▁in ▁the ▁nearby ▁woods , ▁suggesting ▁Math ias , ▁too , ▁surv ived ▁for ▁some ▁time ▁beyond ▁the ▁last ▁night ▁they ▁were ▁seen ▁alive . ▁ ▁A ▁witness ▁later ▁came ▁forward , ▁a ▁local ▁man ▁who ▁said ▁he ▁had ▁spent ▁the ▁same ▁night ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁car ▁a ▁short ▁distance ▁away ▁from ▁where ▁the ▁Monte go ▁was ▁found , ▁after ▁suffering ▁a ▁m ild ▁heart ▁attack ▁trying ▁to ▁push ▁it ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁snow . ▁He ▁told ▁police ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁seen ▁and ▁heard ▁people ▁around ▁the ▁car ▁that ▁night , ▁and ▁twice ▁called ▁for ▁help , ▁only ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁grow ▁silent ▁and ▁turn ▁off ▁their ▁flash light s . ▁This , ▁and ▁the ▁considerable ▁distance ▁from ▁the ▁car ▁to ▁where ▁the ▁bodies ▁were ▁found , ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁susp ic ions ▁of ▁f oul ▁play . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁Army ▁service ▁in ▁West ▁Germany ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁Gary ▁Math ias , ▁a ▁Y uba ▁City ▁native , ▁had ▁developed ▁drug ▁problems . ▁ ▁These ▁eventually ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁being ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁sch iz op hren ia ▁and ▁being ▁psych iat r ically ▁dis charg ed . ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁his ▁parents ' ▁home ▁in ▁California ▁and ▁began ▁treatment ▁at ▁a ▁local ▁mental ▁hospital . ▁While ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁difficult ▁at ▁first — he ▁was ▁nearly ▁arrested ▁for ▁assault ▁twice ▁and ▁often ▁suffered ▁psych otic ▁episodes ▁that ▁land ed ▁him ▁in ▁a ▁local ▁V eter ans ▁Administration ▁hospital — by ▁ 1