Five men were named only by their number, sent in around 23 BC at Zarahemla after Nephi, son of Helaman, told a gathering that the chief judge Seezoram lay murdered at the judgment seat. Doubting that Nephi was a prophet, they ran to the judgment seat to test his words and found Seezoram dead in his blood. The sight astonished them so much that they fell to the earth in fear (Helaman 9:1-5).
When the people gathered and found the five fallen there, knowing nothing of the crowd at Nephi’s garden, they assumed the five were the murderers, bound them, and cast them into prison; a proclamation went out that the killers had been taken (Helaman 9:6-9). At Seezoram’s burial the next day the judges who had heard Nephi asked after the five who had been sent, learned they were the prisoners, and had them brought; the five recounted what they had done and were freed on the day of the burial (Helaman 9:10-16). Released, they rebuked the judges for their words against Nephi and contended with them one by one until they confounded them (Helaman 9:18).
The true murderer, Seantum, Seezoram’s brother, was exposed when the people followed Nephi’s instructions and found blood on his cloak, and he confessed; the five were set at liberty along with Nephi (Helaman 9:38). Some of the Nephites believed on Nephi’s words, and others believed because of the testimony of the five, who had been converted while in prison (Helaman 9:39).