Missing Man: Steven Koecher--NV--12/13/2009

[Denise Harrison]

                                                                                                                                    XX
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14327815

Search continues for missing S. Utah man

By Mark Havnes
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 02/03/2010 07:19:24 PM MST

The search for Steven T. Koecher, who has been missing since Dec. 13, got a boost this week with a picture and description of the St. George resident appearing on milk cartons in some stores in the southern Utah city and in the Las Vegas area where he was last seen.

Police in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nev., have searched the desert near where a person believed to be Koecher was seen walking away from his car in an upscale neighborhood. But those searches turned up nothing on the 30-year-old.

"Why was he there is the million-dollar question," said his father, Rolf Koecher, on Monday.

Read morea t link above.

[Jenn]

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/state/story/New-push-to-find-missing-Utah-man/CBmPY0E9Zk692kwUsZtU3Q.cspx

New push to find missing Utah man

Reported by: Annie Cutler Last Update: 2:34 am

ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC 4 News) – Milk cartons and YouTube are both are being used to take action to find a missing Utah man. 30 year old Steven Koecher has been missing since December 13th.

For the first time in many years a missing person is pictured on Anderson Dairy milk cartons. On the half gallon cartons is Steven Koecher. He’s been missing for almost two months and family members hope having his photo in thousands of homes across Las Vegas and St. George will lead to new information.

Deanne Koecher says, “To think that the coverage that more people will be seeing my son’s face, more people may be exposed to the fact that he's missing, more people will be able to tell us something or give us a clue that might help us find him.”

Part of this new push to find Koecher includes a YouTube public service announcement from the Henderson, Las Vegas police department. Rolf Koecher says, “We need more eyes looking for him in Las Vegas. It's just a daunting, daunting thing just to drive by yourself and go from neighborhood to neighborhood which we have done many, many times.”

Surveillance video shows Koecher walking away from his car in Henderson the morning he disappeared. His white Chevy Cavalier then sat in the cul-de-sac of the upscale neighborhood for four days.

At this point police say there are no signs of foul play. After going through Koecher's car, paper-work, cell phone records, and computer his parents tell us nothing suggests he planned any kind of escape. Deanne Koecher says, “We're open to that there was another life but nothing points to that at this point.”

The family is holding on to hope that Koecher will be found safe. They’re depending on the public to help in their search. Koecher's picture and information will be on those milk cartons for the next several weeks.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.clippertoday.com/view/full_story/5783514/article-Police--dairy-join-forces-to-find-missing-person?instance=secondary_stories_left_column

Police, dairy join forces to find missing person
Feb 04, 2010

LAS VEGAS — Milk cartons across southern Nevada and Utah have begun displaying the face of Steven T. Koecher, 30, as part of a cooperative effort by the Henderson Police, Las Vegas Metro Police and Anderson Dairy.

Koecher, a St. George man and former Bountiful resident, has been missing in the Las Vegas area since Dec. 13. He will be featured on the dairy’s half-gallon cartons for the next several weeks.

“We are hopeful that residents of the Las Vegas area will take notice of the milk cartons and call the police if they spot someone matching Steven’s description, said Deanne Koecher, Steven’s mother. “We are even alerting news media in Utah because he used to live and work here.”

Already, tips have been called in following recent stories in the Las Vegas and Salt Lake City media. Employees at a restaurant near Flamingo and the Boulder Highway have reported seeing a person matching his description at least three weeks in a row, prompting this parents and extended family members recently to post a vigil at the restaurant for several nights, but the person did not show up.

“We were just grateful that someone took the time to watch for Steven,” said Deanne Koecher. “Several employees told us they’d seen this individual who looked much like Steven, but key descriptions did not match, and one of them even said she felt the mysterious customer was definitely not Steven. It is our opinion that this person looked much like Steven but that it was not him; however, we greatly appreciate the alertness of all the restaurant employees.”

Steven’s parents and extended family members also combed nearby restaurants, stores and casinos while they were in Las Vegas recently, but did not find Steven. They even talked with homeless people at Las Vegas area shelters and at informal homeless camps.

The effort was touched off after Koecher’s car had been found abandoned for four days in the Sun City Anthem area of Henderson in December. Koecher’s parents immediately reported him missing and launched a private search of the neighborhoods near the abandoned vehicle. In late December, a wide air and ground search was launched by Henderson Police in tandem with Las Vegas Metro Police.

Henderson police searched in a wide radius around Sun City Anthem for two days, using police dogs and searchers on all-terrain vehicles to examine culverts, drainage basins, ditches, gullies and other rough terrain. Meanwhile, police and volunteer searchers from the Nevada Center for Missing Loved Ones, combed homes and neighborhoods, and a Las Vegas Metro helicopter searched from the air.

“They conducted an all-out effort to find Steven, but so far there hasn’t been a trace of him,” said Clipper Editor Rolf Koecher, Steven’s father. “Surveillance cameras caught Koecher leaving his car right at noon on Sunday, Dec. 13, as if heading to an appointment, but he apparently never returned to his car.”

A deepening mystery

Those closest to Steven know of no alcohol, drug or similar issues, yet he vanished on a bright Sunday morning in an upscale neighborhood. He is well-liked by his many friends and associates, according to leaders of his LDS church congregation in St. George, who describe him as cheerful, the first to volunteer for service projects and always dependable. In addition, his car contained Christmas gifts for his older brother’s family, which he purchased just the evening before he disappeared.

“All this just deepens the mystery,” said Rolf Koecher. “This is a particularly difficult and confusing situation because many clues indicate he was planning to return to St. George on the day he disappeared, and none of the clues point to any particular motive or conclusion. St. George police even reported that their investigation into Steven revealed he had apparently been acting as a Good Samaritan on the Friday before he disappeared, trying to help locate the parents of two young girls accidentally locked out of their home on a cold afternoon.”

Steven’s mother, meanwhile, has expressed the family’s gratitude for the efforts that have been made to find their missing son.

“We are impressed with the intense effort expended by the Henderson and Las Vegas Metro police in finding our son, especially for the tireless work of Det. Robert McKay and his associates. We are even aware that detectives have done additional searches on their own and that a number of Las Vegas area residents whom we don’t even know have organized spontaneous searches on their own volition, as well,” said Deanne Koecher. “We are grateful that Anderson Dairy has now joined in the effort to help solve this mystery, which is very troubling and painful for us, his siblings and extended family members. We welcome any tips or clues the public may provide.”

[LoriDavis]

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=9587729

Milk carton to feature missing Utah man
February 5th, 2010 @ 6:13pm
By Alex Cabrero

BOUNTIFUL -- The parents of a missing Utah man say they don't know what else to do but wait.

It's been almost two months since Rolf and Deanne Koecher heard from their son, 30-year-old Steven Koecher. He disappeared on December 13, 2009, in Henderson, Nev.

Recently, Anderson's Dairy put Steven's face on its milk carton, hoping that would generate leads.

The most promising lead so far came from a security camera that recorded him walking down the street. His parents have no idea why he was in the Savannah Springs Ave. neighborhood in Henderson, Nev.

"He did not look disoriented, he did not look downcast. He looked like he was purposeful. He was headed somewhere," said Rolf.

Steven moved to St. George about a year ago looking for work. His parents, who live in Bountiful, say he was happy and had been doing some jobs washing windows.

Deanne didn't know anything as wrong until she got a phone call from a Henderson police officer asking about Steven's car. It had been parked on a street for a few days.

When the Koechers went to Henderson to investigate, they found a man on that street who had surveillance cameras on his house. That's where they got the video showing a man walking down the street whom they believe is their son.

"There's great concern. We'd like to hope he's on a happy jaunt, but nothing seems to be pointing towards that," said Deanne.

There have been some reported sightings, but none of them have turned out to be rock-solid clues.

The Henderson police department is investigating this case.

"We're just anxious for anything that would help us find our son," said Deanne. "We think he's either ill or something has happened to him that he's not feeling like he knows where he needs to go, or [something] even more scary."

The Koechers have visited St. George and Henderson several times to follow up on small clues. So far, though, they haven't found any hard evidence of where their son may be.

"The hardest part is not knowing, and not knowing where any clues are," said Rolf.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12053719
Family of missing Utah man offers $10K reward

Associated Press - February 26, 2010 7:15 PM ET

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) - The family of a 30-year-old Utah man who went missing in Nevada in December says it is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to finding him.

Steven Koecher's family held a press conference Friday in Henderson to announce the reward. The reward will be coordinated through Crime Stoppers of Nevada and police agencies in Henderson, Las Vegas and St. George, Utah.

Koecher's father says the family hopes the reward will encourage people to come forward with clues that lead to answers.

Koecher was last seen walking away from his vehicle in a Las Vegas-area neighborhood in December. A surveillance video from Sun City Anthem shows him parking and leaving his car in an upscale neighborhood. It was a Sunday. Police found Christmas presents inside.

[Jenn]

                                                                                                                                       XX
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14479216

$10,000 reward for information on missing man
Car found » St. George resident had been in northern Utah shortly before disappearing Dec. 13.


By Mark Havnes The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 02/26/2010 05:12:05 PM MST

A $10,000 award is being offered for information about missing St. George resident Steven T. Koecher, who disappeared Dec. 13.

During a news conference Friday in Henderson, Nev., officials announced they have found no evidence the 30-year-old traveled out of the area by bus or plane. And his passport has been found among his belongings.

About 40 members of Koecher's family attended the news conference in Henderson City Hall.

Read more at link above.

[Jenn]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700012502/10K-offered-for-data-about-missing-Utahn-Steven-Koecher.html

$10K offered for data about missing Utahn Steven Koecher

By Emiley Morgan Deseret News
Published: Friday, Feb. 26, 2010 11:43 p.m. MST

ST. GEORGE — The family of Steven Koecher, who has been missing since mid-December, announced Friday that they are now offering a monetary reward to help them find their son.

The family said police investigators may also be looking for connections between his case and that of missing West Valley City woman Susan Cox Powell.

Koecher's father, Rolf Koecher, said St. George police detectives had indicated to him that Powell's family had asked the department to look for any link between the two cases. He told the Deseret News that while he has personally dismissed the notion, his family is open to any investigation.

"I personally don't think there's a connection, but Dec. 7 she disappeared and he traveled through that area around that date. … There's some speculation that maybe he and Susan Powell took off together," Rolf Koecher said.

He elaborated later in a written statement.

"While it appears that Steven is close in age to Susan Powell and was driving through the Salt Lake City area within a day or two of her disappearance, any connection between the two seems entirely coincidental to us," he said. "Because we want to remain open to all possibilities, no matter how improbable, we have no issue with an exchange of information between the St. George and West Valley City police departments."

He said the family is also asking the citizens of Henderson to make next week "a week of vigilance," to focus their effort on finding the missing man. Koecher was formerly employed working nights on the online site at The Salt Lake Tribune but relocated to St. George after a rough winter and strain from the night shift took a toll on his morale. His parents said he seemed better after the move, though he struggled to find full-time employment. He was working part-time for a home services company in St. George at the time of his disappearance.

No one knows what took him to Nevada that Sunday in December. Rolf Koecher said a question until recently was the location of Steven Koecher's passport. Police were checking airline logs out of Las Vegas to determine whether he'd left the country, but Rolf Koecher said he located the passport, which was buried in a clothes drawer, last week.

"We would have been OK with it if he had gone back to Brazil, where he was a missionary, because he knows people there and we have a way to check down there," Rolf Koecher said. "We're grateful for the fact that his passport was found but also deflated because it doesn't give us a track to follow."

As part of the vigilance week, members of Steven Koecher's extended family in Henderson, Nev., and of his LDS ward in St. George will also be distributing posters, Rolf Koecher said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Henderson Police Crimes Against Persons at 702-267-4750 or St. George police at 435-627-4300.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.examiner.com/x-30706-Suddenly-Famous-Examiner~y2010m2d27-Susan-Powell-Steven-Koecher-link-considered-by-Utah-missing-person-investigators

Susan Powell, Steven Koecher link considered by Utah missing person investigators
February 27, 1:39 PM
Suddenly Famous Examiner
Melissa Viscount

Two missing people: both from Utah, both last seen in December 2009, and both around the same age. That has the family of missing mother, Susan Powell, asking investigators to consider a link between her case and that of missing fellow Utah resident, Steven Koecher.

Susan Powell, 28 hasn't been seen since December 6, 2009.  The young mother's story grabbed national headlines after her husband claimed he returned from an overnight camping trip with their two young sons (2 and 4) and she was not at their West Valley City, Utah home. He has since sold that Salt Lake City-area home and moved out of state with the couple's sons.

Steven Koecher, 30 was last spotted December 13, 2009 in Henderson, Nevada by a security camera. On Friday, Koecher's family posted a $10,000 reward for information about the St. George, Utah man's whereabouts. While they're desperate for answers, Koecher's father doubts there's a connection between the two missing person cases. Rolf Koecher issued this written statement to local television station KCSG:

"While it appears that Steven is close in age to Susan Powell and was driving through the Salt Lake City area within a day or two of her disappearance, any connection between the two seems entirely coincidental to us. Because we want to remain open to all possibilities, no matter how improbable, we have no issue with an exchange of information between the St. George and West Valley City police departments."

West Valley City police also reportedly doubt a connection between the two cases. But they say they'll consider a link and will share information with the police in St. George, Utah 300 miles to the south.

Susan Powell's husband, Josh, has denied knowing anything about his wife's whereabouts. Police have said he is the only person of interest in the case.

Anyone with information about the disappearance of Susan Powell should contact the West Valley City Police at 801-840-4000.

Anyone with information about the disappearance of Steven Koecher should contact Henderson, NV Police at 702-267-5000 or St George, UT Police at 435-627-4300.

[Kelly]

http://www.examiner.com/x-34328-Seattle-Headlines-Examiner~y2010m3d1-Missing-30year-old-Steven-Koecher-police-consider-link-consider-Josh-Powells-use-of-rental-car

Missing 30-year old Steven Koecher; police consider Josh Powell's use of rental car possible link

March 1, 9:42 AM
Seattle Headlines Examiner
Isabelle Zehnder

March 1, 2010 - Steven Koecher, an upstanding citizen who served others, who had no criminal or drug-related history, and who seemed happy with his life in St. George, suddenly vanished Dec. 13, 2009 - just six days after Susan Powell disappeared.

Is there a connection between the two cases? It's far-fetched, Steven's family says, but it's worth investigating.

Steven's mother, Deanne Koecher, said the reason they were interested is Susan Powell's case and investigating the possibility the two cases were connected was because of a road trip through Tawilla that Josh Powell, Susan's husband, took at around the time Steven disappeared.

Police in Henderson and St. George are not ruling anything out and consider a possible link between the two cases. They are, in particular, interested in the trip Josh Powell took in a rental car.

She said, "It seems far but we welcome any information sharing."

According to police, Steven was last seen at an upscale retirement community in Las Vegas December 13.

Rolf Koecher, Steven's father, said St. George police detectives indicated to him that Susan's family had asked the department to look for any link between the two cases. He told the Deseret News that while he has personally dismissed the notion his family is open to any investigation.

Shelby Gifford, spokeswoman for Susan Powell's family, told The Deseret News Friday she doesn't know whether the family had made such a request but said it was "possible" as Susan's family has asked West Valley to investigate any cases that may reasonably be related.

Susan Powell, 28, disappeared from her West Valley City home Dec. 6. Her husband was the last person to see her. His story that he took his two young sons on an impromptu camping trip in the middle of the night during sub-freezing temperatures the night his wife disappeared has been largely criticized and disbelieved.

Less than a month after she vanished, Josh packed up their family belongings and moved their two young children, then ages 2 and 4, to his father's home in Puyallup, Wash. Nearly three months after her disappearance Josh remains the only person of interest police call a "missing person's case with suspicious criminal overtones."

Rolf Koecher said, "I personally don't think there's a connection, but Dec. 7 she disappeared and he traveled through that area around that date. There's some speculation that he and Susan Powell took off together."

He elaborated in a written statement to Utah television station KCSG:

"While it appears that Steven is close in age to Susan Powell and was driving through the Salt Lake City area within a day or two of her disappearance, any connection between the two seems entirely coincidental to us. Because we want to remain open to all possibilities, no matter how improbable, we have no issue with an exchange of information between the St. George and West Valley City police departments."

"We would be surprised to think there could be a connection," said Deanne. "We just do not want to rule out anything of interest."

Deanne said that before his disappearance, her son had been in Ruby, Nev., and was in northern Utah Dec. 9 -11 before returning to St. George.

During a news conference Friday in Henderson, Nev., officials announced they have found no evidence the 30-year-old traveled out of the area by bus or plane.

About 40 members of Koecher's family attended the news conference in Henderson City Hall.

Koecher's car was found parked in a Sun City Anthem cul-de-sac, an upscale residential community in Henderson, around noon on Dec. 13, the day he disappeared.

A short time later surveillance video of the area from a nearby home's security camera shows a man believed to be Koecher walking away from the car.

Christmas gifts were found in the vehicle and there was no sign of foul play.

No one has come forward saying they have heard from him since that day.

The day Steven went missing is also the last day he used his cell phone, email, and a debit card. It is not believed he left the country because his passport was found during a search of his St. George home.

"It's been two months," said Koecher's father during a Friday news conference in front of Henderson City Hall.

"There's no smoking gun, and we've got hundreds of clues that tell us what it isn't, but not one that tells us what it is," Rolf Koecher told the Review-Journal.

Rolf and Deanne Koecher, Steven's mother, said that so far, all leads have turned up dry.

FOX 13 News interviewed Deanne and said that Steven was happy in his new life in St. George. He moved there from Bountiful a year ago in hopes of landing a new job.

Steven was a recent University of Utah graduate. Before he disappeared he was working for a window washing company in St. George and seemed happy with his job. He faithfully served his church and mentored kids with the Big Brother Program.

Steven's parents Friday offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who can provide information leading to Steven's whereabouts, or the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for his abduction or death.

"We can't believe we can't find him, can't hold him, that we can't tell him how much we love him," Deanna said.

Anyone with information about the disappearance of Susan Powell should contact the West Valley City Police at 801-840-4000.

Anyone with information about the disappearance of Steven Koecher should contact Henderson, NV Police at 702-267-5000 or St George, UT Police at 435-627-4300.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.clippertoday.com/view/full_story/6666168/article-Police--Reward-offer-draws-some-tips?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
Police: Reward offer draws some tips
Mar 11, 2010

HENDERSON, NEV. — Police investigators from Henderson, Nev., and Sacramento, Calif., have contacted the parents of missing Steven T. Koecher following the recent announcement of a $10,000 reward for information.

The California investigators are trying to determine if Koecher is connected to an investigation there, while Nevada police report that a number of tips have been received and are being investigated.

One lead involves a reported sighting of Koecher at a Las Vegas area Home Depot in late January. Police have requested surveillance tapes from the day in question and hope that family members will be able to determine whether or not the person indicated is Koecher.

The family of missing St. George resident Steven T. Koecher is offering a $10,000 reward for information and has called upon the residents of Southern Nevada to join them in “A Week of Vigilance.”

Members of Steven Koecher’s extended family traveled to Henderson for a press conference at the Henderson City Hall to announce the reward -- which will be coordinated through Crime Stoppers of Nevada and area police agencies. The conference was conducted by Dallin Koecher, Steven’s brother, and was also attended by Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen, Frank Mahoney of the Nevada Center for Missing Loved Ones and members of the Henderson Police Department.

“We urge the residents of Southern Nevada and Utah to join us in this effort to find Steven,” said Rolf Koecher, Steven’s father and Clipper editor. “We hope the reward will encourage people to come forward with clues that could lead to some answers.”

The reward is offered for information that leads directly to finding Steven alive and well, as the victim of a bona fide accident or medical condition, or to the arrest, conviction and incarceration of any person responsible for his abduction or death.

The family unveiled color posters announcing the award, which also carried Steven’s photograph, a general description of his appearance and numbers to call to submit clues. Afterwards, members of his extended family canvassed the Las Vegas area to place posters in local businesses and public areas. Another 100 posters will be placed throughout the St. George area by members of Steven’s LDS ward.

Among recent developments, it was also announced that Steven’s missing passport had been found among his personal effects. This underscored the results of an investigation by Henderson police which concluded that Steven had not boarded any flights out of the Las Vegas area.

“Once we found Steven’s passport, we were not surprised that he hadn’t taken a plane,” said Rolf Koecher. “While the missing passport caused some to believe he had come to Las Vegas to flee, it does not appear that he had any intention to do so.”

Also a police check of records at the St. George library revealed that Steven had checked out a book on the life of basketball legend Pete Maravich, another book on the early settlers of Southern Utah and a DVD of “Lord of the Rings.”

“Again this suggests Steven was not engaged in any questionable activity because an examination his computer also reveals no unusual items, a trained dog could find no evidence of drugs in his car, and both his e-mails and phone records show nothing but routine messages,” said Rolf Koecher.

“In an effort to be open to all clues, we have looked for evidence of a dark side, but neither our own investigation nor that of the police agencies involved have turned up anything of this nature. What we have found is that he was appreciated by those who knew him, he was seen as a tireless volunteer by his church congregation, he was an Eagle Scout, served as a Big Brother for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization, coached youth basketball teams and organized softball teams for young single adults. He also was credited with being a Good Samaritan on the Friday before he disappeared and purchased Christmas gifts for his older brother’s family on Saturday night before he vanished.

In other developments, St. George detectives have indicated that family members connected to the case of missing West Valley City woman Susan Powell have contacted St. George police to check for a possible link to Steven’s disappearance. Powell disappeared about December 7 while Steven Koecher disappeared on Dec. 13.

“While it appears that Steven is close in age to Susan Powell and was driving through the Salt Lake City area within a day or two of her disappearance, any connection between the two seems entirely coincidental to us,” said Rolf Koecher. “Because we want to remain open to all possibilities, no matter how improbable, we have no issue with an exchange of information between the St. George and West Valley City police departments.”

Steven Koecher was discovered to be missing on Dec. 17, after police reported his car had been found abandoned for four days in an upscale neighborhood of Henderson’s Sun City Anthem area. Surveillance images from a nearby home show that Steven’s car pulled into a cul-de-sac at about six minutes to noon on Sunday, Dec. 13. A person who appears to be Steven then leaves his car right at noon, passes by the side of the house with the surveillance cameras, turns in front of it, crosses the road and eventually disappears from sight.

He did not appear dispirited or disoriented, but seemed to be striding purposefully toward a noon appointment.

[Jenn]

NamUs profile for Steven: https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/4889

[Kelly]

                                                                                                                                 XX
http://www.sltrib.com/Justice/ci_14859223

Search for clues in Utanan's disappearance turns up empty

By Mark Havnes

The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 04/10/2010 05:38:18 PM MDT

Henderson, Nev. » About 70 people slowly marched Saturday morning through a section of desert south of the Henderson Executive Airport in an unsuccessful search for remains or other clues to the whereabouts of a St. George man missing for five months.

Steven Koecher, 30, was last seen in a Henderson neighborhood Dec. 13, when his image was captured by a security camera walking near where his car was found abandoned four days later.

Some bone fragments were found during the two-hour sweep through about half mile squareof hardscrabble desert, but did not appear to be human, said Henderson Police Detective Rob McKay. Nevertheless, he said the fragments would be turned over to the coroner's office to be checked out as a matter of routine procedure.

Read more at link above.

[Jenn]

http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20100412/NEWS01/4120323/Search-continues-for-St.-George-man

Search continues for St. George man

BY SCOTT KERBS • April 12, 2010

ST. GEORGE - The family of a missing St. George man was aided by about 70 volunteers last weekend as the group searched for signs of the man in an area of Henderson, Nev., but the effort yielded little concrete evidence of his whereabouts.

While scouring the desert Saturday for signs of Steven Koecher, a 30-year-old St. George resident who was last seen Dec. 13 in the Sun City Anthem community in Henderson, the group discovered bone fragments, but the group was unable to determine if the bones came from a human or an animal, said Rolph Koecher, Steven's father.

Rolph said Henderson Police sent the evidence to the coroner's office to determine whether the bones are human.

"We're awaiting the coroner's report on the bones," he said.

The search group also found several items of clothing in the desert, including a pair of khaki pants that appear similar to the attire Koecher was wearing when he was last seen in Henderson on surveillance camera footage, Rolph said, although he is unsure if the clothing actually belongs to his son.

Other items were found in the rugged terrain south of the Henderson Executive Airport, including a bullet casing and a pen, but none have been confirmed as belonging to Koecher, he said.

Rolph said he photographed all of the potential clues for further examination.

"We're still going to review what was found," he said "We will see if there is anything that leads to him."

Coordinated by Craig Retke, a private detective in southern Nevada who received a tip to investigate the area for signs of Koecher, the search team was composed of 70 volunteers, including St. George residents.

"I was really gratified that so many people came out," he said of the volunteers. "He (Koecher) was such a good friend to so many people."

David Koecher, Steven's uncle, also participated in the search Saturday, and he said the family was encouraged by the overwhelming support of volunteers.

"We want to find Steven and put an end to this," David said, but he admitted the search did not yield many clues.

In addition to finding bone fragments and other items in the desert, the search group also discovered what appeared to be a grave Saturday afternoon, Rolph said.

"It was very suspicious looking," he said, but nothing was discovered when group members unearthed the area, and it was difficult to dig deeply in the rough desert terrain.

Rolph urged anyone with information on Koecher's whereabouts to contact the St. George Police Department. The family is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the resolution of the case.

[Jenn]

http://www.standard.net/topics/search-and-rescue/2010/04/13/search-nevada-desert-offers-few-clues-missing-man

Search of Nevada desert offers few clues of missing man

By Bryon Saxton (Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau) Last Edit: Apr 13 2010 - 10:40pm

BOUNTIFUL -- A weekend search of the Nevada rocky desert surrounding the Henderson Executive Airport turned up few clues in the disappearance of former Bountiful resident Steven T. Koecher.

Koecher, 30, son of Rolf Koecher, of Bountiful, has been missing since Dec. 13, 2009. He was last seen in an upscale Henderson, Nev., neighborhood.

In Saturday's search, bones were found, Rolf Koecher said, but it has been determined that they were not human.

A pair of pants similar in size to what Steven may have worn was also found, he said.

Koecher said he has proposed to Henderson police that they do a DNA test on the clothing, along with other items such as pillows and books that were found that day at what was a recently deserted homeless encampment.

"There may be fingerprints and a way to get DNA samples," he said.

Koecher said he felt good about the search, in which approximately 70 people participated, including one of Steven's former LDS mission companions and people from the Henderson, Nev., neighborhood where Steven's car was found abandoned.

Because of the ruggedness of the desert terrain, most of the search had to be conducted on foot, he said.

Although few clues were found, Koecher said, he is grateful the body of his son was not found in the three-hour search.

"I'm not discouraged at all," Koecher said of the search results. "This is just typical of what we have been through."

The search did generate a call to police, in which someone resembling Steven Koecher was reported as being seen at a dental school in the area, Koecher said.

Outside of requesting DNA testing on the items found in the deserted homeless encampment, Koecher said, at this time he doesn't know what his next move will be.

But whenever there has been a time when the family hasn't had the strength to go on, Koecher said, either something has materialized or someone has come along and pulled them forward.

The vehicle belonging to Koecher was found abandoned in a cul-de-sac in Henderson's Sun City Anthem area four days after he was last seen.

Steven Koecher had traveled there from his St. George home, but for what purpose remains unknown.

Steven Koecher was last seen on a home-surveillance video showing him leaving his car at noon Dec. 13, appearing as though he was heading to an appointment, carrying in his hand what looked like a portfolio.

Updated 10:37 p.m.

[Kelly]

Project Jason announces the featured missing persons in the May 2010 issue of the CDLJobs.com Online Magazine, which can be viewed at http://www.cdljobs.com/cdljobsonlinemagazine/MAY10.htm  This month's ad is on page 12. The site receives thousands of visitors per day.

Each month, CDLJobs.com publishes a full color ad in their popular online magazine which will feature 5-6 of Project Jason's missing person cases from across the country. The ad has clickable links which take the reader to additional information about the missing person, and a link to their printable poster.  Readers are encouraged to sign up for the AAN program and help with poster distribution. "You can be a Hero" is the theme of the joint venture.

Awareness Angels Network (AAN). AAN, begun by Project Jason in 2008, provides a way for the public to assist the families of missing persons. Missing persons posters designed specifically for the AAN program are disseminated via email to those enrolled in the program. Participants can then upload the posters to websites, print and place the posters in public areas, and forward them to their contacts. The program helps spread the word and increase the chances of finding the person.

In the May 2010 issue, the following missing persons were featured:
 
Jennifer Andersen, missing from Omaha, NE since 3/3/2010
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=8383
 
Walter Brawner, missing from Shepherd, TX since 7/10/2008
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=3652
 
Casey Berry, missing from Alamosa, CO since 2/14/2007
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=930
 
Shoshana Geiser, missing from Sylvania, OH since 2/19/2009
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=8491

Brandy Hanna, missing from North charleston, SC since 5/20/2005
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=232
 
Steven Koecher, missing from Henderson, NV since 12/13/2009
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=7657
 
Laura Nimbach, missing from Clearwater, FL since 2/17/2009
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=5896

You can read more about this program at
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=6319