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

Hi Tara, I'm not 100% certain, but I'm pretty sure that the SUV had been identified, possibly a realtor. I think this was in Fasteddy's podcast, and maybe elsewhere, but I don't think I've seen a reference to law enforcement saying that directly. So, if not, it looks pretty suspicious.
 
I've put off posting here for ages, because I just don't think I can go through all of the info/links/posts, etc. that contribute to the theory I've decided on after so many years of following this case. I will say this, however: If one looks at everything available online regarding the ll, goes through the map/travel info, and considers the contacts in the last hours from the ll, it seems pretty obvious what happened.

SK was behind in rent and a bit down about that, as evidenced by several things that have been said by family. An example is his defensiveness toward his father in their last conversation. I think it's plain that he was feeling financial pressure. LL says that they "made arrangements", or something to that effect, about SK resolving his late-rent issue.

LL is involved in a "business" related to procuring old/unused prescriptions and reselling them. (Some of these people died soon after this was investigated.) (Due to the financial need; rent "arrangement"; travel, etc., I have concluded that SK worked for him ) There are folks who posit that he, himself, used the drugs, but I've seen nothing that would vaguely suggest this. SK was a clean-cut, "all American", mission-completing, church-going Mormon. I think it would be quite easy for him rationalize that the ll "prescription business" was legit, or at least "quasi-legit" at least in a way that selling cocaine, etc. isn't. Heck, I can see how it could be rationalized as helping people: It can be very difficult to get prescription narcotics for chronic pain, and I have much sympathy for those who suffer such and can't legitimately obtain effective pain control. So, maybe he realized that, although there was something slightly shady about the business technically, he was able to rationalize it, or maybe he thought it was totally legitimate. (I doubt it, because I do see some efforts to conceal this activity.) Either way, he's working for the ll and his people, making deliveries. Hence, "working out an arrangement" for the late rent.

So, what was the trip about to see the woman he barely knew? (Not his "ex-girlfriend", at least by my memory.) Who knows, but my best guess is that he was traveling in that direction on his deliveries and remembered where she lived. I think he and others did a work project at her home some time back. He wasn't married and likely wanted to see her again, thinking that the work he did there before was enough of an introduction. He says he's on his way to Sacramento because he doesn't want anyone to know about the crazy work he's doing. Legitimate business or not, most mission-completing, college graduate Mormons his age aren't running all over Utah making deliveries. Not prestigious, certainly.

So, along comes an appointment to deliver/procure for delivery some of these prescriptions, and one of the people he's dealing with decides he knows too much/wants the drugs then and now for himself/who knows, and that's the end of SK. If the phone didn't ping right there in SSA, my guess is he got in someone's car outside of the view of the security video. At any rate, the reason the ll kept calling him is he needed to get a hold of him and didn't realize, at least immediately, what had happened. My guess, though, is that he figured it out PDQ.

Look up the ll, folks: There is your answer.
 
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I agree with your analysis, unless the ll set him up after having SK 'do a little' business for him. Ll didn't just to a 'prescription delivery' business, he was into other even less legitimate things that he may have feared SK reporting him on, but I'm still looking for the confirming info.
 
Above snipped by me for space...has the person in the white suv been identified?????????????? ---- it's shown twice in the clip ---- once @ 0:32 seconds - shortly after suv passes, the person is seen walking the opposite direction (so the suv would have passed right by the walker) the person passes the view of the camera and appears to turn (left) off the sidewalk, next (0:52 seconds) the white suv obviously turned around because it returns and appears to pull over where the person walking (Steven??) turns off the sidewalk away from the white suv.

Something tells me this has been discussed at great lengths...because IF that is Steven walking, that SUV is some hinky right there.


The white suv was identified as a local realtor, I have heard she claimed to have never seen Steven when she was driving (I find that a bit hard to believe), said she was picking up her mother and that she was showing a house in that neighborhood that day, not sure what is true and what isn’t as the police never confirmed what she said when she spoke with them. I do think it’s worth mentioning that I looked into her and found that she lived in that neighborhood and often ran her business from her home and also occasionally advertised for people to come work for her, which means they may come to her house for interviews, etc. Sounds a bit like what we thought Steven was doing, going there for some kind of job or interview, right?


Even though police said they cleared her she has never fully left my radar…
 
I frequently post vids by John Lordan and it seems to fly so I'm hoping this is ok too. He used to post on Websleuths, I believe. It's quite long and sort of stream of consciousness, but goes over the ping history nicely.
 
Excellent post and I like your analysis here. I definitely think you are on the right track based on everything I've read here and elsewhere.

However it does leave a lot of unanswered questions. I've considered this angle a lot, but certain things don't fit. Sure, his random travel can fit into a drug currier type gig, but what we see on the video in Henderson doesn't suggest that.

He doesn't appear to be carrying something like a prescription bag, but rather a notebook or folder perhaps. Not something you'd necessarily carry a small or large pill bottle in.

Also, there was nothing found in his car to suggest he was making deliveries. No list, directions, medicine for future stops. No cash receipts or anything business related.

To me, a semi-legit business of this nature would likely have an entire route planned out with individual orders assembled for each customer. I suppose it doesn't necessarily need to be in a pill bottle, but one would think at the very least there would be pre-packed baggies for each stop.

Even if Steven was doing it the hard way and just putting some pills in a bag before the sale, he'd likely have a larger stash of pills he was using to split into smaller sales. Of course there is the matter of variety as well, not everyone just wants one particular pill, we could be talking numerous pain meds, anxiety, ADHD stuff he was peddling. If this is the case, where did all the pills go? I doubt he'd take his entire stash with him for each sale.

Again, I definitely think we are on the right track here I'm just curious about some of details here. By the way it sounds it seems quite shady and a job that surely Steven would have viewed as quite sketchy. Then again maybe he didn't have much of a choice...





I've put off posting here for ages, because I just don't think I can go through all of the info/links/posts, etc. that contribute to the theory I've decided on after so many years of following this case. I will say this, however: If one looks at everything available online regarding the ll, goes through the map/travel info, and considers the contacts in the last hours from the ll, it seems pretty obvious what happened.

SK was behind in rent and a bit down about that, as evidenced by several things that have been said by family. An example is his defensiveness toward his father in their last conversation. I think it's plain that he was feeling financial pressure. LL says that they "made arrangements", or something to that effect, about SK resolving his late-rent issue.

LL is involved in a "business" related to procuring old/unused prescriptions and reselling them. (Some of these people died soon after this was investigated.) (Due to the financial need; rent "arrangement"; travel, etc., I have concluded that SK worked for him ) There are folks who posit that he, himself, used the drugs, but I've seen nothing that would vaguely suggest this. SK was a clean-cut, "all American", mission-completing, church-going Mormon. I think it would be quite easy for him rationalize that the ll "prescription business" was legit, or at least "quasi-legit" at least in a way that selling cocaine, etc. isn't. Heck, I can see how it could be rationalized as helping people: It can be very difficult to get prescription narcotics for chronic pain, and I have much sympathy for those who suffer such and can't legitimately obtain effective pain control. So, maybe he realized that, although there was something slightly shady about the business technically, he was able to rationalize it, or maybe he thought it was totally legitimate. (I doubt it, because I do see some efforts to conceal this activity.) Either way, he's working for the ll and his people, making deliveries. Hence, "working out an arrangement" for the late rent.

So, what was the trip about to see the woman he barely knew? (Not his "ex-girlfriend", at least by my memory.) Who knows, but my best guess is that he was traveling in that direction on his deliveries and remembered where she lived. I think he and others did a work project at her home some time back. He wasn't married and likely wanted to see her again, thinking that the work he did there before was enough of an introduction. He says he's on his way to Sacramento because he doesn't want anyone to know about the crazy work he's doing. Legitimate business or not, most mission-completing, college graduate Mormons his age aren't running all over Utah making deliveries. Not prestigious, certainly.

So, along comes an appointment to deliver/procure for delivery some of these prescriptions, and one of the people he's dealing with decides he knows too much/wants the drugs then and now for himself/who knows, and that's the end of SK. If the phone didn't ping right there in SSA, my guess is he got in someone's car outside of the view of the security video. At any rate, the reason the ll kept calling him is he needed to get a hold of him and didn't realize, at least immediately, what had happened. My guess, though, is that he figured it out PDQ.

Look up the ll, folks: There is your answer.
 
Excellent post and I like your analysis here. I definitely think you are on the right track based on everything I've read here and elsewhere.

However it does leave a lot of unanswered questions. I've considered this angle a lot, but certain things don't fit. Sure, his random travel can fit into a drug currier type gig, but what we see on the video in Henderson doesn't suggest that.

He doesn't appear to be carrying something like a prescription bag, but rather a notebook or folder perhaps. Not something you'd necessarily carry a small or large pill bottle in.

Also, there was nothing found in his car to suggest he was making deliveries. No list, directions, medicine for future stops. No cash receipts or anything business related.

To me, a semi-legit business of this nature would likely have an entire route planned out with individual orders assembled for each customer. I suppose it doesn't necessarily need to be in a pill bottle, but one would think at the very least there would be pre-packed baggies for each stop.

Even if Steven was doing it the hard way and just putting some pills in a bag before the sale, he'd likely have a larger stash of pills he was using to split into smaller sales. Of course there is the matter of variety as well, not everyone just wants one particular pill, we could be talking numerous pain meds, anxiety, ADHD stuff he was peddling. If this is the case, where did all the pills go? I doubt he'd take his entire stash with him for each sale.

Again, I definitely think we are on the right track here I'm just curious about some of details here. By the way it sounds it seems quite shady and a job that surely Steven would have viewed as quite sketchy. Then again maybe he didn't have much of a choice...

Caffeine,

Thanks for your thoughtful comments on my little "essay". I do think that the form of what SK was carrying in his arm was addressed in another forum somewhere, although I can't quite remember which one. However, the commentator there thought it looked just like a bag one would carry prescription pill bottles in. I see it myself, but can't think what to call it. I'll see if I can do some looking into this, but I don't think he'd carry a bag in the sense of a tote or the like. I think this folio-type thing -whatever we're going to call it- is more consistent with carrying medication. (I think some of us are envisioning it as rectangular, but not absolutely flat. Something maybe that is, or can expand to, a couple inches thick or so, if that makes sense.)

Also, I agree that it would sure be helpful if he had left a map of his deliveries or some of the drugs lying around his car. However, I wonder if the lack of such things could be attributed to work on Sunday: Perhaps he was asked to make a single delivery or something and so wouldn't have a whole list of addresses/bunch of pills, etc. Speaking of Sunday, I'll have to back and look at the map and see if he'd been doing any of that driving on Sundays before. I can't quite remember that. Also, perhaps he was just told to meet some at SSA, and that person would give him the drugs/take him to them, etc., so that he wouldn't already have any on his person/in his vehicle. Hmmm.

And, left out of my little "essay" above is a bit of tangential information that I think somehow, in some way, is supportive of my theory. That is: All of the "other" information surrounding the ll. Bad news. Bad person, obviously surrounded by other bad people. And SK not only knew him, but owed him. Really, when I think back on it, I can hardly think of a less fortuitous, at least for SK, convergence of people and circumstance. Bad apple meets nice; All-American; church-going; to some people who knew him, "a bit naive", guy who is down on his luck and owes said apple.

Not exactly what I'm thinking of, but something more like this than something completely flat. I'll keep looking for what I have in mind...

903879056.jpg
 
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I sure wonder what, if anything, is going on with this investigation. Combing through the years' worth of information/posts/thoughts related to it, I have such a sense that there is a real direction to follow: Suicide and willful disappearance just aren't supported by events and the facts we know. (The only thing that I can see that would point to suicide is his being down-on-his-luck financially at the moment.) Otherwise, nothing.

The possibility of SK having a closeted homosexual lifestyle has been theorized, but without any evidence or, really, anything, coming to light to point toward it. As far as willful disappearance, who can really "disappear" in this day and age? That's been discussed and dissected pretty well here, especially early on. There's been absolutely no evidence that he exists anymore.

That sort of leaves us with foul play, and he had certainly had contact -recent and direct contact- with at least one criminal. (Yes, the federal charges were thrown out on a technicality, but I don't think anyone who reads them thinks they were bogus.) In fact, he owed this guy. There is no record of calls to anyone on his phone to people he didn't know (but plenty between he and his ll.) In fact, plenty the day of/day after his disappearance. Anyone find that supremely odd, especially since they had already "worked out an arrangement" for back rent?

I did watch the John Lordan video, and found a couple of interesting things: On the website he goes over on the video, a commentator there says that the area (I believe Whitney Ranch) where the phone later pinged is a nest of "prescription pills". Who knows if this is true or not but, still, interesting.) Then: JL goes to a couple of the ping sites and Google Earth's them: One is an "urgent care" (a place that would have prescription pills) and the other a pharmacy. (I can't remember, but I think it's a Target with a pharmacy.) Another place that would have prescription pills.

There are comments also on that site that places like SSA, which cater to an "over 50" population, are loaded with prescription pills and there is much dealing in them. Again, who knows, but it certainly makes sense.

There is one thing I hope that someone who's been around here for a while can clear up for me: My understanding of the woman who's family he visited in Ruby Valley is that she was not an ex-girlfriend. If she truly were someone he had been romantically involved with, that could certainly point to a "goodbye trip", but I am pretty sure that this wasn't the case at all. She was simply a single young woman whom he had met while participating in a "work project" for her family. The likely scenario that jumps to mind is that possibly he was interested in trying to date her. Can anyone clarify this for me from memory? I can't imagine the number of posts/threads it would take reading to find this info. from years ago here.
 
There is one thing I hope that someone who's been around here for a while can clear up for me: My understanding of the woman who's family he visited in Ruby Valley is that she was not an ex-girlfriend. If she truly were someone he had been romantically involved with, that could certainly point to a "goodbye trip", but I am pretty sure that this wasn't the case at all. She was simply a single young woman whom he had met while participating in a "work project" for her family. The likely scenario that jumps to mind is that possibly he was interested in trying to date her. Can anyone clarify this for me from memory? I can't imagine the number of posts/threads it would take reading to find this info. from years ago here.

His mom said that she didn't think that there was anything between them. I think that he just wanted somebody familiar to talk to after such a long drive.
 
Can anyone provide a list of all the possible sightings with details of Steven? I know there was a couple in Orem, Ut. Possibly one in Sacramento, am I missing any more?
 
Can anyone provide a list of all the possible sightings with details of Steven? I know there was a couple in Orem, Ut. Possibly one in Sacramento, am I missing any more?

IHOP and Best Buy in Las Vegas. I don't know the exact locations. The IHOP sightings took place in mid to late January 2010. The man looked like Steven, but appeared to be homeless. The family went to the restaurant a couple of times and stayed for hours each time in hopes of seeing him there. However, they never saw him. Some of the habits of the unknown man seemed like he wasn't Steven after all.

The Best Buy sighting allegedly took place during Superbowl weekend in February 2010. An acquaintance was said to have spoken to him for a few minutes. However, nothing panned out in that alleged sighting.

There were other mentioned sightings on the old Find Steven Koecher website. However, I believe that the website was taken offline and a new one replaced it. I remember somebody mentioning that he thought he saw him as far away as Jacksonville, Florida with a pregnant female. Like the other sightings, nothing came of it.

I'm not sure about the Sacramento, California and Orem, Utah sightings. Maybe somebody else can shed light on them. The final one that I know about was at a post office in Provo, Utah in December 2010.

With all of that said, in my day to day living, I have seen people who resembled Steven from time to time. None were actually him.
 
IHOP and Best Buy in Las Vegas. I don't know the exact locations. The IHOP sightings took place in mid to late January 2010. The man looked like Steven, but appeared to be homeless. The family went to the restaurant a couple of times and stayed for hours each time in hopes of seeing him there. However, they never saw him. Some of the habits of the unknown man seemed like he wasn't Steven after all.

The Best Buy sighting allegedly took place during Superbowl weekend in February 2010. An acquaintance was said to have spoken to him for a few minutes. However, nothing panned out in that alleged sighting.

There were other mentioned sightings on the old Find Steven Koecher website. However, I believe that the website was taken offline and a new one replaced it. I remember somebody mentioning that he thought he saw him as far away as Jacksonville, Florida with a pregnant female. Like the other sightings, nothing came of it.

I'm not sure about the Sacramento, California and Orem, Utah sightings. Maybe somebody else can shed light on them. The final one that I know about was at a post office in Provo, Utah in December 2010.

With all of that said, in my day to day living, I have seen people who resembled Steven from time to time. None were actually him.




Thank you so much for providing that. I found a recent possible connection to Florida I'm working on just need a little more substance. I went down to the neighborhood in June and discovered some major new info. While it does not solve the case it definitely gives us a lot more to go off of. I will be reporting it here pretty soon once all my info is in order. I've contacted Laytonian and Fairy1 with no luck . Just looking to get some help on a couple of these sightings (especially Florida) from serious sleuths like you and I thank you again kindly for sharing. All I will say at this moment is the case can be, and most likely will be solved. Stay tuned and thanks again
 
What kind of "major new info" could possibly be uncovered in the neighborhood. Which one? St George, Sun City Anthem, or any of the "phone stops"?
People in the Sun City neighborhood have moved and/or died since Steven's car was parked there.
 
Why was SK struggling so in his life in general and economically, specifically? He was a nice- enough looking man, from a stable- seeming family, who had completed a mission, which is a very positive thing in the LDS church -Those men are usually quite sought-after as husbands.

Also, he did a foreign mission, which is always thought to go to the best LDS young man with the best family connections as well, IMO. I think it's very reasonable and true that he wasn't married because he wasn't in a position financially to, and I believe this, but -- Why? This has always bothered me: He complained to friends/family that his job in SLC with the SLC Tribune online kept him from having any time with friends and family (he worked evenings or weekends) but then he quits it and moves to St. George, which is a much smaller job market, takes a job with whatever matchbin.com is or was, and this move puts him AWAY from friends and family and I'd say way down the earnings ladder and also on a dead end to a career path. Apparently, he knew few people there as far as friendships and networking would go, too..

What I can find out about his job history shows what I believe is a disturbing trend of a downward progression from promising jobs which could have turned into his profession to a hand to mouth type situation handing out fliers ( or is it flyers?)

Why did this happen to someone with really strong multi-generational LDS connections ( LDS help their own more than any other people on the earth with a pure common cause of loving their church and brothers and sisters, let me tell you!!) This was all happening to him at a time when my husband was getting promoted left and right and was extremely successful. Don't tell me the " job market was depressed". It might have been for unskilled laborers, but this young man had 1) His family and their connections. 2) A very positive history of being a helper and good young man. 3) A good education and a nice appearance and conduct as far as is known. 4) The LDS church, which has tons and tons of people working and networking full time to get jobs for their members if all else failed him.

Steven was on top with the best people in the world ( if Utah LDS culture is like eastern seaboard LDS culture) to help him and apparently, he didn't ask or someone betrayed him horribly in his last known days. ( referencing the phone call in LV between G.W. and him. I think G.W. is way high on the hinky meter in what he said and replied and asked, then did himself.)

IDK, it's strange to me that Steven couldn't get a break unless it was his arm.
Was he hiding an impairment like dyslexia or high- functioning autism ( which usually has the feature of the affected being unaware unless they were given the diagnosis personally)?

This is a young man who worked at the offices of the governor as an intern in 2003-2004 ( partial years for both dates). Still, it shows he had abilities and ambitions as a young adult, I'd say.
Steven was a college graduate ( I don't recall where he went to college off the top of my head) and desired a career in either public relations or communications. I have no clue what his major was.
He worked for his father at a newspaper where his father was the editor when he was just out of HS, using a nom de plume of "Steven Threll" - his legal first and middle names.
Might he have reverted to this name if he's still alive?

His job history as I've been able to find is:
- March 2007, employed in some position of online version of the Salt Lake City Tribune. Laid off in July 2008. Reason-?

- Sales with MatchBin.com , Salt Lake City in October 2008. Moved to St. George, UT because of " cold winters" in SLC area, he said. Was fired from Matchbin.com 4/ 2009.

-12/ 2009- part-time job for Travis Window and Blind Cleaning Company, distributing flyers. Also during the month of December, Steven was subcontracting to put up Christmas decorations to earn extra money.

How does it make sense that a guy with a college degree and a father in the newspaper business for many years ( he was an editor when Steven worked for him) could not get and keep a job with a newspaper that wasn't owned or managed by his dad? His degree was likely in the PR field, as it's said that and Communications were his major interests post- graduation.

How does a guy with the drive for success, marriage and family life that LDS who are born into the lifestyle have instilled in them for all their lives go from writing ( or otherwise working for) the SLC Tribune to handing out window washing fliers in two years' time? Unless the economy was a lot worse in his area of the country than it was here, he should have been able to go to his Bishop and gotten true, concrete assistance almost immediately for free or almost free housing, food from the storehouse, clothing. This would help him get all his daily living needs met, then the Bishop and Elders would most likely have been very helpful and gotten him into a workforce that had extreme potential and many fellow LDS members who should have supported him and mentored him until he was secure and not worried about STUPID childish things like cold winters, or missing his family or that. He didn't seem to grow up emotionally in the career world OR to do what most LDS members will do automatically, as we are commanded- turn to his church leaders for help regionally, if not locally. Or in the region he wanted to be in, let's say. Maybe he wanted to move to warm and sunny Miami , since he quit one job because " it was colder in the northern part of the state". RME. Bishop to bishop networking with Steven could have seen him with a job lined up in Miami before he ever reached the FL state line. I know this is true.

I want to know what this is about:
His family says he had/ has a quirk of taking a very long time to answer in a conversation. Is he a person with a form of autism which was never diagnosed or treated? Did he have this lag time from childhood or only as an adult?
Could he have been prescribed a medication like an anti-depressant that made him mentally lethargic? ( sometimes, the type of medication has no relationship to a narcotic and the lethargy is specific to the individual's reaction).

I have read in a physical description that he has bilateral scars behind his ears. Was this for tubes as a child, or cosmetic ear pinning or what? Did it affect his hearing at some point in his developmental phases of language processing, perhaps if related to chronic ear infections?

In summary, IMO, the " largest" things he seems to have done in his entire lifetime were to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, which in my years in the LDS culture was almost a given for a male teen and then to go on an International mission which he apparently completed successfully. He kind of " peaked" achievement wise after his mission to Brazil. That is not a typical pattern of living for a person with his upbringing and teaching, to put it mildly. He did have short stints with 2 probably " good" starter jobs in the newspaper business...

If you aren't LDS and don't know, the wards ( specific LDS church building for you in your zip code or designated area) had Eagle Scout recognition ceremonies, with the guys in those long shorts and long socks and there were always some LDS elders ( men who held positions of authority) who were Scout leaders.
Anyway, I think this guy was so sheltered and naive that 1001 different things could have started happening in his life and he would have been too ashamed and shy to tell his parents. I also think he missed making the connection between the church's benefit programs due to real need like he had, and himself. He knew what he fasted for- it was for the tithe given for aid to LDS members who find themselves in financial disadvantage, which he became himself.
I think his parents were coming down on him pretty hard about 1) Lack of money for things like rent and food and 2) Not getting stabilized in a good career which comes WAY BEFORE a strict LDS man should be getting a girlfriend and marrying. LDS traditionally do not owe a lot of money, but make higher than average wages. Maybe one of the reasons his currently living and active in the case family members can't accept most of the theories about what happened to him is because of a sense of guilt, whether justified or not.

That's why I think it's very wrong of anyone to say anything about him not being married already. He had NOT accomplished goal #3 . The life goals for LDS men are, in this order: 1) Mission. 2) College degree. 3) Lifelong career which is stable and with very good earning potential, and 4) Marriage in a Temple to a devout LDS woman and to provide a very large and happy life for as many children as God gives, while remaining faithful to the promises made at the time of baptism and re-affirmed in the Temple ceremony to be a leader in the church as best as possible and to raise children in the church.

In my major former city of residence, LDS men helped younger LDS men get a job and keep it. There are all kinds of job training centers and job search centers within the LDS wards or stakes ( several churches or wards in a city form a stake), at least in the Atlantic coastal states.
 
Why was SK struggling so in his life in general and economically, specifically? He was a nice- enough looking man, from a stable- seeming family, who had completed a mission, which is a very positive thing in the LDS church -Those men are usually quite sought-after as husbands.

Also, he did a foreign mission, which is always thought to go to the best LDS young man with the best family connections as well, IMO. I think it's very reasonable and true that he wasn't married because he wasn't in a position financially to, and I believe this, but -- Why? This has always bothered me: He complained to friends/family that his job in SLC with the SLC Tribune online kept him from having any time with friends and family (he worked evenings or weekends) but then he quits it and moves to St. George, which is a much smaller job market, takes a job with whatever matchbin.com is or was, and this move puts him AWAY from friends and family and I'd say way down the earnings ladder and also on a dead end to a career path. Apparently, he knew few people there as far as friendships and networking would go, too..

What I can find out about his job history shows what I believe is a disturbing trend of a downward progression from promising jobs which could have turned into his profession to a hand to mouth type situation handing out fliers ( or is it flyers?)

Why did this happen to someone with really strong multi-generational LDS connections ( LDS help their own more than any other people on the earth with a pure common cause of loving their church and brothers and sisters, let me tell you!!) This was all happening to him at a time when my husband was getting promoted left and right and was extremely successful. Don't tell me the " job market was depressed". It might have been for unskilled laborers, but this young man had 1) His family and their connections. 2) A very positive history of being a helper and good young man. 3) A good education and a nice appearance and conduct as far as is known. 4) The LDS church, which has tons and tons of people working and networking full time to get jobs for their members if all else failed him.

Steven was on top with the best people in the world ( if Utah LDS culture is like eastern seaboard LDS culture) to help him and apparently, he didn't ask or someone betrayed him horribly in his last known days. ( referencing the phone call in LV between G.W. and him. I think G.W. is way high on the hinky meter in what he said and replied and asked, then did himself.)

IDK, it's strange to me that Steven couldn't get a break unless it was his arm.
Was he hiding an impairment like dyslexia or high- functioning autism ( which usually has the feature of the affected being unaware unless they were given the diagnosis personally)?

This is a young man who worked at the offices of the governor as an intern in 2003-2004 ( partial years for both dates). Still, it shows he had abilities and ambitions as a young adult, I'd say.
Steven was a college graduate ( I don't recall where he went to college off the top of my head) and desired a career in either public relations or communications. I have no clue what his major was.
He worked for his father at a newspaper where his father was the editor when he was just out of HS, using a nom de plume of "Steven Threll" - his legal first and middle names.
Might he have reverted to this name if he's still alive?

His job history as I've been able to find is:
- March 2007, employed in some position of online version of the Salt Lake City Tribune. Laid off in July 2008. Reason-?

- Sales with MatchBin.com , Salt Lake City in October 2008. Moved to St. George, UT because of " cold winters" in SLC area, he said. Was fired from Matchbin.com 4/ 2009.

-12/ 2009- part-time job for Travis Window and Blind Cleaning Company, distributing flyers. Also during the month of December, Steven was subcontracting to put up Christmas decorations to earn extra money.

How does it make sense that a guy with a college degree and a father in the newspaper business for many years ( he was an editor when Steven worked for him) could not get and keep a job with a newspaper that wasn't owned or managed by his dad? His degree was likely in the PR field, as it's said that and Communications were his major interests post- graduation.

How does a guy with the drive for success, marriage and family life that LDS who are born into the lifestyle have instilled in them for all their lives go from writing ( or otherwise working for) the SLC Tribune to handing out window washing fliers in two years' time? Unless the economy was a lot worse in his area of the country than it was here, he should have been able to go to his Bishop and gotten true, concrete assistance almost immediately for free or almost free housing, food from the storehouse, clothing. This would help him get all his daily living needs met, then the Bishop and Elders would most likely have been very helpful and gotten him into a workforce that had extreme potential and many fellow LDS members who should have supported him and mentored him until he was secure and not worried about STUPID childish things like cold winters, or missing his family or that. He didn't seem to grow up emotionally in the career world OR to do what most LDS members will do automatically, as we are commanded- turn to his church leaders for help regionally, if not locally. Or in the region he wanted to be in, let's say. Maybe he wanted to move to warm and sunny Miami , since he quit one job because " it was colder in the northern part of the state". RME. Bishop to bishop networking with Steven could have seen him with a job lined up in Miami before he ever reached the FL state line. I know this is true.

I want to know what this is about:
His family says he had/ has a quirk of taking a very long time to answer in a conversation. Is he a person with a form of autism which was never diagnosed or treated? Did he have this lag time from childhood or only as an adult?
Could he have been prescribed a medication like an anti-depressant that made him mentally lethargic? ( sometimes, the type of medication has no relationship to a narcotic and the lethargy is specific to the individual's reaction).

I have read in a physical description that he has bilateral scars behind his ears. Was this for tubes as a child, or cosmetic ear pinning or what? Did it affect his hearing at some point in his developmental phases of language processing, perhaps if related to chronic ear infections?

In summary, IMO, the " largest" things he seems to have done in his entire lifetime were to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, which in my years in the LDS culture was almost a given for a male teen and then to go on an International mission which he apparently completed successfully. He kind of " peaked" achievement wise after his mission to Brazil. That is not a typical pattern of living for a person with his upbringing and teaching, to put it mildly. He did have short stints with 2 probably " good" starter jobs in the newspaper business...

If you aren't LDS and don't know, the wards ( specific LDS church building for you in your zip code or designated area) had Eagle Scout recognition ceremonies, with the guys in those long shorts and long socks and there were always some LDS elders ( men who held positions of authority) who were Scout leaders.
Anyway, I think this guy was so sheltered and naive that 1001 different things could have started happening in his life and he would have been too ashamed and shy to tell his parents. I also think he missed making the connection between the church's benefit programs due to real need like he had, and himself. He knew what he fasted for- it was for the tithe given for aid to LDS members who find themselves in financial disadvantage, which he became himself.
I think his parents were coming down on him pretty hard about 1) Lack of money for things like rent and food and 2) Not getting stabilized in a good career which comes WAY BEFORE a strict LDS man should be getting a girlfriend and marrying. LDS traditionally do not owe a lot of money, but make higher than average wages. Maybe one of the reasons his currently living and active in the case family members can't accept most of the theories about what happened to him is because of a sense of guilt, whether justified or not.

That's why I think it's very wrong of anyone to say anything about him not being married already. He had NOT accomplished goal #3 . The life goals for LDS men are, in this order: 1) Mission. 2) College degree. 3) Lifelong career which is stable and with very good earning potential, and 4) Marriage in a Temple to a devout LDS woman and to provide a very large and happy life for as many children as God gives, while remaining faithful to the promises made at the time of baptism and re-affirmed in the Temple ceremony to be a leader in the church as best as possible and to raise children in the church.

In my major former city of residence, LDS men helped younger LDS men get a job and keep it. There are all kinds of job training centers and job search centers within the LDS wards or stakes ( several churches or wards in a city form a stake), at least in the Atlantic coastal states.

Good points, however please remember that he did in fact confide in his bishop at one point who "promised to find Steven a job before the end of the year."

Also, I was LDS for 26 years and understand the lifestyle as well. I can't speak for the economy during that time as I was not in UT. But I am very fimiliar with St. George and that whole southern UT area is quite different (especially back then) compared to SLC in regards to the economic market.

I disagree, I think Steven did mature but just needed a change of pace. Needed to change his environment. Think about it, all siblings are married and successful.. but not him . Working the night shift, recent break up, feels like a failure.. probably just felt he needed to push the reset button. And sometimes the weather does affect one more than the other. St. George is the place where so many elderly folks chose to retire because of the climate.

My opinion of GW, well..I'd say it's neutral. I'm much more suspicious of Bishop and especially TH.

I don't believe he was immature but again I never knew Steven. But I do believe he may have been sheltered which can sometimes make it very difficult to relate and or communicate in social circles especially outside the church.
 

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