Peter Van Sant

In the Ferris family, that was just normal for Gary.

After spending the Fourth of July at the lake, two of the Ferris grandchildren slept over at the farm.

By the time Amanda showed up at the house the next morning, the grandkids were asking Melody if they could see their grandpa, Big Daddy.

In 2024, Detective Daniel Hayes drove us to the Ferris' family property.

He told me about the moment he got that call.

He was familiar with this affluent part of Cherokee County and figured what happened here was an accident.

They didn't even think the case would take long.

Once he drove up the Ferris' long driveway, Detective Hayes got out of his car and made his way to the burn pile.

Give me a sense of what you saw as you're walking up to it.

Describe it for me.

And while Detective Hayes had never investigated a body found in a burn pile before, one thing was certain.

Which suggested someone must have placed him there.

What Detective Hayes first thought could have been a tragic accident now looked like a murder.

They brought in canines to help search the property.

Detective Hayes went inside the house.

Any evidence whatsoever in the house of a break-in?

No.

Any sign of a struggle inside that house, that a battle had gone on there?

Investigators then checked if there was more blood, invisible to the naked eye, by spraying a special chemical across the floor.

And does that suggest in any way some sort of progression of an attack on Gary?