without paul. then, in december 2008, some time in the early morning hours, somewhere in her house, a fire started. >> a house is totally on fire. it's on fire? >> when firefighters arrived, the big red house was a wall of flames. they had no idea if anyone was still inside. >> does anyone of there? >> yes, yes, the kids! >> are they in the house? >> i don't know. >> neighbors knew paul wasn't there. he wasn't living in an apartment three hours away with his new girlfriend. that morning he got a call from catherine's pastor. >> i picked it up and it was pastor phyllis she goes, where the kids, where the kids? >> unlike, there with me. what's going? >> she goes, the house is on fire. >> firefighters worked for hours dousing the flames. when catherine's friends sue muller arrived, the fire was still raging. she stood vigil for hours. waiting to hear news of her friend. >> all of a sudden, the firemen were all concentrated in one area looking down into the basement.