The Unimaginable Life

Morgan always with her camera

Morgan always with her camera

Living through four months of stalking and terror…it seemed so unbearable at the time, but now it seems like just a walk in the park compared with what came next. We couldn’t protect our little girl, Steve and I, and we will live with that crushing emptiness for the rest of our lives, just as so many others are forced to do.

Everyone has their way of dealing with the tragedies in their life. Maybe for Steve and I writing a blog, and helping other victims of stalking in the memory of Morgan is our way. It does help us, yet I know all too well the accomplishments become a part of Morgan’s legacy so that gives every little thing a far deeper meaning. And as her legacy has, without doubt, been treated unfairly and unjustly by those with something to hide, there is much work still left to do.

It was so unexpected, but it was also so predictable. That the relatives of the suspects would go to any length to protect them by attacking the victim and even us. These are people who know all too well of the criminal pasts, and the criminal ways.

And isn’t it so true, that in the aftermath of a mass killing, either an evening in a movie theatre, or over many years, and across many states, leaving victims dumped or buried across the country, there are always the parents of the perpetrator that knew at the least something, and at times quite a bit. Why is it that some freely admit they knew this horrific outcome was a possibility, while others feign shock or disbelief, and then there are the most unbelievable of all, they defend as if it never happened, and anyone who thinks it did is the one with the problem.

Steve and I certainly have our weak points, but we have never had to go trolling the internet engaging in impersonation, threats, false names, twisted truths, and on and on to protect our wayward children from eventual justice. With great certainty, I know there are facts that are know by very few, but that does not stop some from presenting what they would like to be believed in Morgan’s case as if it is the obvious truth, that all should know, when it is nothing more than lies.

To date, since her untimely death, Morgan has had many doctors review her case, all specialists in what they do. Most shocking to all is how Dr. Kurtzman (the forensic pathologist) can completely ignore an Amitriptyline level in her blood perhaps less than 12 hours postmortem, and certainly less than 18 hours of 7,909 ng/ml. When 800 ng/ml would have killed her, how is she found with a level of 7,909? How was it introduced?

A research scientist, and doctor who works at a pharmaceutical company has assured us there is no way Morgan could ingest enough Amitriptyline to produce that level without vomiting it up. It can’t happen. Is this all the proof? Certainly not, just one piece! Is this the “smoking gun”? Again, certainly not! Those pieces wait patiently for their day in court, but that is not the point. The point is we know the facts, we and many others that were not willing to stand by idly and watch what was happening to Morgan have worked hard to assemble the truth. It waits for its day, and like I always remind myself, the truth never changes.

The two primary detectives on Morgan’s case had a period when they were not sure who the “ringleader” was and who was being led along the wrong path. Many conversations took place over that fact, and they assured Steve and I that they bantered the question about endlessly. Notice that the issue was not who the two perpetrators were, there was no doubt of that. The issue was, who was the leader, who was the person in charge. They finally arrived on K.V.G. with B. H. just along for the ride – we agreed with that only after an event the day Morgan’s body was found. Steve calls them pennies in a jar, all these little bits of truth that add up to the conclusions I share. What really happened to Morgan the night she was murdered has been largely constructed from those many “pennies in her jar”.

You can bet I am not about to spill any of the pennies I have been asked to keep to myself until the time comes. It is such an odd existence to maintain this silence, especially for an Italian, I grew up beating the drum when it needed beating, not maintaining silence. Not sitting by in silence, biting my lip as others draw up grandiose conclusions as to what really happened when they do not have much more than a tiny clue as to what the real facts are. I guess Dr. Kurtzman did the same thing, he was just the first. An officer with the Garfield Sheriff’s Department who prefers to remain anonymous was the first to tell us that Dr. Kurtzman does not like to be wrong, and boy was he ever right about that. Good attitude for a profession where new evidence presents itself all the time. Ditto for the Sheriff when he proclaimed he would never open this case. Shocking for people who are supposed to search for the truth.

Now is the time when those with sons and daughters who have strayed a bit too far to do some blind justification for their budding young criminal children, it’s so simple really. If Morgan was not murdered, then there was no one who murdered her. If she was not stalked, then there was no one who stalked her. There is no statute of limitations on murder, so the only way you can claim to be “cleared” is when the murderer is prosecuted and found guilty, oh and it also is not you.

One more thing, if you are identified as a “regular customer” of the cash for gold store, then who cares if on one of your many trips there, Morgan’s gold was not a part of the loot cashed in. What about all of the other times you were there, being a “regular customer”? What was cashed in then? And I really wonder, why do you have so much gold you are a regular?

I have to ask, at some point aren’t they a bit obvious. Doesn’t it become a bit too much like the Wizard of OZ? “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain”. Pay no attention to the man leaning against the front of Steve’s truck, and watching the Sheriffs drive away. Pay no attention to the young white male on the porch, punching numbers into the door lock at 4:30 am. Pay no attention to the young white male dressed all in black watching you let your dog out in the morning, ten feet away, at approximately 5:30 am in the dark!

And what about all of the foot trails on the berm behind our house, I almost forgot the trails worn into the berm. But wait, there could be a perfectly good explanation, now this is a long shot, but you have to allow for the possibility, it could all be the regulars from Catherine’s Store taking short cuts home. Isn’t that what Louise Bundy would have said? With complete seriousness too. We lived in that house for over 6 years and there never were trails worn into the berm before the stalking started.

And if you took the time to explain to Louise how there is a problem with the theory of Catherine’s Store customers trekking through the ranch on the way home, like the paddocks that look so nice and green from outer space are really full of mud (it’s why there are never horses in the end paddocks), and the irrigation ditch, which really does not show at all, is full of water and makes a big splash, and thud as you trip through it. How there are not really many residents in our neighborhood to go there anyway. And finally the trails over the berm starting behind our house don’t really lead to Catherine’s store. They do lead to the same place as the trails from the walk around in early November 2011 did, to B.H.’s house at the end of the street. But as Louise would say, that is such a minor point…right?

Morgan had her dreams and her goals. She worked very hard at them until the day they were all taken from her. And if Morgan could have one dream right now it would be that other victims do not have to suffer the same fate she did. There is still a stalker/murderer out there that has not been arrested, and be assured he will do it again…he can not stop.

Steve and I are here to make sure that doesn’t happen, for as many as possible. That Morgan’s true legacy can become as bright as her life on earth was, she deserves at the very least for that to happen.

Morgan’s army of angels has been helping us in such a huge way, finding us experts in their fields for their review of the evidence, finding us legal council to help us through all the steps needed to move forward, keeping the pressure on, helping us to advance, and go up the chain of command – if any other angels out there want to help as well please email me through the website on the contact button…be assured, I will answer…the help and advice we have been offered has made all the difference in the world, and I know there are still angels out there that can help even more. Thank you all for your support and help! Steve and I couldn’t do this without you.

Protection Orders – should you get one or not? The million dollar question.

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Ask most any law enforcement officer if they agree with protection orders, and you will most likely get an answer something like, you are taking a big chance with protection orders.  And are they are right, and if so why?  Because too many times a TRO, aka Temporary Restraining Order, aka Protection Order is issued and the person meant to be protected is vandalized, beaten or killed.  Doesn’t sound like a very good thing does it?

But how could this be?  If you are being stalked or a victim of a sexual crime, or domestic abuse you need protection, you deserve protection, your life depends on it.  And once again, why is that?  Because your tormentor, your perpetrator, the pervert who has you in their cross hairs needs to be stopped NOW, and the ugly truth is that at present this piece of paper states simply, “you (the perpetrator) need to stop this, now, or else!  This person is so close to unhinged that a little piece of paper like this could send him or her over the edge, completely unhinged, and they will retaliate, against you, for doing nothing except trying to protect yourself, your children, and your pets.  And your death could be on the table as one of the potential retaliations to this piece of paper.

Then of course there are the less lethal varieties of retaliation, your tires could be sliced, all four, your home may be entered and destroyed, your pets could be threatened, and then killed, on and sickening on, and sickening on.  Doesn’t sound very much like protection does it?  And if your perp is that close to being unhinged to begin with shouldn’t that be a clue as to how dangerousness he is to begin with?

Ever notice that if law enforcement is responding to a call, and there is a warning that the suspect is “to be considered armed, and dangerous” oh boy, there is now an entirely new protocol in place.  Double the responders, weapons all drawn, shoot to kill.  Why is a Protection Order in Place less important?  Why is a suspected felony stalking that includes tapping on windows again any less of a danger?  Why was a call for Morgan less important than “to be considered armed, and dangerous”.  Why is she dead while her tormentor lives on?  To Steve and I this does not seem very fair, or equitable.

Morgan identified her stalker to others, including law enforcement over 35 times.  Five months after her death the Garfield Sheriff’s Department not only had no suspect, they all of a sudden NEVER had a suspect.  Who was it that Morgan was reporting?  K.V.G.,  grand theft auto, trespassing, breaking and entering, theft by receiving (as part of a plea bargain), possession with intent to distribute,  identified by J.H., B.H’s father, as the stalker.  The stalker that I was told with certainty, to the exclusion of all others, by the detective assigned to catch him, only two days before Morgan was murdered.  The same detective that told me that things might escalate.  The young man in question who so quickly pointed the finger at his “ex” girlfriend.  Then pointed the finger at his next door neighbor, sorry Wiley, we know better, but he did try to blame you. The young man in question, that pillar of society, according to his manager at work, caught with a trunk load of drugs, and a scale, who regularly pawned gold for cash to the point they instantly recognized him as a regular customer.  Where is he getting all this gold to pawn anyway? isn’t that worthy of one question?  And in case you forgot, all of Morgan’s valuable jewelry was missing the night she was killed.  Pumped up with at least 2,500 mg of a deadly drug.  While pathologists across the country are lost for an explanation as to how her levels could be just under 8,000 ng/ml, which is ten times the level that would have caused little Morgan’s lethal dose.  You read right, they were ten times what would have caused her death!

Dr. Kurtzman, the Forensic Pathologist that did Morgan’s autopsy had no problem with an explanation, “insignificant”, that’s what he said it was, insignificant even when questioned by other doctors!  Until almost nine months later, when he decides it suddenly becomes “significant”, so much so that it proves her suicide, is this guy really serious?  Did he talk with Morgan’s doctors, any of them? NO!  Did he talk with her teachers, any of them?  NO!  Did he talk with her friends, any of them?  NO!  Did he talk with her parents, yes he did, and when we told him that she wasn’t taking that he told us the parents are always the last to know.  I said that is not true, and he hung up.

I could go on for hours, but I’m sure you get the idea. Did they have a suspect? Yes!  A #1, oh he did it, we are a 100% sure suspect.  They just changed their mind, the Sheriff’s Department, after Morgan was found dead.  Morgan does not get to change her mind, she suffers the consequences of incompetence, forever.  Dead at age twenty, with a book full of plans for her future, only two years left before she can get her Bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT’s to go to law school, and the Sheriff’s department is content to read through her iphone, and decide no evidence on her death existed there.

Then where was it?  The evidence? Or was Garfield County just more concerned with keeping their perfect suicide record they have going?

So what about those protection orders?  I feel like it comes down to who is enforcing them, how, and how seriously.  When I asked in the beginning about a protection order for Morgan I got double talk.  It went like this – If you hold off on the protection order, we can do all these things that we won’t be able to do after you get a protection order.  Sounded good so we held off with a protection order and then they promptly did none of the things they were going to do if we held off with the protection order.  What exactly was the reasoning for that?

Read about protection orders, they travel with you.  It is up to you, but a copy can be filed with every law enforcement agency at places you travel to, and they are required to be upheld.  Are you thinking that only if you travel they are worth it?  Remember my story about different agencies right here in the valley that do not communicate?

If Morgan had a protection order I could have filed it with the Garfield Sheriff’s Department, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Department, the Aspen Police Department, the Snowmass Police Department, the Basalt Police Department, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Department, the Carbondale Police Department, the Colorado State Troopers, and the Glenwood Springs Police Department.  Then whenever Morgan saw the man, anywhere in this valley, that she had identified over 35 times to others, she would have an agency to call and they would be required to arrest him.  Do you know how I know this?  A lawyer explained it for me last week.  Not Morgan’s detective who told me to hold off so he could implement a few things first, then did nothing.  A lawyer told me.  And this was just one of the many reasons he told us about protection orders, some were good, and some were not so good.

MISTAKE, trusting the local law when it comes to protection orders, see a lawyer or see a judge, and ask their advice, then ask the judge for free legal counsel, call victims rights in your state, and ask them for a referral.  Don’t let your child get killed.  They mean far too much to you, and to the world.  And you deserve answers, early and often, not apologies, and avoidance, long after it is too late.

Morgan prays for all of the victims in the world…Steve and I join her.  You deserve the best – the absolute best.

ALERT! I was just notified about people that are going on the Internet using fake ID’s…please read this.

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WARNING – I was just notified today that there are people on the Internet – yes, the same ones, I assume, that have been posting all the hate messages, and horrible lies online, ever since I started this blog.  There is a murderer and then there are those eager to cover his tracks, this is evidently a given in the world of the internet, so I never go on to read about the hate, but I do get notified by others, screen shots and to save for that day when needed.  I just feel like it would be ridiculous to go on and read about the lies…lies are lies, and most people can see through the lies.  When someone spouts hate about someone else I think it becomes very apparent what they are trying to do.

Anyway, I think it is definitely my duty to warn everyone that people out there are now using a fake ID’s (trying to dupe people into thinking it is me) so people think that they are conversing with me, or adding me to their Facebook, or email or whatever else they are using.  Someone has even taken my picture from the taping of the Dr. Phil show, and they are now using it as their Avatar.  So please be aware that these people, yes maybe some are a little off there rockers, and others I know to be connected to the criminal that murdered Morgan, and they are trying in the only way they know (cyber bullying) to get to me…sorry, won’t work.

To read more about how to spot a fake ID you can read about it on Sarah Afshar’s latest article for Yahoo. (I also heard they are using fake ID’s to impersonate the writer Sarah Afshar as well – they must have a lot of time on their hands, or they are very worried that the noose is tightening)  Below is the link:

http://www.sarahafshar.com/2013/02/catfish-101-8-ways-to-spot-fake-online.html

How do stalkers become more lethal over time? More stories to share.

In December I received the following from other stalking victims:

First and foremost I am very very sorry for your loss. I just finished watching your episode on Dr. Phil and I was very moved by your story. Your daughter was so young and beautiful and I have no words to express how sorry I am for your loss.

I believe you and your husband with all my heart, I feel the police did not do their jobs correctly and I pray that you get the proper investigation that you deserve.

I was stalked by and ex boyfriend. I was with him for 5 years and he made my life a living hell. I was afraid to leave because he was both physically and mentally abusive towards me and threatened if I left he would kill me or permanently disfigured me so I can no longer model, as I am a full time model. Plus he happened to be a detective for the police department and he would use that to his advantage to torment me. When I did finally get the courage to leave it all became hell. I called the police numerous times and it was almost as if they were protecting him. The internal affairs investigation was BS and they said they couldn’t proceed with it until the criminal investigation in court was concluded. I have a temporary order of protection against him and that’s been ongoing for 3 years. We are still going to court, and he and his lawyer must have adjourned it 30 times! Now he’s retired and internal affairs says they can no longer investigate him, because he’s no longer employed by the police department! So I definitely feel an injustice too.

I’m sorry to ramble on and there is a lot more, but I don’t want to take up anymore of your time. My purpose of this letter was to let you know that the police can be very sneaky in protecting themselves and being lazy. Especially when they know they’re in the wrong they will go above and beyond to cover up what they did. HOWEVER if it was their daughter they would feel differently. I have a lot of empathy for people, and I’m truly sorry again for your loss, when I put myself in your shoes and have no idea what I would do.

Your husband and you handle yourself very intelligently, and were very composed, I give you a tremendous amount of credit.

If there is anything I could do to help you or get the word out please let me know, I have a big following on the Internet.

Have a wonderful blessed day.

And another from December:

There is so much I want to say after finding this blog.  I was stalked for a little over 18 years. That experience changed my life and changed who I am.  Prior to that I would have never supported owning a gun, or ever thought I could aim, and shoot.  I know I could kill now if I had to.  I also had to deal with the Sheriff’s dept of the county of San Diego, and they would not even come out when I called for help.  My torment ended after my stalker shot at his father, and a neighbor across the street.  My stalker lived next door, and even though I had him arrested once, I could not get any help.  (Short version of my story)

And here are more stories from January:

Thanks for this blog being up. I’m so sorry that this happened to everyone in your family. I really appreciate how dedicated you are to preventing things like this from happening again, and your transparency about what happened. Your honesty comes through and inspires me to feel like I can still find ways to try to get through this even though I feel like I’m working by myself on it.

I’ve been stalked for 6 years now by my ex and I wish that my parents and family would be half as supportive as you guys are. I totally understand how frustrating working with the police is, they’ve seriously tried to discourage me from even thinking there’s anything that’s happening, or that I can do anything about it.

I’ve found that having a lawyer is about 3,000 times more efficient than the police. Hopefully I can eventually put an end to this.  I haven’t slept feeling safe in years. I also want to thank you for all the wonderful tips for survival.  I’ll take all of them I can get.

Good luck with your case, if there’s anything I can do I will.

In solidarity

Then in February:

Mrs. Ingram,

I have been glued to my screen the last few days, every chance I get to read Morgan’s story from beginning to current, and it’s broken my heart a little more every page at a time. I am so, so very sorry for what has happened to your family, the terror you have lived through, and the unimaginable loss of your daughter.  I wish there was more comfort to be given than “I’m so sorry” but I know that as someone who has not lost a child, I cannot fully comprehend this. On your September 30th blog, you mentioned you wanted stories from victims… and I have a small story.

A few years ago when I worked in a public library, a young man who came in relatively regularly (and always been very polite) started to chat with me at the desk, and quickly went from “how about that nice weather” to “What do you want to do with your life?” I firmly, but very kindly shut him down, saying to him, “It’s against work policy for me to discuss my personal life.” Well, he left very angry and I did not see him again for perhaps a year. Then… he came back. Reintroduced himself… and began to leave notes for me at the desk. He came in when there was less security in the building, he always sat at a computer where he could see me at my work desk, and just… watched. I notified my boss about it, and she made an incident report. Then, a month later he tried to give me jewelry, which I firmly declined, telling him that I cannot accept gifts. ” Again, he became terribly angry and stormed away, and I made another incident report with my boss. Some time later he came up to the desk while I was away and tried to get the girl there to give out where I was working behind the desk hat day, and then tried to get my number to call me, and then angry, stormed away only to return 20 minutes later with a note addressed to me, along with his number begging me to call him. I photocopied the note, attached it to an email to my boss and filled out another incident report. By then, all of our security guards were aware of this, and both police officers that worked part-time there were aware of his description.

At any urban library there’s a few crazies and a few inappropriate people, but you must always follow your instincts. What made me so afraid of this man wasn’t that he would get angry, or that he would storm away from my desk or even that he tried to give me things… what scared me was how smart he was. I saw the books he read, and he was well-read. I had spoken enough with him to recognize a wide vocabulary, an articulate and precise way with words and a keen sense of humor… and that someone that intelligent, and relatively socially graceful as he was (other librarians would remark that he seemed so nice, and so much fun to help look for books with), he could not understand, or refused to understand that how he was behaving towards me was even slightly inappropriate or menacing.  Whenever he was in at the end of the day, and left with the other patrons when we closed, and I closed that day, one of our security personnel or other staff members would drive me to my car so that he would not see me exit the building, or get a sense of where I lived. I changed up my parking, I occasionally got rides from coworkers so my car wasn’t there, and I changed my routes to my car frequently so that it would be harder to figure out which car was mine.

Eventually, I saw him less and less in the building and I was finally grateful when I took a job in a law firm instead.

Interestingly, he never made an attempt (to my knowledge) to approach me outside of my job, and I am grateful that it never escalated beyond that. Now, this was less than a year ago since I’ve last seen him, but my former boss has kept my incident reports on file, we have him on security footage, and since my law firm is in the same area as the library I am still,t o this day wary about walking down there. I keep hoping and praying that that was all it ever will be, but I haven’t completely let down my guard…

And again here is another story:

I commented earlier, right after seeing the show. I was about to leave for work and didn’t have a lot of time. You are so gracious to thank Dr. Phil after being on the show. It was good that you got to share your story, or I would have never known. But, honestly, that is all the thanks Dr. Phil deserves. He tried to make you look like a bad person. He implied your daughter used alcohol and drugs. If she did, would that justify what happened to her? Of all the people supporting your blog, he found and AIRED one critic. He barely asked the other people any questions that would explain their relationship to your family.

I am a 41 years old teacher. I was stalked and my entire family was terrorized when I was 23 years old. It went on for a year, until one female judge finally got the case in her court and put my stalker away for a year. For one year of punishment, I have a lifetime of emotional damage. You and your family need justice AND psychological healing. Dr. Phil did not appear to offer you either one. Your airing is and was the last time I watched his show.

And then here is a similar thing that happened to me when I was 11 years old, walking home from school (my mother did not believe me either, and never called the police to report the incident) – here is the story that another reader emailed to me:

Long ago, I was stalked.  When I was 14 years old walking home from the 7 eleven a car was following me.  He stayed behind me and slowly stayed far enough back to where I didn’t notice him until I turned a corner into my neighborhood, then I noticed him.  I had an angel or guide that led me to safety.  At the last possible minute I crossed the street before mine, and he started to speed up to catch me, and I took off running, weaving in and out of houses, and then I laid low behind a big thick hedge.  I heard his car going up and down the street, when I heard him on the 3rd time at the end of the street away from me, I ran into my house, locked the doors, and peaked out of the window.  He went up and down at least 10 times trying to locate which house.  I do believe he would have kidnapped me and killed me for it was a small neighborhood where I knew every car and his car I have never seen.  Melbourne, Florida was where I lived at the time.  I never got a good look at him, only his car, and silhouette.   I told my mother when she got home from work (I was a latch key), but she didn’t believe me so the police were never called.   I lived in fear for a year, afraid to go to the bus stop, or anywhere for that matter.  I can relate a little bit, however I wasn’t stalked on a daily bases this was only one incident, so I know the fear I felt, and I cannot imagine what 4 months would have been like.

Then this stalking victim said:

He followed me in the car as I walked, staying back far enough to where I didn’t hear the car, but I was able to see his silhouette and car.  There were two people that were in the news that could match him.  A serial killer named Gerald Stano, and Ted Bundy.  I do believe it was Gerald Stano for he was into the type of car that this perp drove, and he was also known to drive down to Brevard County.    Once I was aware he was following me I did not run right away, I knew I had to get into a position first.  This is what saved my life!  If I ran the second I knew he was following me, he would have caught up to me.  I crossed the street and stepped on to the sidewalk before my street, letting him think I lived down that street, and I did not walk fast, or show body language, that would have let him know that I knew he was following me.  When I crossed the street, I was able to turn my head to get a look at the car and saw his silhouette.  Once I got close enough to a house 3rd house down the street is when I took off running for my life!

I just have to send this to someone since nobody believes me to this day!  No even my mother.

The car I saw was GREEN, it had one of those scoops on the front hood, the guy had dark hair, a little curly and short, not fat and not thin either.

I read this only last year, and this is when I figured out who stalked me.

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This is an except from a book.  The writer Kimberly interviewed Stano when he was in prison.  One of his statements is in italic.  Notice he stated “Then I would go out riding around and I would find a girl walking”

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Here he describes his car.  When I figured it out, I literally freaked out, and to this day I have survivors guilt.  If my mom had believed me, and I was able to give a description of his car, maybe I could have saved lives!  This was 1974/75 time frame.  It also was reported and suspected that a few deaths around my area are connected to Stano, but Stano would not confess to them.  One was a guy that lived off of US 1 just 4 miles south of where I lived.

The street I was walking down on the right side on sidewalk of Albeto:  My street was Fairfax top left, I crossed the street at Galleon Ave.  I noticed him soon as I turned on to the main straight away. Jackson street. The 3rd house in on the right I hid in the thick bush.  My house on Fairfax Ave. was directly behind the 3rd house, I hid in the bush.

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PS: This is a dump of a neighborhood now, back then it was a brand new subdivision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please keep sharing others stalking stories – the awareness they bring will eventually bring much needed change!

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Like yesterday, for today’s blog I decided to just post a few of the emails I have received from other stalking victims again (these all came in last October & November) – all of these emails have made us more aware of the plight of other stalking victims, so I feel that all of these stories can do the same for others…what we can learn from these experiences can help us change the way things are done in the future.

This reader wrote in last October:

First, I wanted to say what an amazing thing it is that you are doing by sharing your story!  I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this has been for you, but you are raising awareness for something so terrible! Thank you for that!

I just read yesterday’s blog where you mentioned a phone number, and how it was a 904 number, and then he posted a different number on his FB… This reminded me of a situation with an ex-boyfriend about a year and a half ago.

He would text & call me non-stop, paying no attention to my multiple requests asking him to stop. (I was told to ask him to stop so that I had proof that I was not ‘asking’ for him to text or call). I finally decided to change my phone number (which apparently costs $) to get it to stop, but somehow he managed to get the number.. I guess that people I thought were ‘friends’ didn’t care to respect my wishes not to give him my number. I then found out that AT&T offered parental controls / smart limits for wireless. For $4.99/mo I could add this to my plan so I would be able to block a ‘limited’ amount of numbers, and I remember thinking there was no price for the peace of mind I would get from not receiving these calls & texts anymore. Well, that didn’t last long – the iphone has some silly little app (I wish I knew what it was called) that he was able to download and make calls from, but it would not show the call from his actual registered cell #. I would never answer any number I didn’t know, but he would always leave a message or a text, so I knew it was him. I looked the numbers up on the reverse look up and they would be registered to various states all over the U.S.  I called the phone company very evidently upset, and they had no solutions to the problem other than to change my number again (and this time they offered to do it at no charge). I remember feeling so upset that I had to keep changing things in my life just to avoid him. The harassing started in MO when I lived with my parents, and then I moved out of state soon after. I was told that in order to try to get any charges placed I would have to file where it all started. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? I did change my number that last time and to my knowledge he still doesn’t have it, neither do a lot of people from my past, but I just don’t want to risk him having the chance to get it. I’ll occasionally get messages from him on FB because he creates new profiles and somehow gets through, but I ignore them.

I read your story, and feel horrible for Morgan. I feel as though I know her just through reading this, and it breaks my heart that she was left feeling so unprotected by the people in her community that are put in place for our protection. It seems that quite often the criminal/suspect has more rights/protection than the victim and that HAS to change.

I’m not sure if sharing my story about the “app” will help you, but I do hope you can catch this creep!

And another that wrote in last October:

Hi there 🙂  Your story and situation has touched me big time. I was stalked once by an ex boyfriend who I later found out was Schizophrenic. That was the scariest year of my life. The worst part was that no one warned me or told me about his condition (including his own mother). He was on medication for years I guess, and grew accustomed to the person he was while on the meds. When I met him he showed no signs of sickness or being unwell.  After a few months he stopped taking his meds, and broke up with me only to severely stalk me at my residence and my job. Everywhere I went, there he was. After a year of living in fear with no cooperation from authorities or anyone, he  finally slipped up with someone else, and ended up being put away. That was 2 years ago. Since then I have gotten engaged, and now live with my Fiancé in England. Any who, I see a lot of myself in Morgan (except I’m 9 years older) and I have been so moved by you and your family. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.

And in response to the handful of people out there on the Internet trying to stir up trouble in order to defend the suspect, she also said:

People who try to dissect things to that extreme are obviously up to no good. Can’t wait for the day that they feel dumb when the truth comes out. <3

And yet another story also sent in October:

I was born and have grown up in the Roaring Fork Valley for the past 23 years. My little brother, went to school with Morgan, and I know so many of the people that knew her.

She touched so many lives in a truly incredible way; I wish I could have known her.

I cannot begin to express my deepest regrets and condolences for what has happened to your beautiful daughter. No one deserves to meet their end at the hand of someone so cruel and empty.

I have followed your blog since late July, but have never quite had the courage to say anything. However, a couple of weeks ago, I was followed home, verbally threatened and have since seen the same man three or four times around my workplace, and bus stop. There is “nothing the police can do”, but to be honest, I don’t know that I ever had faith that they would.

It is sad to know that we can’t turn to the people who are meant to protect us when we need them the most. But as a result, people come out of the shadows to show and give support beyond anything imaginable. This is our world and, unfortunately, we must take it back from the people who are destroying it. You and Morgan have given me the strength, courage and confidence to fight back, and for that I am truly grateful.

I can only imagine a fraction of the terror you and your family have experienced, but please know that if there is ever anything I can do – or contribute to – I am and always will be here for Morgan and for you.  With so much love.

And here is another email sent to us in November:

First I’m very sorry for your loss, next in 1996 a so called friend had started befriending me I was using drugs then, but long story short this so called friend I let in my home he had me pinned, and was going to inject me with an overdose of meth – thank God my roommate walked in just in time.  Turned out this guy was stalking me for someone else and was told to kill me… IT DOES HAPPEN so do not stop looking into your daughters death it sounds fishy to me to, and after living through my own nightmare don’t let anyone tell you that this could not happen, as i know for a fact it can and has.

And again, another email that came in to us in November:

I commented earlier, right after seeing the Dr. Phil show. I was about to leave for work and didn’t have a lot of time. You are so gracious to thank Dr. Phil after being on the show. It was good that you got to share your story, or I would have never known. But, honestly, that is all the thanks Dr. Phil deserves. He tried to make you look like a bad person. He implied your daughter used alcohol and drugs. If she did, would that justify what happened to her? Of all the people supporting your blog, he found and AIRED one critic. He barely asked the other people any questions that would explain their relationship to your family.

I am a 41 years old teacher. I was stalked and my entire family was terrorized when I was 23 years old. It went on for a year, until one female judge finally got the case in her court and put my stalker away for a year. For one year of punishment, I have a lifetime of emotional damage. You and your family need justice AND psychological healing. Dr. Phil did not appear to offer you either one. Your airing is and was the last time I watched his show.