NV NV - Steven T. Koecher, 30, Henderson, 13 Dec 2009 - # 9

[carbuff]

Yes - we do have their word, and only their word, as far as I know. It does seem odd to me too. But since it was so close to the holidays, perhaps they were trying to give him an opportunity to get current. And being so close to the holidays, they probably needed the rent money too. They could have gotten the Koecher's names and number from the rental application field "nearest relative not living with you."

I wonder if he had paid his share of the rent, but they were trying to get him to pay the vanished roommate's share too?

 

[Paulette]

I don't think he drove to this out of the way area to commit suicide. He must've passed many, many places on his journeys to Mesquite, Overton, etc. where he could've pulled off the road & disappeared.

How was he to know he'd be video taped at noon? He couldn't.

He was invited to someone's house in Anthem. Probably for a job. But where did he meet this person? Possibly a message board at a laundromat or grocery store. So much time has elapsed it's probably pointless to go searching message boards.

Could he be having a liason with a woman? Seems unlikely, but who knows.

 

[Lato]

Fairy1 Do you know if landlord and landlady were in Henderson Saturday morning for the search?

 

[carbuff]

I don't think he drove to this out of the way area to commit suicide. He must've passed many, many places on his journeys to Mesquite, Overton, etc. where he could've pulled off the road & disappeared.

How was he to know he'd be video taped at noon? He couldn't.

He was invited to someone's house in Anthem. Probably for a job. But where did he meet this person? Possibly a message board at a laundromat or grocery store. So much time has elapsed it's probably pointless to go searching message boards.

Could he be having a liason with a woman? Seems unlikely, but who knows.

That assumes he was PLANNING to commit suicide, and had been planning it for several days.

If it was a reaction to medication (or withdrawal of medication), or an impulsive decision (suicides often are) it could have happened after he parked, possibly after a meeting or social event went poorly.

 

[Fairy1]

Fairy1 Do you know if landlord and landlady were in Henderson Saturday morning for the search?

I'm not positive - but I don't believe they were. I think stilLooking posted here later that same day checking to see how the search went.

 

[CONCRNED CTZN]

I didn't say he was being careful about everything. I was speculating on some of the things he might have stopped for, one of which might have been related to hiding his tracks.

"after the landlord got so desperate he contacted his parents"...hmmmmmmm and more hmmmmmmm. That does not strike me as the normal way to deal with a 30-year-old man who is behind on his rent. My brother has been behind any number of times over the years and nobody has ever called my parents over it. They've just evicted him, even when he was a lot younger than Steven.

The landlords weren't professionals at this...and they were desperate for money. The landlady told us they had their other home to pay the mortgage on also. I don't think we should read too much into the owners calling a "contact" that Steven had provided on his rental contract. That's why they require that, in the event that they can't get ahold of Steven. In theory, it worked perfectly having that information. They were able to get ahold of someone who would either contact Steven or maybe pay themselves.

 

[SuziQ]

Did we ever get an answer as to whether Steven was locked out of his room?

 

[CONCRNED CTZN]

I wonder if he had paid his share of the rent, but they were trying to get him to pay the vanished roommate's share too?

They were not roommates. They didn't move in at the same time, or live in the same room...they just shared "common area". From what the landlady/owner has told us, Steven was not fond of his "housemate".

 

[CONCRNED CTZN]

One thing we know from the video is he didn't cross to the other side of the street. So that eliminates the perp living on the other side of the street. I can't really tell if he turns the corner or just crosses the street & keeps moving forward. It kinda looks like he turns at the corner.

My thoughts are that teams, armed with a flyer AND a still shot of him walking past the house with the camera, should go knock on each and every door and ask if they've seen him. Explain that he never left this area & his car was found abandoned. You never know what people are willing to divulge until you ask them. Someone may have heard a bit of gossip at the clubhouse or a barbecue or admit Mr. X is a bit strange.

There's no law against knocking on someone's door and asking questions.

If this were my child, that's what I'd do. Because absolutely nothing else has worked.

If you look in the car window...on the second video, I believe I see a reflection that shows SK "continued" down EL. A few others have mentioned this also...

 

[CONCRNED CTZN]

Did we ever get an answer as to whether Steven was locked out of his room?

We were told that an arrangement had been made to catch up on the rent...so therefore we were led to believe he was not. The landlady has never mentioned locking Steven out.

 

[Paulette]

That assumes he was PLANNING to commit suicide, and had been planning it for several days.

If it was a reaction to medication (or withdrawal of medication), or an impulsive decision (suicides often are) it could have happened after he parked, possibly after a meeting or social event went poorly.

Two people from his church spoke with him that morning. Neither gave any indication that Steven was acting or speaking in a detached manner or that he wasn't returning to St. George. Steven even told one man that he would come back to St. George immediatley to attend to some church function.

That's what leads me to believe he had no intention of suicide or was on meds or withdrawing.

It's entirely possible that he drove to this suburb to run off into the desert. But it's not probable.

Supposing he did have a meeting or social event in Anthem & it didn't go well. How odd is it that he'd just walk out their door & keep on going.

 

[RubyRed]

If you look in the car window...on the second video, I believe I see a reflection that shows SK "continued" down EL. A few others have mentioned this also...

I believe he kept walking, as well.

 

[RubyRed]

If only the connection to SCA could be established. It is probably right in front of us, so obvious we could trip over it. Yet it eludes us.

 

[Naomi30]

Hello i am new to this but have been following Stevens case for a while....I see some have mentioned suicide..if this was the case how could his body not have been found by now?...I mean unless he knows an area really well and far from veiw (if he didnt want to be found) it would be very hard....many people that commit suicide because of depression do it on impulse...I myself have suffered from depression and the medication i was on made me more nervous at first so my speach was all over the place and when first taking the meds i had suicidal thoughts but they eased...I just dont think he went out there to kill himself....Also news reports stated small fragments of bone had been found but in the updated report it says large bones have been found?

 

[Paulette]

Hello i am new to this but have been following Stevens case for a while....I see some have mentioned suicide..if this was the case how could his body not have been found by now?...I mean unless he knows an area really well and far from veiw (if he didnt want to be found) it would be very hard....many people that commit suicide because of depression do it on impulse...I myself have suffered from depression and the medication i was on made me more nervous at first so my speach was all over the place and when first taking the meds i had suicidal thoughts but they eased...I just dont think he went out there to kill himself....Also news reports stated small fragments of bone had been found but in the updated report it says large bones have been found?

Welcome, Naomi30. Where are these updated reports? I don't know where to look for htem. Thanks

 

[ThePhantom]

Well, as one example -- if you can believe them, the D.C. police chief thought it was perfectly plausible that Chandra Levy's body lay in an embankment for over a year, even though law enforcement, dogs, etc. had searched Rock Creek Park. It took someone allegedly hunting for turtles to find some of her remains, and then a PI to find the rest of them

 

[carbuff]

Two people from his church spoke with him that morning. Neither gave any indication that Steven was acting or speaking in a detached manner or that he wasn't returning to St. George. Steven even told one man that he would come back to St. George immediatley to attend to some church function.

That's what leads me to believe he had no intention of suicide or was on meds or withdrawing.

It's entirely possible that he drove to this suburb to run off into the desert. But it's not probable.

Supposing he did have a meeting or social event in Anthem & it didn't go well. How odd is it that he'd just walk out their door & keep on going.

As a formerly depressed and suicidal person who could be sent spiraling downward by incidents that any outsider would have said were trivial, I have to say that I would not find it in the least little bit odd. In fact, in many ways it seems like the most obvious explanation.

It is entirely possible to put on a happy face for people you know when you're black as the depths of hell inside. Often the people you're closest to are the ones who have the least clue.

It is entirely possible to feel perfectly normal and happy at 10am and plunge into despair shortly after noon.

Some antidepressant medications have a known side effect of producing or increasing suicidal thoughts. I haven't personally encountered this but we can't rule it out, either.

 

[Lato]

The second article shows the discovery of several large bones....

While scouring the desert Saturday for signs of Steven Koecher, a 30-year-old St. George resident who was last seen Dec. 13 in the Sun City Anthem community in Henderson, the group discovered bone fragments, but the group was unable to determine if the bones came from a human or an animal, said Rolph Koecher, Steven’s father.

http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20100411/NEWS05/100411004/Search-for-missing-man-comes-up-empty



As the group of nearly 70 volunteers was concluding their search, they came upon several large bones.
http://www.abc4.com/content/news/to...or-Steven-Koecher/TZCiDFTSYE2nP5k9f99GpQ.cspx

 

[webrocket]

Unless they have a specific evidence a crime was committed and that the directions were involved, they don't have any grounds for a subpoena. A judge normally won't grant a subpoena for a fishing expedition, which is what this would be.

The directions wouldn't have to start in St. George. "Here, this sheet has directions for driving from SLC. Just follow from step 5."

no harm in asking. If a judge turns down the request so be it.

However, let's say that in that 6 month period before Steven disappeared there was only ONE mapquest search for any address on Evening Lights, it could shed some light on who requested the directions.

If this 'tip' that the PI got has any credibility, it could serve as a basis to think a crime might have been committed.

 

[carbuff]

The landlords weren't professionals at this...and they were desperate for money. The landlady told us they had their other home to pay the mortgage on also. I don't think we should read too much into the owners calling a "contact" that Steven had provided on his rental contract. That's why they require that, in the event that they can't get ahold of Steven. In theory, it worked perfectly having that information. They were able to get ahold of someone who would either contact Steven or maybe pay themselves.

I'd expect that to happen with, say, a kid in college. If somebody called me about my grown son's rent, I would say, "Excuse me, I think you're talking to the wrong person. This is not my problem." (Note that this is not necessarily what I would say to my son if he came to me himself.) I don't mean it's sinister or anything, it just seems somewhat anomalous, and when somebody goes missing, the anomalous things attract attention.

Hm, unless his parents had provided a financial reference or something. That might explain it.