Author Archives: Toni

Somewhere Along the Journey Toward Justice for Morgan

Posted on by
Morgan posing on one of her Dads projects.

Morgan posing on one of her Dad’s functional art pieces.

Home from a whirlwind weekend, Steve and I find ourselves missing Morgan more than ever – but we have many blessings to share from our trip.  First we had a lovely couple of hours to just sit and talk as Vail Pass was shut down and a little snowstorm tried its best to quiet the evening.  We were on our way to the annual FOHVAMP (Families of Homicide Victims and Missing Persons) meeting and Morgan’s best friend was also stuck in the storm coming the other way over Vail Pass so it was a great time to text her and others I haven’t spoken with in such a long time.

Saturday at the meeting we had our chance to talk with Howard, the founder of FOHVAMP and thank him for all the help and support he has given us since Morgan’s death, it has meant so much and it is without doubt one of the few bright stars in an otherwise very dark time for us.  Howard always reminds me to focus on our health and well-being – to not let the murderer claim two more innocent lives, I speak about that often with Steve, and it has made a difference in our lives.

The singular most important thing I have to share from the meeting is the large presence of law enforcement.  Men and women with hearts as big as the Colorado skyline and their feelings for all the other victims like us right out on their sleeves for all to see.  It was so reassuring to be right there and witness first hand how our terribly tragic experience here was isolated to Garfield County, and in other parts of Colorado, Sheriffs and Police departments truly do care, very much, they give up their weekends to help victims such as Steve and I.  It was far beyond heartwarming.  It was reassurance that the entire world has not been flung into an uncontrolled orbit, that sanity really does still exist.

I listened to all the care, concern and advice of many officers down in the trenches every day, and have such great respect for all those whom I listened to, and even more so for those I had the opportunity to talk with.  I know all too well from what happened to Morgan about how difficult a task they face, and to meet with such unwavering dedication brought great hope for Steve and I.

Kim Goldman was there to share her own story of the horrific days she faced after her brother Ron Goldman (who was brutally murdered at the same time as Nicole Brown Simpson) and the ensuing media blitz that became a part of her life in the, “trial of the century.”  She shared her feeling of loss that was a part of so many there in the audience.

The experience was far too fresh and tender of a wound for us to stay till the end, but Steve and I have such unending appreciation and respect for what the FOHVAMP organization does for those who are suddenly in a position that most will never really understand, as Howard once told me a “club” that no one wants to be a part of.  Their website is http://www.unresolvedhomicides.org/about.php

We were blessed with sunshine and a clear day on Sunday, and our afternoon was spent walking Wylah and Tessi down a trail along the river.

Now there is so much to do for Morgan and her memory.  We have new direction and some very promising marching orders.  Hope for us always leads us to the wish we could share that hope more fully with Morgan, and the realization that will never be.  Our path is the search for justice – and the rest of what was taken from Morgan – we, nor anyone else can ever restore.  We love and miss you so much honey…

Understanding the stalker, and the responsibilities of being a good parent, and a good human being

Posted on by

As the world grows it learns.  The FBI has begun to further understand the intricate nuances of stalkers and their multifaceted dangers.  Click here for a great article to read about predatory stalkers. 

Keenan Vanginkel stalked and escalated, as predicted that he would.  The lead detective assigned to Morgan’s felony stalking case knew the escalation was coming, and tried to warn us only two days before Morgan’s murder, at the same time he said he felt he was getting very close to making an arrest.  I do not think the detective knew what kind of escalation it would be, but he did say he felt it would escalate, and sadly for our daughter Morgan it was all too little, and too late.  She is now dead, and after the unspeakable travesties of Garfield County, Steve and I are stuck in a gut-wrenching, and never-ending rut of correcting those who should have been protecting Morgan, and her rights (before, and after her murder), but were not…

An afternoon in Santa Fe

An afternoon in Santa Fe

The last words of the detective, before Morgan was killed, was not only that her stalking was going to – “if anything it’s most likely going to escalate,” it was also that he wasn’t sure if Keenan’s girlfriend Brooke was not involved at all – OR, as he had begun to think more so lately, that she was very involved.  When your daughter is murdered somehow the who was more involved loses some of its fire.

So many lies have been uncovered that it is hard, really hard, not to point fingers at those who knew, and chose to pretend they did not.  Such as even the father of Brooke.  He confessed on the morning that Morgan’s body was found, to a client and certainly, by his own admissions,  knew enough to put a stop to it, but chose not to.  Instead he found it more important to protect his daughter.

There is a trend unraveling in Colorado these days, parents exposing the crimes and culpability of their children so others will not suffer.  It is an in-depth and complex idea.  Just the slightest word from a parent to law enforcement, that is willing to listen, has solved some of the shocking crimes that plague Colorado of late.  But you see there are two parts to the equation.  First there is a parent willing to give up the knowledge, and then there is law enforcement willing to listen. Here are some examples recently in Colorado:

1. His mother called 911 on Oct. 23, saying he wanted to confess to the Jessica Ridgeway Murder: Austin Sigg, teen suspect in slaying of 10-year-old Colo. girl Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/12/colorado-teen-pleads-not-guilty-in-murder-10-year-old-girl/#ixzz2dt6rZTJR

2. In a plot to kidnap, beat a man and then dump him in the woods to starve, the parents of some of the boys that were plotting this crime turned over information about the alleged plot to the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and Basalt Police Department. Read more: http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20120420/NEWS/120429983

In Morgan’s case there was neither.  On one hand the parent was, “just protecting his daughter,”  and on the other hand there were county officials that wanted to ignore what was, and had happened.  There was the Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario stating on camera for CBS Channel 4 that he would “never open this case.”  At least he knew it was a case.  And the contracted Forensic Pathologist was busily threatening me to stop having Morgan’s doctors, as well as other specialists tell him that she did not die of natural causes.  That at the very least (especially under the circumstances of felony stalking) Morgan’s case should have been written up as undetermined (open an investigation) or homicide (open an investigation).  Who threatens a mother to give up the quest for justice for their daughter?

The only thing that has changed is not where I end, but rather where I start.  You see I have never had to suffer the loss of a murdered daughter before.  And I have never been left with the task of trying to squeeze justice from those that just want us to just go away.  The unbelievable has unfolded within this blog many times.  I now think it is about to take a turn for Morgan.  And if anyone deserves a turn at justice, it is our daughter Morgan.  She cared, and loved, and wanted only to help others.  That much is without doubt.  She was also viciously murdered, and suffered through every attempt that Garfield County has done to hide that fact.

I so dearly wish I could share her smile with the world just one more time, but instead I will have to settle for letting everyone see what really happened to her. And hope that in so doing many more will be saved.  Stalking needs to be taken seriously by all offices of law enforcement (not just some), by all judges (not just some) and no more excuses, no more hidden agendas, we want transparency.  We miss you Morgan, but we will never give up the quest for justice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Predatory Stalkers – hybrid killers of women?

Posted on by

shadowonroad

Here is a comment from a participant from a different country, on Morgan’s Stalking Facebook page, and in reply to the post about predatory stalkers.

“sadly in most education on stalking, sexual stalkers are often the category missed out as they are very rare in the sense of major stalking first, but extremely violent … Nearly always men, and nearly always have a violent ending…more needs to be done to tackle this issue. I have done a lot of research in all categories. They are almost always strangers and even if you knew them restraining orders rarely work. Different categories have different agendas and some will respond most won’t. The fact they can overlap on different categories also is a major problem for victims as their agenda and risk can often change. I was saddened to hear of this case. Just horrific. Stalking is horrific full stop and so common yet there is very little support or laws to combat it. Though it has gotten better over the years. More education, better laws and tougher sentences and above all, as this is something that can go on for years, more support and education for victims and their families.”

This is a comment that explains awareness so beautifully.  Had Steve, Morgan and I been aware of what was really lurking out there we would certainly have reacted differently, and Morgan would have been safer.  This is one of the reasons for the creation of this blog. We did not have the knowledge, or awareness about stalkers in the beginning when Morgan was being stalked, but I want to make sure others do. We must not be forced to live our lives in fear, so then we must live our lives with awareness.

Neighbors harbored, and aided this menace, unconscionable, but they did, they actually helped to hide him from the Sheriffs, spread incorrect information to people in order to  protect his presence.  Who does that to their neighbors? The Sheriffs treated him like a mere peeping tom, but he was a killer from the moment he first tapped on Morgan’s window.  Predatory stalkers are also most likely to lead double lives, leaving their friends & family stunned & disbelieving when they are caught. Paul E. Mullen, Michele Pathé and Rosemary Purcell: Predatory stalkers should almost always be managed within a sex-offender program.

Law enforcement agents & prosecutors need specialized training on identifying, investigating & prosecuting cases of stalking.  Predatory stalkers may stalk for a shorter period of time than other types of stalkers, and they are more likely to have prior criminal convictions – did the detective assigned to Morgan’s case have this knowledge?  He knew of the stalker’s criminal past.  Was he trained to know about the different types of stalking situations and how to react to them?

Predatory stalkers are a rarer type of stalker who doesn’t target intimate partners.  A predatory stalker is motivated by the thought of sexual gratification, and power over his victim.  For the predatory stalker, stalking is foreplay; the real goal is sexual assault.  How can the person that did this to Morgan still be able to roam free?  The Garfield County Sheriff’s never followed up after Morgan was murdered, they acted like they just wanted the whole thing to disappear…go away.  No case was completed, no arrest was made – the detective went from telling me he was 100% sure of who the stalker was 2 days before Morgan was murdered, to 5 months later telling me they never had a suspect (very strange considering I have emails, text messages, etc. where the detective names the suspect and says he is the suspect), and now that Morgan is gone there is no one left to stalk so the case is closed…are you kidding me?  No one left to stalk?  Do you think someone who did this to Morgan is never going to stalk and murder again after getting away with this?  I think not – but what do you think?  Experts on stalking say these type of stalkers never stop – so who will be next?  I get so upset when I think about this.  People say to Steve and I, “you guys are so strong to keep fighting for justice for Morgan” but the real reason isn’t because we are strong (we’re not), it’s because we have to keep fighting – if we don’t who will be next?  Which young woman like Morgan will have to suffer the same fate?  What family will suffer the rest of their lives with the same kind of pain that our family is suffering?  I can’t stand the thought, and neither can Steve so we have to keep fighting and we will until the day we die.

Predatory stalkers are a particularly dangerous breed – they are cold and calculating.  It is very frightening, and that fear is what stalkers want to create…they want to believe they can control you. We need to come up with good ways for people to take back that control, and get these predators in jail, that’s where I hope raising the awareness, and having other stalking victims come forward to tell their stories about their feelings, about what worked, and what didn’t work, and that will all help others in the long run.  Thank you all for helping to make the change is this world that needs to be seen.

 

The Predator Within…assess & stop the stalker before it’s too late!

Posted on by

sunset

A Predatory Stalker is more focused, and is considered to stalk in such a way that is far more preparatory to a sexual assault than love notes on the window, flowers or unwanted messages.  Both are equally unnerving to the victim, and it is always paramount to identify what kind of stalker you are dealing with as soon as possible.

Morgan’s stalker was extremely cautious at the beginning, first leaving only scuffs and very faint footprints in the ground up against the house in front of her windows, employing his voyeurism.  After many weeks of stalking, and increased brazenness, cast-able footprints were possible after painstaking preparation of the soils around the house by Steve.  Steve’s exits from the house to give chase were also carefully planned to send the stalker retreating through the best areas to get a good print.  At times our tactics paid off with great impressions.  If only they had been treated like real evidence by the Garfield Sheriff’s Department, but they were not, they were never casted or photographed, so that evidence was forever destroyed.

The Predatory Stalker stalks his victim as part of a plan to attack her, usually sexually.  The initial contact is aimed at gathering information about the potential victim.

Completely true, Steve always felt, and commented that Morgan’s stalker felt and acted as if he was sizing us up, testing the defenses.  This feeling put Steve into what he thought was a counter course of action that involved trying to constantly change the locations of cameras, motion alarms, motion lights, as well as add to, or even take away something to always present a different array in an attempt to trip the stalker up.  To give an idea of how closely we really were watched one time Steve re-painted two motion detectors a camouflage color then carefully went out after dark to place them in entirely new, and very concealed locations.  Hours later they were both lying face down on the ground.  The stalker had obviously been watching the entire time and managed to neutralize them before they were turned back on.

The Predatory Stalker will often extend the stalking far beyond what is needed to complete the acquisition of information, and is sustained by the gratification derived from the voyeuristic elements, from the rehearsal, from fantasies of the planned attack, and from the sense of power over the victim.

Once again, this is spot on, in Morgan’s Stalking the prints and scuffs right from the beginning were obviously indicative of a person with their face right up against her bathroom glass.  And as the stalking continued he seemed to fall into a pattern of repetition, which I would completely see as the post acquisition of information stage, and right in line with what is described in the fantasy stage.

The Predatory Stalker is surreptitious so as not to alarm the victim, although some predatory stalkers take pleasure in raising the victim’s anxiety by actions that let the target know he or she is being watched without revealing the identify or whereabouts of the stalker.  Examples of such actions are entering the victim’s home, and moving articles around, tapping on windows at night (which Morgan’s stalker constantly did at night), and calling out while hidden.

Morgan’s Stalker was completely surreptitious, as to not alarm his victim, unless he was tapping on her windows at night to raise her anxiety, and let her know she is being watched.  He never called out while hidden.  And we absolutely can’t help but think he was in the house on many occasions.  Broken locks, jammed doors, missing jump drives, missing PJ’s and jewelry – far too many things to explain away as coincidence.

Predatory stalkers should almost always be managed within a sex-offender protocol, with the main focus being on the management of the paraphilia that is the driving force behind the stalking behavior.

Morgan’s Stalker was undoubtedly a sexual pervert, fulfilling the requirements of the law for Invasion of Privacy for Sexual Gratification with his actions.  The previous incidents dating back years in the neighborhood filled this definition of sexual perversion.

Morgan was not given a rape kit, and her autopsy was over in less than two hours, with her body sent back to the funeral home far short of the time required for strangulation bruising to develop, so the true assessment of possible strangulation, or rape will most likely never be known.

Predatory stalkers often have poor self-esteem and are sexually deviant.  They may display poor social skills, especially in romantic relationships.  Many have lower than normal intelligence, and when picking a victim it could be someone he knows or a complete stranger.

They will generally stalk for a shorter period of time than other types of stalkers as they want information to commit the crime, sufficient fantasy to lead up to the crime, and then the crime itself, a predator, one of the most dangerous stalkers, they are more likely to have prior criminal convictions, most often sexual, than other types of stalkers.  And they have a high potential to commit sexual assault or worse.  Escape after the crime is part of the planning.

Morgan’s stalking went on for four months before her murder, a relatively short time frame for stalkers.  Her stalker had a long criminal history, hitting on all of the hot button warning signs of a violent repeat stalker.  He has most likely stalked before Morgan, and he most likely will, or has already again.

Predatory Stalkers and sex offenders as a group share an impressive capacity to rationalize, minimize and excuse their behavior, no matter how outrageous it may be.  Leading double lives, leaving their family and friends stunned, and disbelieving when they are finally caught.  As we have heard many rumors of Keenan bragging about killing Morgan, we have not completely confirmed those rumors as of yet, but Keenan has never been shy about talking about what happened to Morgan, it is just never him that actually did it according to him, he says he wasn’t one of the “ones” that did that to her, and this we have confirmed that he has said to some people.  Richard Ramirez, dubbed the night stalker, a serial killer, rapist, and burglar, is considered a classic example of a predatory stalker.  While the man named Midwestern, “Mall Rapist,” James Perry was actually married with two children while at the same time a brutally efficient predatory stalker.  For a predatory stalker to lead a double life is more common than an impossibility.

All the above is the critical reason law enforcement needs to assess the stalking situation right in the beginning, so they know what they are up against, and act swiftly in order to protect, and save the victim.  If additional training is required then make sure all officers get it – do not let stalking victims be left to fear for their lives with no protection from law enforcement.

Raise your awareness level – for more Information I suggest you read these:

Psychology Today
The Human Equation  Serial Killers, self-reliance and everything in between                       by Jon E. Johnson, Psy D. The Predatory Stalker  A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing                   published on December 11, 2012 b Jon E. Johnson Psy D. in The Human Equation 
 
Advances in Psychiatric Treatment   The management of stalkers

 

Morgan’s Search for Justice – what I wish we had known, and why law enforcement needs to attain, and utilize that knowledge

Posted on by

yellowflowers

Morgan’s stalking began two years ago yesterday.  Back then it would be five days and four clear incidents of stalking before I would finally call the Sheriff’s and our family would receive the Garfield County Sheriff’s answer to the crime of stalking in progress – this was ignorance on my part as I had no real experience or information about stalking at that time, and really didn’t know what to do.  We were all worried, Morgan was nervous, and frightened, but we kept telling ourselves that this really couldn’t be happening – I now know this is one of the first reactions most stalking victims have.  The true seriousness of the crimes being committed we did not know two years ago.  The operator for the Sheriff’s department, my first contact, would wonder angrily why I had waited so long to call.

While in her mind, that may have been a fair way to treat me and Morgan’s stalking at that moment, it was far less than professional.  Two years later I believe we all would have been better off if I had never even made that call – that is only in our situation with our Sheriff’s department…stalking victims should always document every incident, and involve their local law enforcement agency, unfortunately many of the stalking victims that have contacted me have not had adequate help from law enforcement, and they are frantic to know where to turn.  There are so many wonderful, and heroic law enforcement agents in our country that know what to do, and do an excellent job – now I constantly wonder how to get that same education, and passion passed on to the ones that don’t.   If Steve and I had counted only on ourselves to protect our daughter – to discover the true nature of the threat we faced, and the best way to combat it instead of completely trusting the Sheriff’s department – Morgan might still be alive today.

While that is a sad, sad truth and a personal indictment of the Sheriff’s Department, and their protocol for stalkers, that is for many reasons, what I believe.  It can be fixed, and for the sake of the safety of young women across this county, it must be.  A model for the rest of the country for effective law enforcement could exist here, free of sexual discrimination, upholding not only the laws of the state, but the Constitutional guarantees of the State of Colorado.  And as long as I’m fervently wishing I’ll add in upholding the laws of this Country, along with the U.S. Constitutional guarantees as well.

I appreciate the current Sheriff has very strong beliefs about the Second Amendment, but there is not one Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, there are seven articles and twenty-seven amendments.  I know that many are not his concern, but between the U.S. Constitution, and the Colorado Constitution there are certainly some Amendments that go straight to the heart of Morgan’s stalking and murder and they were completely ignored.

I call this little piece – Morgan’s search for justice, because she is the one who most deserves justice.  Morgan was ignored, treated as if she were a second class citizen.  She did not deserve to have her Constitutional rights completely whipped away.  When Morgan risked her life to get out of her car and positively Identify Keenan as the driver who was following, harassing, and stalking her, there was no response from the Sheriffs.  When Morgan saw Keenan at Thunder River, perfectly timing his arrival to pass right in the middle of the intersection, one time, then two times, the third time, or maybe it was the fourth time, Morgan lost it and out of sheer frustration wanted to take the law into her own hands.  She did not, but the inaction and cascade of excuses flowing from the Sheriff’s Department made her feel only more discriminated against.

Why was she so ignored?  Why did they not care?  I just made a list of 48 individual occasions when Detective Glassmire promised some action that would end her stalking, a piece of evidence, an interview, an action that would bring her one step closer to safety.  All 48 were things that he never, “got around to doing,” or else had some reason it was no longer necessary.  Forty-eight times, makes me wonder what he really did do, I know he told James Harris that Morgan was going to have a formal interview in a few days (just 4 nights before Morgan was killed), did James Harris tell his daughter, or did she overhear? Did Brooke tell Keenan?  I believe that could have happened.

The Gnome that was taken from the porch of the house we moved to, after leaving the house our daughter was murdered in, became a Sheriff’s report, I never saw them move so fast – I was shocked – it was just a little gnome, what was the point of a report, but they insisted.  But the burglary that happened the night Morgan was killed – how is it that never became a report or a case?  Is that really the way to catch the criminals?  If all Keenan got for felony possession with intent to distribute, and theft by receiving was a hand slap – and it’s not the first time – what’s he going to get for gnome stealing?  Really?

But on to something I really want to share, two years, and one day after Morgan first heard those taps on her windows.  I want to raise awareness of a certain typology of stalker, and I want to show how a little knowledge could have gone a long way.

This typology is called a predatory stalker, they have unique characteristics, just like the name, they behave more as predators than stalkers.  And they do so many things that mirror what happened to Morgan that I cried when I read about this particular typology, and wished deeply I had known even a fraction of what I read, before it was too late for Morgan, but I did not know about this two years ago, and the next post will be about this typology, and what I have learned since.  There are many different types of stalkers and that is why education, and training are so important – the different topologies are not to be treated the same way if you are to save the victim, and catch the stalker. This is a critical step for law enforcement to know, and follow when dealing with a stalking case.