Delia D'Ambra

It's possible the picture was a misfire from when Brandon and Lisa got the camera.

or it very well could have been a clue that was somehow connected to the perpetrator.

But at the time it was discovered, authorities had no real way of knowing what the overexposed image meant.

Despite all this new information feeling really important though, the announcement about it didn't really seem to move the needle much because several more years passed and during that time there were no significant updates.

On the 19th anniversary of the crime, in October 2022, the sheriff's office was still asking the public for tips and information, and things seemed as stagnant as they'd always been.

But then, in September 2023, what I would consider to be something of a bombshell came out.

A commander for the sheriff's office told ABC 15 Arizona reporter Ashley Paredes that a new detective who'd been working on the case for a few years, as well as some of the volunteers in the agency's cold case division, were regularly reviewing evidence in the case and had been double-checking what physical evidence was sent out for further evaluation and forensic testing.

At that time, the agency confirmed that one item of evidence retrieved from the crime scene was at a DNA lab being tested.

But what that item was has never been publicly revealed.

The commander for the sheriff's office, though, did state on record they were in the midst of doing genealogy work to narrow down and identify who the DNA belonged to.

During his interview, the commander also revealed that at least some evidence in the case suggested Lisa may have woken up when she and Brandon were being attacked, but the agency wasn't 100% sure of that.

He also explained during that interview a lot more about the disposable camera that had been found at the crime scene.

Turns out, the camera was something the couple had bought at a supermarket on their way to the desert.

And the film that was inside it included two photos of Lisa in the bed of the truck, one photo of Brandon, and one photo of the light fixture that was mostly overexposed.

The commander stated that they determined the overexposed image had been taken inside a restaurant in the Bumblebee area back in 2003.

But presently, that establishment was no longer the same business.

He also said that the picture was likely a result of the camera being thrown.

Now, I don't know if that means one of the victims threw it, accidentally dropped it, someone else tossed it, no clue.

I have like a thousand follow-up questions about this overexposed picture, but none that I think the agency could answer.

For that same piece by ABC 15, Paula, Lisa's mom, emphasized she would never give up hope that her daughter and Brandon's murders would be solved one day.