NV NV - Steven T. Koecher, 30, Henderson, 13 Dec 2009 - # 7

[laytonian]

I have been wanting to share this personal story for a while, but have been hesitant because I don't want to lose faith about finding Steven. This case is captivating to me and I truly want him to found -safe.

Several years ago, a close family friend went missing. Several days later, they found his abandoned car on a logging road in the mountains outside Seattle. A day later, they found his body - and concluded he had committed suicide. The reason he went there (according to a note found on his person) is because he wanted to be sure that no one he loved or cared about would find him. He left no trace, no indication, particularly. Of course the natural "trying to come to grips" that went on afterward revealed depression and increased alcohol usage.

I bring this up, only because in his mind he was determined that this is what he'd do. But up until the day they discovered his body, no one would have given it a thought.

Very true, and thank you for telling us about your friend.

The one thing that makes this case so captivating, and may rule out a fate like your friend's, is that Steven has yet to be found.

 

[webrocket]

I have been wanting to share this personal story for a while, but have been hesitant because I don't want to lose faith about finding Steven. This case is captivating to me and I truly want him to found -safe.

Several years ago, a close family friend went missing. Several days later, they found his abandoned car on a logging road in the mountains outside Seattle. A day later, they found his body - and concluded he had committed suicide. The reason he went there (according to a note found on his person) is because he wanted to be sure that no one he loved or cared about would find him. He left no trace, no indication, particularly. Of course the natural "trying to come to grips" that went on afterward revealed depression and increased alcohol usage.

I bring this up, only because in his mind he was determined that this is what he'd do. But up until the day they discovered his body, no one would have given it a thought.

thank you for your post Marcyjoy,

In the story you told, the person drove to an isolated place to kill himself. In this case Steven drove into an age restricted community in broad daylight. If his intent was to kill himself, then he chose a very inopportune location. You mean with all the mountains, bridges and other places he'd been in the days leading up to his disappearance, he had plenty of chances to do it.

 

[Lato]

One of the things on the timeline that sort of nags at me is the statement that the landlady said....Steven told her husband he was making a plan to have his rent caught up in January...(and that would then be four months rent due).

How in the world was he going to do that? Was it just a statement to hold off being evicted or had Steven gotten in touch with someone who told him he could make a bundle of money in a month or so.

I wonder if the landlord had changed the locks on the apartment/room that last Saturday evening?

Had he planned on going to Las Vegas....somebody must know...!

 

[Lato]

I would like this to be so simple. Steven went down to LV to...have lunch...interview for a job...help someone....visit with old friends...? And, Steven was going to get back in his car and drive home with the Christmas presents later in the afternoon. He loved music and his guitar, his family and his church. He did not look like someone ready to
leave his old life and start a new one.

I would feel better if he had taken the family money and paid his rent and his car note...
or if he was actually interviewing for jobs for which he has training. It would be nice to see a 30 year old dating and not looking for the most perfect woman, but someone to share a lifetime together.

So, while I would like it simple...it just isn't.

 

[laytonian]

I'm combining two posts from Lato:

One of the things on the timeline that sort of nags at me is the statement that the landlady said....Steven told her husband he was making a plan to have his rent caught up in January...(and that would then be four months rent due).

How in the world was he going to do that? Was it just a statement to hold off being evicted or had Steven gotten in touch with someone who told him he could make a bundle of money in a month or so.

What if the landlord presented Steven with something he could do, that would pay off the amount of rent due? Or at least be "caught up" in January?

I wonder if the landlord had changed the locks on the apartment/room that last Saturday evening?
Had he planned on going to Las Vegas....somebody must know...!

That's what I've been wondering. The landlord was in a tight place, I think. Each renter was responsible for half the utilities. Z had moved out in mid-Nov, owing rent/utilities. His room had not been re-rented.

By Dec 1st, Steven was three months overdue on rent/utilities. The utilities (in the landlord's name) were due to be shut off.

I would like this to be so simple. Steven went down to LV to...have lunch...interview for a job...help someone....visit with old friends...?

The family's not aware of Steven having gone to Vegas, between a years-before family visit and Dec 13th. YET...something on Dec 12th led him south (at least towards Vegas), and then again PAST Vegas to Henderson, on Dec 13th.

I'd feel more comfortable, if we'd learned he regularly visited there. But there's nothing on the bank accounts to indicate he'd bought *anything* in Vegas.

And, Steven was going to get back in his car and drive home with the Christmas presents later in the afternoon. He loved music and his guitar, his family and his church. He did not look like someone ready to
leave his old life and start a new one.

I would feel better if he had taken the family money and paid his rent and his car note ... or if he was actually interviewing for jobs for which he has training. It would be nice to see a 30 year old dating and not looking for the most perfect woman, but someone to share a lifetime together.

So, while I would like it simple...it just isn't.

It would be nice if he'd been answering his friends' phone calls and texts (for the past few months!), too.

Maybe the "perfect job" and "the perfect girl" indicated that he wanted to avoid being unhappy, based on his familiarity with (someone's) life and marriage?

It just seems that he was spiraling downward, yet not reaching out. Maybe it wasn't appropriate for him to admit his problems, because (maybe) someone in is life had already planned things out for him, and that's what was causing the problems?

 

[RubyRed]

According to a facebook entry by TY he saw him at a friend's wedding in the autumn. They spent time catching up on what had been going on. blah blah blah
I wonder who really knows this man, or even listened to him. You know the kind of people who ask " how are you doing?" and if you answered" I just can't take life anymore " And they say "okay have a nice week" because they really do not give a crap, how you answer. Some people in his life just seem so superficial.
I am glad we have the input of GSmith and Tom in TX to give us a better picture of Steven. moo

 

[Lato]

From Laytonian - #805 - What if the landlord presented Steven with something he could do, that would pay off the amount of rent due? Or at least be "caught up" in January?

What are we talking about here? Paint the house? Cut the grass? Do you know of something?

From Laytonian - #805 - It just seems that he was spiraling downward, yet not reaching out. Maybe it wasn't appropriate for him to admit his problems, because (maybe) someone in is life had already planned things out for him, and that's what was causing the problems?

Okay I am working on this....church or family? Or do you know?

 

[CONCRNED CTZN]

I'm combining two posts from Lato:



What if the landlord presented Steven with something he could do, that would pay off the amount of rent due? Or at least be "caught up" in January?



That's what I've been wondering. The landlord was in a tight place, I think. Each renter was responsible for half the utilities. Z had moved out in mid-Nov, owing rent/utilities. His room had not been re-rented.

By Dec 1st, Steven was three months overdue on rent/utilities. The utilities (in the landlord's name) were due to be shut off.




The family's not aware of Steven having gone to Vegas, between a years-before family visit and Dec 13th. YET...something on Dec 12th led him south (at least towards Vegas), and then again PAST Vegas to Henderson, on Dec 13th.

I'd feel more comfortable, if we'd learned he regularly visited there. But there's nothing on the bank accounts to indicate he'd bought *anything* in Vegas.



It would be nice if he'd been answering his friends' phone calls and texts (for the past few months!), too.

Maybe the "perfect job" and "the perfect girl" indicated that he wanted to avoid being unhappy, based on his familiarity with (someone's) life and marriage?

It just seems that he was spiraling downward, yet not reaching out. Maybe it wasn't appropriate for him to admit his problems, because (maybe) someone in is life had already planned things out for him, and that's what was causing the problems?

Well, the landlady reads these posts...so maybe she can enlighten us on a few things.

Was Steven locked out of the house? Was there any indication by you to him that he would be locked out? Did he mention to you "how" he was going to catch up on the rent in January?

There has been talk from some people that the neighbors called you when Steven's parents were at the house b/c you had asked them to contact you when Steven was there (they had Steven's car so the neighbors apparently thought it was him)...if you made an agreement for Janaury, why did you still want to confront him?

 

[laytonian]

According to a facebook entry by TY he saw him at a friend's wedding in the autumn. They spent time catching up on what had been going on. blah blah blah
I wonder who really knows this man, or even listened to him. You know the kind of people who ask " how are you doing?" and if you answered" I just can't take life anymore " And they say "okay have a nice week" because they really do not give a crap, how you answer. Some people in his life just seem so superficial.
I am glad we have the input of GSmith and Tom in TX to give us a better picture of Steven. moo

Definitely. Like what took TY so long, to bother posting?

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1144077270&ref=mf

 

[laytonian]

From Laytonian - #805 - What if the landlord presented Steven with something he could do, that would pay off the amount of rent due? Or at least be "caught up" in January?

What are we talking about here? Paint the house? Cut the grass? Do you know of something?

No, I don't -- but some "sweat equity" (whether on the house itself or something else) to catch up on rent (no matter what it was), would help them both out. Right? "I've got (this and this) that need done - want to work off some of your debt?"

From Laytonian - #805 - It just seems that he was spiraling downward, yet not reaching out. Maybe it wasn't appropriate for him to admit his problems, because (maybe) someone in is life had already planned things out for him, and that's what was causing the problems?

Okay I am working on this....church or family? Or do you know?

Just speculating. gsmith told us that he wanted to moved to StGeorge so he could be more independent......and it seems that he was keeping his problems quiet from his family, so he didn't look like a failure.

 

[Yeahitsanna]

Well, if we look at the dates it brings me to another question. How long was his family reunion in the mountains supposed to be? Anyone know the dates to that? im asking because, if steven said hed have rent caught up by January, people would (most likely) be busy a day or two before Christmas (so the 23rd), Christmas day (thru the 25th) then he was supposed to have his family reunion. Assuming it would be a couple days, one of those days being a Sunday (everything is shut down on sundays in utah) it gave him really only the week he disappeared to get the money before january was on him.

 

[hollyblue]

Got an email from my psychologist friends today. Going to talk to her on Thursday. She is not sure right now if what I tell her will make Steven "dianosable" but she says she will give it a shot as best she can. So, I will probably have some info late Thursday.

I am going to talk to her mainly for this whole idea of whether Steven had some type of psychological break or came down with amnesia. I really don't think she will be able to tell if Steven was suicidal or not because we all know of situations where who seemingly had good lives and committed suicide. But we know others who lived in deplorable conditions. . .mentally and physically. . .but still carried on. So, I don't what she will be able to do in that specific psychological area.

As I have said before, I'm not buying into the whole mental breakdown area but I want to know from her if it is possible for someone to seem perfectly sane. . .as Steven did in Ruby Valley, at church meetings that preceding week, and even on the phone on the morning of Dec. 13. . .but at the same time him not entirely understanding what he was doing. Like, he was heading to Vegas but did not understand why. . .something like that. And then when we got here, he thought he was somewhere else. Something like that.

The reason I bring this up is that I was watching something this past weekend about Flight 19. That flight in 1948 where five planes disappeared off the coast of Florida. Well, not long before the flight disappeared the main pilot radioed that he thought he was in the Florida Keys but there was no way the flight could have been anywhere near there. In reality, the flight was at the time over near the Bahamas. People who have studied the disappearance think the head pilot had a mental breakdown even before he went up in the air.

Just wondering if something like that happened to Steven. Because really, that is the only thing that makes sense to me. . .a guy who is not buying into the mental breakdown thing at all. Meaning, he was on Evening Lights but thought he was somewhere else. . .Phoenix, LA, etc. . .and then just simply forgot where his car was and just kept walking. Hey, it's thin. . .but not totally crazy. Look up the case of Tom Daniels in FL. He thought people were chasing him and ran out of a pizza place while he was with a friend. Totally disappears. No one can find him. 3 days later, Tom calls 911 from a street. Ambulance picks him up. Then, he disappears again. Has not been heard from since. Maybe. . .and it's a big maybe. . .Steven's case is similar to this.

Since it will be a psychologist you are speaking to, please don't forget to mention his sleep-walking. TIA
Wonder if he was ever hypnotized? Maybe seeking it himself from an ad or suggested by an aquaintance? Or maybe through a show or performance he might have attended?

 

[hollyblue]

That seems odder and odder the more I think about it. I can't even come up with a reasonable scenario.

Could he have left a msg for "whoever" on his voicemail and we are just not told about it?

 

[laytonian]

Well, if we look at the dates it brings me to another question. How long was his family reunion in the mountains supposed to be? Anyone know the dates to that? im asking because, if steven said hed have rent caught up by January, people would (most likely) be busy a day or two before Christmas (so the 23rd), Christmas day (thru the 25th) then he was supposed to have his family reunion. Assuming it would be a couple days SNIP & MOVE, one of those days being a Sunday it gave him really only the week he disappeared to get the money before january was on him.

VERY good points.

Thank you!

Christmas was on Friday, he'd have likely travelled north on the 23rd or 24th....and maybe back to work on Monday, the 27th? There's a mention that the bishop would have a job for him "by the first of the year".

SO, whatever plan Steven had (and apparently the landlord knew what it was), meant having the money to pay for four months' rent "in January". That's a lofty goal, for sure.

(everything is shut down on sundays in utah)

Not the Utah I live in....except for the strange "Larry H. Miller Law" that prohibits (gasp) cars from being sold on Sunday (but LHM never closed his restaurants or theaters on Sunday). Maybe a few one-off small shops or fast-food places are closed, but we don't spend money at those anyway

Sunday's our day to go to Costco, do grocery shopping, go out to lunch, maybe see a movie (often at Brewvies where we can have an alcoholic drink, wine or beer with the movie), etc, etc.

 

[laytonian]

Could he have left a msg for "whoever" on his voicemail and we are just not told about it?

Certainly.

And we don't know what LE has shared with anyone, or how deeply they've searched phone/computer records.

Plus, stops at convenience stores = easy access to pay phones.

 

[Yeahitsanna]

VERY good points.

Thank you!

Christmas was on Friday, he'd have likely travelled north on the 23rd or 24th....and maybe back to work on Monday, the 27th? There's a mention that the bishop would have a job for him "by the first of the year".

SO, whatever plan Steven had (and apparently the landlord knew what it was), meant having the money to pay for four months' rent "in January". That's a lofty goal, for sure.




Not the Utah I live in....except for the strange "Larry H. Miller Law" that prohibits (gasp) cars from being sold on Sunday (but LHM never closed his restaurants or theaters on Sunday). Maybe a few one-off small shops or fast-food places are closed, but we don't spend money at those anyway

Sunday's our day to go to Costco, do grocery shopping, go out to lunch, maybe see a movie (often at Brewvies where we can have an alcoholic drink, wine or beer with the movie), etc, etc.

The landlord may know something, this leads me to believe so: "SUBSEQUENTLY: "[Steven] had talked to DH a few days [before he disappeared] and was making a plan to have his rent caught up in Jan." (Source: Nikayla pages 6 and 7 on slickdeals.net, 01-15-2010, 08:55 AM"

"plan?" sunday was probably the last day he had to get the money. What was his work schedule the next day (monday after he disappeared)?

Ok fair enough! The utah i live in (orem) everything is closed!! But, i guess that has nothing to do with vegas. My point being, time was very limited. He was still passing out flyers till the day before his disappearance. he was trying to work. No trace of anything, because we dont have his phone! were also being told very little about phone records and locations. Theres something there, and even if not, there had to be contact info of the person(s) he was meeting up with or stopping by to see, in the folder he was carrying. Esp if it was someone he wasnt very familiar with.

 

[laytonian]

Since it will be a psychologist you are speaking to, please don't forget to mention his sleep-walking. TIA
Wonder if he was ever hypnotized? Maybe seeking it himself from an ad or suggested by an aquaintance? Or maybe through a show or performance he might have attended?

I wonder if his friends gsmith and Tommy could tell us whether he actually had sleepwalking issues, or if his story really was "just a story"?

gsmith - are you here?

 

[laytonian]

The landlord may know something, this leads me to believe so: "SUBSEQUENTLY: "[Steven] had talked to DH a few days [before he disappeared] and was making a plan to have his rent caught up in Jan." (Source: Nikayla pages 6 and 7 on slickdeals.net, 01-15-2010, 08:55 AM"

"plan?" sunday was probably the last day he had to get the money. What was his work schedule the next day (monday after he disappeared)?

Ok fair enough! The utah i live in (orem) everything is closed!! But, i guess that has nothing to do with vegas. My point being, time was very limited. He was still passing out flyers till the day before his disappearance. he was trying to work. No trace of anything, because we dont have his phone! were also being told very little about phone records and locations. Theres something there, and even if not, there had to be contact info of the person(s) he was meeting up with or stopping by to see, in the folder he was carrying. Esp if it was someone he wasnt very familiar with.

I totally agree.

But even if we're not being told something, LE would know more about it than anyone else and would have (HOPEFULLY!!!!!!) looked into it.

That folder/portfolio/netbook has to mean something to this case.

Why carry papers/records? What could they be?

Car dump for insurance purposes?
Maybe the insurance and registration papers?

Job interview?
Resumes.

Window-washing flyers?
Only ones found in the car, were for TH's St George business -- would you take ALL others with you to pass out? (NONE were passed out.)

Music opportunity?
Why leave instruments behind in St George?

Geneaology records?
That's a religious issue -- why skip church totally, to do that?

NEW IDENTITY?


Arrrrrgggh. THAT part shouldn't be this hard.

 

[Yeahitsanna]

I totally agree.

But even if we're not being told something, LE would know more about it than anyone else and would have (HOPEFULLY!!!!!!) looked into it.

That folder/portfolio/netbook has to mean something to this case.

Why carry papers/records? What could they be?

Car dump for insurance purposes?
Maybe the insurance and registration papers?

Job interview?
Resumes.

Window-washing flyers?
Only ones found in the car, were for TH's St George business -- would you take ALL others with you to pass out? (NONE were passed out.)

Music opportunity?
Why leave instruments behind in St George?

Geneaology records?
That's a religious issue -- why skip church totally, to do that?

NEW IDENTITY?


Arrrrrgggh. THAT part shouldn't be this hard.

Im sitting here at work racking my brain for reasons. No finacial motivation for foul play. so then what? Im getting really wacky ideas now cause theyre the only thing that make sense anymore! :banghead: the fact that no flyers were passed out tells us alone he was there for a reason, Random location, before noon, walking determined, dressed nice casual, missed church. He had a reason. I keep coming back to this gut feeling that he may have talked to someone at a gas station, or found a flyer of some sort that lead him to SCA.

 

[Fairy1]

Well, the landlady reads these posts...so maybe she can enlighten us on a few things.

Was Steven locked out of the house? Was there any indication by you to him that he would be locked out? Did he mention to you "how" he was going to catch up on the rent in January?

There has been talk from some people that the neighbors called you when Steven's parents were at the house b/c you had asked them to contact you when Steven was there (they had Steven's car so the neighbors apparently thought it was him)...if you made an agreement for Janaury, why did you still want to confront him?

These are great questions. But for some reason, I think we'll be adding them to our looooooooooooong list of unanswered questions.