seldom saw was 28-year-old, john helble. >> john was somewhat of a recluse. john kind of stayed to himself. >> it wasn't unusual if we didn't see him for a month. he would be doing things at his home or repairing things or out with his friends. >> at one point in time in john's life, he was a narcotics user and very possibly also a narcotics dealer. >> in february of 1999, john's mother was really worried. she hadn't heard from her son in over two months. >> we'd been trying to reach my son, and that he wasn't answering, and we were afraid something was wrong. >> so she called the local sheriff who found john's van parked in his driveway. but no one answered the door. >> they smelled an odor coming from inside the trailer. he described that odor as being the odor of death.