During Fire Inspector Wilbur Ricker's deposition he testified that after Cpl. Jamison had gone to Herrin’s to call the authorities to let then know that they had found a body that he took his camera and started around the building. He said he took "the views of the building and the road and the inside of what I found—and when I got down on the back of the building, I noticed another gas can which I have a picture of.... It was on the back of the building down below the door which had no stairs or anything to it ... it was close to what in my opinion was the doorway out and no stairs ... it would be like you had it there already to set in or you reached down and dropped it out or whatever.”  During Fire Inspector Wilbur Ricker's testimony in United States Federal Court his photo of the third gas can was shown as an exhibit.
 
This is a strange place for a gas can with fuel for a oil furnace to be located.