I think my hermit crab is dead

Question
Hi.  I've had a hermit crab for almost three years and I have seen him molt a few times.  When he molts, his exoskeleton looks broken and hollow. But now my crab is out of his shell and not moving and it does not look like an exoskeleton. I sprayed him with water and put a few new shells in his habitat in addition to the ones that were already in there. I've heard that crabs go under the sand when molting and that they can die when molting.  I don't know what to do.  I read the story of another woman who sent you an e-mail about her crab who she thought was dead and after throwing it away returned to find that it was alive.  I plan on leaving my crab in his habitat for a few day to see what happens, but I would like to know your opinion.  I read that crabs come out of their shell to die and that there is usually a fishy smell.  My crab is out of the shell and I think there is a smell, however, my mom and aunt claim that they don't smell anything unusual. Please give me your advice.  Thank you.

Answer
Usually when a crab is out of his shell it's due to there being something in the shell thats irritating his abdomen or the temperature is too hot and he's trying to cool off. So check the shell he was in, and the other shells. Make sure you boil them for 5 minutes and let them cool before putting them back in. Also check your gauges to see that the temperature and humidity are in the correct ranges.
Sometimes a crab will leave it's shell and molt. It's not common but can happen. Try not to mist the crab directly, but the area around it.
Molting is a very stressful time for a crab and sometimes they don't make it through this process. Just keep providing everything they need and care for him, it's all we can do.
When a crab passes, there can be a smell sometimes. It's usually a dead fish smell. Sometimes a molting crab gives off a chemical smell. If your tank smells normal, then he's probably still alive.
If you'd like to find out more information check out this site.
http://hermitcrabaddiction.net/forum/index.php
Please keep in touch about your crab!
Vicki