Someone else on that trail had taken his canvas jacket from the vehicle, probably to pass as him or to draw attention away from the scene.

The broken body recovered downstream days later had been misidentified based on Brandon’s belongings and the wallet in the jacket pocket, rather than any real physical proof.

“Why was that body released to my family for burial so quickly without a positive identification?” I asked Miller coldly.

“The violent storm had caused a huge mudslide farther down the ravine,” Miller explained remorsefully.

“The body was underwater in freezing conditions for days, which caused severe damage to the face.