my thought was, this is a stupid way to die, in the middle of the nevada desert over marijuana. >> october, 2008. three biologists were surveying streams and terrain in a remote part of northern nevada. >> here's our foot prints right here. >> they walked three miles to a canyon when something amidst the gray and brown desert stood out. >> there was a plant that just caught my attention. it was extremely green, five or six feet tall, and looked just out of place. >> one of our co-workers said is this what i think it is? we're like yeah. it looks like marijuana. that's what it is. >> the men, two of whom wished to remain unidentified, thought little of it but a few feet further down they saw another plant. >> he said it looks like that was cut and placed there by somebody. then i got kind of a knot in my stomach and thought, something's not right.