NV NV - Steven T. Koecher, 30, Henderson, 13 Dec 2009 - # 6

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hoppyfrog

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Please continue here.

Steven-Koecher.jpg

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...ing-Utahn.html


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liz b.

That makes the phone conversations much more clear ; it was Steven's dad who said that Steven had hung up on him.
But, as I was looking at the timeline, I noticed something else. KC Naegle said that Matchbin may have asked Steven to move down to St. George ; if so, he had not met anyone in the area, either online or face to face.So, if this holds true it was job related that Steven moved to St.George, not that he had an urge to get away from his family ? Then Matchbin let him go a month later ....

I think Steven wanted to go, and might have got them to agree to it as a new market.
BUT...here's the rub: he went down there and rented a home without an internet connection, while being employed at an internet marketing company.

Moving Steven's Dad's phone call "within the first week of December" means it took place before he left for Ruby Valley.....and that last call between his mother and him, took place on the day he returned from that trip.

If the call was in the evening, the money would likely have been transferred on Dec 11th (a Friday). Steven might not have had a chance to check his bank account, before he disappeared.
 
Hi, I haven't posted here before, but this case is so strange and sad that I keep coming back to it. Based on the information that has been made public, no scenario makes total sense. Given what I've learned about Steven though, I just get the impression that whatever he ultimately did, he did on the spur of the moment. He just doesn't sound like a devious, plotting kind of guy. He sounds like a kind, goodhearted man who had been rudderless for awhile. I know when I graduated from college things didn't start out exactly as I had planned--I wasn't married and had no prospects, I didn't fall into the perfect, high-paying job, I had to live with my parents for awhile while I saved money... I can see how Steven's similar situation could make him depressed.

Come early December, Steven is depressed, stressed, jobless (mostly), in debt, lonely, and doesn't seem to have any close buddies. (I know, he has a loving, close family.) The Christmas season only serves to magnify his loneliness and need to belong somewhere, and with someone. He packs up with no real plan. Maybe he is fasting intermittently which would explain his apparent lack of eating enough. He travels aimlessly for a few days trying to make a connection with anyone really. Now here is where I think several things could have happened. Maybe he has met someone online who lives in the Vegas area--a girl, a job opportunity, a friend. I know he didn't have internet at home, but internet cafes aren't that hard to find.

He finally finds himself in Vegas, and impulsively makes contact with this unknown person out of desperation to a. make some money or b. make an emotional connection.

Something goes awry. He ends up either getting taken advantage of and harmed; things don't go well with a romantic meeting, and he goes out in the desert to find some solitude, think things through etc. and gets injured and is unable to return or impulsively takes his own life. It's possible too that he hooked up with someone--again impulsively, and naively gets sucked into something that he feels very ashamed/guilty about, and is alive but not sure he'll be welcomed back again.

I just don't get the impression that whatever he did was planned meticulously from beginning to end. I think he was flying off the cuff and got into trouble.
 
Laytonian,
Couple of things. Steven would not have needed an internet connection at his house.He could have used an aircard with his laptop. I use one,because my house isn't wired either.The aircard is great, it just plugs into the laptop,and you can use it to get connected to the internet anyplace you go. He could have just paid a monthly fee,and no one would have been any the wiser. About the money, he could have called the customer service number of his bank to get his balance; most banking transactions, I think, are credited and debited right away now. I'm saying it is possible that he could have known the money was there very soon after his mom deposited it.
 
His case is shocking, but not rare in the illegal world of predatory lending where intimidation, brutal assault and even murder are par for the course. As one expert put it: “All cases we come across are extreme.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6742115.ece


loan shark needed asap
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/cropwell-al/TCUEHQAGUHUAFTDFM#comments

Read the comments this is everyday people, desperate for money. I don't know if they even realize how scary it is, to borrow from loan sharks.I remember it was speculated that Steven could have been afraid of someone. Just another thought.
 
Laytonian,
Couple of things. Steven would not have needed an internet connection at his house.He could have used an aircard with his laptop. I use one,because my house isn't wired either.The aircard is great, it just plugs into the laptop,and you can use it to get connected to the internet anyplace you go. He could have just paid a monthly fee,and no one would have been any the wiser.

Except for the necessary software on the computer (we have an aircard, too - for when RV parks and hotels don't have wifi). It's an account like a cellphone, requires software on the computer, and would have easily been found.

It's a great idea, but would Steven have been using the library computers? I initially asked if Steven had internet, and was told "no".....and that the house didn't even have a landline. The only possibility, I learned, is that if he walked outside and around the corner, he could have (maybe) hopped onto the neighbor's open wifi connection.

I wonder if his computer even worked well; why use the library computers to do banal things, when you could use the free wifi at McDonald's or half the other fast-food places in St George? Or at a friend's house?


About the money, he could have called the customer service number of his bank to get his balance; most banking transactions, I think, are credited and debited right away now. I'm saying it is possible that he could have known the money was there very soon after his mom deposited it.

Yeah, he could have. His mother works at the bank, so likely all deposits are at the same bank...and there are branches of Zions all over Utah. He could also have checked by sticking his card into an ATM.

But it doesn't seem he did anything like that. It would be a noted transaction, and maybe would have told us where he was. Nothing showed up on the bank records.
 
His case is shocking, but not rare in the illegal world of predatory lending where intimidation, brutal assault and even murder are par for the course. As one expert put it: “All cases we come across are extreme.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6742115.ece

loan shark needed asap
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/cropwell-al/TCUEHQAGUHUAFTDFM#comments

Read the comments this is everyday people, desperate for money. I don't know if they even realize how scary it is, to borrow from loan sharks.I remember it was speculated that Steven could have been afraid of someone. Just another thought.

Yup -- and outside of the Deep South, there's no better place to open a predatory payday loan store, than Utah. They're unregulated, political party chairmen own them, the powerful own them, the unpowerful own them ... and it's shocking when you find out who is in hock to them. (A friend who was one of the top AOL execs in Ogden, was in deep doo-doo to the payday lenders.)
Every time a new strip mall is built, the payday loan store is the first thing that's opened.

I don't think a legitimate payday lender's going to put a hit on anyone, BUT they can make your life miserable when you find out you owe $1,000 because you couldn't pay off $200 a few months ago.

Thanks for reminding me. I need to put that on the scenarios page.
 
Hi, I haven't posted here before, but this case is so strange and sad that I keep coming back to it.

Tell us about it :banghead:

Based on the information that has been made public, no scenario makes total sense. Given what I've learned about Steven though, I just get the impression that whatever he ultimately did, he did on the spur of the moment. He just doesn't sound like a devious, plotting kind of guy. He sounds like a kind, goodhearted man who had been rudderless for awhile. I know when I graduated from college things didn't start out exactly as I had planned--I wasn't married and had no prospects, I didn't fall into the perfect, high-paying job, I had to live with my parents for awhile while I saved money... I can see how Steven's similar situation could make him depressed.

He travels aimlessly for a few days trying to make a connection with anyone really. Now here is where I think several things could have happened. Maybe he has met someone online who lives in the Vegas area--a girl, a job opportunity, a friend. I know he didn't have internet at home, but internet cafes aren't that hard to find.

Steven used the computers at the St George public library. We don't know if they've been analyzed, but they're probably the least private thing you could use, if you were trying to be sly (something we agree Steven's likely not).


He finally finds himself in Vegas, and impulsively makes contact with this unknown person out of desperation to a. make some money or b. make an emotional connection.

Something goes awry. He ends up either getting taken advantage of and harmed; things don't go well with a romantic meeting, and he goes out in the desert to find some solitude, think things through etc. and gets injured and is unable to return or impulsively takes his own life. It's possible too that he hooked up with someone--again impulsively, and naively gets sucked into something that he feels very ashamed/guilty about, and is alive but not sure he'll be welcomed back again.

I just don't get the impression that whatever he did was planned meticulously from beginning to end. I think he was flying off the cuff and got into trouble.

You need to stick around. It's good to see new names here.
 
Laytonian,
What's strange is having a laptop with no internet access ; I wonder if he had an aircard at one time,like when he first moved down to St.George ? Most laptops do have the aircard capability. If he checked his balance by calling an 800 customer service #, would that show up ?
That payday loan stuff is scary... Do you happen to know if they make loans to people who are not employed, or marginally employed,like Steven ? How would Steven have gotten a loan, I wonder ? You would think he would have needed to give them a reference,like a parent, so that they would know they could collect from someone. The political aspect is interesting, and those places are everywhere.
 
Laytonian,
What's strange is having a laptop with no internet access ; I wonder if he had an aircard at one time,like when he first moved down to St.George ? Most laptops do have the aircard capability. If he checked his balance by calling an 800 customer service #, would that show up ?
That payday loan stuff is scary... Do you happen to know if they make loans to people who are not employed, or marginally employed,like Steven ? How would Steven have gotten a loan, I wonder ? You would think he would have needed to give them a reference,like a parent, so that they would know they could collect from someone. The political aspect is interesting, and those places are everywhere.

I think it's strange to have a notebook computer, and rather than using one of the many free wifi links in St George, going into the library and using their computers. (Naegle clearly said he used the library's computers.) The library website infers that they have wifi.

The aircard's as traceable as anything else. All you need to use an aircard, is a USB port and the drivers (software)....and about $65 a month, which is what ours costs. It's possible that Matchbin gave him an aircard to use....but he didn't have anything later.

Payday loan stores wouldn't be in business, if they didn't loan to people who are marginally employed. They don't want to be paid back right away; they want to the ugly interest to "roll over" (worse than compounding).

Steven would have been exactly their kind of customer: someone who doesn't need a LOT of money, but needs it fast. Problem is, if he didn't pay it back in two weeks, it doubles or quadruples in just a few months.

Depending upon how much was owed on his car, he could have taken out a title loan, too.
 
But, I have NO idea why Steven would take the Matchbin job without an internet connection, and NO idea why he would use the public computers at the library. This part of the narrative is sooo confusing.
 
But, I have NO idea why Steven would take the Matchbin job without an internet connection, and NO idea why he would use the public computers at the library. This part of the narrative is sooo confusing.

you can pick up free wireless connections all over the place. maybe not as good as your own but when you are on a budget, nothing beats free.

in this day and age it is impossible to exist without a reliable internet connection. Steven had a job that used the internet. It is inconceivable he did not use his computer for searches, directions, news, email, job hunting and even dating connections. IF he ONLY used public computers then we really have to wonder what dodgy things he was up to.

The family has only said nothing "suspicious" was found. If they are looking for a word document entitled "my plans for December 2009" forget about it.
 
Steven used the computers at the St George public library. We don't know if they've been analyzed, but they're probably the least private thing you could use, if you were trying to be sly (something we agree Steven's likely not).

I read that he used the public library for internet when he was in St. George, but in his travels he could still be in contact with people by email, and in that case, there are plenty of places to access internet while traveling.


You need to stick around. It's good to see new names here.[/QUOTE]

Thanks! I will. Here's hoping for some new information or insight so we don't just spin our wheels.
 
But, I have NO idea why Steven would take the Matchbin job without an internet connection, and NO idea why he would use the public computers at the library. This part of the narrative is sooo confusing.

Well.....like they told him "this just isn't working out." And it didn't take long.

I guess he could have walked around to businesses, selling the advertisement -- and then worked on it elsewhere. We don't know *where* he worked, when he worked for them in the SLC area.

Ooooohhhhhh.....well, flop a tuna in my face and call me Lizzie.

Look at this:

The Davis County Clipper that Steven's dad is Exec Editor of:
http://clippertoday.com/
AND
http://www.todayindixie.com/ (the small St George newspaper from the same publisher)

If you scroll down to the bottom of either, look what you see on every page of the online edition:

help products about us contact us
software copyright © 2009 matchbin, inc.
content copyright © 2009 Davis County Clipper
this software is in a public beta test phase read our privacy policy
Davis County Clipper - News, Classifieds, Events and Businesses in Davis County, Utah is in Bountiful, UT

NO WONDER, when "Today In Dixie" finally published an article about Steven's disappearance last week, they mentioned "former employee".

http://snurl.com/ucnri [www_todayindixie_com]
 
Laytonian: You need to stick around. It's good to see new names here.

Canyon1: Thanks! I will. Here's hoping for some new information or insight so we don't just spin our wheels.

Stick around anyway. We're Olympic-level wheel-spinners by now. I should have a cycle-powered computer ;)
 
Steven used the computers at the St George public library. We don't know if they've been analyzed, but they're probably the least private thing you could use, if you were trying to be sly (something we agree Steven's likely not).

I read that he used the public library for internet when he was in St. George, but in his travels he could still be in contact with people by email, and in that case, there are plenty of places to access internet while traveling.


You need to stick around. It's good to see new names here.

Thanks! I will. Here's hoping for some new information or insight so we don't just spin our wheels.[/QUOTE]


Anyone who has to use public computers for job searches is a LOSER. Maybe the St. George library is where he was looking for dates provided the websites were not too racy.

I don't think LE would go after the hard drives on public libraries absent some compelling reason. Trying to track the history of a nobody like Steven is never going to happen.
 
Webrocket,

Well, maybe not a loser. Maybe just someone who was/is overwhelmed ,lost, and highly vulnerable. Tough times out there right now....
 
software copyright © 2009 matchbin, inc.
content copyright © 2009 Davis County Clipper

NO WONDER, when "Today In Dixie" finally published an article about Steven's disappearance last week, they mentioned "former employee".

http://snurl.com/ucnri [www_todayindixie_com]

To be clear, matchbin is *not* just two Utah online editions; if your own small-town newspaper has an online edition, take a look at the copyrights at the bottom of each page.

But...it has to be more than a coincidence that when Steven found a job three months after leaving the Tribune's online edition, it was with a company that was closely allied with his Dad's online edition.

AND...the "Today In Dixie"/matchbin.com linkage shows that he might just have been sent to where he wanted to live, to work there.

"Not working out" may not have been pleasant, all around.

(Steven's Dad is doing a great community service this week, and it has to be a tough one, considering the circumstances: the county spelling bee.)
 
I don't think LE would go after the hard drives on public libraries absent some compelling reason. Trying to track the history of a nobody like Steven is never going to happen.

....we'd all probably fit that description, in a world where Paris Hilton and Any Kardashian are considered high society. I'd rather be a loser.

But darnit. I'll be traceable! ;)
 
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