Original subtitles

Narrator: STEVEN KOECHER DISAPPEARED

ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2009.

WHEN A PERSON DISAPPEARS WITHOUT A TRACE,

OFTEN, THE MOST CRITICAL INFORMATION

IS HIDDEN IN THEIR ACTIONS AND WORDS

FROM THE DAYS BEFORE THEY VANISHED.

STEVEN KOECHER'S LAST-KNOWN WHEREABOUTS

MAY HOLD THE CLUES TO WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.

A CHURCHGOING YOUNG MAN GOES INEXPLICABLY MISSING,

AND HIS CAR IS FOUND ABANDONED NEAR LAS VEGAS.

Rolf: HIS CELLPHONE RECORDS,

HIS E-MAIL AND VOICEMAIL RECORDS AND EVERYTHING STOPPED.

Narrator: HIS GRIEVING FAMILY CANNOT MAKE SENSE OF IT.

IT WAS HORRIBLE -- A PUNCH IN THE STOMACH.

Narrator: A BLURRY VIDEO MIGHT HAVE ANSWERS.

AND I THOUGHT, "IS THAT HIM? IS THAT HIM?"

Narrator: AND SOME WONDER IF HIS CASE IS LINKED

TO ANOTHER HIGH-PROFILE MISSING-PERSONS CASE.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

Narrator: LABORIOUS SEARCHES LEAD TO FRIGHTENING FINDINGS.

SOME OF THE OTHER SEARCHERS FOUND BONES.

Narrator: ONLY ONE THING IS CLEAR.

Olmstead: RIGHT FROM THE GET-GO, WE KNEW

THAT THIS IS NOT NORMAL, THIS IS NOT COMMON.

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: IT'S WINTER, 2009, IN ST. GEORGE, UTAH.

AN ECONOMIC RECESSION IS IN FULL SWING.

30-YEAR-OLD JOURNALIST STEVEN KOECHER IS STRUGGLING.

LIKE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS,

HE'S BEEN LAID OFF AND CAN'T FIND FULL-TIME WORK.

WE SAID, "WELL, AT LEAST GET A TEMPORARY JOB

UNTIL YOU CAN GET YOURSELF ON YOUR FEET."

AND EVERYWHERE HE WENT, THERE WAS 150 APPLICANTS.

Narrator: EARLIER IN THE YEAR,

STEVEN HAD GIVEN UP A NEWSPAPER JOB IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH,

NEAR HIS PARENTS' HOME.

SO HE MOVED FIVE HOURS SOUTH.

THEY WISHED HE HADN'T RELOCATED SO FAR AWAY.

WE KNEW HE WAS STRUGGLING, AND, LIKE THEY SAY,

THAT'S WHY WE WANTED HIM TO COME HOME.

Narrator: STEVEN'S ABSENCE IS HARD FOR THE KOECHERS,

WHO HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A CLOSE-KNIT FAMILY.

THE SECOND OF FIVE CHILDREN, STEVEN IS OUTGOING AND LIVELY.

Naegle: STEVEN WAS A VERY CURIOUS KID.

HE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE WHERE THE ACTION WAS.

HE TOLD ME ONE TIME, "IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT WE'RE DOING.

"WE COULD BE PAINTING ROCKS,

AND AS LONG AS WE'RE DOING SOMETHING TOGETHER, IT'S FUN."

HE WAS ALWAYS LOOKING OUT

FOR THE TENDER REASON THAT YOU SHOULD DO SOMETHING.

HE LIKED SPORTS...

...BUT HE WAS ARTISTIC.

HE LIKED TO DRAW, AND HE LIKED TO SING,

AND HE LIKED TO PLAY HIS GUITAR.

Narrator: FROM HIS YOUNGEST DAYS,

STEVEN WAS A CLEAN-CUT, DUTIFUL SON.

HE WASN'T JUST A BOY SCOUT. HE WAS AN EAGLE SCOUT.

A SCOUT IS TRUSTWORTHY, LOYAL,

HELPFUL, FRIENDLY, COURTEOUS, KIND...

HIS EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT WAS IN THE COMMUNICATIONS FIELD.

HE CREATED A FLYER TO PROMOTE A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION.

Narrator: AFTER GRADUATING WITH A DEGREE IN COMMUNICATIONS

FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH,

IT SEEMED STEVEN WOULD FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HIS FATHER,

A PUBLICIST AND NEWSPAPER EDITOR.

HE HAD A LOT OF CONNECTIONS THROUGH HIS DAD,

AND SO HE STARTED OUT WRITING ARTICLES AND ADVERTISEMENTS --

FILLING ADS FOR THE NEWSPAPERS.

Narrator: BUT ONE DAY IN 2009,

STEVEN LEFT HIS JOB WITH THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

AND TOLD HIS PARENTS HE WAS MOVING SOUTH.

Rolf: HE JUST SAID, "I'M TIRED OF THE LONG WINTERS."

WE GREW UP IN TEXAS WHERE THE WINTERS WEREN'T AS LONG,

AND THEY KIND OF STARTED WEARING ON HIM,

AND HE SAID ST. GEORGE WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.

Deanne: HE DID HAVE AN ENTHUSIASM

AND KIND OF A WANDERLUST ABOUT LIFE.

HE WOULD JUST TRY ANYTHING. HE HAD NO FEAR.

Narrator: THE TOWN HE CHOSE IS WARM AND SCENIC,

BUT IT'S BEEN HARD-HIT BY THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.

THE BIG INDUSTRY IS CONSTRUCTION,

AND WHEN THAT KIND OF WENT DOWN WITH THE RECESSION,

BOY, IT JUST TORE THE GUTS OUT OF THE ECONOMY.

Narrator: IN APRIL 2009, STEVEN FINDS A ROOM FOR RENT

IN A HOUSE WHICH HE SHARES WITH ANOTHER TENANT.

BUT THE TWO HAVE LITTLE IN COMMON.

HE SAID HIS ROOMMATE WAS KIND OF CRAZY.

Narrator: HE TRIES TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH HIS ROOMMATE,

BUT THEIR VALUES DON'T MESH.

FOR ONE THING, STEVEN IS A DEVOUT MORMON

WHO DOESN'T EVEN DRINK COFFEE.

STEVEN WOULD INVITE HIM TO CHURCH ACTIVITIES

WHEN THEY WOULD PLAY BASKETBALL,

AND HE WOULD COME OCCASIONALLY,

BUT HE WAS NEVER INTERESTED IN GOING TO CHURCH.

Narrator: ST. GEORGE HAS A LARGE MORMON POPULATION,

ALSO KNOWN AS THE CHURCH OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS, OR LDS.

STEVEN QUICKLY BECOMES INVOLVED

IN A LOCAL CONGREGATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE, CALLED A WARD,

IN THE LDS.

FOR SINGLE ADULTS IN THE CHURCH, YOUR WARD IS KIND OF YOUR LIFE.

THAT'S WHERE YOU BASE EVERYTHING.

THAT'S WHERE YOU MEET PEOPLE

THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE SIMILAR VALUES.

THEY'RE GOING THE SAME DIRECTION IN THEIR LIVES.

Narrator: HIS CHURCH LIFE IS FULFILLING.

BUT THERE'S A BIG HOLE IN STEVEN'S PERSONAL LIFE.

UNLIKE HIS SIBLINGS, MOST OF WHOM ARE MARRIED WITH CHILDREN,

STEVEN DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A STEADY RELATIONSHIP.

Deanne: THERE WAS A GIRL THAT HE DATED FOR A LONG TIME,

BUT HE NEEDED TO BREAK IT OFF

BECAUSE HER INTEREST IN THE CHURCH WASN'T THE SAME.

* I KNOW YOU LEFT ME

* WASTING AWAY

* BUT I KEEP HOPING

* FOR A BETTER DAY

ONE OR TWO BECAME VERY CLOSE TO AN ENGAGEMENT,

BUT HE DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS THE RIGHT ONE.

Naegle: I KNOW THAT FINDING A WIFE WAS TOPS ON HIS LIST.

THAT'S A BIG THING IN OUR CHURCH, AND TO HAVE A FAMILY.

WE BELIEVE THAT TO PROGRESS TO OUR FULL POTENTIAL,

YOU NEED A FAMILY.

Narrator: STEVEN IS FAR FROM REALIZING

THIS CRUCIAL LIFE GOAL,

AND AS THE YEAR GOES ON, HE'S RUNNING OUT OF MONEY, TOO.

HIS COUSIN K.C. WORRIES THAT STEVEN FEELS LIKE A FAILURE

COMPARED TO HIS SUCCESSFUL SIBLINGS AND COUSINS.

WE HAVE SO MANY COUSINS, AND ALL OF THEM ARE JUST SO AMAZING,

AND THEY ALL ACCOMPLISHED GREAT THINGS.

AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE EVER LOOKED DOWN ON HIM.

WE NEVER DID.

BUT IT'S STILL HARD NOT TO COMPARE YOURSELF.

Narrator: STEVEN'S FAMILY IS CONCERNED ABOUT HIS STRUGGLES

AND OFFERS FINANCIAL HELP.

BUT STEVEN IS RESISTANT.

HIS GRANDMOTHER HAD GIVEN HIM A CHECK.

Narrator: BUT STEVEN DOESN'T CASH IT.

HIS PARENTS TRIED TO GIVE HIM MONEY FOR RENT,

AND HE NEVER USED IT.

SO IT REALLY SHOWS ME

THAT HE WAS STRUGGLING WITH ACCEPTING HANDOUTS.

Narrator: BY THE FALL OF 2009, THERE'S FINALLY SOME GOOD NEWS.

STEVEN HAS LANDED A PART-TIME JOB

DOING MARKETING AND HANDING OUT FLYERS

FOR A WINDOW-WASHING COMPANY.

BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO PAY THE BILLS.

ONE DAY, STEVEN'S FATHER, ROLF,

GETS A PHONE CALL FROM HIS SON'S LANDLORD.

Rolf: THE LANDLORD TOLD US

HE WAS ABOUT 2½ MONTHS BEHIND IN HIS RENT,

AND SO I CALLED HIM ONE EVENING

AND SAID, "I'M GLAD TO HELP YOU."

AND HE GOT A LITTLE OFFENDED

AND DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.

Narrator: ROLF IS UPSET THAT HIS SON HAS HUNG UP ON HIM,

BUT HE GETS A REASSURING MESSAGE THE NEXT DAY, DECEMBER 10th.

Narrator: STEVEN SENT ME A TEXT BACK.

IT SAYS, "I'M OKAY, DAD. JUST WANT TO DO IT ON MY OWN."

Narrator: THEN STEVEN CALLS HIS MOM,

SOUNDING UPBEAT AND EAGER TO MAKE PLANS FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN HE WAS GONNA COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.

HE WAS SAYING, "WELL, I HAVE TO WORK ON THIS DAY AND THIS DAY,

SO I THINK I CAN GET HOME BY THE 23rd."

Narrator: CONTENT THAT THEY WILL SEE STEVEN FOR CHRISTMAS,

THE KOECHERS RELAX.

THEY HAVE NO IDEA THESE ARE THE LAST CONVERSATIONS

THEY WILL HAVE WITH THEIR SON BEFORE HE DISAPPEARS.

JUST ONE WEEK LATER, DISASTER STRIKES.

Rolf: I CAME HOME, AND MY WIFE WAS SITTING IN THE DARK.

SHE WAS JUST HUDDLED OVER THE PHONE,

AND SHE PLAYED BACK THIS VOICE MESSAGE

FROM THE POLICE IN HENDERSON, NEVADA,

SAYING HIS CAR HAD BEEN FOUND ABANDONED SINCE DECEMBER 13th.

Narrator: HENDERSON, NEVADA, IS TWO HOURS FROM ST. GEORGE

BUT JUST 20 MINUTES FROM LAS VEGAS.

WHAT WAS STEVEN DOING IN THE VEGAS AREA, OF ALL PLACES?

HIS PARENTS HAVE NO IDEA.

COMING UP, THE KOECHERS LEARN

THAT THERE ARE OTHER MYSTERIES IN THEIR SON'S LIFE --

SECRETS FOR WHICH THEY HAVE NO KEY.

LOOKING BACK, WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS GOING ON

WAS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

Narrator: IT'S BEEN A WEEK

SINCE ROLF AND DEANNE KOECHER, IN THE SALT LAKE CITY AREA,

HAVE HEARD FROM THEIR SON STEVEN,

WHO LIVES IN ST. GEORGE, UTAH.

THEN, ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17th,

THEY GET AN OMINOUS CALL FROM POLICE IN NEVADA.

Deanne: HE SAID, "THIS IS THE HENDERSON PARKING ENFORCEMENT.

"WE HAVE THIS CAR HERE. WE'RE SORRY THAT IT'S HERE.

"IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT?

WE THINK IT'S YOUR SON STEVEN'S CAR."

AND I COULD ALMOST NOT BREATHE.

Narrator: THE CAR, THEY LEARN,

HAS BEEN PARKED IN A CUL-DE-SAC SINCE SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13th.

IT HAD BEEN ABANDONED THERE FOR FOUR DAYS,

AND THAT'S A LONG TIME FOR THAT CAR TO HAVE BEEN ABANDONED.

Narrator: HENDERSON IS TWO HOURS FROM STEVEN'S HOME

IN ST. GEORGE, UTAH,

BUT 20 MINUTES FROM LAS VEGAS.

THE KOECHERS CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT STEVEN, A DEVOUT MORMON,

MIGHT HAVE BEEN DOING IN SIN CITY.

IT WAS HORRIBLE -- A PUNCH IN THE STOMACH.

FRANTIC, AND THEN I THOUGHT, "WHAT DO I KNOW? I DON'T KNOW."

Narrator: THE KOECHERS CAN'T REACH STEVEN ON HIS CELL,

AND ALTHOUGH THEY SHARE A FAMILY PLAN,

THEIR CELLULAR PROVIDER CAN'T LOCATE THE PHONE.

THEY SAID, "IT'S NOT CHARGED UP."

STEVEN'S PHONE WAS DEAD.

Narrator: WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO STEVEN?

DEANNE SUSPECTS ITS SOMETHING WORSE THAN A JAUNT TO LAS VEGAS.

SHE'S AFRAID THAT LONELINESS AND FINANCIAL TROUBLES

HAVE OVERWHELMED HIM.

I THOUGHT, "LIFE GOT REALLY TOO TOUGH FOR HIM.

HE'S WALKED OUT INTO THE DESERT,"

AND WAS HORRIFIED BY THAT,

BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I WENT IN MY HEAD FIRST.

Narrator: STEVEN'S ANGUISHED PARENTS

CALL THE POLICE IN ST. GEORGE,

WHO ASSIGN DETECTIVE ADAM OLMSTEAD TO THE CASE.

WE DIDN'T HAVE A REASON

AS TO WHY HIS CAR WOULD BE WHERE IT'S AT.

THAT WAS ONE THING THAT WAS VERY SUSPICIOUS FROM THE GET-GO.

Rolf: WE FILED A MISSING-PERSONS REPORT THAT EVENING.

LATER THAT EVENING,

WE GOT IN THE CAR WITH MY TWO YOUNGEST SONS,

AND WE DROVE THROUGH THE NIGHT.

Narrator: IN ST. GEORGE,

ROLF LETS HIMSELF INTO HIS SON'S RENTED HOUSE

WITH A COPY OF THE KEY.

THE ROOMMATE IS GONE, MOVED OUT A MONTH BEFORE.

STEVEN'S ROOM IS NEAT AND LOOKS AS IF HE PLANS TO RETURN.

HIS LAPTOP WAS THERE.

HIS CELLPHONE CHARGER WAS STILL IN THE WALL.

SO IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE

HE WAS PLANNING TO BE GONE FOR A LONG TIME.

AND MOST OF HIS STUFF WAS THERE.

Narrator: ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY CAN'T FIND HIS PASSPORT.

Rolf: A MONTH BEFORE HE DISAPPEARED,

HE ASKED ME FOR THE PASSPORT FOR HIS JOB APPLICATIONS,

AND THEN WHEN WE WENT THROUGH HIS EFFECTS, IT WASN'T THERE.

THAT WAS HUGE, BECAUSE IT MAKES THIS PREMEDITATED.

Narrator: BUT IF STEVEN WERE PLANNING TO DISAPPEAR,

WOULD HE LEAVE HIS PHONE CHARGER AND LAPTOP BEHIND?

Naegle: IN THE BEGINNING, NO ONE KNEW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM,

AND THERE WERE SO LITTLE FACTS.

Narrator: ROLF GRABBED STEVEN'S SPARE CAR KEY,

AND WITH MOUNTING ANXIETY,

HE AND TWO OF HIS OTHER SONS HEAD FOR HENDERSON, NEVADA.

TWO HOURS LATER, THEY FIND STEVEN'S ABANDONED CAR.

WHERE THEY FIND IT ONLY DEEPENS THE MYSTERY.

IT WAS IN A CUL-DE-SAC IN THIS VERY NICE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY.

Narrator: RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY MUST BE OLDER THAN 55,

AND THE CUL-DE-SAC IS QUITE FAR FROM A MAIN ROAD.

Rolf: THIS IS NOT A PLACE

WHERE YOU WOULD ACTUALLY JUST GO TO DROP A CAR.

IT'S JUST NOT, YOU KNOW,

WHERE YOU RUN OUT OF GAS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

IT'S A VERY AFFLUENT AREA,

AND IT BECAME VERY CLEAR THIS WAS NOT AN ORDINARY SITUATION.

Narrator: ROLF TRIES HIS KEY IN THE IGNITION.

THE CAR STARTED, AND IT HAD HALF A TANK OF GAS,

SO IT DIDN'T RUN OUT OF GAS, IT WASN'T NOT FUNCTIONING.

Narrator: ROLF WONDERS

IF THE CAR HAD BEEN STOLEN AND ABANDONED HERE

OR IF STEVEN HAD DRIVEN HERE, EXPECTING TO MEET SOMEONE.

HE CALLS THE HENDERSON POLICE, AND OFFICERS RESPOND QUICKLY.

THEY SPENT TWO HOURS LOOKING AT THE SCENE AND FILING REPORTS,

AND THEY IMMEDIATELY SUSPECTED

ALL THE USUAL ALCOHOL OR DRUGS OR WHATEVER.

Narrator: BECAUSE OF HENDERSON'S PROXIMITY TO VEGAS,

LOCAL POLICE HAVE A LOT OF PRACTICE

TRACKING MISSING PERSONS.

LAS VEGAS IS ONE PLACE PEOPLE HEAD FOR

WHEN THEY WANT TO GET LOST,

AND ABOUT 2,500 PEOPLE GO MISSING THERE EVERY YEAR.

SO IT'S NOT UNUSUAL.

BUT THEY DON'T GO MISSING IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

Narrator: ROLF FINDS IT HARD TO BELIEVE

THAT THE USUAL VEGAS ATTRACTIONS --

GAMBLING AND PARTYING --

HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN HIS SON'S DISAPPEARANCE.

Rolf: WE CHECKED HIS CAR, TOO, AND THERE WERE AUDIO RECORDINGS

OF SCRIPTURES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

Narrator: THEN HE SEES A POSSIBLE CLUE

TO WHY STEVEN MIGHT HAVE COME HERE --

ADVERTISING FLYERS

FOR THE WINDOW-WASHING COMPANY HE CURRENTLY WORKS FOR

ARE TOSSED ON THE DASHBOARD.

WE THOUGHT MAYBE HE HAD DISTRIBUTED THE CARDS --

HE WAS TRYING TO ESTABLISH THE BUSINESS THERE.

Narrator: THEY ALSO SEE

MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS FOR GAS AND FOOD,

A COAT, PILLOWS, AND BLANKETS IN THE CAR,

AS IF STEVEN MIGHT HAVE TRAVELED SOME DISTANCE

AND SLEPT IN THE CAR.

BUT ON THE BACK SEAT, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT PUZZLES THEM.

AMONG THE THINGS WE FOUND IN THE CAR WAS A BAG FROM K-MART.

Narrator: IT CONTAINS DECORATED COOKIES AND A BABY BIB.

COULD THESE BE CHRISTMAS GIFTS STEVEN BOUGHT

FOR ONE OF HIS BROTHERS AND HIS FAMILY?

Naegle: HE BOUGHT LITTLE ORNAMENTS FOR THE KIDS

AND A BIB FOR THE BABY AND JUST LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT.

HE WAS FRUGAL ABOUT IT, BUT IT WAS CUTE, YOU KNOW?

HE PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO IT.

AND SO, THAT SHOWS TO US THAT HE WAS COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.

HE HAD NO INTENTION OF SKIPPING OUT.

Narrator: STILL, IN THE TRUNK, THERE'S A DISTURBING REMINDER

OF THE TOUGH TIMES STEVEN WAS GOING THROUGH.

Rolf: THE HEARTBREAKING THING FOR US IN THE TRUNK --

THERE WERE DOZENS AND DOZENS

OF APPLICATIONS FOR JOBS THAT HE'D MADE.

THEY WERE HIS COPIES, YOU KNOW?

THAT KIND OF TORE MY HEARTSTRINGS TO SEE THAT,

[Voice breaking] 'CAUSE HE'D WORKED SO HARD

AT FINDING A JOB.

Narrator: THE POLICE DO NO FORENSICS ON THE CAR

BECAUSE THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT THE CAR WAS HIJACKED

OR THAT ANY HARM HAS COME TO STEVEN.

THE KOECHERS ACCEPT THEIR REASONING,

EVEN THOUGH THEY DOUBT THEIR CONCLUSION.

Naegle: THE POLICE BELIEVE THAT HE WOULD BE FOUND

IN A COUPLE DAYS, YOU KNOW --

HE WENT OFF WITH A FRIEND TO VEGAS

OR JUST WANTED TO GET AWAY FOR A WHILE,

FORGOT HIS CHARGER AT HOME

AND WAS OUT DOING SOMETHING NORMAL --

ALL SORTS OF THEORIES.

Narrator: NONE OF THESE THEORIES REASSURES THE KOECHERS,

WHO ARE RACKED WITH FEAR

THAT SOMETHING SINISTER HAS HAPPENED TO THEIR SON.

COMING UP, SOME MYSTERIOUS VIDEO MAY PROVIDE ANSWERS.

I THOUGHT, "THERE HE IS."

AND THEN I THOUGHT, "IS THAT HIM? IS THAT HIM?"

Narrator: WHEN THEIR 30-YEAR-OLD SON, STEVEN,

GOES MISSING IN A TOWN NEAR LAS VEGAS,

THE KOECHER FAMILY IS DISTRAUGHT AND BEWILDERED.

BUT WITH NO EVIDENCE OF A CRIME, OFFICIALS CAN'T OFFER MUCH HELP.

FOR THE FIRST NEARLY A WEEK,

WE GOT NO COOPERATION FROM THE MEDIA OR THE POLICE, REALLY.

Narrator: ODDLY, THE CAR HAS BEEN FOUND

IN A CUL-DE-SAC IN AN UPSCALE RETIREMENT NEIGHBORHOOD,

SO THAT'S WHERE ROLF KOECHER AND HIS SONS BEGIN THEIR SEARCH.

Rolf: IT TURNS OUT -- ON THAT VERY FIRST DAY

WE KNOCKED ON THE VERY FIRST HOUSE NEAR THE CUL-DE-SAC,

AND THEY SAID THEY HAD A SURVEILLANCE CAMERA SET UP.

Narrator: THE HOMEOWNERS' CAMERAS

MIGHT HAVE CAPTURED IMAGES OF STEVEN'S CAR, OR EVEN OF STEVEN.

BUT SPECIAL EQUIPMENT WILL BE REQUIRED

TO LOCATE AND DOWNLOAD THE FOOTAGE.

WE EVENTUALLY GOT SOME PRIVATE DETECTIVES

THAT MY BROTHER-IN-LAW HAD HIRED.

THEY WENT OVER THERE, AND THEY WORKED THROUGH THE SYSTEM.

Narrator: IT COULD TAKE DAYS FOR THE FOOTAGE TO BE ANALYZED.

MEANWHILE, ROLF AND HIS SONS COMB THE NEIGHBORHOOD

AND THEN LOOK FOR ANY PLACE THEY CAN THINK OF

WHERE SOMEONE WHO IS LOST MIGHT TURN UP.

Rolf: HE HAD TO BE EITHER

IN A SHELTER, IN A HOSPITAL, IN A JAIL, OR SOMEWHERE.

WE THOUGHT, "THERE'S NO WAY

SOMEONE CAN JUST TOTALLY DISAPPEAR LIKE THIS."

Narrator: AT HOME,

STEVEN'S MOTHER, DEANNE, IS ALSO SEARCHING,

STARTING WITH STEVEN'S CELLPHONE HISTORY.

I JUST STARTED TRYING TO FIND ANYTHING --

ANY CLUE, ANY PERSON,

ANYTHING THAT WOULD GIVE US WHY WAS HE THERE.

I WAS SURE THAT SOMEONE WAS GONNA SAY,

"WELL, WE HAD AN ACTIVITY.

WE WENT DOWN TO VEGAS TO DO SOMETHING."

Narrator: SHE'S BEGINNING TO REALIZE

HOW LITTLE SHE KNOWS ABOUT HER SON'S LIFE.

Deanne: I DIDN'T KNOW WHO HIS FRIENDS WERE.

Deanne: DEANNE LEARNS THAT THE LAST TWO PEOPLE

WHO SPOKE TO STEVEN ARE MEMBERS OF HIS CHURCH,

CALLING TO TALK ABOUT CHURCH BUSINESS FOR THAT DAY.

ONE MAN CALLED HIM AT 7:52 A.M., AND THE OTHER AT 9:53 A.M.

THE SUNDAY HE WENT MISSING.

A COUPLE OF HIS WARD MEMBERS CALLED,

AND HE ANSWERED AND SAID, "I'M IN VEGAS."

UNFORTUNATELY, HE NEVER SAID WHY HE WAS IN VEGAS.

Narrator: WHAT THOSE CALLS DO TELL THE FAMILY

IS THAT STEVEN APPEARED TO BE CALM, RATIONAL, AND FORTHRIGHT

ON THE MORNING OF THE 13th.

HE DIDN'T HIDE WHERE HE WAS,

AND HE COULD HAVE JUST SAID HE WAS ANYWHERE

IF HE WAS TRYING NOT TO BE FOUND

OR HE WAS TRYING TO COMMIT SUICIDE.

Narrator: STEVEN'S MOTHER, DEANNE, THEN LOOKS

AT HER SON'S CHECKING-ACCOUNT AND DEBIT-CARD STATEMENTS,

TO WHICH SHE HAS ACCESS.

THERE'S BEEN NO ACTIVITY SINCE THE DAY HE WENT MISSING --

A DISTURBING REVELATION.

NEXT, DEANNE TURNS TO STEVEN'S LAPTOP.

STEVEN'S OLDER BROTHER WAS ABLE TO FIGURE OUT

HIS YAHOO! ACCOUNT AND READ HIS E-MAIL.

Narrator: THEY FIND ENDLESS JOB APPLICATIONS AND REJECTIONS,

BUT NOTHING ABOUT APPOINTMENTS IN VEGAS OR ANYWHERE ELSE,

NO VISITS TO SUICIDE WEBSITES,

AND NO INDICATION HE WAS PLANNING TO LEAVE TOWN.

WITH CHRISTMAS APPROACHING,

THE FAMILY IS AT A LOSS FOR WHERE TO LOOK NEXT.

THEY MISS THEIR SON DESPERATELY.

[ Voice breaking ] STEVEN WAS HOME FOR THANKSGIVING

BEFORE HE WENT MISSING,

AND WE HAVE THIS EVERGREEN TREE THAT'S OUT IN THE FRONT,

AND HE WRAPPED IT WITH WHITE LIGHTS.

Naegle: THEY JUST NEVER TOOK THE LIGHTS OFF,

AND DEANNE SAID, "HE'S GONNA COME HOME,

AND HE'S GONNA TAKE THOSE LIGHTS OFF."

AND SO THEY JUST LEFT IT ON.

Narrator: DEANNE CLINGS TO THE PROMISE STEVEN MADE

THE LAST TIME THEY TALKED -- HE'D BE HOME ON THE 23rd.

Naegle: SHE TOLD ME QUITE A FEW TIMES, YOU KNOW,

"EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.

HE'LL JUST WALK IN THE DOOR, AND IT WILL BE OKAY."

WHEN THAT DAY CAME AND WENT, IT WAS WORSE THAN CHRISTMAS.

IT WAS WORSE.

THAT'S WHEN HE SAID HE'D BE HOME, AND HE WASN'T.

Narrator: CHRISTMAS ALSO PASSES WITH NO STEVEN AND NO NEWS.

JUST AS THE FAMILY FEELS THEY'VE HIT ROCK BOTTOM,

THEY GET A CALL FROM THE PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS

THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING.

THEY'VE FINALLY ANALYZED THE SECURITY VIDEO

SHOT IN THE AREA WHERE STEVEN'S CAR WAS FOUND.

IT SHOWS THE CAR AND SOMEONE WALKING AWAY.

IT SHOWS HIS CAR PULLING UP OUT OF VIEW OF THE CAMERA

IN THE CUL-DE-SAC.

AND HE'S IN HIS CAR FOR SIX MINUTES.

AND ALMOST EXACTLY AT NOON, YOU SEE HIM WALKING DOWN THE ROAD

RIGHT PAST THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS.

IT LOOKED TO ME LIKE HE WAS HOLDING

A LITTLE, LIKE, MANILA FOLDER,

LIKE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A RESUME IN THERE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THEN HE TURNS,

AND THE OTHER SURVEILLANCE CAMERA ON THAT HOUSE

CATCHES HIM WALKING ACROSS THE STREET.

Narrator: BUT IS THE PERSON IN THE VIDEO REALLY STEVEN?

Deanne: AND I THOUGHT, "IS THAT HIM? IS THAT HIM?"

BUT NOW THAT I'VE SEEN A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER PICTURES,

I'M PRETTY COMFORTABLE THAT THAT'S MY SON.

Naegle: IT LOOKS LIKE HIM --

THE WAY THAT HE WOULD WALK, THE CLOTHES THAT HE WOULD WEAR.

I BELIEVE THAT IT IS HIM, BUT IT'S HARD TO BE 100% SURE.

HE'S HEADING DOWN THE ROAD

TO WHAT LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE,

AND THEN HE GOES OFF CAMERA AND OUT OF OUR LIVES.

Narrator: DID STEVEN GO INTO A NEARBY HOUSE?

DID HE JUMP INTO ANOTHER CAR?

TAKE A BUS TO PARTS UNKNOWN?

OR DID HE JUST KEEP WALKING?

THE KOECHERS REALIZE THEY NEED TO BROADEN THEIR SEARCH.

TWO WEEKS AFTER STEVEN DISAPPEARS,

A RELATIVE HAS A SURPRISING SUGGESTION.

MY WIFE'S COUSIN SAID, "I HAVE A FRIEND IN THE LOCAL DAIRY,

AND MAYBE WE COULD PUT STEVEN'S PICTURE ON MILK CARTONS."

Narrator: THE DAIRY READILY AGREES

BUT FIRST CHECKS WITH THE HENDERSON POLICE

ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE CASE.

THEY HAD TO FINALLY LOOK AT HIS CASE AND SAY,

"YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?"

AND I THINK THAT PUTTING HIS PICTURE

ON THE ANDERSON DAIRY MILK CARTONS

REALLY PUSHED THE POLICE

TO LOOK AT HIS CASE FOR THE FIRST TIME

AND TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.

Narrator: IT TURNS OUT TO BE THE MOVE

THAT KICKS THE INVESTIGATION TO A NEW LEVEL.

HENDERSON DETECTIVE ROBERT McKAY IS ASSIGNED TO THE CASE.

McKay: WE STARTED GOING DOOR TO DOOR IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE WEREN'T ABLE TO LOCATE

ANYONE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAD SEEN HIM.

WE STARTED TO THINK

THAT MAYBE STEVEN HAD WALKED OFF AND HIKED INTO THE DESERT.

MAYBE HE HAD FALLEN, HE'D BEEN HURT,

SO AT THAT POINT, WE DECIDED TO GET THE HELICOPTER OUT THERE

TO LOOK FOR HIM, AND ALSO SOME ATVs.

Narrator: AT THE END OF DECEMBER, THE HENDERSON POLICE,

TOGETHER WITH THE LAS VEGAS METRO POLICE

AND MANY VOLUNTEERS, STAGE A MASSIVE FOUR-DAY SEARCH.

McKay: THE DESERT AREA AROUND THAT PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD

IS QUITE HILLY AND ROCKY AND NOT EASY TO WALK AROUND.

AFTER THAT LARGE AIR-AND-GROUND SEARCH,

THE GROUND SEARCHERS DID A SECOND DAY,

AND THEY WENT DOOR TO DOOR

WITH FLYERS THAT THEY HAD CREATED --

PICTURES AND POSTERS -- AND WENT TO HUNDREDS OF HOMES.

A WEEK LATER, OUR EXTENDED FAMILY CAME DOWN,

AND WE DID ANOTHER SEARCH OF THAT AREA.

Narrator: IT'S AN ENORMOUS EFFORT, AND IT YIELDS NOTHING.

THEN A STRANGER STEPS FORWARD WITH A STARTLING THEORY.

COMING UP...

DID STEVEN RUN OFF WITH A MISSING UTAH WOMAN?

THEY DISAPPEARED WITHIN A WEEK OF EACH OTHER,

AND THEY'RE BOTH VERY MYSTERIOUS.

Narrator: GET MORE "DISAPPEARED" ONLINE AT...

Narrator: AFTER HIS CAR IS FOUND ABANDONED

IN A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY JUST OUTSIDE LAS VEGAS,

30-YEAR-OLD STEVEN KOECHER HAS BEEN MISSING FOR A MONTH.

OFFICIALS HAVE THEORIES BUT NO REAL LEADS.

McKay: STEVEN COULD HAVE MET SOMEONE

ONLINE OR THROUGH A FRIEND

AND CAME HERE TO MEET WITH THEM

AND POSSIBLY GONE SOMEWHERE ELSE.

OR SOMETHING EVEN MORE DIRE MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED TO HIM.

THE ENTIRE INVESTIGATION,

ALL THE CLUES THAT WE'VE UNCOVERED TALKING WITH PEOPLE...

Narrator: HIS ANGUISHED FAMILY

REACHES OUT TO THE PUBLIC FOR HELP.

AS YOU CAN SEE, HIS INFORMATION IS ON THESE MILK CARTONS.

THE PRESS PICKS UP THE STORY,

AND STEVEN'S COUSIN, A SOFTWARE DEVELOPER,

USES SOCIAL MEDIA TO ADVANCE THE INVESTIGATION.

Naegle: I CREATED A FACEBOOK PAGE,

AND WE WOULD GET TIPS FROM THERE,

AND THERE WAS ONE

THAT WAS VERY POSITIVE THAT THEY SAW HIM IN IHOP.

AND SO WE CALLED THE IHOP, AND THE MANAGER SAYS,

"YEAH, THERE'S THIS GUY THAT COMES IN EVERY NIGHT,

"AND HE'S OBVIOUSLY HOMELESS, AND HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY MONEY,

"SO WE GIVE HIM AN ICED TEA,

AND HE LOOKS LIKE THIS GUY ON THE POSTER."

Narrator: COULD STEVEN BE WANDERING,

HOMELESS AND CONFUSED, AROUND LAS VEGAS?

THE FAMILY BELIEVES THAT IS A POSSIBILITY --

THAT STEVEN HAD SOME SORT OF MENTAL ISSUE.

Narrator: HIS MOTHER BELIEVES HIS MENTAL INSTABILITY

COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY DEPRESSION

OR A PHYSICAL INJURY, SUCH AS A BLOW TO THE HEAD.

Deanne: MAYBE HE WAS GOING TO WALK AWAY

FROM THE LIFE THAT HE KNEW,

AND SO THERE WAS A MENTAL DISCONNECT,

AND HE WAS GOING TO --

HE WAS JUST GONNA DO A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LIFE.

Narrator: CLINGING TO THIS SHRED OF HOPE OF FINDING STEVEN ALIVE,

THE ENTIRE FAMILY SPENDS TWO DAYS AT THE IHOP.

THEY SAID THAT THIS PERSON HAD BEEN THERE ON A FRIDAY.

WE WENT DOWN WITH FAMILY.

WE SAT AND DRANK HOT CHOCOLATE ALL DAY.

Narrator: UNFORTUNATELY, THE HOMELESS MAN NEVER REAPPEARS.

MEANWHILE, THE TIPS KEEP POURING IN.

QUITE A FEW OF THEM INVOLVED SEEING STEVEN

AT A BUS STOP OR ON A BUS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

Narrator: WHILE POLICE INVESTIGATORS

FOLLOW UP ON EVERY LEAD,

THERE'S ONE FACT THAT HAS THEM STUMPED.

LOOKING OVER STEVEN'S CELLPHONE RECORDS,

DETECTIVE OLMSTEAD REALIZES

THAT, OMINOUSLY, SOMEONE USED HIS PHONE

AT 6:04 A.M. THE DAY AFTER HE DISAPPEARED.

BUT WHO?

THE PHONE GOT TO VOICEMAIL, CHECKED HIS VOICEMAIL,

AND THERE'S NO WAY OF SAYING WHO CHECKED HIS VOICEMAIL.

OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S WHERE THIS CASE TAKES A DIFFERENT TWIST.

Naegle: IF HE DISAPPEARED,

HE COULD HAVE DITCHED THE PHONE AND SOMEONE PICKED IT UP.

IF HE WAS HURT BY SOMEONE,

THEY COULD HAVE TAKEN THE PHONE AND DITCHED IT SOMEWHERE.

Olmstead: IF THERE WAS A CRIME, IF STEVEN CAME UPON SOMETHING

THAT TURNED INTO A BAD SITUATION,

IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT SOMEBODY COULD HAVE DIALED THAT NUMBER

IN AN ATTEMPT TO LISTEN TO MESSAGES.

THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS WE JUST DON'T HAVE ANSWERS FOR.

Narrator: AS QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS PILE UP,

A STARTLING HYPOTHESIS COMES OUT OF LEFT FIELD.

Olmstead: I WAS CONTACTED BY STEVEN POWELL,

WHO RESIDES IN WASHINGTON STATE

AND IS THE FATHER OF JOSHUA POWELL,

WHOSE WIFE IS SUSAN POWELL, WHO IS MISSING.

MORE THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER A UTAH MOTHER,

SUSAN POWELL, DISAPPEARED,

POLICE ARE NOW LOOKING FOR ANSWERS.

THEY HAD INFORMATION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE US TO LOOK AT

AS FAR AS POSSIBLY LINKING THE CASES.

Narrator: THE CASE OF SUSAN POWELL

WAS PROMINENT IN THE MEDIA IN DECEMBER 2009.

CONNECTING THE CASES SEEMS LIKE A WILD IDEA TO STEVEN'S FAMILY,

BUT THERE ARE SOME SIMILARITIES.

Olmstead: SUSAN POWELL CAME UP MISSING ON DECEMBER 7th,

AND STEVEN CAME UP WALKING AWAY FROM HIS CAR ON THE 13th,

AND STEVEN USED TO LIVE IN NORTHERN UTAH.

Narrator: SUSAN COX POWELL AND STEVEN KOECHER ARE BOTH MORMON,

BUT SO IS 60% OF UTAH'S POPULATION.

THEY LIVED IN THE SAME CITY FOR A COUPLE MONTHS,

BUT DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN WEST VALLEY CITY?

DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THAT CITY ARE LDS?

Narrator: THE THEORY IS THAT STEVEN AND SUSAN

RAN OFF TOGETHER, POSSIBLY TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY.

STEVEN HAD LIVED IN BRAZIL FOR TWO YEARS OF HIS LIFE,

AND HE SPOKE PORTUGUESE.

STEVEN HAD BEEN A MISSIONARY IN BRAZIL

AND KNEW THAT COUNTRY WELL.

FRANKLY, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY

TO KNOW THAT HE'D GONE OFF TO BRAZIL.

THEN WE'D KNOW HE WAS ALIVE AND OKAY.

Narrator: IT'S TRUE STEVEN'S PASSPORT SEEMS TO BE MISSING,

BUT THERE'S NO EVIDENCE HE ACTUALLY LEFT THE COUNTRY.

McKay: WE HAD STEVEN CHECKED

TO SEE IF MAYBE HE HAD CAUGHT A FLIGHT OUT OF TOWN,

AND THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND HIM

ON ANY OF THE PASSENGER LISTS.

Narrator: THERE ARE NO CALLS TO SUSAN ON HIS CELL

AND NO E-MAILS ON HIS LAPTOP.

THE POLICE CAN FIND NOTHING TO CONNECT SUSAN POWELL AND STEVEN.

BUT THE ONLY WAY TO RULE OUT A LINK

IS FOR DETECTIVES FROM BOTH CASES TO SIT DOWN TOGETHER.

Olmstead: I MET WITH DETECTIVES

FROM WEST VALLEY CITY, IN NORTHERN UTAH.

WE CAME DOWN, AND WE SAT DOWN AND WENT OVER BOTH CASES,

REVIEWED THE POSSIBILITIES AND THE TIME LINES

AND THINGS LIKE THAT,

AND WE WERE VERY CONFIDENT TO SAY THAT IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE

THEY'RE AT ALL RELATED TO EACH OTHER.

Narrator: THE POSSIBILITY THAT STEVEN HAS FLED THE COUNTRY

WITH SUSAN POWELL, OR ANYONE, FOR THAT MATTER,

IS SOON DEALT ANOTHER BLOW.

THE KOECHERS FIND STEVEN'S MISSING PASSPORT

ON A SECOND SEARCH THROUGH HIS PERSONAL EFFECTS.

Rolf: FRANKLY, THERE WERE DAYS

WE JUST DID NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH

TO LOOK AT HIS MATERIALS.

BUT ONE DAY, WE SAID, "LET'S LOOK

AT SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAD," AND WE FOUND IT IN A BINDER.

Narrator: NO SOONER HAVE THE KOECHERS SET ASIDE ONE MYSTERY

THAN THEY'RE CONFRONTED WITH ANOTHER.

INVESTIGATORS HAVE QUESTIONS

ABOUT SOME UNUSUAL RECEIPTS FROM DECEMBER 10th,

JUST THREE DAYS BEFORE STEVEN WENT MISSING.

WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT SOME FINANCIAL RECORDS,

THERE WERE, STRANGE FOR STEVEN'S LIFESTYLE,

THINGS THAT THE FAMILY DIDN'T KNOW.

Narrator: THE FAMILY IS PUZZLED BY THE FOOD-AND-GAS RECEIPTS.

THEY SHOW STEVEN MAKING AN ARDUOUS DRIVE

OF OVER 1,000 MILES

THROUGH THE SALT LAKE AREA TO NORTHERN NEVADA,

THEN BACK TO ST. GEORGE,

ALL WITHIN 14 HOURS, ON DECEMBER 10th.

Olmstead: WE'D FOUND HE HAD BEEN TO WENDOVER, NEVADA,

AND HAD MADE A GAS PURCHASE WITHIN THE LAST FEW DAYS,

WHICH THAT NO ONE KNEW.

IT WAS WENDOVER, IT WAS SPRINGVILLE,

IT WAS NEPHI.

I SAID, "WELL, WHAT WAS HE DOING IN WENDOVER?"

Narrator: WEST WENDOVER, NEVADA, LIKE LAS VEGAS,

IS A LEGAL GAMBLING TOWN.

COULD STEVEN HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE MONEY THROUGH GAMBLING?

PRIVATE DETECTIVES THAT WE WORKED WITH SAID,

"WELL, THAT GOES THROUGH WENDOVER.

THERE'S GAMBLING THERE.

"WENT TO LAS VEGAS. THERE'S GAMBLING THERE.

SO HE MUST BE RUNNING MONEY OR DRUGS OR GAMBLING OR SOMETHING."

Narrator: WHEN DETECTIVES START THINKING ABOUT DRUGS,

THEY WONDER ABOUT STEVEN'S ROOMMATE,

WHOSE LIFESTYLE WAS RATHER DIFFERENT FROM STEVEN'S.

THEY DEFINITELY COULD BE CONSIDERED THE ODD COUPLE.

Narrator: IN FACT, THE FORMER ROOMMATE HAS A 2007 CONVICTION

FOR POSSESSION AND USE OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.

COULD STEVEN HAVE SOMEHOW GOTTEN CAUGHT UP IN A DRUG OPERATION?

COULD HE HAVE BEEN SO DESPERATE FOR MONEY

HE WAS WILLING TO DELIVER DRUGS?

WE REALIZED OUR GOAL IS HERE TO FIND HIM,

NOT TO HIDE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE HIM WHAT HE WASN'T.

Narrator: SO ROLF HAS STEVEN'S CAR CHECKED FOR DRUGS.

Rolf: WE HAD THE SALT LAKE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

COME WITH THEIR POLICE DOGS,

AND THEY SNIFFED HIS CAR FOR AN HOUR,

AND THE POLICE OFFICER SAYS,

"I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 20 YEARS IN THIS BUSINESS,

"AND THERE ARE NO DRUGS IN THIS CAR.

THERE NEVER HAVE BEEN DRUGS IN THIS CAR."

Narrator: AND WHEN ST. GEORGE POLICE INTERVIEW THE ROOMMATE,

THEY CONCLUDE

HAT HE HAS NOT INVOLVED STEVEN IN ANY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES.

Olmstead: IN SPEAKING WITH THE ROOMMATE,

HE SAID THAT AS OPPOSITE AS THEY WERE,

THEY ACTUALLY INTERACTED VERY WELL

AND HE ACTUALLY ENJOYED HAVING STEVEN AS A ROOMMATE.

Narrator: IF STEVEN WASN'T GAMBLING

OR RUNNING DRUGS IN NORTHERN NEVADA,

WHAT COULD HAVE INDUCED HIM

TO MAKE A 1,000-MILE ROUND TRIP TO THE REGION ON THE 10th?

THEN, ON HIS COUSIN K.C.'S WEBSITE,

SOMEONE FILLS IN THE MISSING PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.

Rolf: SOMEONE WROTE, "WELL, I KNOW WHY.

"HE HAD BEEN THERE IN RUBY VALLEY

"WITH A CHURCH PROJECT, AND SO HE KNEW THAT AREA.

"AND HE CAME TO VISIT WITH MY PARENTS,

AND HE HAD LUNCH WITH MY PARENTS."

Narrator: IT TURNED OUT THAT STEVEN'S LONG DRIVE CULMINATED

IN RUBY VALLEY, NEVADA,

WHERE HE VISITED THE PARENTS OF AN OLD GIRLFRIEND

HE'D MET AT CHURCH.

I THINK HE THOUGHT SHE WAS GONNA BE HOME THERE

SO HE COULD VISIT HER, TOO.

BUT SHE HAPPENED TO NOT BE THERE.

Narrator: HIS PARENTS ARE STILL A LITTLE PUZZLED BY THE TRIP.

THEY SAY THE WOMAN IN RUBY VALLEY

WAS NOT A SERIOUS GIRLFRIEND.

I THINK HE REALLY THOUGHT SHE WAS A WONDERFUL GIRL,

REALLY ENJOYED GOING TO HER FAMILY FARM.

I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT.

Narrator: THE KOECHERS ARE GRATEFUL

FOR THE ANSWERS THE SEARCH IS YIELDING,

BUT THEY'RE NOT GETTING ANY CLOSER TO FINDING STEVEN.

THEY'RE BEGINNING TO DESPAIR OF EVER SEEING THEIR SON AGAIN.

COMING UP, A NEW INVESTIGATOR AND AN ANONYMOUS TIP

GIVE THE CASE FRESH MOMENTUM.

WE CAME ACROSS BONES AT ONE TIME OUT IN THE DESERT.

Narrator: APRIL 2010.

IT'S BEEN FOUR MONTHS SINCE STEVEN KOECHER

APPEARED TO HAVE WALKED AWAY FROM HIS CHEVY CAPRICE

IN AN UPSCALE NEIGHBORHOOD NOT FAR FROM LAS VEGAS.

THE SEARCH FOR HIM HAS HIT A WALL,

AND HIS BEWILDERED FAMILY FEELS THEY HAVE NOWHERE LEFT TO TURN.

IT'S JUST BEEN OVERWHELMING.

WE'D SAY, "DO WE HAVE THE ENERGY TO KEEP GOING?

WHAT DO WE DO NOW?"

Narrator: BUT THEN A STRANGER

EXTENDS THE KOECHERS AN ADDITIONAL HAND.

THIS PRIVATE DETECTIVE NAMED CRAIG RETKE

SAYS, "I'VE READ ABOUT YOUR SON.

I JUST WANT TO HELP. I JUST WANT TO HELP."

Narrator: RETKE, A FORMER POLICE OFFICER,

WAS MOVED BY WHAT HE'D READ IN THE NEWS

ABOUT STEVEN'S DISAPPEARANCE.

I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK INTO IT.

I DID NOT WANT TO CHARGE ANY KIND OF A FEE.

I JUST -- PRO BONO -- AND HE AGREED.

Narrator: RETKE LOOKS OVER THE EVIDENCE

AND OUTLINES HIS TAKE ON THE CASE FOR THE KOECHERS.

LET'S GO BACK TO THE VIDEO.

HE'S DRIVING HIS CAR DOWN THE STREET.

HE PARKS.

YOU WATCH HIM WALK BY.

HE KNOWS WHERE HE'S GOING. HE HAS A PURPOSE.

THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO.

Narrator: RETKE BELIEVES

STEVEN WAS HEADED TO A MEETING, POSSIBLY SET UP

THROUGH AN EARLIER CHANCE ENCOUNTER ON A STREET.

HE COULD HAVE RUN INTO SOMEBODY WHEN HE WAS OUT THROWING FLYERS

THAT, FOR WHATEVER REASON,

GOT HIM DOWN TO LAS VEGAS.

HE WAS INTRODUCED SOMEHOW TO THESE PEOPLE,

AND HE WAS WALKING TOWARDS THAT MEETING.

Narrator: BUT THE APPOINTMENT MAY HAVE LED STEVEN

INTENTIONALLY OR INADVERTENTLY INTO MORTAL DANGER.

I THINK STEVEN NEVER MADE IT OUT OF THE HENDERSON NEIGHBORHOOD.

Narrator: STEVEN'S PARENTS AGREE.

Rolf: HE LOOKED LIKE HE HAD A PURPOSE,

AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A JOB.

Narrator: THIS IS NOT THE WALK OF SOMEONE

WHO'S FURTIVE, SUICIDAL, OR DESPONDENT.

TO THE FAMILY AND THE DETECTIVES,

IT'S THE WALK OF SOMEONE WITH A LOT TO LIVE FOR

WHO MET AN UNKNOWN FATE.

SOMEHOW HE WAS LURED THERE FOR SOME REASON.

AT SOME POINT, SOMETHING WENT TERRIBLY WRONG.

AND EXACTLY WHAT, IT'S HARD TO SAY.

Narrator: RETKE BEGINS FOLLOWING UP

ON THE TIPS THAT ARE BEING PHONED IN AND POSTED

ON STEVEN'S COUSIN K.C. NAEGLE'S WEBSITE.

THERE'S ONE RETKE FINDS PARTICULARLY CREDIBLE.

WHAT I HAD WAS AN ANONYMOUS PERSON CALLING.

THIS PERSON SAID, "YOU KNOW, YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK IN THIS AREA."

Narrator: THE TIP SUGGESTS STEVEN, OR HIS REMAINS,

MIGHT BE FOUND IN THE DESERT SOUTH OF VEGAS,

NEAR THE HENDERSON EXECUTIVE AIRPORT.

Retke: I SPENT HOURS OUT IN THE DESERT, LOOKING MYSELF.

AND THEN I CONTACTED ROLF.

AND SO HE ORGANIZED A SEARCH,

AND WE MADE CALLS TO PEOPLE WE KNEW.

Retke: OVER 70 PEOPLE SHOWED UP. IT WAS TREMENDOUS.

TO THIS DAY, IT GIVES ME GOOSE BUMPS,

BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WERE FANTASTIC.

THE DETECTIVE THAT WAS ON THE CASE FROM HENDERSON --

HE WAS OUT THERE, OBSERVING THE ENTIRE AREA.

Rolf: THE POLICE DETECTIVES AND THE PRIVATE DETECTIVES

WERE WORKING TOGETHER,

RATHER THAN IN OPPOSITION TO ONE ANOTHER,

SO THAT TURNED OUT VERY, VERY WELL.

I REALLY HAD TO -- I HAD TO TAKE A STEP BACK THAT DAY

BECAUSE WE WERE LOOKING FOR HIS BODY.

Narrator: STREWN ACROSS THE DESERT,

THEY FIND THE REMAINS OF A TENT

THAT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN RECENTLY OCCUPIED.

SOMEONE HAD BEEN THERE FOR TWO OR THREE MONTHS,

AND UNFORTUNATELY, OF COURSE, IT'S EMPTY.

Narrator: BUT THEN THERE IS AN OMINOUS DISCOVERY --

THE KIND THAT MIGHT LEAD TO ANSWERS,

BUT THAT NO ONE REALLY WANTS TO FIND.

WE FOUND -- SOME OF THE OTHER SEARCHERS FOUND BONES.

THEY HAD THE CSI PEOPLE COME OUT AND COLLECT THAT STUFF,

AND THEY TESTED IT.

THEY WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THOSE WERE ANIMAL BONES,

AND NO OTHER EVIDENCE WAS FOUND DURING THAT SEARCH.

Narrator: THE BONES WERE NOT STEVEN'S,

AND DNA TESTING FAILS TO LINK STEVEN TO THE TENT.

BUT THE FAMILY IS BEGINNING TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE IDEA

THAT NEXT TIME MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT STORY.

THAT SOMEONE WANTED TO HURT HIM OR KILL HIM --

THAT MAKES EVEN LESS SENSE TO ME,

BUT THAT'S WHERE MY HEAD IS NOW.

HE WENT SOMEWHERE, AND SOMETHING WENT TERRIBLY WRONG.

Retke: YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

HE COULD HAVE OPENED THE DOOR AND WALKED INTO A MESS.

COULD HAVE WALKED INTO A CRIME SCENE.

Narrator: ALL THE DETECTIVES

ARE DETERMINED TO FIND OUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED

BUT ARE FRUSTRATED BY THE FACT

THAT THEY HAVE ALMOST NOTHING TO GO ON.

McKay: WE'RE LOOKING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD

FOR ANY POSSIBLE SUSPECTS.

THERE IS A NEIGHBOR THAT LIVES AROUND THE CORNER,

AND SHE ALSO HAD SOME SUSPICIONS

ON A PARTICULAR HOUSE THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.

AT THIS POINT, THERE'S NO PERSON OF INTEREST.

Naegle: WE KNOW EXACTLY AS MUCH TODAY AS WE KNEW A YEAR AGO.

WE HAVEN'T FOUND ANYTHING FOR A YEAR

EXCEPT FOR PLACES THAT HE'S NOT.

Narrator: STILL, THE INVESTIGATION

HAS GIVEN THE FAMILY SOME COMFORT.

UNRAVELING THE MYSTERIES

OF THE DAYS BEFORE STEVEN'S DISAPPEARANCE

HAS CONFIRMED THAT HE IS EXACTLY WHO THEY THOUGHT HE WAS.

Naegle: WE HAVEN'T FOUND ANYTHING IN HIS LIFE

THAT'S CONTRARY TO WHAT WE BELIEVED HIM TO BE.

IF ANYTHING, HE'S MORE OF A HERO TO ME NOW --

JUST THE THINGS THAT HE DID IN HIS LIFE AND HOW STRONG HE WAS.

I LIKE TO THINK OF MY STEVEN AS A TENDER SOUL.

HE HAD A REALLY, REALLY TENDER HEART.

Narrator: ABOUT A YEAR AFTER HE DISAPPEARED,

A FRIEND OF STEVEN'S GIVES DEANNE AND ROLF

A RECORDING OF A SONG STEVEN WROTE AND PERFORMED.

HEARING HIS VOICE HELPS KEEP HIM CLOSE,

EVEN AS THEY HOPE FOR HIS RETURN.

* THIS IS WAY, WAY, WAY TOO FAR *

* AND I'VE NEVER

* FELT LIKE THIS BEFORE

* AND I'M STILL

* HERE ON THE FLOOR

Narrator: AND THEN, LEAFING THROUGH A BIBLE,

THE KOECHERS FIND STEVEN'S NOTES FOR A TALK HE'D GIVEN IN CHURCH.

THEY'RE CHEERED BY WHAT STEVEN'S NOTES SHOWED

ABOUT HIS STATE OF MIND JUST BEFORE HE DISAPPEARED.

AND HE TALKS ABOUT WHAT HE LEARNED AT HOME,

AND HE SAYS, "HOME WAS A PEACEFUL, WONDERFUL PLACE."

AND HE REALLY LIKED THE BOND THAT HE FOUND WITH HIS FAMILY

AND HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND HIS PARENTS.

Narrator: TRAGICALLY, JUST THREE WEEKS AFTER THIS INTERVIEW,

ROLF KOECHER PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 61.

IT'S ANOTHER UNIMAGINABLE LOSS

FOR A FAMILY THAT HAS ALREADY ENDURED SO MUCH GRIEF.

BUT NOTHING WILL LESSEN THE KOECHERS' DETERMINATION

TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR BELOVED BROTHER AND SON,

STEVEN.

IF ANYBODY SEES THIS YOUNG MAN,

IF ANYBODY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM,

I JUST WANT TO KNOW FOR THE FAMILY.

LET'S FIND HIM. THEY NEED TO KNOW.

Narrator: UNTIL STEVEN IS FOUND,

THE LIGHTS ON THE KOECHERS' CHRISTMAS TREE WILL STILL BURN.

Naegle: THEY RE-LIT IT ON DECEMBER 13th,

ON THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY, THE DAY THAT HE DISAPPEARED,

AND IT'S GONNA STAY LIT

AS LONG AS ANYONE HAS ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT,

UNTIL WE FIND HIM.