When a popular high school teacher was found dead of a gunshot wound, investigators believed it was an accident. This is January 29. But an audio tape recorded by the victim just three days before his death raised serious questions that required answers.

Historic Durham, North Carolina is both a big city and a small town, best known as the home of Duke University and its world-famous medical center.

But it is also a close-knit southern community where families stay for generations.

At Durham High School, Russell Steger was a popular baseball coach and driver's education teacher, a man respected by faculty and students alike.

Jennifer Joyner was one of Russ Stager students.

All the kids who needed advice or needed someone to talk with about their problems,

Coach Stager, his door was always open, and he just meant a lot to the kids there.

After college, Russ Stager married his high school sweetheart, Joe Lynn.

Russ was a very gentle, compassionate, caring, full of life, human being.

He embraced life.

He had a very tender heart.

Unfortunately, Steger wasn't as successful in his personal life as he was in his professional

life.

After four years of marriage, Russ and Jo Lynn divorced.

Less than a year later, Russ married a 31-year-old widow, Barbara Ford.

He adopted her two sons, Brian and Jason.

He took in Barbara's sons as his own. He loved them. He cared for them and treated them

like they were his own sons. Barbara worked as a secretary at Duke University Medical Center.

Russ continued to teach and coach.

He worked weekends in the National Guard,

and with his new wife, Barbara,

taught Sunday school in their church.

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