I have seen this a few times. I see domains about to expire and get released but in some cases the domain keeps its age. Is this like a black market of domains or something. It was with NetworkSolutions.com and still is. Do they have a early auction where you can buy it just before the drop?
I belive this is true of most names picked up anywhere at auction as "expired names". The registar renews the domain before it drops and then auctions it. Hence it has never expired.