Mont F. Highley IV, 33, left his parents’ home in Montgomery on the evening of November 28, 2003, to go to the family’s property in Shorter, Alabama, where he planned to hunt with his father the next day. When his father arrived at the farm on November 29, the gate and the door to the mobile home were ajar, lights and a television were on, but Mont and his Chevrolet Tahoe were missing. The Tahoe turned up on November 30 on neighbor Dale Segrest’s property with Mont’s wallet (containing $200), keys in the ignition, his hunting rifle, and his briefcase inside; there were no signs of a struggle. Search dogs tracked his scent from the farm to the Segrest property and across the road before the trail went cold.

On January 14, 2004, Mont’s body was found inside an unused grain silo behind the Back Forty Restaurant, just outside the original search area. Identification was confirmed by dental records; he was found wearing his watch and with a pair of pants neatly folded on his body. Evidence was presented to two grand juries but no arrests were made. In August 2004 the governor offered a reward and the death was publicly classified as a murder. The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation lists the case as active and open.

What details from that November 28–30 window might still help explain how Mont ended up at the silo?