NV NV - Steven T. Koecher, 30, Henderson, 13 Dec 2009 - # 4

[Fairy1]

Hiya! Can't stay long but I wanted to put these thoughts out there before I forget them.

I've been pretty open about my gravitating to the theories that indicate Steven is alive. I'm sure we all agree that would be the best possible outcome here - no matter our own opinions regarding what has happened to him.

That being said, I've forced myself to really examine the other possibilities and look at them honestly.

Lured/Harmed: What I just can't grasp here is motive. Steven didn't have any money to speak of (to our knowledge), so he wouldn't make a good robbery prospect. His car was abandoned and so it would seem they didn't want that either. Did he have something else of value we don't know about? Seems unlikely to me, based on his circumstances at the time. And why lure a gullible guy all the way down from Utah? Speaking from personal experience, I know we have plenty of gullible guys right here in Vegas. Did he anger someone to the point of murder? How? He sounds like a pretty harmless, easy-going guy. What would the motive be?

Suicide: Again, why come all the way to Vegas for that? And if he had come for that purpose, where is he? And why did he need his passport for that?

In support of his just taking off....he's in a dead-end, low paying job, no wife, no children, church-friends only (it seems - and maybe not very close), behind on rent, possibly embarrassed by financial situation, maybe wants to start over?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

 

[Malini2001]

Laytonian,

Any foreign language is good. A degree in communications,and an ability to write well, even better. I looked at the federal jobs website, and saw a few openings for Portuguese speakers.Many more for people who can write. They don't mind people who are "plodding"; I am not talking about a job with a high level of security clearance here.I just mean an everyday kind of job.Lots of openings in every govt. agency. Speaking of which, I remeber seeing that Steven's resume lists his job interest as being in the area of technical writing ; had he ever actually worked as a technical writer ?
( To clarify : I meant the case that happened with the husband and wife on the beach in Florida).

I agree, fluency in any foreign language adds to prospects. I worked in the logistics industry for awhile and Portueguese is sought after in that industry, too - his communications background would also be helpful there. May have had to leave Utah for that though and I'm not sure how willing he was to do that. Relocating to a city with a nearby ocean port would have opened up his employment choices.

I think "unfocused" is probably a pretty good description of his employment efforts. Although with the economy nowadays it is hard to find the right job.

 

[laytonian]

Hiya! Can't stay long but I wanted to put these thoughts out there before I forget them.

I've been pretty open about my gravitating to the theories that indicate Steven is alive. I'm sure we all agree that would be the best possible outcome here - no matter our own opinions regarding what has happened to him.

That being said, I've forced myself to really examine the other possibilities and look at them honestly.

Lured/Harmed: What I just can't grasp here is motive. Steven didn't have any money to speak of (to our knowledge), so he wouldn't make a good robbery prospect. His car was abandoned and so it would seem they didn't want that either. Did he have something else of value we don't know about? Seems unlikely to me, based on his circumstances at the time. And why lure a gullible guy all the way down from Utah? Speaking from personal experience, I know we have plenty of gullible guys right here in Vegas. Did he anger someone to the point of murder? How? He sounds like a pretty harmless, easy-going guy. What would the motive be?

Suicide: Again, why come all the way to Vegas for that? And if he had come for that purpose, where is he? And why did he need his passport for that?

In support of his just taking off....he's in a dead-end, low paying job, no wife, no children, church-friends only (it seems - and maybe not very close), behind on rent, possibly embarrassed by financial situation, maybe wants to start over?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

The only motive I can think of, for "lured", is that someone hired him to deliver something.....and that's why he was in Northern Nevada 8/9-10 Dec. Maybe he did something for someone, and he knew it was illegal. Rather than pay him, they asked him to meet him somewhere, then took him someplace else. I think Steven could be led into doing something that he didn't know was wrong, until he was too far in.

It's pretty hard to start over, when you've left your car, your clothes and computer behind. You've lost your mobility and your communication. You didn't even take your phone charger with you. You can't change your clothes. Your phone is useless.

Leaving the computer, groceries, his clothes, etc, leads some to believe that he knew he was going back to St George. I think it could also mean he knew he wouldn't be needing any of them.

Why go to Vegas, if he was going to harm himself? Because he wanted to do it some place, where people who knew him, wouldn't find him????
Maybe all that driving around, was just simply to find the right space to do it...and he kept chickening out?

 

[liz b.]

Laytonian : No, I haven't seen it, but I think BigTexasTom mentioned that he saw it, and it had the SLC work experience on it ... and I remember reading, either from his post, or someone else that Steven was seeking work as a technical writer. It stuck with me, because I didn't think he was trained in that area.

* SPECULATION AHEAD *

I think Steven might have been trying to get away from someone when he left St.George that night. His driving actions shortly before he disappeared sound like he might have been driving around, trying to shake a vehicle which was following him.

Here are two excellent reasons to choose Anthem to dump a car :

The car would be found relatively quickly. The car would most probably be found intact,with little or no damage.
If there were co-signers on that car note, perhaps the person who dumped it there might want to be as careful of the car as he could ?

 

[laytonian]

I agree, fluency in any foreign language adds to prospects. I worked in the logistics industry for awhile and Portueguese is sought after in that industry, too - his communications background would also be helpful there. May have had to leave Utah for that though and I'm not sure how willing he was to do that. Relocating to a city with a nearby ocean port would have opened up his employment choices.

I think "unfocused" is probably a pretty good description of his employment efforts. Although with the economy nowadays it is hard to find the right job.

Within 20 miles of Steven's parents' home, is one of our nation's largest logistics centers: Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB. There's a huge airport, the FAA. Ogden has several IRS offices and a major tax processing facility. Seasonal/temp jobs are always available.

If you look at the map that shows the location of Steven's St George rental home, you see he'd have driven by *many* businesses, on a regular basis. There's trucking companies, a sign company that hires people with basic computer skills, storage facilities, all kinds of companies along River Road.

I think if he wanted to work, and apply himself, he wouldn't have had any problem finding a job. His job issues started long before the economy went south....and Utah's unemployment rate is much lower than the national average.

Steven's been described as a nice guy with simple tastes and ambitions. But I think he had a lot of pride, and was caught between what he was comfortable doing and the opinion of others. IMO.

 

[laytonian]

Laytonian : No, I haven't seen it, but I think BigTexasTom mentioned that he saw it, and it had the SLC work experience on it ... and I remember reading, either from his post, or someone else that Steven was seeking work as a technical writer. It stuck with me, because I didn't think he was trained in that area.

Oh, OK. Yeah, Tom mentioned that the resume had the SL Tribune job listed (even though it was missing from his LinkedIn profile). It's the LinkedIn profile that you've seen, then -- and that's what lists the "technical writer" job.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/steven-koecher/16/9a9/164t

* SPECULATION AHEAD *

I think Steven might have been trying to get away from someone when he left St.George that night. His driving actions shortly before he disappeared sound like he might have been driving around, trying to shake a vehicle which was following him.

Here are two excellent reasons to choose Anthem to dump a car :

The car would be found relatively quickly. The car would most probably be found intact,with little or no damage.
If there were co-signers on that car note, perhaps the person who dumped it there might want to be as careful of the car as he could ?

I'm not a fan of being followed; he could have stayed in his house, driven to a police station, etc, etc.


I speculated about the "car dump" before, for insurance purposes ....like if he wanted to make it look like it had been stolen? That's a simple answer to car payment problems (and perhaps some expensive repair bills coming up on a not-so-dependable 2003 model car?) If there was comprehensive insurance coverage on the car, it would cover theft.

Leaving some "junk" in the car ($9.50 worth of Christmas ornaments and a baby's bib) could have been on purpose.

Would he have to pay someone to pick him up, and keep quiet about the (fraud) scheme?

DID HE GET LOST AND PARK IN THE WRONG SPACE, and the person who was supposed to pick him up, couldn't find him?

We really do not know if there were further phone calls/messages between noon PST on the 13th and the phone message call on the 14th. We don't.

We don't know if LE has subpoenaed his phone records from the cell phone company, or anyone else's. We also don't know if he had a TracPhone or other untraceable alternate.

We only know what people who know him, have said.

 

[believe09]

how did he make his car payments? was the loan in someone elses name or did he buy the car outright I wonder? Same goes for insurance....

 

[laytonian]

True, but according to Naegle, Steven got paid only about $100.00 shortly before he disappeared. We also now know that he bought groceries. If a transaction for Walmart didn't show up on the debit card, he must have used some of his cash. That means he's got to be pretty short on cash by now.

Also, Laytonian - I have always felt like suicide was possible, especially after checking his voicemail and potentially finding that no one was looking for him. However, I've never heard of anyone taking a file folder or a passport with them to commit suicide.

....unless that portfolio, held closely under his arm, had a weapon in it.

Help me figure this out:

The landlord's message on Steven's parents' phone was some time between 1 and 5 Dec.

Steven's boss gave him the $100 "shortly before he disappeared", YET the (apparent) last time Steven's boss saw him, was on Dec 8th.

So...when would he have been that spending the money on groceries at WalMart?
On the 8th? OR.....did he actually have other money? He was in Ruby Valley at 1pm on the 9th (previously reported as the 8th...maybe an error by AN).

Maybe Steven's parents just didn't pick up the phone message that had been left by the landlord for a few days...or waited a few days to check with Steven?

We know his sister talked to him on the 9th and 10th; his Mom talked to him on the 10th. He didn't mention he was driving. On the 11th he's passing out flyers, and on the 12th and 13th, he's apparent back driving.

There's just gaps, there's a lot of driving, and then poof.

 

[Helix11]

What doesn't make sense to me is that the bread that he purchased is not moldy. It has been a month and a half now since he would have purchased the bread....how is that even possible? Am I confused regarding when the landlord/landlady went back and looked through the kitchen?

 

[webrocket]

What doesn't make sense to me is that the bread that he purchased is not moldy. It has been a month and a half now since he would have purchased the bread....how is that even possible? Am I confused regarding when the landlord/landlady went back and looked through the kitchen?

maybe it is the magical weather conditions that drew him from his last paying full time job in Salt Lake City to being underemployed in St. George.

 

[paris_paris]

I don't think I mentioned this before... it only sort of fit in my mind.

I can't come up with a good reason for parking on the cul de sac to visit anywhere in the Anthem neighbourhood.

On Laurel Heights, just as you enter the area (I think the 2nd house on the right) is a listing for a printer.

Could Steven have gone there to get some flyers printed to deliver in the area? He wouldn't have stayed parked in the printer's driveway (it's a home), so maybe moved to the cul de sac.

--------------
edit: n/m. I remember now somebody said none of the neighbours received any flyers.
--------------
Let me try this a different way. The address is listed as "Law & Financial" printers. I'm gonna process that for a bit.

--------------

There's another business listed on Portsmouth Creek. Up around the corner from Evening Lights. Competency Management Incorporated. They are employment consultants and provide services in human resources for companies. Possible job prospect connection?

-------------

Vuethru Inc. Graphic Designers on Deora Way. They specialize in lenticular printing.

--------------
Looking for more. Have we done all of this already? There are a lot of businesses being run out of these homes. My thinking is if Steven was doing some part-time work for someone, they might very well tell him not to park in the driveway or on the street... park on the cul de sac.
.

 

[laytonian]

maybe it is the magical weather conditions that drew him from his last paying full time job in Salt Lake City to being underemployed in St. George.

Re: moldy bread. Look at the list of ingredients. Bakery "bread" is mostly chemicals anymore. Plus, if it's cool in the house (ie, heat turned down way low because no one's living there)....that's going to keep mold from forming. Bread mold needs warmth and humidity. I left a loaf in the fridge, came back six weeks later, and it was stale..but not moldy.

Just thinking out loud...and hoping someone doesn't come along and think Steven's been sneaking in and out of that house, replacing the bread with a fresher loaf

 

[webrocket]

Just thinking out loud...and hoping someone doesn't come along and think Steven's been sneaking in and out of that house, replacing the bread with a fresher loaf

better yet Laytonian, not Steve replacing the bread but the mystery perp!

 

[stillLooking]

What doesn't make sense to me is that the bread that he purchased is not moldy. It has been a month and a half now since he would have purchased the bread....how is that even possible? Am I confused regarding when the landlord/landlady went back and looked through the kitchen?

It was in the fridge until about a week and a half ago. I don't know why DH brought it up, he threw some of the opened old stuff away. He brought some of the new unopened stuff up. It's been sitting on the counter and it still isn't moldy just a little dry, it says sell by Dec 8th. Maybe Great Value adds something to preserve their bread. I keep meaning to toss it but .... I don't know, I start thinking about Steven again then get distracted with hectic daily life. There is still groceries in the fridge/freezer down there that need to be taken out. DH is in St. George now getting the place ready for new renters on the 1st.

I feel that we are looking for a live Steven as well. I just can't make sense of any of it.

Re: moldy bread. Look at the list of ingredients. Bakery "bread" is mostly chemicals anymore. Plus, if it's cool in the house (ie, heat turned down way low because no one's living there)....that's going to keep mold from forming. Bread mold needs warmth and humidity. I left a loaf in the fridge, came back six weeks later, and it was stale..but not moldy.

Just thinking out loud...and hoping someone doesn't come along and think Steven's been sneaking in and out of that house, replacing the bread with a fresher loaf

Yes the house doesn't have the heater on but just a tiny bit. To expensive, plus looks like lots of presertives (sp) in it. Sorry ya all I'm not the best speller, grammer, person.

 

[Yeahitsanna]

I keep coming back to the room mate. or someone looking for the room mate. I dont think he felt safe in that house. no one who feels comfortable in their place comes fro 20 mins lat at night then leaves.

I really get the feeling he was being watched.

if it was money motivation and he was working for someone secretlywhy wasnt rent paid?

He had a reason to be there. Henderson nevada. He KNEW someone. He had to.

 

[stillLooking]

This forum really needs a wikki feature! That way all the possible theories could be listed and beneath each theory a list of reasons why it is plausable & a list why it doesn/t fit. The wikki could then be updated by multiple members. As different points of views are discussed. For the suicide or purposefull dissapearance I would add, to why not plausable list, that he went grocery shopping for what appeared to be approx a month of groceries sometime after the 5th of Dec.

The food exp dates say the food was recent, the milk had just expired at the end of Dec and was tossed the cheese doesn't exp till 5/5/10.

A lot of member driven deal finding sites have the wikki feature. That way when a member makes a thread about, say (thinking of a recent deal that was posted), Headlamp's, they are on sale at Meritline for $1.99. if another member finds a free shipping or discount code they post it in the wikki beneath the OP so all the other members coming into the thread can find the current information and get the best deal. Like $12.99 Headlamps on sale for $1.99 shipped for free.

With not being able to read the thread for over a week, and no way I have time or energy to go back that far, I would still be able to catch up on all your wonderfull, informative, and comtemplative posts (snippits) regarding Steven's dissapearance and why some theories are looking more or less possible. Maybe there are not new insights, I don't know, that's kinda the problem.

Sorry for the OT! :twocents:
HUGS! Just feel at a loss, and sad, and want to help but don't really know how.

 

[seekingsusan]

QUOTE=stillLooking;4747646]When Steven's dad called him to ask if he was okay (after hearing the message that DH left on their answering maching about Steve now being 3 months behind, which was left between Dec 1-5) he said Steve was shopping at Walmart while on the phone with him. I assume this must be when he purchased most of the food. None of it was expired and appeared to be very new. The loaf of bread only had like 4 pieces gone and wasn't moldy or exp.

I kind of got the impression he had just been paid was getting groceries and was telling his dad, I'm fine buying groceries at Walmart now, don't worry.
[/QUOTE]

....unless that portfolio, held closely under his arm, had a weapon in it.

Help me figure this out:

The landlord's message on Steven's parents' phone was some time between 1 and 5 Dec.

Steven's boss gave him the $100 "shortly before he disappeared", YET the (apparent) last time Steven's boss saw him, was on Dec 8th.

So...when would he have been that spending the money on groceries at WalMart?
On the 8th? OR.....did he actually have other money? He was in Ruby Valley at 1pm on the 9th (previously reported as the 8th...maybe an error by AN).

Maybe Steven's parents just didn't pick up the phone message that had been left by the landlord for a few days...or waited a few days to check with Steven?

We know his sister talked to him on the 9th and 10th; his Mom talked to him on the 10th. He didn't mention he was driving. On the 11th he's passing out flyers, and on the 12th and 13th, he's apparent back driving.

There's just gaps, there's a lot of driving, and then poof.

Good points Laytonian. Maybe we can ask Naegle when Steven's dad talked to him at Walmart. However, that won't help us pin down which Walmart. Unfortunately, those things are practically on every corner, especially in St. George. But maybe based on everything else we know we can narrow down his shopping location based on the date of the phone call. It may also be reasonable to ask Naegle when Steven received his last cash payment - but you know her better than I do and I don't want to overwhelm her with questions about facts that might seem unimportant.

 

[stillLooking]

Good points Laytonian. Maybe we can ask Naegle when Steven's dad talked to him at Walmart. However, that won't help us pin down which Walmart. Unfortunately, those things are practically on every corner, especially in St. George. But maybe based on everything else we know we can narrow down his shopping location based on the date of the phone call. It may also be reasonable to ask Naegle when Steven received his last cash payment - but you know her better than I do and I don't want to overwhelm her with questions about facts that might seem unimportant.

The Walmart that would make the most sense is the one located at the I-15 Bloomington exit in St. George, it is the closest one to the house and the one I always shopped at. The other Walmart is further away but Steven was a driving man apparently, so I'm not sure if closeness to the house would factor in for him.

 

[liz b.]

Steven's father could have been very concerned about him ,understandably so, and asked someone to either check up on him,or keep an eye on him.He had never lived away from home before, and as Laytonian said, his work life was on a downward spiral. He was in a fix.
The person sent to check on him may have visited him, and relayed his dad's concern. I think that might have been the event that made Steven angry enough to want to get away. Then, his dad called him about being in arrears on the rent. Steven hung up on his dad. It's interesting that Naegle said that Steven spoke with his mom, and he seemed upbeat, although a little down about his job prospects. But Stilllooking told us something very different, and she was there.
Steven's pride must have been wounded.Parental concern could have been mistaken for interference, and meddling in his life. I think he made a fairly rapid, ill -thought out
decision to leave the area, and actually came back to his house to pick up his passport. He then drove off.
Reality did set in,though, and I have come to the same conclusion as Laytonian about what happened at the end. He probably thought he should take his DL and passport so that he would be identified faster when he was found.
The car : Steven probably dumped it ; might be a 2003, but at least in was in one piece, and it worked. I wonder if his thinking was along the lines of : well,at least they'll have the car. What a tragic situation or everyone involved. Sure hope I'm wrong ....

 

[seekingsusan]

Steven's father could have been very concerned about him ,understandably so, and asked someone to either check up on him,or keep an eye on him.He had never lived away from home before, and as Laytonian said, his work life was on a downward spiral. He was in a fix.
The person sent to check on him may have visited him, and relayed his dad's concern. I think that might have been the event that made Steven angry enough to want to get away. Then, his dad called him about being in arrears on the rent. Steven hung up on his dad. It's interesting that Naegle said that Steven spoke with his mom, and he seemed upbeat, although a little down about his job prospects. But Stilllooking told us something very different, and she was there.
Steven's pride must have been wounded.Parental concern could have been mistaken for interference, and meddling in his life. I think he made a fairly rapid, ill -thought out
decision to leave the area, and actually came back to his house to pick up his passport. He then drove off.
Reality did set in,though, and I have come to the same conclusion as Laytonian about what happened at the end. He probably thought he should take his DL and passport so that he would be identified faster when he was found.
The car : Steven probably dumped it ; might be a 2003, but at least in was in one piece, and it worked. I wonder if his thinking was along the lines of : well,at least they'll have the car. What a tragic situation or everyone involved. Sure hope I'm wrong ....

This makes sense. But I don't want it to. If Steven is "gone" why hasn't he been found? He almost has to be within walking distance of Evening Lights. Are there large trees in Vegas or around this area? I just don't see Steven using a gun.