Because you heard from the owners? Or because the family told you that? The dates are very odd to me regardless.
I heard from someone who knows what his real eBay ID, verified through his email account, is.
The dates were intriguing, but leaving feedback in the middle of driving to Ruby Valley, and then again 8 days after the last call to VM, didn't fit either.
Also, Steven was on his mission in 1999 when the accounts were registered.