Decomposition Phase News Today

dateline. >> i had a huge crush on him. he had this amazing voice. >> very gregarious. charismatic. the passion for people he had came through. >> he was the guy the whole town came up to. morning deejay steven bee. >> so funny. he had such a great love of music. hes lovable. everyone loves steven b. >> soon, it was fatally clear not everybody did. >> they came up on a body floating in the water. >> shot him one time in the back of the head. its like "this cant be happening." >> what d...

people came through. >> he was the guy the whole town woke up to, morning dj steven b. >> he was so funny and he had such a great love of music. >> hes loveable. i mean, everybody loves steven b. >> but soon, it was fully clear that not everybody did. >> they came upon a body floating in the water. >> shot him one time in the back of the head. >> i felt like i was in some made-for-tv movie. its like "this cant be happening." >> what did happen? the hunt is on. a gleaming yacht. >> i th...

Would never have had the case at all, except -- >> we were lucky that we had some boaters leaving newport beach going to catalina island and they came upon a body floating in the water. >> just happened to see it? >> just happened to see it. >> thats a big ocean out there. >> absolutely. >> so the chances of it being seen are, what, needle in the haystack? >> very slim. >> reporter: the sailors had spotted a flock of shrieking seagulls perched on top of a body. it looked like it had been in the ...

All, except -- o >> we were lucky that we had some boaters leaving newport beach going to catalina island and they came upon a body floating in the water. >> just happened to see it? >> just happened to see it. >> thats a big ocean out there. >> absolutely. >> so the chances of it being seen are, what, needle in the haystack? >> very slim. >> reporter: the sailors had spotted a flock of shrieking seagulls perched on top of a body. it looked like it had been in the water for some time. >> it was ...

Beach going to catalina island and they came upon a body floating in the water. >> just happened to see it? >> just happened to see it. >> thats a big ocean out there. >> absolutely. >> so the chances of it being seen are, what, needle in the haystack? >> very slim. >> reporter: the sailors had spotted a flock of shrieking seagulls perched on top of a body. it looked like it had been in the water for some time. >> it was in extreme decomposition phase. >> right. >> bloated and -- >> barnacles ha...

More than 50 years between them. but nothing like the case that literally floated to them on a lonely reach of ocean out by catalina. would never have had the case at all, except -- >> we were lucky that we had some boaters leaving newport beach going to catalina island and they came upon a body floating in the water. >> just happened to see it? >> just happened to see it. >> thats a big ocean out there. >> absolutely. >> so the chances of it being seen are, what, needle in the haystack? >> very...

And they came upon a body floating in the water. >> just happened to see it? >> just happened to see it. >> thats a big ocean out there. >> absolutely. >> so the chances of it being seen are, what, needle in the haystack? >> very slim. >> reporter: the sailors had spotted a flock of shrieking seagulls perched on top of a body. it looked like it had been in the water for some time. >> it was in extreme decomposition phase. >> right. >> bloated and -- >> barnacles had attached themselves. >> barna...

Literally floated to them on a lonely reach of ocean out by catalina. would never have had the case at all, except -- >> we were lucky that we had some boaters leaving newport beach going to catalina island and they came upon a body floating in the water. >> just happened to see it? >> just happened to see it. >> thats a big ocean out there. >> absolutely. >> so the chances of it being seen are, what, needle in the haystack? >> very slim. >> reporter: the sailors had spotted a flock of shrieking...

Would never have had the case at all, except -- >> we were lucky we had some boaters leaving port beach going to the island, and they came up on a body floating in the water. >> reporter: just happened to see it? its a big ocean out there. >> just happened to see it, absolutely. >> reporter: so the chances of it being seen are a needle in a hay stack? >> very slim. >> reporter: they spotted seagals on a body. >> it was in extreme decomposition phase, bloated, and barnacles already. >> reporter: ...

>> reporter: ken clark of the l.a. sheriffs department has been at it a long time. as has robert martindale, more than 50 years between them. but nothing like the case that literally floated to them on a lonely reach of ocean out by catalina, would never have had the case at all, except. >> we were lucky that we had some boaters leaving newport beach going to catalina ie lsla and they came upon a body floating in the water. >> reporter: just happened to see it? >> just happened to see it. >> tha...