NV NV - Steven T. Koecher, 30, Henderson, 13 Dec 2009 - # 8

[Mia]

I keep thinking, "denial." Something they just don't want to see.

And then I think, "No wonder he left."

I agree. I just can't help but think that IF Steven is gay, or wanted to live an another alternate lifestyle of some sort, that even though his family is saying 'come back, we'll accept you regardless' that he might not believe them, and I don't know that I would either. Think about it. IF, and that's a big IF, Steven is gay and suddenly came back to Utah and showed up on his parents' doorstep with a boyfriend, do you really think this would be accepted and he could continue being a part of the church and his family like normal? I seriously doubt it. JMO.

 

[sbakker]

Didn't Steven tell GW that he was in Vegas on that Sunday? If he did, then I do not think it was a secret. Do any of you remember, on GW Facebookn account, that he said he"was at a all time low"? Someone answered and asked if he had been to Wendover again?

 

[laytonian]

No one thought it was important to view the video from the KMart in St. George, even though there was a receipt.

(bbm)

Wow. That's harsh.

"After having exhausted every clue and avenue of help at our disposal, we sadly returned to Bountiful on Christmas Eve, arriving late in the evening because we stopped in Mesquite, Nev., And St. George, to track down other surveillance tapes and examine my son’s apartment together with police — and to talk with news reporters." Rolf Koecher in The Davis County Clipper

Note it says "surveillance tapes" (plural).

 

[laytonian]

Didn't Steven tell GW that he was in Vegas on that Sunday? If he did, then I do not think it was a secret. Do any of you remember, on GW Facebookn account, that he said he"was at a all time low"? Someone answered and asked if he had been to Wendover again?

I remember something about Mesquite, too -- like a group of them would make little trips.

GW says Steven told him he was in Vegas (and he also told the same thing to SA, when SA called on behalf of PD).

 

[Fairy1]

Ugh, this annoys me to no end. It's so strange which cases the public finds interesting, and which in turn the media chooses to 'latch onto'. Granted, the case of SP is very sad, IMO, yet another instance of a dumb, selfish, arrogant man thinking that killing his wife and stealing from his children a mother is a better choice than just getting a divorce. But it's also pretty clear to me and most others that this is what happened - there is no 'mystery' here. SP's body is somewhere out there in the Utah wilderness, and I'm sure every resident of the state is aware of this and will be keeping their eyes open now that the snow has melted. But Steven's case, which truly is a mystery, and much more fascinating and interesting, IMO, gets little to no media attention, because apparently the public has no interest. Again, it's just strange that everyone else, or at least more people, aren't more 'obsessed' or at least interested in Steven's case like we are.

ITA, Mia. But I have to admit, I was actually very pleased with the media turnout for Steven's PC. It was held on a Friday and Laytonian has pointed out that Fridays are normally "dead" news days. AND we had a huge NASCAR event in town that weekend - which drew the majority of the press. Yet Steven's story was carried on all three local news stations and picked up by other outlets.

No where near the coverage SP's case - as well as many others - has received, but there's nothing "sensational" about Steven's story. Sadly, that's what sells.

I think most people would be shocked to know how many missing people there really are - the majority of whom we never hear about.

 

[laytonian]

I don't believe gambling was his secret. And all that other driving he was doing, IMO, was quite innocent. I believe he was soul-searching. Looking for some kind of sign to point him in the right direction. And it's possible that the answer that came to him led him to Henderson/Vegas.

Remember, gsmith said Steven was very spiritual and that God had told him the girl he was dating wasn't the right girl. It's not so impossible to believe he was searching for some type of guidance.

See, that's why I don't think he was making secret trips to Vegas. When he was called, he told GW and SA where he was.

But what kind of guidance would he be seeking out, in a strange place like SCA, that he couldn't find elsewhere?

Praying and fasting in the hills? I can see that.

 

[Fairy1]

(bbm)

Wow. That's harsh.

"After having exhausted every clue and avenue of help at our disposal, we sadly returned to Bountiful on Christmas Eve, arriving late in the evening because we stopped in Mesquite, Nev., And St. George, to track down other surveillance tapes and examine my son’s apartment together with police — and to talk with news reporters." Rolf Koecher in The Davis County Clipper

Note it says "security tapes" (plural).

I specifically recall Naegle saying they didn't view the tapes from KMart, don't you? Could she have been wrong about that?

If they didn't, I'm sure it was because there was a receipt and the items purchased were in the car when it was found. It's a logical conclusion. Just as it is a logical conclusion, IMO, that it is Steven on that SCA video walking by just moments after his car drives by.

Are we going to question everything or just some things?

 

[sbakker]

Remember, gsmith said Steven was very spiritual and that God had told him the girl he was dating wasn't the right girl. It's not so impossible to believe he was searching for some type of guidance.

See, that's why I don't think he was making secret trips to Vegas. When he was called, he told GW and SA where he was.

But what kind of guidance would he be seeking out, in a strange place like SCA, that he couldn't find elsewhere?

Praying and fasting in the hills? I can see that.

I agree with you. He was not making secret trips to Vegas. he told the two where he was. He did not have a secret life, he did not have a lot of "friends" to tell people things to.

 

[laytonian]

I specifically recall Naegle saying they didn't view the tapes from KMart, don't you? Could she have been wrong about that?

If they didn't, I'm sure it was because there was a receipt and the items purchased were in the car when it was found. It's a logical conclusion. Just as it is a logical conclusion, IMO, that it is Steven on that SCA video walking by just moments after his car drives by.

Are we going to question everything or just some things?

There's a difference between "didn't view the tapes" and "didn't try".

They tried in Mesquite, and they'd already been taped over. Remember? We don't know the reason they didn't view the KMart tapes. We just know they didn't.

"The surveillance tapes would only be kept for 7 days - per gaming regulations. ..." (you, here on Websleuths).

Would we expect a KMart to keep security tapes longer than a Vegas casino that deals in millions of dollars a day?

From the article, it sounds like they were in St George on Dec 24th (they got home late that night).
Steven made the KMart purchase on Dec 12th .... 12 days earlier.

 

[sbakker]

Okay, I do not know what happened on my last post. Was not trying to take your words Laytonian! (ha!ha!)

 

[laytonian]

See, that's why I don't think he was making secret trips to Vegas. When he was called, he told GW and SA where he was.

But what kind of guidance would he be seeking out, in a strange place like SCA, that he couldn't find elsewhere?

Praying and fasting in the hills? I can see that.

I agree with you. He was not making secret trips to Vegas. he told the two where he was. He did not have a secret life, he did not have a lot of "friends" to tell people things to.

Nor do I think he could have carried off a complicated secret life without spilling the beans at some point.

If people here don't want to believe Naegle, they can go back and reread what gsmith said.

A person can be smart, and unsavvy-naive at the same time.

 

[Fairy1]

Remember, gsmith said Steven was very spiritual and that God had told him the girl he was dating wasn't the right girl. It's not so impossible to believe he was searching for some type of guidance.

See, that's why I don't think he was making secret trips to Vegas. When he was called, he told GW and SA where he was.

But what kind of guidance would he be seeking out, in a strange place like SCA, that he couldn't find elsewhere?

Praying and fasting in the hills? I can see that.

I'm not saying he WAS making secret trips to Vegas. I'm just saying it's not impossible. Maybe whoever he was here to visit had been making frequent trips to St. George.

Yes, he told GW and SA he was here, but not why. He saw AN's family in RV, but no one knows why he was there either.

He could have prayed and fasted in the hills in his own backyard. He didn't need to come here for that. Same could be said for ending his own life. There are far more areas in UT where a body could stay hidden forever. And there doesn't seem to be anything that points to him meeting someone here who meant to cause him harm. Steven wouldn't have known it. It would have been much easier for the mystery person to hide their own tracks than to try to hide Steven's.

 

[sbakker]

Does anyone think the white SUV had any roll in the case? I know the police questioned them, and it was a realator, but how do we really know if they did not meet Steven? And GW was in VEGAS the same time as Steven? I just keep thinking about GW.

 

[laytonian]

See, that's why I don't think he was making secret trips to Vegas. When he was called, he told GW and SA where he was.

But what kind of guidance would he be seeking out, in a strange place like SCA, that he couldn't find elsewhere?

Praying and fasting in the hills? I can see that.

I'm not saying he WAS making secret trips to Vegas. I'm just saying it's not impossible. Maybe whoever he was here to visit had been making frequent trips to St. George.

Yes, he told GW and SA he was here, but not why. He saw AN's family in RV, but no one knows why he was there either.

He could have prayed and fasted in the hills in his own backyard. He didn't need to come here for that. Same could be said for ending his own life. There are far more areas in UT where a body could stay hidden forever. And there doesn't seem to be anything that points to him meeting someone here who meant to cause him harm. Steven wouldn't have known it. It would have been much easier for the mystery person to hide their own tracks than to try to hide Steven's.

I think we're agreeing: there's no logical reason for Steven to have even been in Vegas, Henderson, or SCA.

But his car was found there. Mystery person hiding their own tracks, after some conflict?

There's value in re-jammin' the same thoughts over and over

 

[webrocket]

I hardly see what a KMart video would show - Steven buying ornaments?

 

[sbakker]

I hardly see what a KMart video would show - Steven buying ornaments?

Ha ha ha ha! Its fun to get a little humor once in awhile.

 

[laytonian]

Does anyone think the white SUV had any roll in the case? I know the police questioned them, and it was a realator, but how do we really know if they did not meet Steven? And GW was in VEGAS the same time as Steven? I just keep thinking about GW.

We don't know where the SUV went next. If the video saw it heading back east, without Steven re-emerging from EL, I'd say it's not connected. But we don't know that. Hopefully, LE knows.

GW AND Ruby Valley:I think we're hearing only basic information from several conversations.

GW and SK spoke for about two minutes...and from what's been reported, it would have taken 15 seconds.

Steven was in RV for "about two hours" and ....we've got about 15 seconds worth of that, too.

 

[sbakker]

Who agrees that Steven was met with foul play? Who thinks he skipped out? Started a new life? Lets try and see where everyone is leaning. Who are the people you think might know something?

 

[webrocket]

maybe if there was a poll set up by the moderators,it might work better.

my bet - he is gay and ran off with another guy.

 

[MBLover]

Maybe someone could do a poll like was just done on Morgan Harrington's thread? I don't know how to do that...would if I could.