Betsy Shepard

All that remains from Ajay's life is packed into five cardboard boxes.

The items are wrapped in plastic, and Bauer wears gloves as he combs through them.

This is John's work jacket.

And it's an SEB jacket with his name embroidered on it and Bosco, his dog.

Bauer's preserving Ajay's belongings for future developments in the case.

Okay, so here's his running shoes with his name on the back.

The artifacts also tell us who Ajay was.

There's a photo collage full of happy memories.

Him and his high school sweetheart, Deb, on their wedding day.

A birthday party for their daughter, Chloe, who was just five when he disappeared.

And puppy pics of Bosco, Ajay's department-issued canine.

And next to these snapshots of domestic life, there's a steel ballistics helmet intended to stop rifle rounds, trophies for marksmanship, army fatigues, you know, tough guy stuff.

Ajay moved at a fast clip, trying to balance the competing demands of home and work.

But his life came to an abrupt and puzzling end.

His death certificate says cause of death unknown, manner of death unknown.

No body.

The deputy's body has never been found, which raises a lot of questions for Mike Bauer.

And a survivalist getting lost in the woods?

Another big question mark.

Over time, the mystery of it all has turned into something else.