Steve was up early, and left for work. I was in the kitchen when Morgan walked in, it was late morning by then and she still looked tired. She wondered if we were really moving, she knew what a job it was going to be, and hated to see us go through it, because of a stalker. We had a great talk about how strangely enough her dad, and I had talked about it this morning before he left, and he was going to call the people we were dealing with today and start the process.
I told her how her father was very confident this was all going to work out for the best. I didn’t tell her he was also going to move his shop at the same time so he would be a block away most every day, and his only reservation was that with our new home being so difficult to approach, the stalker would be forced into something that did not involve the house at all. We had no plan for that yet, but Steve was insistent that we did before we moved.
Morgan had lived through enough fear, and fright for a lifetime, and then some. I could not bear to start talking about what might go wrong after we moved, when all of a sudden she seemed to be warming up to the idea. Obviously it had been on her mind the night before.
I made her tea and encouraged her to go back to sleep. We had a lot of stuff coming up just as soon as the details were worked out. Morgan went back to sleep and I spent a few hours packing up those things you know you are not going to need for the next month. It was a really good feeling to think we were about to put an end to this stalking. I can’t remember if I was concerned or not that we had not caught him yet. I do remember a time when it was so important for Morgan that we did. But right at that time I’m not sure how I really felt about it.
At 12:30 pm Steve was home from work, and his shop would be humming till late as he liked to put it. He had a project to wrap, and he could carve out the time for a double move. Sounded quite daunting to me, and I knew he was underestimating. He had not gotten a call back from the bank, but thought they would be OK with the move.
Morgan had planned to come with us at 1:00 pm to a belated Thanksgiving with Steve’s brother and his family, but after her cousin Camille had to leave early, she wanted to just stay home in bed. Her friend Nathan came over to stay with her and we felt she was very safe with him, so we left for another round of Thanksgiving and family.
Another of Morgan’s friends started texting her around 7:45 pm and she was telling them about her lingering flu. She felt it had been going on for over a week and she was all the way up to just feeling “yickish”
Steve and I were enjoying our day, which was now turning to evening, so much and at 8:30 pm I checked in with Morgan again. I texted her, “Any rocks or noise?”, and she answered, “Nope. We’re going out though. Nate’s sleeping over. We’re taking wyla.” Nope, how nice that word sounded, nothing happening. How simple it would have been if it was always like that. Steve wanted we to ask Nathan a question and since he didn’t have a cell phone yet, I texted Morgan for him, “Ok Nate’a going to work with Dad in the morning? Remember to lock the front door love you.” Morgan answered, “Love you too.”
I asked her to have Nate check the bushes by the front of the garage on their way out. The motion detector light kept going on and off, like the one on the corner of the house by our room had done a while back. Steve had switched it with another light just like we had with the one by our room and the new one still kept going on and off at certain times. It was so frustrating to have something happening, and never see what it was that was causing it to happen.
Morgan answered that “He is. :)” about Nate going to work with Steve and I told her, “Ok”
We were home before 9:00 pm and Steve immediately went to the task of putting together some motion detectors that he had been “custom” painted to match where he intended to place them, so they would blend in. There was something going on in the front corner of the house, and he was working to catch it. At around 9:21 pm he placed the detectors, and then called me on my phone. He wanted me to stand by the alarms in our room and see just how close he could get before the alarm went off. After a few tries he was satisfied with his new setup and came in the house.
At 9:46 pm the newly placed detectors were very carefully taken from their perches and placed face down on the ground. They need heat moving to detect motion and if one were to grab them from the behind and slowly move them toward cold ground there would be no alarm. And even if there had, Morgan’s stalker had plenty of hiding spots nearby. He would probably have sat patiently and watched Steve show up wondering how the alarm had ended up on the ground, so quickly. But we would not know they had been moved until after a series of events the next day.
Today is November 22, 2012 – Thanksgiving is today and it has been a long and lonely day for Steve and I. I constantly receive screen shots by email now from some of our readers. Little clips about what is being guessed at about Morgan around the Internet. Some people seem to be amazingly certain of what they think they know. My decision to tell what happened that day last year perhaps plays into this and of course free speech is free speech for all, well almost all, but don’t get me started on that.
For all of you who read Morgan’s Blog about Morgan’s stalking, at the end of the day the story I tell is for all of you, and your families. Stalking is under reported, pervasive and lethal. So many more know these three truths than when Morgan was being stalked – and Steve and I are so grateful for the chance to be sharing this information and raising awareness.
I will also let you all in on something most of you know already. The people who work on Morgan’s case now are quite a different group then the Garfield Sheriff’s Department, and there are things I ache to share with the world. But I am not allowed to, not because of any court in the land, but because the investigators go over it with me, apologize for the obvious pain it has caused and remind me that this is not going on Morgan’s Blog, not yet. I believe very strongly that even Morgan agrees with the decisions being made. It is not to appease the court of public opinion – it is important for an eventual criminal trial. We miss you honey, and have no idea what Thanksgiving looks like up in Heaven.
Click here to read about the 119th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=2395
Just a hug for you. (((Toni))). Every day I am sure is really hard, but holidays can be especially rough.
They are. Hugs back.
God Bless you all, I know how hard the Holiday’s are, And want you to know you are all in my thought’s and Prayers. Love you!
Thanks Tammy – we love you too!
God PLease Give the Ingram’s Love ,Peace ,and Justice. these Holidays are spent with Family .Your Team Morgan Family is Here with you !! Peace Be with you all forever……….
That makes my heart feel so warm and good…thank you more than I can express with words.
Happy Thanksgiving Toni and Steve. My thoughts and prayers are with you guys during these holidays.
Thank you Helen – we so greatly appreciate it!
Toni,
I was talking with my husband the other night & I figured out why I am so drawn to your blog & checking for updates & wishing I could help. When I lived at home with my parents in my teenage years I too was stalked on numerous different occasions. I remember the frightening feeling it would bring me. My bedroom was in the front of the house. My window stood out near our garage door making an easy spot for the stalker to hide & tap or peek in my bedroom window. There was a time when the stalker removed my key lock to my car door. I went to insert my car key to open my car door & there was just a big hole. When we called the insurance to report it they never heard anything like that. They didn’t know how to handle the case. My parents never thought to report many of these odd things to the police. One Summer a stalker was doing so many random things night after night that my mom wanted to wait up for him. We both did. As I dozed off he came creeping up to our house dressed in all black. My mom was frightened & excited that she hollered, “he’s here!!!” The window was cracked open in our home so the stalker had heard her & took off running. My dad got up & we all went looking around the neighborhood.
I have so many stories & I am fortunate that none of them ended tragic. The terror that I felt still til this day causes anxiety.
I empathize for people that have an obsessed stalker. You are not able to figure out how they are thinking & it is scary. When you do put pieces together on why they must have done something, it is just that much more frightening.
I am so appreciative of you & your husband for educating people on the resources out there for victims of this awful crime. We need more people like you.
Thank you Ginger for writing to me and being so brave as to share your story. There are so many people out there in the world that are still afraid to share it or their minds won’t allow them to remember the horrors that they went through, but we are all making a difference for people today – your story alone will help someone I guarantee it. Hugs!
Thank you for taking the time to read & respond. Most of validating. I have only shared this with a few people. In no way shaper or form am I thinking my parents miss handled the situations that occurred with myself. However, reading that you & your husband did do all that you could… I just am so at a loss for words. I can’t begin to explain it. I really do understand & believe everything you have shared.
Thank you Ginger – we do appreciate that.
Toni, I have been reading your blog faithfully for a couple of months and am struck by your sweetness and patience. I have also read several not-so-sympathetic websites over the past months and you never strike back at them. This is such a strange mystery and I so much feel for what you and Steve are going through. I pray for you both and that this mystery is solved and that justice is served for Morgan. But what I have so far taken out of this is that you are a mother trying to find justice for the horrible, untimely death of your sweet daughter, but without any kind of bitterness or petty anger. Stay strong and noble as you have been. My prayers are with you and your family. Karen
Thanks Karen – I know others try to make it out to be a strange mystery, but it really isn’t. I have now been contacted by so many stalking victims, parents of victims of murder that were said to be suicide when they weren’t, parents of actual murder victims that were told their law enforcement agency does not have enough time to investigate….what has happened in this world to humanity? I don’t think it’s too late to bring it back – from what I can see there are more caring and wonderful people in this world than lazy uncaring vicious people so I know the truth we get out and I know humanity will return to this world.
That is exactly what I pray for every day!
sending you love & light, Toni…
@}–>———–
I love you guys so much and I only know you from Dr Phil and your blog. Please keep doing your blog so we know what is going on with the case…and you and your husband. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Happy Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving to you as well Kim…and thank you so much for your prayers, they really help us!
Toni and Steve, I thought about your family a couple of times today, my husband and son weren’t able to be home today, every time I felt sorry for myself, I had to stop and count my blessings, and wish peace and love for you and yours. From a couple of things you said in your blog I get a hint, that the wheels are finally turning in the right direction, thank god. You said people are emailing you things (I am assuming negative things the way you worded it), that is disgusting. I am so sorry you have that kind of crap to deal with on top of everything else you have gone through, it amazes me how people can be so heartless and their lack of empathy.
I want you to know, I personally have never been through anything like this, but you have made me be more aware of my surroundings, people I invite into my life and not to make me sound paranoid… just aware. Thank you. You are without a doubt, going to help a future would be stalking victims, you may never hear or know that your blog saved someone else’s family from the same grief, but all the tips, trials and errors, may save another young woman’s life:-)
Have a wonderful weekend, take care
Oh thank you – that makes me feel so good. I think raising awareness is so important right now – the time has come and when the truth shines through evil has a hard time hanging around.
I saw you on Dr. Phil a few weeks ago, and since that time I haven’t been able to get this story out of my thoughts. As a mother of a daughter, I can’t even imagine the pain that you or your husband have gone through. I am so sorry for your loss. I signed the petition the other day, but I wasn’t sure if it was too late.
The way you have conveyed the story by what was happening in 2011 and in 2012 at the same time, is very helpful in helping the reader understand the story more completely. The then and now. I had chills reading it, and can’t imagine what you all went through. I pray that there will be justice for Morgan, and I also put the petition link on my facebook so that maybe others will continue to pass the story along…
I pray peace for your family. God bless you all. Morgan would definitely be proud of you both!
Karen I am so very happy that you understand what I was trying to convey in the blog. Thank you for signing and sharing the petition…this will be the last week and then it will go to the Governor. Take care!
Toni, Happy Thanksgiving to you. I send our families love your way and know this is a very hard day for you! Don’t ever feel bad about keeping information off the blog. Anything that is best for Morgan can wait for us to know……….. I think we would all agree that our “need to know” isn’t ever as important as what’s best for Morgan’s case. Keep the faith! And, Happy Thanksgiving to your whole family!
Sherrill thank you so much – that was really sweet of you to say…I appreciate it!
Beautifully written Toni. I’m sure she is smiling up above. You are doing a fantastic job and I hope you can soon share some good, moving forward news for justice for Morgan. I really am hoping people can stop pointing the finger every which way and we can actually have the truth right out in the open. As I always say… the truth prevails. Stay strong.
As I hold my almost one yr old’s tiny little hand I somehow can’t imagine how soeone can actually sleep at night knowing the truth about Morgan’s stalking and murder… let alone haveing been a part of it. Such a lifeless soul. And to think
… if they have a daughter…how would they feel if the tables were turned?
Samantha – don’t worry the truth will come out, and things are going to change in this world. I used to hold Morgan’s hand ever since she was a baby, and it used to be our little signal to each other when we squeezed it – that always meant “I love you” and no one around us would ever know what we said to each other. I miss that so much that sometimes when I park my car I reach over to the passenger seat, hold out my hand, and it feels like she squeezes it, and that’s when I realize she is still with me, just not in a physical form and I will see her again some day.
Hi Toni, I thought of you several times today being Thanksgiving and knew how terribly sad you probably were missing Morgan. I hope you can find a new normal so day. You may want a heads up about what Dec. 2nd is gonna be like. It will be the 2nd work day in your life, 1st being last Dec. 2nd. Anniversarys of deaths are particularly hard. That is my marriage anniversary so I’m sure you will be on my mind that day as well. Praying for you Toni and Steve, stay strong and keep working for justice.
Thank you so much for your kind words…Steve and I were going to just hunker down and cry with our other two children, but it looks like we will hunker down by ourselves. We will be somewhere that Morgan used to like to be. We miss her so much that I don’t think we will be very good company for anyone else. Take care.
Toni,
I thank you for not telling us what you know for if you did it could put in jeapordy the investigation. No matter what, SIT ON THOSE HANDS, for I totally understand and I’m sure most do here too.
If one starts to ask and you feel tempted then think to yourself, could this be the perp asking in a cleaver way to learn what you know or have against them? Don’t answer, I can wait. The most important thing to me is Justice and your family to have those answers.
God Bless and God Keep you.
TG
You are right TG – the info needs to go to the agency that can make an arrest happen. Thanks for keeping me in check…it’s hard sometimes because I want to answer people – to get the story straight but I need to remember it’s more important to get justice than to make everyone happy with answers and evidence. Hugs!
All, lets stay focused here and work towards justice for Morgan. If you have not signed the petition to reopen the case please do so and encourage those you know to do so as well. Petition link is on the main page, upper right hand corner.
Thinking of you Toni and Steve and sending strength and love your way!
Michele thanks so much! We are just concentrating on the positive right now and so many positives are coming our way so I think we will continue to think positively. Thanks so much for bringing up the petition. Next week I plan on closing it out to send on to the Governor so how ever many signatures before that time would be great – this is the last big push! Take care.
I shared it with my friends again. = )
Toni – I’ve been wondering about something – the last couple posts you’ve mentioned that Morgan wasn’t feeling well in the few weeks leading up to her death. At first it was a cold or just a general lethargic feeling now it’s a flu that won’t go away. Did the ME or coroner ever question if she was sick or fighting any illness before her sudden death? I’m just curious if the blame was ever put on this illness instead of the stalker.
Nope never did – he said she had a little congestion and that was all
Toni,
I have had a couple of stalkers in my life. One had my life so turned upside down that I had my curtains closed as soon as the sun started setting. I never went out in the dark either. I’m still not able to go out in the dark without feeling like someone is watching me. The worst part is that my stalker knew exactly how far away he had to stand to make it legal. I’d wake up in the middle of the night and his face was plastered to my bedroom window. He’d make sure he left shoe prints under my window and his cigarette butts there as well. He would leave notes written on napkins or pieces of newspaper in my yard or mailbox. This is the one stalker that I knew. I did get a restraining order against him as he threatened my life in one note. He was dumb enough to leave his name and the date on the paper. I still see him watching me from time to time. It’s not very often now though. I’m lucky, but the threat of that one note still lingers and makes me wonder when I do actually see him watching me.
Oh I am so sorry Sherri – I hope you never see him again.
I was lucky when I got my restraining order. The magistrate made sure there is no expiry date on it because of the death threat. Even the police officers were concerned about it. When I went to the police to make my complaint they printed off his rap sheet and put it in front of me and walked away. That’s something they aren’t supposed to do, but they did because they wanted me to know what I was up against.
Wow that was good…it seems like most of these guys do have an extensive rap sheet and they are still out there. Ugh!
Hi Toni,
I do not know you, however I feel like I do after watching your story on Dr.Phil. I wish I could say that after the first year of holidays and birthdays, things will get easier, but they don’t. You do have your strength and ambition to continue your efforts to solve this case for your daughter. Please know that many people like me, who don’t know you but know your story, are praying for you and Steve. Morgan is with you even though you can’t see her. I wish you all of the strength and positive energy as we approach December.
Best,
Amy in Phoenix
Amy – thank you so very much for your kind words. We are very blessed to have such a huge support group and even though the pain of losing Morgan seems to be getting stronger by the day we also have so many wonderful people with us to keep us distracted enjoying life on a day to day basis.
HOw did you know the motion detectors were moved at 9:46? Did you see something on the cameras indicating someone was moving them.?
On the afternoon of the following day we discovered those motion detectors were not working and in the daytime hours we could easily see them on the ground and by pinpointing that location, where they ended up lying on the ground, we were able to painstakingly go back through the nighttime hours to see when that spot appeared on the ground and we could not see how but we could see when they appeared down on the ground. This was very upsetting to us, as it was obvious Steve was being watched, in the dark, when he put them up, but we also realized this must be exactly where the stalker did not want us to catch him, and this was in the front corner of the house, and across from the side of the house, both by Morgan’s room. This was very upsetting!
Did Steve put a camera on the motion detectors that were moved? If so you should have a good pic of the stalker and if no camera were on the detectors why? Looks to me that would have been the perfect chance to capture him on video.
That is exactly what we thought but that is not what happened
Just let us know when they catch the creeps !
What strikes me is how quickly the stalker seemed to adapt to your changing game plan. I know you considered other ways of being “monitored” (like through your texting, or by being followed in a car).
But I wonder if he had bugged your home. If he had access to the roof, and then as others have suggested, to the crawl space/attic, perhaps he planted listening devices that allowed him to hear your conversations? And that would have given him enough knowledge to know what you were changing in your plan of attack, and even details about how the new things worked (and possibly enough time to research how to counteract them). Because it seems too crazy to me that this guy would know these were heat seeking motion detectors, and know how to remove these cameras from behind and very slowly towards the ground, unless he was an expert and experienced stalker, or had some way of gathering intelligence on your every move.
I also wonder that because of how quickly after you began to discuss moving that Morgan was murdered. I wonder if the stalker realized the game was about to be up (or at least get a lot harder), and decided to “strike” while he still could.
How did you know the TIME the motion detector was moved to the ground?!?!! (9:46pm) if it never went off???!! I’m struggling to figure this out
Good question…after we saw the 2 separate motion detectors were no longer where they had been placed we reviewed the cameras and at that time on our cameras we saw our motion “LiGHTS” go on and off indicating someone or something was in that area. The cameras could not catch “who” did it as they were just out of the range of the cameras, but as I said the cameras did catch the motion lights going off and on at that time.