NV NV - Steven T. Koecher, 30, Henderson, 13 Dec 2009 - # 2

[laytonian]

If we suppose its true that Steven's trip(s) to Ruby Valley/northern Utah extended over the 8th and 9th its entirely possible to assume that he was out of cell range (especially with At&T) and didn't get the message until later, if at all. I *think* his cell record will show when he received the text. But it might show when AT&T received it and not when it was delivered to his phone.

A bit of clarification: "Northern Utah" isn't Salt Lake City. It's the the northern half of Davis County, and up from there (ie, the "panhandle" part).
Being a Utahn, I get a bit excited that there's maybe new news regarding that area.

We know he was using his phone on the 13th, and that messages were checked on the 14th.

Do we know if Steven was a texter?
I ask that, because I know lots of people detest texting OR it's not included in their plan, so they avoid it. I don't like it one bit

 

[Fairy1]

I am going to repeat a question, and direct it to Naegle in the event the info can be shared:

Did the person who caught Steven on surveillance turn over additional tapes to LE in the event that Steven was in that area before?

This is an excellent question. IIRC - the guy who's cameras caught Steven on the tape we've seen is former LE. Likely very observant. He may not have older video anymore, but he may recall having seen Steven before.

 

[webrocket]

This is an excellent question. IIRC - the guy who's cameras caught Steven on the tape we've seen is former LE. Likely very observant. He may not have older video anymore, but he may recall having seen Steven before.

This tape was saved no doubt because the cops inquired about the car. No one is going to save day to day footage of vehicle, bicyclists and people walking dogs.

 

[ella's mom]

Thanks for the new thread believe. Like most of you, this case has consumed me. Even if I make a trip to the grocery store, I am thinking of Steven and trying to get peices to fit, or trying to think of ways to eliminate things. So below are a few of my random thoughts.

1) Maybe it isn't so crazy that Greg didn't ask Steven why he was in Vegas. In the article it says "good friend Greg Webb....." What does that really mean? Personally I have different types of friends; "Work Friends," "Church Friends," "Everyday Friends," "College Friends,"etc. All of whom, if someone asked I would consider them "good friends." They don't always overlap in all areas of my life. For example: I am working with a few members of our church on a project. We meet once a week to discuss the progress. If I have a question during the week about the project, I might call one of those "church friends." If one of them said they were in Detroit that day, I don't think I would be comfortable enough asking why he/she was there. It really wouldn't be my business. If it was an "Everyday Friend," I would definitely ask. Make sense?

My personal opinion is that he had a lot of "Church Friends," College Friends," etc., but didn't really have any "Everyday Friends." If he did, someone would have known more about what he did and/or noticed he was missing before the parents were notified about the car. I think he was more of a loner, which explains why no one knows anything about his personal life.

So, we could be making more out of the Greg Webb thing than there really is.

2) I hope the people that thought Steven was just going on an ordinary day and all of a sudden vanished, so it must foul play, are rethinking. Too many things are odd. I don't think I need to list them here, but will if someone needs a recap.

This doesn't mean foul play did not occur at some point, it just means that it's clear Steven's behavior was odd in the days leading up to the disappearence and he was "up to something."

3) Has he had a history of taking off for periods of time? I have asked this question before but have not received a response.

I have even thought that this may be a question the family is avoiding, because if he did have a history of "taking off", some people (including LE) may not take this case as serious.

4) Are his Birth Certificate, Passport, other pieces of identification missing? This is another question I have asked a couple of times but have not seen an answer to.

5) Was he taking any medication? Was he ever treated in the past for mental\nervous type issues? Drugs, Alcoholism, etc? I know this information is not our business in the normal sense, but could play a factor in his disappearence.

6) Is the "Wall of Silence" (if there is one) so strong that people would be unwilling to come forward?

7) I think too many people are relying on the fact that Steven offered to come home if he was needed. Do we know he really meant it? There have been times where I have offered to do something, that I really didn't want to do. Example: It's 5:00pm the day is over at the office, but there are still some things to be done. I offer to stay late if they need me too. Although I have no desire to work late that day and actually have plans.

That could have been what Steven did. Maybe Greg said "hey Buddy I am on my way back from Vegas but will be cutting it close, can you fill in? Steven probably said I am in Vegas too, I can head back if you need me too (even though he had no intention to). Greg says no because he is already headed that way." Make Sense?

Sorry for all of the rambling. Just figured I would post in one spot instead of 7 different posts.

 

[laytonian]

No, he was pretty good about responding to text messages...not really FB. Since he didn't have the internet at home, he wasn't on FB very much.

But he usually responded to my texts.

You've confirmed something else for us: he did use the internet (on a limited basis perhaps) even though he didn't have it at home.

 

[Fairy1]

In my recent posts I have stated that I thought Steven met someone in the area and fell in love. I think he's probably with that person. At no time did I speculate that he met a gay lover -- although he might have, I simply don't know. He could have met a woman who works as a dancer or a high-end escort. It is the Vegas area,after all. Steven seems to be a man who likes to help others. That trait could be how he was first drawn to such a woman.Those houses in Anthem, some of them are probably rented. I believe that this what is most likely to have happened to him

This is a great theory liz! We have lots of rentals in the area now due to the high number of foreclosures. That being said, a lot of dancers and probably escorts make plenty of money to buy their own houses in Anthem or anywhere else!

Look what Christopher Coleman did to his family to be with his dancer gf. Running off is not the worst thing that could happen.

 

[laytonian]

7) I think too many people are relying on the fact that Steven offered to come home if he was needed. Do we know he really meant it? There have been times where I have offered to do something, that I really didn't want to do. Example: It's 5:00pm the day is over at the office, but there are still some things to be done. I offer to stay late if they need me too. Although I have no desire to work late that day and actually have plans.

That could have been what Steven did. Maybe Greg said "hey Buddy I am on my way back from Vegas but will be cutting it close, can you fill in? Steven probably said I am in Vegas too, I can head back if you need me too (even though he had no intention to). Greg says no because he is already headed that way." Make Sense?

Sorry for all of the rambling. Just figured I would post in one spot instead of 7 different posts.

Good post.

I think you're completely correct on #7....and there's another clue, which came from Naegle today.

After Webb called him on Sunday, Dec 13, Seth Aboud called and also asked him to do something at church that day (announce a trip to a basketball game), and Steve said he couldn't.....AND, Steven also told Seth that he wouldn't be at the basketball game (which wasn't until Wed, Dec 16th -- three days later).
http://sites.google.com/site/parallelcooler/home/koecher-html

I think that's THE clue that Steven wasn't planning to go back to St George, even though he didn't have his computer or other personal items with him.

 

[lost at sea]

web - there was no booze. It was presented as a hypothetical scenario by lost at sea and sort of got lost in translation when the new thread was started.

Wasn't even a hypothetical scenario. It was an example to make a point.

 

[lost at sea]

Here is a link to the 1st of 2 parts of the map. This covers until Steven leaves for Vegas. Ill update the map if people have thoughts and Ill add the second part once I get a few answers Im looking for.

This is MY THEORY. Not FACT. Ive taken liberties here and filled in blanks based on my thoughts and feelings.

 

[laytonian]

This thing about him buying booze came out of left field and if anyone asked this question, my apologies for repeating it.

Where was the booze he bought? I don't recall hearing that there was $200 worth of liquor in his car. Was it there or not?

If the booze is missing then that means he dropped it off somewhere. Translation - he paid a visit to his ultimate destination and dropped off the goods and drove back to the appointed location to abandon the vehicle.

So for the math geniuses on board, here is a hypothesis. If you take the missing mileage and divide by 2, that is probably the number of miles between Henderson and where he is now.

Just my hypothesis, that's all.

The "booze post" was someone's theory, not a fact.

As for "missing mileage". Naegle told us yesterday that the "half tank of gas" was only a guess. Apparently, no one filled the car back up at the nearest gas station, to see how much had been used since the last fill up.

IF there were "missing mileage", it'd only be 118 miles. There isn't much that's 59 miles away from Vegas...and since we don't need the mythical booze drop-off...a trip to Searchlight NV or Baker CA to hide it, isn't likely.

 

[ella's mom]

Good post.

I think you're completely correct on #7....and there's another clue, which came from Naegle today.

After Webb called him on Sunday, Dec 13, Seth Aboud called and also asked him to do something at church that day (announce a trip to a basketball game), and Steve said he couldn't.....AND, Steven also told Seth that he wouldn't be at the basketball game (which wasn't until Wed, Dec 16th -- three days later).
http://sites.google.com/site/parallelcooler/home/koecher-html

I think that's THE clue that Steven wasn't planning to go back to St George, even though he didn't have his computer or other personal items with him.

That's exactly what I said when we were going through Naegle's timeline on 1/13 (post #324 thread #1). He knew he wasn't going to be around for it. Great minds think alike . But after thinking about it, there are a few things that we don't know: did he normally attend the basketball games, was there another church function going on at the same time - LDS Singles Meeting perhaps, etc. Just based on the conversation with Seth, we cannot conclude that he was planning on running away or going on an extended trip.

 

[laytonian]

His last financial transaction was on Saturday December 12th when he purchased Christmas gifts at a Kmart in St George.

QUESTION:
So we've now confirmed that he bought gas in Mesquite NV **before** he bought the Christmas gifts at Kmart, since Kmart was the last financial transaction?

That doesn't follow well....and the timeline is getting strangely weird.
http://sites.google.com/site/parallelcooler/home/koecher-html

Drives 45 miles to buy gas in Mesquite, NV

Drives back to St George to shop at K-Mart at 8:30pm, and buys presents.
(There's similar shopping in Mesquite, so no need to go back 45 miles just to shop)

10-30:30 is seen at his apartment by neighbor, then drives away.

Phone call flurry occurs.

Car found abandoned in Henderson, NV with presents inside.

 

[Fairy1]

So we've now confirmed that he bought gas in Mesquite NV **before** he bought the Christmas gifts at Kmart?

I do wish we could confirm this. If that's the case, he was in Mesquite the day before he went to Vegas. Why? Had he been in Vegas that day too?

I had assumed that the gas/snack stop in Mesquite occurred while he was on his way to Vegas. It now looks like it happened on his way back to St. George from.....where?

 

[laytonian]

Here is a link to the 1st of 2 parts of the map. This covers until Steven leaves for Vegas. Ill update the map if people have thoughts and Ill add the second part once I get a few answers Im looking for.

This is MY THEORY. Not FACT. Ive taken liberties here and filled in blanks based on my thoughts and feelings.
http://i46.tinypic.com/29e42ep.jpg

That's quite a route.

You don't need to drive from St George to Vegas to get to Caliente; there's a direct route out of St George.

I don't understand the brown-dashed loop-de-loop line out in the Salt Flats, where there's no paved roads.

 

[Fairy1]

That's exactly what I said when we were going through Naegle's timeline on 1/13 (post #324 thread #1). He knew he wasn't going to be around for it. Great minds think alike . But after thinking about it, there are a few things that we don't know: did he normally attend the basketball games, was there another church function going on at the same time - LDS Singles Meeting perhaps, etc. Just based on the conversation with Seth, we cannot conclude that he was planning on running away or going on an extended trip.

Yep - sounds like perhaps Steven knew he wouldn't be back, but didn't want everyone else to know. But then why did he offer to go back to St. George when GW asked him to fill in for the meeting? Why didn't he just say that he wouldn't be able to make it in time? :waitasec:

 

[lost at sea]

That's quite a route.

You don't need to drive from St George to Vegas to get to Caliente; there's a direct route out of St George.

I don't understand the brown-dashed loop-de-loop line out in the Salt Flats, where there's no paved roads.

Means he possibly went off into the wild blue yonder to places and people we know nothing about. Gah, my legend didnt make it onto the final picture. Ill update that.

 

[laytonian]

I do wish we could confirm this. If that's the case, he was in Mesquite the day before he went to Vegas. Why? Had he been in Vegas that day too?

I had assumed that the gas/snack stop in Mesquite occurred while he was on his way to Vegas. It now looks like it happened on his way back to St. George from.....where?

It's the same day. Naegle said the gas purchase in Mesquite was dated 12/12. The Kmart purchase was on 12/12 at 8:30pm.

I'm wondering if we're carrying over stale information, if the time zone difference accounts for the "last transaction", or what.

It's discrepancies like this, that a timeline catches. I know it's not a popular subject here....but it does bring out questions.

 

[Fairy1]

Means he possibly went off into the wild blue yonder to places and people we know nothing about. Gah, my legend didnt make it onto the final picture. Ill update that.

It would be helpful to know the weather conditions at the various locations during these trips also. I don't know if using alternate routes would even have been a possibility. If there was snow and/or ice, I would imagine one would stick to the major interstates.

 

[lost at sea]

QUESTION:
So we've now confirmed that he bought gas in Mesquite NV **before** he bought the Christmas gifts at Kmart, since Kmart was the last financial transaction?

That doesn't follow well....and the timeline is getting strangely weird.
http://sites.google.com/site/parallelcooler/home/koecher-html

Drives 45 miles to buy gas in Mesquite, NV

Drives back to St George to shop at K-Mart at 8:30pm, and buys presents.
(There's similar shopping in Mesquite, so no need to go back 45 miles just to shop)

10-30:30 is seen at his apartment by neighbor, then drives away.

Phone call flurry occurs.

Car found abandoned in Henderson, NV with presents inside.

If it is indeed true that he bought gas BEFORE K-Mart it means this (to me):

He didnt go through St. George to get to Mesquite. He went from Springville to Vegas maybe and came back through Mequite. Got home, grabbed some stuff, turned around and went back to Vegas. Interesting...

Lets get a confirmation on that time!

 

[Fairy1]

It's the same day. Naegle said the gas purchase in Mesquite was dated 12/12. The Kmart purchase was on 12/12 at 8:30pm.

I'm wondering if we're carrying over stale information, if the time zone difference accounts for the "last transaction", or what.

It's discrepancies like this, that a timeline catches. I know it's not a popular subject here....but it does bring out questions.

That's what I thought we had discovered. But the question remains, why was he in Mesquite that day? Was he returning to St. George from somewhere or did he just take a joy ride to Mesquite for the fun of it? If you live in St. George, there's really only one reason to go to Mesquite, IMO. Then again, perhaps he was meeting someone halfway?

And I don't think the timeline idea is unpopular as much as it seems overwhelming!