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

[Ex-Marine]

Hello, I am new to this forum and have been very intrigued by SK's Disappearance. I have some of my own Theories of what led him the South LV and eventually down to SCA, But I will need the following questions answered.

1. Did SK have a telephone at his residence? (Land line)

2. If he did have a land line, did the police check the records of that land line?

3. Did SK have a PayPal or have an Ebay Account?

4. Did the police use computer forensics on his Lap Top to check to see what SK would "Search For" or "How To" on the internet?

5. Did the police or the PI Go Door to Door in the neighborhood, that SK was last seen in and ask everyone if they had any business with SK on that day?

6. Were there any Debit Card or Cash withdrawals on the 13th?

7. Where was JZ during SK's Trip on the 13th? and were JZ's phone records ever searched?

8. Was SK Left handed or did he carry things in his left hand, books, camping stuff, fishing poles, ect, ect?

We have to use what the evidence in front of us is saying and I have a theory that SK did not have an Appointment with anyone on the Morning of the 13th, I think he planned on leaving for the LV Area on the afternoon of the 12th, when he was out that way from the Overton Tower Ping, Whatever he was doing on the 12th is what made him decide to leave early in the morning on the 13th to go to LV area, but Not to meet with anyone, just to go by Businesses and drop off his resumes, How could he have an appointment with anyone if his phone records or Emails do not indicate such

I don't think he slept in his car on the night of the 12th even though he had a pillow and blanket and coats in the back seat, he could have kept them back there from his trip to Ruby Valley, I do feel like he was trying to avoid his LL. So it is possible that the night of the 12th that he slept somewhere close to SG, Because the first phone call that he received on the 13th was at 7:52am LV Time and he was already halfway to LV

It is very important that SK said he could come back if they needed him too, For Church services. That is a very important piece of information because If he did come back and Not go to the SCA Neighborhood to meet with who ever he was going to meet with. How would he Cancel his appointment if there was NO EVIDENCE of him ever having contacts in the SCA Area to begin with. That is why I think he did not have an appointment to begin with. I feel that he went down to LV Area for Jobs and he was going to risk missing church to do so.

When the second phone call was made to him, it was 9:53am which is 2 hours from the first phone call so he spent quite a bit of time in the LV area before heading to the SCA Neighborhood, This is another important piece of information, Something in the LV area made him go to the SCA Neighborhood and that is where I feel his day changed from LV to SCA Neighborhood. He may have ran into something in the LV Area that made his decision to go to the SCA Neighborhood. I feel like he was looking for something because he spent so much time in the LV area before heading down to SCA.
The Tower Ping at Cactus and Bermuda means he was not heading for the SCA Neighborhood yet, it was around 9:53am, He had 2 more hours to spend before arriving at the SCA Neighborhood at 11:54am, He must have paid cash for his meals that morning, I often wondered if he ate anything prior to the Neighborhood visit

I dont know why he parked in the cul de sac. He did slow down before reaching the first street, you can see him slow down and he possibly looked down the street to see if a vehicle was outside of the residence that he was going to. He took 6 minutes before he walked in front of the security camera tells me he was organizing his things together and getting them ready, In the first camera, whatever he was carrying in his left arm appeared to be big like a sleeping bag, a back pack, an animal, but the second camera, as he crossed the street, It appeared he did not have anything in his left arm.

He may have gone to the residence and knocked and no one was home, and someone else that was there for business like SK may have drove up as SK was about to leave and the two probably engaged in conversation and the driver at that point may have liked SK for whatever reason and offered him a ride back to his car or offered to take him out in town to eat or waste time before the owner could make it back to there home, SK probably said OK and left with a total stranger and sometime between 12pm-1pm, they may have been together and thats when all hell broke loose, I feel that SK may have been sexually assaulted in the vehicle and was killed in the vehicle and the person that could have killed him didn't go back to the house that day but went into the Whitney Ranch area all day and probably put SK in the trunk, or back of the van, who knows, but I feel that the person involved owned a storage locker at 515 and Russell Rd, there are huge Storage Lockers there at that location.

I feel that SK was Murdered and the killer used SKs Phone to check voice mail for whatever reason at 7am on the 14th and left the phone with SK in a storage locker at 515 and Russell Rd. I feel that SK was probably in one of the Storage Lockers for days until the killer went back and disposed of SKs body in the desert somewhere

I feel for the family, These are just my theories, There are alot of unanswered questions that I hope will be answered one day

 

[believe09]

Welcome Ex Marine!!! I like your theories and the thought you have given to his disappearance. I agree completely regarding the Storage lockers, for what it is worth. I think that if Henderson was interested in continuing to pursue his case, I would start there.

 

[Ex-Marine]

Sex, Money, Revenge, Fear and Power

SK did not have any money, I dont feel like he was ever involved in anything that would impose a hit on him like revenge, so that leaves 3 things

Sex and Power are a thin line, For SKs sake I feel that Fear or Power is why he was killed if he was killed at all, Sexual advances from a man and SK may have put up a fight and out of Fear may have killed him, and then you have the other factor that we have no evidence of and that is SK ever being involved in Illegal activity, I feel that He got in someone's vehicle he trusted and what I mean by trusted is a ride to his car or a ride into town to waste some time so before the owner of whoever's home they may have both been at would return. I can see him getting in a strangers vehicle to get a ride back to his car or go get a bite to eat before returning back to the residence for business but something went wrong once he got in the vehicle because I cant see him staying in Henderson all afternoon before returning to his car, I feel that he probably wanted to do what he needed to get done at the residence and then head home after that, Not stay in town all day and night

 

[believe09]

By Power, do you mean a serial predator? A mob hit? If he was killed, I personally believe he was the weak link in some kind of illicit activity.

 

[Ex-Marine]

Yes, Kill for Power, like Power over Life like a Serial Predator, I dont feel like he Knowingly would do anything Illegal due to the fact that he had strong beliefs and how he did not cash his grandparents check or want to receive money from his Dad, He must of felt horrible at the time of his Disappearance that things were not going very well for him so I dont think he would commit suicide, Especially down some street 2 hours away in SCA, Most suicidal people would start giving away things after a long battle with depression but not a jerk of the moment in a city 2 hours away, I feel that he was NOT gay like some people seem to think, I think that he was killed by a Predator that will eventually be caught one day and we will get our answers, I feel that it was on impulse that a man just by Coincidence was going to or was at or was working at the house that SK was going to and the owners were not home and offered SK a ride to his car, I also feel that SK was not invited to this residence, I think he just showed up due to something he found or someone he talked to in Town 1-2 hours earlier, I really need to know if ONE Homeowner of that Neighborhood is Lying, Why park in a cul de sac of a neighborhood you have never been to, no records have ever put him in this area of town , before. why not park in front of the house, Why walk 400 feet? If someone in town saw an opportunity to do harm to SK, What is the motive? Anger of his driving skills? So Revenge? Not Likely, Kill him to Silence him due to Fear he would rat them out like a hit? Silence him from what? there is no evidence of SK doing illegal activities, Money in a Robbery? He would have been in the street lying down. Also he didnt have the appearance of someone that would have alot of money, especially with that car. Thats why I think it was Power Or Fear from a Predator in impulse is the motive behind SKs Disappearance

 

[believe09]

I agree that SK may have unwittingly had some participation in illicit activity. Or he participated out of desperation, and changed his mind.

The thing is, imo, SK was always going to be the weak link because of his devotion to his religion. I mean, he would have been a great blind-attractive, blue eyed blonde religious man. BUT, the risk is that if he knew he was skirting the law, he was likely to decide he wanted to come clean. He was vulnerable in that fashion, imo. If he didnt know and he found out he was participating in something that was skirting the law, it is again very likely that he would want to come clean. OR he was naive enough to leave some kind of paper trail.

I have a harder time with the serial predator theory, admittedly. What a lightening strike that would have been. I am likely to give it more weight if SK was female or a child...I admit that.

 

[Sleuthster]

I had mentioned long ago about seeing the storage units on the satellite image of the area that the last ping of his cell phone came from. I believe if he was killed he is in that area and possible still in a storage unit. Afterall, we have seen cases where a victims remains where kept in one for over a decade in a deep freezer or something.

Im still not sure how ever that he is dead. Seems to strange the whole case to think he went to LV and was murdered while passing out flyers. Too much led up to that day, visiting the former gf's parents and then driving to LV and more. It all could have been saying goodbye in his way before disappearing. Why would someone do that to their family? I dont know, emotional breakdown, personal/legal issue that he cant devulge. Cant be sure.

 

[Sleuthster]

BTW, if you're going to disappear on purpose, you would think one wouldnt leave their car on a cul d sac out in the middle of po dunk nowhere, but really I would figuring that it looked like a safe area and that one of the neighbors would report it quickly so it would be found. Thing is though, Ive always thought that someone would have had to pick him up and be involved.

 

[passionflower]

Personalizing this - but very difficult to leave one's entire family behind. No matter how mad you may get at one family member, there are others you suddenly find yourself missing and it plays upon your mind in ways you can't imagine...
So I cannot see Steven shutting everyone out. I might add, it easier to do if you go away with a friend or lover, but no evidence of that in his case.

O/T Well 35 years ago my first husband told me he had to 'find himself'.
I had no idea he was in love with his secretary in another state.
They married but it didn't last.
Everyone was floored because 'we were the perfect couple with no worries".
He divorced me by mail gave me everything and even paid for my lawyer.
He changed his first name legally. TWO times!
He only had our savings under $2,000 and the clothes on his back when he left.
I knew he was alive in CA because his child support came through the courts.
He left 2 children age 6 and 9 behind.
The courts would only tell me this.
His parents and a sibling died.
He never showed up.
My children tried google and people finder.....no luck.
He moved back to a town we once lived in 40 years ago and by
accident an old friend saw him.
He was never 'missing' but disappeared for 35 years from family and friends.
It can happen, but I doubt if this happens allot.
Just my :twocents: about how easy a person can run away.
But with no paper trail (child support) I would never of known if he was dead or alive.
Sorry so long

 

[liz b.]

He could have been doing something related to geneology. There is a geneology club at Solera del Webb, which is located right next to Anthem. Also, the Clark CountyNevada Geneological Society is located in Henderson. They look to have an annual pot luck dinner usually held at the beginning of December.

I always thought he was meeting someone in the Anthem area. He might have been trying to do some geneology consulting type of work.Some type of freelance work.He could have been set up in this way,by a person who pretended to be interested in tracing their heritage.Someone he had met and spoken with before. Steven could have been carrying those type of documents with him... I think he met up with someone in that area who harmed him... I also wondered if he met any Brazilians there, as he was bilingual in Brazilian Portugese, which is pretty unusual... Just some thoughts, and MOO

 

[Ex-Marine]

He had no connections in the SCA area...very unlikely he would travel 2 hours to a destination without any phone records to that area unless he was only just traveling out there for his own well being, Like looking for work and dropping off Resumes, But something in the LV area is what had to prompt him to try an address in the SCA area, Why he chose that Neighborhood is beyond me, If he had an appointment set up in SCA prior to the 13th, wouldn't he have talked to someone or had any phone or email record of the meeting? He did tell his church member that he could come back if they needed him too, but if it is so important for him to go 2 hours away then why didnt he make arrangements with the church that he would not be there due to an appointment? I think its because he did not have an appointment at that time, What if he said "Ok Im coming back" and came back, Who is he gonna call to cancel the appointment with? since he has had No Connections in SCA anyway

 

[Ex-Marine]

I would like to follow up by saying a few things that I have noticed from the surveillance video.

During the 6 minutes it took for him to walk past the video camera, He could have been shaving with his shaving kit that was left in the car or getting papers gathered up from his trunk.

He was walking in the manner of someone that was going to go to a house because if he were going to meet someone on Evening Lights, wouldn't he have walked faster and he wouldn't have wasted 6 minutes in his car if the person he were meeting were already in their vehicle on Evening Lights. If the person he were going to meet was not on Evening Lights yet, then Where in the world is SK gonna stand and wait for this person. In front of a house? Very unlikely he were gonna meet someone in a vehicle in my opinion.

He did cross the street, as we can clearly see by the second camera,
That tells me he was walking to a residence on the right side on Evening Lights. There are 4 homes on the right side, The first house he would have come to belongs to a couple that at the time were 69 yrs old, the second house he would have come up to belongs to a woman and a man that do not share the same last name, very interesting. The woman was 58 and the man was 53 at the time. The third house belongs to a man and woman that was 69 at the time and The man is a veteran of the armed forces, The last house belongs to a Family Trust Company that sells Houses in the Henderson area, So which house was SK gonna go to on that side and Why? I know those people have been interviewed but I do not know what they all said about that day, If they ere home? If someone else were living with them? If any of them had a Hospice Nurse that SK might have been steady with back in St George?

I wish the police would take a better approach of solving this case, It seems like they do in other cities

 

[believe09]

He could have been doing something related to geneology. There is a geneology club at Solera del Webb, which is located right next to Anthem. Also, the Clark CountyNevada Geneological Society is located in Henderson. They look to have an annual pot luck dinner usually held at the beginning of December.

I always thought he was meeting someone in the Anthem area. He might have been trying to do some geneology consulting type of work.Some type of freelance work.He could have been set up in this way,by a person who pretended to be interested in tracing their heritage.Someone he had met and spoken with before. Steven could have been carrying those type of documents with him... I think he met up with someone in that area who harmed him... I also wondered if he met any Brazilians there, as he was bilingual in Brazilian Portugese, which is pretty unusual... Just some thoughts, and MOO

:thud:

IIRC, SK was very into Geneology-wow.

 

[JToTheRadical]

To me the main reason this has not been solved is: There are too many holes... and he is a male - so the media is not going to go crazy about it more so than the Susan Powell case (which I believe is close to being solved). To me the best way to view the Koecher case is by logical elimination. I am glad I found someone who I can do this with as in toss ideas back and forth and conclude on what theories are more logical as to eliminate or to pursue. I will run a few by you and I apologize in advance if this message is too lengthy. I will start with the suicide theory.

1.(suicide) As someone who suffers from depression and anxiety..I have had thoughts or ideas in my past such as "man it would be great to just disappear...start over" to the point where it was almost self gratifying.. as in I would get a fresh start... and I would receive the attention and love that maybe I wasn't getting aka.. me being in the news..people missing me..wanting me back home..that sort of thing. I find this unlikely but I do not completely rule it out with Steven. Steven never had a mental health problem in the past they say however he moved to St. George away from his family and friends..giving up his job to get away from the dark and gloomy long winters.. so therefore.. we know it affected his mood/way of living. Added on to that that he did not have a wife yet even though most of his siblings had gotten married, seemed as if he felt like the black sheep of the family. Steven had a hard time accepting help/handouts which shows a bit of stubbornness and or being afraid of feeling like a failure. Also, as someone with depression I have done random driving trips before without telling ANYONE. I have driven to places randomly that I had never heard of or knew existed hours away. But there was always a reason behind it and a record showing it (i.e. meeting a girl online 5 hours away in a very small town in the mountains north toward the Canadian border therefore leaving a trail..emails,text messages, calls to the person I intended on meeting...what we see with Steven...he did not show these things..so we cannot set a primary reason for his driving all over the place). You had mentioned in your last email that you do not believe he is a victim of suicide due to the fact that there were Christmas gifts inside his vehicle...but could that be his way of leaving something positive behind after taking his life or intentionally disappearing? why wouldn't he had left those gifts in his apartment? (Didn't he purchase them in St. George and then return to his apartment prior to leaving for NV?) On the contrary...if suicide did take place.. you would think they would of found a body somewhere.. plus there are not a lot of bridges in the area or places to really jump off of unless he walked a good distance up into them mountains which I doubt. As far as the suicide theory goes it boils down to what we can guess his psych was at the time..we know he was stressed and discouraged aka the call from his dad upsetting him... the sporadic driving all over the map with no phone calls made to family or anyone indicating where he was or why he was heading to a certain destination. The random visit to his ex girlfriends parents house stating he was going to Sacramento to see a friend. If he was trying to be frugal with money..then why all the random driving all over? The only way this theory works is if he wanted to take his life.. but did not want the shame of his family/friends knowing and instead leaving his disappearance ambiguous..if this is what he did then he succeeded. I find it unlikely but yet still something to consider. *side note to that.. he did do a good deed for the girls locked out of their house.. that does not show mentally or emotional health.

2.(not steven in footage) I created a 'what if' theory such as what if that was not Steven in that security footage from the SCA neighborhood.. Everyone assumes it is him but why don't we assume it is not for a sec just to be safe.. Steven's mother and other family members on the disappeared episode did not seem 100% confident that was Steven. They looked about 75-80% confident in my own opinion. I saw too many timelines with the time of the cell phone calls made while he was driving..most of the timelines dont match up so I cannot say I know when the last call was made prior to "steven" being shown on the security camera. If you watch the 2nd security camera footage and look in the top right corner as Steven's car comes into frame.. it looks to be going pretty fast for a 55+ neighborhood. In the 1st video you see when Steven's vehicle first comes into frame there looks to be a small little intersection of some sort with possibly even a stop sign.. who ever is driving they look to be in a hurry..the car does not come to a complete stop but instead just slows down and then flows on through and then looks to speed up and cross onto the wrong side of the road just before going out of frame. To me this means a few things.. a.)whoever is driving is in a a hurry. b.) whoever is driving did take some sort of safety precaution... (if it being a suicidal Steven I don't see why you would make an effort to slow down at a intersection..taking safety of yourself and others and then accelerating as if your in a hurry to get somewhere) c.) the driver seemed familiar with the area as if they have been there before as a possible local and they knew their destination. Now, with that being said.. whoever was in that car was driving somewhat intense (IMO) either someone who COULD of been stressed and in a panic to get away.. perhaps maybe a criminal responsible for Steven's disappearance? We DO know that whoever was driving parked the car in that cul de sac.. stayed in the car for 6 minutes then started walking at about noon. Again, everyone assumes it was Steven probably going to an interview or meeting based on the time or could the convenient time just have been a coincidence? maybe the odd driving and staying in the car is a result of a criminal in panic wanting to ditch the car in an unlikely spot and walk away without being detected..maybe the 6 minutes in the vehicle could be described has a criminal parks the car.. gathers Steven's keys, cell phone, any trace connecting to the criminal themselves...maybe rearranging things in the car to make it look like there was no struggle or indication of a crime...making it absolutely certain there is no evidence of fowl play left behind.. then maybe checking his surroundings making sure nobody in the neighborhood is outside catching a glimpse of them.. then walking away.. leaving the car parked in a spot that would not get any attention as being an abandoned/stolen vehicle for as much time as possible(I believe it was parked on the street not in front of anyone's house therefore appearing not out of the ordinary..but I could be wrong) IF this was not Steven in the footage.. it changes everything. We do know there was pillows and blankets in the car as well as a shaving kit which made it look like he cared about his appearance(not supporting the suicide theory) and probably slept in his car a couple of nights. This is the criminals perfect opportunity to fulfill whatever they want as they approach a man asleep in his car late at night parked in who knows where. Maybe it was a robbery gone wrong? or just a homicidal maniac stumbled upon him while sleeping..killed him... then drove all over the place.. ditching the body somewhere in the the north.. then driving back down through the valley and parking the car in a random upscale neighborhood where it would never cross anyone's mind. Criminal then walks away with Steven's wallet, keys, cellphone.. keeps the phone to see if anyone is calling looking for Steven.. as a safety tactic.. once criminal feels safe.. they check voice mail one last time.. ditch and/or destroy the phone.. and they are off on their way. This theory seems the most likely to me. *I also notice that everyone says they see a folder/resume in "stevens" hand as he walks away in the footage.. now I could be way off.. but I have watched that footage many times in zoom and slow motion and I do not see a folder.. it looks more like a bag of some sort being carried between his armpit and side of his body. Possibly one of those bags that you pull tight with strings/laces that act as shoulder straps or just for carrying. Maybe this is a bag the criminal used to stuff all the belongings/evidence in? Also.. to me, the figure in the footage appears to be taller/skinnier and lanker than Steven. I never saw Steven in person but I did come across a side body shot of Steven in a full dress suit and he appeared to be more on the shorter and heavier/stockier side. This person in the footage looked to have very long legs and walked as if in a hurry but at the same time quick to not draw attention. If this was Steven driving.. you would of thought he would of parked closer to the destination. There is always places to park in neighborhoods... plus HOA is not going to make a fuss out of it if the person is just parked on the street for a short visit(interview,meeting). So the whole "oh maybe the person he was meeting told them not to park infront of their house.. this seems very unlikely to me.. anyone that has a brain is going to regard that as a red flag even in desperate times in my opinion. Plus I don't think it was any kind of job interview because there is no phone call or email records indicating any kind of address. And even if he met someone in person that was offering them work I really don't think they would of risked giving Steven the address if they had bad intentions. Plus Steven also would of probably caught the red flag as a stranger telling them their address and just to park down the street and "show up" at noon. Why could the criminal/interviewer be confident enough that Steven would not call a friend or family member telling them where he was going to be at 12pm on that very day.. This I feel I can eliminate just because it doesn't make any sense at all from all angles. The only way I can see this as being an interview of some sort is if Steven went to a local library and saw one of those craigslist ads for work of some ad saying 'be here at 12pm, no calls' but I find that to be very unlikely as well. I wonder if there is a bus route near the area where we see 'Steven' walking off camera towards.. but then again.. why not just drive to the destination. I know people can claim this as all BS but why should we all just trust the real estate agents statement as in "yah that picture looks like the guy we saw walking."


3.(Steven Koecher and Susan Powell connection) This one I feel is very unlikely but it needs more dissecting before being fully eliminated... The only way I see this being connected is if Steven happened to witness the dumping of a body(susan powell) somewhere in the Nevada or utah valley desert while on his travels. Again.. I find this very unlikely.. but there are questions that no one has seem interested to ask.. as in.. where was Mike Powell (josh's dad) on the night of Susan's disappearance? Josh was supposedly 'camping' with his toddler boys in below freezing cold temperatures..and in interviews with Mike Powell he seems to make a point as to act so CERTAIN that Susan and Steven ran off together.. this to me seems suspicious... and we know Michael had an obsession with Susan as well as taking pictures of young children of both genders.. so everyone begs the question as to where was Josh the night of Susan's disappearance.. I would not only like to know where Josh was but also his dad Michael. After Josh's house was searched and his car confiscated we know he rented a car and drove hundreds of miles to a certain location (most likely to either make sure the body was disposed of or to move the body elsewhere..is it possible Steven came into contact with Josh somehow maybe as a witness and that caused Josh to kill Steven.. be rid of his body.. then drive Stevens car back across state lines to a random neighborhood and ditch it..) thus causing Josh to create a theory about the two running off together to Brazil and making it very clear on his website. Again, unlikely and that's not even a part of this theory just an interesting idea. I do not believe that Steven and Susan knew each other.. again this is only possible if Steven happened to witness something illegal that involved one of or both the Powells.
4.(Drugs) We do know that Steven's roommate was into drugs and had somewhat of a criminal history dealing with drugs. I just found it odd that after Steven's disappearance the roommate was questioned.. labeled not a person of interest and then he moves out and leaves to who knows where. We do know that Steven was behind on rent which caused the roommate/landlord to call Steven's father. Is it possible that Steven was so desperate that he did the roommate a personal favor to make up for lack of rent and deliver some sort of "packages". I know the police used dogs to sniff for drugs but we do not know the extent of the search. Also, I need to research this more.. but is it maybe possible that some substances do not have the right scene detected by these dogs? And perhaps maybe he was not delivering drugs..but instead delivering cash for the roommate? this I see as being a possibility as St. George is very high in drug trafficking. Or maybe delivering some kind of other 'product'? I am not sure what the roommate did for a living but I felt there was not enough info brought forth about him. Although I don't see Steven knowingly breaking the law as in it is against his beliefs I could see him doing one of these "look, give me the bag..but do not tell me what is inside.. and I will deliver it as a personal favor.. in lue of being behind rent.. wink wink" or maybe it wasn't even due to being late on rent.. but perhaps just to make money on the side. This I see being a possibility as the roommate seemed sketchy having a past of drug history and just up and leaving (if i'm not mistaken).

5. (double life) I find it odd that in Steven's seemingly random travels(at least in one of the time lines I saw) he ignored family calls but answered to friends .. again.. if i'm not mistaken. I also find it odd that he took a random trip to his ex's parents house unexpected.. and told JUST them he was planning on seeing a friend in Sacramento. As you are aware I am sure.. the family can make no connection as to anyone known by Steven in California. I also find it odd that he passed right through the Salt Lake Valley on his trip up to the ex's house and did not bother to see any family or friends.. even on the way back home to St. George. This seems like strange behavior maybe suggesting a different lifestyle. We could never know what his computer history was due to not having internet access in his room in St. George but he did use the library's a lot. We can not know what the history was on those computers. We also know he checked out sci fi and sports books at the library just before his disappearance which supports the fact that it was not suicide as it shows normal healthy behavior. What is hard for me to understand is that before leaving for Nevada.. he stops at home in St. George for 30 minutes.. and then leaves. (according to roommate) he took his nephews Christmas gifts,shaving kit, cell phone, pillows and blankets.. but does not take his laptop or cell phone charger. IF he was planning on staying awhile which it appeared he did then why would he have not taken his charger and or more clothes? This to me leads me to suggest maybe he was planning on leaving due to living a double life. The only thing I can think of is maybe he was struggling with his own sexuality and did not know how to live his religious lifestyle in coexistence with his sexual orientation. I know a couple of guys personally who were very devout mormons who served missions and very strong in the Church but gave it all up due to being gay. One of these guys I knew up and left the church and moved to SLC on a whim to be with another ex-mormon gay man. With no cell phone records to anyone in in the Nevada area.. and the random behavior of driving all over and going to see an ex gf... maybe that was his way of testing himself before he made his "big decision". I know I read somewhere that he had regretted breaking up with her. Maybe he wanted to see if he could see her again and maybe feel some sort of chance or connection to her before he made his decision of change of lifestyle official to himself. With her not being there when he arrived.. maybe he took it as a sign or just told himself to go with what he had decided and headed for Nevada. Maybe the comment about Sacramento was to throw off everyone and look in the wrong direction so he could better slip off the radar. We do not know if Steven used payphones or had another pay-as-you-go phone to make calls to some sort of other 'contact' maybe being a male love interest. Either that comment about Sacramento was true, or he said it to throw everyone off in the wrong direction. Maybe the whole purpose of going up there was to make amends with her before disappearing. Maybe he knew if he stopped and saw his family he wouldn't of been able to stick with his decision as it would be too hard. Many people on here say that Steven planned on returning home for Christmas due to the gifts he bought and the phone call made from a church friend asking Steven if he could come back to cover a meeting for him. I personally believe that when Steven said "I am in Nevada but I can turn around and come home to cover it for you." - I think Steven knew what the response was going to be which is why he said it in the first place.. as in "I know its unrealistic for me to come back and cover the meeting which starts within such a late notice..but I will offer it anyway just so save face and make this person content for now" I think a lot of us do this and we do not even realize it. Steven did not seem to have success in dating women. I cant say I know he was gay because that would be ignorant and without evidence... but I do think maybe he had met someone online through a different computer.. and continued using public computers to communicate with the person until he decided to disappear with the individual. I often wonder if maybe Steven decided to start a new life in Vegas within the gay community.. this also seems far fetched.. but it still should be discussed until it can be full eliminated using logic and evidence. I just do not understand why you would not take your cell charger unless he had a second phone with a charger we don't know about.. or he just forgot it.. or he was planning on ditching the phone before he even left his residence in St. George to start a new life.

 

[JaneDoe91]

I've followed the SK case loosely since hearing about it last year. I was thinking of something regarding his case that I wanted to share. I've recently found myself searching for work and was surprised by the amount of shady activity that a person has to look out for these days. For example, I responded to a number of job listings on a very popular website (don't want to name names) and almost all of the responses that I received were fraudulent in nature.
I'm sure that this has been speculated about by many other posters, but I found myself wondering if this was an issue that SK might have struggled with as well when conducting his own work search. I wonder if LE gave any thought to that, or tried to investigate that possibility. Too many of the help wanted postings on the internet these days are really just someone's attempt to take advantage and even some of the ads that make it into local newspapers are suspect. While I sincerely hope that SK didn't encounter this type of fraud, I had to acknowledge the possibility that he did.
As always, this is JMHO and thank you for listening.

 

[Kelly_Robinson]

Why is it expensive to disappear? People do it all of the time, clearly. We dont know whether or not he had cash on him-his window washing employer was paying him in cash, correct?

No they don't disappear all the time. First in a post 9-11 era you have to have I.D. to even rent a hotel. Even if you rent a hotel and use your own I.D. it could flag your credit bureau showing that you were there. Bank statements would show if you used a debit card. You have to find work and again you have to have I.D. Most companies run a credit bureau which again is going to show an inquiry.

Why is it expensive? Because you have to eat, you have to rent a place. It's very hard to disappear to the point where noone is able to verify whether you are alive or dead. Very hard to do. Olivia Newton John's former boyfriend disappeared and he was eventually found in Mexico. Nobody has seen him but it was confirmed with his credit card, his credit bureau that he was in Mexico. They don't know his exact location but they know he's alive.

To stay off of the radar completely is very difficult, especially very unlikely for someone who is not sophisticated in disappearing. Very easy to slip up unless you really know what you are doing. Very hard to get a false I.D. nowadays.

Kelly

 

[Sleuthster]

I was thinking about this case a few days ago. There was a woman missing from my area. Last cell phone pings where near a busy intersection. Anyways, a person saw her 2 weeks later in a McDonalds parking lot going through the dumpster (near where she had dumped her cell phone) and called LE after recognizing her from tv. She had a job, a teenage dd, a house, and just decided to become homeless and live like that. It made me think of Steven. How there had been sightings of him as a homeless person Which made me think that this is a possibility with him.

It is possible that the woman could have lived as a homeless person for a long long time. She was staying at a camp and they never suspected nor did she say anything. She just decided to be homeless, who knows why. With Steven's religious background and financial issues right before he vanished, he could have easily decided to disappear, become homeless, drop out of society to see what it was like (a sort of religious pilgramige) or because of a breakdown due to his personal problems.

He could be living among the homeless or the generosity of a stranger. People do disappear and they can survive for a long long time with out having id or credit/debit cards. It is possible. There have been cases where people are found years later, even after post 911, one was working at a walmart I believe. Had been missing for many years.

 

[believe09]

No they don't disappear all the time. First in a post 9-11 era you have to have I.D. to even rent a hotel. Even if you rent a hotel and use your own I.D. it could flag your credit bureau showing that you were there. Bank statements would show if you used a debit card. You have to find work and again you have to have I.D. Most companies run a credit bureau which again is going to show an inquiry.

Why is it expensive? Because you have to eat, you have to rent a place. It's very hard to disappear to the point where noone is able to verify whether you are alive or dead. Very hard to do. Olivia Newton John's former boyfriend disappeared and he was eventually found in Mexico. Nobody has seen him but it was confirmed with his credit card, his credit bureau that he was in Mexico. They don't know his exact location but they know he's alive.

To stay off of the radar completely is very difficult, especially very unlikely for someone who is not sophisticated in disappearing. Very easy to slip up unless you really know what you are doing. Very hard to get a false I.D. nowadays.

Kelly

Why false ID? If I am steven living in UT and I move to Chicago as SK, who will know it is me? The only thing that might trigger would be SSN and/or Passport. And that is only IF Henderson is still doing status checks on either...that is IF Henderson ever did them to begin with.

SK is/was a fully grown adult male-if LE determines that there was no foul play here, they are going to assume he walked away which is his right and they will move on to the next case.

There are loads of cases out there where people have walked away and returned years later for some reason. John VanDyke disappeared for three years before he resurrected himself so he could collect his Social Security.

He put his family through complete and utter hell-they knew for sure he was dead and that no one was interested in pursuing it.

He wasnt-he spent three years on the Carney circuit.

It is very easy and very inexpensive to disappear, respectfully speaking.

Just sayin.

 

[Kelly_Robinson]

Why false ID? If I am steven living in UT and I move to Chicago as SK, who will know it is me? The only thing that might trigger would be SSN and/or Passport. And that is only IF Henderson is still doing status checks on either...that is IF Henderson ever did them to begin with.

SK is/was a fully grown adult male-if LE determines that there was no foul play here, they are going to assume he walked away which is his right and they will move on to the next case.

There are loads of cases out there where people have walked away and returned years later for some reason. John VanDyke disappeared for three years before he resurrected himself so he could collect his Social Security.

He put his family through complete and utter hell-they knew for sure he was dead and that no one was interested in pursuing it.

He wasnt-he spent three years on the Carney circuit.

It is very easy and very inexpensive to disappear, respectfully speaking.

Just sayin.

My understanding from speaking to the detective handling this case they have done several credit bureaus and transunion searches. If Steven Koecher was still using his own I.D. it would have been noticed and there is no activity on his bureau. No activity on his bank card and no activity on his cell phone.

I have a new idea as to what happened to Steven and I am sure that people have thought about it. I don't think Steven was in that neighborhood looking for work. The fact that the fliers were on his dashboard is indicative that he was browsing through them. Very unlikely that he was driving around with then on his dash as they would have fallen off when he made some kind of turn.

I think what he is carrying on the video are some of the fliers from his job. I think that what happened is that Steven struck up a conversation with someone about his job and they wanted to see one of the fliers to either make to redo the flier or to expand the business in that area.

Steven spoke to someone who said, "come by and bring your fliers and let's see if we can expand your business or make the fliers look better. Or he spoke to someone who spoke to him about some kind of either MLM or business opportunity with respect to what he was already doing.

Did his employer send him to that area? Probably not. What was he doing in that area? Who knows. He was a young guy who was struggling financially and was frustrated and may have been looking around for other areas to move to for better opportunity. Maybe was there to visit a friend. Probably something pretty benign

One thing I am pretty sure about is that Steven didn't commit suicide, he had absolutely nothing to do with Susan Powell. I am pretty sure that he met with foul play and we may never know. There are so many people who go missing in that area every year as it attracts many different types of people, many who are up to no good.

That neighborhood was host to different types of people and businesses. There was someone who had an employment agency, a real estate company, insurance company. The people in that neighborhood for the most part are pretty sophisticated people and with what humans are capable of, anything could have happened.

Kelly

 

[Sin City]

Especially considering it was a bit windy that day with gusts. One would expect a person to hold papers close to the body.
Plus, in the video one can see the shadows of the bush moving in the breeze. I remember the weather on this Sunday, and what I was doing.

snipped for brevity:



I'm not a body language expert, but as I've mentioned before - walking with one's arm positioned like he did with papers close to his heart is the way I would walk went going to an interview or a meeting....