Ultimate Obsession…

In a story that you may have heard about in the news – an American woman named Ashley Olsen was murdered in Italy.  The first time I heard about this was last night.  I received the information from another victim.  The victim I have been in contact with is an American citizen (like Ashley), but she was attacked in the United States, also in her own home.  But like Ashley she was attacked by a person that was not a US citizen, a person from another country that has still been allowed to reside in this country.  These stories are similar in many ways.  Without getting into it I would just like to say I believe both of these women were targeted.

The first article I pulled up about the Ashley Olsen case was this article by Fox6Now,

Italian media: Ashley Olsen, American artist killed in Italy may have been strangled with cord or rope

http://fox6now.com/2016/01/12/italian-media-ashley-olsen-american-artist-killed-in-italy-may-have-been-strangled-with-cord-or-rope/ 

In this article they mention that authorities are also looking into pictures on Olsen’s Instagram feed in which she said, “I have a stalker.” From this article it sounds like this was a very violent death.

Then this morning there were all kinds of news feeds that there has been an arrest – here is an article by CNN:

Man arrested in connection with death of American woman in Italy: Prosecutor http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/14/europe/italy-american-woman-ashley-olsen-dead/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

 

A photograph released by Italian police of suspect Cheikh Tidiane Diaw.

Police believe that Olsen and Diaw, an illegal immigrant from Senegal, met at the city’s Montecarla nightclub and left to go back to Olsen’s place together, where they had consensual sex.  This is where I would like to interject…the victim Ashley Olsen is dead and can not speak about what really happened to her, so is there a possibility that (like in the case above that happened in the US) she did allow this person to come home with her, but did not want to have sex, and that is why she was attacked and murdered?  Was she targeted?  It is really upsetting to me when I hear that a suspect claims to have had consensual sex with a victim because authorities have found his DNA.  Sometimes that may be true, and other times it isn’t even close to the truth…that is what an investigation is for.  Not just a surface scratching of the information kind of investigation, but a real in-depth investigation, because when it comes to murder the victim deserves just that.

Here is another story about a female stalker that just got 50 years in prison, and here I ask the question, “Is 50 years really enough?”  There are many cases of extremely lethal, obsessed stalkers.

Woman Who Stalked, Killed Ex-Boyfriend Gets 50 Years to Life in Prison.  The ultimate obsession and yes, just as in Morgan’s case obsessed stalkers can and sometimes do commit murder.

Source:  http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Vegas-Bray-Who-Stalked-Killed-Ex-Boyfriend-Gets-50-Years-to-Life-in-Prison-364697531.html#ixzz3xFDmZhTg
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Saudades…a message from Brazil

typingLast night I received a message through this website & this is what it said:

Hello! I’m from Brazil. I heard about Morgan’s case right now through ID channel. 
I’m so sorry about her. She’s beatiful girl, smile and she have a amazing spirit. Yes, she Is, because she’s alive trough The strength of yours and justice must be done . you guys do not give up.
There must be someone out there who knows something else. Someone close to her. I’ll pray for you find out a evidence, a link , something. 

Saudades – Brazilian expression to say: I’m miss you, but something more than this.

Keep faith, you know her better than anyone. 

Peace.

Ps. I’m so sorry about my poor english. Patricia

I was very moved by this when I read it. I had never heard of this word before, but it seemed to touch on how I have felt for a very long time.

From the moment I knew Morgan was no longer with us I had this extremely strong feeling come over me…in fact I started to tell people what I was feeling that very morning.  My first thought, of course, was disbelief.  I wanted a reset button to make it all go away and turn the clock back to the day before – when Morgan was still alive.  I yearned to have her back and did not want to give in to the understanding that she was no longer with us.  Then my next feeling, a very strong feeling, as though I was receiving a message from someone, I “felt” that Morgan was okay and bathed in white light and love, that she is still there, I just could not see her. I “knew” I would see her again, I could “feel” that she was still on her journey, and she was going to still be around to help with what was going to come next.  I had no idea what that meant.  I could not even comprehend at that time what was going to happen. and then I “felt” that I had to remember everything, because there was meaning to what had just happened…it was going to change many lives and save many people. Maybe I was “seeing” Morgan’s legacy.

Saudades – It can, yes, be used for the feeling of missing a dear person who has passed away, but It is also a “bittersweet (…) yearning and hopefulness towards something over which one has no control” (same wikipedia article). In that sense, it’s also the hopeful yearning of someone (or something, a place for example) which you know you’ll see again but, can’t right now. by Helder Ribeiro, Native Brazilian Portuguese speaker.

Brazil

More Candles For Morgan…

Here are some more candles that have been lit for Morgan…and with every candle lit I am so grateful to everyone for sending such loving energy and prayers to Morgan.

sarahcandle

Today, I am lighting a candle
to remember Morgan Ingram and her life. Sara

Joecandle

In memory of Morgan from Joe

Sallie

Candle for Morgan… lit on her anniversary (sorry so late sending!)

chayse

<3 from Chayse

sheila

In Memory of Morgan
Love from Sheila, Munnsville NY

“Light A Candle”

Light a candle,
see it glow,
watch it dance,
when you feel low,
think of me,
think of light,
I’ll always be here,
day or night,
a candle flickers,
out of sight,
but in your heart,
I still burn bright,
think not of sadness,
that I’m not near,
think of gladness,
and joyous cheer,
I have not left,
I am not gone,
I’m here to stay
my loved one,
so when you light a candle
and you see it glow
and you watch it dance
in your heart you’ll know
that I would never leave you
even when you feel so blue
I’m sitting up here with the Lord
and now watching over you  RIP Morgan
lisamarie

our candle for Morgan…

chells

For Morgan

“We will definitely burn a candle tomorrow for your sweet Morgan. God bless you and your family. Big hugs from Tennessee!”

impressions

ryan

candle for morgan, carbondale local

gina

I lit my candle for Morgan this morning. Thinking of you Toni and Steve.
Xoxo
Gina from Atlanta, GA

Steve2 steve1

 

 

 

Candles lit by Steve & I for our sweet daughter Morgan.  The forever glass candle with the metal dragonfly was given to us by Steve’s sister – we keep it burning for Morgan so she will always see the light we are sending up to her.

These pictures were taken by Steve.  We love & miss Morgan every moment of every day & we want justice for Morgan…we will NEVER give up!

 

How Do Criminals Get Away With Crimes?

handcuffsThere are many reasons criminals get away with crimes and one reason is the lack of shared information between law enforcement agencies.  This is an eye opener for most people – it was for me.  Did you know that the following 8 law enforcement districts are all within a 15 minute to an hour drive from each other, and some are just across the street from one another?  With this jurisdictional overlap I have been told that a criminal can get arrested in one jurisdiction (let’s suppose it is the City of Carbondale), but just one block over the jurisdictional line (let’s say in the County of Garfield where Morgan was murdered – our house was in Carbondale BUT it was not within the city limits, so it was patrolled by the sheriffs not the police) the records of those crimes are not shared with the other law enforcement agency.  So it is feasible that a woman that is being stalked, or has been raped, and is only within a 5 minute drive away (or less) from the same crime that has happened to another woman, the information and MO on that crime is not shared, so the other law enforcement agency would have no idea they are dealing with a serial offender.  I don’t know what you think, but for me this revelation was outrageous considering the technological age we now live in!  This makes it extremely easy for a criminal to believe he has a good chance of never being caught…and he would be right.
So people always ask me, “What could be changed in order to stop these types of serial crimes?”  And this is one of my suggestions…a database of crimes committed that the different jurisdictions can access I believe is imperative in order to identify and stop serial offenders.
Here is the list of police & sheriffs departments that are included in the list of agencies that are all very close to one another and overlap, but do not share this type of crime information with each other.  These are all in the valley that Morgan lived in and grew up in – a valley that we thought was so safe.  It is not the fault of law enforcement that they do not have this “tool” in order to share information.  It is up to the voters to insist on an allocation of funds to make this kind of a database and app available to these officers.
Aspen Police Department
Pitkin County Sheriff Department
Snowmass Village Police Department
Basalt Police Department
Eagle County Sheriff Department
Carbondale Police Department
Garfield County Sheriff Department
Glenwood Springs Police Department
Roaring_Fork_Valley_Map
Morgan was murdered on 12/2/2011. Just weeks after Morgan’s murder the main “suspect” in her stalking was arrested on a warrant. The Glenwood Springs police issued a warrant for him on 12/19/11 and then it was “suppressed from public access” (why?), but then on 12/27/11 they “unsealed” it and he was arrested. It was written up in the Post Independent newspaper, then I received a phone call to inform me about the article.  I immediately called the lead detective in charge of Morgan’s felony stalking case and he said he was not aware of the arrest, but would look into it.  He knew things were stolen from Morgan’s room the night of her murder, and I thought there was a possibility that something from her room may have been included in the jewelry that was sold to this cash for gold business.  But every time I asked the detective about it he said the police had not met with him yet to give him the details.  Finally I went Steve & I went in to the cash for gold shop and showed them the suspect’s picture and asked about the sale.  The person in the shop recognized the picture and said the “suspect” was a regular customer, she said the police had confiscated jewelry from the last sale he made and they could not show us records because they did not keep records.  We then returned home and told all of this to detective Glassmire.  We later found out that detective Glassmire then went to the cash for gold store only to show them our pictures to confirm that we had really been there asking questions and then he wrote in his report that he was going to site the store for not keeping records, and then later mentioned he would have the Glenwood police site them instead.  What was that all about?
So in summation it was a different case, in a different jurisdiction (even though it’s was just a 20 minute drive from our house).  There had been a warrant for the sale of stolen jewelry, and when they pulled him over they found drugs, and a scale, etc. in his vehicle, so they arrested him on felony distribution.  I think his friend later confessed to stealing the jewelry and giving it to him so that one particular charge was dropped and the other charges were plead down. So yes, those police officers in that jurisdiction knew nothing of Morgan’s jewelry being stolen, and when I went in to look at the police report the police records officer could not find it, so she sent me to the DA’s office.  I was then told in the DA’s office that they could not find it either, but suggested that maybe an investigator had it on his desk and would need to call me back.  Now at this point it had been over 3 months since the arrest and they told me it “should” be in the computer, but was not.  I was told by the police that it should have been public record at that time.  After filling out a bunch of paperwork an investigator from the DA’s office called me back to talk to me, and he was not very happy with me. He firmly (he actually sounded angry) told me if I wanted any information I should call the lead sheriff’s detective on our daughter’s case and not them – and again what was that all about?  So this is why it is crucial for the laws to change and for multiple jurisdictions to share information about crimes.
It was so hard for me to comprehend why we were continually getting the run-around back then, but I have learned a lot over the past 4 years.  I will continue to share the information that I have learned in the hopes that someday things can and will change for the better.  Take care and always remember each and every one of us can make big changes in this world.  Don’t just believe what you are told – get the facts, and do the research. That is my suggestion.

More Candles – shining brightly in the night sky

I am so sorry that I have had a lag in posting more of the candle pictures that have been sent to me.  Here is the start of the continuation of the photos of the candles that have been lit for Morgan.  They have burned brightly in her memory as well as in the hope and prayers from everyone around the globe with the intent that justice is attained.  And every single one of them has touched our family’s hearts.  Thank you!

candle stevecarol

For Morgan – from Steve, Carol, Sean & Scott

candle Erin

Burning bright for Morgan from Erin

20121202_172940

Next 3 photos are from Amy
amy candle1 Amycandle2 Amycandle3

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Ingram,

I hope that you all find comfort in the support the blog has brought to you. I think of Morgan often. I’m a mother to two girls, 8 and 2 1/2, and two boys, 17 and 18. I was also stalked and beat by my ex-husband. I know that you would give anything to have your daughter back, but please know that the story you tell of her last year has brought awareness to so many about stalking and comfort to many that have endured it. Morgan was a lucky girl to have parents like you. It sounds like you gave her a wonderful life. I’m so sorry for what you’ve had to endure due to evils in this world.

Here are my candle light pictures in honor of Morgan. I lit two; one for Morgan and one for women across the world that have endured stalking and fear at the hands of another human being.

candleninellensweden

One candle lit for Morgan and all the stalking victims out there.
I am very sorry for you loss.

Kind regards,

Nina and Ellen in Sweden

candle

Here is the lighted candle on our Advent wreath, this first day of Advent 2012. With a lovely little angel face added in memory of your precious Morgan. Marybeth

amanda

FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS! 
“Those whom we loved never really leave us. They live on forever in our hearts, and cast their radiant light onto our every shadow”  In memory of Morgan with love from Amanda

candle_for_morgan

Here’s a pic of the candle I am burning for Morgan & victims of stalking today. After seeing the Dr Phil show about Morgan I began reading your blog as I was left wanting more information. I felt Dr Phil made you to seem a bit of a biased mother. However when Brooke appeared and her first response to accusations was ” Where’s the proof?”. This raised a big red flag for me and after reading you blog daily I have found it obvious that Morgan was not responsible for her own death and did not die of natural causes. I am sorry that you & your family & everyone that loves Morgan have had to deal with such inaction and irresponsibility on the part of your local law enforcement. I hope the fresh eyes you have investigating Morgan’s stalking and death provide you some answers and justice. I just cannot believe that such a productive, beautiful, brilliant full of love and life young woman can be stalked and murdered and the sick scum responsible can still roam the streets looking for a new victim.

else candle

B0C.gif

From Elisa
 carrie
You are all in our thoughts and hearts today – from Carrie
janetcandle
Burning brightly sent from Janet
kristycandle
Rest in peace Dear Morgan.  This candle is for you.  Toni, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers!  Much love to you all. Kristy
virgomom
Sent anonymously from another mom
 candleerin

Dear Toni and Steve,

I cannot express how deeply sorry I am for the loss of your sweet daughter, Morgan. There are just no words. You are in my thoughts and prayers as you pass such a very tragic and painful milestone today. May God embrace you with love and mercy.

Danielle
A candle in honor of the memory of morgan my prayers are with you and your family and morgan. Justice and answers will come to you. Thank you for your inspiration. Danielle
And the last candle picture below that I am posting today is from a person that I will forever call a good friend, even though I have never met her in my life.  She was a retired sheriff at the time that she contacted me, as well as a mother of 2 young children.  She had also been a member of Webseluths, until she saw what they had started to say about Morgan’s case on one of their threads…she contacted me and ASKED great questions about the facts of the case – instead of just pretending she knew what the truth was.  I trusted her and started to send her information and documents.  She did some research and helped me find even more information during our investigation.  She was an amazing woman…and I say she was amazing because in the last year she lost her life to cancer and is no longer with us.  She was unable to see Morgan get justice.  I know she will be so happy looking down from Heaven when justice is finally found.  I will miss her greatly, as will her family.  The world has lost another angel.
demi
More candle pictures will be posting…thanks for your patience.