“Never doubt, that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead
Morgan made these little figures – she would bring them onto the counter top and photograph them at different times. Love!
Morgan seems to be asking why?
I sat and read a law, not my favorite pastime, but sometimes you have to in order to feel like you really know it. When I came across the “It’s really a felony stalking case” note in my timeline, I showed it to Steve. He did the math, and said eighty- five days… unbelievable!
So, from the Colorado Revised Statutes I have this to present and the bolding is added by me, to just the parts I thought were important. But by all means read the whole thing if you are in Colorado:
CRS
A stalker may also develop jealousy and animosity for persons who are in relationships with the victim, including family members, employers and co-workers, and friends, perceiving them as obstacles or as threats to the stalker’s own “relationship” with the victim;
(e) Because stalking involves highly inappropriate intensity, persistence, and possessiveness, it entails great unpredictability and creates great stress and fear for the victim;
(f) Stalking involves severe intrusions on the victim’s personal privacy and autonomy, with an immediate and long-lasting impact on quality of life as well as risks to security and safety of the victim and persons close to the victim, even in the absence of express threats of physical harm.
(2) The general assembly hereby recognizes the seriousness posed by stalking and adopts the provisions of this part 6 with the goal of encouraging and authorizing effective intervention before stalking can escalate into behavior that has even more serious consequences.
A person commits stalking if directly, or indirectly through another person, the person knowingly:
(a) Makes a credible threat to another person and, in connection with the threat, repeatedly follows, approaches, contacts, or places under surveillance that person, a member of that person’s immediate family, or someone with whom that person has or has had a continuing relationship; or
(b) Makes a credible threat to another person and, in connection with the threat, repeatedly makes any form of communication with that person, a member of that person’s immediate family, or someone with whom that person has or has had a continuing relationship, regardless of whether a conversation ensues; or
(c) Repeatedly follows, approaches, contacts, places under surveillance, or makes any form of communication with another person, a member of that person’s immediate family, or someone with whom that person has or has had a continuing relationship in a manner that would cause a reasonable person to suffer serious emotional distress and does cause that person, a member of that person’s immediate family, or someone with whom that person has or has had a continuing relationship to suffer serious emotional distress. For purposes of this paragraph (c), a victim need not show that he or she received professional treatment or counseling to show that he or she suffered serious emotional distress.
(2) For the purposes of this part 6:
(a) Conduct “in connection with” a credible threat means acts that further, advance, promote, or have a continuity of purpose, and may occur before, during, or after the credible threat.
(b) “Credible threat” means a threat, physical action, or repeated conduct that would cause a reasonable person to be in fear for the person’s safety or the safety of his or her immediate family or of someone with whom the person has or has had a continuing relationship. The threat need not be directly expressed if the totality of the conduct would cause a reasonable person such fear.
(c) “Immediate family” includes the person’s spouse and the person’s parent, grandparent, sibling, or child.
(d) “Repeated” or “repeatedly” means on more than one occasion.
I read it three times now and I don’t see one word about waiting 1 day, let alone 85 days, if you do please let me know. In fact on the contrary I see words like “seriousness” and “effective intervention” and then the real zinger, “escalate into behavior that has even more serious consequences”. Morgan’s death was certainly an even more serious consequence. How much more serious could it have been? If the general assembly of the State of Colorado can see the connection between stalking and serious consequence, how come the Garfield Sheriff’s department can’t. It was a “mystery” the day she was killed and it never changed. A mystery? After 121 days of stalking? Read it as I might I just don’t see those words in there. I just don’t think what was allowed to happen to Morgan was what the General Assembly had in mind when they drafted this law. So if they did not, then who did?
After her classes, Morgan came home, it was overcast and a storm was threatening, not quite snow yet, but a good electrical/ice storm. Morgan made plans to Skype late with her friends, and then she left for Carbondale. She had a date to cook with her dad tonight. She wanted to learn just how to make his marinara sauce, so that someday in the future she could cook it for him, and she wanted me to let her know what time to be home for that.
Later in the day after I had talked with Steve, I called Morgan and told her that it sounded like 7:00 pm they would be were cooking. She texted me at 6:30 pm and said, “On my way.”
Morgan and her father had a great time making dinner together, laughter and teasing, and after we all ate and cleaned up, Morgan went to her room. I was sleeping, but then I got a single bubble text on my phone from Morgan – a rock on her window. I wasn’t supposed to answer, I had promised I wouldn’t keep her awake for hours by running outside, calling the sheriff’s, etc. (she wanted to ignore it and get some sleep, but promised to send me a text bubble for my record keeping for the sheriffs), the problem was she had not done this for a while so I could not help myself and sent back three question marks. Morgan told me, “Go to sleep!” I sent her a smiley face, and said, “What about you Missy?” She answered, “I am.” I couldn’t help myself, and sent her “What made you think I was awake?” Morgan said “Stop texting me. I’m sleeping.” I knew it was time to stop, and said, “Sorry.” with a sad face.
I started to get up, but Steve stopped me and said we will check in the morning. I felt like it was something more that I should look at now, but stayed in bed anyway, staring at the ceiling. Eventually I fell asleep for a while, and then I woke up, not knowing what time it was and got up anyway. I think the rain woke us up, as Steve got up with me and we cuddled on the bench, both looking at replays of the camera, wondering who in the world would be out in rain like this.
We could not find anything at the time Morgan sent the bubble, and I had given up an went back to bed when Steve called me back. He had found something when reviewing the driveway camera from an hour later. Someone was crouched behind the LR3 and a car was coming up the street, we could just catch the headlights. The stalker was out of sight of the cameras, behind the car, no way to tell what he was doing, but the car coming up the street would expose him and caused a change in his plans, and he quickly stands up. Now he is caught on camera, and he quickly goes from a crouched position to upright and runs off the driveway, and goes in front of the garage, again off of camera, probably ducking behind the bushes. We talked with our neighbor who came home at that time and he did not see anyone in our driveway, he told us he really wasn’t looking, and the weather was very bad also. He had heard about the stalker, and had no idea he was just outside of our house at all hours, but he said he would watch far more closely in the future. Two very disturbing things to me about this video, first he is wearing the white shirt again, second it is freezing and raining out and he is not wearing a coat – what does that mean? Does his behavior seem to be escalating?
In this video he shows up right at the end, but you can see him stand up from his hiding spot, off camera, behind the car.
Stalker forced out from hiding spot by headlights coming up the street. It is near the end. from Morgan’s Stalking on Vimeo.
Stalker is coming up to standing posture, if he ducks between the truck and car he will set off alarm.
Stalker is up and moving across front of truck, wearing a white shirt
Stalker is leaving driveway toward garage. there is a tree right there to hide behind
We checked out the car the next morning, after wondering what he was doing back there. Was he putting something on, or taking something off? We never found out. We were cautioned that GPS tracking devices were small and inexpensive and easily attached to a car. There was a concern that this is how the stalker always knew where Morgan was. Steve had already been over the car and as far as he could tell there was nothing attached. We checked with Detective Glassmire and he was not sure about what a GPS device would look like, but he knew that it was illegal, so if we did find one it would be helpful, and be sure to let him know if that should happen. We wished Morgan’s stalker was one of those that left notes or flowers, something that the sheriffs were more familiar with, and they would know how to handle it – or would they? But, it was becoming obvious to us that they were struggling with Morgan’s stalker.
Today its October 14, 2012 – It’s Sunday and the weekend has been pretty much constant reminders of how absolutely horrific this was to have lived through, and how people have a very understandably tough time grasping how it could have all happened. Some people over the Internet have even said they’re not sure if Morgan had a stalker and they think I am just doing this blog to create suspense and write a book – wrong again! I pray you never lose a child to a hateful frightening 4-month long stalking and then murder like this. And I pray that you never have the authorities tell you they will not open an investigation to look into your child’s murder. That is why I started this blog – yes, to get as much attention on this as possible and to try to get public pressure to make the authorities do the right thing. So far that hasn’t happened so we are now, in the upcoming weeks, going to go national with this.
Steve and I lived it, and now we explain it over and over again. We ask ourselves, how this could have ever happened, not just the stalking, and Morgan’s murder, but even everything since then? Just as in today’s blog the stalker is out in a freezing rain wearing a white shirt – AGAIN! Who wears a white shirt while trying to hide out at night? Morgan’s stalker does. And that is just for starters. What detective does not interview the person who heard the confession? Morgan’s did. What pathologist looks at an Amitriptyline level of 7909 ng/mL in a 115 pound woman and says it is insignificant? Morgan’s did.
I assure you I was not ignoring the requests about all of the reports, I know they will become an important part of the truth, I just did not have the time, and believe it or not, emotionally there is a limit to what I can do. Now I have some great help, and have been going through all of the reports. In a great twist of irony the video system that struggled mightily to help us capture the stalker is having a much easier time catching what really happened after Morgan was killed. It was left on for two days after her death, and what has been put in a signed report, they do have to sign them still, don’t they seems to differ from what the camera actually recorded. Well signed or not, when these reports are compared with what appears on video that will tell another story and I don’t think the camera is able to lie. Then there are the reports LE released and then the ones you have to specially request, and that so far is also telling another story. I will release them all once I have had a chance to comment, and corroborate my comments to the extent that is possible. The one thing Steve, and I have going for us is that the truth does not change, and it will still be there waiting when we get to it, and that we always count on.
Click here to read about the 86th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=1797
On October 20 at 10:17 pm Elliott, our neighbor across the street, sends me a text, “walking dogs now.” He told me earlier that he wanted to be sure we did not catch him on camera, and think he was the stalker, and then call it in. Now Steve is surprised by something about the cameras. If he changes where they point, and aims them closer to the house, there is not much difference. But when he aims them far away from the house they seem very capable of capturing decent images far beyond their stated 20 meters of “vision.”
Steve wants me never to mention to anyone what exactly what is seen, or not seen on the video system. He thinks whoever the stalker is, is innocently asking everyone, and good gossip is in high demand right now. I agree, and am very careful to be intentionally vague about what exactly is being seen, and recorded by the cameras.
I do wish the detectives would take this stalking case more seriously. Whenever I call now that we have detectives assigned to the case it seems like if we have a video of the incident that just happened then any kind of follow up can wait. That was not the idea, we thought the cameras might reinforce some intelligence that had been gathered by the Garfield Sheriffs department, not become a replacement for officers on the ground. We had lots of video of strange things happening at night around this “quiet” neighborhood. And there was plenty more to come.
Wylah ready to go with Mr. squeakers
On the 21st Morgan was packing in the morning, we were babysitting her puppy, and after school she picked up her friends, and left to work at a military retreat. Armed forces returning from oversees were availing themselves to rebuilding opportunities while Morgan was a part of the group that helped the process by making sure their children were happily entertained. Morgan was very proud to be doing this. She was gaining a new respect for the pressure put on families of service men, and women and she was quick to shares stories with me, after a weekend like this.
I was also hoping she would leave behind her own problems with her stalker back home, and this weekend could be a good weekend for her.
On the 23rd Detectives Glassmire and Alstatt came over for a meeting. They checked their wildlife cameras, and found nothing – I told them that as usual, when Morgan was away, there was not much activity. We gave Detective Glassmire a thumb drive with the latest videos on it, and Steve set up a drop box on the Internet so he could constantly update video as it happened.
Glassmire was hoping for some way that we could capture a video with a face clear enough for a positive ID (which to me sounded a little crazy as Morgan already believed Keenan as her stalker), while Steve was hopeful, but uncertain that we could manage this feat. The stalker had to go along for this to happen. Give up his caution for a day of two and walk right up to one of the cameras, and we didn’t think that would happen.
We all spent a lot of time going over the video of person in the driveway. When Steve held up a photo of Keenan and his car everyone agreed the car was as close of a match as you get, but this is where we differed…Detective Glassmire was certain it was Keenan in the driveway, as was Morgan and I. But Steve thought maybe it was not, maybe he was someone close, but not Keenan. I think Steve was thinking it was a friend of Keenan’s, driving Keenan’s car, trying to divert the attention away from Keenan. Steve did believe, as did the rest of us, that the car was Keenan’s car. We did the research, and that was the only car with that exact grill and emblem. Detective Glassmire was going to have a specialist in the department look at the video, and see what he could do with it. We were happy with that, and after going over the latest gossip of the neighborhood the detectives left.
Later in the night, on Sunday, Morgan came home from her weekend, tired and happy…
Today is October 13, 2012 – That night, last year, was such a perfect example of why this year is so frustrating for Steve and I. After her weekend with the children, they all wrote a little something to Morgan. Of how happy she had made them, of how they loved coloring with her, or how she was such a good big sister, and of how they hoped to meet her again someday. They were all beautifully misspelled in crayon, on pieces of torn paper, and Morgan could vividly explain to us every little girl who had written the notes. How the writer thought or felt, of some very special quality she had found so amazing. All the little notes are in a zip lock bag now, and they remind Steve, and I of just who Morgan was, how she really was. There are so many reminders she has left. They will never be the same as having Morgan, but they help us never waver from those who would like us to forget this travesty of justice. We want #Justice4Morgan!
Click here to read about the 85th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=1758
Morgan in the rear view mirror, looking for a picture
In the early afternoon I leave a message for Detective Glassmire that I would like him to see the videos. Morgan is so very upset. It’s worse now because she had just enough time to feel like her life was going back to “normal” and just as soon as she was feeling pretty good about it the stalker managed to rip it out from under her. She is more shaken up today then she was last night.
I am confident she will recover, that she was just caught off guard last night, and now will not make that mistake again.
Elliott calls to see what has happened about the car, and who the detectives think it could be. I tell him instead of waiting for the detective I have called every possible delivery place and none of them had a delivery anywhere in the neighborhood last night. I tell him I am going to ask the detective to canvass the street, because that should really be his job. It’s just not the same if I do it. Elliott tells me not to worry, there are only seven people on the street and he has already asked them all. Not only no deliveries, no one was even expecting someone for anything last night. I tell Elliott we should have waited for the detective, he might have wanted to ask something else, even though I am happy that he has done this. Steve would have probably done it when he got home anyway.
Detective Glassmire calls back and tells me he won’t have time to follow up on the car in the driveway until one of his shifts next week. I am upset, and remind him it was not just a car, which was in the driveway twice, up and down the street, and in our neighbor’s driveway at least once. It was really the person that I wanted him to follow up on right away.
Detective Glassmire explains that there isn’t much he can do right away, and as long as we have it all on video we should not worry. Then I told him that Elliott had asked every person on the street about a delivery person, and there was none, and I have called every delivery place myself, and there were none last night. Detective Glassmire is happy we have followed up on everything for him. I ask him if I should email him the information, and he says no that he will just pick it up from me next time he is down.
At 6:34 pm I forwarded a text to Morgan that I just received from Leesa of Odin eating a chocolate pretzel, “Odin likes chocolate,” I tell her.
Morgan’s little nephew eating chocolate
Morgan answers, “I just screeched like a small child!!” So Cute”. She answers. “That’s what I thought.” I tell her. Morgan wants me to get out the guest bedding for her, which means she thinks Wylah may have had a little accident on her blanket. I already smelled it and washed everything. I tell her that, and that I will get out some guest bedding for her anyway. “You Rock.” Morgan tells me.
She comes home at around 9:30 pm and we all go to sleep early. Last night Steve and I were up very late going over the video, and I’m sure Morgan did not sleep too well either. At least I don’t see how she could have.
During the night Steve work up, and could not go back to sleep, so he reviewed video and now saw this person at 11:19 pm out in the street. This is the camera that catches Morgan’s bathroom windows on down to the corner of the house. This male walks by our house and then can be seen running back by a few minutes later. He could easily be the stalker. Steve goes out and walks the neighborhood after seeing this to check about a half hour after it happened, and reports that the front window light in Brooke’s dad’s house is on. He is pretty certain that is Brooke’s bedroom because he has been in a similar house in the neighborhood.
Here is the person – tell us what you think…https://vimeo.com/51308867
Male walking by house then running back at 11:30 pm from Morgan’s Stalking on Vimeo.
Click here to read about the 80th – the 84th days of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=1743