NV NV - Steven T. Koecher, 30, Henderson, 13 Dec 2009 - #14

[Helix11]

No worries! We're all grasping at straws these days.

Ya I've been gone from the site for quite a while and it seems like when I was skimming through everything, its just as though everything is being rehashed and rehashed again and again, with no new leads. (Not meaning any offense, whatsoever) But this is so frustrating! I used to spend almost too much time on WS, but I truly care about what happened to Steven, so here I am again.
:banghead::banghead:

 

[Helix11]

A search in a rugged area of Henderson, Nevada took place on Saturday. 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

Ya Ruby, this is what I was talking about. But as Fairy pointed out this was back in April, and it is totally possible that whoever wrote the article got the information incorrect. Or maybe they are really looking into those bones forensically, who knows.

 

[RubyRed]

Ya Ruby, this is what I was talking about. But as Fairy pointed out this was back in April, and it is totally possible that whoever wrote the article got the information incorrect. Or maybe they are really looking into those bones forensically, who knows.

they couldn't determine whether or not they were human remains.

The bones were taken to Clark County Coroner's Office for further tests.

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/to...or-Steven-Koecher/TZCiDFTSYE2nP5k9f99GpQ.cspx


I have seen no follow up about bones that were found at the search, other than they were being tested. So it was probably nothing but they did find bones.

 

[Fairy1]

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_14859223?source=most_viewed

Really, I don't recall seeing or hearing anything about "large" bones. But whatever was found came to nothing, it seems. Same with anything else found during the search.

For me, half of the search was spent looking for a victim of suicide. It wasn't until I was on the way back that I learned we were looking for the remains of Steven that someone else had placed there. That changed my entire manner of searching...

There is a difference between searching for the remains of someone who ended his own life and someone who was a victim of foul play. Obviously.

Many (most) of us did not know why we were there or what we were supposed to be looking for.

I'm no expert on searches - Steven's was my first. But I'm pretty sure you SHOULD know if you're looking for a victim of suicide or a victim of homicide.

 

[Helix11]

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_14859223?source=most_viewed


For me, half of the search was spent looking for a victim of suicide. It wasn't until I was on the way back that I learned we were looking for the remains of Steven that someone else had placed there. That changed my entire manner of searching...


I'm no expert on searches - Steven's was my first. But I'm pretty sure you SHOULD know if you're looking for a victim of suicide or a victim of homicide.

I agree. Could you tell us what happened that caused the switch from looking for a suicide victim to a victim of foul play?

 

[RubyRed]

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_14859223?source=most_viewed

Really, I don't recall seeing or hearing anything about "large" bones. But whatever was found came to nothing, it seems. Same with anything else found during the search.

For me, half of the search was spent looking for a victim of suicide. It wasn't until I was on the way back that I learned we were looking for the remains of Steven that someone else had placed there. That changed my entire manner of searching...

There is a difference between searching for the remains of someone who ended his own life and someone who was a victim of foul play. Obviously.

Many (most) of us did not know why we were there or what we were supposed to be looking for.

I'm no expert on searches - Steven's was my first. But I'm pretty sure you SHOULD know if you're looking for a victim of suicide or a victim of homicide.

That is odd that they didn't tell you, because it definitely would change how you searched.

 

[Fairy1]

That is odd that they didn't tell you, because it definitely would change how you searched.

Indeed. They didn't tell us anything! I learned from a very credible source ( I will not say who) on my way back that it was believed someone had placed Steven there.

I had never participated in a search before in my life, but am I wrong to believe they should have given us a clue as to WHY we were there and HOW we should be searching?

If Steven had killed himself there, he wouldn't have been buried, right?

And you would think if someone had killed him, they would have buried him and his belongings, right?

IDK. The whole thing irritates me. Even now.

 

[Helix11]

Indeed. They didn't tell us anything! I learned from a very credible source ( I will not say who) on my way back that it was believed someone had placed Steven there.

I had never participated in a search before in my life, but am I wrong to believe they should have given us a clue as to WHY we were there and HOW we should be searching?

If Steven had killed himself there, he wouldn't have been buried, right?

And you would think if someone had killed him, they would have buried him and his belongings, right?

IDK. The whole thing irritates me. Even now.

Ya that is very strange. What is the point of having an entire search party out there if they aren't looking for the right clues? The chances of missing what you might have seen are so much higher! Ugh, that irks me too Fairy.

 

[webrocket]

.....and?

So your theory is that the family was open enough to let jaxon poke around in five years' worth of Steven's emails -- but at the same time was close-minded enough to hide stuff? :waitasec:

I don't think we can assume that just because something's not been found, that things are being hidden. Even on social networking sites (where it would be smart to use a different email address), he used the same email address as he did with his family, his friends, and work.

they already knew that there was nothing scandalous in connection with that one email address he had.

maybe it's just me, but when I first started posting things online, I learned right away that my inbox would be innundated with spam so ever since that first time I used a "real" email address online, I set up more than one email address to differentiate that which I use for family and friends and those which are more readily accessible to the public. Why give spammers, scammers and identity thieves the key to your true identity so easily?

I highly doubt Steven had only one email address. If he had others that were used only on public computers, then LE or the PI would never know what they were so there would be absolutely no point in searching library hard drives (which is not going to happen absent some criminal investigation into child *advertiser censored* or monetary scams). On the other hand, if he did not realize that it was not a good idea to use only one email address for everything, then he might have been more naive than I thought.

 

[webrocket]

But how do you know a tip is bogus, until it's acted upon? It was apparently reliable enough to generate the search.

Back when the search was organized, I posted that I did not believe for one second it was based on any legitimate tip. I even vowed to retire from WS if they found his body there.

 

[laytonian]

they already knew that there was nothing scandalous in connection with that one email address he had.

maybe it's just me, but when I first started posting things online, I learned right away that my inbox would be innundated with spam so ever since that first time I used a "real" email address online, I set up more than one email address to differentiate that which I use for family and friends and those which are more readily accessible to the public. Why give spammers, scammers and identity thieves the key to your true identity so easily?

I highly doubt Steven had only one email address. If he had others that were used only on public computers, then LE or the PI would never know what they were so there would be absolutely no point in searching library hard drives (which is not going to happen absent some criminal investigation into child *advertiser censored* or monetary scams). On the other hand, if he did not realize that it was not a good idea to use only one email address for everything, then he might have been more naive than I thought.

I think he was. Who keeps emails for five years - especially those he didn't even think were worth opening?
I don't even have 40 saved in my real email (which I do not use here). I use a throwaway email address here, and even that one has only about ten saved emails in it.

WE who are tied to our computers probably don't understand how he used his computer. SK belonged to job-hunt websites, and didn't even bother to get an internet connection or check his incoming emails very often. swjaxon told us that.

The only other email address I've been able to find, used during his employment, was from matchbin.com --- and it barely shows online activity. Steven.Koecher@matchbin.com (for those who didn't figure that out months ago.)

I'll eat my keyboard if it turns out there's some secret life on his computer, being hidden by his family.

 

[laytonian]

For me, half of the search was spent looking for a victim of suicide. It wasn't until I was on the way back that I learned we were looking for the remains of Steven that someone else had placed there.

...or where you looking for "anything" related to a tip that "placed" Steven there? If someone called in a tip, saying they saw him out there -- that "places" him there. So would cellphone triangulation. So would finding an item that belonged to him.

I thought the instructions were to flag *anything* that looked suspicious - which is why keys, bones, clothing, etc, were flagged.

I wonder what happened with the pants they found out there? RK said he wanted them tested for DNA.

 

[Helix11]

Do we think it's possible that these things found on the search back in April are still being investigated? Or did they all just end up as dead ends, and that's why we haven't heard about them since?

 

[laytonian]

Back when the search was organized, I posted that I did not believe for one second it was based on any legitimate tip. I even vowed to retire from WS if they found his body there.

Yes, you did say that.
I believe it's worth the time to investigate all tips.

I'd be more critical than you, if I found out such a tip had been ignored.

 

[laytonian]

Do we think it's possible that these things found on the search back in April are still being investigated? Or did they all just end up as dead ends, and that's why we haven't heard about them since?

Pretty much dead ends. The bones weren't human, the pants were too small (waist) for Steven, if the pants were tested for DNA we don't know the results, and none of the other items flagged could be tied to SK.

 

[carbuff]

I think he was. Who keeps emails for five years - especially those he didn't even think were worth opening?
I don't even have 40 saved in my real email (which I do not use here). I use a throwaway email address here, and even that one has only about ten saved emails in it.

WE who are tied to our computers probably don't understand how he used his computer. SK belonged to job-hunt websites, and didn't even bother to get an internet connection or check his incoming emails very often. swjaxon told us that.

The only other email address I've been able to find, used during his employment, was from matchbin.com --- and it barely shows online activity. Steven.Koecher@matchbin.com (for those who didn't figure that out months ago.)

I'll eat my keyboard if it turns out there's some secret life on his computer, being hidden by his family.

I think that's a matter of personal habit -- my email has saved stuff from more than five years ago. (I have a folder called "job hunt 2004" with almost 500 messages in it...) Every time I start to think I need to clear old junk out, because I'm pushing my storage limit, they expand the limit and I don't need to

But I agree with you about not having a secret life hidden on the computer.

 

[laytonian]

I think that's a matter of personal habit -- my email has saved stuff from more than five years ago. (I have a folder called "job hunt 2004" with almost 500 messages in it...) Every time I start to think I need to clear old junk out, because I'm pushing my storage limit, they expand the limit and I don't need to

Maybe it's because I use OE for my "real" email, and only check gmail when I think something's come in. Then dump the gmail, pretty much.

But I agree with you about not having a secret life hidden on the computer.

The logic is this: It would have been found, and it would have solved this mystery.

If there was a secret life, it's not on the laptop that was examined.

Frankly, I don't think he was a "computer person" much at all.

 

[carbuff]

Maybe it's because I use OE for my "real" email, and only check gmail when I think something's come in. Then dump the gmail, pretty much.



The logic is this: It would have been found, and it would have solved this mystery.

If there was a secret life, it's not on the laptop that was examined.

Frankly, I don't think he was a "computer person" much at all.

Yes, I agree, he doesn't seem to have had much of an online life. Which makes it kind of ironic that so many online people are looking for him.

 

[laytonian]

Yes, I agree, he doesn't seem to have had much of an online life. Which makes it kind of ironic that so many online people are looking for him.

He did, though, set up a FB page; we just can't be "friended" to see what's on it. (I'm kinda surprised that the family hasn't opened it up - because it's obvious there's a lot of people who know what's on it. If anything)

I'm not so much interested as to WHAT is on his FB page, but WHEN he posted things to it. That's part of a timeline.

Here's something else I found, sent it to the family months ago but don't know what was done - so in reviewing all my various little notes last night, I went ahead and sent the info (in more detail than I'm showing here) to the PI, as a follow-up:
I had found that Steven had an eBay account -- but since I was only searching for his email address, all it did was confirm that there was an associated account. It didn't tell me the user name. I sent the info to KCN, telling her that the family (with access to his email), could get a password retrieval and log in to check things out.
Interestingly, though, there IS an eBay account with SK's last name as the user name, with "TX" as the location.

I don't know if that's Steven's account or not. BUT the interesting thing?
Activity on that account (judged by feedback given and received) ends in early December 2009....EXCEPT: Feedback was given BY that account, on Dec 22nd. That made my hair stand on end.

Take a look at it (clicking on the feedback tabs) .... but please don't send any contacts. I've already done that, and there's no use pestering possibly-unconnected people. It might not be his eBay account.
I've already sent contacts to the account owner, and some buyers (with no response).
Interestingly, that account sold a laptop computer in early 2009.
If it's Steven, I'm curious about that computer and if it still exists.

 

[webrocket]

He did, though, set up a FB page; we just can't be "friended" to see what's on it. (I'm kinda surprised that the family hasn't opened it up - because it's obvious there's a lot of people who know what's on it. If anything)

I'm not so much interested as to WHAT is on his FB page, but WHEN he posted things to it. That's part of a timeline.

Here's something else I found, sent it to the family months ago but don't know what was done - so in reviewing all my various little notes last night, I went ahead and sent the info (in more detail than I'm showing here) to the PI, as a follow-up:
I had found that Steven had an eBay account -- but since I was only searching for his email address, all it did was confirm that there was an associated account. It didn't tell me the user name. I sent the info to KCN, telling her that the family (with access to his email), could get a password retrieval and log in to check things out.
Interestingly, though, there IS an eBay account with SK's last name as the user name, with "TX" as the location.

I don't know if that's Steven's account or not. BUT the interesting thing?
Activity on that account (judged by feedback given and received) ends in early December 2009....EXCEPT: Feedback was given BY that account, on Dec 22nd. That made my hair stand on end.

Take a look at it (clicking on the feedback tabs) .... but please don't send any contacts. I've already done that, and there's no use pestering possibly-unconnected people. It might not be his eBay account.
I've already sent contacts to the account owner, and some buyers (with no response).
Interestingly, that account sold a laptop computer in early 2009.
If it's Steven, I'm curious about that computer and if it still exists.

which email address did he use for ebay?