DENVER -- Lance Hering, the missing marine who disappeared Aug. 30, is believed to be alive after he was videotaped buying a bus ticket at the Denver bus depot the same day of his disappearance.

With the help of Greyhound Bus Line officials, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said it obtained footage of Hering at the downtown Denver bus depot at 1055 19th St on Aug. 30.

Investigators showed the video to Hering's parents Lloyd and Elynne Hering on Wednesday morning and they said they are 99 percent sure that the man in the video is their son, the Sheriff's Office said.

Hering purchased the ticket using an alias name, police said, although detectives would not release the fake name used, Hering's destination or the video tape.

The Sheriff's Office is convinced Hering is alive and that he staged his disappearance. They said the scope of the investigation would thus be scaled back and most of the investigators working on the case will return to their normal duties.

Hering was first reported missing after his friend, Steve Powers, told police that Hering fell while the two were hiking together in Eldorado Canyon, but he said when he returned with help, Hering was gone.

That prompted the largest search effort ever in Boulder County, encompassing the canyon area southwest of Boulder.

Powers later told police the story was fabricated and that Hering staged his own disappearance to avoid returning to duty and to Iraq.

Hering has two outstanding warrants out for his arrest including a felony charge of failure to comply with the terms and conditions of a deferred sentence stemming from a 2004 burglary arrest. The other warrant for his arrest is for conspiracy to commit false reporting to authorities.

Marine officials have told sheriff's officials Hering was considered to be on authorized leave pending his Sept. 18 return to Camp Pendleton.

Staff Sgt. Jesse Lora at the base's media center said Thursday Hering is still not listed as being absent without authorization.

Lt. Esteban Vickers in an e-mail wrote if it turned out Hering was purposely absent he could be charged with desertion, with a likely penalty of up to three years confinement and a dishonorable discharge if convicted.

"For desertion, the death penalty is available during time of war, but not a real possibility here," Vickers wrote.

The Pentagon has said simple desertion has been decreasing in the military in recent years -- about 2,500 troops last year didn't show up for work, down from almost 5,000 in 2001.

But groups that run the GI Rights Hotline, which helps service members interested in getting out of their required service, have reported receiving more than 36,000 calls in 2005 and about 19,000 in the first six months of this year, up from fewer than 1,000 in 2001.

Anyone with information about Hering's whereabouts are asked to contact Detective Brian Zierlein at 303-441-1681.