August 7, 2011 the 6th day of Morgan’s stalking

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Morgan heard no tapping tonight – it was quiet, we hoped this is the end of all of this stress…boy were we wrong! Here is a picture of baby Wylah at that time.

Today on August 7, 2012 I think back:  It has always been so amazing to me when I look at what a kind and wonderful woman Morgan had grown into.  She never complains, even at age 19, at having to come home to have dinner with her father and I, she enjoys going on vacations and “adventures” with us, involves us in her daily life’s journey, and is always right there when we need her to lift our spirits, by playing her keyboard and singing, baking a cake, blasting her music, and dancing through the house (she loved being silly), taking us for a walk, putting on some random movie that she knows we will enjoy, or just quietly walking up to us, putting her hand on our back and saying, “don’t stress, everything is going to be OK.”  We really miss her!  She would bring a bunch of her friends over to cook or bake or watch movie, or all three at the same time.  They would play on my Conga drums, laugh and fill the house with joy.  We miss that now.  Her friends come by to visit us now and we love seeing them so much, but we can see even for them there is always something missing….Morgan.

Click here to read about the 7th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=486 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE ON STALKING FROM COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S PROGRAMS AND STUDIES

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Additional Resources

For excellent information on stalking, including stalking behavior logs, safety plan guidelines, and a complete handbook for victims, contact the National Center for Victims of Crime Stalking Resource Center online at www.ncvc.org, call 1-800-FYI-CALL (M-F 8:30 AM – 8:30 PM EST), or e-mail gethelp@ncvc.org

A survey of university undergraduates revealed that 20% had been stalked or harassed by a former dating partner. (Haugaar & Seri 2004)

More than one million women and nearly 400,000 men are stalked annually in the United States (U.S. Justice Dept. 1998)

 

THE START OF MANY THINGS WE DID WRONG IN MORGAN’S STALKING CASE

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How did her stalker always know right when Morgan came home?  He always started his tapping and banging on her window within 15 minutes of her arriving at her house.  This is a very important question as the Sheriff’s Patrol Officers later on believed it had to be someone in our neighborhood that could see her coming home.  The Sheriff’s suggested that we not speak to our neighbors about what was happening, in order to give them a better chance of catching this stalker off-guard if he was in our neighborhood…the problem with this tactic is that if more people in your neighborhood know, the more eyes you have watching out for you, it makes it harder on the criminal to sneak around, and it is easier to catch the criminal, but we did not know at the time so we took the Patrol Officer’s suggestion and tried to keep it quiet for the time being.  

A little later on when we captured the first picture of the stalker and there were Sheriff’s Patrol Officers parked all around our house not all the neighbors could be kept in the dark any longer.  One of them just stormed up our driveway and demanded to know what was going on.  He also stopped and spoke with one of the officers.  So a couple of them did find out, which was good because right after that happened  we came the closest (in my opinion) to catching the stalker…but you will read about that on August 29th.


WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE BEING STALKED

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Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t. Be wary about how much information you reveal and advertise to others. Keeping a low profile, especially in regards to cyber- stalking, is important for maintaining your privacy. If possible, carry a cell phone on you at all times in case you need to call for help.

If you are being stalked, you need to make it very clear to the stalker that you are not interested. A firm “No” is a clear and concise message that you are not interested in their advances. Don’t try to be polite by making up other excuses, as this leaves open windows for the stalker to think there is a chance.

Notify family members or close friends if you believe you are being stalked, both to build support and put them on the lookout. This is especially important if you have children with your stalker. When going on trip, give a trusted friend your itinerary so that they can notify authorities if something goes wrong. Vary your habits (ex: taking different ways to work) so that you are not an easy target for your stalker to follow.

Document Everything. The key to prosecuting a stalker is to document. Everything this individual does must be chronicled from the moment you believe you are being stalked. Also save everything the stalker sends you and record when and where you found it. Tape record phone calls the stalker leaves you and save voicemails, emails, instant messages and text messages. Keep your records in a safe place and make a copy to leave in another location.

Consider working with law enforcement professionals as early as possible. All states have anti-stalking legislation. Also, you may want to contact victim’s rights advocate groups who specialize in domestic violence or stalking programs. Early intervention is always best when trying to stop stalking.

LEGAL OPTIONS

Temporary Restraining Orders (called Orders of Protection in Colorado) are intended to notify your stalker that they must immediately stop harassing and otherwise contacting you. You must file paperwork with the court requesting such an order. You may also petition for a Work Place Restraining Order which is similar to the TRO.

Stalking Emergency Protective Orders allows for police to immediately obtain emergency protection for victims in domestic violence and stalking cases. These can only be obtained with the help of a police officer.

The information above is from the Office of Women’s Programs and Studies ▪ Colorado State University