NV NV - Steven T. Koecher, 30, Henderson, 13 Dec 2009 - #11

[believe09]

Steven's mom or dad or sister had to have a spare key, I think Hollyblue. I think that is interesting in an of itself-did SK lock himself out occasionally? Just an idle question...

Grabbing the car, starting it up and taking it back to ST George intrigues me...not because I think it was right or wrong-it makes me wonder if Steven's car had been left somewhere before and someone had to go an retrieve it....I mean if you don't have a handle on your son and his life, and his car has been sitting somewhere locked and abandoned for four days...I don't know what I would have done.

If he was not making car payments, his car was going to be taken back because that is what happens right? So I can see why it would look to someone like Steven walked away from his life by dumping his vehicle, among other aspects of his life.

I still feel like he was in SCA because he was sent there. I dont know if he was sent there by someone in ST George or someone he met in Vegas.

 

[laytonian]

I think I saw in the threads that landlord contacted Steven's father as emergency contact. But not being able to be reached (SK's cell phone could be reached), two guys both not paying rent or utilities (and they didn't even like each other), and then the one leaving, the landlord claiming utilities in his name will be shut off, that's all very odd.

Maybe without rent mortgage couldn't be paid and place was going into foreclosure, in which case didn't matter if utiilities got turned off. Don't know. But concerning SK's aspect of it, laytonian's "downward spiral" about sums it up.

rd

...and knowing the answer to a lot of intrusive questions, really doesn't open the mystery box or explain anything.

Maybe we should take the opposite tack. Instead of getting bogged down in details, we should look at it simply:

He had some debt.
Each job since the SL Tribune was lesser than the previous job.
He wasn't able to find the "right" girl to marry and start a family with.
He had a tense phone conversation with his father about owing rent.
He was active in his religion, including going to the temple on Dec 9th.
His sister talks to him that same day, but he doesn't mention a trip.
He drove to Ruby Valley NV to see a woman he knew lived/worked in SLC.
His long-time best friend texts him, but he doesn't respond.
His sister talks to him, but he doesn't mention where he is.
His mother deposits money to help with rent. It's unused.
He's back in St George, passing out window washing flyers.
Next day, he drives south on I-15 at least to Overton, maybe further.
Does a bit of shopping, returns to his apartment, leaves again. Returns???
Next day, he tells church friends he won't be at church 'cos he's in Vegas.
Security videos show his car driving towards a cul de sac, then him walking away.

If you knew NOTHING more than that, what would be your theory?

Or maybe starting at the very beginning:

A young man parks his car in a Henderson NV neighborhood, walks away, and is never seen again.

 

[hollyblue]

Steven's mom or dad or sister had to have a spare key, I think Hollyblue. I think that is interesting in an of itself-did SK lock himself out occasionally? Just an idle question...

Grabbing the car, starting it up and taking it back to ST George intrigues me...not because I think it was right or wrong-it makes me wonder if Steven's car had been left somewhere before and someone had to go an retrieve it....I mean if you don't have a handle on your son and his life, and his car has been sitting somewhere locked and abandoned for four days...I don't know what I would have done.

If he was not making car payments, his car was going to be taken back because that is what happens right? So I can see why it would look to someone like Steven walked away from his life by dumping his vehicle, among other aspects of his life.

I still feel like he was in SCA because he was sent there. I dont know if he was sent there by someone in ST George or someone he met in Vegas.

Good questions. Once I was on my own, my parents had a key to my apt for emergency sake (Get the pet), but never my auto. Of course they only lived 25 miles away too. Something "went wrong" with him along the way...As far as we know, he was ok with no problems when he was away at college. Just afterwards. I believe the one job as stringer was a full time, but I don't think he had an apt of his own. He lived with this parents, siblings, etc til his move to SG and then he just rented a room. Seems he was having a hard time even beginning to plant roots of his own.

I still want to know if the keys were locked in his car or if he had taken them with him....would seem to answer a basic question if he dumped the car...Why take the keys with him, if he was?

He could have been sent there by someone he knew from college or a friend from Salt Lake too. I'd like to know how involved he was with this volleyball league...Did he travel around on the week-ends and play in other areas like SG or Mesquite, etc. His only connections to the LV area that we know of would be his cousin, GW....and I have forgotten JZ before, but there was talk of him having relatives in LV and the discussion of him using SK's phone....if JZ was talking to someone or SK.

 

[Malini2001]

...and knowing the answer to a lot of intrusive questions, really doesn't open the mystery box or explain anything.

Maybe we should take the opposite tack. Instead of getting bogged down in details, we should look at it simply:

He had some debt.
Each job since the SL Tribune was lesser than the previous job.
He wasn't able to find the "right" girl to marry and start a family with.
He had a tense phone conversation with his father about owing rent.
He was active in his religion, including going to the temple on Dec 9th.
His sister talks to him that same day, but he doesn't mention a trip.
He drove to Ruby Valley NV to see a woman he knew lived/worked in SLC.
His long-time best friend texts him, but he doesn't respond.
His sister talks to him, but he doesn't mention where he is.
His mother deposits money to help with rent. It's unused.
He's back in St George, passing out window washing flyers.
Next day, he drives south on I-15 at least to Overton, maybe further.
Does a bit of shopping, returns to his apartment, leaves again. Returns???
Next day, he tells church friends he won't be at church 'cos he's in Vegas.
Security videos show his car driving towards a cul de sac, then him walking away.

If you knew NOTHING more than that, what would be your theory?

Or maybe starting at the very beginning:

A young man parks his car in a Henderson NV neighborhood, walks away, and is never seen again.

You know, seeing it all laid out like that, and ignoring anything we have heard about his personality, makes me think he walked away from his life. The only odd thing is where he left his car - not near any public transportation that he could have used.

 

[carbuff]

As far as the PO Box, I can't understand why he would really need one since most of his bills could be paid on line, unless for security or privacy issues. This again goes back to the speculation of the keys. If SK's key were still in the car, his parents surely checked out the keys he had. I would have. There is normally a stamp on a PO key stating it is such and cannot be duplicated.
**This is what makes me so mad about junk mail. The CC companies send you "updates" or offering you new services and put your a/c # on it. Not good. If your an online customer, they should send those marketing offerings online.

There are lots of legitimate reasons to have a separate mailbox. People who move around a lot, or want a business address separate from their home address, often have post office boxes. People who receive lots of packages often use them, because the packages can be held at the post office instead of left on the front step. If you just have ordinary household delivery, there may be a limit as to how much volume the regular route will deliver.

Instead of US Postal Service boxes, many people rent from third parties such as a UPS store or Mailboxes Etcetera. That lets them receive packages from UPS, FedEx, etc as well as the post office. The service often offers forwarding service, package notification via email, etc. That kind of service often uses a combination lock, not a key. The address will look like an ordinary street address, not a "Box xxxx" address.

All of which means that *if* Steven wanted to set up an alternate identity (I'm not saying he did), he might well have had a separate box elsewhere to receive the alternate information, bills, credit cards, whatever. If he kept the code in his head, there wouldn't have to be any trace of it in his old life.

 

[laytonian]

You know, seeing it all laid out like that, and ignoring anything we have heard about his personality, makes me think he walked away from his life. The only odd thing is where he left his car - not near any public transportation that he could have used.

The only option would (basically) be a cab. Or arranging for someone to take you someplace. But why would you walk up EL to meet someone? Wouldn't you stay in the cul de sac and wait? And apparently, despite many people looking at those security videos, no one has seen a suspect vehicle enter or leave.

Those few sentences I typed out, are basically what I've described to my husband and daughter. Each came to the same conclusion: suicide. They both mention depression, hard luck, and SK maybe wanting to go somewhere else to end his life.

 

[carbuff]

You know, seeing it all laid out like that, and ignoring anything we have heard about his personality, makes me think he walked away from his life. The only odd thing is where he left his car - not near any public transportation that he could have used.

There's a shopping center on Bicentennial Parkway. Googlemaps says 1.2 miles. There's probably a bus stop there, and he could certainly have called for a taxi, or had one meet him.

Aside: Interestingly, there's a copy place with mailbox services there as well.

 

[laytonian]

There are lots of legitimate reasons to have a separate mailbox. People who move around a lot, or want a business address separate from their home address, often have post office boxes. People who receive lots of packages often use them, because the packages can be held at the post office instead of left on the front step. If you just have ordinary household delivery, there may be a limit as to how much volume the regular route will deliver.

Instead of US Postal Service boxes, many people rent from third parties such as a UPS store or Mailboxes Etcetera. That lets them receive packages from UPS, FedEx, etc as well as the post office. The service often offers forwarding service, package notification via email, etc. That kind of service often uses a combination lock, not a key. The address will look like an ordinary street address, not a "Box xxxx" address.

All of which means that *if* Steven wanted to set up an alternate identity (I'm not saying he did), he might well have had a separate box elsewhere to receive the alternate information, bills, credit cards, whatever. If he kept the code in his head, there wouldn't have to be any trace of it in his old life.

He had a *very* legitimate reason for renting a PO box: that roomie. If you knew you were sharing a home with a drug user, who helped himself to your food and installed his own lock on his room -- wouldn't you have your mail sent to a PO Box? I would. (Of course, I'd also have installed my own lock on my own bedroom door, too.)

Apparently, mail's still coming to the old address (remember, it was mentioned how the landlady/landlord picked it up and held it for SK's family). I'd be curious what kind of mail would still be coming.

The idea of checking "alt" keys on his keyring is a good one. Unfortunately, he must have his keys with him, because they've not been found....and that's one reason the keys found during the search were initially so interesting.

 

[hollyblue]

There are lots of legitimate reasons to have a separate mailbox. People who move around a lot, or want a business address separate from their home address, often have post office boxes. People who receive lots of packages often use them, because the packages can be held at the post office instead of left on the front step. If you just have ordinary household delivery, there may be a limit as to how much volume the regular route will deliver.

Instead of US Postal Service boxes, many people rent from third parties such as a UPS store or Mailboxes Etcetera. That lets them receive packages from UPS, FedEx, etc as well as the post office. The service often offers forwarding service, package notification via email, etc. That kind of service often uses a combination lock, not a key. The address will look like an ordinary street address, not a "Box xxxx" address.

All of which means that *if* Steven wanted to set up an alternate identity (I'm not saying he did), he might well have had a separate box elsewhere to receive the alternate information, bills, credit cards, whatever. If he kept the code in his head, there wouldn't have to be any trace of it in his old life.

Well if he did have another identity...that one didn't want to pay rent either. LOL

 

[laytonian]

There's a shopping center on Bicentennial Parkway. Googlemaps says 1.2 miles. There's probably a bus stop there, and he could certainly have called for a taxi, or had one meet him.

Aside: Interestingly, there's a copy place with mailbox services there as well.

The closest RTC bus stop is about five miles north: the weekday 110 (Eastern Blvd route) that only goes so far as Horizon Ridge @ Eastern.
RTC Route 110 and here's the map showing where the car was, versus the end of the weekday 110 route.

Did he walk five miles and try to catch the bus the next morning (about the time his phone checked the voicemail?) It could be a possibility. He could easily have found an RTC transit route flyer. But walking five miles, after heading the wrong way up EL, seems kinda odd.


If a taxi was arranged, he wouldn't have had to walk that far to meet it. They come right to the address you specify.

What brand of copy place is that, that has mailbox services? Did you check to see what their requirements (ID, prepayment, etc) were for renting a PO Box?

 

[hollyblue]

Apparently, mail's still coming to the old address (remember, it was mentioned how the landlady/landlord picked it up and held it for SK's family). I'd be curious what kind of mail would still be coming.

The idea of checking "alt" keys on his keyring is a good one. Unfortunately, he must have his keys with him, because they've not been found....and that's one reason the keys found during the search were initially so interesting.

I must have missed a post, where is it stated they have not been found and what keys were found during what search?

 

[believe09]

FWIW-here is why the suicide thing does not work for me....the pillow and the blankets, and the fact that he left ST George the night before. Why the need to have a cozy place to sleep the night before his killed himself and what was the delay? What about Sunday 12/13 after 12PM made this the better time than any one one of those other days where he was driving around to remote locations? It is not as if the car was parked in the only place it would be noticed...we have covered that extensively.

 

[believe09]

Kind of O/T I was at a party yesterday which was also attended by a 24 year old man who resembled Steven remarkably. Same profile, same build, slightly darker hair. This young man is profoundly autistic, but with Aspberger's. He was great with the kids, 3 of whom were also Aspbergers but under the age of 13. Conversations with adults were remarkably more difficult. His speech was halting and would drift off. He has his own apartment, a job and he likes to travel to Vegas for Monster Truck rallys.

I am not saying or implying that Steven was autistic.

I am only bringing it up because I spent the better part of the afternoon trying to figure out what the lure of Vegas was for Steven...what was he going to find in Vegas that he could not find in St George. For this young man from yesterday, it is Monster Truck rallys and a street grid that makes sense....

I just dont know that he (SK) would travel to Vegas for suicide??

 

[laytonian]

FWIW-here is why the suicide thing does not work for me....the pillow and the blankets, and the fact that he left ST George the night before.

(bbm)

It's a fact that he left St George the night before?

Can you reveal your source for that fact?

All we've previously known, is that he pulled out of his driveway about 10:30pm. We haven't known (as a fact) that he actually left St George at that time. It's even possible he went to buy some milk and came back home.

Why the need to have a cozy place to sleep the night before his killed himself and what was the delay? What about Sunday 12/13 after 12PM made this the better time than any one one of those other days where he was driving around to remote locations? It is not as if the car was parked in the only place it would be noticed...we have covered that extensively.

We don't know when he put the coats into the car; they could have been there from the Ruby Valley trip, which would require he pull over and snooze at least once.

We have speculated prior to this, that perhaps the landlord had locked him out of the house, explaning him leaving after a few minutes at the house and taking nothing with him except what he already had in the car.

 

[hollyblue]

Just FYI, they found what they think is a female body in Ammon, ID. Saturday. Susan's general thread.

 

[hollyblue]

FWIW-here is why the suicide thing does not work for me....the pillow and the blankets, and the fact that he left ST George the night before. Why the need to have a cozy place to sleep the night before his killed himself and what was the delay? What about Sunday 12/13 after 12PM made this the better time than any one one of those other days where he was driving around to remote locations? It is not as if the car was parked in the only place it would be noticed...we have covered that extensively.

Why did he hestitate to get out of the car? I wonder if he had to do something he did not feel comfortable about...and was just building up the courage or having second thoughts on going? He was dressed casual with sneakers and all.

 

[redsky]

Maybe Steven had a poor credit score and had to have a co signer for the apartment and that was his dad. That would explain why he was called when rent/utilities were not paid.

 

[redsky]

The only option would (basically) be a cab. Or arranging for someone to take you someplace. But why would you walk up EL to meet someone? Wouldn't you stay in the cul de sac and wait? And apparently, despite many people looking at those security videos, no one has seen a suspect vehicle enter or leave.

BBM If he called a cab - it would have shown on his phone records.

 

[believe09]

(bbm)

It's a fact that he left St George the night before?

Can you reveal your source for that fact?

All we've previously known, is that he pulled out of his driveway about 10:30pm. We haven't known (as a fact) that he actually left St George at that time. It's even possible he went to buy some milk and came back home.



We don't know when he put the coats into the car; they could have been there from the Ruby Valley trip, which would require he pull over and snooze at least once.

We have speculated prior to this, that perhaps the landlord had locked him out of the house, explaning him leaving after a few minutes at the house and taking nothing with him except what he already had in the car.

Forgive me laytonian. I /U/ME d he had left the night before. We believe he was in Vegas the morning of, or will that be an /U/MP tion on my part as well? He received calls and apparently told people he was in Vegas.

Perhaps he left at 12:01AM which would then not qualify as the night before either right?

Now I read and comprehend your statement regarding the coats which may or may NOT have been from the Ruby Valley trip-that is speculation right? Or can you name your source for that?

Good Gravy.

 

[believe09]

Why did he hestitate to get out of the car? I wonder if he had to do something he did not feel comfortable about...and was just building up the courage or having second thoughts on going? He was dressed casual with sneakers and all.

True. Or he might have been rechecking something, putting something into his portfolio...who knows because the video is too fuzzy right?