NV NV - Steven T. Koecher, 30, Henderson, 13 Dec 2009 - #17

[laytonian]

I found the details of the Feb 7th Best Buy sighting:
Read the July 9th news story HERE and then scroll down to read comments by the first "guest". Ah heck, read second "guest", too.

I remember now, we previously did find the address, based on that news story: 6455 N Decatur, North Las Vegas, NV. Click for map.

JR (with his name in the post) explains how he went from 5% to 100% certainty, after a lapse of time and seeing different pictures.

I don't know why it's important that the tipster see the security video; in fact, any external reminder would undermine a tip in ANY case. We all remember cases where court witnesses "enhanced" their memories by online research or outside info, and their testimony was impeached or not even used.

Quoting Apr 10: Deseret News: "Rolf Koecher said video surveillance obtained by police from Best Buy was both inconclusive and lacked clarity."

Remember, this sighting took place both outside and inside the store, meaning multiple surveillance videos.

 

[carbuff]

I guess it is the same sighting.

 

[laytonian]

I found the details of the Feb 7th Best Buy sighting:

Read the July 9th news story HERE and then scroll down to read comments by the first "guest" (JRigg).

I apologize for not detailing this sighting earlier, on the timeline. The KTNV news forum is where it was most fully documented, on July 9th, but that was much later than we first heard about it.

The timeline page was getting so large, it wouldn't load in the Google editor when I tried to make revisions.

I've now split it into 2009 and 2010 sections, and added the Home Depot/Best Buy tips under the date we first learned about them: Mar 13/14.

 

[Fairy1]

Okay - I found the dang post on FB! In my defense, I have previously outed myself as being FB illiterate.

I remember the Best Buy sightings in February that led to RK coming down to view the surveillance video. What I didn't recall about that was the person(s) who believed they saw Steven actually giving him any money.

I also recall JR participating in the bus searches in July. I guess what's throwing me off is why they would be looking for Steven in Las Vegas if this person felt sure the money he had give him months before was to get out of town.

I was attempting to make a connection between the BB sighting and the bus searches - other than JR. I don't believe there is such a connection.

 

[Fairy1]

I already posted it on here, but it was deleted.

You can go look on the Steven Koecher Facebook Page. The last post from KC. Read the comments and look for a guy J R.

I have emailed him and he emailed back. Now I am awaiting another reply. I will keep you guys up to date.

Better yet, invite him to come here and share his thoughts. I have always (mostly) believed Steven is alive and well and believe I may have spotted him myself.

 

[laytonian]

Okay - I found the dang post on FB! In my defense, I have previously outed myself as being FB illiterate.

I remember the Best Buy sightings in February that led to RK coming down to view the surveillance video. What I didn't recall about that was the person(s) who believed they saw Steven actually giving him any money.

I also recall JR participating in the bus searches in July. I guess what's throwing me off is why they would be looking for Steven in Las Vegas if this person felt sure the money he had give him months before was to get out of town.

I was attempting to make a connection between the BB sighting and the bus searches - other than JR. I don't believe there is such a connection.

I think there was a connection: the family stated that they wanted to search for a "live Steven" (because all past searches had looked for remains and/or evidence of a crime).

Rigg obviously is a person who sent in a "live Steven" sighting, and his information was welcomed by the family. Unfortunately, the sighting came so long after the reported event, it was practically useless.

When the car was found, SK was gone 4-5 days at most.
When JR's tip came in, it was a 3-4 week lag.

If it truly was Steven at Best Buy, those with JR should have immediately called in the tip because THEY are the ones who first thought it was SK.

There may also have been people along on the bus search, who had sent in other tips. We don't know if there were, because they didn't publicize themselves.

 

[Fairy1]

I think there was a connection: the family stated that they wanted to search for a "live Steven" (because all past searches had looked for remains and/or evidence of a crime).

I mean with the bus thing. Where is the logic in looking for Steven on city buses 7 months after he asked for bus fare to get back to his family?

Rigg obviously is a person who sent in a "live Steven" sighting, and his information was welcomed by the family. Unfortunately, the sighting came so long after the reported event, it was practically useless.

When the car was found, SK was gone 4-5 days at most.
When JR's tip came in, it was a 3-4 week lag.

Didn't he say he didn't know the guy he saw at Best Buy was missing until later? Then, I assume, RK came to Vegas to view the tapes when he could, perhaps not immediately after the tip.

If it truly was Steven at Best Buy, those with JR should have immediately called in the tip because THEY are the ones who first thought it was SK.

Did they know when they saw him?

There may also have been people along on the bus search, who had sent in other tips. We don't know if there were, because they didn't publicize themselves.

That is probably true. I'd sure like to think there are more of us keeping an eye out locally - particularly after the bus search.

 

[laytonian]

I mean with the bus thing. Where is the logic in looking for Steven on city buses 7 months after he asked for bus fare to get back to his family?

They said, because most tips were bus-related.
Even the person YOU think is Steven who you saw, was at a bus stop.

Didn't he say he didn't know the guy he saw at Best Buy was missing until later? Then, I assume, RK came to Vegas to view the tapes when he could, perhaps not immediately after the tip.

You were at the press conference.
Rolf came down March 13/14.

Did they know when they saw him?

He said Superbowl Sunday, Best Buy. If you read the "guest" comment I linked to several times, he explains how the other people with him were more convinced than he, that it was SK. He had memory assistance.

 

[Fairy1]

They said, because most tips were bus-related.
Even the person YOU think is Steven who you saw, was at a bus stop.

My possible sighting was AFTER the bus search. I recall a couple of others, but as I said, I don't believe there was a direct connection betweek the BB sighting and the city bus stop sightings.

You were at the press conference.
Rolf came down March 13/14.

The PC was in February. Rolf was here then. They obviously didn't have the tip at that time.

He said Superbowl Sunday, Best Buy. If you read the "guest" comment I linked to several times, he explains how the other people with him were more convinced than he, that it was SK. He had memory assistance.

Superbowl was early February. How long after that was it actually reported? Didn't he say a couple of weeks in the post you've linked to several times?

I'm positive it was long before our desert search on April 10. That was no bus stop!

 

[laytonian]

My possible sighting was AFTER the bus search. I recall a couple of others, but as I said, I don't believe there was a direct connection betweek the BB sighting and the city bus stop sightings.

The PC was in February. Rolf was here then. They obviously didn't have the tip at that time.

Yeah. That's why RK had to come back to Vegas, Mar 13/14 to see the surveillance tapes.

Superbowl was early February. How long after that was it actually reported? Didn't he say a couple of weeks in the post you've linked to several times?

Yeah, but that's not definite.

I'm positive it was long before our desert search on April 10. That was no bus stop!

Yes, it was before that search, which was based on a separate tip.
RK came down Mar 13/14.

The point is that the family wanted to check buses, talk to drivers and passengers, because most tips mentioned "bus". They wanted to search for "live Steven".

It makes as much sense as anything else in this case.

 

[justice57]

From what I gathered in the newpaper article:http://www.8newsnow.com/story/12784...in-search-of-missing-utah-man?redirected=trueJR was involved in the bus riding search in July. He states on the FB page that he notified the family two or three weeks after Superbowl Sunday.

It just gets stranger and stranger. Steven had that $100 check his family had sent him that he never cashed. So why would he be panhandling for bus fare?

 

[RubyRed]

"He said, ‘I'm looking for day work.' He says ‘I'm trying to get money to get back to Utah to see family,'" Rigg said.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/12784...in-search-of-missing-utah-man?redirected=true


He just needs to pick up the phone and his family would help him. That is why I find it strange.

 

[ThePhantom]

Maybe he's ashamed and doesn't want to ask his family for help ... ??? Perhaps he would just rather show up there without any "fanfare" --- just speculating --

 

[laytonian]

"He said, ‘I'm looking for day work.' He says ‘I'm trying to get money to get back to Utah to see family,'" Rigg said.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/12784...in-search-of-missing-utah-man?redirected=true

He just needs to pick up the phone and his family would help him. That is why I find it strange.

If not ill or purposely gone, I truly believe SK would pick up the phone and call home, call a friend or call a friend in St George (which is only two hours away).

The sighting described here looks very long detailed, until you realize it's only two sentences at the top ... and says that the man in the parking lot gave JR $40

 

[laytonian]

From what I gathered in the newpaper article:http://www.8newsnow.com/story/12784...in-search-of-missing-utah-man?redirected=trueJR was involved in the bus riding search in July. He states on the FB page that he notified the family two or three weeks after Superbowl Sunday.

It just gets stranger and stranger. Steven had that $100 check his family had sent him that he never cashed. So why would he be panhandling for bus fare?

The family sent him a $100 check?
Do you have a source for that?
I've asked, but not been told, what the amount of grandmother's check was. We don't know, either, how much SK's mom deposted in the family bank account for him.

But yeah. If you're panhandling for bus fare, you don't say you're "looking for day work". If you want to "get back home", you can drop a quarter in a pay phone. (160 times, if someone just gave you $40.)

Notice also that after receiving the $40, JR says he saw "SK" inside Best Buy.

Why would a panhandler go INTO Best Buy, for any other reason than to SHOP with the $40 he just received?

 

[SugarJames]

why would a panhandler/Steven go into the store? pre-paid phone/internet cards maybe?

 

[carbuff]

Does Best Buy have anything you can get for $40???

 

[SugarJames]

Trac phone for one...if you have a established phone, thats alot of talk time.

 

[laytonian]

why would a panhandler/Steven go into the store? pre-paid phone/internet cards maybe?

Then he'd have been seen on the store's BEST security cameras, when he purchased them.

That camera would have been at least as good as Mr Security's wonky fish-eye cameras, and the family can recognize Steven on those videos, while walking down the street away from the camera.

 

[laytonian]

Does Best Buy have anything you can get for $40???

Lots of stuff. Just bought two nano-USB mice there this morning

But you know how they have people sitting at the front door when you go in?
That's so they can eyeball potential shoplifters and shifty people.

A panhandler who's been hanging out in the parking lot, would have got that kind of attention once inside the store. Even JR admits seeing his target inside the store a few times.

SK wasn't hiding his movements in Vegas. If he didn't want anyone to know he was there, he'd have *already* have purchased a TracPhone and hidden all of his cellphone usage, once he walked away from the car.