I have to address this one outrageous idea, that victim blamers keep repeating about Morgan’s murder, “Why didn’t Morgan’s parents hear her being attacked, if indeed she was attacked?”
Try to put yourself in Morgan’s shoes for just one moment – it won’t be easy if you have never been the target of a stalker. But just try for a moment. You are exhausted from four months of stalking, you are frightened and on-guard every moment of every day, just waiting for for the next attack to happen, you are hyper-vigilant, and all of a sudden you wake up and your stalker is in your room! He is probably armed with a gun. And imagine, as we believe, he is not alone. You glance towards your panic button, but it’s not there! (the stalker has removed it), your brain races as you think of how you are going to escape. You are looking at a weapon, more than one person, and process a verbal threat to be quiet or else… you freeze!
Victims DO report this happening to them, and that is just the ones that survive the attack. Morgan did not survive, so we are forced to draw possibilities from the facts. The sheriff’s investigators wrongly believed there was no intruder in her room, because we didn’t hear her scream, yet victims not resisting their attacker is a very well studied and documented FACT. That very morning, within minutes of arriving, the sheriffs told us her death had NOTHING to do with her stalker. They did this by ignoring the fact of a victim not resisting, and made matters worse by not treating the crime scene as a crime scene. The same reason, for so many years, that law enforcement and the courts did not believe or pursue a rape case, if the victim of a rape did not scream or fight back at the time of an attack. Now of course we know some victims suffered in silence for years before gathering the courage to tell of their attack. In the case of rape and improper sexual advances, understanding and laws have changed. Unfortunately in the case of a victim of stalking, who is found murdered in her own home, that type of archaic thinking has not changed at all.
In Morgan’s case, we don’t really know if she was even conscious at all – to not resist her attackers. There is ample evidence she never had a chance to scream out, just as there is ample evidence of intruders in her room that night. Yet the sheriffs did not tell the pathologist to collect evidence in a rape kit, or test for chemicals that could have subdued her. The pathologist told us that unless he is directed by the sheriffs to do these things he does not. So NO simple blood test for any type of chloroform or substance that could have been put over her face, while she was sleeping, to subdue her, was ever made. NO evidence was collected for a rape kit. No fingernail scraping were taken to look for DNA, even though 3 nails were broken and there were abrasions on the top and bottom of that same hand. None of this was done because the sheriffs told the pathologist that it was not necessary…how is that an investigation?
As a little side note to this – did we have a lead that a substance like this was used? Yes, we did – when the first responders arrived and realized Morgan was already dead, they started to ask questions. One of their questions was about Carbon Monoxide detectors in our home. Steve showed them our detectors, and the one plugged into the the wall, above the counter, in the laundry room, had a one-time super high reading that night – Steve was shocked. The sheriffs were not interested in this one-time super high reading, because it didn’t fit their “no intruder” theory, so they ignored it. Months later, after other doctors looking at Morgan’s case were convinced it was a homicide, Steve looked up the data on our exact Carbon Monoxide detector and found, to his shock, that it is plausible for chloroform fumes to cause a one-time super high reading without triggering the alarm. Based on that we surmise that an intruder could have poured chloroform over a cloth on the laundry room counter, before entering Morgan’s room. We told the pathologist, as well as the sheriff of this discovery, as well as many more facts that absolutely establish the presence of at least one intruder that night, but our FACTS have always fallen on deaf ears – they did not care. They proved this by there actions. When too much evidence piled up showing there had to be at least one intruder, they closed her stalking case, claiming there were no more leads to follow up on. That shows they don’t care.
Now some scientific facts, showing why victims may not scream or fight back, by experts in the field…
Freezing in the context of an attack seems counterintuitive. However, tonic immobility may be the best option when the animal perceives little immediate chance of escaping or winning a fight (Arduino & Gould, 1984; Korte, Koolhaas, Wingfield, & McEwen, 2005).
Why So Many Rape Victims Don’t Simply ‘Fight Back’
A new study shows it’s common for women to experience involuntary paralysis during sexual assault.
The following is a Washington Post article about, “Why Many Rape Victims Don’t Fight or Yell”
Quote from the article: “Countless victims of sexual assault describe just such responses. Too often police officers, college administrators, even friends and family think to themselves – and say out loud – “Why didn’t you run out of the room?” “Why didn’t you scream?”
“One of their questions was about Carbon Monoxide detectors in our home. Steve showed them our detectors, and the one plugged into the the wall, above the counter, in the laundry room, had a one-time super high reading that night – Steve was shocked.”
And since the whole reason of having a carbon monoxide detector is that they warn you with an ALARM when a “super high reading” is detected why do you think neither you nor Steve nor Morgan nor either dog heard the god awful noise yours had to have made when it was triggered?
Because, the alarm did not go off – so there was nothing to hear…just as I said in my post…the detectors only sound if that high reading lasts for a certain amount of time. A carbon monoxide (CO) alarm is a time-weighted alarm. An alarm’s response time will vary depending on the level of carbon monoxide in the air. For example, an alarm will sound after three and a half hours of continuous exposure at a level of 50 PPM, yet will sound after eight minutes of continuous exposure at a level of 400 PPM. So as you can see it is not instantaneous as is a smoke alarm. So if someone were to expose that detector to “fumes” from chloroform or another similar gas, but not for long, the reading would register on the meter but the alarm would not go off. Hope that helps you to understand.
Thank you for the explanation. It really does.
Wasn’t it a female that was on Dr Phil with her father? Do you still think she has something to do with it? Has this case been reopened yet? I hope you get answers soon. What did Morgan have the medical marijuana card for?
Minnesota Mom, Yes it was a female on Dr. Phil. Her name was Brooke Harris. I believe so strongly that she is up to her eyeballs in the stalking and the murder for many, many reasons. As far as the case being reopened, it is far more correct to say it was never investigated at all – by the Sheriff or by the Coroner. Ample proof of that exists. Funny thing about getting answers is that some guilty parties are trying to ease their consciences now by confessing to goings on back then, over 6 years after Morgan was killed.
Morgan went to a doctor for advice and in addition to treatments he did do, he suggested medical marijuana and gave her a prescription or approval – I’m not really sure how it worked then. Today I guess you just walk into a shop and buy it like cigarettes.
From my perspective the Sheriff’s reports mentioned things not a part of the crime but avoided reporting anything that was. An ex-boyfriend spent the night on the couch a few days before her death because Morgan was afraid. He heard the stalker and went out to search. He is on video doing that, but you will not read about that in the reports! But the pipe he left, that the sheriff’s left for him, is in the report. As was the vodka and beer he put in her car when he arrived the morning her body was discovered. The sheriff knew it was his because his license was in the backpack too. From his license they knew he was underage. Yet the adult sheriff gave the underage man two bottles of alcohol. In Colorado it’s a felony to obtain alcohol and give it to a minor. You would think a detective would know this. Then the sheriff wrote about how it was found in her car. Not that missing from her room were her sheets, pillowcases, pajamas, jewelry (the burglary was reported before they wrote their reports, so they knew), driver’s license and much more. I’m left defending my daughter’s memory and being asked why she had a pipe in her room and alcohol in her car instead of how obvious it was that Morgan was the victim of foul play. See how that works. For a masoganistic, dirt bag sheriff it’s easy.
I’m so sorry for your pain and suffering. Your article is well written and also followed up by some research. I’m sure there are plenty of other research articles to back you up.
I know for me, an incident I had, sent me into shock. I couldn’t move, or speak. My brain was trying to process what was happening, but it was in slow motion, and my thoughts did not connect. I lived in a house which my parents rented to a family above us.
The man upstairs was the perpetrator, and my family was below. I was fourteen, and told no one. I still couldn’t process what happened, and didn’t know how to tell anyone. Each situation is different. Another time, I was ready to jump out of a moving car when I thought I was in danger. No one knows how they will respond until they are in the situation.
Thank you for being so open about what happened to Morgan. I truly am sorry. My sister, Kathy, was murdered in 1971, she was 13, and I was barely 15 years old. It’s still unsolved.
Respectfully,
Karen
Karen – first I want to tell you that I am so sorry about what happened to you. No one should ever have to be victimized like that. You are really brave for speaking out – maybe another parent will read what you wrote and think twice before allowing strangers into a situation like yours. Parents don’t know, they are usually trusting, and would never purposely put their children in a situation like that – but it happens.
Stories like yours raise awareness, and sometimes that is all it takes to save another young life.
You mentioned that your sister, Kathy, was murdered back in 1971 and it is still unsolved, a cold case. I want to send you an email with some information and sources that might help with that case. Many cases are now being solved that are over 30 years old. Talk to you soon, and again, thank you for your bravery!
I am with you!!! I believe you!!! You are doing a great job, and the right thing. This would never in a million years be something easy to deal with! You are admirable. ❤
Amelia – your words of support give me even more strength to keep pushing for justice…thank you!
It’s called fight, flight or freeze response. Three most common type of responses in cases of fear and trauma. She either froze or was injected with a sedative that severely limited her. I do believe that.