Tag Archives: Stalking

October 7 – 8, 2011 – Days 67 & 68 of Morgan’s Stalking – The Stakeout…

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Aspen Tree

In the morning Steve and I went out to breakfast at our favorite local’s hangout in Carbondale, we texted Morgan (she was with a friend) to see if she would join us and she did.  Every time we went there Morgan would order the exact same breakfast, so it got to the point where we would just order for her, after checking of course.

After breakfast, Steve and I spent some time painting the motion detectors a brown camouflage color, so they did not stand out at night.  The motion detectors were the most consistent weapon in our arsenal.  The stalker could not cross through an area covered without setting the detector off.  The way they were deployed was giving us advance warning to a window banging event.  It had not allowed us to actually catch him, but it was certainly the most promising.  Early detection is the key, just like cancer, if you think about it.

A friend of Morgan’s texted her around 7:00 pm, “Dude. Now considering Stanford? They offer Romanian.”  Earlier that Spring when Morgan was out on location, working and helping her big sister, they stopped at Stanford on the way home. Morgan was quite smitten with the possibility of attending the law school there.  Morgan always had ultimate faith in herself, and was positive that if she knew the requirements, she could meet them.  Morgan answered her friend, “Yesss!!” And she responded, “Doing some school research. Seeing what I can find. =D.”

Detective Glassmire was coming out for a stakeout, naturally we were kept in the dark about actual arrival and departure times, but he agreed to text me on the way out.  There was no way I was waiting until the next day to find out what if anything had happened. At 2:06 am I could not contain myself any longer, and sent a text to him, “Backyard motion detector light going on and off – same time as last night.” Detective Glassmire texts back, “Okay, we did leave at 12:45 am, and we did notice that the backyard motion detector did go on and off twice while we were watching it.  Definitely was not us at that time, as we were very far from that light.  Otherwise quiet while we were there.”  I texted back, “OK better luck next time.  Morgan never alerted us to anything on her window tonight.”  Detective Glassmire texted back, “Okay, that’s where we focused on, we will be in touch soon, have a good night.”  I texted back, “You too.”

This was the night (the only night that I know of) that they did a stake out to try to catch the stalker.  Detective Glassmire the next day suggested that maybe we had a faulty motion light and that’s why it would go on and off in the middle of the night.  So Steve swapped it for another light that we could also see from our room, but hadn’t been going on and off, now that that light was put where the other light had been it still did the same thing, so it wasn’t defective – what we didn’t know at the time was that this was the area that was being triggered, because this is where the stalker was getting on to our roof!!!

Today it is October 5, 2012 – and I’m sure I’ve said this before, but it will always bear saying again.  Months after Morgan was murdered we found evidence that the stalker had been gaining access to our roof from that exact area that would set off that motion light, he would run over the berm, towards the back of our house, and climb up the Aspen tree that was leaning right up against the back of our house.  Once up on the roof he had the advantage to be able to see up and down the streets, as well as the advantage to hide where the roof comes together – it created a perfect hiding place for him.  He could also lean over the edge of the roof, body against the metal gutter over Morgan’s room, and see in to her room, or dangle something down to tap or bang on her window, ever eluding the Sheriff’s and all others.  He was “getting off” in being able to make fools out of the Sheriffs.

Except for one, Rhonda’s little dog Sammie, next door, that used to bark in the middle of the night at his window that faced Morgan’s side of the house.  But, unfortunately dogs can’t talk (or at least most of us don’t understand what they are saying), so we never knew that the stalker was on our roof.  But the little dog knew, and he tried to tell us…so many times.

Click here to read about the 69th – 73rd days of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=1640

Stories of stalking…what if stories of the victims helped heal and empower others?

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Morgan's photo of rings of a tree

Just like the rings of a tree, every year we grow, always building on what has come before.

Every day I sit in front of a computer and relive a day that led up to my daughter’s death.  I was truly uncertain as to how she had died at first, and Steve and I sought out a second opinion.  We were shocked, in denial, exercising avoidance, you name a psychological name that protects you from the brutal truth, and there is a good chance it was humming full speed in us at that time.

Along this path to recovery we had a third opinion, a fourth, a fifth, so many we have lost track.  All wonderful caring professionals I will never be able to thank enough for the time they took, and the compassion with which they treated our family.  Completely diametrically opposed to the way we were treated by the Coroner Trey Holt and the subcontractor who does his autopsies Dr. Robert Kurtzman.  At one point I remember Steve pointing out that if the score was being kept it was 12 -1, Twelve professionals certain that the one, Dr. Robert Kutzman was wrong.  As you can imagine that did not go over well with Dr. Robert Kurtzman,  obviously not used to being questioned or having to answer tough questions he became frustrated and dismissed it all as “none of these other doctors can testify, only I can testify in court, and he was so wrong about that too.   But he and Trey Holt had their own agenda, and I really am at a loss to explain what that might have been.  The well being of our family as we dealt with this nightmare, and the pursuit of justice for Morgan Jennifer Ingram did not exist for those two.

Even Thomas Walton, of whom I spoke yesterday, he may have really been trying to do a good job, but if his requirements were zero, and his training was zero, and if part of his job description was to make sure his boss got the job of handling the funeral to come, well if that was the case, he did as good as he could have been expected to.  They are completely separate entities you know, or at least they are supposed to be. The Coroner’s office – ultimate authority for the cause of death, none higher – then the funeral home is what comes after, and only after the County Coroner has completed his job and released the body.  That they are the same person is problematic to be sure, but that is sort of the law here in Colorado.

I have found it really important to share what happened, and along the path to recovery the most amazing thing has happened.  Sharing the story has become the rock around which Steve and I rebuild… our family, the search for truth, and justice for Morgan, and even ourselves.

It has been on my mind for a long time and I believe today is the day.  So many have shared with me their stories of stalking, as you know there have even been a few arrests across the country,  arrests I am told would not have happened were it not for Morgan’s story being shared.  People have realized by reading her story that they have a stalker and need to report it and not just keep it to themselves.

So I want to do something, I want to ask all of you who have been victims of stalking to try something.  Share your story with Morgan, don’t use your real name, maybe initials.  But tell what happened, and how it made you feel, and what you did about it, and the State it happened in, short or long as you want.  This is all in the hopes that it will help to heal and, my fingers are crossed here,  rip the cover off this crime called stalking for all the country, and the world to see.   So keep that in mind as you write.  Then send it to me as an  anonymous tip.  I think it would be a good thing to have a group of stories of stalking.  People are so absolutely amazed by the story of Morgan’s stalking, and certain it has to be told.  Maybe your story will touch a chord too, and maybe that is the real story here.

September 30, 2011 – Day 60 of Morgan’s stalking – How is he doing this? All of this?

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Before any of us leave the house this morning a friend in the neighborhood is walking her dog at 5:15 am and sees Keenan drive into the cul-de-sac, and pull into Brooke’s dad’s driveway, where he is living with Brooke & her father James Harris. Based on a feeling, our friend stops and watches him sitting in his car. Keenan is aware he is being watched by our neighbor and a standoff of sorts ensues with neither of them willing to make a move for a long while. Finally Keenan gets out of his car, and goes directly to the rear door of his car and opens it. He pulls out what is described to me as a “range bag” and goes directly into the house with it. Our friend explains to us that the bag is used to transport pistols, ammunition and related gear to a shooting range, hence the name range bag. There is concern, and this information is passed on to me, and I agree that it should go right to the detectives.

I felt that if there were ever a confrontation, knowledge of the existence of this bag could be important. The next day I told Detective Rob and he agrees completely and is very thankful this information has been passed on. He says that in any situation the knowledge of the existence of firearms is very important in order to respond correctly and safely. He encourages me to pass along any additional information, and wonders if I have an accurate description for the bag. I do not and I give him the neighbors phone number who has a willingness and desire to speak with him about this, and other incidents that have been whiteness Detective Rob thanks me for the number and says he will call soon as he can. But as one thing led to another, he never did call to speak with this individual.

Just before 5:55 am, it is still dark out, and Morgan is awakened by a loud scraping noise on her windows. Morgan alerts us with the panic button and Steve is immediately running down the hall to her room, and once he found out what had happened, he goes outside with a mag light in hand and goes directly around to her windows. Steve does not see anything there and continues through the back and over the berm, checking in both directions for any movement. But he does not see anything.

I go out the front door also, locking the door behind me, and out into the street. I check the neighborhood in all directions and the only light on in any of the houses is the front room at Brookes’s dad’s house. We were still not sure what that room might be, but that the light was on and that Keenan’s car was in the driveway was recorded in our book. It would be much later in the day before we learned of the incident in Brooke’s dad’s driveway at 5:15 am.

Steve has circled all around the neighborhood and returned to the house and we were standing in the kitchen, certain we had just missed him by inches. I tell Steve that while he was gone Morgan came out to tell me that her lights outside her window went on and off when he passed by on his way out to the berm, and then a while after that it happened again and at first she thought it was her father coming back by her room, but then heard me talking to him on the phone so she knew it was not him.

This sent Steve back out the front door and out into the street to see exactly what I had – Keenan’s car in the driveway, the light on in the front room, and the rest of the neighborhood still sleeping. He came back in and joined me in the kitchen again. It was not a minute before Morgan came out of her room to tell us that it had just happened again with the lights outside.

Steve and I poured mugs of coffee and sat in front of the monitor replaying the cameras for Morgan’s window over and over. No animals, just the light going on, then off, then Steve running by, and the light detecting his motion, going off, then coming on again for apparently nothing. No animals, was written in our notes for the morning by Steve three times, darker each time, and underlined the third time.

We all had busy days ahead and that was the end of a busy morning. Morgan was babysitting in Aspen until late and my meeting that evening was over before expected and at 7:20 pm I texted her “Got out early. I’m comin’ home now”. A half minute later Morgan answered, “OK”.

Steve was already home looking at the video when I arrived, searching for an answer he had yet to find. He told me that he had decided he would move the cameras, not to a different place, just rotated a little. Every day he would go outside and go to each camera and maybe move that one or maybe not. That way no matter if someone was watching or not a spot that was safe for the stalker the day before would not be safe anymore.

Morgan was finished babysitting before expected and was home just before 8:30 pm. She was in her room and winding down when there was a loud noise at 10:41 pm. She didn’t know what it was. It was not her windows, it could have been in the garage and Steve went to check. Nothing. Trying to explain the noise the best Morgan could do was call it the house, but it was too loud to be the house.

Steve and I sat out on the couch and watched our favorite series at the time with the volume tuned all the way off. Two episodes before we were feeling like whatever it was it was over. I checked in on Morgan and she was sleeping. Her puppy Wylah, lifted an ear without moving, and looked at me.

Today it is September 28, 2012 Today the lawyers are in as much indecision and disbelief at what has happened as we were a year ago – especially on that day. Our notes speak loudly, not by the words, but by the darkness and underlining therein. Back then we could not for the life of us figure out what was going on. Today we now know someone was on the roof, and it makes perfect sense. We had no idea during the stalking how the stalker could be tripping the motion lights, but not getting caught on camera – after Morgan’s murder we knew…he was on our roof!  How else could someone have done what they did that day – lying, sitting, hiding, and watching from up on the roof, simple. The noise at 10:41 pm, could that have been someone jumping from high up on the ridge of the roof to a lower spot with the resounding boom that would cause perhaps? And ask me again if “law enforcement,” was ever up there after, to like search for clues, you know they were not before you ask. Just as surely as you know that Morgan was murdered, by a date rape cocktail, her body moved into a different position and “staged,” and that her jewelry stolen – – and now all Steve and I have to do is prove it, piece of cake. . .right?

Click here to read about the 61st day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=1501

September 26, 2011 – Day 56 of Morgan’s stalking – we meet our detective

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snow on Mount Sopris

After her classes, Morgan came home and just hung out and rested.  I worked and waited to meet our detective at 4:00 pm.  Steve came home early from work, and we laid out our array of papers for the meeting.

The detective called and he was running late, I told him we were all home and ready anytime, so that was fine.  Just before 5:00 pm we met, it was 56 days into Morgan’s stalking, and now it was officially a felony stalking case.  We hadn’t called the sheriffs on day one of the stalking, so it was actually more like around 52 days since the first call to the Garfield sheriffs, but they knew when it had first started.  The detective didn’t have the case number with him, but said he would get that to us once he got back to his office and looked it up.

We went over our records, showed him the cameras and the systems in place to protect Morgan.  He told us that not many people went to such lengths, and we could certainly file a claim, a compensation claim with the victim’s rights coordinator, and get reimbursed for at least part of what we were spending on all of our stuff.  That was nice to hear as it was a considerable expense so far, but we never did.  We were more hopeful about putting an end to all of this, and there had not been one in sight up until now, we all discussed exactly where this case was at this moment in time.

The detective had obviously talked with some of the deputies who had become our “regulars” on the case so far. He said Garfield County had a protocol of shifting the officers around to different areas of the county on a regular basis, and we did not have a group of the same two or three deputies, over time, I wouldn’t be surprised if we had met all of the patrol deputies eventually in the entire department.  He knew that the deputies so far had zeroed in on one person, but he said he was going to be revisiting everything and would, “go where the evidence led him.”  It was too late to cast any of the footprints or fingerprints, and at that time none of our pictures were clear enough to identify one exact person, so it could take a while.

Morgan explained the usual events, and how she had been followed, and was not certain when it had really began, but knew that since August 2 it had been pretty constant.  The detective asked her for suspects, and Morgan had one name for him, Keenan Vanginkel, we added a few more to the list, but those names we thought might be helping the stalker, and not actually the stalker.  She was downplaying her fear, and how upset she would get, so I felt I had to encourage her to tell the detective how she really felt as this was happening – that helped.  Morgan had built up a wall to what was going on, and when she let that down she instantly started to tear up, and almost cry, as she explained how she felt about what had been happening.  Morgan never liked to be thought of as weak, and it was uncomfortable to watch her struggle, but it had to come out.  I wondered if the detective was seeing the same thing I was.

After he left, Morgan could not get out of the house fast enough.  She was upset that she had shown a little weakness, and was now going to see her friends in Carbondale, where she could pretend everything was normal.  Steve and I talked about the meeting, and were not sure what to make of it, it was not what I had expected, but then I had nothing to compare it with either.

Steve texted Morgan at 7:35 pm, “Just left for dinner. Text me when you gonna come home cuz mom left her phone at home.”  Morgan answered, “Will do. :). “ Later, at 8:40 pm Steve texted again “We are home.”  Morgan came home at 10:00 pm and went to bed.  She didn’t say anything about the detective or her stalker.

In a replay of the last few nights, the motion detector went off at 10:43 pm, and I waited for another rock on Morgan’s window.  That did not happen, but I had heard noise outside our room, when Steve went to look, he didn’t find anything out of the ordinary, and we went to sleep.

(Police reports later show the “suspect” was not working this evening.  On 9.26.2011 he worked from 8:30 am – 12:59 pm & then from 1:30 pm – 5:27 pm)

Almost 2 years after Morgan’s murder we finally received the police reports (see this one supplemental below) – his date is incorrect – he called us on Sunday the 25th, but he did not meet with us until Monday the 26th:

Supplement Report #5 2011-20197

Print Date/Time: 10/01/2012 11:29 October 3, 2011

Garfield County Sheriff’s Office
ORI Number: CO0230000

A few weeks ago, I was advised of this case. It was further requested that I contact the victim family and consider putting up sheriff’s office issued wildlife cameras in an attempt to capture photos of the suspect(s).

On September 25, 2011, I met with the Ingrams at their home located at 62 Corral Dr. Carbondale, CO. We went over the case history. The Ingrams explained to me that the suspect(s) began to harass them in the first part of August 2011. Since then they have had a continuance presence by the suspect(s).

Activity will include small rocks being thrown at the house, scratching of the windows, and a known presence in their yard. The Ingrams have installed motion sensor lighting and wildlife cameras of their own.

On a regular basis, motion detectors will go off and the lights will turn on. Further evidence of suspect(s) activity will include shoe prints in a dirt area along the house. In one instance, outlined in Deputy Locklear’s previously submitted supplemental report, the Ingrams captured a photo of the suspect using one of their wildlife cameras. Deputy Locklear obtained the photo and submitted it into evidence. The photo depicts a male person but is not clear enough to show identity.

I requested that the Ingrams document every suspicious activity so that a log could be generated. Furthermore, I advised that the documentation would support a subsequent criminal prosecution.

I then took a tour of the home so I could learn the floor plan of the home. I also walked the exterior of the home. I then installed two wildlife cameras on the north side of the home. This area between the Ingram’s and the neighbor’s house is near where a lot of the activity is occurring. It is also the location of Morgan Ingram’s bedroom.

Click here to read about the 57th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=1401

How under reported is the problem of stalking, and what can we do about it?

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As I write a blog called Morgan’s stalking it should come as no great surprise that I come in contact with victims of stalking – before this I would have never known this was such a hugely under reported crime.  Before Morgan was stalked, and murdered, yes absolutely and very shockingly murdered, Steve and I really did not know very much about stalking.  It was a word that had meaning, but in that far away sense, never to cross our universe.

Now it is different for me, the victims of stalking mean more than I can explain.  I have this drive now that compels me not want what happened to Morgan to happen to anyone else.  Is that such a bad thing?  I will never believe that it is, and I know that the solution starts with the truth.

First comes a change that must happen for all of us.  In a 2009 study by the Bureau of Justice on stalking in the United States, over 60% of stalking victims never reported the crime, I believe that, and suspect that today it is not very different.  Yet that is a number that has to change, drastically.

How does this happen?  Again, with the truth – stalking is a crime under the laws of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government.  Research it and read it, assume your stalker has already done the same.  Also, research the victim’s rights laws in your state, know them and expect them to be upheld.  I have no doubt that our stalker already knew all about the laws he was breaking, how else could he have done it so well?

Next, after you contact law enforcement, ask yourself a simple question.  Are they being reactionary?  Are they reacting to your calls about another stalking incident, or is there a plan of prevention being put in place?  If it is just reaction, don’t be surprised, that is the way law enforcement is taught.  Crime occurs – react.  Until every agency in the country has a protocol to step forward and seek to prevent your stalkers next step, instead of sitting back, and reacting – the stalkers have been given the upper hand.  And, unfortunately for us all, that is the situation that I believe far too many of us are saddled with today.  This is why education, as well as a change in existing protocols needs to be implemented.

Do I think for one second that our detective wanted to see Morgan end up dead, no of course not.  He has children of his own that he loves dearly, he was devastated the day Morgan was found.  For me to be frustrated that he came to our door without any of the right tools, when I thought he had all the answers is to be expected.  No matter what I am ever told, I doubt I will ever, as a mother, fully forgive myself for allowing my daughter to be murdered, and Steve feels exactly the same way.  It does not help, we know this, but if that is how we feel, don’t expect us to let anyone else off easy.

In what may be a very unscientific conclusion, all of the many victims that have contacted me, with the exception of two, feel that they are receiving the cold shoulder from law enforcement.  Do not be surprised if this is how you feel.  Two had their stalkers arrested, after proactively using cameras that were able to snap photographic evidence of their stalker – their LE agencies confronted their stalkers, as they had obvious proof, and the stalkers confessed. This is so wonderful – but trust me it doesn’t always happen like that.

I received some very good counsel from a very wise individual today, and it has helped me very much.  And let me share part of it with you, if you even think you may have a stalker, seek help, early and often.  Because if you keep silent and do not, then it is just you against your stalker, and what more could your stalker ask for?

Please – the time is now – Take Stalking Seriously!