fans of steven b. williams hit radio show woke up every morning to his golden voice. he was a d.j. found fame and fortune. then one day steven b. disappeared. detectives were determined to solve the mystery, but the key remained stubbornly out of reach wrapped in a napkin, tucked in a cabinet and hidden in a library. would anyone ever find it? here's keith morrison. >> reporter: down below the surface of the pacific ocean on the far side of california's catalina island is a silent current, strange how it flows up to the swelling coastline of santa barbara, then just before the open sea turns back to glide again past the storied island with one sunny day in may 2006 someone in it. >> i have a saying that i'd rather be lucky than good. >> reporter: ken clark of the l.a. sheriff's department has been at it a long time. as has robert martindale, more than 50 years between them. but nothing like the case that literally floated to them on a lonely reach of ocean out by catalina, would never have had the case at all, except. >> we were lucky that we had some boaters leaving newport beach g

into your voice remote to get started. >>> welcome back, devastated by the loss of his father, steven b. williamsided to change course and sail the globe as a chef on a friend's yacht, but before the high seas adventure could begin, boaters found steven's body floating in the waters off the southern california coast. it was murder. there was a bullet in the back of steven's head, and soon detectives would uncover a possible motive, 2 million of them, in fact. here's keith morris. >> reporter: there'd been so much promise in the air that spring of 2006. the second act of a radio man, all that fun on the radio was over, yes, but now he was all set to sail the world. and then he winds up floating face down seven miles off the coast of california, a bullet hole in the back of his head, but who wanted him dead and why? detectives ken clark and robert martindale started by asking his friends. what did you find out about him? >> the thing i noticed about this case, and i give the credit to his friends, was he was surrounded by a group of very close friends that knew a lot about him. these are lifelong f