Still, no government has agreed to investigate this crime. This speaks to some of the problems the series sought to highlight. But the inaction also bothered me. So, I recently compiled a Document Reader which consists of new information about the killing. The Document Reader is meant as a comprehensive archive of accumulated knowledge from the investigation (an opening of my notebook, if you will). My thought was that perhaps in this hyper-connected and perpetually online world, by making these materials public, it would empower others -- be they governments, NGOs or, quite possibly just smart, interested readers -- to push this investigation forward. The Document Reader is a bit of a slog. But have at it, if you're interested. And please don't hesitate to email me with input: urbina@nytimes.com.

In these and nearby waters, boat captains told us that handguns had been fixtures on merchant and fishing vessels. More recently, however, semiautomatic and automatic weapons replaced these smaller arms.

Weapons are forbidden in most ports globally. But they are easy to hide, and port inspectors rarely check for them. Dumping them overboard is always an option, too. (Also, the cost of the guns tends to be less than the potential fines for being caught with them.)

Most of the big shipping companies now carry armed guards and, in order to sidestep weapons bans, rely on floating armories. These are ships that park themselves in international waters and serve both as weapons storage depots and low-end hotels for armed guards between deployments.