his life in 2002. his mother shirley comes here to visit and remember. his sister brenda too when she s in town. oh, how they worried that war might put him here. except war didn t. no, there never was a thought back then about what could happen far from combat, what did happen. all those strange things down south in north carolina. fayetteville is an old town, steeped in revolutionary and civil war history. smack in the middle of the bible belt. but now, cargo planes buzz in and out of pope air force base. all past the confines of the city sprawls the immense ft. bragg, home base of the computer whiz, david shannon, his house was here, a few blocks off base. the major, his wife joan, and their four children.
major david shannon, who lost his life in 2002. his mother shirley comes here to visit and remember. his sister brenda too when she s in town. oh, how they worried that war might put him here. except war didn t. no, there never was a thought back then about what could happen far from combat, what did happen. all those strange things down south in north carolina. fayetteville is an old town, steeped in revolutionary and civil war history. smack in the middle of the bible belt. but now, cargo planes buzz in and out of pope air force base. all past the confines of the city sprawls the immense ft. bragg, home base of the computer whiz, david shannon, his house was here, a few blocks off base.
reporter: and he was available. he was also eight years younger. was that a problem for either one of them? it was not a problem for either one of them. pegye, when she sets her sight on something, she s going to make it happen. it developed really quickly. really, really quickly. reporter: within a year, they were married. within four years, they have three beautiful kids. pegye and eric went into business together. she opened up her own physical therapy business and eric, a computer whiz, managed the technical side of their venture which quickly became very profitable. her business was doing good and she was happily married. reporter: and the happy couple was also happily spending a lot of money on a german sports car, italian clothing, and a spectacular bluffside home in newport beach. they were the little dream story. beautiful girl, good-looking guy, drive nice cars, beautiful children. reporter: until that summer day in 1997 when the unimaginable happened.
reporter: and he was available. he was also eight years younger. was that a problem for either one of them? it was not a problem for either one of them. pegye, when she sets her sight on something, she s going to make it happen. it developed really quickly. really, really quickly. reporter: within a year, they were married. within four years, they have three beautiful kids. pegye and eric went into business together. she opened up her own physical therapy business and eric, a computer whiz, managed the technical side of their venture which quickly became very profitable. her business was doing good and she was happily married. reporter: and the happy couple was also happily spending a lot of money on a german sports car, italian clothing, and a spectacular bluffside home in newport beach. they were the little dream story. beautiful girl, good-looking guy, drive nice cars, beautiful children.
therapy business and eric, a computer whiz, managed the technical side of their venture which quickly became very profitable. her business was doin good. and she was happily married. reporter: and the happy couple was also happily spending a lot of money. on a german sports car, italian clothing and a spectacular bluffside home in newport beach. they were the little dream story. beautiful girl, good-looking guy, drive nice cars, beautiful children. reporter: until that summer day in 1997, when the unimaginable happened. male, kind of distraught, said that his wife fell overboard. reporter: it was a boating accident, said eric, and the coast guard agreed. something they see all too often. but soon, secrets emerged that would make some people wonder what really happened to pegye bechler? reporter: when we come back i absolutely thought they d find her.