I have wondered, many times now, especially since Morgan’s death. Has he ever done this before? I think back to the days when we weren’t supposed to tell anyone anything, and have yet to find a benefit in the idea. Then there was in the first two responding officers who remembered very clearly incidents in a nearby subdivision, very similar incidents, which ended with an eyewitness, and a description, and a chase by barking hounds. Actually I’m only guessing they were barking, because they always do that on TV, but I suppose they could be very quiet as they track their prey. I wonder if it scared him, knowing he was being tracked by dogs? If he’s even capable of fear.
It was quite a few incidents, five that they recalled being called in, all the same summer – the summer of 2010, the summer before Morgan’s stalking began. They thought that Morgan’s stalking might end at the end of summer too, because maybe he was a seasonal stalker.
MISTAKE, thinking even in the most minuscule way your stalking will magically end one day all by itself, how convenient, as if the meter suddenly runs out and the game is over. Always have a plan or two to end your stalking, and if it doesn’t work, find another one, your life just might depend on it.
I ran these incidents by our Detective and he was evasive, and uninterested. A reaction I would now interpret as not wanting to talk about it. But I pressed the point and I did get an answer. It was just kids stealing stereos out of cars. I thought, wow, someone’s got it a little wrong here. Not one, but many people mistaking tapping on their windows for the stereo missing from Mom’s or Dad’s vehicle? And how did they end up chasing a young white male in a hoodie with dogs, and was he dropping stereos along the way as they chased him? Don’t think so. Come on, that is the best you can do?
After I started the blog I received emails detailing similar events. They had absolutely no reason to lie about such terrifying incidents, and I believe what I was told to be 100% true. Some were reported, and some were not. One reported incident was promised follow-up visits by the Sheriff, but that did not happen. All had great similarities to elements of Morgan’s case.
What if it these were the crimes by the same person or persons? If it was them it has spanned over four years. Always a young white male, sometimes wearing a hoodie and sometimes dressed all in black. This outfit seems to be for the up close, and personal encounter.
When I saw him on the porch he was wearing a hoodie. When he surprised Morgan in the back yard he was the all in black look. Both times, young while males.
I wrote once about something that needed fixing in the valley. How traveling from Glenwood Springs to Aspen across nine different law enforcement agencies, that do not communicate incidents like this unless its an officer to officer call to inquire. So eight phone calls to check the valley every single time, so in Garfield they just say no, unless it’s a murder case, and they know who the murderer is, and he is on the run, then its automatic. I saw potential shortcomings in that system, and hope it will improve or I can help it to improve someday. Only now all my wondering has led me to the conclusion that here in Garfield County a similar crime in a very confined area can go on for many years, and then Morgan’s Stalking began. There was not one officer warning us that this was a serial situation, and it had just happened not far away. Then after this blog was started I received an email from someone in that same subdivision that had had a similar situation happen only two weeks before Morgan’s began, it was reported to the Sheriff’s department and should have increased the importance to apprehend. But we were never told about it and the Officers never mentioned that one to us.
No quite the opposite, don’t tell anyone and on day 58, yes that’s right, on day 58 a detective was assigned to the case, which meant it had a case number and evidence that could now be collected. Does anyone out there think this approach was really going to catch this person, if it is the same person, who has been doing this for years?
I wonder if he has a lookout. Not just from myself raising any possibility, but from having twice heard what is best referred to as a rumor. It came in as a tip, but with no way to verify, only that it has come from two different sources. The statement that “I don’t have to worry ‘cause someone’s got my back.” From K.V.G. It could mean a lot of different things, but to me it meant he had a lookout. Might help to explain how he has actually been visually sighted very few times.
And what about motivation, to carry this on for years must definitely mean something, and thoughts like that have always been the motivation for the belief, or call it natural fear that I have that he is going to do it again, and when?
Hey Toni I am a Criminal Justice Major and I took a sociology of deviant behavior class last semester and as I’ve been reading more and more of your entries about how the manner of death was changed, I remembered the chapter in my textbook I read on suicide. I wanted to share an excerpt of you and research that I found especially interesting:
“Official Statistics– those maintained by local, state and federal government agencies– give no insight into the decision-making process that classifies deaths as suicides, rather than attributing them to other causes. Such judgments implement no uniform set of standards, seriously complicating analysis. One study sampled 191 coroners in 11 states to determine the processes by which they certified cases as suicides. This research revealed extensive variation among the resources, philosophies, procedures, statues and backgrounds that the coroners applied to this judgment. Thus, one coroner might count a death as a suicide, while another might recognize and record in another way. No one has yet elaborated a precise relationship between statistics for officially recorded suicides and actual suicides.”
I just found this very interesting. There is no uniform set of standards followed to classify deaths so they just use their “best judgment?” Who is to say whose judgment is better? This is all just so sad and frustrating. We need better procedures that make things consistent across the board, not so inconsistent that these “experts” all have different opinions based on the same evidence presented to them.
Take care, Toni. I have been in your corner since you started posting this blog. We all love Morgan and know justice will come for her!!
Perhaps the answer to this should be when a Corner deems a cause of death is Suicide then this must get 2 other opinions to valiadate the orginal Corners findings. A check and Balance per say, one opinion should be from a Corner that is choosen by the family. One a Federal Corner (if there is such a thing) and the Orginial ME
Wouldn’t that be nice – I think it is a logical idea
Thank you for letting us know about that. Pretty unnerving huh? We know for a fact that Morgan did not kill herself – we actually have evidence to that effect, but even if she did don’t you think they would want to investigate because she had a felony stalking at the time of her death and that could have been the reason? No, they would not put the two together – if they would just investigate they might not only see how she did not commit suicide, and would not have been able to, as well as have the possibility of actually catching the stalker and putting him behind bars where he belongs. I think studying criminal justice is wonderful I just wish the actual law enforcement agents would read and learn the laws and implement them.
I’ve thought that maybe the Police suspected the perp to actually be a cop or a cops son/relative. This would explain how the police worked harder to do a non-investigation then actually try to solve it.
There was a bad cop, that ended up killing himself….what if through that investigation they have another bad cop but not enough to arrest him, or fire him. A lot of what if’s here I know.
What if again…..K.V.G has a family member that works in law enforcement/Fire Department or just has a police scanner. When he hears the cops are on him, too close for comfort, he gives up that chase, it was a learning curve, he grew bold from it, therefore cops showing up didn’t bother him anymore. He learned the cops response and behavior. If they brought out the dogs, maybe the stalker would have quit again.
The Stalker changing his attention on another person is not unsual to me. Just like if you were shopping, you have a shirt in your hands you are going to buy, as you walk up to the register to pay for it, you see a different shirt, so you put the first one down. Same type of thing, Morgan apparently was this PERP’S prefered target.
Questions that Investigator’s should answer to you!
I don’t believe they never thought he was a policeman, and I don’t believe they ever thought he was related to a policeman, but I have had people write in to me that believe there is someone in the Sheriff’s department that was tipping him off, and trying to derail the investigation.
Good point he could have had a police scanner, I didn’t think of that. I know these kind of people do not stop they just go from one victim to another and to me that is a very scary proposition for the next victim if he is not stopped. That is why this investigation needs to be opened…she had a stalker…she was murdered…that doesn’t mean just because she’s dead that they no longer have to investigate and find and arrest her stalker…he WILL do it again, guaranteed!
When I read your blog, I re live every time I called for help and GOT NOTHING, NO WHERE. The sherrif’s dept would not dispatch someone. A few times we were told “unless we had him hogtied and full current discription (what he was wearing, etc.) they would not come out. Of course we did NOT have the right to shoot at or try in any way to protect ourseleves! Those were the most maddening 18 years of our lives. I learned I could shoot, kill and go to jail and NOT CRY over it. Being stalked and under constant duress changes you, and every relationship around you. KEEP FIGHTING
I am so sorry that happened to you – I hope in the future things will change and I know there are so many in the world that want that change to happen. No one should have to live in fear. Never worry – we will always keep fighting for every last victim and to keep others from becoming victims!
After hearing just now about this story and 2 days of non-stop reading this blog, I also feel an officer almost had to be involved. its simply too convenient that he was never seen, knew where all the cameras were…..their cameras never worked correctly and clearly there was no interest in an investigation. He (they) knew exactly how to be undetected the entire time and how to get rid of the evidence. Anyone off the street can read this and clearly connect the dots and for trained officers, and detectives to not see this stuff jumping out is just too creepy of a feeling. He had inside information.
(also…I havent gotten beyond this page yet and maybe this question is later answered but Im wondering now ……what made him think with all the cameras and things outside, that you hadnt put up cameras inside??) He had to have gotten in the house the night of her death. But he must have known it was safe for him to.