He showed up at work, ran around town conducting business and in consideration of September 11 the following day, he spent the night at the consulate.

The following is the State Department's version of what actually happened: Stevens never left the consulate compound on the eleventh, preferring to conduct meetings within the nine-foot walls topped by barbed wire, rather than venture out and risk any hostilities on the anniversary of 9/11.

Much has been made of Stevens' request for additional security, but he actually got four local militia in addition to his five security officers assigned to the consulate that day.