NV NV - Steven Koecher, 30, Henderson, 13 Dec 2009 - #22

I think the Landlord calls in the afternoon of 12/13 and then in the a.m. on the 14th were only attempts by the landlord to reach him, if I recall, and I'm not absolutely sure about that. However, the timing is highly interesting if, indeed, the landlord was calling him at 6am! How odd. And, as has been mentioned many times, why continue to call him if they'd reached an agreement about payment?

The landlord calling the parents is interesting as well. I would be extremely odd to me, except that I think it was mentioned on a thread here long ago that it's likely that SK's parents co-signed the lease. That certainly seems credible, considering his financial situation in ensuing months.
 
Based on what I've gathered, it seems like Steven addressed the rent issue with the landlord at some point in the week or so prior to him disappearing. Obviously, Steven was still broke at that point so I don't think there was any immediate plan of payment for the beginning or middle of December.

Yet based on a few reports I've seen they seemed to be calling each other, or at least trying to, on the day of and day after his disappearance. That definitely strikes me as odd because is Steven going to give him the play-by-play for every dollar he earns?

It definitely makes you wonder if there was other business they were addressing other than rent.

Steven wasn't exactly secretive about being in Vegas, but he never really gave any specifics about it. So with that said, I doubt he was there doing anything that felt blatantly suspicious to him. So then the question remains - was he naive about whatever business brought him to the area? Did he genuinely think he had an opportunity there waiting for him?

Again, the totality of this keeps me leaning towards foul play and not suicide or running away. He never hid his whereabouts, he was buying Christmas gifts, he had a shaving kit and toiletries with him. There's still a definite sense he was looking forward and still caring about his life.
 
7 years. Wish we knew where to look for you, Steven.
 
The LDS don't have study groups at homes.
The landlord is in prison for drug and weapon offenses, after being arrested several times in the past years.
The information I put in the timeline is still valid.
 
The landlord is in prison for drug and weapon offenses, after being arrested several times in the past years.

The landlord was convicted of drug & weapon offenses? Any pattern of violence recorded in this history???

Interesting, Laytonian, interesting.
 
The landlord was convicted of drug & weapon offenses? Any pattern of violence recorded in this history???

Interesting, Laytonian, interesting.

Certainly a pattern of criminal behavior.
 
The LDS don't have study groups at homes.
The landlord is in prison for drug and weapon offenses, after being arrested several times in the past years.
The information I put in the timeline is still valid.
Laytonian - you seem to have followed this pretty closely. Based on the charges do the drug charges seem to suggest selling or manufacturing?

I know there was mention of the landlord being under federal indictment in the past, I'm wondering if that may have stemmed from drugs, perhaps on a bigger scale than we think.
 
IN the past, many of us have agreed that Steven is the kind of guy who might agree to do a favor for the wrong person....
 
Or he might try to work off his rent...
 
Laytonian - you seem to have followed this pretty closely. Based on the charges do the drug charges seem to suggest selling or manufacturing?

I know there was mention of the landlord being under federal indictment in the past, I'm wondering if that may have stemmed from drugs, perhaps on a bigger scale than we think.

Not Laytonian but I can tell you that the LL has been arrested numerous times for numerous crimes and, yes, a bigger scale is entirely plausible. He also called Steven numerous times when he went missing. I've always wondered why that would be when, according to LL's wife, the issue of the back rent had already been addressed and resolved.
 
Not Laytonian but I can tell you that the LL has been arrested numerous times for numerous crimes and, yes, a bigger scale is entirely plausible. He also called Steven numerous times when he went missing. I've always wondered why that would be when, according to LL's wife, the issue of the back rent had already been addressed and resolved.

Yeah, the biggest red flag, for me at least, was the frequency and timing of calls between Steven and the LL.

If I recall correctly, the issue of back rent was addressed way before he disappeared. Obviously there was likely realistic expectations of a payment plan here - it's doubtful he would think Steven could catch up on 3 months of rent just a few weeks before Christmas.

I'm sure whatever money came in would be fine, but that seemingly was addressed and further correspondence so quickly after was always strange in my opinion.

However, the fact that one of them called the other one, or at least attempted to, at about 6 or 7 am the day after Steven parked and walked away is just bizarre and not indicative of any sort of normal tenant/LL relationship at all.
 
Steven's room was just one in the house...maybe they wanted him to show the other room or do something for them. Hadn't the other roommate left?

On another note:

From Desert News, April 5, 2010:

Greg Webb, who served with Steven in the 7th Ward's elders quorum, remembered searching Steve's apartment after he'd gone missing and finding notebooks full of plans to reorganize their home teaching visits.

"He took it upon himself to revamp the home teaching," he said. "That's how he was. You never had to ask. He just did it. He was just good; one of those guys that it seemed like he had it all figured out."

From Salt Lake Tribune:

Greg Webb, a good friend of Koecher's in the LDS church, said he called Koecher the morning he disappeared. His cell phone has not been used since, nor his bank cards.

Webb said he asked Koecher to attend a church meeting in his place that day at 11 a.m.

"He said he was in Las Vegas, but would go back [to St. George] if I needed him to," said Webb. "I was also in Vegas so decided to go back myself. I told him just to do whatever it was he had to do and I'd see him later. That's it. I wish I would have asked him to go back to St. George."


Webb, who did not know why Koecher was in the Las Vegas area, said his friend always told him if he was not planning to be at church. That Sunday, he never called.

"It's one thing that sticks out in my mind," said Webb.

FIRST. The above information has always bothered me. Why was Greg searching Steven's house. How did he get in? If he was such good friends with Steven, why hadn't he reported Steven missing? And who would write out "plans" to reorganize Home Teaching routes. That is not how it works. Greg would have given the names to Steven, not the other way around. No one has said Steven had anything figured out...but Greg thought that he did?

SECOND. Greg says he spoke to Steven and when they were both in Vegas. (He had to say this because the pings from both mens phones show that they were within a few miles of each other when they spoke that day.) Greg claims that he asked Steven to go to church for him; however, Greg makes it to church and it is noted he is there at noon. Greg would have had to be dressed and ready to go when he talked to Steven just outside Vegas at 11 AM to make it to church on time. This tells me he planned to go all along. (Two hour drive...best case scenario with time change.) If Greg was dressed and ready, why did he call Steven? What are the chances that they were two miles apart and did not know it? No one has said what Greg was doing in Vegas the night before? Who says "Do whatever it is you have to do. I will see you later." - which is what Greg claims he said to Steven? How did Greg know he would see Steven later? And then Greg says that Steven would let him know if he was not planning on being at church, and that Sunday Steven never called. BUT, Greg says he did talk to Steven and Steven told him he would not be there. Greg can't have it both ways. He either spoke with Steven, or he did not.
Greg has not married. He used to have a medical equipment delivery company, but I do not see any of that now.

Also, there is another young man who has "disappeared" from St. George that looks very similar to Steven. He is LDS, simply walked out of his front door never to be seen or heard from again. He turned 18 since he has gone missing. Also came from a good family. His name is Macin Smith. There have been sittings of him in Sacramento. A few have proved not to be him, but there are other sitings that have not been ruled out. I thought it was weird that Steven also mentioned Sacramento to Anne's family. Maybe there is something/someone in Sacramento seeking these boys/men out.

Just a few thoughts.


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Thanks for bringing that up, I almost forgot GW was in the house shortly after as well.

The thing that always got me is that the two happened to be in LV at the same time by sheer chance yet neither of them seemed curious as to why either was there.

Maybe I'm just a naturally curious person but I've always found it odd that neither one inquired casually as to why they happened to be there. In fact I don't think I've ever read anything explaining why GW himself was there.
 
The whole GW thing still bothers me, too. IIRC, he said he was in Vegas visiting friends that weekend.

Still, GW said that Steven would let him know whenever he couldn't make it to church. How many times had that happened and why didn't Steven let him know THAT Sunday?
 
So SK's last contacts were with a convicted criminal. I wonder if there was any real investigation in that direction?
 
I find it really hard to believe that GW didn’t ask Steven why he was in Vegas. I mean come on, they are supposedly good friends, GW didn’t say, “Oh what a coincidence, I’m in Vegas too! What are you doing here?” Sorry I don’t buy it unless he already knew Steven was there or knew Steven went there on a regular basis, which there is no record of. I didn’t realize GW had searched Steven’s apartment. Why? Was he asked to do so by Steven’s family? These two things just do not sit well with me still.

Another thing that has bothered me, in 2015, a new search was done in the area he disappeared, going off the theory that Steven parked his car and walked off to commit suicide. How exactly do the cell phone pings fit in then? His phone pinged at several different locations after he was seen walking away from his car. Makes absolutely no sense.
 
I find it really hard to believe that GW didn’t ask Steven why he was in Vegas. I mean come on, they are supposedly good friends, GW didn’t say, “Oh what a coincidence, I’m in Vegas too! What are you doing here?” Sorry I don’t buy it unless he already knew Steven was there or knew Steven went there on a regular basis, which there is no record of. I didn’t realize GW had searched Steven’s apartment. Why? Was he asked to do so by Steven’s family? These two things just do not sit well with me still.

Another thing that has bothered me, in 2015, a new search was done in the area he disappeared, going off the theory that Steven parked his car and walked off to commit suicide. How exactly do the cell phone pings fit in then? His phone pinged at several different locations after he was seen walking away from his car. Makes absolutely no sense.

Yes why wouldn't they search where the phone last pinged if they are going to take the time and money to do that? I know pings aren't an exact science but at least start with the last ping area. His phone last pinged in an north of where the car was right? And the last phone activity is a voicemail check I believe? I don't think he committed suicide. He was probably getting involved in something shady because he needed money, and the landlord is probably involved. All of the driving and random visit beforehand seem like soul searching. He was going to get involved in something and he was working through it in his mind. Maybe it was a one time thing, a delivery or pick up just for some cash.
 
Yes why wouldn't they search where the phone last pinged if they are going to take the time and money to do that? I know pings aren't an exact science but at least start with the last ping area. His phone last pinged in an north of where the car was right? And the last phone activity is a voicemail check I believe? I don't think he committed suicide. He was probably getting involved in something shady because he needed money, and the landlord is probably involved. All of the driving and random visit beforehand seem like soul searching. He was going to get involved in something and he was working through it in his mind. Maybe it was a one time thing, a delivery or pick up just for some cash.

Yes, the final phone ping was approximately 11 miles from where he exited his car, the last search totally dismissed the ping history and only concentrated on searching the area around where he was last seen, which makes no sense. I don’t know how much influence the Koecher family and friends had on the last search but I can tell you from past interactions with them that they have very specific beliefs about Steven and have reacted harshly in the past to suggestions that do not fit into what they believe and from what I gather that is suicide.
 
Steven certainly was active in the church, so I'm less inclined to think suicide with this. Had we seen little warning signs prior to his dissapearence, sure I'd consider this but everything seemed normal. Not to say it's impossible, but to walk away from his faith and give up all hope that quickly does not seem probable to me.

With that said, the last search for him was puzzling to me because it seemed solely to rely on the notion he walked away from his life and perhaps harmed himself - completely ignoring the fact his phone pinged quite a ways north from where they searched.
 

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