NV NV - Steven T. Koecher, 30, Henderson, 13 Dec 2009 - #21

[Fairy1]

I'm the same way, Essbee. I have to mandate a 'break period' from WS periodically so I don't get too caught up, and let my work and personal obligations slide! LOL

It is unfortunate that his laptop went missing, obviously there will have likely been clues to his disappearance on it. I wonder if there is a way to subpoena the email records for his account? Or is that something that is only done once there is a suspect?

Steven's laptop was never missing and it was searched thoroughly. The majority of what was found was related to his job search. Nothing unusual otherwise.

Whatever he did on the library computers, we will most likely never know.

 

[Fairy1]

I am also curious, what about Steven's friends? We know he was close to his parents and very active in his church, but I mean REAL FRIENDS? So far it doesn't sound like he had anybody like that, who he confided in, even a little bit? Doesn't that seem a little weird?

Did LE in Utah search hard enough amongst his 'known' friends for any info? Did his family search hard enough amongst his non-LDS friends? Did he have any non-LDS friends? Cuz to me it sounds like either he had no 'real' friends, or someone didn't investigate enough to find his 'real' friends, if they did exist.

Because it seems that he wasn't as close to his LDS friends as originally indicated, because he didn't give them any explanation why he was in Vegas, nor discuss his plans for traveling throughout Utah and Nevada on this 3-day stint. For someone who was reportedly 'very involved' in his church, seems a little odd to not mention an out of town trip to ANYONE you're supposedly close to?? That's why it doesn't seem to me that he had any 'real' friends in the church.

The reason I ask about his 'real' friends is that, judging by pictures and family statements, it appears Steven was a normal, well-adjusted, social guy [not appearing to be a loner or social outlier], so for not one person to have even the slightest idea what he was doing traveling, tells ME that either 1) he did have good friends outside the LDS church/community somewhere that he might've shared more info with, but that no one was aware of or acknowledged, or 2) he was involved in something SOOO sordid that he couldn't tell a single soul?

He did have friends outside of his ward that we know of. A couple of them have even posted here since Steven went missing.

IMO, he did seem to have distanced himself somewhat from these friends prior to disappearing. But that could have been for many reasons.

 

[SheRa]

I have a few thoughts on the drug-running theory:

-If I were a drug dealer, would I want Steven to run drugs for me? I can't decide if a clean-cut young guy unfamiliar with the drug world would be an asset or a liability to a drug dealer (or any other "shady" individual that Steven may have potentially been transporting things for).

-Does anyone know what the landlord's "alibi" would have been for the days surrounding Steven's disappearance? Was he at the house, working, etc.?

-Wasn't Steven's car searched for drugs, and the result was that the dogs did not find anything?

I'm very intrigued by this theory since it does seem to fit a lot of the known facts (of which there are SO few) in this case. Still, there's just so many things that don't make sense. Argh!!

 

[MBLover]

IF there were drugs involved... One tends to think marijuana, cocaine, etc.

How about prescription drugs... Would the dogs sniff out mainstream, legal prescription medications?

It's been alleged that's what the firefighter from FL was doing when he was killed in Maine...running illegal prescription drugs - since they are easy to obtain, apparently, in FL.

The route that Steven took when he did all of that driving in a short time...is that known to be a "drug runner's route?"

 

[TechWriter797]

snipped by me

IF there were drugs involved... Would the dogs sniff out mainstream, legal prescription medications?

He could have been carrying the money and on his way to pick up the drugs. There would be nothing for the dogs to alert on.

 

[Fairy1]

snipped by me



He could have been carrying the money and on his way to pick up the drugs. There would be nothing for the dogs to alert on.

May have been carrying weapons also.

 

[deca]

IF there were drugs involved... One tends to think marijuana, cocaine, etc.

How about prescription drugs... Would the dogs sniff out mainstream, legal prescription medications?

It's been alleged that's what the firefighter from FL was doing when he was killed in Maine...running illegal prescription drugs - since they are easy to obtain, apparently, in FL.

The route that Steven took when he did all of that driving in a short time...is that known to be a "drug runner's route?"

I don't know- but it seems like a route like the one he took wouldn't be that profitable- it is so circuitous. I mean, I know I-5 through CA, OR, WA is a route- but it is a straight shot that goes through at least 5 major cities and a dozen large cities... Of course, people in small towns still use drugs...

Wasn't he (casually) romantically interested in the woman (daughter of the people that owned the ranch) and it never went anywhere? I thought that he went up there to visit old stomping grounds and maybe see "what could have been". My theory was that he was increasingly desperate/depressed and was driving around trying to find work and went up there- kind of like when you call up/internet stalk an old flame to see what they are up to if you are thinking about mistakes you have made in your life.
FWIW my two cents: I think he had met someone sinister who lied and said he had work for him that morning. Some sort of day labor type thing.

 

[SheRa]

[/B]
My theory was that he was increasingly desperate/depressed and was driving around trying to find work and went up there- kind of like when you call up/internet stalk an old flame to see what they are up to if you are thinking about mistakes you have made in your life.
FWIW my two cents: I think he had met someone sinister who lied and said he had work for him that morning. Some sort of day labor type thing.

I tend to agree. I think he was at the point where, when you have such little money that spending it on unnecessary gas or fast food doesn't even seem like a waste, because it's like, what does it even matter anymore?

I've been in extremely bad states before and driven around aimlessly, wasted money (I didn't have) on gas, etc. Unfortunately, when a person is that distressed they're also very vulnerable, making Steven (possibly?) "easy prey" for someone shady

 

[Fairy1]

All the driving really bothers me.

That said, Steven's family has always maintained it wasn't unusual for him.

I just really do think it was an odd thing to be doing, under the circumstances.

 

[deca]

The driving-

It's funny but reading the forums here has emphasized to me that everyone has their own way of doing things/ dealing with stuff. We as a society take the average of everyone's experiences and that is "normal".

The driving thing- driving all over the place- seems somewhat normal to me. I come from a family of people who drive to see the sights, get out of the house, whatever. It is totally normal for them to drive about 8+ hours RT on a normal weekend just to visit a fruit stand or see some special flower in bloom, see if there is water in the lake, look for rocks (that is what they did last weekend).

When I've needed time to think, I have driven around aimlessly circling the city. If I didn't have a job and cat to get back to I probably could have gone farther. Sure, it costs gas money, but as another poster said: maybe at this point he felt that he was "in for a penny in for a pound " with his debt. Maybe he also didn't feel comfortable mope-ing around the apartment, esp. knowing he was behind in rent.

 

[SassyBenton]

I thought there were items found in his car that indicated that he may have been sleeping in there while on his driving spree. I believe it was blankets, pillows and his shaving kit. I too have done some driving around when I needed to think and clear my head but I wouldn’t go as far as sleeping in my car. IMO he wasn’t just driving around, he had a purpose for doing it, such as a job. Perhaps he had to sleep in his car because this job had him traveling all over Utah and traveling to St. George to sleep for the night would be a waste of time and gas and he didn’t have the money to stay in motels. Now about having a shaving kit with him, would a person just driving to clear their head take along a shaving kit? Why would someone care about being clean shaven if just driving around? People traveling for business/job would be much more concerned about that. I’m wondering if whoever set him up with this job mentioned that he may need to travel to Sacramento at some point and that’s why he brought it up when visiting the old girlfriend’s parents. Just a thought.

 

[Fairy1]

The driving-

It's funny but reading the forums here has emphasized to me that everyone has their own way of doing things/ dealing with stuff. We as a society take the average of everyone's experiences and that is "normal".

The driving thing- driving all over the place- seems somewhat normal to me. I come from a family of people who drive to see the sights, get out of the house, whatever. It is totally normal for them to drive about 8+ hours RT on a normal weekend just to visit a fruit stand or see some special flower in bloom, see if there is water in the lake, look for rocks (that is what they did last weekend).

When I've needed time to think, I have driven around aimlessly circling the city. If I didn't have a job and cat to get back to I probably could have gone farther. Sure, it costs gas money, but as another poster said: maybe at this point he felt that he was "in for a penny in for a pound " with his debt. Maybe he also didn't feel comfortable mope-ing around the apartment, esp. knowing he was behind in rent.

You're right, of course. Yet, if scenery was the goal, some of the most beautiful areas in the world were very close to where Steven lived in St. George.

He drove hundreds of miles and came very close to his own family, without ever mentioning it or visiting them.

 

[SassyBenton]

You're right, of course. Yet, if scenery was the goal, some of the most beautiful areas in the world were very close to where Steven lived in St. George.

He drove hundreds of miles and came very close to his own family, without ever mentioning it or visiting them.

I have always wondered why he didn't stop and see his family. Perhaps he didn't feel like seeing his parents and having another discussion about his financial issues. Or if he were on some kind of job assignment, maybe he was on a tight schedule and couldn't take the time to stop and see his family. It is weird he didn't even mention it to them.

 

[Sleuthster]

*Bump for Steven*

 

[Fairy1]

Poor Steven!

I do so wish all the LE agencies involved would investigate the facts that are, and have been, right before them!

 

[Sulamith]

I have wondered if Steven dropped out sight to become a recluse for a while like Pete Maravich did.

I wonder if he felt as if his family was smothering him. I found it odd that his mother had access to his bank acct. info. Does anyone else think that is strange? I was LDS at one time and there is a lot of pressure to marry young. When I was a member, young adults 24 yrs and up were put in a "Special Interest" group. The name has changed since then, to what I do not know but being called "Special Interest" was horrible. So, pressure to marry and start a family. Perhaps he felt like his family was pressuring him to settle down.

Could Steven be hiding in plain sight? Would it be possible he is living with a person at Sun City Anthem? I can't imagine LE continually asking to see the home surveillance records of the person who provided the initial footage that showed Steven (?) walking down the road away from his car. He could be coming and going from Anthem and who would notice?

Does anyone know if LE monitors Social Security activity for a missing person? Could Steven be working now?

 

[TechWriter797]

snipped by me:

I have wondered if Steven dropped out sight to become a recluse for a while like Pete Maravich did.

That's an interesting thought. I didn't know anything about Maravich, so I looked him up in Wikipedia:

"in the fall of 1980, Maravich became a recluse for two years. Through it all, Maravich said he was searching "for life." He tried the practices of yoga and Hinduism, read Trappist monk Thomas Merton's The Seven Storey Mountain... He also explored vegetarianism and macrobiotics. Eventually, he embraced evangelical Christianity."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Maravich#Later_life_and_death

Where would he go for something like this? I still think he was a victim, lured or sent to the area where he disappeared, but we should explore this idea, too.

 

[Sleuthster]

I have to agree with Sulamith that there are some facetts to this family that make me think he did leave on his own accord. Maybe the whol road trip was to clear his head and think if he really wanted to do this and where he wanted to go. I am a member of 2 groups on fb for Steven and I can say that it seems on one of them that person that is moderating the family fb feels that it would destroy the family if he where found alive because "how could he do this to his mother' and on the other forum they discuss how the family forum doesnt want him found. Doesnt seem like anything productive towards finding him alive on there. The family one doesnt really want to discuss ideas from people on finding him,only want support for the family.

I watched the disappeared episode several times and I got bad vibes from that too about the family having a little bit too much control and critisizing about him not being married and his financial troubles. IMO.

 

[Sulamith]

I have to agree with Sulamith that there are some facetts to this family that make me think he did leave on his own accord. Maybe the whol road trip was to clear his head and think if he really wanted to do this and where he wanted to go. I am a member of 2 groups on fb for Steven and I can say that it seems on one of them that person that is moderating the family fb feels that it would destroy the family if he where found alive because "how could he do this to his mother' and on the other forum they discuss how the family forum doesnt want him found. Doesnt seem like anything productive towards finding him alive on there. The family one doesnt really want to discuss ideas from people on finding him,only want support for the family.

I watched the disappeared episode several times and I got bad vibes from that too about the family having a little bit too much control and critisizing about him not being married and his financial troubles. IMO.

Sleuster, You have just said what I have been thinking all along.

 

[Fairy1]

I have been one of the few that believed Steven likely walked away. I felt that way until his Dad passed away and until I learned more about the LL.

Even so, I still look for Steven wherever I go. It's just habit now.