November 15, 2011 – Day 106 of Morgan’s Stalking – Why is it always just up to you?

After the deputies leave in the morning I go back to work. Morgan has classes and will be getting up shortly to leave for her college classes. Steve takes off for his project in Aspen. He has many art projects going, but has found he can’t do them all with all of the stress surrounding what is happening. There is a complex project that keeps his mind busy, and he devotes himself to it – he calls it his “ship in a bottle” and while I don’t agree I can empathize with his need to just do one thing right now. Anything more would be far too much.

After Steve leaves I hear of the latest rumor in the neighborhood. After so many years of no rumors, we now seem to have a new one every week – all based on the stalker. The latest greatest is that Christina Harris (Brooke’s mom) is telling everyone that the sheriffs know who the stalker is, and he is one of Morgan’s ex-boyfriends. What?  This is news to me and obviously not true…so why is she telling neighbors this lie?

The rumor about Morgan having gone missing, a while back, upset me the most. Because there were implications that something would or was going to happen to Morgan, subtly veiled in that rumor. The fear that had driven some of the lies in the neighborhood were predicated on people “disappearing” and precautions were taken to protect against this. Steve and I had no first hand knowledge, only what the sheriffs relayed to us and the stories that had been shared with us.  True or not, they were quite frightening.

This rumor however was laughable. The basic problem with rumors and all kinds of lies is there has to be some behind-the-scenes knowledge, or there is the overwhelming risk that you will be all too quickly exposed as a liar. This was one of those.  Morgan had only two ex-boyfriends. One presently lived along the east coast, and had for quite some time. The other lived in Australia, and had for quite some time. Stalkers by nature of their crime have to live in the relative proximity.  A day or two travel away for each incident did not make for the ideal stalking situation, and the Garfield County detectives had long ago ruled those two out as possible culprits.

Morgan is fairly serious in her relationships and they tend to last for years, instead of just days or months. I do not really know if it is the influence of Steve and I, who have been happily married for 35 years, or it is just that it’s the way she has always been. But Morgan takes relationships seriously

I am tired of the nonstop rumors, and the lies that have become the new neighborhood gossip.  Tomorrow I want to find out from the detectives how their “talk” with Keenan has gone, and I want an answer to these persistent rumors. They are, without doubt, always pointing to the innocence of Keenan.  But it is not just that fact, it is the innocence of everyone associated with him.  Morgan deserves an answer to a few simple questions, and I intend to get them.

Morgan leaves to go for a drive with friends and takes her puppy Wylah.  I walk into her room after she leaves and I imagine what it is like for Morgan.  Banging on her windows at any hour, detectors going off to signal trouble.  Knowing someone is out their watching you.  I look at her “panic button” firmly attached to her end table, and it hurts so much that this is her life.  I want it to be over. I want her to have a normal life again. Her motion light goes off as I am standing there.  I call for Steve and I tell him we have to end this. That I am reaching my limit.

Steve agrees and says we have to change this, whatever it takes.  He wants me to call the detectives and have them over tomorrow night.  He will tell tell them that enough is enough.

Today is October 29, 2012 – I am fielding calls from every angle possible. I am also sharing some of our evidence, as I have never done so before. Steve says why hold back, let everyone know just what is going on here.  I field an answer from the Internet that is shocking, because it contains information that no one should know, except someone that was involved in Morgan’s murder.  Who do I call?  The sheriff has gone on TV and said he will never open this investigation again.  Skipping over the small fact that there never was an investigation into her suspicious death in the first place, I truly wonder what a person does in a situation like this.

And then Steve says he thinks he has an answer.  And I am thinking, I was so hoping you would say something like that.  Now I go to see what this answer is – Morgan’s friends, Morgan’s true friends are all coming together to help and even if this has to go all the way to the White House –  it won’t stop….we will get justice for Morgan….we will save other girls!

Click here to read about the 107th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=2083

November 13, 2011 – Day 104 of Morgan’s stalking – Why haven’t they caught the stalker?

 

Tessi babysitting Wylah so Morgan can get some sleep

Morgan calls me at 8:00 am and thanks me for taking Wylah, out and letting her sleep.  She wants to sleep more if that is alright and I tell her certainly – go back to sleep.  She needs the rest.

Our detectives are trying to come by earlier today so we can try to make some calls again.  They are called pretext calls, which basically means Morgan gets on a phone that has been attached to something in Detective Glassmire’s briefcase and she picks up the phone after he has dialed the number and tries to engage the people in a directed conversation.  It all sounds good and looks impressive, but unfortunately nobody on the other end has cooperated by answering yet.

Keenan had his cell phone disconnected, and they have been unable to find his new number yet, so a lot of this is shooting in the dark anyway.  The calls today are started earlier in hopes we will catch someone at a different time.  It starts out with promising signs, but is headed for discouraging results before long.

Steve tries to help and goes into my office to sign up for a service on the Internet that supposedly has all the answers for $20 and there are all kinds of special deals for increased access and information, which Steve accepts and we soon have names and addresses and all kinds of information to go with the numbers.

Again, this looks very promising at first.  Even Detective Glassmire and Detective Alstatt are surprised by all the information that can be had on anyone.  Only none of this information is working any better.  Steve signs in again and tries a search on us using a number that we have had for six years, and is supposed to be private.  The information comes spitting out and it is all wrong, we are not even anywhere on it.  And it is our number.

We conclude the attempts of the calls, and Detective Glassmire announces he is going to stop by Keenan’s house on the way back to Rifle for a conversation – I did not know he knew where Keenan now lived.  I am very hopeful of this development, and after the detectives check their cameras we say goodbye.

Morgan goes out with her puppy to take pictures, and Steve is trying unsuccessfully to get a refund from the Internet information site.

A friend calls me with information, even though we avoid talking about it now, a lot of people are trying to help us end this situation.  My friend has scouted on the Internet and has some links I have to see.  It is a picture of a young Keenan, decked out in complete camouflage with a deer he has successfully bow hunted lying dead alongside him.  I call Steve over to see and he tells me he knows a few bow hunters, it is not an easy sport at all – requires great discipline and patience.  There was also a link to a boast that he can go undetected by anyone that my friend is reading to me and I relay to Steve, he wants me to make sure that Detective Glassmire sees it.

At 5:58 pm I text Morgan, “Dad’s B-Day is tomorrow. Let’s talk when you get home.”  She calls me back, and tells me about a project she is making for him.  I am sworn to secrecy, and promise to let her make the cake as well – she loves to bake.

Detective Glassmire gives me an update later that Keenan was not at home, so he will try again soon.  I found out this past May of 2012, that Detective Glassmire never had a real address for the “suspect,” Keenan, so I don’t know why he told me he went there and Keenan was not home…what was that all about?  We have signs of momentum in positive ways and I thought after the last few embarrassing events they were trying extra hard, which was very appreciated.

After an uneventful evening the cameras in the rear yard picked something up at 4:51 am (this would now be on the 14th – the “suspect” Keenan Vanginkel was not working at all on the 14th!).  Morgan heard what she called shots or bangs on her upper window and her motion detector lights were going on and off all at about the same time. Steve was up and instead of going out sat at the monitor and switched from camera to camera seeing nothing.  He now wishes he had all motorized cameras with pan and angle instead of just a few.  He had gotten an ad about a camera that followed motion all on its own and now he was going to check into it some more.  We just kept thinking – how are we going to stop this!

Click here to read about the 105th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=2041

November 5, 2011 – Day 96 of Morgan’s stalking – whatever it takes now.

Morgan visiting when she was not being stalked.

Steve was already up and in the kitchen, I heard a noise outside my window in the room.  A loud thud, like a sack of horse grain being thrown from the back of a truck onto the ground, I lie still for a second listening, then asked Steve if coffee was ready.  I was working toward fear until he walked in holding two cups, and said this was unusual sound – what was it?  He raised his eyebrows and raised his shoulders as if to say, “I don’t know”.   I shook my head no, and pointed to the back yard.  He instantly knew something was up, was already dressed and was out our back door in a fraction of a second.

I sat up and listened as motion detectors around the house went off in sequence.  I could almost hear the grass crunching under Steve’s feet as he ran around the house.  Then he was back at the door,  and standing in the room huffing and puffing.

Nothing, he told me and then wondered what had happened.  I told him about the thud – and he walked outside, and again alarms went off for the back yard, and then he was back inside again.  Still nothing.  A thud, he wondered as he handed me my coffee.  He fixated on the noise asking me all about it.  He was thinking someone tripped out back.  We heard them thud the ground, and then he handed me my phone.  Mr. E needs a text right now, the stalker could be outside and perhaps he can check and tell us what he sees from his upstairs window.  He’s offered enough times Steve reminds me.  While I am texting Steve calls dispatch.

At 6:22 am I sent the text to Elliott, I ask him, “Elliott the stalker might still be outside could you look towards our house from your 2nd story window?  Sheriff’s are on their way.”  Elliott writes back a little while later, “Took me a sec to wake. I don’t see anyone.”  I wrote back, “Thanks so much, just thought it was worth a try.”  Elliott writes back, I just heard that Keenan was on a hunting trip Tuesday.  I wrote back, “Do you think that’s true?  What exactly was he told and who told him? Could he be back?”  Elliott said, “Can’t confirm, and I thought the same.”  How reliable is this info from Christina, Brooke’s mom to Elliott?  Supposidly he’s hunting with grandpa.”  I said, “Good to know, we must be getting close to home for him now.”

The sheriff’s were at the house a little later and Steve walked them out back to explain what had happened and how perplexed he was, unless it was just someone who tripped and hit the dirt.  He brought the officers in the house and showed them the one video we had ready to play from the walkabout.  This deputy was different. I heard him telling Steve he had a daughter and was very upset with what was going on here.

As they watched the video I walked in and said hi.  They both immediately came to the same conclusion.  “That is a girl!  Not even a guy!  No way!”  I told them we had pretty much decided the same thing and pointed out the pom pom.  They both shook their heads, this was unbelievable to them.  The deputy wondered if we can up the intensity of the lights in the front yard.  He had seen some of our videos and he thought if it was brighter that might help with the identification of the stalker.

Steve thanked him for the idea and told him to consider it done.  We would have another set of lights installed by Monday.  They assured us we would get this guy and they left.  I wished all the officers were all like those two, I knew it was too much to ask, that there is always the good, and the bad in anything.  But those two were the good and I truly appreciated them.

At 10:30 am I sent Elliott (our neighbor across the street) another text, “So sorry that I woke you both up so early.  I sure hope this is over soon.  At 11:34 am Elliott texted back, “No prob.  I think it’s time you hired surveillance.” I write back, “Good idea, I have a similar plan.”

Steve goes to the hardware store and upgrades our front yard lighting.  During the day it is hard to tell the difference, but Steve assures me that at night it will be quite a difference, he also thinks it can cut both ways, we’ll just have to see how the cameras react to this tonight.

Today Keenan sends another message back to Morgan’s friend on FB and says “I’m just gonna cal the cops when I get back and show em these messages and sue u for harassment.  U will hear from the cops in a few days.”

Morgan’s friend writes back that he isn’t worried and the cops know just who Keenan is…don’t worry.  Keenan now tells him, “I haven’t been in that neighborhood at all in 3 weeks or so.  I’ll call the cops when I get back and I want to see those bullshit tapes ur making up.  I’m done talkin to u.”  Morgan has taken to knitting Christmas presents like crazy – knitting keeps her calm – she doesn’t like all this drama, and when I look at her she reminds me of someone from a distant era.

Fact Check – The Deputies that Steve showed the video to, from only one camera, were the first to see it, and once again someone – Keenan, who shouldn’t have knowledge of the video – is talking about it – was this because he orchestrated the “alibi walk around” of Brooke?  And as for the three weeks comment he made – Keenan had followed Morgan to the corner on October 27th – many have wondered if he was questioned about this, and as far as I know he was not, but it was certainly less than three weeks ago!  And Morgan positively ID’d him as the driver.

N sends Morgan a text message,  “Hey, just found the most amazing dragonfly ever, aquamarine and bright red.  Made me think of you.  Hope you’re having a good week.”  Morgan sends a message to N in Australia,  “Ah!  That sounds so beautiful.  I’m jealous. 🙁 We should skype before you come home because that’s a long time to wait to see your face.  Haha.”

The dragonfly represents change and Morgan and her parents wish for change – for all the other victims of stalking – so their lives may return to them.

Nothing happens tonight, it’s quiet.  Steve and I just look at how bright the driveway is at night now, and we wait to see the detectives tomorrow.  We want to make this all end for Morgan, it hurts too much to see our sweet daughter the “target” of a stalker, under attack.

Click here to read about the 97th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=1988

A post from Morgan’s friend Tacia…

I came accross this band this morning, and it reminded me of Morgan because of her kitty Mogwai. I think she would have liked this song. I can picture her smiling and swaying gently to it with the soft morning sunlight pouring over her face. I could never recreate her in my imagination as beatiful as she really was, but it is a warm thought and a fond feeling it gives me all the same. She had an incredibly diverse taste, and divine appreciation for music. I loved listening to music with her, we would just immerse ourselves in the sounds, cuddle up together in a blanket of tones, tap our toes to the beat. She really felt things, she was so open to life. I feel like the whole world is asleep, they don’t see the beauty in everything like she did. She always inspired and amazed me with her capacity to absorb and embrace everything with such loving, open arms. I felt like she could swallow the whole world up in one great gulp, breath it in with one deep breath, and if she were to breathe it all back out, in a gentle sort of sigh, the world would have been a better place. Anyway, I just thought perhaps it might brighten your day just the tiniest bit. Many, many wishes of love and healing to you and your family Toni. Click on the following like to see the video.

http://youtu.be/ol3e032aOeU

Mogwai – “How to Be a Werewolf” Sub Pop Records

www.youtube.com

Check Out The Incredible New Video For Mogwai’s “How To Be A Werewolf” In case you missed it, there is now available for your viewing pleasure a video for an…

October 2, 2011 – Day 62 of Morgan’s Stalking


This morning at 6:15 Morgan is awoken by loud stones against her window, the loudest it has ever been (look at the suspects hours below – he was on his break, only minutes from our house at this time!) She presses the panic button immediately and Steve is at her room seconds later, and then he is out the front door.  I rush to her room and Morgan is beside herself.  She thinks that it is a wonder he did not break the window and we both look at all of her windows very carefully for cracks.  We don’t see any, and Steve comes back in to report that he did not see anything, and Keenan’s car is not at Brooke’s dad’s house.  He is going for a drive to record the rest of the neighborhood, and wants both of us to stay inside while he is gone.

We are all far too keyed up for sleep and wind up in the kitchen for a family talk.  I have no notes about what we did talk about that morning, but I can safely guess that it revolved around stalkers and stalking.

After breakfast we go outside and find two questionable footprints on Morgan’s side of the house.  I see them, but Steve does not.  Again, I would like to mention that we had 6 cameras up around our house, but they could not cover every area of the house – it was impossible…so there were holes in the coverage.  We spent some time looking at the live video and Steve positioning on that side of the house, and realized the spot where the prints were is in a “hole” between the two cameras.  Steve aims both cameras at Morgan’s windows and we thoroughly water the side and rake it smooth.  We had been lax in this step since the video cameras went in and we agree to be more attentive to every detail.  Now that we have a detective, if we get a really good print he will cast it.  I am very angry with myself for not keeping up with this “chore”.

Later that morning, right around 10:35 am, a neighbor calls and tells us that Keenan drove up at 10:30 am and, after watching him get out of his car and go in the house, he did not have the “range bag” this time.

Morgan goes out with her puppy and texts me later at 9:51 pm “On my way”.  I have been trying to find an app for my phone that Morgan wanted me to get and I text her back, “Is the app called happy trees?”  She answers, “Hills.” And I tell her, “Ok thanks and I’ll watch for you.”  She tells me “K” and is pulling in the driveway a short while later.

We had all been up since early morning and were tired and went to bed.  At 10:31 pm one of the back motion lights went off, this had been such a pattern, which was followed by something on Morgan’s windows that I went right out into the yard with a flashlight, leaving the bedroom door open.  As soon as I was out in the yard I heard the motion alarm for the driveway going off in the room.  I thought whoever was in the back had gone straight to the front and across our driveway.  Most every time we had seen someone in the driveway they were always going from my office side of the house to the garage side of the house and I went back through the house to see what was out front.  There was nothing and I went back in to discuss with Steve some counter measure for this pattern, it had happened too many times.

Today is September 30, 2012 – A thought about cameras.  If ours had been mounted away from our house looking at our house from some distance they would have proven far more useful.  From a practical standpoint it sounds difficult, but mounting cameras on neighboring houses and the back of the back yard, all aimed at the house seems like a good start.  Our cameras were mounted under the eves of the house which put them about 3’ from the outside wall and as our house had really high ceilings they were about 14’ from the ground.  And reviewing all the cameras we had, in case I have not talked about this, pretty much impossible to see it all.  The video was always on, so it was six cameras times 24 hrs each, every day.  Unless we wanted to focus on a specific place in a certain time range it was difficult.  There was a motion detecting feature that we have found was less than perfect in catching our stalker, but it was very helpful in ruling out wind or animals as a cause for an alarm on one of the motion detectors.  We now know the cameras were not catching any images because the stalker was on our ROOF!  He was coming from above and the cameras were not pointed up there.

Click here to read about the 63rd day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=1540