finally been found, dead in the trunk of her silver mercedes. the car had been the subject of a massive search ever since dee dee had been discovered missing a week earlier from her home two hours north in l.a. homicide detective jimmy gates, who had always thought finding the car would be the key for finding dee dee. now gave the mercedes a thorough going over. fingerprints or dna in the car? >> there wasn't one fingerprint either on or in that car or was there any partial print. nothing. >> reporter: dee dee's or anybody else? >> nobody. >> reporter: so what does that say professional? >> well, someone went to great lengths to make damn sure they were not identified by fingerprints, that's for sure. >> reporter: but the killer did leave a clue in the tape wrapped around dee dee's body. >> i never seen tape like that. it appeared to us to be consistent with red duct tape. >> reporter: that started gates in one direction but he also