Tag Archives: Carbondale

September 15, 2011 – Day 45 of Morgan’s stalking – How Safe Is The Car?

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Morgan in the car

A happy Morgan heading off to somewhere

Morgan left to visit friends after dinner, we followed our little routine, where I walk her out to her car armed with pepper spray.  I watched her backing down the drive, and into the street before going back into my office.

Movement outside caught my attention and I noticed, but did not get a very good look at, a little car racing down the street.  It had come from the end of the cul-de-sac where Brooke, her dad, and Keenan live, and was headed out of the subdivision, at a very high speed.  I probably thought something about the excessive speed not being safe, and then went about my work.

At 8:46 pm Morgan called my cell phone, when I answered it, she was not there.  I called her back from the home phone, and she answered. She had been followed!  Morgan said there were 2 people in the car, she couldn’t tell the color of the car, made some maneuver’s to try to lose the car (going down different side streets), and when she couldn’t shake them she pulled in to the CMC college parking lot in Carbondale, because there were people standing outside of their vehicles and without parking, she sat in her car with her doors locked and waited as the car sped by.  Morgan said she waited for a few minutes, and went out a different exit, drove to Hwy 133, doubled back, and then took side streets to her destination.  She was very shook up over this.

Steve was working late while this was all was going on.  When I called him he came right home.  He drove through the neighborhood at regular intervals that night, and came home one time to report a development. The little green car that had been gone for a while, was now back in the Harris’ driveway.  We never could agree exactly when we stopped seeing it, but it seemed to coincide with the amount of stalking activity.

At 9:15 pm Morgan texted, “On my way,”  I answered, “Ok”

Detective Glassmire said, “Wade and Keenan also talked about a hunting trip to Wyoming where they left September 12 and returned September 15.”  So obviously Keenan had returned by this evening…

Today it is September 12, 2012,  Morgan was followed more times after this.  We didn’t have the correct response prepared before this, and even in successive instances, we improved what to do, but then again none of it worked.  After this instance we all agreed Morgan would call me if anything happened.  Steve and I would use our home phone system to conference Morgan in with 911. The Sheriff’s afterwards told us next time she was being followed to keep driving, don’t go home, and stay on the phone with 911, and tell them where she was so Patrol Officers could intercept, and fall in behind the vehicle following her.  Then as more officers arrived she could just pull off the road and they would handle it from there.  It all sounded so good at the time, solutions that ended well always sounded so good.   I’m not blaming myself, but I do know there is a lesson in all of this, a lot of little lessons.  When they lead to a lot of improvements, that will be gratifying.

Click here to read about the 46th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=1186

September 11, 2011 – day 41 of Morgan’s stalking

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Morgan loved yogurt and stuck by her favorites

Morgan loved yogurt and stuck by her favorites

I am woken at 1:45 by our dog Tessi.  She has started to bark at the front door.  She barks occasionally, but snores loudly far more often.  I feel that if Tessi is barking it is something.  She has not woken Steve up yet so I leave him to his dreams, and go to the front door.  Tessi is upset about something outside, and we peer out through the little beveled glass rectangles together for the longest time.

If I am standing here watching we are all safe.  I quietly look in on Morgan, and she is sleeping soundly.  I return to the door, and sit on the floor with Tessi, and look out into the darkness.  Nothing is moving, and one porch light is on across the street.  Of course our yard is lit up like a used car lot.

I finally say goodnight to our newf and go back to bed.  Almost on cue the motion detector light right outside our bedroom goes on.  It stays on for a minute and then goes off.  I tell myself that when it goes off again I will wake Steve, but it never does.

I write to myself the next morning a question.  How will we know when this is really over?  Just one sentence, because I know it has to be over at some point in time, and we will have to go back to normal.  So I’m wondering how we will know that has happened.  Last night I was up for an hour or two because Tessi barked.  A year ago I would have just told her to be quiet.

That afternoon Steve tells me, with no warning, that he has been thinking about the idea of putting trip strings, tied between the trees in our yard, and has found a black nylon “ballistic” cord sold nearby that should be invisible at night.  He has found a store where he can pick up four spools.  Steve is wondering if we can actually do this as we can’t leave it up, and will have to string it after dark, and remove it before sunrise.  We decide we will figure that part out later, and set off to pick up the cord.

At 8:50 pm I text Morgan, “On your way home yet?” icon of a red car “It’s almost 10.” Morgan answers, “Yeah. I’ll leave right now.” A happy face blowing a kiss  I answer, “Great, I’ll watch for you.”

We have just added an array of little icons to our phones to add to texts, and Morgan uses them in every message, so I am trying to add a few here, and there also.  And in case you did not notice I really did text Morgan just before nine, and told her it was almost ten.  She did not notice until the next morning.  We are all so tired, even after four days of quiet, which has me wondering what was different now.

Click here to read about the 42nd day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=1096

September 7-10, 2011 – the 37th, 38th, 39th, and 40th days of Morgan’s Stalking

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On the 7th – Morgan went to school in the morning.  And later that night at 10:23 pm, I sent her a text message, “On your way home?”  Morgan sent one back, “On my way.  So sorry.”  I immediately texted back, “Ok, I’m watching for you.” This evening it was quiet – soooo happy!

The next three days are also quiet, I saw a note that I wrote in my day runner, wondering how long this would last, have we spooked him?  What are we doing differently?  Was the stalker test with Steve and Jarred, out in the yard, something he saw?  Was he away on a trip? Had he moved?  Was he in jail?  So many thoughts ran through my head.

Now today on September 5, 2012 – This morning I woke up extra early in order to have a  quiet moment by myself.  So much has happened, and so much is happening, that if I started writing about it now I would not stop for two days.  The 2nd opinion by the much respected Forensic Pathologist and Medical Examiner, Dr. Michael Dobersen, is coming today, I already know what it says, but I can’t wait to hold it in my hands, and then share it with all of you.

As I sit here today, and reflect back on last year, there is one fact that I believe is undeniable – the days we did nothing were the most dangerous – because those were the days our guard was down.  It is so easy to do, you want to do it.  Believe me; you want nothing more than to think it is all over.  But that has to be the furthest thing from your mind.  When you have a stalker you do not have a “normal” life anymore, accepting that fact was never easy for us.

I really believe now, more that ever, that getting the truth out about what happened to Morgan is making a difference, the awareness level is creeping up. If this could happen to our youngest daughter, at 20 years old, living in our own home, it could happen to anyone, and we all have to be hyper-vigilant, not paranoid, just hyper-vigilant.

For the next 3 days it is quiet until the early morning hours of September 11th – I will keep blogging for the next 3 days, with some other things I would like you to know about Morgan.  Thank you all for reading…more is coming.

Click here to read about the 41st day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=1086

 

Wednesday, August 31, 2011 – the 30th day of Morgan’s stalking

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It is beyond my comprehension that this is now the 30th day of the stalking and I have no idea what to do! It is a sick feeling and yet we are all still trying to go about our daily lives, trying so hard not to let this darkness in, but it is becoming frightening and all consuming.

We all wake up in the morning, and go about our business.  I start work in my home office, Steve leaves for his shop, Morgan takes off for school.  At 12:45 pm Morgan sent me a text, “Graph paper, shampoo, and conditioner (that Moroccan oil one if possible, the long term relationship red herbal essence if not.)  Bobby pins, and a pair of black tights if they have them.  Thanks!  You’re the best :).”  She wanted me to pick her up some stuff at the store after work today.  Everything seemed like life was normal today – at least we wanted it to be, even if only for one day.  I think your mind tricks you into believing the worse is over (on a daily basis), so you can emotionally survive to face another day…anyway that is what I have come to believe.

Later in the afternoon, after work I am standing out in the street talking to a new neighbor that just moved in down on Equestrian Way.  She had stopped her car to introduce herself.  As I was talking to her, a silver car with blackout windows (I later find out it was Keenan’s car) drives into the cul-de-sac, and parks in Brooke Harris’ driveway.  When the person gets out of his car my grandson Jarred notices the guy is wearing shorts, with purple shoes on his feet – he runs over to look at his shoes, with the excuse that he would like to know if he’d like to have his lawn mowed.  Jarred notices that this guy is wearing purple “Etnies”, (Jarred’s mother is out front on our lawn, looking in the direction her son just ran, and notices the shoes too).  I remember at the time I was so excited that we now know someone that lives right here on our block has the same type of shoe as the shoe prints under Morgan’s windows, so I think to myself, this should be easy for a sheriff to go over to that house, ask to see the shoes, and compare them to the shoe prints – but I guess that only happens on TV.  I told the sheriff’s about this, but they said as soon as this case has a detective assigned to the case (felony stalking) they can do those sort of things, but for the moment the patrol officers are not allowed.  Later that night the silver car is gone, and the next day a little lime green Ford Fiesta is now parked in its spot, with paper plates.  (if any of the readers of this blog happen to have a picture of this person wearing purple Etnies, please let me know – you can contact me through the tip line on this website.  You will see it at the bottom of the home page on the site)

At 7:47 pm I sent Morgan a text, “Can we pick you up in about 10 minutes?  We are in Carbondale, and too tired to drive home & back again.  Thanks.”  I didn’t hear right back from her so I sent another text, “M???”  Morgan responded back at 8:28 pm, “I’m so sorry.  I left my phone upstairs.”  I texted back, “Call me please”  Morgan responded, “K. Now I’m ready. :)”  I sent her another text, “Where should we pick you up?  We will be there in 10 – 15 minutes.”  Morgan texted back, “I’ll just walk to Calder’s”  I responded, “By yourself?  I can pick you up where you are right now.”  (I guess you can all tell I am afraid to have her walk down the street with her puppy at night by herself – I keep imagining this stalker following her, and seeing her alone…who knows what might happen, Morgan texts back, “It’s all good.  I’m already going.”  I said, “OK”  We drive home.  Later when we arrive home I have a talk with Morgan.  I let her know how I feel about he being alone, while this stalker is still out there.  Morgan tells me she is really making an effort to always have someone walk with her when she is in town, but this was just one of those times that it didn’t work out and it was just one block away.  I told he it could only take one time if someone is watching you so please keep trying your best to stay in a group and always pay attention to your intuition.

In the backyard, the master bedroom motion light goes on, and then the master bedroom side motion light goes on – no noise heard.  Morgan is still sleeping in the closet.

It has now been a whole month of this terrorization going on and I Steve and I are arguing more and more about what direction to go in with this. When your in the middle of something that you have never been exposed to before, and there is not much direction from authorities on the subject, you kind of make it up as you go.  We now know this is not a good way to do that – there were authorities on the subject out there, but we hadn’t found them yet and our local authorities didn’t have the correct information or protocol.

Today (a year later) we know that significant incidents, containing lots of evidence, have been posted in the last few blogs, but at the time last summer we missed very important things that were going on right in front of our face.  Later on today after work I will post another blog, and try to connect all the dots.  Now a year later, and after all the things we have learned it is much easier to see…I guess that’s what they mean about hindsight.

Click here to read about the 31st day of Morgan’s stalking. She is no longer safe during the day either! https://morgansstalking.com/?p=913

Monday, August 29, 2011, the 28th day of Morgan’s stalking. First picture of the stalker!

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Morgan is starting a new semester, just picking up those last few credits, and taking two dance classes per day at Colorado Mountain College. After spending the night at a friend’s house she arrived home at 6:30 am, had breakfast and dressed for her first day back at college. The last few days were quiet, no stalker, she was bubbly and happy, not a mention of the stalker, plans for the future filled the air.

After Morgan and Steve left it was quiet and calm as I worked. Steve had filled the bird feeder and they were singing outside my office window, I loved it and couldn’t help but smile.

Late afternoon Steve and I were in the yard discussing where to put the camera, we only had one, and I felt we had to make it count, I wanted it outside Morgan’s windows. Steve felt nothing was happening on her windows, and the trail over the berm needed a night of surveillance. Our discussion deteriorated, and then we were arguing with all of our bottled up frustration. With no agreement in sight I held the ladder, and we hung it over the front door. There was a spot on the trim where it didn’t stand out like the proverbial sore thumb. I said this would be a good test, and tomorrow we’ll put it somewhere that it will do some good. We didn’t talk for hours, Morgan was in her room singing, and we went to bed. Morgan felt like now with school starting she was determined to sleep in her own room and not be afraid of this stalker anymore.

At ~ 11:00 pm it started, he didn’t elude the new placement of the motion detectors, four total, and each receiver was lined up on my dresser with a post- it stuck on that had the location written on it. Steve announced he’s over on Rhonda’s side (where Morgan’s bedroom was in our house), and was pulling on clothes, grabbing his things, and heading for the front door. I stayed in the room this time so I could watch the receivers, and know where he was. I was going to call Steve with updates until I saw his cell phone lying on the nightstand. We had to get better at this.

In what was becoming a horrible disheartening sequence of events the motion detector in the front went off, that was Steve, then lights went on along the side yard, then the motion detector on the back corner, Steve, moving around the house. I waited for another set of alarms. One that would belong to the stalker, but it didn’t happen. I went out the back door and sent Steve to the front while I tracked him down in the back. We both came up empty, then argued about how we can’t both leave the house, Morgan is alone then, even if we lock up on the way out, it is just not safe.

This all repeats itself over and over, I lose track of how many times. I call dispatch and as night turns to morning (it is now after midnight on 8/30/2011), we are standing in the house at a quarter to 1 am with three deputies who have come up just as empty as we have in this desperate fight to catch him. They are going now, and hope they have scared him off, hope it’s going to be a quiet evening for us now. I’m wondering about the catching him or making him just go away. I’m so tired that scared away sounded good. But, I know that is not the solution.

We go back to bed and just as I’m drifting off to sleep I startle. The wildlife cam! I shake Steve, the camera, the test, we have to look at the images, we should at least have the Deputies leaving caught on camera – otherwise it is worthless. Steve gets dressed again and goes out to get it down. The motion detector tells me he is in the drive.

It’s our first time using this camera, and it takes a while to get the card out and into a computer. It has taken 12 pictures, little thumbnails on the screen, most are nothing, until we get to the last four. And . . . here, date and time stamped, are those four – depending on your browser you should be able to click on the picture for a larger version.

The first Deputy to leave –

First Deputy leaving after searching for stalker

First Deputy leaving after searching for stalker

Then the next two Deputies –

Last two Deputies leaving after searching for stalker

Last two Deputies leaving after searching for stalker

Then we see the stalker, leaning against Steve’s truck, and watching the Deputies leave. An authority on stalkers refers to behavior like this as “thumbing their nose at law enforcement”, and believes this is at the top of the list of danger signs, but at the time we did not know that, and we were not told this bit of information. As for the picture, the upper left corner would be the street, so you would turn left at the end of the drive to leave our block. And quite a few experts in disseminating images have had a look at this, and a remarkable amount of information has been uncovered, but we welcome any observations. Either leave a comment or, if you prefer, the tip line on Morgan’s website for more privacy.

Stalker watching the Sheriffs Deputies leaving

Stalker watching the Sheriffs Deputies leaving

Next is the desperate attempt to knock down the wildlife cam that just took his picture, it is spinning to face down the street toward the end where the sheriffs trucks were depart ing from. If, as we believe the two streaks in the upper right are lights on the Deputies truck, the stalker was that close!

Stalker trying to knock camera down, it's mounted over 12 feet high on the house

Stalker trying to knock camera down, it’s mounted over 12 feet high on the house

The stalker never expected a camera and in what was a rare event was caught off guard. The cameras that can take low light photos glow red as they are taking a night picture. Animals, supposedly, are unable to see this red glow, this animal obviously did noticed it, as you can see him. as we believe, spinning his face back to the camera, to be caught as a blur. He obviously knows just what is happening, as just after this image is captured, the next is him trying to destroy the black box mounted 12 feet high over the front porch. While his attempts to knock it down fail, he does succeed in breaking it. I called dispatch and the Sheriff’s call me back, they can’t believe he was right there the whole time and popped up as soon as they were leaving. Two of the Patrol Officers are coming back right now. The officers are visibly upset and look at the first three photos again, and again, they want copies which we give them on a jump drive. Then they checked everywhere outside again. This time he really has left for the night.

Steve and I look at the photos ourselves for a longest time after the Deputies have left. Mercifully Morgan has slept through it all, he was focused on our closet and he doesn’t know she is back in her room. We just have to stop him somehow, and maybe we can’t positively ID him from this photo – but, as Steve points out, our list of suspects, which had been growing, just got very short.

Click here to read about the 29th day of Morgan’s stalking https://morgansstalking.com/?p=859