Dirty little secrets – why would a monster love it here?

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Morgan Jennifer, dirty little secrets about the law district's not sharing anything - Yuck!

Morgan needed to have the Law Enforcement District’s working together – and so do your children!!!

There is a fact that works against the innocent people of the Roaring Fork Valley.  Endangers them all, without anyone even realizing it is taking place – every single day.  I wanted to share this little secret with you, and assure you, the Garfield County Sheriffs Department has known about this for a long time.

I am going to explain something, and then you, like everyone else I have explained this to in person, you are going to pause, and say something like – No! That’s not right, is it?

Here goes – from Glenwood Springs, Colorado to, Aspen, Colorado it is 40 miles, less than an hour’s drive, even with some weather.  Over those forty miles you will encounter 9 different law enforcement districts.

  1. Glenwood Springs Police Department
  2. Garfield County Sheriff’s Department
  3. Carbondale Police Department
  4. Garfield County Sheriff’s Department again, but I’ve only counted them once
  5. Eagle County Sheriff’s Department
  6. Basalt Police Department
  7. Pitkin County Sheriff’s Department
  8. Snowmass Village Police Department
  9. Pitkin County Sheriff’s Department again, only counted once
  10. Aspen Police Department
  11. Colorado State Patrol, patrolling the common thread of State Highway 82

Now would you think, for one second, that these 9 different agencies share their information on ongoing stalking incidents?  Well. define share would be my answer, our detective told us he would have to call each agency individually, get the correct officer on the phone, wait for him to manually review records, then wait for an answer, AN AMOUNT OF TIME he simply did not have.  So it was never done.  Exactly how is this making our valley a safer place?  We live in a world where if I wish to, I can share my current location on the face of the earth in real time with the rest of the world.  If you even try to tell me how impossible it would be to share information about stalking incidents – well don’t even try, I know it can be done.

And then it gets worse, not only do they not share, they diffuse, whenever possible.  Confusing at first I admit, so here is a recent example:

All of Morgan’s gold jewelry was missing the day her body was discovered. MISSING as in GONE, and in order for this to be “investigated“, I had to have a concise list of everything, pictures would be even better.   So I made the list, gave it to our detective.  Steve would not let me review 50,000 pictures of Morgan for any that showed her wearing her jewelry, he said it was far too emotional for me.  I won’t share what he actually had to say about anyone who could have really requested this of me, but, trust me, it wasn’t complimentary.

So low and behold Keenan VenGInkel is arrested in Glenwood Springs just weeks after Morgan’s murder by the Glenwood Springs Police Department on a warrant stemming from a cache of gold jewelry he had recently sold at a, “Cash for Gold” store in Glenwood Springs.

And yes, it is true as has been reported, that when Keenan Vanginkel was pulled over in Glenwood Springs, for the sale of gold jewelry that had been stolen, he was handcuffed, and taken to jail, his car was then searched and illegal drugs, prepackaged for sale, were discovered, among other things.  But that is for others to deal with.

Of course the detectives investigating Morgan’s Felony Stalking, and now death have no knowledge of this arrest for selling stolen jewelry, merely have the list of jewelry that is missing from Morgan that I have given them.  I tell Steve what is happening, and he immediately visits a friend of his who also has a, “Cash for Gold” service.  Steve asks him how it works, would there be records?  And guess what, at Steve’s friend’s operation, they photograph every piece of jewelry and the person selling it, it’s a state law, all regulated.  Steve’s friend looks at a picture of K, supplied by our Detective Rob. and does not recognize him.

Once Detective Rob finishes with apologizing for how they had no idea this had happened, explains again the no sharing situation, Steve shares with Detective Rob what he has already found out about Cash for Gold operations, but Rob is not familiar with the actual laws related to “Cash for Gold” and Detective Rob wonders if Steve can ask his friend for a copy of the laws.  I swear this is the truth!  And then Steve can not immediately get a hold of his friend, so he just goes online to Lexis Nexis Law and copies the Colorado laws for Detective Rob, and then emailed him everything he needed to know.  Steve tells Detective Rob, we would like to see the pictures of all of the jewelry that was recovered on the long shot that we can identify any pieces that belonged to Morgan.

Detective Rob does not do this, he says, once again, the honest truth, “This would be the worst example of good police work, to just show you the pictures.”  Steve hangs up and looks at me, “I wonder if the term – photo line up – has any meaning to him?”  Detective Rob does nothing, but we are getting all too familiar with this disturbing trend by now.

–  Just wait until I get the OK to release all of the potential evidence in Morgan’s case          that was never followed up on, you will be sickened, I assure you…

So Steve immediately has another plan, he sends me to Glenwood Springs to talk with the arresting officer, to find out if he will show me the photos of the jewelry, and we can just put that issue to rest.

I’m sorry but, I think if the Sheriff’s prime suspect (who is no longer a suspect or they never had a suspect, forgive me I am getting a little confused here, Detective Rob needs to make up his mind) is arrested selling gold jewelry days after your daughter was murdered and all of her jewelry is missing on the same day, isn’t it a point that needs to be investigated? Or to quote Whoopie Goldberg, “Am I just missing something here?“

So I am in Glenwood Springs, and I ask about the arrest report at the Police Department, they “can’t find it” and send me to the District Attorney’s Office, who will certainly have it. They can’t seem to find it either, but they do think it’s a little strange, can’t find any records and all.  But they made me fill out a form to include all my personal information, saying an Investigator will get in touch with me.  I did fill out the paper and said to the woman, “But this is a public record isn’t it?”  She told me yes it is but you have to fill this out anyway, before you can have it.  But, they don’t even have it!  And they never call me later to give it to me!  So I go back to the Police Department, and now they are angry.  I am told my Detective from the Sheriff’s department has to handle this and they can’t talk to me anymore.  Have you ever had that feeling you have just been run in a complete circle for nothing?  Well that is exactly how I felt right at that moment.

I know this ended up being a little long winded, but I did try to be as brief as possible, and do you see how I entered the “Combined Courts” building here to follow up on a crime I had reported, related to the death of my daughter (no official cause yet), and I received the royal run around, That is what I mean by diffuse.  Everyone just diffused their responsibility on someone else, and the next person in line did the same.  An endless circle, perpetual motion, only sadly, criminals are exchanging high fives right about now.

Then, I asked Detective Rob about Morgan’s jewelry again weeks after this day and he said, “I told Steve you have to give me pictures of them or at least a list.”  Remember what my daughter-in-law said the other day about Steve and I keeping records, I might just have recorded on paper what I told him about the jewelry earlier!

Love you all, and in the spirit of Morgan, I wish only for solutions to this current system that lets criminals flourish, and innocent women die.  It is just denial to ignore it or fashion some other name for it.

51 thoughts on “Dirty little secrets – why would a monster love it here?”

  1. Its so surreal, my husband says it sounds like a cover up. Which just adds to the “does this stuff happen in real life” feeling I get when I read this! I can’t even imagine how frustrated you must be. Keep fighting and don’t give up!

    • Thanks so much for the encouragement – don’t worry we will never give up…somehow I don’t think it was ever entered into our vocabulary. 🙂

  2. Wow, just read through all of this new info with my jaw dropped. I need to read this through a few times to take it all in. It’s unbelievable I’m speechless.

    • So unbelievable to us at the time that you start to wonder…what the heck is going on here?

  3. God my heart breaks a little more every day. I hope I’m not the only one who will show up on monday, but I can tell you right now I will go expecting to get no answers, no respect, no offers of assistance. Apparently that’s how we do things round these here parts. Hugs.
    Valerie

    • Valerie don’t give up – when we were in the Sheriff’s station…that one last time when they told us the investigation was over we viewed the chart on the wall and guess who was at the top of that chart? The citizens of Garfield County, so they may want us to forget who has the real power here, but they have it right on their chart in their waiting room.

      • FAR FROM GIVING UP!!! just don’t expect that getting answers is going to be as easy as walking in and asking for them. Like I said, I’m with you for the long run. However long it may be; Morgan deserves nothing less even from those who never knew her. Its what I would hope for, hell, its what I would NEED, if I were in your position and I’m just another mom who would do anything ANYTHING to protect her children. Now I will do ANYTHING to protect yours, no matter how many letters go unanswered, no matter how many phonecalls go unreturned, and no matter how many doors are closed. We will always find another to open. Hey, Right now might be a good time to remind people that they CAN DONATE to help yall hire the people you NEED to help you bring this killer to justice and to combat all of the deceipt, lies and coverups by bringing in experts who can confront them on their own level. – V.

        • Thanks Valerie – I hope enough money comes in on the donation page to allow us to hire the professionals that we need – but no matter what we will keep moving forward. Take care!

  4. My heart sank even more while reading this! I read the copshop of his arrest and it said he was the recipient of stolen jewelry, could ? gotten it and asked of he could sell it or gave it to him to sell making him think it was hers (?’s)?

  5. I have noticed that Keenan’s friend list on FB has started getting smaller. Word is spreading. The writing is on the wall it’s just a matter of time. Keep up your wonderful efforts they are working.

    • Thanks for caring – what I really want is an honest investigation brought on by someone other than the Sheriff’s Department now. I know it’s going to be tough because so much evidence has been lost but I know there are people out there that could come forward to help with this…and Morgan deserves it.

  6. I glanced at his Facebook and was a little creeped out that pretty much all his friends added are girls.

    I hope someone does something to help you out. Praying for you!

  8. I’m really sorry, I had to post a comment under hers on fb, I could not believe that she had the nerve. I will remove my post if you think I should, I don’t want to argue on Morgans page, but really felt she has no right to post anything… And get away with one more thing that is so disrespectful to Morgan, you & Steve. Your story hits to close to home, thank you SO much for what you guys are doing & getting her story & awareness out!
    Chayse

  9. Pingback: I’ve been meaning to get to this but I forgot… One Lovely Blog Award | reading7mandy

  10. I don’t understand, when someone is arrested for stolen jewelry, Don’t they try to find the rightful owner. You and Steve, gave descriptions of her missing belongings but were never allowed to Identify them. When He was arrested how did they know it was stolen property. Hmm. Toni, you and Steve amaze me. Something is going to come of this. Prayers go out to you!! and positive Thought’s!

    • Thanks so much – he was arrested on a warrant for the jewelry, but the Post Independent said when he was pulled over on that warrant they found the drugs and scale and paraphernalia so he was then also charged with felony distribution.

  11. I feel ill. Seriously. This is enraging. How you and Steve kept your composure when the police are so incompetent and complacent with the public’s safety is beyond me. You are both far better people than I.

    • No we are definitely not far better – you would probably do the same, we just know we can’t bring Morgan back no matter what we do – and believe me I would do anything if I could…so now we are left with always doing the right thing, no matter what and never giving up in order to leave a road map for the next person that needs their voice heard. We will not go away – which I am sure makes us very unpopular. Better to be unpopular and have things change, and others be protected.

  12. What I find interesting is the fact that if a person is stopped by the police, they run their info and can pop up a warrant for arrest from another state, county, city or town in the United States and take you in right then and there. The fact that these agencies do not talk to one another is shameful. There should be a statewide database that can be searched with tag lines for name, DOB, SSN, offense committed, date of offense committed, geographic location, etc. All law enforcement agencies should be on the same system. They should have “committees” that get together in regions and share information. Nine different law enforcement agencies in a 40 mile stretch that don’t speak to one another is convoluted and unintelligible. We live not incredibly far from you. It sickens me that my law enforcement agencies are not searching for justice, just performing CYA.

    I have been reading your story for about a week and a half. I find myself looking forward everyday to hearing your plight and your quest for justice for Morgan. She sounds like a wonderful daughter and an incredible person. We send good and healing thoughts into the cosmos for you and your family.

    • There should be a statewide database, you are so right – especially in this day and age. You bring up a really good idea as well about “committees” and it is awful that CYA seems like standard operating procedure at this time in my jurisdiction…I could be wrong, but that’s what it feels like to me.

      Morgan was an incredible daughter – she gave us so much happiness and light in our life, and it is still with us. Thanks so much for your kind thoughts and your mention of the cosmos – it is so vast and I do believe all those good and healing thoughts do come through and they do keep us strong.

    • Interesting they reference a theft on December 23rd and later that day catch K and arrest him. Great police work huh! Catch a thief the same day.

      Did you ever find the cash for gold store he did take the jewelry to and did they have photos of all the jewelry and the person who sold it ?

      Don’t know if anyone else saw this but on K’s Facebook page before he blocked it he hadd posted about his arrest. From what I remember his status was “ugh” to which a friend replied something like ” I just heard, what happened” he may have posted something after that I can’t remember but then a friend said something like “I thought it had something to do with MJ” and then K said ” I didn’t steal that stuff”.

      I remember reading it thinking how creepy it was the friend mentioned MJ!!!!

      Did anyone else see that?

  14. This is a tremendously sad story. It’s also clear from his MySpace page that he DOES in fact have knowledge of hunting, as indicated by the numerous images of dead animals. He may very well have known your camera was a wildlife camera. No sign of the purple etnies though. And hunters often have utility belts. I hope they reopen your case. This is terrifying. You have community support, not just in Carbondale, but throughout the state and country. Keep it up!

    • I have stared at this for hours, put it down, picked it back up and stared some more. I cannot see that it looks anything like the guy everyone is talking about. Ive had a few of my friends compare a pic of K and this one, but all came to the same conclusion that it doesn’t look like him. If we had a picture of other people involved in this story it might help….

    • Is that the reflection on the driver’s window? In one of the pics there is something in the back window that is not in any of the others. Could he have been in the vehicle?

      • I can’t imagine, but then again I can’t imagine that after 4 months a monster took Morgan’s life from us either. So I guess the bottom line is that anything is possible and you might be on to something.

      • To me that looks like a segment of a reflection that I noticed by the drivers window. What ever it is a reflection of, It was there in every single photo, so its most likely a reflection of something else.
        This is a very grainy low quality image.

    • If the camera couldnt get his picture as he was moving, then the reflection would also be distorted. Look at the back window of the vehicle, there is a reflection that might not be a reflection….

        • I wouldn’t think they missed checking in the car + we always locked the cars at this time because of the stalker, but then again one of us could have been distracted and not locked one of the cars.

  16. I am enraged that the system failed your family so completely and fatally. Why are the wrong doers in this case being protected? Why did the authorities drop the ball so many times, even when you were practically doing their jobs for them? It is unconscionable.

  17. This is absolutely ridiculous! I am so angry! Who are we supposed to put our trust in?? 9 Districts between GWS and Aspen…we should be the safest valley in the whole US but only because this beautiful girl lost her life do we now realize how unprotected we are. I hope every person who worked this case at the Sheriff’s office is ashamed. We have lived in this valley for 7 years and have let our children travel up and down this valley thinking they were safe, little did we know there is a dark secret out there….none of us are safe.

  18. I asked you a few days ago about the jewelry, thank you for addressing it! I am utterly stunned by the ineptness of the whole western slopes law enforcement. There is no reason you should not be able to see what was found or pawned. How was he arrested on a warrant for selling stolen jewelry? Obviously the jewelry was not melted down if they knew it was stolen. Maybe place a personals add asking the party whose jewelry was stolen to contact you. Obviously it wasn’t Morgan’s jewelry they found cause they wouldn’t take a police report without photo’s. It’s late and I hope I have my facts straight. I will reread it but please pardon my ramblings as I think I work best off the top of my head. Another thing, how come he is not in jail? you can be arrested for possession and selling of stolen goods and drugs with the intent to distribute and be walking the streets today. That just confuses me. I have told you in a previous post to follow your gut and my gut is stuck on E. You had obviously told him about KVG. I have my theory and have no intent on defending KVG cause obviously he is a scumbag! But I just can’t stop thinking about E. I wonder if he has seen this blog, did he see you on tv the other night? Why did he leave so quickly? Has he contacted you? I really am not looking for answers but just maybe some question that should be asked. Was there one police officer who was sympathetic about what was happening to your family who maybe would help sort some of this out and help you find answers. I wish a private investigator would read this and offer assistance. I am in awe of you and your husband and pray for you daily. I appreciate that you are introducing us to Morgan. I feel I know her and my heart aches for you and your family. Our world suffered a great loss of a gentle giving soul. Justice will be done! Please take care of yourself around this. I think I can speak for most people reading Morgans blog, We have your back and support you 100 percent. Whatever you need just say it if I can help I will.

  19. Can we call the sheriff’s department to complain? Is there a number where we can push them to pay attention to this case? This is sickening and ridiculous!!! I’m beginning to think the law enforcement officials are also monsters!

  21. Hello, I have been reading and Im hooked on your story, i think its a horrible thing that happend to your daughter and it sickens me we live in a world such as this, stalking people, people going into movie theaters and shooting for no reason. My thoughts and prayers are with you, after reading this section i felt the need to comment, because one of my best friends was murdered, and i believe the police did not do everything possible because he was ‘illegal’, long story short he was found in his car in a mall parking lot, in the backseat, had gone to a party the night before, and the mall had no videotapes on the side is car was parked, the police fed his parents lies over and over, about the position they found him, until somebody got ahold of the pictures and showed them to his parents, the police said he choked on his vomit, from drinking, his parents got his car back and there was no vomit or anything in the car, they said the bruises on his face were from leaning against the window in the backseat, and also said he was never at this party, his parents have spoke to people who saw him and talked to him at the party, even a video, the police want nothing to do with it. the way his shirt was in the pictures because he was on the floor in the backseat seemed that put him in and came over to te other side and pulled him in. The place this party was held was a big place cops have their parties. None of his friends want to come forward, almost as if they are scared of something, they police closed the case. Reading your story inspires me to do something similar, to maybe investigate myself, as August was a year since his death. Thank you for sharing your story and inspiring me, i just hope justice will come for the both of us very soon!!

  22. Someone on here mentioned that he could have been in the car. I recall reading that there are gadgets that are easily ordered that intercept the code going from your key clicker to the car and allow people to actually remotely unlock your car. Also, was followed by an ex who placed a small magnetic GPS pinging device under my car. It was on for weeks, if not months and at any given time he could log onto a website and check the coordinates of where the car was. Perhaps this was one of the ways he was able to know exactly when she was home. They, too, are VERY easy to get your hands on online for only $40-50, and are the size of a domino, so you’d have no idea. Just another thought.

  23. WOW do you think he knows people know we are onto him. Keenan that is. His myspace profile said. “you’ve earned a spotlight” (some sort of award for your photos getting a lot of attention.

  24. Hi Toni,

    It is terrible that they wouldn’t even try to see if any of the gold jewelry that he got in trouble for selling was Morgan’s. They should have cooperated with you on that.

    It seems to me that since the neighborhood had changed and there were transient type people moving in, that he and his girlfriend might have been jealous of Morgan and wanted to try to take what was hers because they were not very good people.

  25. Sorry for the loss of Morgan. I will start off by saying I’ve got no dog in this race. I’ve researched this case for a couple years, I came across it while searching for something else and started reading because we share the same name. I’m in another state, have never known any of the parties involved. I am an outside, unbiased observer.
    That being said, it is standard operating procedure to ask for a list/description of items missing. Been there. The police reports state jewelry was reported missing after it was learned your suspect had been arrested for selling stolen jewelry (which was allegedly stolen by a friend and given to the kid to sell for the friend). is this the case, or incorrect? It is witten multiple times by the detective on this case that a description of each piece was asked to be submitted, from what the police reports read (surrounding this time period), no descriptions were submitted. Nobody, in their right mind, would go to a person with pictures and say ‘point to what’s yours’. This is where the burden of proof lies, in the accuser. Doesn’t work that way because they’d be going by someone’s word, after the fact. Not to mention this kid is already a target. Who wouldn’t do anything they could to get the suspected person in trouble, even if it meant lying? LE are very aware of this which is why they cannot do that without a prior valid description from the person of the ‘missing’ jewelry. I’m sure this won’t be posted, but it’s worth submitting anyway as this is another area with conflicting information.

    • Thank you for your kind thoughts. The jewelry was a real learning experience I hope to help others recognize early on so they can deal with it more appropriately than Steve and I did.

      First, the police reports say what the sheriffs wanted to say after deciding, for whatever reason, that this crime had to be covered up. The latest evidence of that is that in 2017 the sheriff supposedly telling media inquiring about Morgan’s stalking and death that he now believes there was no stalking at all! Steve and I were there, were not murdered and have absolutely no doubt there was a relentless stalking that frightened Morgan terribly and the sheriffs absolutely had not a clue how to deal with it. We have asked the Sheriff Lou Vallario to confirm this as fact or not and of course he will not answer.

      Second, the jewelry was reported as it was discovered missing, each piece in detail, my silver cuff, then a very recent gift from an ex-boyfriend, then all Morgan’s jewelry of value. This began within days of Morgan’s death. The detective was at first very interested, stating how important it was to know if this was missing and how key it could be in catching Keenan. The reports to Glassmire were verbal and he kept asking Steve for more. First pictures of each piece, then pictures of Morgan wearing each piece. Do you think he was trying to subject us to as much pain as possible? With no intention of ever filing a report? Glassmire never reported that Morgan’s body was moved postmortem, but I do not doubt he knew it. I have emails discussing the jewelry. So, they knew, they did not report, the only question is why.

      My advice to any victim of crime is to ask for every report on every incident. Keep every report on every incident with your own copy of the entire crime. Then many of the things that happened in Morgan’s case can be avoided.

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