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

[carbuff]

I don't think there's a lot more to be done or said. It's disappointing that we haven't been able to find him, but if he walked away from his life, that's how he wants it.

 

[Fairy1]

I don't think there's a lot more to be done or said. It's disappointing that we haven't been able to find him, but if he walked away from his life, that's how he wants it.

I have always leaned toward the possibility that Steven walked away. Really, who wouldn't, under his circumstances? And I truly want to believe he's alive and well.

But if there's any chance he was harmed, then people need to know that. And whoever hurt him needs to be held accountable.

 

[ding174]

ahh well time to get on and move forward with our lives. as an afterthought the an ranch family in RV is very large and pretty spread out through NV. and maybe he sought solace with them and they accepted him and had one of their kin leave the car in SC. furthest away from RV. until any new and further developments and the family starts to show more interest we should all bid each other adieu and get on with life!

 

[CONCRNED CTZN]

I agree, LV wasn't much of a secret, considering SK was telling everyone he was there and answering the phone willingly. I don't think SK knew where he was going, meaning he had not been to the location before because he said LV and not Henderson on the phone calls. I think Henderson would've sounded better to the guys calling, less slinky on a Sunday per se, when he was supposed to be at church.

Wherever he was going, one might argue that he didn't want people to know where he was going...but then wouldn't he say Salt Lake or Phoenix, something even further possibly that would not allow him to make it back. Why give a location in the same state even? Surely if it was that "secret" he would have thought of something better.

Therefore, I deduce that he had never been where he was going, didn't even know that it was Henderson...and maybe whoever "advertised" what he was going to (I won't even go into what I think about that) used Vegas as a "marketing" tool...headline, etc.

It might be helpful to LE to look back at interviews and see what GW said originally...LV or Henderson, did he give his answer only after learning what the other guys said (which since he made it to church he would have found out what Steven told the guys that called). Given GW's vague and illogical recollection of the conversation, as well as exact location of the call, I smell rehearsal. While I don't suggest "guilt" or even innocence on his part, I certainly believe we have a witness to something far more complicated than either gentleman had intended.

These small details keep me interested and concerned, especially if someone with possible knowledge of a crime gets to "have all time lows" while another person could be hurt or possibly worse. Lame.

JMO

 

[CONCRNED CTZN]

ahh well time to get on and move forward with our lives. as an afterthought the an ranch family in RV is very large and pretty spread out through NV. and maybe he sought solace with them and they accepted him and had one of their kin leave the car in SC. furthest away from RV. until any new and further developments and the family starts to show more interest we should all bid each other adieu and get on with life!

I don't know about you, but I didn't put MY life on hold. There are various ways I spend MY "recreational" time after my work is done, kids are asleep and husband is content. I can spend a few moments thinking of Steven over watching tv anytime. Last week, my family needed more time, but when things got back to normal and I finished the book my son and I were reading every night, I added my two cents...about what I felt like was some clarity of the calls, etc. I would like to think that I would also be worth as much...if it was myself missing. I hope fellow sleuths feel the same.

 

[hollyblue]

IMO, the Cox family has a fine line to walk. I feel certain they know that Josh murdered Susan. The problem is that he still has those little boys and I'm sure they want to be sure they remain safe until Josh is charged. Seems pretty obvious to me what Josh is capable of. It's been frustrating not to see any real searches for Susan, but I honestly don't think they know where to begin and the weather conditions haven't been ideal pretty much since she disappeared.

If Steven's family wants us to go away, they can say so, just as they came here seeking assistance. I will respect their wishes.

I don't think any us came here with any wish except to help find Steven. Having family aboard can be a double-edge sword; as I think we have experienced both sides of it here. Having your family *in the light of scrutinization* cannot be pleasant; on the other hand, we certainly did not judge Steven either. Cans of worms had to be opened---some turn into butterflies others not so pretty. We cared.

Just to update you---There is a massive search scheduled for Susan in the west desert on Apr. 10. They are saying 2,000 people may show up and have LE concerned. I so hope the weather is kind. It was amazing in Morgan Harrington's case..the weather broke for just a few days..and she was found. Talk about serendipity.

I agree with you that her family is in quite a quandary---having the boys under the control of the Powell family. Instability and dysfunction are an understatement. If I were Mr. Cox and had three other daughters, I'd advise them not to say a word too--until they have resolution of some kind. (I think Susan was the rebel of the family.)

 

[webrocket]

With all due respect, these statements that I have bolded are stated as fact, yet are sheer speculation. Just because his friends and family are not on here tossing around theories and expressing concern absolutely doesn't mean that they are not doing it in ways of which we are not aware. Maybe his friends and associates feel they can contribute more in another fashion. This is not the only outlet for support and concern for Steven.

I also have to ask just who in the LDS church is putting the thumb screws to the people who have gotten involved in this forum? Could it be that they vanish because they feel like they have nothing more to add or contribute? Could it be that no new information is forthcoming simply because there is none to be had, not because of some vast conspiracy of silence?

I completely share everyone's frustration that no one seems closer to finding Steven than we were the day after he disappeared. I have run the gamut of what I think happened to him; I can't follow ONE single theory through without reservation. I truly don't know where to go from here. Pointing the finger of blame when we don't have a clear idea of what's really being done seems counterproductive though. At this point it's entirely possible that everyone's in the same boat. Maybe none of us knows where to go from here.

Sometimes what is NOT said speaks more loudly than what IS spoken. No two missing persons cases are alike. If you check out the FB page for Bryce Tarter, there a slews of people, some of whom are strangers to the family, who offer to volunteer and raise funds. That family was from Maine and he was a college student in Georgia.

Also, when the story was still in the actual news, I don't recall seeing much in terms of comments left by people who claimed to know Steven. Not even words of sympathy or concern to the family. Hmmm

Here, Steven's last home was St. George, UT, a mere 2 hour drive from where he walked away from his car in Henderson, NV. His church 'friends' could easily be there scouring the neighborhood but they say and do almost nothing.

If you look over Naegle's posts, her tone was that Steven must have been victimized because he would never do anything like walk away from his life. Well no disrespect to the family but it happens almost every day in this country.

There never was much pressure on GW to explain why he did not ask Steven why Steven was in Vegas that day. So you see, these people know more than they are sharing. I fully understand that they have NO obligation to share anything on websites like this. However, if you show up then leave, we are free to draw our own conclusions as to why they left.

I will say this for the nth time. The family knows full well what it is they found on his hard drive. If it were criminal, LE would have pounced on it. It seems like a fair conclusion that there was NOTHING criminal on there so LE is not going to waste time and resources. I am sure that hard drive reveals thing such as this:

old email addresses used;
old mapquest or other driving directions here or there;
dating-like websites;
visits to LDS online forums (I wonder what topics he was researching?);
pictures of himself that he may have been sending out;
pictures of others sent to him (I wonder which gender they were?);
job searches (locally or distant); and
plenty of others

While no one of these might say exactly where he went after going to SCA, depending on what combination of stuff there is, I'd get a pretty good picture of what was going on in Steven's life.

As for his church, I am not religious and am not an expert on Mormonism. I will not call it a cult. Evangelical Christians have long denounced Mormonism as a cult. I don't say this to bring up a debate on that topic; however, one aspects of cults is reluctance to discuss what is going on amongst their members. I certainly see traces of that here but again, I do not wish to set off a debate on Mormonism, just to respond to Canyon1 who made it seem like my last comment on silence was the LDS church putting thumbscrews to its members. They don't have to.

 

[hollyblue]

Sometimes what is NOT said speaks more loudly than what IS spoken. No two missing persons cases are alike. If you check out the FB page for Bryce Tarter, there a slews of people, some of whom are strangers to the family, who offer to volunteer and raise funds. That family was from Maine and he was a college student in Georgia.

Also, when the story was still in the actual news, I don't recall seeing much in terms of comments left by people who claimed to know Steven. Not even words of sympathy or concern to the family. Hmmm

Here, Steven's last home was St. George, UT, a mere 2 hour drive from where he walked away from his car in Henderson, NV. His church 'friends' could easily be there scouring the neighborhood but they say and do almost nothing.

If you look over Naegle's posts, her tone was that Steven must have been victimized because he would never do anything like walk away from his life. Well no disrespect to the family but it happens almost every day in this country.

There never was much pressure on GW to explain why he did not ask Steven why Steven was in Vegas that day. So you see, these people know more than they are sharing. I fully understand that they have NO obligation to share anything on websites like this. However, if you show up then leave, we are free to draw our own conclusions as to why they left.

I will say this for the nth time. The family knows full well what it is they found on his hard drive. If it were criminal, LE would have pounced on it. It seems like a fair conclusion that there was NOTHING criminal on there so LE is not going to waste time and resources. I am sure that hard drive reveals thing such as this:

old email addresses used;
old mapquest or other driving directions here or there;
dating-like websites;
visits to LDS online forums (I wonder what topics he was researching?);
pictures of himself that he may have been sending out;
pictures of others sent to him (I wonder which gender they were?);
job searches (locally or distant); and
plenty of others

While no one of these might say exactly where he went after going to SCA, depending on what combination of stuff there is, I'd get a pretty good picture of what was going on in Steven's life.

As for his church, I am not religious and am not an expert on Mormonism. I will not call it a cult. Evangelical Christians have long denounced Mormonism as a cult. I don't say this to bring up a debate on that topic; however, one aspects of cults is reluctance to discuss what is going on amongst their members. I certainly see traces of that here but again, I do not wish to set off a debate on Mormonism, just to respond to Canyon1 who made it seem like my last comment on silence was the LDS church putting thumbscrews to its members. They don't have to.

I too got the feeling that there was something on the hard drive that was telling. I think the family had knowledge of *something* from the get go because it was the family that did the searches on the puter and not LE. LE may have taken a look, but at that point, knowing the family had been on it prior.....it was actually moot. Same with the family trying to go over the phone pings. Seems they were wanting to keep info pretty close. Remember the first PI quit after what..a week or so. I really think there may have been contention of some sort between Steven and his father....probably job related--hence the move for more freedom.

If Steven was a verbal zealot-----that could be very intolerable--even for persons in his own religion. I know
---from having one on the Evangelical Christian side in my family. They drive you nuts...because they are always right and wear blinders. Crises and life struggles are to be handled thru prayer for answers with no 'worldly solution'; psychology and psychiatry are out of the question and about as bad as the word 'satan'. Not saying Steven was like this, but if he was out to change the worldly views of everyone --- and to be around that all the time would take the patience of a saint or JC himself. He may have been looking for the Heavenly Kingdom here and it just doesn't exist. Putting it in religious terms.....we all have sin and that includes everyone sitting in the same church as we are. He may have chosen not to be around people as he got to know them....because he discovered they had 'flaws'--in his views and therefore, not 'right for him'.

I'm not saying he was like this...but just thoughts to why he seemed to be having trouble coping and socializing with any closeness in his relationships. JMO

 

[CONCRNED CTZN]

Sometimes what is NOT said speaks more loudly than what IS spoken. No two missing persons cases are alike. If you check out the FB page for Bryce Tarter, there a slews of people, some of whom are strangers to the family, who offer to volunteer and raise funds. That family was from Maine and he was a college student in Georgia.

Also, when the story was still in the actual news, I don't recall seeing much in terms of comments left by people who claimed to know Steven. Not even words of sympathy or concern to the family. Hmmm

Here, Steven's last home was St. George, UT, a mere 2 hour drive from where he walked away from his car in Henderson, NV. His church 'friends' could easily be there scouring the neighborhood but they say and do almost nothing.

If you look over Naegle's posts, her tone was that Steven must have been victimized because he would never do anything like walk away from his life. Well no disrespect to the family but it happens almost every day in this country.

There never was much pressure on GW to explain why he did not ask Steven why Steven was in Vegas that day. So you see, these people know more than they are sharing. I fully understand that they have NO obligation to share anything on websites like this. However, if you show up then leave, we are free to draw our own conclusions as to why they left.

I will say this for the nth time. The family knows full well what it is they found on his hard drive. If it were criminal, LE would have pounced on it. It seems like a fair conclusion that there was NOTHING criminal on there so LE is not going to waste time and resources. I am sure that hard drive reveals thing such as this:

old email addresses used;
old mapquest or other driving directions here or there;
dating-like websites;
visits to LDS online forums (I wonder what topics he was researching?);
pictures of himself that he may have been sending out;
pictures of others sent to him (I wonder which gender they were?);
job searches (locally or distant); and
plenty of others

While no one of these might say exactly where he went after going to SCA, depending on what combination of stuff there is, I'd get a pretty good picture of what was going on in Steven's life.

As for his church, I am not religious and am not an expert on Mormonism. I will not call it a cult. Evangelical Christians have long denounced Mormonism as a cult. I don't say this to bring up a debate on that topic; however, one aspects of cults is reluctance to discuss what is going on amongst their members. I certainly see traces of that here but again, I do not wish to set off a debate on Mormonism, just to respond to Canyon1 who made it seem like my last comment on silence was the LDS church putting thumbscrews to its members. They don't have to.

I like what you wrote...till the end.

This is not a MORMON thing...this is a family who in my mind has maybe taken being "MORMON' to an extreme over finding or possibly "accepting" their son. It's sad...people of all religions do it. PEOPLE do it...NOT the church. Yes, I am MORMON, but having members of my family (and even myself at times) who choose not live in line with the church's teachings, I know that I, along with people in the ward and area, would look for someone who was missing. I mean people think Powell killed his wife...if it was a MORMON thing (because a GOOD mormon would not kill his wife right?), wouldn't fellow members say aliens abducted her or illegals took her.

Steven's family has bred the uninterest in the case. We here HAVE information b/c we searched. The average person doesn't know even HALF of what we know...why would they care? We have personalities that want resolve more than others I suppose. AND think of ourselves in the situation. I blame the family...not the cult, I mean Mormons. ;-) Like I always tell my sister when her Mormon friends say something rude and she starts Mormon bashing. It's the people sister, not the church. There has never been a class in my ward on how to be rude to fellow members.

Make sense?

 

[stillLooking]

I've been so busy with RL that I haven't had time at all to visit WS or get online much at all but I still think of Steven everyday. I wish we were getting closer to an answer. My DH has only talked to Steven's family a few times since I last posted months ago. It took the family a long time to get a warrant to have a forensic examiner look at the computer, they had family look at it first to try to find any clue asap. The examiner found no clues or anything that led to a lead, that is what Steven's dad said on a call with DH. He also ask that we keep forwarding all mail that arrives to the house for Steven to them. Which we have been doing, I know they are hoping for some kind of clue. DH just went to fix some problems at the St. George house so we have another batch of mail to send to them. I really don't think the family is trying to hide anything, they seem super sad and frusterated at the lack of movement and leads in Stevens case. They are having to deal with Steven having lived in one state and gone missing in another and all the frusteration of two different police departments and all that goes along with that. I just don't think there are any new leads and most old leads have led to a dead end. I say most because a detective working on the case called DH a few days ago to ask more questions about J, the old roommate. He hasn't shown up at all to his court dates for rent and now a warrant is being issue in regards to him not paying rent and losing the case. He quit his job a while ago and no one seems to be able to find him or know where he went.

Sorry about the hard to read post I have a 7:30 meeting and must run now but after having read only the last few pages of posts I feel the frusteration of many who have been following Steven's case. No matter how frusterated we may feel I know his family is still devastated and more frusterated than ever. To us it seems they are doing as much as they can and know how to do.

 

[Lato]

stillLooking...can you tell us if Steven's room was ever locked for past due rent and/or did your DH tell him about any pending eviction?

 

[Lato]

stillLooking...you keep leaving when the question is asked about whether Steven's room was locked due to past due rent and whether DH talked to Steven
about possible eviction.

Please understand, I think that allowing a tenant to stay as long as you did without
paying rent is more than most people would do. The answer to the above question
may give us an idea about what Steven was doing in the days before he went missing.

If his room was locked on the 12th, for example, perhaps he just got back in his car and drove to LV/H to spend the night or to get some advice from someone about his predicament.

Please consider answering this question. It really does matter.

 

[wannab1]

I've been so busy with RL that I haven't had time at all to visit WS or get online much at all but I still think of Steven everyday. I wish we were getting closer to an answer. My DH has only talked to Steven's family a few times since I last posted months ago. It took the family a long time to get a warrant to have a forensic examiner look at the computer, they had family look at it first to try to find any clue asap. The examiner found no clues or anything that led to a lead, that is what Steven's dad said on a call with DH. He also ask that we keep forwarding all mail that arrives to the house for Steven to them. Which we have been doing, I know they are hoping for some kind of clue. DH just went to fix some problems at the St. George house so we have another batch of mail to send to them. I really don't think the family is trying to hide anything, they seem super sad and frusterated at the lack of movement and leads in Stevens case. They are having to deal with Steven having lived in one state and gone missing in another and all the frusteration of two different police departments and all that goes along with that. I just don't think there are any new leads and most old leads have led to a dead end. I say most because a detective working on the case called DH a few days ago to ask more questions about J, the old roommate. He hasn't shown up at all to his court dates for rent and now a warrant is being issue in regards to him not paying rent and losing the case. He quit his job a while ago and no one seems to be able to find him or know where he went.

Sorry about the hard to read post I have a 7:30 meeting and must run now but after having read only the last few pages of posts I feel the frusteration of many who have been following Steven's case. No matter how frusterated we may feel I know his family is still devastated and more frusterated than ever. To us it seems they are doing as much as they can and know how to do.

So, Steven's father wants the mail to be left by the mail carrier at a home that is only occupied part-time and then from time to time if the owner (ex-landlord) drops by to fix something, have them "forward" it to him?

 

[SuziQ]

Rent would be a civil matter. I'm sure StillLooking meant a financial judgement.

 

[hollyblue]

So, Steven's father wants the mail to be left by the mail carrier at a home that is only occupied part-time and then from time to time if the owner (ex-landlord) drops by to fix something, have them "forward" it to him?

I'm a little confused on SL's post.

1. Why can't the father just have the mail forwarded to him by the PO itself? The PO won't let him...has to be by the addressee himself?

2. Why would the Koecher's need a warrant for a forensics examiner to go over the computer? Did LE not want to do this?

Supoenas are normally sought after if the people are not willing to agree to searches, etc......and if there was foul play suggested.

I'm totally confused here...........I thought only LE (courts) had the power to do this?

Maybe SL is wanting help in finding J? I have always wondered if J could have been intimidating (bullying) SK or one of his friends.

 

[gsmith]

They are not commenting as they are more concerned with appearances than with reality. They would rather believe he was the victim of foul play than the alternative. Keep in mind they never did reveal what was on his computer hard drive other than issuing a self serving statement that the hard drive did "not reveal why he was in Henderson that day".

I was clear to me from day one he walked out on his former so-called life. No job, no wife, no children, behind on his rent, living in a closed LDS society where he played the role of a zealot (god said the girl was not right for me), etc. That is a perfect facade for explaining why the guy was not married and some of his former cohorts might actually have believed that fiction. The real reasons he was not married was because he had NOTHING to offer a prospective wife. The guy could not hold down a job. Not exactly husband material folks.

These people he used to associate with closed rank when Steven disappeared and almost none express any concern for Steven. Not exactly the type of people I would want to call friends. Maybe Steven had an epiphany of a sort and realized that he could not be who he wanted to be and have these people in my life.

It is beyond frustrating that we have had countless entries on these threads by ordinary citizens expressing concern for Steven yet those closest to him either don't get involved, sign on but share no information, or just vanish when they get some LDS pressure to clam up.

I really hope Steven is happy with whomever he has chosen to spend his life with. A stranger on the internet is likely to provide him more happiness than the uncaring stone cold crowd he left behind in St. George.

Sorry that I haven't been on here for a while. I'm busy in school. I hadn't seen steven for over a year so I don't have much more to contribute. I went down to vegas alone with my wife back in December. I offered neagle to go to vegas and help search with them but never got a request for help.

I would love to see steven again no matter what. As far as what I know, he didn't seem like he was hidding anything. Even if he was it wouldn't matter to me. I'd be his friend. He can stay at my place for free if he needs a place to live.

I don't know how his family is but my family would accept me no matter what. They are extremely faithful to the LDS faith and part of that faith is to love everyone. As individuals, us mormons have problems too. If there is anything strange how people have reacted in this case it is a culture thing and not religous.

Growing up, my family's ward was always friendly and loving. Most wards I have been in have been great. I'm in a "family" ward now but before I got married I went to a "singles" ward for a few years. I'm not sure how steve's ward was in St. George but the one I went to was ice cold. Half of the 500 plus that attended were just roaming singles attending ward after ward looking for a future spouse. I had a friend that left the church because of that ward. I could have gone missing and not a single person would know. I think a lot of people at that age can be quite selfish. They don't have anyone to take care of but themselves.


The fact that steve was active in callings makes me think he was not falling away. I haven't been to a ward temple night for years whereas steve attended right before he went missing. His family lived hundreds of miles away. I don't see that there was any pressure at all to go to church like he did.

I've talked to my bishop about past sins and was always treated with respect. My bishop would usually ask me if I felt forgiven or if there was anything he could do to help me feel better. Talking to the bishop is to help people feel repented and to get advice. I read on facebook that steve's bishop promised him a job within a few months. The bishop sounds like a good man.

Perhaps the family or his bishop knows something but aren't commenting due to respect for steve's privacy. Is that unknown thing really important to why he dissapeared? Perhaps he was murdered. If that is the case does it really matter if he had unrelated personal issues?

We don't even post people's names on this forum due to privacy.

I really wish I could add something to this search. I posted that song of steve's to help you know who he is. I'm greatful that you guys here at websleuths are so active in this case.

 

[webrocket]

Sorry that I haven't been on here for a while. I'm busy in school. I hadn't seen steven for over a year so I don't have much more to contribute. I went down to vegas alone with my wife back in December. I offered neagle to go to vegas and help search with them but never got a request for help.

I would love to see steven again no matter what. As far as what I know, he didn't seem like he was hidding anything. Even if he was it wouldn't matter to me. I'd be his friend. He can stay at my place for free if he needs a place to live.

I don't know how his family is but my family would accept me no matter what. They are extremely faithful to the LDS faith and part of that faith is to love everyone. As individuals, us mormons have problems too. If there is anything strange how people have reacted in this case it is a culture thing and not religous.

Growing up, my family's ward was always friendly and loving. Most wards I have been in have been great. I'm in a "family" ward now but before I got married I went to a "singles" ward for a few years. I'm not sure how steve's ward was in St. George but the one I went to was ice cold. Half of the 500 plus that attended were just roaming singles attending ward after ward looking for a future spouse. I had a friend that left the church because of that ward. I could have gone missing and not a single person would know. I think a lot of people at that age can be quite selfish. They don't have anyone to take care of but themselves.


The fact that steve was active in callings makes me think he was not falling away. I haven't been to a ward temple night for years whereas steve attended right before he went missing. His family lived hundreds of miles away. I don't see that there was any pressure at all to go to church like he did.

I've talked to my bishop about past sins and was always treated with respect. My bishop would usually ask me if I felt forgiven or if there was anything he could do to help me feel better. Talking to the bishop is to help people feel repented and to get advice. I read on facebook that steve's bishop promised him a job within a few months. The bishop sounds like a good man.

Perhaps the family or his bishop knows something but aren't commenting due to respect for steve's privacy. Is that unknown thing really important to why he dissapeared? Perhaps he was murdered. If that is the case does it really matter if he had unrelated personal issues?

We don't even post people's names on this forum due to privacy.

I really wish I could add something to this search. I posted that song of steve's to help you know who he is. I'm greatful that you guys here at websleuths are so active in this case.

You said a lot GSmith so I'll respond in the order of the text I bolded:

1. I find it fascinating that you offered to go to Vegas to help in the search but you never got a request from Naegle. Personally, if I had a missing family member, I'd take help from ANYONE willing to volunteer their time in the search.

Without going off on too many tangents, I wonder why that is? Could the family not really be serious about looking for him? Maybe they know full well (from whatever they saw on the hard drive) that he is not in Vegas so they do not want to waste people's time there? Suffice it to say, it makes NO SENSE to decline or ignore a helping hand.

2. I am a little past the 30's age bracket and not being a Mormon I have no clue what goes on in the LDS wards. It brought back an image of people going to bars looking around for Mr. or Ms. Right. Rather than focus on really finding a mate - focus on what you can offer a person in the long run - they go on an almost desperate search for a partner roaming from bar to bar. I know Mormons are not supposed to drink. I am simply sharing this visual that popped into my head of desperate singles in two vastly different venues.

I would think that a church centered group would be a little less shallow than this. However, my comment on the stone cold crowd in St. George might not have been far off the mark.

3. I'm not sure how often you went to singles wards before you found your intended. From all accounts Steven was into it all so I would expect that his name and face would have been more familiar to the ward members than someone just cruising through looking for a spouse.

4. "That unknown thing" is the 800 pound gorilla in the room. There are a number of ways to go about that. You either take the bull by the horns and confront it directly or you ignore it like it wasn't even there. You could acknowledge that something was in the room but not really what it is.

A number of theories have been thrown about and given the lack of interaction with anyone in the know, that is all we are left with. I'll throw a few out there and discuss what relevance, if any, it has to a search.

The gay thing. Do I know Steven is gay? Absolutely not. If he was, or if his computer strongly suggested he was, then that opens up an entire community that might have information on him. If the family does not ask, then why do they think anyone would volunteer it?

gambling. There may have been some suggestion or inference that Steven and or GW liked to gamble. If that were the case, then you'd think the family might want to check with casinos to find out if Steven had any debts or whether he had been ejected or banned from any casinos. He might even be sitting in one right now somewhere in the Rocky Mountains but unless they alerted the casinos to be on the look out for him, he would just be another customer.

mental illness. I don't know if Steven suffered from any psychiatric condition, treated or untreated. Some families of missing persons put that right out there because 1. it is true (in their cases) 2. it may help find their loved one and 3. it places the missing person in a different light.

I am sure there are others that have been thrown about here on this site. However, in terms of Steven's privacy, sure he HAD some. If a person ups a leaves, then I am not so sure that a greiving and angry family could be expected to guard privacy issues the same. If Steven were a victim of a crime, still shedding some light on the types of people he was associating with certainly would help.

So it appears to me, and it is just my sense, that the family does not want to air any potentially "dirty laundry" because if he was a victim of a crime, then the dirt would have been aired for naught. Looks to me like they would rather believe he was the victim of a crime rather than a runaway adult.

 

[Lato]

careful snip:
I just don't think there are any new leads and most old leads have led to a dead end. I say most because a detective working on the case called DH a few days ago to ask more questions about J, the old roommate. He hasn't shown up at all to his court dates for rent and now a warrant is being issue in regards to him not paying rent and losing the case. He quit his job a while ago and no one seems to be able to find him or know where he went.

bbm
Thank you for providing information from the St. George area. I have been
watching the area where Steven went missing. I wondered if anyone would leave from that area...if anyone would put their house on the market or try to rent it....so far, nothing. BUT....J is gone it seems. Someone who had
past troubles with the police is missing court dates, quit his job and cannot be found. Sounds like he is running. It may not have anything to do with
Steven but, then again, it may. Interesting...!

 

[imamaze]

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[pudd]

So it appears to me, and it is just my sense, that the family does not want to air any potentially "dirty laundry" because if he was a victim of a crime, then the dirt would have been aired for naught. Looks to me like they would rather believe he was the victim of a crime rather than a runaway adult.

I totally agree with that, webrocket. Sad, but understandable.