“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In King’s 1963 “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” he promoted non-violent civil disobedience and urgency in the Civil Rights advancement. His words are still true today when it comes to ANY injustice. I like to print his quote at the end of my emails to remind people of the importance to really care about our fellow human beings.
There has been an injustice done to our daughter Morgan. Morgan was a victim of a felony stalking for 4 months, she was found dead under “suspicious circumstances” (the sheriff’s words – not mine), and her body was taken away for an autopsy. That same morning her lead felony stalking detective told us her stalker had nothing to do with her death. He could not have known that at the time so why did he say it? The coroner’s office took her body away for an autopsy. While waiting for the results of her autopsy I truly believed the sheriffs were investigating her suspicious death. I asked what will happen if the autopsy shows she was murdered. I was told that if that happened another detective would be assigned to the case. So in the meantime unbeknownst to me there was no investigation into her suspicious death – why?
Then 18 days later the forensic pathologist stated Morgan died a “natural death” – I asked how could that be? Morgan was an extremely healthy 20 year old…a healthy 20 year old with a predatory stalker that was escalating his presence. So then at that time the sheriffs said there would be NO investigation into her “suspicious” death BECAUSE the Coroner had decided she died a “natural death.”
For the next 6 – 7 months forensic experts, along with Morgan’s doctors, tried to explain to the forensic pathologist that Morgan did not die a “natural” death. After reviewing her medical records, the postmortem report, all toxicology results, etc. they said Morgan died from foul play and suggested her case should be investigated. At that point the forensic pathologist threatened me that he did not want the opinions of any other experts and if he wanted to he could change her “manner of death” to suicide. Then 8 months after Morgan’s death the forensic pathologist for Garfield County along with the coroner did just that…they changed her manner of death to “suicide.”
Getting angry is fine who wouldn’t be outraged, but how do we really make changes to a system that is broken?
Cases, like Morgan’s, that are swept under the rug are caught in a kind of trap, a trap created because of the cracks in our legal system. Solving murder cases, when a coroner says the victim died from a natural death, accidental death, or suicide isn’t easy. In order to obtain justice you have to be your own investigator. You need to be methodical and spend as much time as you would on a 40 hour per week job. Unfortunately in some cases like ours the family is the only one left that can put all the evidence together in order to obtain justice…and if justice is not found all that means is that someone has gotten away with murder, and that will always be an injustice, not only to the victims, and the victim’s family, but it is an injustice to all.
Thank you for following Morgan’s story through this blog. I believe through knowledge and awareness of things that others are experiencing in this world people gain their strength. I promise you our family has not given up, and never will. It has been 3 long unimaginable years since Morgan’s suspicious death, and we have continued to gather and document all evidence in order to have her case investigated. Morgan deserves justice – all victims of violent crime deserve justice. Some people may not want her case opened…they do not want to visit the skeletons they have hidden in their closets, but soon the truth will come out and justice will be served.
I believe perseverance, as well as sheer tenacity will prevail, they will bring about positive results not only in Morgan’s case, but on so many other levels as well. Wish us luck – 2015 should be an amazing year to right some wrongs and bring justice to many people!
Push harder than ever. Keep swinging the hammer every day. You don’t know which of myriad blows cracks that rock, my friend and hero. Keep strong.
Thank you for the encouraging words! Will keep “swinging” 🙂
Toni & Steve, I have been following your blog since the beginning, it saddens and scares me that nobody has been arrested yet. I live in Garfield County I have told many young girls (one of which has a stalker), to read your blog. Unlike your families case she knows hers and doesn’t believe he is dangerous, this has been going on for 5 years! I didn’t tell her to read this to scare her really, but to educate her, but maybe her getting a little scared will make her take some kind of action, she lives in Garfield County as well. I wish you the best in 2015
Oh my goodness – when I just read about your daughter right now I got goosebumps! Even though it has been 5 years it doesn’t matter – it is still serious and dangerous. You are right to try to educate her. Click on this link and read this article – it happened in Colorado Springs…her stalker was watching her for 2 years and then she realized he was on their roof, called the police and they caught him. http://www.fox21news.com/news/story.aspx?id=1058200
Be aware that stalkers are insidious, they are a very real, and very dangerous threat. Stalking needs to be taken seriously by all, starting with the victim, yet it is widely believed, and I completely agree, that stalking is currently the most underreported crime in the world.
Make sure you take extra safety precautions. Review some suggestions at http://www.victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/stalking-resource-center/help-for-victims/stalking-safety-planning
Morgan would want you or your daughters to not live in fear, she did her best not to let her stalker run her life. All that Morgan, her dad Steve, and I did was our best, but our lack of knowledge and awareness of what stalking truly is was far too great and in the end Morgan had absolutely everything stripped from her. DO NOT let her story become yours.
My husband and I are still working on getting Morgan’s case opened. I believe it will be opened this year and we are hoping for indictments to be made. The problem with violent crimes that are stuffed under the rug and never investigated is that those murders, rapists, kidnappers, etc. are still out there and that is why we have so many cold cases and serial criminal…they continue to hurt more victims. We all have to push for closure on our cases – otherwise another innocent person, another good family will suffer the way we have. Let me know if you would like me to send you some resource that you can contact for help. Thanks for contacting me.
Toni, thank you, I am not her mother, sorry for the misunderstanding, I actually work with her, and this guy actually comes into our office, his parents even come in, I have played interception, snuck her out the back door our whole office staff is aware of this. It really is scary and I am going to check out all the links you posted. Thank you. You really are helping more than you will ever know.
Sorry about that I just assumed. You are being such a wonderful friend and co-worker to her. Most stalking victims really don’t know what to do…we didn’t. They become embarrassed, want it to go away so they act to other like they don’t care sometimes, but they do. They hold it inside and that is not good. I am glad she shared stalking with your whole office so you can all watch out for her. Please tell her she can always email me through this website and I will answer any questions she has and direct her to many sources that can possibly help her. All cases are different. I recently met another stalking victim in Garfield County and it has been a living hell for her. Things have to change.
Communication and respect between law enforcement and victims has to be a top priority. It is critical for her to know her state laws as they pertain to stalking. She needs to know what options are available to her; she needs to know the extent of the protection that she should be able to expect. If she feels like her situation is not being taken seriously, go up the chain of command. Go speak with the District Attorney, contact the Victims Rights Specialist. Let me know if she needs any contact info. You are a wonderful and kind person for trying to help her. More stalking victims need people like you!
Toni,
Thank you so very much for all of the information, my friend is such a kind sweet girl, like your daughter she hasn’t a mean bone in her body nor the life experience to realize that there are evils in this world that would actually do anything to her for no reason other than for their own twisted sick amusement. I know in my heart your family will get justice for you daughter, you have done so much to help others that have read this blog. Thank you
You are so very kind. I really hope your friend will be okay – being a victim/survivor of stalking is life-changing…it is a horrible thing and yet when people start talking about their experiences and sharing information the silence that the stalker is counting on goes away and he/she losses some of their power. Knowledge is power so what you are doing to help your friend is awesome. Light, love and happiness to you!