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

[Fairy1]

another technique at the disposal of an invested LE or detective is to do a status check-they basically run his DL and SSN through. For any of you who are cold case junkies, Tammy Lynn Leppert went missing a long time ago and LE has twice found people using her ID. Neither were her, but it is another way of trying to track identification....

Good point. And if it's NOT Steven using his own ID, whoever it is may know what's become of him.

I would hope it's SOP to continue checking these things, but nothing can be taken for granted.

I was trying to think outside of the box with the birth certificate angle. Lord knows, it seems we've dissected everything else again and again.

 

[laytonian]

Good point. And if it's NOT Steven using his own ID, whoever it is may know what's become of him.

I would hope it's SOP to continue checking these things, but nothing can be taken for granted.

I was trying to think outside of the box with the birth certificate angle. Lord knows, it seems we've dissected everything else again and again.

I think we need to keep thinking and rehashing. Like you've said, we're missing something.

If someone were using his ID, I guess they'd be caught if they were arrested with it in their possession.

 

[Fairy1]

*Some* homeless people are known to those kinds of people. Maybe most. (Speaking of which, do we have Steven listed on the homeless shelters network?)

There's also a lot of room between having a regular job and apartment and living on the street. There are old-style communes and new-style urban squatters, ecovillages, plain old bums and panhandlers, couch surfers, undocumented workers of all kinds, gypsies and formerly middle-class people whose homes were foreclosed on living out of Volvo station wagons. They're there because they've lost their homes, can't handle middle-class life, drink too much, want to reduce their carbon footprint, want to practice their religious values, want to avoid the coming apocalypse, are seeking a simpler lifestyle, just want to see the country and live off the land for a while, can't get a work permit, are too lazy to work, just want to be somewhere else. You usually can't tell by looking which one's which, where they're going, or what they're up to.

Obviously Steven doesn't fall into every one of those categories, but he might be travelling or living with or beside some of them, or following the same path, or otherwise crossing paths. It's a big big world out there.

You are so right. And especially during these difficult economic times when so many have lost their jobs and homes.

I would venture to say that most homeless shelters or service providers were stretched to their limits long before the recession hit full-force. I definitely would not count on them to police missing persons cases. And how many times have we asked ourselves here, would we even recognize Steven if we saw him today? I'm not sure that I would. I would be surprised if they even still have his posters up at this point.

 

[Fairy1]

I think we need to keep thinking and rehashing. Like you've said, we're missing something.

If someone were using his ID, I guess they'd be caught if they were arrested with it in their possession.

I'm trying - hence the birth certificate idea. Look how long it took the family to find his passport! Maybe he couldn't find it when he took off and grabbed his birth certificate instead?

But - I was also thinking that it would be something for the investigators to check out. It took you about 5 minutes to figure out how Steven would go about getting a copy of his birth certificate. Can we assume that LE considered it?

 

[Fairy1]

Not sure if ya'll have been following this story over in the Crimes in the News forum, but it's really fascinating. This guy was from Eastern Europe and came to the US to attend school while living with a host family. He left school and took on the identity of a boy who had been murdered years before. Got away with it for years - until he attempted to apply for a passport and tipped off a task force that was established to look for that type of activity:

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/05/mystery_man_doitchin_krasev_wa.html

It got me to thinking how easy it might be for anyone to do this - particularly if they spoke the language of their "adopted" country. This guy was employed by the state of Oregon!

IIRC, Steven speaks fluent Portugese.

 

[laytonian]

I'm trying - hence the birth certificate idea. Look how long it took the family to find his passport! Maybe he couldn't find it when he took off and grabbed his birth certificate instead?

The passport was right under some clothes in his dresser drawer; I've never been able to figure out why it took so long to find it. If he had a copy of his birth certificate, wouldn't he have kept it in the same place? (Just thinking out loud.)

But - I was also thinking that it would be something for the investigators to check out. It took you about 5 minutes to figure out how Steven would go about getting a copy of his birth certificate. Can we assume that LE considered it?

Nope.

If he did request a copy of his birth certificate before he disappeared, it would tell us nothing.

The only way I can see it helping the investigation, is IF he obtained it after he disappeared, and IF there's a record that he did so, and then IF there's a record of him having it sent to an address. If he showed up in person to get a copy, poof. No help at all.

 

[believe09]

Good point. And if it's NOT Steven using his own ID, whoever it is may know what's become of him.

I would hope it's SOP to continue checking these things, but nothing can be taken for granted.

I was trying to think outside of the box with the birth certificate angle. Lord knows, it seems we've dissected everything else again and again.

I can't speak for Henderson, but I know that this is NOT SOP. It depends on the detective. In Tammy's case, it is FDLE and the agent is awesome. And agreed, it is a really good way to find out what might have happened to his ID if it proved not to be him, or at least how fake ID's get created.

 

[Fairy1]

The passport was right under some clothes in his dresser drawer; I've never been able to figure out why it took so long to find it. If he had a copy of his birth certificate, wouldn't he have kept it in the same place? (Just thinking out loud.)[quote/}

You would think - but it's not a given. They were looking for that passport from the beginning!


Nope.

If he did request a copy of his birth certificate before he disappeared, it would tell us nothing.

The only way I can see it helping the investigation, is IF he obtained it after he disappeared, and IF there's a record that he did so, and then IF there's a record of him having it sent to an address. If he showed up in person to get a copy, poof. No help at all.

Yes, I said it would be worth looking into whether it's been requested SINCE he's been missing. If he had it mailed, that would be AWESOME! It wouldn't hurt for LE to check.

 

[Fairy1]

I can't speak for Henderson, but I know that this is NOT SOP. It depends on the detective. In Tammy's case, it is FDLE and the agent is awesome. And agreed, it is a really good way to find out what might have happened to his ID if it proved not to be him, or at least how fake ID's get created.

It's great to know that the detective on Tammy's case is still awesome after all these years. Haven't seen Suzanne around for quite some time.

I'm really not sure how ambitious the detectives on Steven's case are, but I do hope they look for these things.

 

[laytonian]

Yes, I said it would be worth looking into whether it's been requested SINCE he's been missing. If he had it mailed, that would be AWESOME! It wouldn't hurt for LE to check.

I think the PI's the one who'd have to check; we're not getting much from LE in this case. (Henderson PD doesn't even respond to tips emailed to them, even though I've had responses from other PDs.)

It might not even require a warrant to see if there's been a request, if I'm interpreting the Amarillo Vital Statistics rules correctly. After all, if a blood relative or law enforcement agency can request a copy of the birth certificate, you'd think they could also be told if someone had requested a copy (?)

 

[carbuff]

Thanks. I guess you just answered your own question, because he's not listed there. :angel:

Is that a legitimate, active website that's used by shelters?

I'm curious because there's no listing for anyone who's been reported missing since 2007....and their "food bank" listings are full of blatantly false info.

It's part of octopigroup, who owns over 100 websites (some of which I've run into before), most of which are basically stagnant like http://www.localthriftshops.org/st/utah. They don't generate content; they just ask people to sign up (datamine email addresses) to do the work for them.

(I'm only asking, because when you and I were looking for "similar cases", we found many websites that still listed people whose cases had been closed.)

I haven't done any checking out, but I was pointed to it in a different context by a woman I know who volunteers at a shelter here, so at least some shelters are using it for a few things. I thought it looked like somebody's good idea that started out with lots of useful stuff before it ran out of funding and had been lying fallow.

 

[laytonian]

I haven't done any checking out, but I was pointed to it in a different context by a woman I know who volunteers at a shelter here, so at least some shelters are using it for a few things. I thought it looked like somebody's good idea that started out with lots of useful stuff before it ran out of funding and had been lying fallow.

Thanks. It's sad, because it's being kept alive for the ad revenue, but submissions haven't been posted since 2007. I'm sure it began as an honest effort to help, but the associated sites look like data-miners and pay-per-click ad revenue generators. As does this one, now.

I just googled for "homeless shelter" and "directory", and got 88,300 results. I don't know how anyone could figure out which ones are accurate, or keep changes updated.

Darn. Probably best to find them via Google Maps or online phone directories, and hope that homeless shelter volunteers are familiar with (and use) findthemissing.org (connected to NAMUS).

 

[Fairy1]

I think the PI's the one who'd have to check; we're not getting much from LE in this case. (Henderson PD doesn't even respond to tips emailed to them, even though I've had responses from other PDs.)

It might not even require a warrant to see if there's been a request, if I'm interpreting the Amarillo Vital Statistics rules correctly. After all, if a blood relative or law enforcement agency can request a copy of the birth certificate, you'd think they could also be told if someone had requested a copy (?)

I would think they could get a "yes" or "no" without resistance, but getting the mailing address might take a little more muscle!

 

[laytonian]

I would think they could get a "yes" or "no" without resistance, but getting the mailing address might take a little more muscle!

Well, I hope they're reading.

Now, we have to figure out WHY he'd want a copy of his own birth certificate (if he's a purposeful, life-shifting walkaway).....rather than wanting someone else's

 

[Fairy1]

Long ago we discussed the possibility of Steven seeking assistance from Deseret Industries Welfare Services - if he was in need. Is that something we should revisit?

Just wondering, if he did walk away, would he go there because it's what he knows or steer clear because he was starting over?

 

[Fairy1]

Well, I hope they're reading.

Now, we have to figure out WHY he'd want a copy of his own birth certificate (if he's a purposeful, life-shifting walkaway).....rather than wanting someone else's

I know it's a stretch - but what hasn't been, really? Just trying to think of that one thing we haven't thought of yet!

 

[laytonian]

I know it's a stretch - but what hasn't been, really? Just trying to think of that one thing we haven't thought of yet!

That's why the "why" is so important.

Yes, he'd need one for a replacement passport -- but rather than checking birth certificate requests, why not just check with the State Department directly and see if a replacement's been requested (and used)?

Brainstorming:
For what other reasons, would someone need a copy of their birth certificate?

 

[Fairy1]

That's why the "why" is so important.

Yes, he'd need one for a replacement passport -- but rather than checking birth certificate requests, why not just check with the State Department directly and see if a replacement's been requested (and used)?

Brainstorming:
For what other reasons, would someone need a copy of their birth certificate?

Possibly for a Nevada (or another state) driver license. It's one of the proof of identity documents required here. You also have to have your Social Security card.

I realize that this endeavor would show up in a State Department or SS Admin check -IF that's been done and continues to be done on a regular basis. If they only did it in January and there was no activity until March, no one would be the wiser now.

 

[RubyRed]

immigration
verify your age

 

[laytonian]

Possibly for a Nevada (or another state) driver license. It's one of the proof of identity documents required here. You also have to have your Social Security card.

Birth certificate (or passport/recently expired passport), yes, per the State of Nevada. But you don't have to show your Social Security card. There are substitutes for that (including a W2, 1099, pay stub, etc).

That's probably new in your state; Utah just changed their rules to allow substitute documents, too.

I realize that this endeavor would show up in a State Department or SS Admin check.

I don't think it would show up in either place. State driver's license regulations aren't controlled by the State Department or Social Security Administration. Those are both Federal agencies.

-IF that's been done and continues to be done on a regular basis. If they only did it in January and there was no activity until March, no one would be the wiser now.

It *would* show up in a state driver's license database, if he'd applied for another driver's license; but I think all 50 states' driver's license bureaus would have to be queried.