[HiTech RedNeck]

Or they knocked off their search for the night, whereupon he went to the spot and shot himself, figuring these Sherlocks wouldn’t take all that long to notice it then.

[Slings and Arrows]

Or they assumed he ran for it and started their search farther afield. (And if so, the old saying about “when you assum”e damn sure applies.)

[advertising guy]

I’m waitin for ballistics my gut says he ate a bullet yesterday durin the shootout car jack

If he was that close and shot himself more recently,it woulda been heard