 Jeffrey called and said that he couldn't find the campsite, 75 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,600 Jeffrey called and said that he couldn't find the campsite, 76 00:03:32,667 --> 00:03:36,000 and David asked him to shoot his weapon. 77 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:37,300 So he did one shot... 78 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:39,166 [gun firing] 79 00:03:39,867 --> 00:03:41,567 David did hear the shot, 80 00:03:41,567 --> 00:03:44,867 but some other hunters were driving by. 81 00:03:44,867 --> 00:03:47,800 They picked him up and then dropped him back off 82 00:03:47,867 --> 00:03:49,400 close to the campsite. 83 00:03:51,166 --> 00:03:55,100 [narrator] The next day, September 22nd, around 4:00 p.m., 84 00:03:55,166 --> 00:03:58,500 Jeff and David make their way back into the forest. 85 00:03:58,567 --> 00:04:00,000 And once again the end up kind of splitting up, 86 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:00,767 And once again the end up kind of splitting up, 87 00:04:00,767 --> 00:04:02,233 going their separate ways. 88 00:04:02,233 --> 00:04:05,867 And I texted with Jeff and he said they still hadn't seen any deer, 89 00:04:05,867 --> 00:04:10,767 and they were just gonna hunt on the other side of the road that evening. 90 00:04:10,767 --> 00:04:15,000 [narrator] It's the last text Jason will ever receive from his brother. 91 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:16,867 As darkness begins to fall, 92 00:04:16,867 --> 00:04:19,000 Jeff gets turn around again 93 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,500 trying to make his way out of the woods. 94 00:04:21,567 --> 00:04:23,567 From look at maps and the phone calls, 95 00:04:23,567 --> 00:04:25,400 it looks like he walked the wrong way. 96 00:04:25,467 --> 00:04:27,700 180 degrees towards the lake. 97 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:32,667 [narrator] David's in his truck 98 00:04:32,700 --> 00:04:34,700 giving some hunters a lift to their car 99 00:04:34,767 --> 00:04:37,367 when he sees he has a voicemail from Jeff. 100 00:04:37,367 --> 00:04:39,667 He plays it on speakerphone. 101 00:04:39,667 --> 00:04:42,000 [Charla] And according to this other hunter, 102 00:04:42,066 --> 00:04:44,700 Jeffrey was speaking very loudly 103 00:04:44,767 --> 00:04:47,000 like he was trying to shout to be heard. 104 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,066 [narrator] Between 7:59 and 8:24 p.m., 105 00:04:51,066 --> 00:04:53,567 Jeff makes five calls to David. 106 00:04:53,567 --> 00:04:58,367 He tells him he's lost and asks him to honk his horn. 107 00:04:58,367 --> 00:05:00,000 Then Jeff fires his rifle into the air 108 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:00,967 Then Jeff fires his rifle into the air 109 00:05:00,967 --> 00:05:02,600 like he did the night before 110 00:05:02,667 --> 00:05:04,700 to try to help pinpoint his location. 111 00:05:04,767 --> 00:05:05,767 [gun firing] 112 00:05:05,767 --> 00:05:07,400 [narrator] Two shots ring out. 113 00:05:07,467 --> 00:05:08,600 [gun firing] 114 00:05:08,667 --> 00:05:10,166 David heard the two shots 115 00:05:10,166 --> 00:05:13,000 and those shots were witnessed by other hunters 116 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,300 who said that, yes, they also heard those shots. 117 00:05:16,367 --> 00:05:20,800 [narrator] David guesses Jeff is no more than 500 yards away. 118 00:05:20,867 --> 00:05:22,800 For an experienced hunter like Jeff, 119 00:05:22,867 --> 00:05:26,700 his loved ones say that's an easy walk in the woods. 120 00:05:26,767 --> 00:05:29,266 For Jeff to get into a position 121 00:05:29,266 --> 00:05:30,000 where he was fearful of something 122 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,200 where he was fearful of something 123 00:05:31,266 --> 00:05:33,700 or something was panicking him, 124 00:05:33,767 --> 00:05:36,367 there would have to be something seriously happening. 125 00:05:36,367 --> 00:05:38,967 I don't know what it would be 126 00:05:38,967 --> 00:05:42,767 because I've never heard him get that way. 127 00:05:43,900 --> 00:05:47,066 [narrator] By 8:30 p.m., Jeff's phone calls stop. 128 00:05:47,066 --> 00:05:50,000 David alerts other hunters that his friend is missing, 129 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,400 and drives his truck near where he knows Jeff enters the forest, 130 00:05:53,467 --> 00:05:55,467 honking his horn. 131 00:05:55,467 --> 00:05:58,967 But he stays inside his vehicle the whole time, 132 00:05:58,967 --> 00:06:00,000 which later will puzzle Jeff's loved ones. 133 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,600 which later will puzzle Jeff's loved ones. 134 00:06:02,667 --> 00:06:05,300 [Marcia] I don't know why David didn't pursue 135 00:06:05,367 --> 00:06:07,667 and go into the woods to help find Jeff 136 00:06:07,667 --> 00:06:09,100 if he was that close. 137 00:06:09,867 --> 00:06:11,166 That's concerning to me. 138 00:06:11,767 --> 00:06:13,500 [narrator] At 10:24 p.m., 139 00:06:13,567 --> 00:06:16,300 two hours after he last hears from Jeff, 140 00:06:16,367 --> 00:06:18,667 - David calls 911. -[phone ringing] 141 00:06:33,266 --> 00:06:34,734 [narrator] By 11:00 p.m., 142 00:06:34,734 --> 00:06:37,266 two deputies from the Wilkes County sheriff's department 143 00:06:37,266 --> 00:06:38,500 are on the scene. 144 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,800 At midnight a helicopter is called in, 145 00:06:42,867 --> 00:06:45,800 armed with an infrared heat locating camera. 146 00:06:45,867 --> 00:06:48,000 After two hours of searching, 147 00:06:48,066 --> 00:06:52,367 they spot a human form in the area where Jeff is believed to be. 148 00:06:52,367 --> 00:06:57,200 A search-and-rescue party races on foot to the location. 149 00:06:57,266 --> 00:07:00,000 At 3:00 a.m., they make a grisly discovery. 150 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:01,100 At 3:00 a.m., they make a grisly discovery. 151 00:07:01,100 --> 00:07:04,767 Jeff Gebhardt is lying bloodied in the tall grass. 152 00:07:05,300 --> 00:07:07,066 He's dead. 153 00:07:07,066 --> 00:07:09,567 [Charla] After Jeffrey's body has been located, 154 00:07:09,567 --> 00:07:12,967 they see his body is laid on its back. 155 00:07:12,967 --> 00:07:16,600 He has his hands up on his chest. 156 00:07:16,667 --> 00:07:21,600 His ghillie suit is unzipped and his T-shirt is bloody. 157 00:07:21,667 --> 00:07:23,600 The injuries that he had sustained 158 00:07:23,667 --> 00:07:25,967 kind of defy all explanations, 159 00:07:25,967 --> 00:07:27,867 and people are wondering at that point, 160 00:07:27,867 --> 00:07:29,767 "How did a simple hunting expedition 161 00:07:29,767 --> 00:07:30,000 turn into something so tragic and violent?" 162 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,567 turn into something so tragic and violent?" 163 00:07:32,567 --> 00:07:37,000 [narrator] Shockingly, Jeff has been viciously stabbed to death. 164 00:07:37,066 --> 00:07:41,667 He had approximately 17 stab wounds to the chest 165 00:07:41,667 --> 00:07:43,266 of varying depths. 166 00:07:43,266 --> 00:07:47,967 He had an injury cut that was a jagged cut 167 00:07:47,967 --> 00:07:51,066 to the webbing on the inside of his hand. 168 00:07:51,066 --> 00:07:55,467 He had a small bruise depression on his head 169 00:07:55,467 --> 00:07:59,100 and other various bruises on his legs 170 00:07:59,166 --> 00:08:00,000 and some scrapes on either side of his neck. 171 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,600 and some scrapes on either side of his neck. 172 00:08:03,667 --> 00:08:08,000 When I found out that Jeff's cause of death was 173 00:08:08,066 --> 00:08:10,500 multiple stab wounds to the chest, 174 00:08:10,567 --> 00:08:13,100 I was expecting to hear 175 00:08:13,166 --> 00:08:15,467 that they had somebody in custody immediately. 176 00:08:17,166 --> 00:08:20,967 [narrator] Police scramble to piece together what little they know 177 00:08:20,967 --> 00:08:22,967 and immediately focus their attention 178 00:08:22,967 --> 00:08:25,667 on Jeff's hunting partner David Smith. 179 00:08:25,667 --> 00:08:29,367 He's first interviewed by deputies on the scene at 6:00 a.m. 180 00:08:39,667 --> 00:08:41,166 [narrator] David tells police 181 00:08:41,166 --> 00:08:44,166 about his last hectic phone calls with Jeff. 182 00:08:44,166 --> 00:08:46,200 [David Smith speaking] 183 00:08:59,700 --> 00:09:00,000 [narrator] Police photograph David's hands for any sign of a struggle, 184 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,767 [narrator] Police photograph David's hands for any sign of a struggle, 185 00:09:03,767 --> 00:09:05,300 and collect his belongings, 186 00:09:05,367 --> 00:09:07,367 including a knife. 187 00:09:07,367 --> 00:09:09,200 They get a warrant to search the camper 188 00:09:09,266 --> 00:09:10,900 where David and Jeff are staying, 189 00:09:10,967 --> 00:09:13,867 looking for any sign of foul play. 190 00:09:15,467 --> 00:09:20,367 Later that day, deputies bring David into the station for further questioning, 191 00:09:20,367 --> 00:09:22,166 and they leave little doubt 192 00:09:22,166 --> 00:09:24,767 about what they think happened to Jeff Gebhardt. 193 00:09:49,100 --> 00:09:52,200 [narrator] What really happened in those remote woods? 194 00:09:52,266 --> 00:09:55,667 The investigation is about to take a stunning turn. 195 00:09:55,667 --> 00:09:58,100 I've been in the business 47 years 196 00:09:58,100 --> 00:09:59,700 and this is the first time 197 00:09:59,767 --> 00:10:00,000 I've ever seen anything like that. 198 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:01,500 I've ever seen anything like that. 199 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,967 [narrator] A day after Jeff Gebhardt is found brutally stabbed to death, 200 00:10:08,967 --> 00:10:12,967 an autopsy reveals three of the deepest knife wounds he sustained 201 00:10:12,967 --> 00:10:16,166 penetrated his heart, killing him quickly. 202 00:10:17,467 --> 00:10:20,400 With three knife wounds in the heart, 203 00:10:20,467 --> 00:10:22,500 we're probably only talking minutes 204 00:10:22,567 --> 00:10:25,166 to lose the amount of blood that he would have lost 205 00:10:25,166 --> 00:10:28,400 and, of course, passing out from the wounds. 206 00:10:28,467 --> 00:10:31,367 [narrator] It's a brutal violent death. 207 00:10:31,367 --> 00:10:33,561 Jeff's friend and hunting partner David Smith 208 00:10:33,561 --> 00:10:34,367 Jeff's friend and hunting partner David Smith 209 00:10:34,367 --> 00:10:37,000 is the last known person to see Jeff alive, 210 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,867 and investigators push him for answers. 211 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,467 [narrator] Is it possible Jeff is the victim of a robbery gone wrong? 212 00:10:52,467 --> 00:10:55,166 Investigators quickly rule out that theory 213 00:10:55,166 --> 00:10:58,867 when they find all his belongings scattered near where he died, 214 00:10:58,867 --> 00:11:03,561 including his rifle, backpack and wallet with money in it. 215 00:11:03,561 --> 00:11:03,567 including his rifle, backpack and wallet with money in it. 216 00:11:48,367 --> 00:11:50,700 [narrator] Jeff's loved ones are convinced 217 00:11:50,767 --> 00:11:53,300 David Smith knows more than he's saying. 218 00:11:53,367 --> 00:11:54,700 I said to him at the funeral, 219 00:11:54,767 --> 00:11:57,367 I said, "David, I would like to sit down and talk to you 220 00:11:57,367 --> 00:12:01,100 and just about how Jeff was, you know, 221 00:12:01,100 --> 00:12:02,767 before all this happened." 222 00:12:03,967 --> 00:12:07,066 And he really didn't respond to me then 223 00:12:07,066 --> 00:12:09,467 and we heard nothing. 224 00:12:09,467 --> 00:12:11,600 [narrator] In the days after Jeff's death, 225 00:12:11,667 --> 00:12:13,600 investigators send the clothing and knife 226 00:12:13,667 --> 00:12:16,500 they collected from David Smith to the lab for testing. 227 00:12:17,767 --> 00:12:19,467 It's a dead-end. 228 00:12:19,467 --> 00:12:22,900 All of these items were tested for the presence of blood, 229 00:12:22,967 --> 00:12:27,600 and there was the presence of blood on the knife, 230 00:12:27,667 --> 00:12:29,400 but it was non-human 231 00:12:29,467 --> 00:12:32,700 and there was no blood found on any of his clothing. 232 00:12:32,767 --> 00:12:33,561 [narrator] Investigators intensify their search. 233 00:12:33,561 --> 00:12:35,800 [narrator] Investigators intensify their search. 234 00:12:36,367 --> 00:12:37,533 At the crime scene, 235 00:12:37,533 --> 00:12:40,166 they hone in on a set of footprints in the mud 236 00:12:40,166 --> 00:12:42,667 winding along the banks of the dried out lake 237 00:12:42,667 --> 00:12:44,767 where Jeff's body is found. 238 00:12:44,767 --> 00:12:48,667 Every footprint they find is a match for Jeff Gebhardt. 239 00:12:48,667 --> 00:12:53,400 [Charla] And given the terrain and how muddy the area was 240 00:12:53,467 --> 00:12:55,867 and how tall the grasses were, 241 00:12:55,867 --> 00:12:58,700 it would be almost impossible for another person to be 242 00:12:58,767 --> 00:13:03,367 in the area with Jeffrey and to go undetected. 243 00:13:03,367 --> 00:13:03,561 [narrator] Within weeks investigators are stumped 244 00:13:03,561 --> 00:13:06,166 [narrator] Within weeks investigators are stumped 245 00:13:06,166 --> 00:13:07,300 and the case goes quiet. 246 00:13:07,367 --> 00:13:10,300 Then in November 2012, 247 00:13:10,367 --> 00:13:12,767 there's a stunning development. 248 00:13:12,767 --> 00:13:17,567 The Wilkes County coroner concludes the manner of death isn't actually homicide. 249 00:13:17,567 --> 00:13:19,667 It's suicide. 250 00:13:26,266 --> 00:13:27,367 [Pete] Suicide? 251 00:13:28,166 --> 00:13:30,000 That was ridiculous. 252 00:13:30,066 --> 00:13:33,561 Ridiculous to find out that they ruled suicide 253 00:13:33,561 --> 00:13:34,367 Ridiculous to find out that they ruled suicide 254 00:13:34,367 --> 00:13:36,500 with 17 stab wounds to the chest. 255 00:13:36,567 --> 00:13:41,200 I couldn't believe that him or anybody 256 00:13:41,266 --> 00:13:44,667 could stab themselves that many times in the heart. 257 00:13:45,667 --> 00:13:47,200 Especially when he had a gun there. 258 00:13:47,266 --> 00:13:49,367 If he was gonna do a suicide, 259 00:13:49,367 --> 00:13:52,600 there was a much quicker way of doing it. 260 00:13:52,667 --> 00:13:56,066 It was just unbelievable then and now. 261 00:13:56,066 --> 00:13:59,100 I think it would be ultimately impossible 262 00:13:59,166 --> 00:14:03,100 to stick a knife in your chest to your heart 263 00:14:03,166 --> 00:14:03,561 not three, even one time. 264 00:14:03,561 --> 00:14:06,100 not three, even one time. 265 00:14:06,100 --> 00:14:08,066 I think it would be impossible. 266 00:14:08,066 --> 00:14:10,867 [narrator] But one cold case investigation concludes 267 00:14:10,867 --> 00:14:12,266 the physical evidence shows 268 00:14:12,266 --> 00:14:16,200 Jeff Gebhardt's brutal stabbing is self-inflicted. 269 00:14:16,266 --> 00:14:18,500 The trajectory of the stab wounds 270 00:14:18,567 --> 00:14:20,867 and the angles of impact 271 00:14:20,867 --> 00:14:23,967 were all in one particular direction, 272 00:14:23,967 --> 00:14:26,166 which was a direction 273 00:14:26,166 --> 00:14:29,266 that Jeffrey would have been able to easily create 274 00:14:29,266 --> 00:14:31,467 with his own right hand 275 00:14:31,467 --> 00:14:33,561 [narrator] None of it adds up for Jeff's loved ones. 276 00:14:33,561 --> 00:14:34,900 [narrator] None of it adds up for Jeff's loved ones. 277 00:14:34,967 --> 00:14:38,567 They believe the crime scene is riddled with question marks 278 00:14:38,567 --> 00:14:41,867 starting with the knife that investigators say 279 00:14:41,867 --> 00:14:43,567 Jeff used to kill himself. 280 00:14:44,567 --> 00:14:47,467 It's found underneath his body. 281 00:14:47,467 --> 00:14:51,967 [Jason] It's a locking blade knife and it was half-closed. 282 00:14:51,967 --> 00:14:54,066 And I don't see that when he was dying 283 00:14:54,066 --> 00:14:55,567 he stabbed himself in the heart 284 00:14:55,567 --> 00:14:57,000 and then he's gonna take the knife 285 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:00,300 and then use one hand to move the little button 286 00:15:00,367 --> 00:15:02,767 and then halfway close the blade 287 00:15:02,767 --> 00:15:03,561 and then set that on the ground 288 00:15:03,561 --> 00:15:04,767 and then set that on the ground 289 00:15:04,767 --> 00:15:07,867 and then lie down on top of it. 290 00:15:07,867 --> 00:15:09,867 I just don't believe that. 291 00:15:09,867 --> 00:15:13,467 [Pete] You're gonna stab yourself 17 times in the chest, 292 00:15:14,166 --> 00:15:16,800 then kind of close the blade 293 00:15:16,867 --> 00:15:18,266 then lay on the blade 294 00:15:18,266 --> 00:15:24,000 and have a peaceful journey into the next life? 295 00:15:24,066 --> 00:15:25,166 [narrator] For Jeff's family, 296 00:15:25,166 --> 00:15:27,266 the unusual positioning of his body 297 00:15:27,266 --> 00:15:29,367 also raises questions. 298 00:15:29,367 --> 00:15:33,561 He was laying like he had laid down 299 00:15:33,561 --> 00:15:33,600 He was laying like he had laid down 300 00:15:33,667 --> 00:15:36,600 and then folded his arms across his chest. 301 00:15:36,667 --> 00:15:41,100 And that just doesn't seem natural for how they said he died. 302 00:15:41,166 --> 00:15:44,367 I doubt that's how he fell down. 303 00:15:44,367 --> 00:15:47,500 You'd think if someone was stabbed in the chest 17 times, 304 00:15:47,567 --> 00:15:50,100 they would have first fell to their knees. 305 00:15:50,166 --> 00:15:52,400 Maybe fallen straight forward. 306 00:15:52,467 --> 00:15:54,867 Their legs would be cocked in some position. 307 00:15:57,767 --> 00:15:59,767 None of that happened. 308 00:15:59,767 --> 00:16:03,467 [narrator] The autopsy also raises the chilling possibility 309 00:16:03,467 --> 00:16:03,561 that more than one knife may be involved. 310 00:16:03,561 --> 00:16:06,767 that more than one knife may be involved. 311 00:16:06,767 --> 00:16:11,567 The autopsy report showed that the majority of the wounds 312 00:16:11,567 --> 00:16:14,000 was with a smooth edge knife. 313 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:19,266 The hand wound was a serrated knife in the right hand. 314 00:16:19,266 --> 00:16:21,867 Jeffrey was right-handed. 315 00:16:21,867 --> 00:16:25,367 He wouldn't change hands and cut himself. 316 00:16:25,367 --> 00:16:27,266 Why would anyone do that? 317 00:16:27,266 --> 00:16:29,767 [narrator] But when the results of lab tests on Jeff's knife 318 00:16:29,767 --> 00:16:33,000 turn up no signs of anyone else's DNA, 319 00:16:33,066 --> 00:16:33,561 investigators say it eliminates the possibility of murder, 320 00:16:33,561 --> 00:16:36,700 investigators say it eliminates the possibility of murder, 321 00:16:36,767 --> 00:16:39,867 though Jeff's mother is skeptical. 322 00:16:39,867 --> 00:16:44,767 Just because there was no DNA found from somebody else, 323 00:16:44,767 --> 00:16:46,266 no, it does not convince me 324 00:16:46,266 --> 00:16:48,667 because I know that you can wipe things off 325 00:16:48,667 --> 00:16:53,000 to make it where that's not going to be found. 326 00:16:53,066 --> 00:16:55,467 [narrator] Eleven months after Jeff's death, 327 00:16:55,467 --> 00:17:00,066 a Wilkes County grand jury convenes to examine the findings of the coroner 328 00:17:00,066 --> 00:17:03,561 and to decide whether to close the investigation for good. 329 00:17:03,561 --> 00:17:04,000 and to decide whether to close the investigation for good. 330 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,467 It takes only two days for the grand jury 331 00:17:06,467 --> 00:17:09,967 to vote to affirm that Jeff died by suicide. 332 00:17:09,967 --> 00:17:14,066 It's a devastating setback for Jeff's loved ones. 333 00:17:14,066 --> 00:17:16,567 Once the case was ruled a suicide, 334 00:17:16,567 --> 00:17:18,967 it was in essence closed. 335 00:17:18,967 --> 00:17:21,266 The local sheriff, you know, has moved on. 336 00:17:21,266 --> 00:17:25,166 There was just no real investigation done 337 00:17:25,166 --> 00:17:29,100 into the possibilities of what happened here. 338 00:17:29,100 --> 00:17:32,066 We did talk to the coroner that did the autopsy 339 00:17:32,066 --> 00:17:33,561 and that's when he stated to us over the phone 340 00:17:33,561 --> 00:17:35,667 and that's when he stated to us over the phone 341 00:17:35,667 --> 00:17:37,867 that if they found out more evidence 342 00:17:37,867 --> 00:17:41,266 then he would change it from a suicide to a homicide. 343 00:17:42,467 --> 00:17:46,100 [narrator] In 2013, a year after Jeff's death, 344 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:48,467 forensic experts and student volunteers with 345 00:17:48,467 --> 00:17:51,266 the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute 346 00:17:51,266 --> 00:17:54,467 get in touch with Jeff's frustrated family. 347 00:17:54,467 --> 00:17:56,266 [Lewis] They approached us. 348 00:17:56,266 --> 00:17:58,166 They'd heard about the case. 349 00:17:58,166 --> 00:18:01,567 They had questions about themselves. 350 00:18:01,567 --> 00:18:03,561 [narrator] The cold case team zeroes in 351 00:18:03,561 --> 00:18:03,867 [narrator] The cold case team zeroes in 352 00:18:03,867 --> 00:18:07,100 on the critical question of Jeff's mental health. 353 00:18:07,166 --> 00:18:10,500 I'm a nurse and I've dealt with mental ill patients in the past. 354 00:18:10,567 --> 00:18:12,000 I did not see any evidence 355 00:18:12,066 --> 00:18:14,100 of any mental illness or depression 356 00:18:14,166 --> 00:18:16,800 and I cannot believe because he was lost 357 00:18:16,867 --> 00:18:19,400 that he just decided to take his own life. 358 00:18:20,700 --> 00:18:23,467 [Charla] From what we have been able to locate, 359 00:18:23,467 --> 00:18:27,967 there were no signs or reasons that we would know of 360 00:18:27,967 --> 00:18:31,500 that Jeffrey would want to commit suicide. 361 00:18:31,567 --> 00:18:33,561 [narrator] Did Jeff Gebhardt walk into that forest 362 00:18:33,561 --> 00:18:34,000 [narrator] Did Jeff Gebhardt walk into that forest 363 00:18:34,066 --> 00:18:36,800 and suddenly decide to take his own life? 364 00:18:36,867 --> 00:18:40,667 Or is there another explanation for his brutal death? 365 00:18:41,367 --> 00:18:43,367 A new theory emerges. 366 00:18:43,367 --> 00:18:47,367 Like Jeff stumbled upon something somebody had going on in the woods. 367 00:18:51,066 --> 00:18:52,567 [narrator] The remote wilderness of Wilkes County 368 00:18:52,567 --> 00:18:54,300 where Jeff Gebhardt died 369 00:18:54,367 --> 00:18:57,300 is a known corridor for methadone drug trafficking. 370 00:18:58,500 --> 00:19:01,600 Is it possible as Jeff is desperately trying 371 00:19:01,667 --> 00:19:03,266 to make his way out of the forest, 372 00:19:03,266 --> 00:19:08,266 he suddenly finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time? 373 00:19:08,266 --> 00:19:10,967 Maybe there was a chance he's just stumbled upon something 374 00:19:10,967 --> 00:19:13,166 that he shouldn't have. 375 00:19:13,166 --> 00:19:16,967 When talking to a number of my associates, 376 00:19:16,967 --> 00:19:19,086 it was concluded that he could have stumbled up on a drug deal 377 00:19:19,086 --> 00:19:21,367 it was concluded that he could have stumbled up on a drug deal 378 00:19:21,367 --> 00:19:24,567 and that's how he got killed. 379 00:19:25,767 --> 00:19:27,800 [narrator] In September 2016, 380 00:19:27,867 --> 00:19:30,600 the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute 381 00:19:30,667 --> 00:19:34,266 sends a letter to the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation 382 00:19:34,266 --> 00:19:37,266 asking that Jeff Gebhardt's case be reopened. 383 00:19:38,166 --> 00:19:40,066 [Jason] I got a letter from the GBI 384 00:19:40,066 --> 00:19:41,667 telling me that they had done 385 00:19:41,667 --> 00:19:43,266 all they were pretty much gonna do. 386 00:19:43,266 --> 00:19:45,500 We have not heard anything from them. 387 00:19:48,567 --> 00:19:49,086 Since they closed the case that was it. 388 00:19:49,086 --> 00:19:50,367 Since they closed the case that was it. 389 00:19:51,467 --> 00:19:53,600 [narrator] Nearly a decade later, 390 00:19:53,667 --> 00:19:56,000 the Gebhardt family seem convinced 391 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:00,367 that the mystery of Jeff's final moments alive could be solved 392 00:20:00,367 --> 00:20:03,000 if his friend and hunting partner David Smith 393 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,667 reveals all that he knows. 394 00:20:05,667 --> 00:20:09,166 I think answers to this can come from David Smith. 395 00:20:09,166 --> 00:20:11,100 You know, with what went on. 396 00:20:11,166 --> 00:20:15,100 You know, what was his conversation with Jeff, 397 00:20:15,166 --> 00:20:17,700 you know, on the phone that night. 398 00:20:17,767 --> 00:20:19,086 I don't think we're getting the whole truth out of David. 399 00:20:19,086 --> 00:20:21,000 I don't think we're getting the whole truth out of David. 400 00:20:21,066 --> 00:20:22,700 [phone ringing] 401 00:20:22,767 --> 00:20:25,300 [narrator] We spoke on the phone with David Smith. 402 00:20:25,367 --> 00:20:28,200 He wouldn't discuss the contents of those last phone calls 403 00:20:28,266 --> 00:20:31,200 between himself and Jeff Gebhardt. 404 00:20:31,266 --> 00:20:33,600 When asked if he thought a third person 405 00:20:33,667 --> 00:20:35,867 might have been involved in Jeff's death, 406 00:20:35,867 --> 00:20:38,166 he refused to speak any further. 407 00:20:38,166 --> 00:20:41,266 The Georgia Bureau of Investigation tells us 408 00:20:41,266 --> 00:20:44,200 David Smith is no longer a person of interest 409 00:20:44,266 --> 00:20:45,900 and this case is closed. 410 00:20:47,767 --> 00:20:49,086 For Jeff's family and friends, 411 00:20:49,086 --> 00:20:50,000 For Jeff's family and friends, 412 00:20:50,066 --> 00:20:53,467 their long search for answers goes on, 413 00:20:53,467 --> 00:20:57,266 but their lives will never be the same without him. 414 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,567 Losing Jeff has really hurt us. 415 00:21:00,567 --> 00:21:05,367 We've... We were a very close family. Very close. 416 00:21:05,367 --> 00:21:08,567 My other son, they were like twins. 417 00:21:08,567 --> 00:21:11,567 I miss not having his... Jeff not having a family. 418 00:21:13,300 --> 00:21:15,567 I miss his laughter and his kidding. 419 00:21:16,467 --> 00:21:17,767 His kindness. 420 00:21:18,467 --> 00:21:19,086 He was my Pooh bear. 421 00:21:19,086 --> 00:21:20,400 He was my Pooh bear. 422 00:21:20,467 --> 00:21:22,767 I just miss, you know, spending time with him 423 00:21:22,767 --> 00:21:24,867 and, you know, doing things with him 424 00:21:24,867 --> 00:21:26,667 and having him around my kids. 425 00:21:27,867 --> 00:21:29,767 I'd like to think that, you know, 426 00:21:29,767 --> 00:21:31,066 he probably would have graduated school 427 00:21:31,066 --> 00:21:34,166 and I would have had some nieces and nephews. But... 428 00:21:35,867 --> 00:21:38,300 It's just how the cards were dealt. 429 00:21:43,166 --> 00:21:45,266 [narrator] Pemberton, British Columbia. 430 00:21:46,767 --> 00:21:49,086 A quaint village surrounded by majestic mountains. 431 00:21:49,086 --> 00:21:50,667 A quaint village surrounded by majestic mountains. 432 00:21:50,667 --> 00:21:53,266 But on November 23rd, 2019, 433 00:21:53,266 --> 00:21:55,667 a group of friends trekking through the woods, 434 00:21:55,667 --> 00:21:58,400 stumble upon a haunting scene. 435 00:21:58,467 --> 00:22:00,066 It felt very eerie up there. 436 00:22:00,066 --> 00:22:01,767 It almost felt like someone was watching us. 437 00:22:01,767 --> 00:22:03,467 [reporter] Possessions strewn around 438 00:22:03,467 --> 00:22:05,767 and only a shell of a truck left. 439 00:22:05,767 --> 00:22:08,266 It seemed like it had been severely, severely burnt 440 00:22:08,266 --> 00:22:09,900 to the extent where the wheels had been blown off, 441 00:22:09,967 --> 00:22:11,000 the glass had melted. 442 00:22:11,066 --> 00:22:13,767 I mean, it was almost non-identifiable. 443 00:22:13,767 --> 00:22:17,266 This case has been a riddle from the onset. 444 00:22:17,266 --> 00:22:19,086 [Jeannette] Any missing person's case is frustrating 445 00:22:19,086 --> 00:22:20,100 [Jeannette] Any missing person's case is frustrating 446 00:22:20,100 --> 00:22:23,500 but this one just has that extra element of mystery 447 00:22:23,567 --> 00:22:25,066 because of that burnt-out vehicle. 448 00:22:26,166 --> 00:22:27,867 [Tammy] It was horrible. 449 00:22:27,867 --> 00:22:30,500 I was so scared for Marshal. 450 00:22:34,867 --> 00:22:37,500 [narrator] Nearly 700 miles from Pemberton, 451 00:22:37,567 --> 00:22:41,266 Marshal Iwaasa grows up in Lethbridge, Alberta. 452 00:22:41,266 --> 00:22:46,467 Lethbridge is about one hour north of the Montana border. 453 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:49,086 It kind of has a small town feel. 454 00:22:49,086 --> 00:22:49,967 It kind of has a small town feel. 455 00:22:49,967 --> 00:22:53,567 [narrator] Marshal's parents divorce before his first birthday. 456 00:22:53,567 --> 00:22:57,467 Growing up, he's very close to his older sister Paige, 457 00:22:57,467 --> 00:23:00,066 even though they have different personality types. 458 00:23:00,066 --> 00:23:02,700 Paige said that she felt like 459 00:23:02,767 --> 00:23:04,867 in the womb she took all the aggression 460 00:23:04,867 --> 00:23:07,000 and so there was none left for Marshal. 461 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:11,266 He just has a soft spirit and a quiet spirit. 462 00:23:12,467 --> 00:23:14,000 [Cat] He's funny. 463 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:15,066 He's got a great laugh. 464 00:23:15,066 --> 00:23:18,367 [Marshal laughing] 465 00:23:18,367 --> 00:23:19,086 All of the kids in our family just absolutely adored him. 466 00:23:19,086 --> 00:23:22,166 All of the kids in our family just absolutely adored him. 467 00:23:22,166 --> 00:23:24,367 He'd always be the fun uncle. 468 00:23:25,867 --> 00:23:27,266 [Kassi] When I think about him now, 469 00:23:27,266 --> 00:23:29,166 I think of, like, a kid on his back, 470 00:23:29,166 --> 00:23:30,767 you know, the kids brushing his hair 471 00:23:30,767 --> 00:23:32,266 'cause he had long hair. 472 00:23:32,266 --> 00:23:37,066 Marshal has always been very adventurous. 473 00:23:37,066 --> 00:23:39,000 His sister would get him to do things 474 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,500 maybe out of his comfort zone 475 00:23:40,567 --> 00:23:42,900 whether it was food or activities, 476 00:23:42,967 --> 00:23:45,367 hiking, watersports. 477 00:23:47,467 --> 00:23:49,086 [narrator] After finishing high school in 2011, 478 00:23:49,086 --> 00:23:49,900 [narrator] After finishing high school in 2011, 479 00:23:49,967 --> 00:23:54,100 Marshal works a variety of construction and manual labor jobs. 480 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,800 In 2018, 25-year-old Marshal moves to Calgary 481 00:23:59,867 --> 00:24:01,567 to study computer programming 482 00:24:01,567 --> 00:24:04,700 at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. 483 00:24:04,767 --> 00:24:07,266 Manual labor is just harder on your body 484 00:24:07,266 --> 00:24:10,100 and he always did have an interest in computers, 485 00:24:10,166 --> 00:24:13,367 so just thought he would kind of make a career change. 486 00:24:14,667 --> 00:24:18,367 [narrator] On the evening of Sunday, November 17, 2019, 487 00:24:18,367 --> 00:24:19,086 Marshal makes the two-hour drive from Calgary to Lethbridge 488 00:24:19,086 --> 00:24:21,900 Marshal makes the two-hour drive from Calgary to Lethbridge 489 00:24:21,967 --> 00:24:25,200 to grab some computer parts from his storage unit. 490 00:24:25,266 --> 00:24:28,467 He swings by his mom Tammy's house on the way. 491 00:24:28,467 --> 00:24:32,667 Marshal got to my house around 10:30. 492 00:24:32,667 --> 00:24:36,100 I said, "You know, Mash, I've been having problems with my computer again. 493 00:24:36,166 --> 00:24:37,667 Could you help me?" 494 00:24:37,667 --> 00:24:39,767 And he said, "Sure." 495 00:24:40,667 --> 00:24:42,100 It was around 11:00 496 00:24:42,166 --> 00:24:46,800 and he said that he needed to go. 497 00:24:46,867 --> 00:24:49,086 And I said to him, "Well, why don't you just stay here?" 498 00:24:49,086 --> 00:24:50,667 And I said to him, "Well, why don't you just stay here?" 499 00:24:50,667 --> 00:24:53,367 And he said, "No, I have some things I need to do." 500 00:24:54,266 --> 00:24:57,700 And I walked him down to the door 501 00:24:58,467 --> 00:25:00,166 And I said, "I love you, Mash." 502 00:25:02,266 --> 00:25:04,367 And I hugged him and I kissed him. 503 00:25:06,667 --> 00:25:09,667 And I said goodbye. 504 00:25:12,667 --> 00:25:15,800 [narrator] Nine days later, on November 26th, 505 00:25:15,867 --> 00:25:18,700 Tammy is in Hawaii visiting her daughter Paige 506 00:25:18,767 --> 00:25:19,086 when Paige receives a shocking call from police 507 00:25:19,086 --> 00:25:21,867 when Paige receives a shocking call from police 508 00:25:21,867 --> 00:25:24,867 that changes their lives forever. 509 00:25:24,867 --> 00:25:28,867 They notified us that Marshal's truck had been found 510 00:25:29,700 --> 00:25:33,367 in Pemberton and... 511 00:25:34,667 --> 00:25:37,000 that it had been burnt. 512 00:25:39,367 --> 00:25:42,667 Tammy and Paige learn that on November 23rd, 513 00:25:42,667 --> 00:25:46,200 a group of hikers came across Marshal's burned out vehicle 514 00:25:46,266 --> 00:25:49,086 in a trail near the Brian Waddington Hut outside of Pemberton 515 00:25:49,086 --> 00:25:50,867 in a trail near the Brian Waddington Hut outside of Pemberton 516 00:25:50,867 --> 00:25:54,767 The remote area is around 14 hours from Lethbridge 517 00:25:54,767 --> 00:25:57,100 where Marshal was last seen by Tammy. 518 00:25:57,166 --> 00:26:01,100 I mean, it made no sense that the truck was there. 519 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:04,600 It made no sense that Marshal would go up there. 520 00:26:05,266 --> 00:26:08,066 [Mike] It's six kilometers up 521 00:26:08,066 --> 00:26:10,500 a very treacherous, steep, 522 00:26:10,567 --> 00:26:14,100 ungroomed cow trail of an RV road. 523 00:26:14,166 --> 00:26:16,867 You can't plug this area into a GPS 524 00:26:16,867 --> 00:26:19,086 and say, you know, take me to the Brian Waddington trailhead. 525 00:26:19,086 --> 00:26:21,266 and say, you know, take me to the Brian Waddington trailhead. 526 00:26:21,266 --> 00:26:22,967 None of us have reason to believe 527 00:26:22,967 --> 00:26:26,266 that Marshal is familiar with this area at all. 528 00:26:26,266 --> 00:26:29,100 [narrator] Marshal's sister Paige reports him missing. 529 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:37,600 The family then sees photos that the hikers took of Marshal's truck. 530 00:26:37,667 --> 00:26:39,467 [Kassi] It felt eerie just seeing the pictures. 531 00:26:39,467 --> 00:26:41,967 I couldn't have imagined just coming onto that scene. 532 00:26:41,967 --> 00:26:44,900 The truck had been so badly burnt 533 00:26:44,967 --> 00:26:48,200 that it was hard to identify through the serial number on it. 534 00:26:48,266 --> 00:26:49,086 So, I guess lucky for our family, 535 00:26:49,086 --> 00:26:51,667 So, I guess lucky for our family, 536 00:26:51,667 --> 00:26:54,900 Marshal had had some passports 537 00:26:54,967 --> 00:26:57,600 that were thrown out of the vehicle. 538 00:26:57,667 --> 00:27:01,500 [narrator] Various other items are scattered around Marshal's truck, 539 00:27:01,567 --> 00:27:05,767 but Marshal's body is not found at the chaotic scene. 540 00:27:05,767 --> 00:27:08,667 A lot of clothes, toiletry items. 541 00:27:08,667 --> 00:27:12,100 There were multiple cell phones, a laptop, 542 00:27:12,166 --> 00:27:17,367 a cooler, a shell of an Xbox and a PlayStation 543 00:27:17,367 --> 00:27:19,086 that we still don't believe were his. 544 00:27:19,086 --> 00:27:19,166 that we still don't believe were his. 545 00:27:19,166 --> 00:27:21,900 [narrator] Tammy flies home back to Lethbridge 546 00:27:21,967 --> 00:27:23,767 and is shocked by what she hears 547 00:27:23,767 --> 00:27:26,166 during her first meeting with law enforcement. 548 00:27:26,166 --> 00:27:29,166 They thought Marshal had killed himself. 549 00:27:33,100 --> 00:27:34,767 [narrator] Investigators discover that Marshal is 550 00:27:34,767 --> 00:27:37,100 no longer enrolled in college 551 00:27:37,100 --> 00:27:39,867 and that he didn't tell his family about it. 552 00:27:39,867 --> 00:27:41,967 They tell Tammy that this is a sign 553 00:27:41,967 --> 00:27:43,767 that he may have been depressed, 554 00:27:43,767 --> 00:27:46,600 making suicide a likely explanation 555 00:27:46,667 --> 00:27:48,266 for his disappearance. 556 00:27:48,266 --> 00:27:50,266 Marshal just wasn't ready to tell us. 557 00:27:50,266 --> 00:27:54,900 And it's his right to choose 558 00:27:54,967 --> 00:27:58,266 what he tells people and what he doesn't. 559 00:27:58,266 --> 00:28:01,524 There's many reasons why someone might not go back to school and... 560 00:28:01,524 --> 00:28:04,767 There's many reasons why someone might not go back to school and... 561 00:28:04,767 --> 00:28:07,600 it could just be simply that he just didn't like the program anymore. 562 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,800 How I feel is that 563 00:28:12,867 --> 00:28:15,667 saying that Marshal took his own life 564 00:28:15,667 --> 00:28:17,600 as law enforcement... 565 00:28:19,867 --> 00:28:21,600 you don't have to investigate 566 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,266 because in their mind 567 00:28:26,266 --> 00:28:27,767 Marshal's responsible, 568 00:28:28,500 --> 00:28:31,524 and I don't believe that. 569 00:28:31,524 --> 00:28:31,567 and I don't believe that. 570 00:28:31,567 --> 00:28:34,500 Somebody that wants to commit suicide 571 00:28:34,567 --> 00:28:40,600 usually doesn't drive hundreds and hundreds of miles to do it. 572 00:28:40,667 --> 00:28:42,400 [Cat] After that long of a drive, 573 00:28:42,467 --> 00:28:47,100 you would question if you should go through with something like that. 574 00:28:51,967 --> 00:28:53,867 [narrator] Determined to find answers, 575 00:28:53,867 --> 00:28:56,567 Marshal's family tries to retrace his steps 576 00:28:56,567 --> 00:29:00,066 after leaving Tammy's house on November 17th, 577 00:29:00,066 --> 00:29:01,524 starting with the storage facility where he said he was heading. 578 00:29:01,524 --> 00:29:03,200 starting with the storage facility where he said he was heading. 579 00:29:03,266 --> 00:29:07,300 [Kassi] You couldn't enter the yard between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., 580 00:29:07,367 --> 00:29:10,000 so when he arrived there after 11:00, 581 00:29:10,066 --> 00:29:13,367 he entered his code and was unable to get in. 582 00:29:13,367 --> 00:29:16,567 We were able to see that he had entered his code 583 00:29:16,567 --> 00:29:18,567 multiple times throughout the night, 584 00:29:18,567 --> 00:29:24,567 and then he was able to get access to the yard just after 6:00. 585 00:29:24,567 --> 00:29:27,667 We can also see that he used his code 586 00:29:27,667 --> 00:29:31,524 at 8:24 in the morning to exit the yard. 587 00:29:31,524 --> 00:29:31,567 at 8:24 in the morning to exit the yard. 588 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,867 [Jeannette] And that's the only footprint that Marshal left 589 00:29:36,867 --> 00:29:40,367 since seeing his mother Tammy that evening. 590 00:29:40,367 --> 00:29:43,667 [narrator] Why would Marshal have spent the entire night 591 00:29:43,667 --> 00:29:46,200 trying to get into this storage unit? 592 00:29:46,266 --> 00:29:49,667 When Marshal's family gets access to the storage unit, 593 00:29:49,667 --> 00:29:52,467 they don't notice anything out of the ordinary. 594 00:29:52,467 --> 00:29:55,367 [Kassi] Our family did go to the storage unit 595 00:29:55,367 --> 00:29:58,166 and tried to get security footage. 596 00:29:58,166 --> 00:29:59,500 We were two days late 597 00:29:59,567 --> 00:30:01,524 and the security footage was already erased. 598 00:30:01,524 --> 00:30:01,967 and the security footage was already erased. 599 00:30:03,867 --> 00:30:07,900 [Tammy] His cousins went to the businesses around the storage area 600 00:30:07,967 --> 00:30:10,667 to see if they may have recordings 601 00:30:10,667 --> 00:30:12,700 and we missed those as well. 602 00:30:12,767 --> 00:30:17,867 So, things were really, really working against us. 603 00:30:17,867 --> 00:30:21,400 [Jeannette] This has been one of the most frustrating pieces of the case 604 00:30:21,467 --> 00:30:26,000 because had that surveillance footage been available, 605 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:29,166 that there could actually be a lot of answered questions. 606 00:30:29,166 --> 00:30:31,400 Was somebody else there? Did somebody approach him? 607 00:30:31,467 --> 00:30:31,524 Did somebody do something to him 608 00:30:31,524 --> 00:30:33,667 Did somebody do something to him 609 00:30:33,667 --> 00:30:36,900 and then take off in his truck with him? 610 00:30:36,967 --> 00:30:39,367 Did he leave on his own? 611 00:30:39,367 --> 00:30:42,166 [narrator] Marshal's family then contacts gas stations 612 00:30:42,166 --> 00:30:44,166 between Lethbridge and Pemberton 613 00:30:44,166 --> 00:30:48,166 to see if they have surveillance footage of Marshal or his truck. 614 00:30:48,166 --> 00:30:50,767 They come up empty-handed again. 615 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:54,066 On December 4th, 2019, 616 00:30:54,066 --> 00:30:56,367 as snow blankets the region, 617 00:30:56,367 --> 00:30:58,166 police announce they've suspended 618 00:30:58,166 --> 00:30:59,767 their initial search for Marshal. 619 00:30:59,767 --> 00:31:01,524 When we first started this investigation 620 00:31:01,524 --> 00:31:02,700 When we first started this investigation 621 00:31:02,767 --> 00:31:05,000 into looking for Marshal Iwaasa, 622 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:06,967 the initial search efforts were hampered 623 00:31:06,967 --> 00:31:09,400 by the weather and the terrain up in the mountains. 624 00:31:11,767 --> 00:31:14,867 That was really hard because... 625 00:31:17,300 --> 00:31:21,000 if Marshal was up there, 626 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,000 and you call off the search, 627 00:31:25,667 --> 00:31:28,600 there's no one looking for my son. 628 00:31:30,166 --> 00:31:31,524 [narrator] As the official search for Marshal grows 629 00:31:31,524 --> 00:31:32,467 [narrator] As the official search for Marshal grows 630 00:31:32,467 --> 00:31:35,100 as cold as a Canadian winter, 631 00:31:35,100 --> 00:31:39,367 his family pursues every potential lead that comes their way. 632 00:31:39,367 --> 00:31:42,567 [Kassi] We have messaged Marshal on Snapchat 633 00:31:42,567 --> 00:31:46,567 and over time, a few of the messages have been opened. 634 00:31:46,567 --> 00:31:49,767 When you have someone that's missing 635 00:31:49,767 --> 00:31:54,166 and six months later you do see that a message has opened, 636 00:31:54,166 --> 00:31:58,800 it does give you hope but then other people say, "Well, it could be a glitch." 637 00:31:58,867 --> 00:32:01,524 [Tammy] That gave me such hope because... 638 00:32:01,524 --> 00:32:02,000 [Tammy] That gave me such hope because... 639 00:32:04,667 --> 00:32:07,700 I want to believe 640 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:10,500 that... 641 00:32:12,100 --> 00:32:13,367 he's out there. 642 00:32:13,900 --> 00:32:15,667 I'm so hopeful 643 00:32:16,767 --> 00:32:19,000 that I'll see Marshal again. 644 00:32:21,867 --> 00:32:26,500 I actually did email Snapchat and they said to us 645 00:32:26,567 --> 00:32:28,567 that they would be able to work with law enforcement, 646 00:32:28,567 --> 00:32:31,166 but, obviously, it would have to come from law enforcement 647 00:32:31,166 --> 00:32:31,524 to request more information. 648 00:32:31,524 --> 00:32:33,200 to request more information. 649 00:32:34,567 --> 00:32:37,467 [narrator] In 2020, Marshal's family starts working 650 00:32:37,467 --> 00:32:40,600 with private investigators and search-and-rescue experts, 651 00:32:40,667 --> 00:32:43,467 including fire investigator Mike Hoffman 652 00:32:43,467 --> 00:32:47,266 and former Lethbridge police officer David Hastie. 653 00:32:47,266 --> 00:32:50,200 That July, with the help of an off-roading club, 654 00:32:50,266 --> 00:32:53,967 Marshal's family and their team make the treacherous drive 655 00:32:53,967 --> 00:32:56,900 to the area where Marshal's truck was torched. 656 00:32:56,967 --> 00:32:58,500 [Kassi] We knew where we were going 657 00:32:58,567 --> 00:33:00,567 and we still got lost on the way. 658 00:33:00,567 --> 00:33:01,524 And these roads were so narrow and so bumpy 659 00:33:01,524 --> 00:33:05,367 And these roads were so narrow and so bumpy 660 00:33:05,367 --> 00:33:07,900 and you had to go through creeks. 661 00:33:07,967 --> 00:33:11,266 [David] When we organized the search out there, 662 00:33:11,266 --> 00:33:14,867 I contacted the nearest aboriginal group 663 00:33:14,867 --> 00:33:17,367 and the local people said 664 00:33:17,367 --> 00:33:19,867 that it would have to be somebody with local knowledge 665 00:33:19,867 --> 00:33:21,600 that could get into that area. 666 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:28,467 It was very unsettling when we got to Marshal's truck. 667 00:33:29,266 --> 00:33:31,524 It was completely unrecognizable. 668 00:33:31,524 --> 00:33:31,567 It was completely unrecognizable. 669 00:33:31,567 --> 00:33:33,400 There was no rubber on the tires. 670 00:33:33,467 --> 00:33:36,600 There was no glass, no paint left on the truck. 671 00:33:36,667 --> 00:33:38,867 There was debris everywhere. 672 00:33:38,867 --> 00:33:41,867 Almost like something was trying to be covered up. 673 00:33:45,467 --> 00:33:48,767 [narrator] David Hastie, the former Lethbridge police officer, 674 00:33:48,767 --> 00:33:51,000 oversees a search mission that covers 675 00:33:51,066 --> 00:33:53,667 a three-mile radius of Marshal's truck. 676 00:33:54,667 --> 00:33:57,467 [David] We took the cadaver dogs up there 677 00:33:57,467 --> 00:34:01,524 because on the off chance that he did drive that vehicle up there himself, 678 00:34:01,524 --> 00:34:02,767 because on the off chance that he did drive that vehicle up there himself, 679 00:34:02,767 --> 00:34:05,166 and he did commit suicide in that area, 680 00:34:05,166 --> 00:34:06,900 we wanted to eliminate that. 681 00:34:06,967 --> 00:34:11,166 So, we got Canadian Search and Disaster Dogs Association. 682 00:34:11,166 --> 00:34:14,467 We spent numerous days there eliminating areas 683 00:34:14,467 --> 00:34:17,100 that could easily be walked to from that truck. 684 00:34:19,867 --> 00:34:22,967 [narrator] They find no trace of Marshal in the woods. 685 00:34:24,367 --> 00:34:25,967 In addition to the searches, 686 00:34:25,967 --> 00:34:30,867 the P.I. team and law enforcement conduct fire investigations. 687 00:34:30,867 --> 00:34:31,524 The family was told that a fire investigation had been done 688 00:34:31,524 --> 00:34:34,567 The family was told that a fire investigation had been done 689 00:34:34,567 --> 00:34:37,467 when the truck was initially discovered. 690 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:42,767 We found out that that simply was not true. 691 00:34:46,567 --> 00:34:50,166 [narrator] Pemberton police perform their fire investigation first 692 00:34:50,166 --> 00:34:53,667 before Mike Hoffman and his team access the scene. 693 00:34:54,767 --> 00:34:56,700 [Mike] When our team arrived at the scene, 694 00:34:56,767 --> 00:34:59,166 we were taken aback by the fact 695 00:34:59,166 --> 00:35:01,524 that the floor pans in the truck 696 00:35:01,524 --> 00:35:02,300 that the floor pans in the truck 697 00:35:02,367 --> 00:35:06,166 still were intact with the original fire debris. 698 00:35:06,166 --> 00:35:09,500 The reason why that was very troubling to us 699 00:35:09,567 --> 00:35:12,567 was the fact that that investigator left 700 00:35:12,567 --> 00:35:16,867 without the complete picture of what transpired at that fire scene. 701 00:35:16,867 --> 00:35:22,467 He had no idea whether or not there was bullet holes in the floor boards. 702 00:35:22,467 --> 00:35:24,800 He had no idea whether or not there was 703 00:35:24,867 --> 00:35:28,500 human remains potentially in the bottom of that truck 704 00:35:28,567 --> 00:35:30,867 'cause he had not sifted through that debris. 705 00:35:32,066 --> 00:35:34,000 [narrator] Mike's team spends a day and a half 706 00:35:34,066 --> 00:35:35,500 going through the debris, 707 00:35:35,567 --> 00:35:38,000 and they're shocked at what they find. 708 00:35:39,266 --> 00:35:41,000 Right next to the driver's seat 709 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:45,100 nestled in beside the transmission hub, 710 00:35:45,100 --> 00:35:47,800 we found an open Zippo lighter. 711 00:35:52,967 --> 00:35:54,500 [narrator] Private fire investigator Mike Hoffman concludes 712 00:35:54,567 --> 00:35:58,200 that they cause of Marshal's truck fire was arson. 713 00:35:58,266 --> 00:36:00,467 There were several reasons why 714 00:36:00,467 --> 00:36:04,667 we started to point towards an arson event 715 00:36:04,667 --> 00:36:06,066 and not an actual fire. 716 00:36:06,066 --> 00:36:09,767 One being that the fire did not occur in the engine compartment. 717 00:36:09,767 --> 00:36:12,400 It occurred in the passenger compartment. 718 00:36:12,467 --> 00:36:16,867 Also, the doors were left open on the vehicle, 719 00:36:16,867 --> 00:36:18,867 which is very indicative of an arson event 720 00:36:18,867 --> 00:36:21,149 'cause arsonists want oxygen to get in the vehicle and make it burn rapidly. 721 00:36:21,149 --> 00:36:23,166 'cause arsonists want oxygen to get in the vehicle and make it burn rapidly. 722 00:36:23,166 --> 00:36:26,266 We feel we have the smoking gun with the Zippo lighter, 723 00:36:26,266 --> 00:36:30,667 and we feel we have the point of origin low on the vehicle. 724 00:36:30,667 --> 00:36:34,567 [narrator] Mike's report also notes that in addition to Marshal's truck fire, 725 00:36:34,567 --> 00:36:38,000 there were two other fires in bushes at the scene. 726 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:41,367 Given the fact that we have three distinct fire events, 727 00:36:41,367 --> 00:36:44,600 you can only draw two conclusions. 728 00:36:44,667 --> 00:36:48,700 One is that we had a lightning strike three times at the same location 729 00:36:48,767 --> 00:36:51,100 and we had three fires that resulted. 730 00:36:51,166 --> 00:36:52,900 Or you have set fires. 731 00:36:55,767 --> 00:36:58,600 When the police investigation came back, 732 00:36:58,667 --> 00:37:00,900 it was deemed inconclusive. 733 00:37:00,967 --> 00:37:03,367 So, another very puzzling factor 734 00:37:03,367 --> 00:37:05,867 for this very mysterious case. 735 00:37:05,867 --> 00:37:07,066 I don't understand. 736 00:37:07,066 --> 00:37:08,033 It just seems like there's 737 00:37:08,066 --> 00:37:10,667 a lot of our family getting the runaround. 738 00:37:11,867 --> 00:37:14,066 [narrator] Lethbridge police say they consider 739 00:37:14,066 --> 00:37:16,700 Marshal's disappearance to be suspicious, 740 00:37:16,767 --> 00:37:19,000 but not a criminal matter. 741 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:21,149 This has always been a suspicious occurrence. 742 00:37:21,149 --> 00:37:22,100 This has always been a suspicious occurrence. 743 00:37:22,166 --> 00:37:24,967 Unfortunately, though, with the evidence and the information 744 00:37:24,967 --> 00:37:28,400 that we're aware of, that's been learned as a part of this investigation, 745 00:37:28,467 --> 00:37:31,066 we don't yet meet the threshold for criminality. 746 00:37:31,066 --> 00:37:34,467 [Jeannette] They're basically saying there's nothing telling them 747 00:37:34,467 --> 00:37:37,867 that any foul play actually occurred. 748 00:37:37,867 --> 00:37:42,066 And so, I think what they're trying to suggest is that 749 00:37:42,066 --> 00:37:44,867 Marshal drove his truck up there of his own volition 750 00:37:44,867 --> 00:37:47,300 and succumbed to the elements 751 00:37:47,367 --> 00:37:50,667 or he went up there to take his own life 752 00:37:50,667 --> 00:37:51,149 and that he did this to his own vehicle. 753 00:37:51,149 --> 00:37:53,300 and that he did this to his own vehicle. 754 00:37:54,667 --> 00:37:56,567 [Cat] The police have told us 755 00:37:56,567 --> 00:38:00,300 that unless they find a weapon, a body 756 00:38:00,367 --> 00:38:06,367 or a substantial amount of Marshal's DNA or blood somewhere 757 00:38:06,367 --> 00:38:08,800 that it's not going to be moved into criminal. 758 00:38:08,867 --> 00:38:12,166 It's crazy to our family because all the signs, 759 00:38:12,166 --> 00:38:13,967 especially the truck in itself, 760 00:38:13,967 --> 00:38:17,066 are pointing to something serious. 761 00:38:17,066 --> 00:38:21,149 I don't see why it's being prohibited 762 00:38:21,149 --> 00:38:21,667 I don't see why it's being prohibited 763 00:38:21,667 --> 00:38:25,667 from motioning forward into that criminal realm. 764 00:38:28,467 --> 00:38:31,200 The main reason that I think that you would burn a vehicle 765 00:38:31,266 --> 00:38:33,667 would be to eliminate evidence in it. 766 00:38:33,667 --> 00:38:37,100 If this whole case were reclassified as criminal, 767 00:38:37,166 --> 00:38:39,700 it would open up more resources to police 768 00:38:39,767 --> 00:38:41,867 to get some of this forensic testing done. 769 00:38:41,867 --> 00:38:43,767 [narrator] The private investigation team 770 00:38:43,767 --> 00:38:47,066 points to another piece of evidence from Marshal's truck 771 00:38:47,066 --> 00:38:49,567 that could suggest foul play. 772 00:38:49,567 --> 00:38:51,066 The steering column was missing. 773 00:38:51,066 --> 00:38:51,149 Why would Marshal strew his belongings around the vehicle, 774 00:38:51,149 --> 00:38:56,667 Why would Marshal strew his belongings around the vehicle, 775 00:38:56,667 --> 00:38:58,200 take the steering column out 776 00:38:58,266 --> 00:39:01,667 and then traipse off into the woods to commit suicide? 777 00:39:01,667 --> 00:39:04,400 Arsonists are trying to cover up evidence, 778 00:39:04,467 --> 00:39:06,166 so that makes a lot of sense to me 779 00:39:06,166 --> 00:39:07,700 that they'd remove the steering wheel 780 00:39:07,767 --> 00:39:11,266 just to remove any sort of possibility 781 00:39:11,266 --> 00:39:15,066 that they could be identified from that. 782 00:39:15,066 --> 00:39:18,400 [Jeannette] This could play out in many different scenarios. 783 00:39:18,467 --> 00:39:21,149 Was Marshal taken in Lethbridge? 784 00:39:21,149 --> 00:39:22,000 Was Marshal taken in Lethbridge? 785 00:39:22,066 --> 00:39:25,000 Did somebody do something to him in Alberta 786 00:39:25,066 --> 00:39:29,400 and dispose of his body and then drive his car to British Columbia? 787 00:39:29,467 --> 00:39:33,000 Did somebody kidnap him to B.C. 788 00:39:33,066 --> 00:39:35,100 and then do something to him up there? 789 00:39:35,166 --> 00:39:38,767 Could it have been that he was involved in something nefarious? 790 00:39:40,967 --> 00:39:43,400 Marshal would help anyone. 791 00:39:43,467 --> 00:39:46,100 And to think that maybe 792 00:39:46,100 --> 00:39:50,567 he stopped by the side of the road to help someone 793 00:39:50,567 --> 00:39:51,149 and something happened to him... 794 00:39:51,149 --> 00:39:53,367 and something happened to him... 795 00:39:53,367 --> 00:39:55,200 He could have picked up hitchhikers. 796 00:39:55,266 --> 00:39:59,100 He could have been forced to deliver drugs. 797 00:39:59,100 --> 00:40:00,900 Every kind of scenario that we think about, 798 00:40:00,967 --> 00:40:02,500 it all comes back to the truck 799 00:40:02,567 --> 00:40:04,867 and the chaos that was there. 800 00:40:04,867 --> 00:40:10,100 So, that's where I think it was foul play. 801 00:40:10,166 --> 00:40:13,100 And that is why we have pushed so hard 802 00:40:13,100 --> 00:40:17,700 for the police to take this as a criminal investigation. 803 00:40:17,767 --> 00:40:19,600 [narrator] Both Lethbridge Police Service 804 00:40:19,667 --> 00:40:21,149 and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police declined our interview requests. 805 00:40:21,149 --> 00:40:23,367 and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police declined our interview requests. 806 00:40:24,300 --> 00:40:26,700 Years after Marshal's disappearance, 807 00:40:26,767 --> 00:40:30,700 his family is left with endless unanswered questions, 808 00:40:30,767 --> 00:40:34,200 and an unbearable ache in their hearts. 809 00:40:34,266 --> 00:40:36,767 From the place that Marshal was last seen 810 00:40:36,767 --> 00:40:38,600 to the place where his truck was found, 811 00:40:38,667 --> 00:40:43,100 this might not be a simple from point A to point B situation. 812 00:40:43,166 --> 00:40:48,266 There could be very many twists and turns along the way. 813 00:40:48,266 --> 00:40:51,149 We have the storage unit and we have the truck 814 00:40:51,149 --> 00:40:52,467 We have the storage unit and we have the truck 815 00:40:52,467 --> 00:40:55,467 and we don't have anything other than that. 816 00:40:57,667 --> 00:41:00,300 If you have any information about Marshal, 817 00:41:00,367 --> 00:41:04,166 I would just beg you to just please come forward 818 00:41:04,166 --> 00:41:07,500 and share it with the family or police 819 00:41:07,567 --> 00:41:10,300 because Marshal deserves it 820 00:41:10,367 --> 00:41:13,300 and our family really needs to know what happened. 821 00:41:14,467 --> 00:41:17,166 [Cat] Every now and then my kids will ask me, 822 00:41:17,166 --> 00:41:19,800 "Are we ever going to find Uncle Marshal?" 823 00:41:19,867 --> 00:41:21,149 And it's hard 'cause we just don't have the answers for that. 824 00:41:21,149 --> 00:41:24,500 And it's hard 'cause we just don't have the answers for that. 825 00:41:27,667 --> 00:41:33,266 When I'm driving and I see someone walking, 826 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:39,667 I look to see is that Marshal. 827 00:41:39,667 --> 00:41:46,100 I'm holding on to the hope 828 00:41:47,266 --> 00:41:50,400 that we'll find Marshal 829 00:41:51,667 --> 00:41:55,600 because the alternative... 830 00:41:57,567 --> 00:41:59,000 is... 831 00:42:00,367 --> 00:42:02,667 is too painful.