I would like to share a little something with all of you. This really touched my heart when I read it yesterday.
A person came on Morgan’s Stalking facebook page and wrote, “Prayers for the parents and friends of Morgan. I hope your drive and determination shakes up the justice system in Colorado.”
“We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.” – bonhoeffer
Morgan and Tessi
There have been many questions in the last 24 hours about the suspects in Morgan’s stalking and murder so I thought a blog about just one particular instance could help sum up what I came to know after Morgan had been killed.
First is the accomplice to the stalker, one afternoon before “she” went on the Dr. Phil show, and can still be seen on that recording at this link – Dr. Phil Show . She was at a court hearing and the judge questioned her about her appearance on the show. She and her father explained to the judge that a criminal attorney would accompany her to the filming to protect her from criminal exposure. During the taping of the show her criminal attorney was a few feet off camera and only allowed to speak once on camera. He only was given the chance to get out a few vile, false and malicious sentences that he had apparently rehearsed, and they never made to the actual show.
Also her famous statement was the line “where is the proof” which as it turns out had some history to it. To us she answered all allegations with the line, “where is the proof” which indicated mostly quilt to the readers of the blog who wrote in to me after the show aired. But then something else happened. “She” apparently had had a few stints in a rehab facility in Utah, verified by some of her acquaintances in the valley. Another young women wrote in to me to say she had just watched the Dr. Phil show and was so upset when she saw “her” use the same line she had used many times before while in rehab. She said whenever “she” was involved or instigated some scandalous activity, “she” had the same expression she used on the Dr. Phil show and she would demand “where is the proof?”
Morgan’s actual stalker took the criminal lawyer thing even one step further – he was not even allowed to be on the show because he could not risk criminal exposure so his lawyer just called in to the show.
At the time I wondered what all this meant so at the hearing I asked and the answer I received was, “you haven’t done anything wrong so you have no risk of criminal exposure which means you don’t need a lawyer.” So if you are thinking the same thing I thought, which was, if they have done nothing wrong, as they claimed, then why did they need lawyers in order to be on the show? Maybe Morgan’s Garfield County sheriff’s felony stalking detective should have been at the hearing too.
Of course I am judging this all on my personal experiences and I would think that if I need a criminal lawyer to protect me from criminal exposure before I could talk I would think I had done something wrong. After all I was told that was why I did not need an attorney, because I had done nothing wrong and did not need one to be present – so why did they need one?
Morgan has never been able to speak for herself, that is now left to Steve and I. Victims need a voice. Victims should not be forgotten because that is what the criminal would love to have happen. We will always work to bring awareness to the crime of stalking and in fact that is the subject of one of my next blogs – some of the other stalking incidents in our neighborhood that came to light after Morgan’s death. And yes, the sheriffs knew about them, and yes, the detective immediately tried to cover it up. As I have said before the why is my real question now. Interesting that now that same detective has become the new Garfield County Coroner.
Covering up a crime just allows the criminals to go on violating other innocent people, and that is so very wrong. Covering up a crime is also called obstruction of justice and that in itself is a crime as well.
Morgan posing on one of her Dads projects.
I have just finished watching the Discovery Channel’s presentation of Morgan’s story for the first time. To Rhonda, our next door neighbor at the horrific time I apologize. Rhonda is cheery and engaging, the British idea of what she might be was not even close – sorry Rhonda. The rest of the depiction is a fairly accurate. While the true horror could never be recaptured I applaud the producers, directors and the writer as coming as close as they could. Stalking is a horrific and serious crime – and this show has brought awareness of the seriousness of stalking and the fear it creates.
A stranger lurking out in the dark and stealing from you all that you love is as difficult to capture as it is to live through. Morgan is brave beyond words, just ask her friends, over four years later and they will tell you how brave she was. But our trust was misplaced in the crime prevention of Garfield County. When it comes to victims of stalking there is no crime prevention there. I have been working trying to keep another young woman safe from her stalker in Garfield County – nothing has changed. If left up to them she could be dead right now just like Morgan. Today we rely on a strong sense of what is right in order to achieve some small measure of justice for Morgan.
Beyond Morgan’s stalking and murder lies the crimes against other victims that we continue to fight for today and will continue to fight for as long as we have have life in our limbs. Morgan’s voice was strong, she was articulate and very concise with her words and carrying on both her memory and her quest for justice for women will never end for Steve and myself.
I realized tonight how even an hour was far too little time to tell the story of Morgan as an hour is far too little time to tell the stories of the other victims I have been blessed to be able to help in my own little way. the arduous path we were forced into after discovering just a little of the truth behind Morgan’s death is not only a complete story on its own – this story is in its infancy.
Stalking victims live a nightmare every day, and at times, every minute of every day. Local law has not the resources or the inclination to deal with what the reality is. This only compounds what the victim is subjected to. Those that live are scarred for life and those that are killed by their tormentors leave an endless sea of broken spirits and broken hearts attempting to deal with their passing.
Still others are left to deal with the “mysterious disappearance” of their love one, which can be the most taxing of all. I truly wish I held the compassion, love and understanding to return all these upended lives to a small semblance of normalcy, but alas – I do not. Instead I do what I can with those who need immediate help and commiserate with complete understanding for the rest.
I feel blessed with new energy going forward and have many ideas going forward. I live anew in the knowledge that every victim I am able to help is a small consolation to the very painful and abrupt way that Morgan’s life was viscously stolen from her.
Thank all of you for your kind words and understanding on this very trying evening, together we will all fight the wrongs that face us and insure a more hopeful future for all.
In the memory of Morgan…
AT 7:00 PM
Tonight the episode on the Discovery ID mini series “Suspicion” will show a dramatization of Morgan’s stalking & terrorization at 7:00 PM Pacific Time (check your local listings.)
Stalking is defined as the “willful, malicious, and repeated following or harassing of another person.” You become hyper vigilant – never knowing when your stalker will show up or what dangers you may face. Your life is never the same. You may feel helpless and powerless at times.
First we have to warn parents of stalking victims, as well as the victims that are being stalked. All the cameras we put up could not protect Morgan, all the motion detector alarms & motion lights we put out could not protect Morgan, the sheriff’s could not protect Morgan. Our cameras were not pointed at our doors, they were pointed away from our doors in order to capture a clear picture of her stalker(s) face(s)…remember we were trying to build a case to stop her stalking, we never thought her stalker would actually enter our home…we were seriously and deadly wrong! Stalkers do get in.
There has been no investigation into Morgan’s death, or any connection to what was her ongoing and escalating stalking – how could this be we asked? Jewelry had been stolen from her room. Her sheets, pajamas, drivers license and more were all taken the night she was killed, but no investigation. A year after her death we would learn a date rape cocktail was put into her stomach after she was dead, but no investigation. Two years after her death we would learn that her body had been redressed and posed after she was dead. We also learned that any evidence that was collected had been destroyed despite all the assurances that it would be kept forever. How could this be we asked?
Within minutes of his arrival at Morgan’s death scene, the felony stalking detective was certain there was absolutely no connection to her stalking, her death was a mystery, he even told us “There is no more Morgan so there is no more stalker.” Is this logical? Is this all it takes to cover up a murder and let a murderer go free? More than shocking – this is really frightening!
Morgan’s death was first said to be from natural causes, strongly defended by those standing in for the Coroner – the sheriffs said there was no chance of foul play so no investigation needed! They would not follow up on any evidence or tips that were coming in. And then her doctors told us this was all wrong, Morgan’s death was not natural causes, it was a homicide, they knew, but when we told the Coroner’s stand in we were threatened to stop all questions or Morgan’s death could be changed to a suicide. Shocking? Of course we reported this, but our reports of the threats were not taken seriously, just as Morgan’s stalking was never taken seriously. So Morgan was assaulted and killed by her stalker and nine months later she became a suicide – it was absolutely heartbreaking and wrong. The pain of not being able to keep our youngest daughter safe was now being compounded with the knowledge that no one in the county cared about justice for our daughter.
For Morgan’s death to be even considered a suicide should have been impossible given all the evidence that completely leaves no explanation except the presence of at least one assailant, and very possibly more. But evidence hasn’t mattered much to Garfield County in Morgan’s death.
Morgan’s memory was forever tarnished because we chose not to heed the threats and fight on, but it was more than just for Morgan, it was for all the other women who could become victims at this stalkers hands, as Morgan had. She suffered a horrible death and it was impossible to imagine another young woman facing the same thing. For our family there was just no possibility we could give up our quest for justice.
Uncovering the truth has not been easy. That we were lied to about Morgan is without question now. In fact the only remaining question is why. Often we are told about the lack of resources and incompetence of small sheriff’s departments, about how Colorado is the worst state when it comes to completely botching investigations. but these are not an acceptable excuses, not for a second. Morgan’s case was called a felony stalking by everyone connected with it, but later, in her official police report, not one official refers to it as a stalking. Doesn’t that sound suspicious to you?
Here is a case in which Morgan was stalked relentlessly for four months, we had pictures, video, footprints, audio of the banging on her windows, proof he was leaning over the roofs edge ogling Morgan through her window, witnesses to the threats against Morgan by his accomplice – and on and on – yet none of it was ever taken seriously and yes the sheriffs did see and did have all that evidence plus much more. In a little over a year her felony stalking case was no more than a misdemeanor trespassing, no peeping tom, no eavesdropping, no attempted entry, no theft, no burglary, and certainly not a stalking. So we ask, if officials are intent on pretending it never happened then just how safe is the next victim, and we will answer – not safe at all.
Morgan’s investigation now falls to parents fighting for Morgan’s legacy, and for all those who might become the next victim.
Please do not forget Morgan was a very kind and loved young woman. Her murder has changed many people’s lives forever – they will never be the same. Please do not just think of her as a victim…remember her as a person.
morganingram.com, the story of Morgan, her life, her love, and how she cared for others.