8.24.2015

The Disappearance of Steven Koecher

Missing since 2009.

Steven Koecher was a 30 year old from St. George, Utah who went missing in Henderson, Nevada on December 12, 2009. The circumstances around his disappearance are unique; Steven is a devout church goer, clean cut and never been on the wrong side of the law. He isn't the type of person you would expect to go missing but, when he embarks upon a seemingly random road trip to Nevada, all bets are off.

At the time Steven went missing, he was faced with some financial worries. He was unemployed and behind in his rent. He occasionally passed out flyers for a Utah window washing company, which seemed to be his only income at the time. However, despite his money problems, Steven by all accounts seemed in good spirits. His spontaneous trip from Utah to Nevada was puzzling, though. Items were purchased for Christmas while on the road and he hoped to visit a female friend along the way, only to discover she wasn't home. Instead he spent time briefly with the family.

He continued his trip, conversing with people on his cell phone but giving no reason as to why he was around the Las Vegas area. Why he headed there specifically remains a mystery.

Despite exposure in the media, no credible leads have come in.

Steven's car was found parked at a dead end cul de sac in Henderson. It was a quiet housing development for older people, many 55 years or older an retired. The Koecher family was contacted in regards to the abandoned car and, to them, something was definitely not right. Steven was officially reported as missing shortly thereafter. Found in his car was all of his belongings, except for his phone, wallet and keys.

Surveillance video from a homeowner managed to capture Steven's white Chevrolet Cavalier passing by as it was parked at the end of the street. Shortly after, the camera shows 2 angles of what appears to be Steven walking past the house at almost exactly 12 pm on December 12. He appears to be carrying a folder or some item. After he walks out of view of the camera, he never returns to the car and is never seen alive again.

This mysterious case was featured on the show Disappeared, as well as speculated endlessly by sites such as Reddit.

As of 2015, Steven Koecher is still missing.

So what may have happened?

With all missing persons, we can easily speculate as to what happened. But in this case, there are many things to first consider. Steven was not in great financial shape, so traveling for work is very possible. He kept in touch with others, so besides the unexplained nature of the trip, nothing seemed wrong or unusual based on his demeanor. The trip itself was quite random in terms of direction, based on cell phone pings and debit card transactions. I think only Steven himself truly knew the destination, no one has elaborated as to why he actually did this. Searches of his laptop and apartment yielded no clues either. So we really have no idea.

What we do know is very little. Cell phone and computer records reveal nothing to why he stopped and parked at this particular housing development. But his car was there and he did likely walk past a home security camera about noon. Obviously, this raises some questions.

His cell phone was telling as well. Call logs don't seem to be out of the ordinary, everything seems to be accounted for. However the cell phone pings reveal some activity after Steven disappeared.



The phone shows movement from the south, where Steven parked his car, to the northeast, where it pinged off a few towers along the way. Voicemail was checked in the early morning of December 13. The phone stayed in the general area of Russell Rd in Henderson until the signal was lost. The big question here is: was Steven still with the phone? We don't necessarily know if this travel is indicative of Steven and the phone, or just the phone.

So ultimately, we have a 30 year old guy, with a very clean background, despite some money issues, who ends up in a random area. Parks his car. Walks away. Poof, gone. Lots of speculation that this was a shady Craigslist type job interview that went horribly wrong. I don't necessarily agree with that. Here's why: The complete lack of an electronic trail as to why he was in the Vegas area is baffling, but certainly if a job offer was on the table there would be a call or two, I would imagine. Also, who arranges a meeting and has a potential job prospect park in any place other than the driveway? Surely anyone with common sense would see a huge red flag from some internet job offer than asks to park on the street and walk to a specified residence; on a Sunday no less. I just don't see that angle.

Based on his parking in a secluded dead end area of the street and the complete lack of correspondence regarding a job meeting, I think Henderson may have just been a random stop on a fairly aimless trip of business and pleasure. To someone distributing flyers, it was a pretty idyllic area to drum up business; older retired folks in a quaint community who might be willing to pay for window washing services. We have no idea if Steven passed out other flyers along the way, so this could have been his first stop or one of many. There was probably a bigger motive to the trip, but we will never know. We do know he had flyers in his car, so it might have been intended to occasionally stop and pass a few out.

We know he never walked back past that camera again, and certainly didn't go back to his car. So whatever the circumstances are that led to him vanishing, it was sparked by someone or something in that development. Now, in communities like that people tend to be attentive. Neighbors peer outside windows, people work in their yards, walk their dogs etc. To me, it's very strange that no one noticed a young man walking in the area. So either this is the first retirement community in the world without nosy neighbors OR Steven quickly entered a house or car. I'll go with the latter.

What I'm thinking here is perhaps Steven decided to speak to people he saw in community, instead of  just placing a bunch of flyers in doors. It's more personal, and a smiling face is a lot more effective than simply a piece of paper stuffed in a door. Perhaps the first person he saw invited him inside and it all went downhill from there. Whatever it was, he surely didn't spend a lot of time walking, thus the lack of neighbor sightings. In the episode of Disappeared, one neighbor did express suspicion to police regarding another resident. So even in a development of largely 55+ year olds, there are likely to be some shady characters despite the age bracket. Not to mention residents with shady relatives, handymen, house sitters etc.

In the end, I think Steven Koecher was lured into a stranger's house shortly after he parked his car. Desperate for money, he was likely excited by the prospect of a new client. The conversation then likely turned into a lucrative job assignment with a quick payment promised. This may have entailed something with the drug trade. Whoever is responsible, probably spoke to Steven in length, got to know him and quickly realized he had no ties to the area, needed money, was possibly naive and far from home. The possibility of him ending up in a drug deal gone bad is possible, but one way or the other I think he left the community in another car, and eventually realized he had gotten himself into a bad situation, but by then it was too late.

If you have any information about Steven Koecher contact the Henderson, NV police at 702-267-5000

48 comments:

  1. Anonymous2/13/2016

    This case really baffles me. I do agree that there was some lure of a job prospect, likely a shady one. I'm guessing the meeting point was at that community where he was picked up by car. Whether he was starting or finishing a job, I don't know but there had to be some reason he was there. The thing that is really perplexing is the fact he doesn't seem to be calling any unknown numbers. So it is odd we have no correspondence that leads him to this particular area. So that could very well suggest a random occurrence too.

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  2. Thanks for looking.

    While I don't think it was formal job interview, per say, I am quite open to other informal meetings. Maybe freelance work, buying or selling something. Who knows?

    I do certainly think it was a sketchy arrangement of some sort and Steven let his guard down and was duped into thinking that because he was being picked up in a quaint community, that it was perfectly legitimate.

    Maybe this was just a clever ploy to make him feel safe, comfortable and vulnerable without meeting in a public area with lots of witnesses. It is baffling for sure and hopefully we'll get some answers some day.

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  3. Anonymous4/29/2016

    I saw again the episode of late concerning this case . I do not think Steven has become a vagabond . I think something happened in the area where he left the car . in ' episode refers to suspicions about a house , does anyone know if there were new in the story?

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    1. There really hasn't been any new developments in this case. A search was organized within the last few years but it didn't seem that produced any new leads. And yes, I doubt Steven vanished by his own free will. Something likely happened in a house in that neighborhood or he left in another car.

      It was noted in the episode there was a specific house that may have been considered suspicious, likely by other residents. I believe police looked into it and didn't come up with anything.

      It's possible he entered a house but I still tend to believe he was walking to meet a specific car.

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  4. Anonymous7/17/2016

    It's VERY obvious he got into a car since his cell phone was found outside this immediate area.
    Plus.., WHO would taken the chance and run the risk of letting someone inside their house who could have been seen by any neighbor ..nearby and then kill them. But at the same time, he should have been more suspicious and leery ...to the fact of being picked up in an out-of-the-way -or-nowhere spot is in itself is a bit hiffy and bizarre...,plus not having any address to park the car in front by the curb or in the driveway.. simply reinforce the picked-up-by-a-car theory..

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    1. Yeah, I definitely agree and that is my opinion so far.

      I believe he got in a car and the arrangement was for him to simply park at the end of the development and walk around the corner to be picked up.

      This explains:

      1) Cell pings well north of that community
      2) He parked in a non-specific area, not in a driveway or directly in front of a residence
      3) He didn't hesitate or look around when walking, he knew where to go

      Being set up by a stranger to go directly to a house to be murdered there would be incredibly brazen. Lots of possible witnesses. Also, if there was a specific address in mind, Steven would have parked there, whether on the street or the driveway. No one goes out of there way on foot in a neighborhood they aren't familiar with. It's like going to the grocery store, ignoring several empty parking spots right by the door and opting to park as far away as possible. It just makes no sense.

      But the mystery still remains, why no trail to explain why he went to this area? I think he either used a library computer to set this up and communicate OR this was done in person in Utah.

      Why there isn't even a handwritten note with directions to Henderson, I don't know. Maybe the folder he was seen carrying contained a lot of the clues as to why he went there.

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    3. Someone had to tell Steven to park exactly where he did because as maps show, there is no way he would have found that spot otherwise. It is the only curbside spot in all of Sun City Anthem that is not in front of someone's house. It begs the question why tell him to park there and the answer may have to do with Sun City Anthem's HOA rules at the time which probably did not allow street parking (the current rules seem to allow it) and maybe, like the HOA neighborhood where I almost rented a house, even parking in your own driveway was prohibited! Cars in the neighborhood I almost rented in have to be garaged with the doors down at all times. Recent Google Earth show cars in driveways in Sun City Anthem, but none on the street. So, another thing I find odd are the lengths HOA enforcement allegedly went to in attempting to contact Steven. Supposedly they looked through the windows and saw the flyers and called the number and talked to Steven's boss and got Steven's number and left him two messages over a 3 day period (I'm not sure that jives with his cell phone pings I'll have to look again) before calling the boss back to get Steven's Mother's number and calling to leave her a message. These HOAs are VERY strict. They do not usually hesitate to fine their own resident homeowners for violating the rules... why are they calling all these numbers in Utah trying to reach the owner of the car rather than just tag it and have it towed? I always thought a friend of Steven's left that message on the parents' answering machine because on the Disappeared show Mrs. Koecher says the message was from the city of Henderson parking enforcement, which is who handles Sun City Anthem so I wrote to them and they told me unequivocally that they do not locate vehicle owners; they ticket and tow, that's it then later I read that the HOA was supposedly making the calls, but that barely makes more sense. I think foul play is the very least likely possibility which I'll explain somewhere else on this page where that is being discussed.

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  5. My only comment for you is that I live in Vegas for a decade (Henderson is in Clark County right next to Vegas, essentially it's the same place for the sake of this comment) and I can totally buy that no one noticed him. Even in a 55 and over community a lot of people still work, a lot of times in the hospitality industry which can mean sleeping during the day to work at night as well as being out at work. Also, if youve ever seen yards in Clark County not many need a ton of work, it tends to be xeriscaping and rocks, and even then most people have landscapers as theyre cheap. Lastly, Clark County is notorious for having a culture of residents who simply aren't neighborly and don't interact. Like I said I lived there for a decade, I never met any of my neighbors, it's just how it is there. So to me it's completely plausible that no one saw him.

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  6. Anonymous8/27/2016

    I'm not familiar with that area but I can attest that not every housing development is going to be mindful of it's surroundings, or what takes place there. Many folks keep to themselves and hardly talk with neighbors.

    In some cases the elderly can be "nosy neighbors" but generally residents in their 50s and 60s are still active and can be obvious to minor details.

    I believe Steven could have easily drove there, parked and began walking to either be picked up by car or to go inside a house and still remain undetected by neighbors because this isn't anything out of the ordinary.

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  7. He seemed to know where he was walking when seen on the security cameras, and it looks clear that before walking out of sight he made a sharp left, rather than make a left and begin crossing the street. This would at least indicate that the place he was going was on the same side of the street he was last seen on, and in short walking-distance.

    I do not believe he was walking to a car or that he was planning on leaving his car in the cul-de-sac long. If he was walking to another vehicle, what would explain why the two vehicles simply didn't meet at the cul-de-sac?

    It seems very likely that it was someone right on the street where he was last seen walking, that had a vehicle in the driveway so they told him "Just go around the block and leave your car at the end, and then just walk to the house."

    We can speculate forever on all the different scenarios, but there are only so many houses on that street, and on that side of the street where he was last seen. Maybe 30-60 seconds of walking.

    So narrow it down, how many houses are there? Then look for any small details that may lead to more clues, such as who may have had a car parked in their driveway at that day/time? Of the few houses that fall into that 30-60 time frame, was the "suspicious" house one of them?

    I really think that if all of these small details are analyzed enough, that it may lead to a few more clues. I definitely think that something tragic happened but it was not planned, and I do not believe this was a random meeting due to the fact that he made a sharp left when walking. The backgrounds on every person living in those few houses were hopefully analyzed by the PD (who had a criminal record, etc). The answer is there.

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    1. To me, it just never made sense to park where he did if he was going to a specific address. By all accounts, it was an area unfamiliar to him so a few things come to mind:

      Convenience. It's just easier to park near your intended house, right? Just dumping your car at any corner could leave it vulnerable to being towed. Some of these HOAs are nuts when it comes to rules and regulations. So not only would be easier, you wouldn't be likely to be towed on the street right at the house you are visiting. However, parked at a dead end cul de sac? Who knows. I don't think I'm alone on this but when I am out and about I usually pick an area closest to park.

      Sure, there's a chance he did go to a house, but it's a pretty brazen way to set the stage for a crime.

      I still tend to think Steven was told to go there, because it's a nice neighborhood that would make him feel secure and comfortable. He was likely told to just park there since he'd be leaving his car for awhile and it would be fine. Steven probably ignored a few unusual requests, but for the sake of work he may have let his guard down.

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    2. I think foul play is the very least likely scenario. Anyone who is choosing to operate a criminal enterprise, would not choose to do so in an HOA neighborhood like Sun City Anthem, which is exclusively for people over the age of 55 with roving patrol officers who monitor everything, and neighbors so close on either side. In order to believe Steven met with foul play you have to accept one of the following scenarios:
      1. Steven was lured there by someone who had malicious intentions but to what end? He was too poor at the time he vanished to be a target for thieves, no one would be expecting him to be carrying large amounts of cash. What's the motive? Only serial killers murder for the sake of murder alone and again, Sun City Anthem is not really the ideal place for any of that. As you mentioned Justin, there's just so many opportunities for someone to see Steven coming to their house! So I cannot believe he was lured to his death intentionally.
      2. Steven was there for some shady job opportunity and somehow the deal went sideways and Steven ended up dead. This is simply not how most murders come about. Most murders are committed by people we know, for a motive other than "he wouldn't do something illegal when we asked him to". Murder is a very serious crime. One would have to be facing a very very long prison sentence without ever murdering Steven in order to make murdering Steven worthwhile. If Steven were there for a shady job, before he drove two hours he would have had some idea what it was about. Steven didn't involve himself in shady things of any kind. You don't bring someone to your home to pitch a criminal activity to them and think "and if he doesn't go for it, I'll just murder him". That's far fetched. Could he have walked in on something he wasn't supposed to see? If he's there for a shady job opportunity, they had to have an appointment time when they knew Steven would be there, so that seems unlikely and again, what he would have had to witness would have to be worth committing murder to hide. That's a lot to swallow.

      When the neighborhood was canvassed, several neighbors pointed to a house they thought Steven might have been visiting, it was not elaborated on why but I think it's because this is a retirement community and there must have been a younger person staying at that house and that probably is who Steven was going to see, because otherwise it was someone over the age of 55.

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    3. Anonymous10/24/2016

      But, accepting foul play is not a possibility would mean accepting that random murders don't occur when in fact they do. People have been killing other people for no good reason since the beginning of time. Not to say there isn't a motive here, there might very well be...we just haven't uncovered it yet.

      Rejecting the foul play angle means one must accept that Steven planned an incredibly random, secretive and long journey to suicide when much easier options existed that likely would have afforded him the same mystery, if privacy was the main concern.

      Accepting he ran away means he either shunned help from his family and chose to live on the streets OR met someone willing to financially support him while he starts a new life. Both require a great deal of callous and indifference towards his family, as he essentially severed all ties and let his father die alone, unsure of his sons fate.

      With that said, I'll lean towards foul play unless something major happens here.

      Plus, Steven didn't necessarily *have* to be going to a house for him to end up a victim of foul play. A car could have been waiting for him to take him elsewhere. Same with the job theory. He could have been buying/selling something. Answering a personal ad. Working a side job. It could have been anything.

      Overall, I just find it much more likely that a clean cut, church going guy didn't abandon his family right before Christmas.

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    4. Anonymous2/06/2017

      I knew a clean-cut, churchgoing guy who did just that, except it was July 1984. Barre Cox aka James Simmons. He was found alive 16 years later, claiming amnesia. He was gay and knew his family of origin would not be able to handle it.

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  8. Anonymous8/30/2016

    I believe too that he either went to a house or a car. There's really nothing strong to point to either one, so it's a crap shoot to me.

    However, in regards to the last comment I will say this. Parking in a dead end area, away from houses will draw less attention. Had he met another car around the corner that would his car almost definitely parked adjacent to a house, which would likely draw the attention of the nearest homeowner...and perhaps even the other neighbors across the street.

    To me, leaving the car there is more discreet and more likely to entail a meeting that could take some time.

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  9. Anonymous9/01/2016

    Definitely agree with the last comment, but I still think it is far more likely that it was a house that he was going to, not a car.
    I have read things in other posts about that street, but I don't know if any of this is true, has anyone heard this before?
    This was a post on websleuths.com:
    "There were some sketchy people...as well as casitas being rented and homes that were about to be foreclosed on. Police didn't comb the area right away. Also, there were some "famous" people on the street at the time...Famous because of court cases that is."

    It's frustrating not knowing if statements like that are true, and not hearing any additional information about a 'suspicious neighbor.' I haven't been able to find out anything that explains what exactly was suspicious about this neighbor, who this famous criminal is, etc...

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    1. That's a tough call. There was talk of a suspicious neighbor but it's hard to say if this was legit or just someone out there wildly speculating because they had a bad vibe or just didn't like this resident.

      I lean more towards being picked up but there's nothing solid either way. He vanished without a trace...though, I do believe, regardless of if he first went to a house or car, that he eventually left that neighborhood.

      Obviously with the cell pings there had to be some travel of some sort. The signal moved and eventually stayed in one spot before the battery died.

      If Steven was indeed murdered he was likely taken elsewhere. I can't imagine someone just invited him over in plain sight in the middle of the day and killed him inside their house...

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  10. Just to clarify a few things here: I, like everyone else here, have no idea what happened to Steven. I'm speculating like everyone else.

    I do strongly think SK is deceased. I think he likely went to that neighbor as part of a job assignment or for an interview for a job or business related matter.

    Why do I think that? He's been missing for 7 years. Something happened here. I don't believe he had the funds nor the desire to abandon his family by running away. I think his personal beliefs likely persuaded him from suicide. So what's left then? I think ultimately it was murder.

    Regardless of the exact circumstances, I think he went to that community to meet a person or persons. Eventually he left in another car and was subsequently killed. Maybe he didn't want to participate in something illegal, maybe he saw something he wasn't supposed to, whatever it was it didn't end well.

    That is simply my current thoughts, I may disagree with certain points but I do like hearing different comments on this :)

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  11. This case has baffled me since watching the episode of Disappeared he was featured on. I often follow up on certain features cases to see if there is anything new...the case of Steven is no different. I cannot get over the face that he entered the neighborhood but was never seen leaving it....it is obvious he did but how....where did he go...where is he now? I wonder if there is k Lt one way in and out of the neighborhood. He was captured walking to his destination on camera...if he left with someone as nd there was only one route in and out...wouldn't that same camera capture him leaving in a car (this is assuming he was fine when leaving)....

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    1. Thanks for looking Elaine!

      I'll have to double check but I believe that community had one way in and out. Seemingly, Steven entered and drove to the very "end" where he left his car at a dead end cul de sac.

      The camera only captured him once, so had he left in his own vehicle we would have seen it. However he could have left the area without being seen, because that would be going the opposite way of the camera...I'm assuming this was the only house there with video or else we'd probably have more footage.

      So presumably the only camera there was located way in the back of the development, so that would explain why we never see him again...he never went back to his car.

      Had there been a camera at the entrance, we might have more clues here.

      Ultimately, I think he may have went into a house or more likely picked up by a car and left that area. His phone activity certainly suggests he went north.

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  12. Anonymous9/28/2016

    I think he was abducted, his organs were harvested and his body was then disposed of in the desert

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  13. Anonymous9/30/2016

    I may have missed it, but has anyone calculated the distances of the pings and confirmed he could have (or could not have) walked that far with respect to the times of the pings?

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    1. Thats a great idea. I'll have to look into that when I have some extra time.

      If you look cell ping map link in the post hes close to the development at 9:53 am 12/13/2009. By 4:36 pm, he's much further northeast, a heck of a distance to walk it looks like.

      Next pings are roughly 7 pm 12/13/09 in that same area. At 6:04 am 12/14/09, there's a call, maybe a text. At 7:04 am 12/14/09 the voicemail is checked and the phone stops pinging.

      Whats interesting is Steven never returned to his car after 12 pm 12/13/09. The 6:58 pm ping was from Travis, his window washing boss. The 6:04 am ping is from his landlord, either a call/text to or from him.

      Why would they be communicating that early? Makes me wonder....

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    2. Anonymous10/03/2016

      since the map is a screen shot I cant really look at the detail.
      I just googled average walking speed and its about 3 mph. maybe slower if he was posting flyers?
      but that begs the question... how come he didn't put any flyers on houses as he walks past the security camera?

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    3. Anonymous10/04/2016

      The link I believe justin is talking about is located in this post several paragraphs down from the top, the link is highlighted above the cell phone map picture. it's a Google Maps construction of Steven's cell pings in relation to his location and time.

      It looks to be quite a walk, I didn't track the miles but this isn't stroll of a few miles by any stretch.

      But to answer your question about the flyers: my best guess is that he either was not there specifically to distribute flyers OR by sheer the luck the very first person he spoke with turned out to be trouble. We know that no flyers were recovered in the neighborhood nor did anyone see or speak to Steven.

      To think that he intended to hand out flyers and by happenstance the first person he spoke to ultimately made him disappear is quite a long shot. So then what's left is he was there for a different reason, which I believe was to meet someone, but for another business reason. One that didn't end well.

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    4. Anonymous10/05/2016

      I did a quick and dirty measurement on the map. he would have walked about 13 miles in two days. not too tough. that time of year it wouldn't have been too hot either?

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    5. Anonymous10/05/2016

      one more thing. if you draw a straight line from where he parked through the pings, it lines up almost perfectly with the las vegas LDS temple. very sacred place to the LDS. (can you see it from far away?)
      so, starts walking; gets lost?; sees temple; heads towards it; wanders through rough neighborhood; meets his demise?

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  14. Anonymous10/03/2016

    I also think its interesting that he literally takes the LAST exit off I15 south. kind of like "well if I don't do it now, i'll never do it".

    I think he disappeared purposely. I went through a time in my life where I was getting calls from people wanting the money I owed them (banks, landlords etc). I kind of wanted to disappear too.
    it's a stretch, but I searched keywords "homeless, las vegas, news" and ABC news had done a story about homeless in las vegas like 3 days before he disappeared. i'll see if I can find the link.

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  15. Anonymous10/03/2016

    http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/las-vegas-strip-home-homeless/story?id=8652139

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    1. Anonymous10/03/2016

      I guess it was more like 3 weeks before...

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    2. Anonymous10/03/2016

      months... :)

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  16. This case is so fascinating--it's frustrating as well. For every theory, there seems to be a counter-theory. Isn't it odd that he told his friend/s that he was in Las Vegas (or going to), but did not mention this to his sister whom he also spoke with? Did the friends ever say, "Hey-that's cool...what are you doing in Vegas?" At first I thought something happened to him, then started to believe that he wanted to end his life...now I'm leaning more toward my initial feeling. I believe a shaving kit was found is his vehicle; maybe it's possible that he wanted to look clean shaven for a job interview/opportunity. Also--I read somewhere that he was wearing sneakers on the surveillance video but it's tough to see. If so, why would he wear those when meeting about a possible job opportunity? And on a Sunday afternoon? If someone did harm him, I don't think it was a random event; I think the individual/s planned it out.

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    1. Good call, Katelyn.

      It is more sensible to think this was planned and not some random event that led to Steven's death. However, it isn't something I can totally rule out until further clues come along.

      I will say this, though - Steven's landlord was arrested several times and is currently in prison for weapons and drug charges. Keeping in mind he owed him back rent and the fact that the two made several calls to each other around the time of the disappearance...I think that says a lot........

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    2. Anonymous1/03/2018

      Agreed. The landlord is very suspicious to me. He's got a motive. At least three months behind in rent. He seemed to be harassing Steven, too. What else do we know about this guy?

      If that's the case, it seems logical that Steven wouldn't go home, and drove around aimlessly with a pillow and blankets in his car, because he was scared to go home. It's worth noting that he hadn't slept at his place - or been home for very long - for the few days before he went missing.

      My guess is that the landlord did it himself, or hired someone to kill Steven.

      I went to high school with Steven in Texas and always thought he was a sweet and trusting (if not a bit naive) and could have been lured here and then killed.

      RIP Steven. We'll figure this out.

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    3. Check Websleuths and reddit for more information about the landlord. Very interesting stuff.

      I really think this is quite a large, tangled web. I will say, at the very least, the LL likely got Steven involved in a risky way to pay him back for rent. He may not be directly responsible, but I believe he put Steven in a situation that was dangerous.

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  18. I attended a Young Adult Single Ward with Steven, at the U of U; over 12 years ago. He lived in the Bountiful area and was very active. I just came across this and feel disgusted. I watched a different video that showed him park his car and start walking. Right after a white SUV pulled up...who was that? My instinct is that that vehicle was involved. Has that been looked into?

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    1. Rebecca -

      Thanks for commenting. 12 years ago would have been about 4 years before he went missing. Did you interact with him much at that time? Does anything stand out to you looking back at it now?

      As far as the white SUV, police have looked into it and found it to be a local realtor who was dropping her elderly mother off, who lived right in the view of the camera. I don't think there's any connection.

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  19. It is so sad he has never been found, I am praying for the family.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Sandy.

      It's incredibly sad his dad has since passed away. I truly hope the rest of the family can find answers in their lifetime.

      Delete
  20. Anonymous7/27/2017

    1. You need to r/o that neighborhood/street Steve was last seen on period! Someone needs to go with a trained Cadaver Dogs door to door with a young kid selling girl scout cookies. If the dog gets a hit. bingo call law inforcement! Quit speculating and take action, if this was my brother or son I would have move to Vegas asap and search everyday! I hope someone will donate there time and dog to do this for the family.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous8/02/2017

    So my boyfriend got a phone call from a lady that sounded like she was in her mid 30's or 40's looking for a Steven and she sounded like a heavy smoker and him and I both tried calling the number back to see what was going on, we called we got nothing then we got this other number in his voice mail that we called that number and it said that it was no longer in service then there was another number and it said that they can not be reached at the moment to leave a name number and a message and that they would call back as soon as possible. So the serious wanna be detectives that we are we did some research and found this artical and started thinking maybe they have stuff in common

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  22. Anonymous9/11/2017

    So Steven pulls into the neighborhood, parks, starts to walk down the street and a white SUV with a real estate agent drives up at the same time. I know that law enforcement checked out the real estate agent but given what seems like lack of investigation in this case I still have questions about her. I’d be interested in know what areas she has listings in during that time and how they would match up to Steven’s cell phone pings. It just seems too big of a coincidence to me that 1) this women shows up at the exact time Steven starts walking down the street 2) She owns a house just feet from where he parked his car 3) She’s known for hiring people to do handy work on her properties.

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    Replies
    1. I think it's natural to be skeptical here with the realtor. Whether or not it means anything, I don't know. But you are right, we'll never know how properly this person was vetting before being "cleared" by police.

      I do think if someone harmed Steven it was because he had something they wanted. Which goes back to Steven perhaps getting involved in a job that wasn't entirely legitimate.

      Delete
  23. Anonymous4/24/2020

    Okay so how about this:
    It says there were distressed properties in the area or on that street. Some one could have planned this. They gain access to an empty house and convenient parking area. They place an ad for a job and choose him for whatever random reason they had. Now they have an empty place and victim. He can be placed in a car trunk inside a garage and driven away. No one in that neighborhood was watching. I think the killer called in the abandoned car so they could announce that he was gone. They are already long gone.
    Thoughts?

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  24. Anonymous4/24/2020

    Part 2 of that thought:

    Many empty houses actually were used as pot grow houses in large scale operations. Look online they stripped the houses, stayed a few months then gone. Maybe he stumbled across something while trying to sell his window washing?

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  25. Did anyone ever consider he was so stressed out that he went into a fugue state and just walked away? I can’t help but wonder if he integrated himself into Las Vegas’s very large homeless community. That probably should have been checked out.

    I feel bad for this guy. He was really cute. I would have paid his rent. Just sayin’.

    ReplyDelete