ms. birgfeld. one of them was made from her back. >> reporter: the phone's number wasn't registered to any specific person, making it difficult to trace. difficult, but not impossible. >> we were able to identify through records at tracfone the precise store, time and register that that tracfone was purchased. >> reporter: which was at this walmart in grand junction where the store's security cameras picked up a man believed to be mr. jones purchasing that tracfone. >> we also found packaging from a tracfone with that same make and model in his trash at work, which is about 500 yards from where the vehicle was found burning. >> reporter: now that was a preponderance of evidence that in any other case would have been enough to get an arrest warrant, but not in this case. months and then years went by, no arrest. it was beyond a lot of people in town who still couldn't help but hear the rumors and wonder why the man was still free as a bird. in fact, said prosecutor rubenstein, the reason was quite s