Delia D'Ambra

The unknown guy who had this alleged spat with Brandon was described as white, tall, had a husky build, and was about 40 years old.

A spokeswoman for the sheriff's office told the press that detectives really wanted to speak with this man, but without his name, they were unable to track him down.

It's unclear, though, if this lead ever materialized into anything because after November 2003, it's not really mentioned again.

What I can tell you, though, is that in early January 2004, more than two months into the investigation, the case was languishing, and Lisa and Brandon's families were growing a bit frustrated.

Paula told reporter Byron Wells that she was concerned the case would go cold due to the lack of leads and updates.

At that time, though, the sheriff's office maintained that it was as dedicated as ever to solving the crime.

Two detectives were assigned to the case, and a spokeswoman for the agency emphasized that the double homicide was still very much an active investigation.

However, in May, just a few months after providing that response, the sheriff's office found themselves in charge of yet another double homicide at a rural campsite in their jurisdiction.

According to coverage in the Arizona Republic, on Monday, May 3, 2004, U.S.

Forest Service employees stumbled upon two men dead from gunshot wounds at a campsite in an area about one hour west of where Lisa and Brandon had been discovered.

Those two victims were quickly identified as 65-year-old William Raymond Ray Middaw and 74-year-old Omer Lee Casey.

William, who seemed most often to go by the nickname Ray, so that's what I'll refer to him as from here on out, lived in Yuma, Arizona.

He and Omer, who resided in Somerton, were old friends who'd gone camping at a popular spot in the desert a few miles north of Lake Pleasant.

Ray was a longtime hunter and sportsman who had a lot of experience in Arizona's mountains and deserts.

He was a stroke survivor, devoted Christian, former welder, grandfather, and husband who had recently celebrated 46 years of marriage with his wife.

Omer was also a grandfather, avid outdoorsman, and husband who'd been married to his wife for 56 years.

He was a skilled machinist who'd formerly worked in the seed harvesting industry and actually held two patents for devices that improved harvesting seed crops.

Their story is one that I hope to cover in more detail in a future episode, but for now, I'll summarize the high points to stay on track.

Within a day of the men's bodies being found, the sheriff's office identified a 21-year-old man from Phoenix named Rusty Rankin as the prime suspect for their murders.

Rusty's father was a veteran police officer for the Phoenix Police Department who, according to an article by the Arizona Republic, had realized his service weapon was missing the morning after Ray and Omer were found.