NV NV - Steven T. Koecher, 30, Henderson, 13 Dec 2009 - # 2

[4BB]

Ok so we can conclusively rule out drugs in the vehicle.
Where did the bloodhounds go once they left the car? They had to do something.

Nice find CC

 

[CONCRNED CTZN]

4BB,
Dogs specifically trained to sniff out drugs were used on the car,and came up with nothing. That seems quite conclusive. Steven's dad stated that dogs were taken around the streets near Evening Lights Avenue. These would probably be bloodhounds. They are usally very capable of finding someone's scent ; things that could throw them off are heavy rain and winds.Neither of these conditions existed at that place when Steven went missing

I guess I need to go read about these dogs. Did the dogs find his scent in his car????

I want to know if there are no trees, nothing to lean up against...the dogs can get a scent 4 days after just from rubber shoes hitting the pavement?

 

[liz b.]

CC,
Yes, bloodhounds can find a scent after several days. They do not need a tree. Apparantly the dogs did not get a "hit" anywhere in the Anthem streets where they were used. I do think it is important that helicopters and dogs were used,but they never did try to lift prints from the car.

 

[4BB]

Just a few snips :

Bloodhounds have followed trails several days old, but the best chance of finding the person is in hours, not days

Minimize traffic to the area. This means, for example, waiting until the dog has searched a vehicle before humans do so

Dogs follow human scent in different ways. Tracking means following the scent on the ground. That scent drifts, and a tracking dog may cast back and forth and check the edges of a sparsely-scented surface such as pavement. But basically the tracking task is to work the ground scent.

Air-scenting means the dog is taking scent from the body of the person nearby. Alive or deceased, the body gives off scent that is different from scent left on the ground or in the air from the person moving through an area. When the goal is to locate evidence, it may be desired that a dog keep to the ground track. To find the person in the least time and by the shortest route, air-scenting is the most efficient method. Bloodhounds as well as other dogs who search for humans will often switch to air-scenting when close enough to the person to pick up this scent information

My own opinion: it was days before anyone noticed Steven was missing. The dogs couldnt find a scent because Steven was no longer there but they couldnt pick up previous scents because of the time lapse. He wasnt leaning or sitting, he was walking so the chance of him shedding and skin cells would be minimal.

***OK, Steven went missing Dec 13th and a search of the area is done January 2-3? Wait, so they brought scent hounds out 2+ weeks after the fact? Seemingly by now the parents had retrieved the car so the dogs had no starting point? Lets not forget a certain amount fo dew falls overnight as well. This pretty much tells me nothing except that Steven wasnt there the day the dogs searched.

 

[liz b.]

My brother in law is a retired homicide detective in NYC ; he worked with scenthounds for many years.Check this out : the dogs have been known to track a person's scent to a speciic subway line in Manhattan weeks after that person went missing. Those dogs are amazing....
IMHO it is highly significant that LE used dogs and aerial searches but never dusted Steven's car.....

 

[4BB]

Thanks Liz and great work. Yep, def something odd about the lack of fingerprinting. Why did the PI "not accept their money" anymore? Because of lack of evidence?

 

[CONCRNED CTZN]

The PI apparently had no leads.

My advice...new PI!

 

[laytonian]

Yes, I did some searching for Zirkles in LV & Henderson also.
Is the IHOP Fairy went to in LV or Henderson (on Boulder Blvd.) The reason I'm asking is because there is a Zirkle at 120 S Sunset Rd in Henderson, but on the map it is near Boulder Blvd.
Also, can we find the age of Zirkle and if his name is Jordan R Zirkle or could it be R. J. Zirkle as in possiblly Robert or Richard? I know you found his case in the Utah Courts. TIA

I posted the address before here, but went back and looked for it, for you.
4860 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas is 5 miles away from that Z address.

Z's name is exactly shown in the link I've posted here before. but will add that link (to a public information database) to the timeline for convenience. I had not investigated anyone's private information, and choose not to do so.

 

[laytonian]

My brother in law is a retired homicide detective in NYC ; he worked with scenthounds for many years.Check this out : the dogs have been known to track a person's scent to a speciic subway line in Manhattan weeks after that person went missing. Those dogs are amazing....
IMHO it is highly significant that LE used dogs and aerial searches but never dusted Steven's car.....

Question: how does the dog know where the person LAST went?

I remember the Chandra Levy case, where she walked out of her apartment. Obviously, one day you go one direction, and the next day you go out another direction. Your scent is therefore in both directions.....and the dog knows which is newer?

 

[laytonian]

***OK, Steven went missing Dec 13th and a search of the area is done January 2-3? Wait, so they brought scent hounds out 2+ weeks after the fact? Seemingly by now the parents had retrieved the car so the dogs had no starting point? Lets not forget a certain amount fo dew falls overnight as well. This pretty much tells me nothing except that Steven wasnt there the day the dogs searched.

The family went down to Las Vegas as soon as Stephen went missing; the Jan 2-3 search was more formal.

Yes....any crime scene was contaminated long before anyone could have checked the car.

 

[laytonian]

Same person on Evening would be the same person in Sacramento.

So a retired Sacramento person, has a snowbird home in Henderson.

 

[laytonian]

There is a reason why Naegle asked about the roommate. I would like to know what prompted those questions? Calls made from Steven's phone??? The homeowners gave her the information because they got it where???

If it was calls that Steven explained as his roommates...then I would venture to say the calls were Steven's and further time should be spent examining "older" calls made from his phone.

They are suspicious of the roommate due to what they found out about him later.

The landlord says they didn't know JRZ had a criminal rcord, or they would not have rented to him. The room mate would, criminal background or not, be investigated. Once that came out, he became suspicious.

You don't think LE would have checked JRZ's phone records, when the person sharing the house with him went missing?

 

[Naegle]

I've wondered about the toys as well. I know that it's been assumed that they were Christmas gifts for his brother's children because they match the ages and genders, but if they weren't wrapped with with their names on them then we just can't say for sure.

I know someone asked earlier about the coats, if they were all men's coats around his size or if they were different sizes or could be for women or children. I'd be interested in hearing about that.

K-mart purchase:
1 baby girl bib
4 Christmas ornaments $1 each

Steven's brother has 1 baby girl, 5-year-old girl, 3-year-old boy. So the older kids and mom and dad get an ornament and the baby get a bib. That's how we figure it.

The coats were all Steven's.

The time on my receipt post are only given if they are on a paper receipt.

 

[liz b.]

Laytonian,
"So the dogs know where the person went LAST ? "


Yes, the last scent is always the freshest apparantly.

 

[laytonian]

K-mart purchase:
The time on my receipt post are only given if they are on a paper receipt.

We're positive about the visit to the Neffs, being on the 9th, even though Annemarie clearly said it was on the 8th on the FB page?

I put everything I could, on the timeline, except I had three leftovers because (of course) we only have bank posting dates and we don't know.

Do I remember correctly that (a relarive of Steven's) works at Zion's Bank? Would she be able to use the bank account information and her savvy, to get duplicate cash register receipt information?

Pilot Travel $33.13
1200 West Wendover Boulevard
West Wendover, NV
Bank posted: 12/10/2009
http://www.pilottravelcenters.com/About_Us/Contact_Us.aspx

Maverik $13.10
Address Unknown
Salt Lake City, Utah
Bank posted: 12/11/2009
http://www.maverik.com/?page=Contact

Tesoro $7.30 <----only 3 gallons gas...or snack stop?
Address Unknown
Salt Lake City, Utah
Bank posted: 12/14/2009
https://www.piersystem.com/go/inquiry/1406/

 

[JLMcKenna83]

We're positive about the visit to the Neffs, being on the 9th, even though Annemarie clearly said it was on the 8th on the FB page?

I put everything I could, on the timeline, except I had three leftovers because (of course) we only have bank posting dates and we don't know.

Do I remember correctly that (a relarive of Steven's) works at Zion's Bank? Would she be able to use the bank account information and her savvy, to get duplicate cash register receipt information?

Pilot Travel $33.13
1200 West Wendover Boulevard
West Wendover, NV
Bank posted: 12/10/2009
http://www.pilottravelcenters.com/About_Us/Contact_Us.aspx

Maverik $13.10
Address Unknown
Salt Lake City, Utah
Bank posted: 12/11/2009
http://www.maverik.com/?page=Contact

Tesoro $7.30 <----only 3 gallons gas...or snack stop?
Address Unknown
Salt Lake City, Utah
Bank posted: 12/14/2009
https://www.piersystem.com/go/inquiry/1406/

I believe that transaction numbers from the store would be attached to those, and could then be traced at the store to find out which date they actually occurred..

 

[CONCRNED CTZN]

They are suspicious of the roommate due to what they found out about him later.

The landlord says they didn't know JRZ had a criminal rcord, or they would not have rented to him. The room mate would, criminal background or not, be investigated. Once that came out, he became suspicious.

You don't think LE would have checked JRZ's phone records, when the person sharing the house with him went missing?

I am not saying that they didn't check his phone records. BUT, if they did, then they would be able to tell the Koechers if the phone calls were really his family??? So, again why would Naegle ask the question she did, if they already have the answer.

I didn't ask the question about the roommate's family...pertaining to the calls...Naegle did! I simple was asking her for clarification and the rest was speculation on my part of why she was asking.

Maybe we should make this a mute point, until we find out from Naegle how she knows that the housemate - he wasn't really a roommate, calling family in Vegas. This would eliminate unnecessary confusion and discussion. Agreed?

 

[laytonian]

I am not saying that they didn't check his phone records. BUT, if they did, then they would be able to tell the Koechers if the phone calls were really his family??? So, again why would Naegle ask the question she did, if they already have the answer.

I didn't ask the question about the roommate's family...pertaining to the calls...Naegle did! I simple was asking her for clarification and the rest was speculation on my part of why she was asking.

Maybe we should make this a mute point, until we find out from Naegle how she knows that the housemate - he wasn't really a roommate, calling family in Vegas. This would eliminate unnecessary confusion and discussion. Agreed?

OK, it's moot.

 

[laytonian]

I believe that transaction numbers from the store would be attached to those, and could then be traced at the store to find out which date they actually occurred..

I thought that's what I said. The bank person knows all about that.
But it still has to be done by an authorized person.

 

[4BB]

I didnt want my earlier posts to come off as if I didnt think the family had searched. Sorry if they did.

Steven bought 4 ornaments and a baby bib (girl) Is that fitting to what his typical gifts are? Steven has other siblings, correct? Have the Kmart tapes been reviewed?

The family canvassed the area immediately after Stevens disappearance but search dogs were brought in 2 weeks later. Steven was not there and had not recently been there.

The coats were all Steven's. Were they business coats, winter coats, etc?

Has an authorized person checked the transaction numbers to pinpoint the time of purchase?

GW didnt make it back to the meeting, did he?