In Riverton, where Roger Bergendorff lived before moving to Las Vegas, neighbors described him as a down-on-his-luck loner who lived for a time in a pickup truck camper with his pets.

John Walster let Bergendorff stay in the camper when he wore out his welcome at Tholen's home in the spring of 2006. He said Bergendorff stayed about three months before Walster asked him to leave in August 2006. When Bergendorff still didn't move out, Walster packed up his things and left them outside.

Bergendorff also lived for a decade in Huntington Beach, Calif., where he designed airbrush calendars and postcards that were sold in souvenir shops.

His former landlord, Jerry Smith, recalled Bergendorff frequently paid his rent late. He was being evicted when he declared his illustration business bankrupt in April 1990. Bergendorff claimed $309,700 in debts and $26,650 in assets.

When Bergendorff finally moved out, he destroyed a darkroom he had built in the two-bedroom apartment, Smith said. He left torn pages from pornographic magazines scattered everywhere.

"He was mad because we had to evict him," Smith said. "It was like he wanted to do something symbolic with these magazines, to shock us.'