we were pretty confident he was our guy. >> reporter: steve herr was also eager to find sam but for anly different reason. to clear his son's name. so steve began his own investigation. why did you feel the need to do your own police work? >> i didn't look at it as police work. i looked it as i wanted to find some answers for looking to find sam, first of all. where could sam be? is somebody helping -- is he running away? did he come up with some foul play? >> reporter: steve called sam again and again, but sam's cell phone was going straight to voicemail. >> i love you. let me know what's going on. what -- what's going on? >> reporter: then a big break and a puzzle. steve and sam had a joint bank account, so steve pulled the bank records and found that sam's bank card was used at an atm in long beach, then again at a nearby pizza parlor. >> so i said, okay. we've got movement here. let me see. >> reporter: so steve drove down to long beach to check out the bank. >> so i hung around for about an hour, see maybe i'd see sam or sam's car because sam's car is also missing. nothing happene