all investigators had against the cowan brothers and dan jones was possession of stolen property. >> we just got to a certain point where there was no fresh information coming in and there was still a lack of physical evidence tying the cowans to the crime scene. >> we would talk and he would say the same thing, we think it's the same people, but we don't have the proof. >> i never lost hope. i just knew in my heart that the police would do their job and find the people that did this to mother and cliff. >> investigators confiscated every .25-caliber pistol they could find, hoping that one of them would match the murder weapon. >> i maintained those bullets in my secured work area. i never returned them to the sheriff's property room, knowing that i would one day get that firearm. >> but eventually, there were other crimes to solve, other evidence to process, and the murder of cliff and alma merck moved quietly into the unsolved file. ten years later, jim christopherson was promoted to homicide detective, but he never forgot the murder of cliff and alma merck. >> the case had always

jones here. tell us what this is all about. >> well, rick, we are doing a high school football game. the john baselone bowl. dan twice. >> receiving the honor in two different combats. is that what i understand. >> correct. i you see the marine -- the marines and the players, some of the players behind us, they are running through some of the drills that we did in the workup, pre-game games. >> this is how they get ready. >> that's right. >> major jones, kneel why this is important and how you honor these guys by doing these kinds of event. >> it is very important because sergeant daly is from long island and a lot of people forgot or didn't know he was born and raised in glen cove, new york. we know as marines because he is one of the most iconic figures. we try to keep his legacy going and make sure the young youth today continue to follow the trends and principles and traits he used to win thenality's battle. >> it is history. their hometown. even the locals get inspired in what we are doing today. we are inspiring the nation. absolute courses behind us. we have the fireman carry. 30 30-pound ammo can and pu