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November 24, 2011 – Day 115 of Morgan’s Stalking – Thanksgivings, Past, Present and Future

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At 4:23 am the Master Bedroom motion alarm went off and I went to the monitor to see if anything was going on outside.  As I replayed it I saw lights shining, lighting up the side of our neighbor Ken’s house.  I went to the window and looked out, but it was dark now.  Then I saw a flash, not a flashlight, maybe a cell phone.

I stepped as quickly and quietly as I could to the bedroom and woke Steve up.  I told him that someone was outside our room, right now!  Steve got dressed, went to the window, and peered out.  He stood staring and motioned for me to go to the monitor and see it anything was on the cameras.

There was a shape right between the houses, probably a man.  Steve had come alongside me and whispered he was going out the back door and either catch him of flush him out the front.  He wanted me to go to the front door and if he came by I could run out and see which way he went – except I was wearing a robe.

We were amazingly calm as we set up the sting.  After all these months it seemed all too easy.  Steve had that look in his eyes, nothing was going to stop him.  The shape started moving and his flashlight was on again, completely obvious this time.  Then he turned and the letters SHERIFF in luminescent fabric were clearly seen on his back. Then he was on his phone again and Steve slapped the bat he was holding into his palm and cursed under his breath.  Is he on a stakeout?  Steve wondered.

Just as he said that he walked out to the front yard and we heard his truck start up.  After a while he circled the block twice in his truck slowing down as he was near Morgan’s window.  I called dispatch later and they told me our neighbor’s house had been broken into.  Steve tried to call him to find out what had happened, but could not reach him and just left a message.

Morgan’s sister texted her at 10:32 am, “I’m awake! U?” and Morgan did not answer.  At 2:09 pm her sister texted again, “Did u wanna skype still???”.  Morgan answered her with, “We’re on our way to lunch. I’ll text you after?”  Her sister said, “Have a good lunch!!! Text me when you get back and we will all Skype it” with a bunch of happy faces then “We have never had a Thanksgiving Skype.” With two hearts, and Morgan sent her a heart back.

We all drove into Aspen and had our Thanksgiving at the Maroon Creek Club, which was a very rare experience for us.  Normally it was the whole family, and at least a few more people.  We even tried to always invite someone we had just met to share our dinner with them.  It was always festive at our home, but this was by far more quiet and mellow.  Each of the chefs there made their favorite Thanksgiving dish, and the food was outstanding.  Morgan was all smiles and had a great time talking about Thanksgivings to come, and how some day we would all be at her house, and how different that was going to be for us.  It triggered a memory in me, because when we were were on vacation with Morgan in July we were able to go to my best friend’s house for dinner.  Morgan was enthralled with the glass antique spoon holders my friend had, and said she would love those in her house one day, so I secretly wrote a note to myself since Morgan had been putting together things that she would love to have when she moved into her own home.

She was really starting to look forward to the Yoga certification classes she would be starting soon.  She wanted the both of us to be her first “pupils”, and we agreed.  She loved the tea and the desserts, I think she had at least one piece of each dessert.

Steve took the opportunity, on the drive home, to tell Morgan we had been looking at places to move to, and had found a few that would work. One in particular that we wanted her to see.  Quite matter of factly she asked what we were going to do if he, or the stalker(s) followed us.  Steve was quick to explain that this place had been picked with defense in mind, and the lowest window was twenty feet from the ground.  How it would be so much better for the cameras and there would not be blind spots as we had now.  There were some details to be worked out, but he thought it was going to be much safer for her and far more challenging for him to do anything like what he was doing now.

Morgan was quite cheered up by all this, and then reminded us it would not be so long before she was off to school at CU Boulder anyway, time enough for her Yoga certification program and then just a few months before she would be leaving…

Click here to read about the 116th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=2273

Morgan is still teaching me from afar…

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Just found this on Morgan’s computer.  She liked to save things like this, and to me this reminds me of why we are all here – let’s all do good for others.

November 23, 2011 – Day 114 of Morgan’s Stalking – The day before Thanksgiving

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Wylah crashed out!

Morgan arrives home from Denver by noon.  I have a short day of work, so Morgan and I go shopping to get all the ingredients for her favorite cake for Thanksgiving, she loves to make Paula Dean’s Pumpkin Gooey cake.  We got home with all the ingredients and Morgan puts on her little pink apron and goes to work on making the cake.

I spoke with Detective Alstatt over the phone today and then after making her cake, Morgan and her friend decided to lie on the living room couch and watch movies until 2:00 am – they feel asleep on the couch, and about 2:10 am (after the lights had been turned off in the living room) all of a sudden Morgan heard continual scraping and tapping on the living room window – her friend was asleep on the couch so he didn’t hear (Morgan had not fallen asleep yet), she sent me a text and I came running out of the bedroom to see what was happening.  I heard a tap on the living room window…I ran to the window to look out to see if I could tell what was happening.  After not seeing anything I whispered to Morgan to just go to sleep on the other end of the couch, as was her friend, and if she heard anything else to let me know.

I went to bed and hoped for the best. Tomorrow was Thanksgiving, and we have reservations (usually I cooked) to go to the Maroon Creek Club in Aspen for Thanksgiving dinner, so I just prayed that we could all get some sleep and have a nice Thanksgiving.

Click here to read about the 115th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=2239

November 19 & 20 – Days 110 and 111 of Morgan’s Stalking – Half A Weekend Is Better Than No Weekend At All

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Morgan spends a quiet Saturday.  She is tired and sleeps so much during the day.

We have some  positive signs from Detective Glassmire.  He is going to interview Keenan.  He is trying to arrange it so that it takes place at the sheriff’s department, and that is why it is taking so long.  There are problems with going to his house (he doesn’t explain why), and he believes he has it all arranged.

Steve and I have come to a standstill.  We are waiting to see what develops in the next week or so before we launch into a new program.  In the beginning I was always hopeful of things happening in a day or two, but that always became days, and now it has slid down to weeks.

That it has dragged on for so long is no surprise to me.  Glassmire recommended a book about stalking that has examples of stalkings that took place over many years.  That is not acceptable to me, and at the rate individual investigations or interviews are  being constantly dragged out I can see why that happens.  To have a stalker for two years who is being actively pursued is one thing.  But to have a stalker for years, because once a month someone has an hour to spend on your case is a completely different matter.

Lately Detective Glassmire and Detective Alstatt have been more openly discussing what we might do if we catch him and still remain within the law.  It is obvious to us, as far as Steve is concerned, that this is an end they would love to see.  We corner him, perhaps rough him up a little in the capture, but not too much, or we will be the ones in trouble.  And they will take it from there.

Steve points out the miles he has logged chasing in the direction he believes the stalker has gone – running as fast as he can go.  While he has never seen an attempt by the sheriff’s department that involved anything, but a fast walk.  Having been through what we have been so far in this stalking, Steve knows all too well that they are never going to see anything, and they are certainly never going to catch anyone with the protocol they are implementing.

We have decided to talk with the detective about the use of tracking dogs when he comes tomorrow.  So many times it has been promised to us as a great tool.  In fact it was almost successful in catching the stalker with the same MO across the road in Blue Creek the summer before.  After all the talk of bringing out the dogs we are going to make that happen as a priority in the very near future.

I have seen trained tracking dogs and they can be quite amazing, especially in a situation like this, where he is close by, and just a step too fast for us – I feel like we have waited long enough.  The time is now.

Winter has stubbornly refused to unfurl blankets of snow that would also spell an end to the stalker, because then he could easily be tracked.  Unless he can figure a way to drop in from the sky, and take off the same way – if only we had snow we could track him.

Steve has made some tweaks to the cameras and feels he has better coverage around the house.  We went to sleep and waited. and the night is mercifully quiet.  After Morgan had spent most of the day recuperating and looking so much better, it would have been so upsetting to see her just be terrorized over the night and take it all back.

Sunday Rob and Megan come over much earlier than normal.  There are developments.  His father has brought Keenan to the station for an interview – he can’t have  the detectives showing up at his place of employment anymore.  It is bad for his job.  Keenan’s dad, Wade Vanginkel, also works at City Market with Keenan, along with some other relatives.  Wade wants to be sure there is no problem for his son.  So far they have only told him he is a person of interest.  Detective Rob has gotten him to agree to turn over a copy of his work hours from City Market.  He feels that with my timeline of stalking incidents, once they are overlaid it will be powerful evidence.

His partner does not agree, as she knows how things really work in grocery stores, and feels anyone on the night shift can come and go as they please – on or off the record.

That disagreement does not last long as Detective Glassmire instantly turns to what he calls a real problem that we have now.

It seems that someone has been threatening Keenan.  We quickly learn that the facebook argument between Morgan’s friend and Keenan got a little out of control.  Keenan’s father wants to take out a restraining order against Morgan’s friend.  I tell them they have to be joking.  We were talked out of taking a restraining order out by Detective Glassmire in the beginning, and now if their number one suspect takes out a retraining order it isn’t a problem?  This is crazy!

I have seen the text of the argument and I know it was under a name I do not recognize.  I think I know who did it, but I am not really sure.  I know that it took place over three days and Keenan’s side of the conversation clearly shows he is in constant contact with someone in the neighborhood.

Steve has agreed to keep it from happening again before the matter is concluded.  I had actually thought the exchange was pretty even, as far as chest pounding went.  At the time I thought they should have followed up on the conversations more closely.  I had thought before that conversation, that on a social media site it really didn’t hold much weight in court.  But if they did as much as I was being led to believe I guess it would count.  Then I felt all of the statements, and conversations should get far more scrutiny.

Detective Glassmire agreed he would look into it and reminded us that we should not let this happen again, we agreed to take care of it.

Today is November 2, 2012 – Keenan had implicated someone else of a crime in his interview, but we did not learn that until much later.  It was a simple matter that Keenan was all too happy to share a little  information about.  But as the wheels of justice turn at their maddeningly slow speed  it will still be a while longer before that bit of information gets to take its place next to all the other little pieces of information that were collected over the year.

Click here to read about the 112th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=2132

November 18, 2011 – Day 109 of Morgan’s Stalking – Who Was Morgan?

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Morgan gets up and makes a juice drink to bring on her way to her ballet class.  She stretches while she’s standing in the kitchen, and says good morning to us.  The bar top is treated like a ballet bar and she is concentrating on her posture and movement, as Steve and I pour coffee.

Morgan would sometimes lecture us about drinking coffee, and sometimes not say anything.  What it was this particular morning I can’t be sure.  Health was very important to her and she was always sharing something she had learned with us.  It was that time when your children are soaking up knowledge faster than you are, and you have to adjust to receiving good information with grace.

I don’t really know if it was that as parents we had already been through this twice before Morgan, with our older two children, but Morgan was not only different, she was easier.  Steve and I would always talk about her advice to us, and how we should really listen to her.

Later that day Morgan was talking to her friend between classes.  Her friend Nicole asks her, ”Is the yarn you’re using for the mitts pastel or bright colors?” Morgan tells her, “Pastel.”  Her friend Nicole answers, “Okay! Thanks!”  Morgan sends her back a heart, “<3” and Nicole asks Morgan, “Who is your favorite Disney princess?” Morgan answers, “ Ariel? Yes! Mermaid!”  Nicole ends with, “ Okay! Good to know!”

She came home from classes and rested in her room.  She did that often.  She would sit in front of her mirror and sing while she fussed with her hair.  Most days she would come out and sing while playing her keyboard.  She didn’t have a wide repertoire, just a few favorites that she worked on perfecting.

Morgan had a few favorite series she liked to watch on TV, and over the years had collected every season she could and would watch them over and over.  Buffy was a favorite, then the Gilmore Girls, and Smallville.  Between the three she was endlessly entertained.

Washing her clothes was an ongoing task.  Morgan would wash, dry and fold and then sometimes her cat would knock them over, and the task would be repeated – never seeming to bother her.

At 6:20 pm, Steve texted her, “We’re taking Joni (her little niece) to the diner, would love to have you join us.”  And a minute later she answered me that she might not make it.  That she was kinda caught up with friends.  Steve texted her again at 6:52 pm that we were finishing, and did she want anything?  Morgan said no, and we brought Joni home.

At 9:00 pm we told Morgan that we were home.  She had made arrangements to sleep at Calder’s house, which would mean the couch, and I told her OK sweet dreams.

Her life was simple and we always knew what to expect.  Steve and I could count on her to do what was needed.  Her room wasn’t the neatest, but it was never all that bad.  She was the last child living in the house with us and we enjoyed having her.

Her stalker(s) had taken so much from her.  It was not fair, and we balanced justice for Morgan with the rights of all.  We saw suspicious things and reported them as we were asked.  But I can honestly say we never faced anyone down, or accused, of blamed.  The deputies had their theories, and we would more likely ask them if they were really sure, we did not want to accuse hastily, or rush to judgment.  We wanted the truth.

I never demanded answers from anyone, but we should have.  In two weeks time Morgan will be dead.  When your daughter is twenty, and healthy it does not even enter into the realm of possibility.  Morgan was worried about taking care of Steve, and I as we grew old.  She joked about what it was going to be like for her.  What the responsibility would be for her.  Not in a pained way, but in a happy way.  The same way that Morgan took most everything that was thrown her way.  I would always tell her to knock it off – no one was going to need to take care of us…ever!  The stalker she could have done without – that, she would not be shy in professing.

Today is November 1, 2012 – it was a busy day for me.  Steve and I met with a great investigator for three hours.  Everyone brings a new perspective to this case.  New advice, a new approach, another idea we had never thought of.

Morgan has left us with so many memories that we are learning to cherish with open arms, far more than we ever thought would be possible a year ago.  Steve and I look forward to the day that the things we have learned through Morgan will be more helpful and sharing, with more solutions for others than the solving of Morgan’s case that we visit so often now.  I know that Morgan would not care so much that we work to solve this mystery any more than we have.  But for the time being Steve and I agree that it is what we must do, and so we shall.  There are those that will not welcome our attempts to solve it.  They will want to stop it, or they will not even want to hear that it is really not us forwarding the solutions, but others far better than Steve or I will ever be will solve this crime.

So it begs to be said that two weeks before the end, a day is coming when most all the evidence that these brilliant minds have put forth, as their best opinion of what really happened to Morgan, is out for all to see.  How different it is from what we thought a year ago, and more importantly why would anyone else really have an issue with the truth about what happened to Morgan being known – because I can only think of one reason – can you?

Click here to read about the 110th & 111th days of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=2124