Where evil lurks unimpeded – change needs to happen…

garfieldcounty

We live in Colorado, actually in Garfield County, which according to Wikipedia is the eighth most extensive and the twelfth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 56,389 at 2010 census.[1] The county is named in honor of United States President James A. Garfield. The county seat is Glenwood Springs.

Now I wanted to start out with this bit of knowledge, because all I have been hearing since Morgan was murdered is that we live in a small town, so they have limited resources.  Not enough qualified professionals in law enforcement, or in the Coroner’s office…does this mean that if you have crimes committed against you, and you live in a small town, that you have no rights compared to others that live in a big city?  I don’t believe that for one minute…should over 56,000 people not be able to feel safe?  When mistakes are made wouldn’t you think the professionals in charge would want to correct those mistakes in order to protect, and serve the citizens of this County as they have been sworn to do?  In Morgan’s felony stalking, and murder case there have been so many mistakes made by the Sheriff’s Department, and the Coroner’s office – is this a case of CYA or is it a cover-up?  I want to know – I have had people write in to me with their own stories of what happened to someone in their family, or one of their best friends, and they live in this County – this feels to me like it has been going on for a long time…like this is generational. When will it change?  It will never change, and it could someday happen to your family if we don’t all come together, and demand that it change!

Our family has lived in this valley since the 70’s.  This is a beautiful place, and I remember I always thought it was the perfect place to raise a family – safer than a big city, but under this beautiful face there now lies a dark secret.  Very bad things have been happening in Colorado for quite some time now, and there are people that can’t afford for this to all come out.  Some of it they could not contain, as when the media has taken hold of some horrid events that have happened in just the last couple of years here in Colorado – but for the sake of tourism, and the economy most things are kept under raps.  Why, oh why, can’t the state enforce it’s laws, do the right thing, and go on the attack against crime?  To me that seems like the best course of action.  Then this beautiful state can also become the safest state – something to be proud of, instead of people referring to it as the devil with a mask of beauty covering it’s face.

Morgan loved Colorado for it’s beauty and nature.  She also stayed away from certain people because they were entrenched in drugs, drama and lies, among other things.  I refuse any longer to sit by and allow those people to make up lies about Morgan to protect themselves.  It is time to finally go on the offensive and tell not only the truth – but the whole truth about who was involved in Morgan’s stalking and murder.  Before I was waiting for another law enforcement agency to come along and look into this, but I am now tired of waiting – it has been over 6 years now!  Steve and I will now through everything we can muster into getting justice for Morgan, helping others in the same situation, and making the changes we want to see made.  If some people don’t like it – too bad.

We will need everyone’s help.  I have realized now that when I accept others help we end up so much further along this path.  I have been told that there is an army on the other side as well as an army here on earth that want to help make these changes – so here we go – the time is now!

 

 

The Day Your Battle Became Ours…

On December 2, 2013, exactly 2 years after Morgan’s murder, her friend wrote the following heartfelt words:

Today is just another day
Today is just a day…
The day your battle became ours

The day you were robbed, and us too
I loved you long before this day
I loved you for the hundreds that came before it

Two years ago today you took the colors with you
leaving the snow you longed for behind
The sunset and sunrise without your love burned redder in sorrow

Mountains fell silent- void- of sound as you left.
Stillness-
Snow untouched, attempted to preserve the moments
Stop the world from turning to keep you near
…but you had to go

and I prayed for the first time
– wake up from this dream
but each day this dream turns more real
and you become the dream

fading with every sunrise
This world slowly filling with colors I thought I had lost forever
as now you are close in reveries of starry nights and philosophy

today is just a day.

All the words that matter are: I love you.

collage from Katie

Remember to check on Morgan’s Stalking on Facebook

We have a Morgan’s Stalking on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/morgansstalking as well as on Twitter https://twitter.com/morgansstalking.  Please check them out – many times I post additional things on those 2 sites that I do not put on this blog.  A lot of the additional stuff is about other stalking cases in the news, as well as good information and answers about stalking – readers participate there and ask questions or give out good information that they have ascertained from their own experiences.

I hope you all have a wonderful day – I feel very positive today, good things are about to happen!

 

3 years after her death…A breath of love about Morgan

 

MorganscandleBurning candles all around our house today for Morgan

This post was written by Morgan’s daddy, Steve.

This morning there are so many things of Morgan’s surrounding us, her paintings, photographs, a little silver charm with her first name engraved on it, and family pictures, everywhere.  I feel her smile and her love of life in everything, and of course I feel that love always because it was so very strong in everything Morgan chose to do.

At the same time the story of her death becomes part of the legacy in a lawless county of Colorado, and what it has meant for so many others, step by plodding step.  Fresh experiences with so many new twists, new turns and new surprises fill today, three years after the day she had every last thing so viciously stripped from her.

We all lost the bright shining light that is Morgan three short years ago.  Her puppy Wylah seems to be watching her mom sometimes…and she is starting to get over the fear she has had of that certain type of young man ever since Morgan’s sudden death.  Morgan’s kitty Mo has never really repeated his very vocal, ma… ma, since Morgan’s death – he knows she is no longer right here, and our family dog Tessi still stops in her tracks and turns to look whenever she hears Morgan’s name called out.

For Toni and I learning new truths never seems to stop. The desire to fill in the blanks goes on too.  They feed each other, and both continue to be so important to us.  But then they have their own internal schedule as if not to release too much all at one time. We both think we could have handled it, only deep inside we both know that would not have been possible.  The ever unfolding truth about Morgan’s death has been precipitated by unseen events I have no control over, and they continue to happen, entirely on their own circadian rhythm.  The unchanging truth just keeps managing to bubble up with new bits and pieces of evidence, whenever and wherever it wants to.  I can sense that what at first was manifestations of lies and deceit by others sworn to protect her is now borne so much more of guilt and fear by these very same people.

We wish to never lose the tiniest slice of who Morgan was, her intense caring, nurturing and of course uncanny ability of seeing it all on a more simple straightforward prism of life.  How she could distill it all into just that one point.  Of course it might have taken her an entire poem to completely express that one point, but that was Morgan.  Her presence and abilities are always missed. There is such a growing knowledge and understanding of how the selfish uncaring and vindictive lives of others can touch us all through what happened to Morgan.  For some people Morgan is closer now than she has ever been in the three long years since her death.  To be able to feel how strong she is brings such comfort, and is such a blessing.

While the world moves on today Toni and I will take a moment to let time just stop for us this moment. We’ll allow all things Morgan to permeate as much as they wish. We’ll look at pictures, watch videos, read her pose and share our memories.  A light that bright can’t be allowed to have been extinguished from the world completely and forever.  We intend to let her memories burn brighter and touch us more deeply than ever as we go forward from today.

And to all of you who have followed and learned from the story of Morgan, you have gained a little sense of just what she meant to this world.  And there are so many who knew Morgan and could add immeasurably to that little sense which has begun with her story.  That one particular part, friends who really knew Morgan, adding to her ever growing story.  That specific part, Toni and I both want to happen more and more, and I know that it will, because an eerie frightening darkness of deceit that began with her death has managed to live on – day by day, even minute by minute – that darkness needs to be pierced through now.  Not only for the causes she started and had begun to dedicate her life to need full reign to blossom and move onward, but even more the tragic actions of stalking that stole first her freedom and then her life need to be fought on her behalf.  Toni and I together, with so many other co-victims, know in our hearts this to be true, and more importantly in our actions we wish to make a real change so that others will not be made to suffer as Morgan did on that day, and how she has ever since.

The world will always have need for the love, the ideals and the deep, deep caring of Morgan… perhaps now more than ever.

We all love you Morgan, forever and ever.  Daddy.

Stalking & Violence Against Women – it can not be allowed!

morganbackyardHere’s what I do know:

  • These stalkers have engaged in a concerted war on innocent people.
  • And who benefits? Only the stalkers.
  • And here’s the kicker: our own law enforcement is not always on our side, sometimes it seems like they are more concerned with keeping things quiet, protecting the criminal, and not protecting the victim… you guessed it… most of these victims in Garfield County are female, and Morgan’s case is not an isolated case.

It’s a vicious cycle that rewards the criminals with a free hall pass– but keeps the innocent victims with no where to turn.

William Ramsey Clark is an American lawyer, activist and former public official. He worked for the U.S. Department of Justice, which included service as United States Attorney General from 1967 to 1969, under President Lyndon B. Johnson. He supervised the drafting and played an important role in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Civil Rights Act of 1968.  Mr. Clark has said, Who will protect the public when the police violate the law? as well as, “A great many people in this country are worried about law-and-order.  And a great many people are worried about justice.  But one thing is certain; you cannot have either until you have both.”

Everyone needs to heed these words, because if the laws of this nation are not upheld by our very own law enforcement agencies then we’re all in trouble.  Our country was based on checks and balances, law and order.  If there is no accountability, and no punishment for people in a position of power (like law enforcement) then there will be no incentive for this behavior to ever end.

Don’t get me wrong.  I still trust in our system.  I still trust and honor most of our hard working and brave law enforcement agents, but just like in any other walk of life there are the good, and then there are bad people.  When you have the bad, especially if they are in charge then you can have a horrific scenario start to develop and continue on for years in some cases. That is why it is critical that there are checks and balances – another agency that has the authority to come in and investigate when a policeman or sheriff goes rouge.  If this doesn’t happen then not only hurts the victims and co-victims, but it damages the lives of any good officers that work in that department as well.

In Morgan’s case:

Morgan died from a massive dose of a date rape drug called Amitriptyline.  She died during an active investigation into her felony stalking.  Morgan did not have any alcohol or illegal drugs in her system, but her toxicology reports shows prescription drugs that are all on the sexual assault panel (known as date rape drugs).  I know there is credible evidence that points towards foul play in Morgan’s death, and my family insists on an outside investigation into those questions, Morgan deserves at least that.  The Garfield County Sheriffs department can not investigate themselves.

If Morgan is able to receive justice, then there is a potential for change to be made in Colorado. The Garfield County Sheriff not only refuses to EVER investigate Morgan’s death, but he won’t let anyone else in to investigate either.

We want a return to law and order – this will show that everyday ordinary people, like all of us, rose up and fought against the wrongs being done to everyone.  Morgan’s cold case, along with so many other cold cases that are being opened, will be the catalyst for change.  If we are successful in having an investigation into Morgan’s murder opened we believe that Colorado will be forced to make changes that will be for the good of all…except of course the criminals.

Why don’t people come forward with what they know:

When people in power (like the sheriffs office) can make people afraid for their individual futures, then some people will stay silent about injustice. And until families that are unaffected are as outraged as those who are there will be no justice for the victims.

Everyone wonders how Hitler influenced his country to go along with his madness, it was quite simple: make the population afraid for their individual futures and they will stay silent about injustice.

The solution is actually pretty simple.

Good news– we can fix this.  Moving forward we can make changes in the system.

If we want to tackle violence against women, as well as inequality in our country, we need to let our local government, state and federal government know how we feel. We need to let them know this will no longer be tolerated.  Speak out every time you have the opportunity.  Let everyone know that you will not tolerate violence against women – or for that matter violence against anyone.

I believe Colorado Cares and their will be justice for Morgan and other cold case victims in the state of Colorado – it has already started happening.  Kudos to Colorado!