I read about those fellas on another forum. Yes, it was sad that they made such a fatal mistake.
As for your prospecting ventures, you should be proud of your self.
Let me know when you've got enough to sell off, if you need money to invest back into your prospecting.
Google up Bearfoot gold. It's a newer place around here, that I'll be going to, as soon as I get some time off. Real nice folks run the place. A friend was metal detecting there and found some gold in quartz near the old mine shaft, and he's dredged up near an ounce in a few weekends. He uses a 4" Keene.
He let me use his dredge last year, in the Uwharrie river. Only got a little over a gram that day, but it hooked me good.
I'll be hitting the local beaches this weekend, looking for some tourist gold.