The Amy Bechtel case was featured on yesterday's episode of UM. I went to college close to where Amy disappeared from, and we even displayed her missing persons flier at the convenience store I worked at (for quite a while-- I think it was up close to a year.)

So the question is: Was Steve involved? My boyfriend, also from the same general area, posed the theory that a mountain lion could have attacked Amy, but I thought that they would have found SOMETHING (like a scrap of clothing). Instead, they've found nothing.

What do you guys think?

I watch this segment everytime it is broadcast. It's one of those that really drives me nuts. Along with Chaim Weiss, Bryan Nisenfeld, this one just makes me go wtf? Her husband did act a little strange, but a polygraph really proves nothing and since as far as I know it can't be used in court, I don't know why they do it anyway. Many of the people interviewed on UM look guilty as sin, but he really didn't. He seemed more annoyed that further investigation hadn't been done. I do understand her family's annoyance though, at him not doing the polygraph.

I tend to think the husband isn't involved either. His poetry was not exactly the norm but that doesn't mean he did something to his wife. The most disturbing part concerning the husband however was when her family members claimed to have seen bruises on her and she said something about Steve likes to get rough sometimes. That makes you wonder if he was prone to violence. I do think something just happened to her out in the wilderness be it a lion or murder. Don't some people think Dale Eaton (the man who killed Lisa Kimmell) may have been involved in Amy's disappearance? Maybe if Shek is reading this she can tell us some more info on that if she has any.

Her husband did act a little strange, but a polygraph really proves nothing and since as far as I know it can't be used in court, I don't know why they do it anyway. Many of the people interviewed on UM look guilty as sin, but he really didn't. He seemed more annoyed that further investigation hadn't been done. I do understand her family's annoyance though, at him not doing the polygraph.

The way I understand it, the police use the polygraph to eliminate suspects or to confirm that they're on the right trail. I can't blame the husband for not taking a polygraph. A false positive, or even an "inconclusive," could put him in some really hot water. I don't get the sense that he did it either, but I could be wrong.

Oh my, I am not sure that I should even say anything about this but there is no question in my mind that Dale Eaton, the man that killed my daughter, Lisa Kimmell did it. I have some confidential, confirmable information that places him in her area at the same time Amy disappeared. It is being worked on as we speak but can't share the details at this time. Will it lead us to Amy's body? I hope so. But I promise you - it is being worked on and it wasn't her husband that killed her from my information, for what ever its worth.

Sheila Kimmell

One thing about that husband. He looked like such a nice, professional guy, but like Crystaldawn mentioned, he beat his wife. Guys that seem so normal on the outside but are prone to domestic violence are the most dangerous people, in my opinion. I'm not saying he did it, but I'm pretty suspiscious of the scumbag (and I call him a scumbag because he beat Amy).

Oh my, I am not sure that I should even say anything about this but there is no question in my mind that Dale Eaton, the man that killed my daughter, Lisa Kimmell did it. I have some confidential, confirmable information that places him in her area at the same time Amy disappeared. It is being worked on as we speak but can't share the details at this time. Will it lead us to Amy's body? I hope so. But I promise you - it is being worked on and it wasn't her husband that killed her from my information, for what ever its worth.

Sheila Kimmell


Thanks for the insight! I was initially in the camp that Steve was involved, but your information is very persuasive. :)

One thing about that husband. He looked like such a nice, professional guy, but like Crystaldawn mentioned, he beat his wife. Guys that seem so normal on the outside but are prone to domestic violence are the most dangerous people, in my opinion. I'm not saying he did it, but I'm pretty suspiscious of the scumbag (and I call him a scumbag because he beat Amy).

Yes, I just watched this episode today. Regarding the claim of Steve beating his wife, if you watch the episode, the actress who plays Amy, laughs and says, you know, sometimes Steve likes it rough when referring to the bruise. The way I took this statement is referring to actions between newlyweds ( ya know, a newly married couple getting to know one another). The actress actually laughs after trying to explain the bruise. I'm not saying it is 100%. Just my opinion. Maybe you have outside information to back up your claim. If all you have is that tv show, I think it is irresponsible to call him a wife beater.

As far as the case, I agree with the others, and I do not think Steve is involved. Shek commented that she may have information about the guy, Dale Eaton, who killed her daughter, and he may be involved (shek, I am sorry what happened to your daughter) in this case.

I taped the show and watched Steve, over and over. He is either innocent or the greatest liar of all time. (I can't believe I am thinking a husband is not responsible for his wife's disappearance). Plus, the story tells you that Steve went climbing with a buddy and Amy was in town running errands. I wonder if the keystone cops did a time line or if they just jumped to conclusions. My personal take is someone spotted her in town, caught up to her and somehow conned her into pulling over. i.e. telling her she had a flat, or something was wrong with her car.

I just think we should give Steve the benefit of the doubt and remember he was supposedly climbing with a friend that day. Don't get me wrong, he still should be looked at and watched, but I would follow other leads and not just focus only on the husband.

db

I haven't seen the episode everyone is referring to but I would like to add that "playing a little rough at times" versus "wife beater" isn't clearly defined in this case and would be reluctant to hang that label on Steve given the little information we have heard. I can reflect on my earlier married years and "rough housing" with my husband ie, floor wrestling, touch football and chasing each other in the park, etc. (I will leave the rest to your imagination. TMI as my daughter would say) We were much more energetic back in those years :) I sported a few good bruises (so did he) after being tackled or turfing it, but by no means were they a result of an abusive, wife beating husband. Don't get me wrong because I have no tolerence for spousal abuse but in this case I would have to give Steve the benefit of the doubt and not take Amy's comment out of context but perhaps as factual. I could have truthfully said the same thing.

Also, the follow up on Dale Eaton theory is stalled once again, saddly to say. But I will share some of the details and you can take it for what it's worth. Eaton was visiting a close family member (a brother) in Rock Springs, WY. The brother had to leave for Utah and that morning Eaton loaded up his van and told him he was going to go fishing before going home (Moneta, WY) at one of their favorite spots in the Lander, WY area. When his brother learned that Amy was missing and her car was found on the remote Loop Road and not frequently traveled, it struck him as odd because that is the road Eaton would need to take to get to that fishing spot, then add the fact that it was the same day Eaton left his home and Amy disappeared. His brother reported his concerns to authorities but was blown off because they believed the husband (Steve) did it, period, end of conversation - case closed as far as they were concerned.

Almost 2 months after Amy dissappeared, Eaton was arrested for assaulting the Breedens. In his van they found a number of weapons and several other bizzare things, including a pair of handcuffs.

Lastly, there were a number of crimes referred to as the Great Basin Murders where nearly a dozen unsolved crimes remain a mystery including Amy's. The Great Basin is an area that Eaton lived, traveled and worked in most of his life and knew it well. Since Eaton has been in prison - the Great Basin Murders have stopped. Is this all coincidental? Could be but I doubt it. (I covered some of this in my book)

BTW - if anyone knows when the episode on Amy is going to air again - could you let me know. I would like to see it.

Thanks for the information. I have noticed that sometimes the Keystone cops jump to conclusions and have tunnel vision. I wonder if the local police in the Amy Bechtel case ever retreived her DNA from the house (or family members) and tried to match it to DNA found in Eaton's van. This Eaton guy sure sounds like a good suspect and maybe someday he will come clean and confess so that STeve (if he truly is innocent) can finally be cleared. Can you imagine living your entire life with the thought that some people in your town gossip that you are a wife beater and killer, when you are truly innocent of both. I still can't eliminate Steve as a suspect, but, I think Eaton is a better suspect, unless the police know more than we do.

Shek, I unfortunately taped over my copy from yesterday or I would send it to you. Maybe, somebody else on this board has a copy of the Bechtel episode and can send it to you. I have no idea when Lifetime is going to run the story again.

thanks for the input

db

Also, when Amy went missing, did the Keystone cops bring out bloodhounds to help locate her. The reason is simple, if the scent went only a few feet from Amy's car and disappeared, then Amy most likely was abducted into another car or van and taken away. If the scent went into the wilderness, then they could have followed the scent.

From db -"I wonder if the local police in the Amy Bechtel case ever retreived her DNA from the house (or family members) and tried to match it to DNA found in Eaton's van. This Eaton guy sure sounds like a good suspect and maybe someday he will come clean and confess so that Steve (if he truly is innocent) can finally be cleared."

I would think (but can't confirm it)they have a DNA profile for Amy but nothing to compare it to. They only took an "inventory" of the van, they did not process it for "trace" evidence let alone DNA. DNA was still in it's infancy back in those years nor did they make a possible connection to Amy's disappearence and Eaton at the time. (Wyoming only got their own DNA lab in late 2001.) We are also dealing with different jurisdictional and communcation boundries that still prevail. Frustrating!

Then, I doubt that Eaton will ever come clean and confess. We have made 3 requests to meet with him personally with that sole purpose in mind and he has declined each time. To quote his brother, "Dale will never tell on Dale".

Also, the follow up on Dale Eaton theory is stalled once again, saddly to say. But I will share some of the details and you can take it for what it's worth. Eaton was visiting a close family member (a brother) in Rock Springs, WY. The brother had to leave for Utah and that morning Eaton loaded up his van and told him he was going to go fishing before going home (Moneta, WY) at one of their favorite spots in the Lander, WY area. When his brother learned that Amy was missing and her car was found on the remote Loop Road and not frequently traveled, it struck him as odd because that is the road Eaton would need to take to get to that fishing spot, then add the fact that it was the same day Eaton left his home and Amy disappeared. His brother reported his concerns to authorities but was blown off because they believed the husband (Steve) did it, period, end of conversation - case closed as far as they were concerned.

Almost 2 months after Amy dissappeared, Eaton was arrested for assaulting the Breedens. In his van they found a number of weapons and several other bizzare things, including a pair of handcuffs.

Lastly, there were a number of crimes referred to as the Great Basin Murders where nearly a dozen unsolved crimes remain a mystery including Amy's. The Great Basin is an area that Eaton lived, traveled and worked in most of his life and knew it well. Since Eaton has been in prison - the Great Basin Murders have stopped. Is this all coincidental? Could be but I doubt it. (I covered some of this in my book)

Very good info, shek. Makes Eaton an extremely good suspect, if Amy went missing on the same day.

But weren't the bodies always found in the so-called Great Basin Murders? Normally dumped along remote roadways? It would be strange if Eaton changed his MO in one case only. Of course, it's possible he did not, just Amy's body was never found. I'm wondering if there are other missing females in that area during that period, same age bracket but never connected to the Great Basin Murders for whatever reason.

I've read many of the bodies in the Great Basin Murders were posed in the shape of a cross. Lisa, of course, was found in the water.

This is a very tough subject and no easy way to ask but I'll go ahead, since I've wondered; do you know if any of the Great Basin victims had patterned knife wounds similar to Lisa? That would be one way to link them. I've read reports those victims were attacked and killed but the articles don't mention cause of death. If Eaton didn't hold the other victims very long and they were killed close to time of abduction, and not on his property, it's logical the MO and type of wounds could have varied.

I know there's some debate whether the murders are connected, although I definitely think they are. Thank you for confirming that the murders stopped after Eaton was jailed.

Very good info, shek. Makes Eaton an extremely good suspect, if Amy went missing on the same day.

But weren't the bodies always found in the so-called Great Basin Murders? Normally dumped along remote roadways? It would be strange if Eaton changed his MO in one case only. Of course, it's possible he did not, just Amy's body was never found. I'm wondering if there are other missing females in that area during that period, same age bracket but never connected to the Great Basin Murders for whatever reason.

I've read many of the bodies in the Great Basin Murders were posed in the shape of a cross. Lisa, of course, was found in the water.

This is a very tough subject and no easy way to ask but I'll go ahead, since I've wondered; do you know if any of the Great Basin victims had patterned knife wounds similar to Lisa? That would be one way to link them. I've read reports those victims were attacked and killed but the articles don't mention cause of death. If Eaton didn't hold the other victims very long and they were killed close to time of abduction, and not on his property, it's logical the MO and type of wounds could have varied.

I know there's some debate whether the murders are connected, although I definitely think they are. Thank you for confirming that the murders stopped after Eaton was jailed.

Hi Awsi,

Those are very good questions and I'll try to answer them the best I can. Yes, most of the vitims were dumped along remote roadsides and a few others were dumped in a river. Then for the most part, all of them were found near remote fishing areas. (But sheeezzz, almost everything in WY is remote)The information about the bodies being "posed" in the shape of a cross is incorrect and Lisa is the only one who had the bizarre knife patterns.The MO and what changed?

First, let's talk about MO's. They are indeed a good "guideline" to connect various crimes but don't always hold true. Take for example the Greeen River Killer. He confessed to some murders that the police hadn't connected to him because it didn't fit the MO and when asked, he simply said, "I knew you were looking for me and wanted to throw off track and mess with your head."

Now, Eaton - what changed? He was married until 1987 and doubt he would take his victims home as a trophy to his wife. So he niether had the time or an exclusive domain to act out on his fantasies to their fullest extent. After he and his wife divroced, he had both, when he abducted my daughter in 1988. All the MO's prior to my daughter's death were very similar but we are still puzzled by the knife wounds after he struck her on the head with a pipe that would certainly kill her. Was he trying to throw off the investigators like the Green River Killer or acting out on his deeper fantasies? But per testimony at the trial, when his psycolosist asked him why he stabbed her after hitting her in the head, Eaton explained that her heart was still beating and wanted to make sure she was dead. We may never know. Greg Cooper, a former FBI profiler did a good job of explaining some of this in my book.

What else changed? Very little pubilicity was given to other victims. Most were displaced, run-aways or lead high risk life styles. Lisa was different and gained more attention and now leaving the victims where they could be found may have influenced how he disposed of other victims to avoid detection thereafter - such as Amy.

Also, satistically, in over 90 some % of the cases, the victim knew their killer and that's why investigators start with the spouse, family, friends and enimies. I think that contributes a lot to why the investigators were all too willing to hang this on Steve, her husband. (BTW, I don't know Steve nor have I ever talked to him.) Statistics and MO's are good tools for investigators but they also need to think outside of the box and I think they have failed miserably in Amy's case.

FYI Amy dissappeared in 1997, Eaton was sent to prison in 1998 and there have been no other unsolved murders referred to as the Great Basin Murders or murders of this nature in that area since then.

Now that i think of it , it was most likely this dale eaton.

Hi Awsi,

Those are very good questions and I'll try to answer them the best I can. Yes, most of the vitims were dumped along remote roadsides and a few others were dumped in a river. Then for the most part, all of them were found near remote fishing areas. (But sheeezzz, almost everything in WY is remote)The information about the bodies being "posed" in the shape of a cross is incorrect and Lisa is the only one who had the bizarre knife patterns.The MO and what changed?

First, let's talk about MO's. They are indeed a good "guideline" to connect various crimes but don't always hold true. Take for example the Greeen River Killer. He confessed to some murders that the police hadn't connected to him because it didn't fit the MO and when asked, he simply said, "I knew you were looking for me and wanted to throw off track and mess with your head."

Now, Eaton - what changed? He was married until 1987 and doubt he would take his victims home as a trophy to his wife. So he niether had the time or an exclusive domain to act out on his fantasies to their fullest extent. After he and his wife divroced, he had both, when he abducted my daughter in 1988. All the MO's prior to my daughter's death were very similar but we are still puzzled by the knife wounds after he struck her on the head with a pipe that would certainly kill her. Was he trying to throw off the investigators like the Green River Killer or acting out on his deeper fantasies? But per testimony at the trial, when his psycolosist asked him why he stabbed her after hitting her in the head, Eaton explained that her heart was still beating and wanted to make sure she was dead. We may never know. Greg Cooper, a former FBI profiler did a good job of explaining some of this in my book.

What else changed? Very little pubilicity was given to other victims. Most were displaced, run-aways or lead high risk life styles. Lisa was different and gained more attention and now leaving the victims where they could be found may have influenced how he disposed of other victims to avoid detection thereafter - such as Amy.

Also, satistically, in over 90 some % of the cases, the victim knew their killer and that's why investigators start with the spouse, family, friends and enimies. I think that contributes a lot to why the investigators were all too willing to hang this on Steve, her husband. (BTW, I don't know Steve nor have I ever talked to him.) Statistics and MO's are good tools for investigators but they also need to think outside of the box and I think they have failed miserably in Amy's case.

FYI Amy dissappeared in 1997, Eaton was sent to prison in 1998 and there have been no other unsolved murders referred to as the Great Basin Murders or murders of this nature in that area since then.

That's plenty of good info. Many online articles have mentioned the posed aspect so it surprised me that was wrong. Were the other victims stabbed?

I completely agree on MOs and how a single perpetrator can vary what he does, including intentionally. On another site I post on, regarding the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker, (also a UM case) the basic MO is always the same but apparent minor differences in individual cases has caused many posters to invent additional or copcat EARS to account for the minor variances. It frustrates the heck out of me, since the burden of adding additional masked rapists with the same build and type of attack in the same area/same time frame is never weighed properly. They'll just say yeah there was at least one to three more and pat themselves on the back. Meanwhile, the so-called differences they are basing it on could be nothing more than bad info in media reports, like the posed aspect in the articles about the Great Basin Murders.

I didn't realize Eaton was married until '87. Agreed, anything before that would be a quick "road game" murder almost by necessity.

Do you know if the other victims were also abducted from their vehicles? That's the case with Lisa and Amy. Or at least Amy had a vehicle. She could have been running while abducted. But I gather from your description of the others that they may have been at low points in their lives and possibly not had a car, instead abducted off the street or perhaps hithchiking.

Many UM cases have included the aspect of too much focus placed on the family and friends. I think first of the man whose mother was killed by a lunatic, after the son gave the man a ride from a fast food restaurant late at night then the man tried to force the son to give him the truck. I completely agree with your instincts the Bechtel investigation was compromised by too much attention on Steve.

Two years ago my best friend was murdered here in Las Vegas and it was awkward as hell when the homicide detective was asking me the last time I saw Larry and what I was doing during the period he went missing, etc. I know they have to do it but that didn't make it any easier. Some friends of Larry refused to talk to the investigators after I told them what he asked me. Still apparently unsolved, or at least I've heard nothing.

Sheila, I hope Eaton changes his mind and talks to you. Although that quote from his brother was amazing and probably very accurate. I'm sure I would have the same instinct, that talking to him -- no matter what a lowlife monster he was -- might provide some missing important detail(s) that never came out in court, or to his psychologist. What he says might be pure invention but looking at him face to face would allow you to evaluate his mannerisms and speech and personaility enough to gauge whether you believed it was the truth or some semblance. I wouldn't give up on it.

Hi Awsi,
No, most of the girls that were killed were walking the road or hitchhiking. Only Lisa and Amy had a car involved. Then they think Amy may have possibly left her car to walk or jog along that area while she was trying to scope the area out for a 10 k race she was organizing. All the girls prior to Lisa were strangled as far as they could tell. Many of the bodies weren't in very good shape when they were found. BTW in a search of another vehicle they impounded of Eaton's, they found essentially what they call a rape kit. Wire ties, flex cuffs, handcuffs, rope and a blue dildo.

Yes Awsi, I will continue to try talk to Eaton personally. He can't change what has happened but I hope to reach his consience if has one to get the anwers for the other victims families. I have made requests through his lawyer, written Eaton directly and most recently, talked to the prison warden in the hopes of arranging such a meeting. So far no luck, but I am not one to give up easily.

PS to db - sorry I didn't catch your edit but to answer your question - I don't know if they tried to use tracking dogs or not to find Amy during their searches.

Wow, Shek. You are a very brave lady to want to speak to Eaton, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for you. Best of luck to you.

After seeing the segment the first few times, I thought Amy's husband Steve was involved due mainly to his reluctance to take the polygraph. However, after hearing what Shek has said about Dale Eaton, I find it hard to believe that Eaton didn't do it. With all the information shek has provided, Eaton had to have done this.

Shek, have you had any luck in speaking with Eaton recently?

I agree, Eaton seems the most likely suspect to me.

As far as Steve...even the cop questioning him said Steve was "floored". Now, if he did it, I wouldn't have expected him to act "floored" because that implies he didn't expect it whatsoever, and if he did do it, he had to expect to be questioned, and would have to try to fake being surprised, and I'm sure the cops would have caught that. As for the lie detector test, his attorney was the one who told him not to take it, he didn't decide that on his own.

Shek: If you still haven't seen the segment, you can find it on a certain popular video website that we can't link to here ;) Also, any luck in talking to Eaton?

Let's see:

1) Other than the speculation on this site and a few other forums, there's never been any evidence linking Dale Wayne Eaton to Amy Bechtel's disappearance. While I don't care a great deal for Eaton, he really only needs to charged and convicted of crimes he actually committed.

I would suggest that people and LE be a lot more leery of linking different crimes together w/o any actual proof. The Henry Lee Lucas fiasco should be seen as an example of why doing that is a very poor idea.

2) Steve Bechtel seems to be a self-centered jerk (and possibly a wife beater) but there's scant evidence that he committed the crime. His decision not to take a polygraph was a wise one, as polygraphs are not admissible in court, they are not useful to clear yourself if you aren't guilty and they just plain don't work.

3) In the time period since her disappearance has any actual evidence presented that Amy Bechtel is deceased? While it would have been very difficult to accomplish, perhaps Ms. Bechtel tired of her life and her relationship and decided to start again somewhere else.

While people always use the old "why hasn't she contacted her family?" saw, there are thousands of cases of people leaving to start a new life and never contacting their families again. Not saying that is what happened in this case, but that's always a possibility.

4) Where there hunters/target shooters in the area where Ms. Bechtel went missing? An accidental shooting followed by a hasty burial could explain the lack of forensic evidence in this case.

5) This case (and several others) is one of the reasons that I tell people (men and women) that going off into a remote area by yourself is a poor idea. Even if you aren't abducted or molested (something that's unlikely to happen), there's a good chance that you can easily become lost,injured and/or disoriented. There's also the potential for an animal attack (snakes being a major culprit)

If you don't have a detailed survival plan,haven't told anybody of your plans, aren't armed and have no means of communication w/ the outside world, IMHO, you really have no business out in the woods. Even if you are skilled outdoorsperson, you may still become lost, injured and you may end up putting searchers in danger by having to come looking for you because you decided to do what you wanted to.

Cocytus, that may be a bit harsh. It sounds like you're blaming Amy a bit for her own disappearance.

1. I agree with you on this point.

2. There's no evidence he was a wife-beater other then ONE instance of Amy's friend noticing a bruise. Now, if that happened multiple times, then I would entertain the thought. The odd thing is, that couple agreed Steve didn't do it, yet decided to throw in evidence against him? As I say, one bruise..I wouldn't have thought anything of it, but if I had seen bruises somewhat regularly, THEN I would've said something to police.

3. If she was going to leave her life, why park the car there, and leave all her stuff? If she truly wanted to vanish, she could've just driven away.

4. I'd actually be quite interested in knowing that myself.

5. From the sounds of her plans for the day, she intended on staying on marked paths/roads, as she was plotting a route for a 10 KM run. The roads seemed fairly wide too, and it was daylight, and I think even sunny. There was no reason for her to be wary of going for a walk/jog in that type of situation/weather, with her being very experienced. Now, If she were going on a wilderness hike, I would agree with you on this point.

Cocytus, that may be a bit harsh. It sounds like you're blaming Amy a bit for her own disappearance.

1. I agree with you on this point.

2. There's no evidence he was a wife-beater other then ONE instance of Amy's friend noticing a bruise. Now, if that happened multiple times, then I would entertain the thought. The odd thing is, that couple agreed Steve didn't do it, yet decided to throw in evidence against him? As I say, one bruise..I wouldn't have thought anything of it, but if I had seen bruises somewhat regularly, THEN I would've said something to police.

3. If she was going to leave her life, why park the car there, and leave all her stuff? If she truly wanted to vanish, she could've just driven away.

4. I'd actually be quite interested in knowing that myself.

5. From the sounds of her plans for the day, she intended on staying on marked paths/roads, as she was plotting a route for a 10 KM run. The roads seemed fairly wide too, and it was daylight, and I think even sunny. There was no reason for her to be wary of going for a walk/jog in that type of situation/weather, with her being very experienced. Now, If she were going on a wilderness hike, I would agree with you on this point.

Hmm...

2) The bruising does look suspicious. If Mrs. Bechtel was as guarded as they portrayed it being in the segment, it seems that this may not have been a solitary incident. Maybe the friends aren't as solidly behind the husband as it would seem.

3) Maybe she just wanted the "mystery" of an unexplained disappearance. Maybe she was angry at her husband for being controlling. Maybe the pressures of a new life and a new home were too much. People do strange things for reasons that even they don't understand and can't completely explain.

The police seemed to be certain (or bluffing) when they allegedly accused the husband of having killed her. Yet they have presented no evidence, besides her disappearance, that she's actually deceased.

5) Even if the road was wide and straight, it was in a rural area that was sparsely inhabited, if it was inhabited at all. While there's no reason to usually expect to be abducted, there is every reason to expect an injury or an accident. Those are both very common and both would require the same or similar levels of assistance that an abduction would.

By not having a means of communication and not leaving a clear cut plan, it likely made it unclear where Mrs. Bechtel would be and she obviously didn't have any means to communicate in case of an emergency. You really have to wonder is she actually did have a plan in case of an accident or an emergency.

I'm not blaming the victim, but to figure what may have happened you really have to look at all aspects of the event. Most women that jog in rural areas alone have nothing happen to them. The few that do have something usually survive the event no worse for wear.

When you have an event like this, IMHO, you have look at the entire episode to see where the variations between a normal outing and something like this would be. That may seem like "victim blaming" to some...but it's mostly trying to determine what really happened.

yeah, I can understand that. I guess we'll never really know anything unless her remains are found.

Hmm...

2) The bruising does look suspicious. If Mrs. Bechtel was as guarded as they portrayed it being in the segment, it seems that this may not have been a solitary incident. Maybe the friends aren't as solidly behind the husband as it would seem.

3) Maybe she just wanted the "mystery" of an unexplained disappearance. Maybe she was angry at her husband for being controlling. Maybe the pressures of a new life and a new home were too much. People do strange things for reasons that even they don't understand and can't completely explain.

The police seemed to be certain (or bluffing) when they allegedly accused the husband of having killed her. Yet they have presented no evidence, besides her disappearance, that she's actually deceased.

5) Even if the road was wide and straight, it was in a rural area that was sparsely inhabited, if it was inhabited at all. While there's no reason to usually expect to be abducted, there is every reason to expect an injury or an accident. Those are both very common and both would require the same or similar levels of assistance that an abduction would.

By not having a means of communication and not leaving a clear cut plan, it likely made it unclear where Mrs. Bechtel would be and she obviously didn't have any means to communicate in case of an emergency. You really have to wonder is she actually did have a plan in case of an accident or an emergency.

I'm not blaming the victim, but to figure what may have happened you really have to look at all aspects of the event. Most women that jog in rural areas alone have nothing happen to them. The few that do have something usually survive the event no worse for wear.

When you have an event like this, IMHO, you have look at the entire episode to see where the variations between a normal outing and something like this would be. That may seem like "victim blaming" to some...but it's mostly trying to determine what really happened.

To clarify some things, Amy's brother was the one who noted the bruising on her arm. The other couple interviewed (Steve and Amy's neighbors/friends) never implicated Steve, and seemed to conclude that since he spent most of the day with them he simply wouldn't have had the time to do harm to Amy. As to Amy voluntarily leaving, I don't buy it. Her car was found on the road where she told people she was going. Highly unlikely that she would let all these people know where she was to simply park her car and walk away. Not to mention the fact that I'm sure it wouldn't take that much investigative work to determine whether or not she was putting money aside to start a new life (much like the Dottie Caylor case), nor has there been any activity on her credit cards. And if she did leave voluntarily, how exactly did she get out of the area without her car? She didn't take any clothes (that we know of), and everything she did that day indicated she would be returning home.

I will agree that an accidental hunting accident could be very likely, if there was hunting going on in the area. I don't agree with the animal attack theory, because it seems likely that her body would have been found. I don't know much about Dale Eaton to formulate an opinion on his involvement, but I wouldn't rule it out either.

Here's an article about a new lead in her case from back in June: http://county10.com/2012/06/13/new-lead-investigated-amy-bechtel-disappearance/

Here's an article from 2007:
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_5c2b29d9-de5f-54b9-b0cb-a93aff383668.html

It's interesting because as of 2007, the lead investigator still believed Steve was involved somehow.

I cannot blame the husband at all for not taking a polygraph in this case. Putting aside all of the general issues regarding polygraph tests (and as we know, there are many), would you really want to take one when the Sheriff says, "Statistically, he did it"? Yes, the Sheriff clarified this point immediately afterward, but you could tell just from the segment that the investigators seemed to be focusing very heavily on the husband. Posts on this forum further suggest that this could very well have been a case of tunnel vision.

His alibi seems quite solid: all of the time spent with friends; the phone call he made at around the time when his truck was supposedly sighted. The bruise and the poetry are very weak circumstantial evidence, and in fact could be evidence of nothing at all. A quick comment about the bruise scenario: from the segment, I gather that it's not like the brother-in-law and sister had always thought of the husband as a wife-beater; rather, after they read his poetry, they thought, "Well, there was that one time we saw her with a bruise ... I guess we should let the police know." She had an explanation that seems plausible, and if it is true, that could be the reason why she seemed a bit uncomfortable speaking about it (essentially discussing her sex life with her brother-in-law and sister over dinner).

Yeah, the bruise is hardly damning. God forbid I ever went missing, my poor DH would be accused of being a wife beater. I've had people ask me before. On the contrary, my husband does not assault me, inanimate objects do. And sometimes, power tools. There is a reason I was not named Grace. I can think of probably half a dozen times when people thought I was being abused. Once, I fell UP a staircase. (Any amateur klutz can fall down stairs and get hurt, it takes real skill to fall UP stairs.) So, if I end up on the next incarnation of Unsolved Mysteries, please call the hotline and tell them you suspect the coffee table, the door jamb and the night stand were in cahoots. :crazy:

As someone mentioned, the bruise could have been the result of rather enthusiastic alone time with Steve. (Trying to be as polite as possible) I don't know a single woman who would be able to look her brother in the eye when being asked about a bruise that was the result of such activities. If it was the result of an assault by her husband, I think she would have answered much differently. Even 2 professional athletes can have awkward moves in the heat of the moment. (I feel terrible talking about this poor missing woman's private time.)

As someone mentioned, the bruise could have been the result of rather enthusiastic alone time with Steve. (Trying to be as polite as possible) I don't know a single woman who would be able to look her brother in the eye when being asked about a bruise that was the result of such activities.

This is exactly what came to mind when I saw the segment. The way she answered may have came off as sheepish to her brother, and he probably took her odd response as proof of physical abuse. But the was she answered (at least how it was shown in the UM re-eanctment) made me think of a particularly rough physical encounter. Steve Bechtel may be guilty of nothing more than being a complete hellcat in the sack.

This is exactly what came to mind when I saw the segment. The way she answered may have came off as sheepish to her brother, and he probably took her odd response as proof of physical abuse. But the was she answered (at least how it was shown in the UM re-eanctment) made me think of a particularly rough physical encounter. Steve Bechtel may be guilty of nothing more than being a complete hellcat in the sack.

I don't think I can look at him the same way again now that you said that :eek: :lol: :eek: :lol: :eek: :lol:

A few nights ago, there was a case on ID. It's an older one that I have seen presented on another true crime show- maybe The Investigators or something similar. Took place in 1980 in CO. I don't remember the names. Husband worked the night shift. He and wife were thinking of divorcing. He had been known to abuse her. He came home from work and found her murdered. Never enough evidence to bring a case against him. All these years her family believed he did it because of the history of abuse. DNA technology comes along and it was one of his co-workers who had already been cleared as a supspect. So all those years he had lived under a cloud of suspicion because he had a history of abuse. Could be the same thing in Amy's case. Husband is a red herring while the real killer goes free.

Other than the writings and the one bruise, is there other "evidence" that Steve hurt Amy? I don't find either of those things to be remotely conclusive. I don't think he did it. I didn't even find him self-centered or arrogant. I found him to have the same self-assured attitude a lot of pro athletes have. It's part of the personality that drives them to excel.

I honestly think if the portrayal of the bruise incident is as it happened, the bruise was not a result of abuse. All she had to do was wear a 3/4 sleeve or long sleeve shirt, that bruise is VERY easy to hide. I think her brother and sister-in-law looked back in hindsight looking for anything that could convince them that the police were right and that Steve did it. If they honestly thought at the time he had abused her, why didn't they ask follow up questions? Especially when she opened the door with her comment about Steve getting rough.

Disappeared is going to highlight Amy Bechtel's case.

Disappeared is going to highlight Amy Bechtel's case.

When and what time?

When and what time?It's supposed to be shown on January 7th and at 6:00PM, according to Zap2it.

Hopefully Disappeared's showing can generate some leads for Amy's case.

Other than the writings and the one bruise, is there other "evidence" that Steve hurt Amy? I don't find either of those things to be remotely conclusive. I don't think he did it. I didn't even find him self-centered or arrogant. I found him to have the same self-assured attitude a lot of pro athletes have. It's part of the personality that drives them to excel.

I honestly think if the portrayal of the bruise incident is as it happened, the bruise was not a result of abuse. All she had to do was wear a 3/4 sleeve or long sleeve shirt, that bruise is VERY easy to hide. I think her brother and sister-in-law looked back in hindsight looking for anything that could convince them that the police were right and that Steve did it. If they honestly thought at the time he had abused her, why didn't they ask follow up questions? Especially when she opened the door with her comment about Steve getting rough.
I'd like to know exactly what the content of the writings was. In the UM segment we get from Sheriff David King that they concerned "power,death and killing people". Well this is serious and to my mind makes Steve a suspect in the case. Of course the Defence might argue why would Steve leave these journals lying around if he were planning on murdering his wife?

There are other factors which can be read both ways. I wouldn't discount the sighting of the 4x4 vehicle by the campers which places Steve at the scene of the crime,yet if Amy is in the vehicle with him how did her car come to be up the mountain? Again if it's a 45 minute ride each way this doesn't give Steve much time to dispose of the body in a way which would have prevented discovery by a team of 500 scouring a 20 mile radius over 8 days. However the bruise noticed by the deceased's brother looks to me as if it had been caused by her being tied up with rope and restrained in some way,and in the early stages of married life it seems to me that Amy was eager to please,and Steve the one in control of their relationship.

I'd be interested to know the couple's finances,whether the timing of them moving house had any implications money-wise and whether Steve moving suddenly to Utah and then back into the Lander area had any significance. The fact that the man has remarried and set up his own business in the fitness industry suggests to me that he cares little for public opinion,his matter of fact tones in the initial call to Police also are redolent of a man who again wasn't really troubled by the loss of his wife.

It's supposed to be shown on January 7th and at 6:00PM, according to Zap2it.

Hopefully Disappeared's showing can generate some leads for Amy's case.

Thank you

I'd like to know exactly what the content of the writings was. In the UM segment we get from Sheriff David King that they concerned "power,death and killing people". Well this is serious and to my mind makes Steve a suspect in the case. Of course the Defence might argue why would Steve leave these journals lying around if he were planning on murdering his wife?

There are other factors which can be read both ways. I wouldn't discount the sighting of the 4x4 vehicle by the campers which places Steve at the scene of the crime,yet if Amy is in the vehicle with him how did her car come to be up the mountain? Again if it's a 45 minute ride each way this doesn't give Steve much time to dispose of the body in a way which would have prevented discovery by a team of 500 scouring a 20 mile radius over 8 days. However the bruise noticed by the deceased's brother looks to me as if it had been caused by her being tied up with rope and restrained in some way,and in the early stages of married life it seems to me that Amy was eager to please,and Steve the one in control of their relationship.

I'd be interested to know the couple's finances,whether the timing of them moving house had any implications money-wise and whether Steve moving suddenly to Utah and then back into the Lander area had any significance. The fact that the man has remarried and set up his own business in the fitness industry suggests to me that he cares little for public opinion,his matter of fact tones in the initial call to Police also are redolent of a man who again wasn't really troubled by the loss of his wife.

Who is deceased? Another thing, could it be possible that if Amy was abducted, that her abductor could've driven a vehicle similar to Steve's, as to why the lady at the campground said she saw a blonde woman in a truck that looked like Steve's around the time she disappeared?

Who is deceased? Another thing, could it be possible that if Amy was abducted, that her abductor could've driven a vehicle similar to Steve's, as to why the lady at the campground said she saw a blonde woman in a truck that looked like Steve's around the time she disappeared?
I think it's possible that Amy was abducted,though I doubt it was in the way you describe. It's just too coincidental to have two blue vehicles spotted at that time driven by a male with a blonde in the passenger seat. There is a possibility as discussed in some of the earlier threads that she had been abducted by Dale Eaton,and this would explain why no body was found in the near vicinity,as well as some might say conveniently averting suspicion from the husband. However after reading what was available through internet sources I still believe Steve to be a strong suspect. It appears he cannot account for all his time spent that day,he is an expert in rocks and may have been able to hide the body in some crevice,and appeared nonchalant about the death. I call it a death because to pretend otherwise after all this time I think is just plain naive.

One interesting thing I noticed about this segment is how Steve Bechtel refers to Sheriff David King as "Dave" during his interviews. Unlike many other UM cases, the suspect and the lead investigator probably knew each other personally before the disappearance took place, which would make sense, given that Lander, Wyoming is a fairly small town.

While I don't think Steve had anything to do with it, I wonder if he and the Sheriff might have a personal history together which could skew the Sheriff's opinion about him.

One interesting thing I noticed about this segment is how Steve Bechtel refers to Sheriff David King as "Dave" during his interviews. Unlike many other UM cases, the suspect and the lead investigator probably knew each other personally before the disappearance took place, which would make sense, given that Lander, Wyoming is a fairly small town.

While I don't think Steve had anything to do with it, I wonder if he and the Sheriff might have a personal history together which could skew the Sheriff's opinion about him.
I'm afraid in my opinion that's just one more device in Steve's armoury of disarming people and making out that he's a nice guy. Of course I have to say allegedly here,but Steve has all the paraphernalia in his vehicle to kill his wife,caves,mines and culverts are features of the landscape where a body could be hidden,it's convenient for him that no body is found as the exact cause of death cannot be established,he has no alibi as far as I can ascertain for the time in question and was seen with his wife in the blue 4x4 vehicle by some campers around 4:30pm which puts him at the scene of the crime.

As for Sheriff Dave King,he was convicted of stealing cocaine and resigned from his post in 1998.

I think it's possible that Amy was abducted,though I doubt it was in the way you describe. It's just too coincidental to have two blue vehicles spotted at that time driven by a male with a blonde in the passenger seat. There is a possibility as discussed in some of the earlier threads that she had been abducted by Dale Eaton,and this would explain why no body was found in the near vicinity,as well as some might say conveniently averting suspicion from the husband. However after reading what was available through internet sources I still believe Steve to be a strong suspect. It appears he cannot account for all his time spent that day,he is an expert in rocks and may have been able to hide the body in some crevice,and appeared nonchalant about the death. I call it a death because to pretend otherwise after all this time I think is just plain naive.


It's Wyoming, pardon my language, but you can't throw a turd in Wyoming without hitting a 4x4.

It's Wyoming, pardon my language, but you can't throw a turd in Wyoming without hitting a 4x4.
But there's no reason for the camper to lie in what she saw that afternoon. Amy was last seen at 2:30pm in Lander coming out of a camera shop. As far as I know there's no independent corroboration of what happened then,nor of Steve ever being in Dubois 74 miles away. For all we know he could have arranged to meet her at the mountain at 4:30pm to check the route for her forthcoming run and taken her to some isolated spot,killed her and pushed the body down some mineshaft or crevice,then concealed the entrance with rocks. Steve's movements again are unaccounted for until 8:30pm when he alerts neighbours,and the call to Police is expressed in matter-of-fact tones,with no real concern for what might have befallen his wife at any stage.

But there's no reason for the camper to lie in what she saw that afternoon. Amy was last seen at 2:30pm in Lander coming out of a camera shop. As far as I know there's no independent corroboration of what happened then,nor of Steve ever being in Dubois 74 miles away. For all we know he could have arranged to meet her at the mountain at 4:30pm to check the route for her forthcoming run and taken her to some isolated spot,killed her and pushed the body down some mineshaft or crevice,then concealed the entrance with rocks. Steve's movements again are unaccounted for until 8:30pm when he alerts neighbours,and the call to Police is expressed in matter-of-fact tones,with no real concern for what might have befallen his wife at any stage.

I didn't say that the camper lied. I'm sure she saw a 4x4, the point I was making was that they are not uncommon. It's not like she saw a DeLorean and that's what Steve drove.

I don't know. Steve just didn't set off my hinkymeter. I'm inclined to think Eaton was to blame.

I didn't say that the camper lied. I'm sure she saw a 4x4, the point I was making was that they are not uncommon. It's not like she saw a DeLorean and that's what Steve drove.

I don't know. Steve just didn't set off my hinkymeter. I'm inclined to think Eaton was to blame.
The camper did identify the same truck the following day driven by a man with a blonde in the passenger seat. We have the bruising on Amy's arm which her brother Nels identified some time before,and Steve's macabre journals kept since high school which included writings on control and death.From what I can ascertain Steve still does not have an alibi for the time in question.

Did anybody else watch last night's Disappeared episode featuring Amy? I thought it was pretty well done. It gave some information that (I think) UM didn't mention. First, it went into Amy's backstory and how she and Steve met, her actions that day, and the suspicion of Steve. One interesting thing that was mentioned was after a race held to raise money for the search for Amy, Steve did not speak to her family. I don't know if it was out of guilt or possibly anger that the family suspected him, but I find it odd. Unfortunately, steve was not interviewed, but they did note that he has begun to be more cooperative and is now speaking with law enforcement.
After that, the show went into how a tip was given that Amy was hit by a car being driven by Arapahoe natives, and they buried her body in a shallow grave on nearby reservation land. They were given permission to search the area of reservation land and the car that was named, but it did not yield anything. However, I am quite eager to know about this tip, does anybody have any information? I wonder how much reservation land they were able to search?
Last, the went into the Dale Eaton angle and mentioned that there is a possibility that Eaton could have something to do with her diappearence since her knew the area and could have been there, but he is not cooperating with law enforcement. I wish this was also elaborated more on, but I don't think they have much information since he refuses to talk. :(
Overall, it was a good episode! If you're interested in this case, i think it is worth watching. It should be repeated this week. The title is Missing in the Mountains if it ever becomes available on the forbidden site. ;)

Did anybody else watch last night's Disappeared episode featuring Amy? I thought it was pretty well done. It gave some information that (I think) UM didn't mention. First, it went into Amy's backstory and how she and Steve met, her actions that day, and the suspicion of Steve. One interesting thing that was mentioned was after a race held to raise money for the search for Amy, Steve did not speak to her family. I don't know if it was out of guilt or possibly anger that the family suspected him, but I find it odd. Unfortunately, steve was not interviewed, but they did note that he has begun to be more cooperative and is now speaking with law enforcement.
After that, the show went into how a tip was given that Amy was hit by a car being driven by Arapahoe natives, and they buried her body in a shallow grave on nearby reservation land. They were given permission to search the area of reservation land and the car that was named, but it did not yield anything. However, I am quite eager to know about this tip, does anybody have any information? I wonder how much reservation land they were able to search?
Last, the went into the Dale Eaton angle and mentioned that there is a possibility that Eaton could have something to do with her diappearence since her knew the area and could have been there, but he is not cooperating with law enforcement. I wish this was also elaborated more on, but I don't think they have much information since he refuses to talk. :(
Overall, it was a good episode! If you're interested in this case, i think it is worth watching. It should be repeated this week. The title is Missing in the Mountains if it ever becomes available on the forbidden site. ;)
That's a good post wonderwall. The programme you mention is not yet available on the other site to my knowledge. However there are other videos of Steve on there and if you look at his body language he appears shifty and looks to my mind as if he is concealing something whatever the subject he is discussing.

If you check #9 you will see a post there from shek,Lisa Kimmell's mother,who does discuss the possibility of Dale Eaton in Amy's murder,and it would be foolish to rule this man out in her disappearance.

That's a good post wonderwall. The programme you mention is not yet available on the other site to my knowledge. However there are other videos of Steve on there and if you look at his body language he appears shifty and looks to my mind as if he is concealing something whatever the subject he is discussing.

If you check #9 you will see a post there from shek,Lisa Kimmell's mother,who does discuss the possibility of Dale Eaton in Amy's murder,and it would be foolish to rule this man out in her disappearance.
Thanks for the info! I find the Eaton angle very compelling. Like somebody said upthread, it would explain why Amy's body was not found in Lander. I wonder where he took her and where she could possibly be, such as around where he lived at the time. Have any searches taken place in that area for possible victims of his?

Did the "Disappeared" show have any new tidbits that weren't shown on UM that would point to Steve being responsible?

Did the "Disappeared" show have any new tidbits that weren't shown on UM that would point to Steve being responsible?
IMO, the tone of the show concerning the tidbit I posted earlier about how Steve behaved at the race was slanted more towards it being a clue that he might have done it. According to the family (Amy's mother and brother were mainly interviewed for the show [side note, Amy and her sister were her brother's "best men" in his wedding. I thought that was pretty precious!]), at this memorial run that was the same track as Amy was mapping out for the 10k she was planning when she disappeared, before the race, Steve gave a very heartwarming and intense speech about how people couldn't give up looking for her, etc. However, afterwards, when the family saw him, he completely blew them off. I think the Bechtels may have perceived it as guilt, but I thought it may be more anger. I am iffy about whether Steve did it, I think the Eaton angle holds more weight.
On the topic of Steve, the show did get into more information about his interrogation, and it had a quick read through of one of his journal entries (or at least summarized one of them). The same "Dave" sheriff (although he may not be a sheriff anymore) was interviewed, but I forgot what he said. The way they presented Steve, it made him come off as possibly guilty since he seemed very uncooperative with being investigated. Plus, the show wasn't that balanced in that section since Steve himself wasn't interviewed and neither were the neighbors who supported him.

One interesting thing I forgot to mention was that the person who claimed to see Steve's 4 x 4 on the road the day Amy disappeared could not make a positive ID towards Steve or Amy being inside. I'm not sure that was mentioned on lifetime, but it seemed like Disappeared portrayed it as a not very credible siting.

IMO, the tone of the show concerning the tidbit I posted earlier about how Steve behaved at the race was slanted more towards it being a clue that he might have done it. According to the family (Amy's mother and brother were mainly interviewed for the show [side note, Amy and her sister were her brother's "best men" in his wedding. I thought that was pretty precious!]), at this memorial run that was the same track as Amy was mapping out for the 10k she was planning when she disappeared, before the race, Steve gave a very heartwarming and intense speech about how people couldn't give up looking for her, etc. However, afterwards, when the family saw him, he completely blew them off. I think the Bechtels may have perceived it as guilt, but I thought it may be more anger. I am iffy about whether Steve did it, I think the Eaton angle holds more weight.
On the topic of Steve, the show did get into more information about his interrogation, and it had a quick read through of one of his journal entries (or at least summarized one of them). The same "Dave" sheriff (although he may not be a sheriff anymore) was interviewed, but I forgot what he said. The way they presented Steve, it made him come off as possibly guilty since he seemed very uncooperative with being investigated. Plus, the show wasn't that balanced in that section since Steve himself wasn't interviewed and neither were the neighbors who supported him.

One interesting thing I forgot to mention was that the person who claimed to see Steve's 4 x 4 on the road the day Amy disappeared could not make a positive ID towards Steve or Amy being inside. I'm not sure that was mentioned on lifetime, but it seemed like Disappeared portrayed it as a not very credible siting.
With reference to the last paragraph I haven't watched the new programme but on the Unsolved Mysteries programme from what I took from it the woman camper positively identified Steve's truck the day after the murders as the one she saw around 4:30pm on the day of Amy's disappearance,with a blonde woman in the passenger seat and a male figure driving fast.

They mentioned on "Disappeared " that the woman who saw the truck was unable to make a positive ID. Now I know that doesn't completely rule out Steve Bechtel, but frankly I'm with the other posters: Dale Eaton is worth pursuing. Frankly I don't see anything real damning about Steve except that he wrote creepy poetry.

Out of curiosity, is there really any way they could be sure that a mountain lion didn't drag Amy away? After all, that area is known to have them and if one did carry her off, it'd be very hard if not impossible to find her. I'm sure though that the FBI probably has solid reasons to believe that it was foul play.

They mentioned on "Disappeared " that the woman who saw the truck was unable to make a positive ID. Now I know that doesn't completely rule out Steve Bechtel, but frankly I'm with the other posters: Dale Eaton is worth pursuing. Frankly I don't see anything real damning about Steve except that he wrote creepy poetry.

Out of curiosity, is there really any way they could be sure that a mountain lion didn't drag Amy away? After all, that area is known to have them and if one did carry her off, it'd be very hard if not impossible to find her. I'm sure though that the FBI probably has solid reasons to believe that it was foul play.

What is the likeliness that a mountain lion killed her? I mean, it's not impossible but I don't hear about them killing humans too often.

What is the likeliness that a mountain lion killed her? I mean, it's not impossible but I don't hear about them killing humans too often.


If this list is comprehensive, pretty darn unlikely...
http://www.cougarinfo.org/attacks3.htm

Details all the cougar/mountain lion attacks between 2001-2010

What is the likeliness that a mountain lion killed her? I mean, it's not impossible but I don't hear about them killing humans too often.

It's not a common occurrence at all, but if someone were going to have a surprise encounter with a large predator, Bechtel was in a likely area for it, doing an activity (running) that could trigger an instinct to attack. Typically, most mountain lions and bears would go off before you ever were aware of their presence, but there are exceptions.

With an animal attack, there would have been an increased likelihood that her remains or an attack site would have been located, but both mountain lions and bears move remains and hide them under brush.

On the segment, Amy's family did mention that Steve appeared possessive and controlling of Amy, and that he distanced himself from both her family and investigators, but the current investigation seems to be more focused on Bechtel being abducted or accidentally struck by a vehicle. That they haven't found her remains, despite repeated searches, doesn't mean much, in an area that extensive.

I think she was probably abducted. If it was a hit-and-run, I think she was taken far from the area, then, to hide the evidence. But I really have to wonder if Eaton had a hand in this. If he was allegedly in the area and knew the area, a predator like him probably would have acted seeing a young, attractive woman all by herself in a rural area. I really doubt Lisa Marie was his first and only victim. Perhaps after killing Lisa he decided to hide the body of his other victims to throw off the trail and get rid of any evidence (with DNA becoming more prominent than in the 80s). And of course, another person could have done this.

I don't buy that she got lost or attacked by a mountain lion. She knew the area, they had her list of where she was mapping the 10k route and landmarks she had gone to and was planning for, etc. The search and rescue knew the extensive area like a book. I think at least one shred of evidence would have been found had she been attacked by a mountain lion or creature, like a piece of her clothing.


I was very surprised that Steve and the neighbors were only mentioned but not interviewed. Maybe they declined, maybe they were busy, wanted to move on, who knows. (Not an indicator of guilt at all, in my opinion, just mentioning). We did see clips of interviews with them. I am in the camp that Steve didn't do it. I think he really was out mountain climbing that day.

I tend to agree with the bruises from sexual activity argument. If Amy really smiled and said "Steve gets a little rough sometimes" then I doubt she would have smiled and been so nonchalant if it was abuse. The Disappeared segment mentions that Steve stands behind her and puts his hands on her shoulders right after that, which is kind of portrayed threateningly, but it could have been nurturingly for all we know. The notebook entries sound weird, but hey, as a writer myself, I wouldn't want anyone to psychoanalyze my work. Some of the subjects happen to be dark. I really would love to read the works and see why Amy's mother was so disturbed (she mentioned it portrayed his feelings about women including Amy), because I can't really form a solid opinion on this piece of "evidence" with just general knowledge of what was in those writings.

One thing that did bother me was how Amy was supposed to be a dominant personality and was totally "compliant" in her relationship with Steve. Was it just her trying to please him or was he really possessive? One red flag was her looking at him to see what she should order in a restaurant. My second cousin's stepfather was abusive and would control her to the extent of what she could order in a restaurant (I know that's child v. adult, but I still think it's a bit disturbing. Particularly between two adults). However, at the moment, I think Steve is probably not guilty. I'd have to see more evidence to change my mind. All of the above might just be taken out of context.

If this list is comprehensive, pretty darn unlikely...
http://www.cougarinfo.org/attacks3.htm

Details all the cougar/mountain lion attacks between 2001-2010Four kills in a decade span and the remains were found each time? Yeah, I think that's a good argument against a mountain lion attack even if it probably doesn't have every single attack. Few of those even ended in death. Not to say it isn't possible, but I don't think that's what happened.

I also think it's highly unlikely that a mountain lion would be able to conceal her remains so well that they still haven't been located.

I have to point out one thing I noticed in the episode at about 26:50.

It isn't damning evidence, but in my opinion it's a strong point against Steve. Now, it's already been said that they did not interview Steve. However, they showed two old interview segments of Steve and in one of them, he is asked flat out:

Reporter: "Did you have ANYTHING to do with your wife's disappearance."

Steve's reaction to this question caught me off guard because I totally believed in his innocence. He was staring right into the report's eyes as she asked the question, but as he answered...he looked away. He could not look her in the eyes when he answered that question.

Steve: "No. No I didn't."

Now, I did notice that during the other segments showing old interviews that his head bobbed a lot and his eyes flickered away quite a bit but mostly just due to his head movements or when he was trying to get his thoughts out, something he seems to prefer doing on paper.

Something about him looking away right at the moment he answered that vital question gave me a chill and made my heart drop...This was actually the culmination point of me seeing Steve in a new light. That reaction coupled with the information from Amy's family about Steve's apparent possessive tendencies and his abrupt withdrawal from talking with either the authorities or Amy's family....well I now have my doubts.

To tell you the truth my initial reaction when I Steve look away after hearing all the info against him was a slight gasp and a shocked whisper out loud to myself "Omg...omg he did it. Steve did it. He killed her."


Note:*points up and to the left* Thought I'd finally put up an avatar photo. What do you think? ;P

The title is Missing in the Mountains if it ever becomes available on the forbidden site. ;)
Just an FYI: ID has a "channel" on the forbidden site where you can buy this episode for $1.99. There were also other means of watching it there too. Amazon also has these episodes for purchase (the ones that aren't on Netflix).

Note:*points up and to the left* Thought I'd finally put up an avatar photo. What do you think? ;P

I was gonna make a comment on it even before I saw your note at the bottom of the post.

MEGADETH GUY!!!!! Totally creeped me out! :eek:

I watched the "Disappeared" show about Amy the other day, and I just don't see how Steve Bechtel could be responsible. He was rock climbing with a friend during the time Amy disappeared. The friend confirmed this, and law enforcement (Dave King) still didn't believe it! King flat out says in his interview that no one could confirm that Steve was rock climbing where he says he was, other than his friend giving a receipt to a gas station in the area where they were climbing...wouldn't this be enough to establish an alibi? It's not like the friend of Steve's denied being with him that day, he confirmed it!

The other big thing that makes me thing Steve is innocent is he and Amy just bought a house. This would have been one of the happiest moments in both of their lives. For one, I don't see why Steve would have wanted to kill Amy, since there has never been a motive presented. Also, how would Steve have been able to afford his house if Amy was missing? It's not like there was a large life insurance policy taken out on her, and even if there was, Steve did not try to get her legally declared dead until years after she went missing. I think the focus of the investigation zeroed in on him, despite the fact that he had an alibi for the day, and this is what ultimately led to him not cooperating with law enforcement. I think the focusing on Steve as the prime suspect is what led this case to remain unsolved to this day.

I watched the "Disappeared" show about Amy the other day, and I just don't see how Steve Bechtel could be responsible. He was rock climbing with a friend during the time Amy disappeared. The friend confirmed this, and law enforcement (Dave King) still didn't believe it! King flat out says in his interview that no one could confirm that Steve was rock climbing where he says he was, other than his friend giving a receipt to a gas station in the area where they were climbing...wouldn't this be enough to establish an alibi? It's not like the friend of Steve's denied being with him that day, he confirmed it!

The other big thing that makes me thing Steve is innocent is he and Amy just bought a house. This would have been one of the happiest moments in both of their lives. For one, I don't see why Steve would have wanted to kill Amy, since there has never been a motive presented. Also, how would Steve have been able to afford his house if Amy was missing? It's not like there was a large life insurance policy taken out on her, and even if there was, Steve did not try to get her legally declared dead until years after she went missing. I think the focus of the investigation zeroed in on him, despite the fact that he had an alibi for the day, and this is what ultimately led to him not cooperating with law enforcement. I think the focusing on Steve as the prime suspect is what led this case to remain unsolved to this day.
We just don't know the timeline which might give Steve an alibi because it's never been published to my knowledge. Had Steve and Amy bought the house outright or had they made a downpayment which Steve,like the Neil Entwistle case could not possibly have maintained?

Notwithstanding there doesn't seem to be a motive on Steve's part except that he may have got tired of her,but then again why not just divorce or have the marriage annulled as young people often do these days. And of course there's Dale Eaton lurking in the background,whom it would be foolish to rule out.

And of course there's Dale Eaton lurking in the background,whom it would be foolish to rule out.

I saw on Websleuths that most investigators have ruled Steve out and think Eaton was guilty. Of course the original investigators still think Steve did it. I'm of the mind that Eaton did it. He was in that area, he would have taken that road (as per his own brother), and he's done it before.

Unless Eaton confesses (which probably won't happen), or pulls a Howard Epps from Bones, I don't think we'll know what happened to her.

I saw on Websleuths that most investigators have ruled Steve out and think Eaton was guilty. Of course the original investigators still think Steve did it. I'm of the mind that Eaton did it. He was in that area, he would have taken that road (as per his own brother), and he's done it before.

Unless Eaton confesses (which probably won't happen), or pulls a Howard Epps from Bones, I don't think we'll know what happened to her.

Yes. I never thought that Steve was involved in her disappearance, and the information about Eaton made me even more convinced of the likelihood of Steve's innocence.

This case is one I would really love getting an update on some day. I re-watched the Disappeared episode recently, and it made me think more about the case in general. If I had to make a guess, I really don't think Steve had anything to do with Amy's disappearance. I feel like the neighbor's alibi for Steve is pretty solid (he has never reneged it to my knowledge). And although I do not blame Amy's family for having seemingly negative feelings towards Steve (at least that is how it seemed on Disappeared), I think a lot of the guilt attributed towards him was him was a result of him trying to protect himself as well (not taking a lie detecter test, etc.). However, I would be very interested in knowing if there is more to it than what we know. If you look at the (dated) article below, Amy's family (the Wroes) are split: brother thinks he did it and brought the theory up first; Mom is not accusing him but not dismissing him; And the sister (sisters?) has not voiced an opinion either way, but the brother's quote alludes to that she have never implicated or accused Steve. And the Bechtels and Wroes are not friendly.

I also did some internet searching, and it seems as though Steve has remained in Lander and has built a successful climbing gym (http://lmntl.net/), and is remarried to a woman who is a coach at the gym. Didn't want to be too nosy in terms of actually posting it as she is not at all involved in the case, but if you google his wife's name, you can find a lengthy interview she did on her life and climbing. As I see her and Amy, Steve definitely has a type!

It may seem naive of me, but the way he stayed in such a small town, has been successful, and has remarried a seemingly smart and alert individual gives weight to my opinion that he did not have anything to do with Amy's disappearance. I think, if he were guilty, he would have left Lander, or at the very least, he wouldn't have community support behind him that he seems to have. I do think it is interesting/a bit peculiar that, as of 2005, he and his wife were living in the house Steve and Amy purchased together.

See article below (highlighted the stuff I found interesting)
-------------------------------
Few answers in 1997 disappearance
Runner's family irked at husband; others defend him

By Joe Garner, Rocky Mountain News
July 23, 2005

One indisputable fact is that Amy Wroe Bechtel disappeared July 24, 1997.

Eight years ago Sunday, she was last seen in Lander, the central Wyoming town where she had moved with Steven Bechtel, her husband of 13 months, to join a community of ardent high- country athletes. Wearing black shorts and running shoes, she stopped at an art gallery about 2:30 p.m. to discuss matting one of her photographs.

And then the 24-year-old, petite, blond Olympic marathon hopeful vanished.

Steven Bechtel, a rock-climber who is now 35, refused to be interviewed by investigators after he felt initial questioning turned accusatorial. He also refused to take a lie-detector test on the advice of his lawyer. He did not return calls from the Rocky Mountain News to be interviewed for this story.

His refusal to cooperate with authorities frustrates the Wroe family, who accuse him of being selfish, even heartless, not to tell what he knows.

"The way Steve is not helping points to Steve, but it doesn't rule out the possibility that it also could be someone else," said JoAnne Wroe, 63, mother of the missing woman.

"I do not know if Steve had anything to do with Amy's disappearance," she said. "However, Steve is the one who could be most helpful if he would sit down and talk about Amy's last hours, days and weeks."

The ties between the Wroe and Bechtel families have long since unraveled in grief, anger and disillusionment. The Wroes never have held a memorial service for their daughter and sister, while Steve Bechtel had his wife declared legally dead last year and then remarried.

To the FBI and the Fremont County Sheriff's Department, the case remains as active today as the night when Steve Bechtel reported his wife had not come home from a run.

"In my opinion, Steve was the only suspect when she disappeared, and Steve is the only suspect now," former Sheriff Larry Mathews said. "There are no other suspects who had the motive or the opportunity."

Defenders are confident

But Steve Bechtel has a cadre of defenders, beginning with Marit Fischer, 33, a former Denver woman who met him in Lander on the Labor Day weekend after Amy vanished. Introduced through friends, Fischer and Steve Bechtel gradually began a relationship that lasted on and off for six years.

"I am absolutely 100 percent confident that Steve had nothing to do with Amy's disappearance," said Fischer, a triathlete who relocated from Lander to Salt Lake City to resume her career in writing and public relations after they separated.

In public, "Steve needed to stay positive and upbeat," she said. But, in private, "he was carrying the weight of her loss on his shoulders and trying to keep up the search for her," which soon moved from the Shoshone National Forest, where she may have gone running, to computer screens that tracked countless leads to nil.

"The fact that we started a relationship some would say so soon after her disappearance doesn't diminish the pain he felt and still feels about (Amy's) disappearance," she said. "He was torn inside and devastated. I really believe there were nights, when we talked for hours, that I stopped him from killing himself."

Early in the relationship, before she moved to Lander, Fischer lived in an apartment on Denver's Capitol Hill and worked for Women's Sports and Fitness, a magazine then published in Boulder.

Sometimes, Steve Bechtel would come to Denver, where they could lose themselves in the city like any other attractive young couple, away from small-town eyes that tracked him in Lander as the handsome husband whose wife had vanished.

During her years with Steve Bechtel, there never was abuse or threats, Fischer said.

"Sometimes, things just don't work out," she said. "But I still support Steve."

She returned to her career, and he married a blond runner who works part time at Wild Iris Mountain Sports, the same sporting goods store where he and Amy took jobs when they first arrived in Lander.

Steve and Ellen Bechtel live in the house he and Amy purchased a few days before she vanished.

"Steve wouldn't be with a woman who wasn't an athlete," Fischer said. "We have to give Ellen credit for being Ellen, not a replacement for Amy."

Steve operates a fitness center and "is very much a respected member of the community," said Mike Lilygren, 36, who was Bechtel's roommate and climbing partner when Bechtel met his future wife Amy at the University of Wyoming.

Staying put

"Steve and Amy had been married just about a year, and they seemed to be very much in love," said Tom Bechtel, 70, a Casper architect who is Steve Bechtel's father.

Buying the Lander house seemed evidence to him that the marriage was solid, the father said.

In a series of late-night calls, Steve Bechtel notified their families of her disappearance. He also called on his mountain-savvy friends in Lander, including staff members from the well-respected National Outdoors Leadership School. They set out into the summer night to find her, before authorities launched a search.

The couple's friends went looking for an injured runner, not for a crime victim.

When searchers found her white Toyota station wagon at about 1 a.m. on a road through the Shoshone National Forest, it became the de facto command post for the widening search, with any potential clues of a crime obliterated - if a crime had been committed.

Inside the car were some keys, her $120 sunglasses and a to-do list, with four of its 13 items checked off. At the bottom of the list, she had written notes about the road, suggesting she might have driven the Toyota herself while scouting the route for a 10K run she was organizing.

No other evidence was ever found: no sign that she actually had arrived in the car, no verifiable tracks, no shreds of cloth, no blood stains.

As the investigation progressed, searchers found no evidence of a wild-animal attack, no clues to a kidnapping and no corpse.

"From the beginning, I had strong support for Steve, and then things got more and more tense," said Jenny Newton, 35, the sister closest in age to Amy. "I tried to encourage him to cooperate with law enforcement."

But, "While a typical, normal loving husband will do anything to find his wife, (Steve Bechtel) got lawyered up," said Mathews, the former sheriff.

And not just any lawyer, but rock-climbing lawyer Kent Spence, son of high-profile defense lawyer Gerry Spence, of Jackson, Wyo.

Steve Bechtel presented himself through surrogates as the target of a police conspiracy to cover up their shoddy work.

"There has been a failure by the Fremont County Sheriff's Department and the FBI to follow up on leads," the senior Bechtel said. "Except those that point to Steven."

While investigators said Steve Bechtel has not asked about progress in the case for years, Bechtel's father said his son would be willing to answer their questions, with Spence present.

"He's innocent," the senior Bechtel said. "He's going to stay there and make Lander his home."

Not knowing hurts family

Nels Wroe, 36, of Longmont, thinks of angels when he thinks of his missing sister. She had a collection of angels, but their smiling faces don't capture his sister's grit, independence and determination.

Amy asked Nels Wroe, in the role of older brother, to speak at her wedding. Nels Wroe consented, but reluctantly.

To Nels Wroe, his brother-in-law-to-be presented himself as charming, entertaining and "your best friend from the moment you meet him." But, Wroe also sensed Steve Bechtel was distant, obsessed with Amy and manipulative to keep himself the focus of attention.

Wroe was the first of the family to voice doubts about Steven Bechtel after Amy disappeared.

"My sisters didn't accept that Steve could have had anything to do with it," he said.

Casey Lee, the missing woman's oldest sister, plans a quiet observance of her sister's disappearance Sunday.

"I'll probably do what I do every year," Lee said. "Go out on the lake and say a prayer."

"I wish I could accept that she was dead or just missing," she said. "I wish it was as simple as that.

"Sometimes, in my dreams, I have closure that she is dead, and, sometimes, in my dreams, I have closure she has come back. It doesn't end.

"It would be wonderful if I knew what happened to her."

I just reviewed the Disappeared episode last night myself. I think that Steve is probably innocent. There's really nothing to say he did it. Sure when he phoned police initially he wasn't freaked out, but his wife had only been gone a few hours at that point. When he made the call, both Steve and the neighbors were pretty sure Amy had slipped running or was out of gas or something as she had made the run so many times. And innocence doesn't necessarily equal big emotion.

I think Eaton is a likely suspect here. After killing Lisa Kimmell, maybe this time he decided he would hide the body of any future victim to avoid having it be traced back to him. It really seems that someone snatched her while she ran, as all of her belongings were in the car. I think they got her into a vehicle and drove far enough away that they haven't found her yet. If they had killed and buried her in the vicinity of the path she rain, I think S&R would have found her by now, especially because they used search dogs.

I just reviewed the Disappeared episode last night myself. I think that Steve is probably innocent. There's really nothing to say he did it. Sure when he phoned police initially he wasn't freaked out, but his wife had only been gone a few hours at that point. When he made the call, both Steve and the neighbors were pretty sure Amy had slipped running or was out of gas or something as she had made the run so many times. And innocence doesn't necessarily equal big emotion.

I think Eaton is a likely suspect here. After killing Lisa Kimmell, maybe this time he decided he would hide the body of any future victim to avoid having it be traced back to him. It really seems that someone snatched her while she ran, as all of her belongings were in the car. I think they got her into a vehicle and drove far enough away that they haven't found her yet. If they had killed and buried her in the vicinity of the path she rain, I think S&R would have found her by now, especially because they used search dogs.
It's very mysterious when I recall this case again and upon further scrutiny one wonders why Amy left her keys in the car,though one is unsure as to whether they were the ignition keys to the vehicle or her own house keys,yet the wallet had vanished. The fictional stories written by Steve are disturbing,as is his attitude towards law enforcement in not wishing to become more involved: if I had lost someone I loved I would be pestering the authorities daily until some new lead emerged.http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/bechtel_amy.html

I think the most likely suspect would have to be Eaton. After all he did commit the horrible murder of Lisa Kimmell.
Eaton's brother claimed that Eaton was in the area at the time of the disappearance.

I think the most likely suspect would have to be Eaton. After all he did commit the horrible murder of Lisa Kimmell.
Eaton's brother claimed that Eaton was in the area at the time of the disappearance.
True,but the husband's truck was seen in the area. Libel laws prevent me from elaborating but I'm sure the surviving relatives habour their suspicions. There's a longer thread on here dealing with the case in more detail.

It's very mysterious when I recall this case again and upon further scrutiny one wonders why Amy left her keys in the car,though one is unsure as to whether they were the ignition keys to the vehicle or her own house keys,yet the wallet had vanished. The fictional stories written by Steve are disturbing,as is his attitude towards law enforcement in not wishing to become more involved: if I had lost someone I loved I would be pestering the authorities daily until some new lead emerged.http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/bechtel_amy.html
Steve corresponds with the police more now. But I can see why he didn't pester the police daily. S&R worked really hard to see if she was in the area. The police were investigating with pretty intense scrutiny. Even though the case is cold, it's really not going to help to push them. I don't think the PD in this case neglected the case at all. It seems they're still paying a good deal of attention to it.

I think the writing is taken out of context and doesn't necessarily indicate anything nefarious on Steve's part. I write stories and some of them are quite dark. However, the Disappeared episode had an interview with Amy's brother and he said there were disturbing things written about his sister. THAT part is something I'm much more curious about. I still believe Steve is not guilty. I think Amy was abducted by a stranger (possibly Eaton) and taken from the area.

I believe Steve to be innocent. Some have pointed to his refusal to take a polygraph as his guilt. Please. I wouldn't take a polygraph either even if I was 100% innocent.

I know he has moved on and re-married but the not knowing must get to him every now and then. Just wanting to know what happened.

I recently watched Amy's case on Disappeared and have a few observations:

-Steve is most definitely a grade-A douche, but I don't think he killed his wife. There is a semi-decent alibi, no "other woman" that we know of, no life insurance policy, etc. Plus, Amy seemed to allow him to kind of do whatever he wanted, so I don't think Amy was crimping his lifestyle or anything.

-Steve did not appear on Disappeared....also his really-freakin'-weird 911 call to report Amy missing, compared to his general jerk-ish behavior, would definitely give investigators reason to suspect him. If they did have tunnel vision, I can't say that I'd blame them too badly...after all, a wife goes missing, husband is a narcissistic weirdo, husband displays a bunch of odd behavior, etc...not difficult to see why tunnel vision might happen in this case. :(

-The Disappeared show said both Steve and Amy were "working part-time at a sporting good store" at the time of Amy's disappearance. Did they also have full-time jobs, or how were they supporting themselves? Was Lander *that* cheap in the 90s?!

-Early on, investigators had few leads but said there were persistent rumors of a hit-and-run...they even took in a car and tried to search it for evidence but said they didn't find any. I wonder who these suspects were (Disappeared only mentioned they were Native American)? Were they ever mentioned on UM?

-The whole Dale Wayne Eaton thing...whoa! Was THIS ever mentioned on UM?!

-The Disappeared show said both Steve and Amy were "working part-time at a sporting good store" at the time of Amy's disappearance. Did they also have full-time jobs, or how were they supporting themselves? Was Lander *that* cheap in the 90s?!
When interviewed on UM, Steve mentioned that Amy wanted them to live a carefree life and work when older. I'm pretty sure they didn't work full-time, or at least it wasn't mentioned. Maybe they had savings from previous jobs and some family money? I'm also surprised that they were able to pull this off.


-Early on, investigators had few leads but said there were persistent rumors of a hit-and-run...they even took in a car and tried to search it for evidence but said they didn't find any. I wonder who these suspects were (Disappeared only mentioned they were Native American)? Were they ever mentioned on UM?

UM didn't mention this lead. I'd also like to know, especially how they got the names from the rumors.


-The whole Dale Wayne Eaton thing...whoa! Was THIS ever mentioned on UM?!
Not mentioned on UM because he wasn't a person of interest at the time the segment aired. He had yet to be caught for his murder of Lisa Marie Kimmell. I think he is a very good suspect. Sad to say, but Amy Bechtel's hobby of running in such a serene, rural place would make her the perfect target for people like him :(

I found the space station mention on Disappeared intriguing. Imagine if the weather hadn't been overcast that day...we might actually have some answers.

I found the space station mention on Disappeared intriguing. Imagine if the weather hadn't been overcast that day...we might actually have some answers.

That was very interesting also...and I agree with you that Amy's habit of jogging in the woods unfortunately put her in a vulnerable position for someone like Eaton (NOT saying she deserved it or anything like that, I cannot stand victim-blaming and find it morally repugnant, just stating the fact that any person of any gender out in the woods alone is inherently vulnerable, unfortunately)

That was very interesting also...and I agree with you that Amy's habit of jogging in the woods unfortunately put her in a vulnerable position for someone like Eaton (NOT saying she deserved it or anything like that, I cannot stand victim-blaming and find it morally repugnant, just stating the fact that any person of any gender out in the woods alone is inherently vulnerable, unfortunately)
I definitely get what you mean. It's not victim-blaming at all to say it, just sad that innocent people can't go into areas like this without being vulnerable to violent offenders.

I think Eaton has many more victims than we know of, and he stalked areas like this to find them. Wyoming was be the perfect place for him to strike, unfortunately. I'm sure he'll never talk, but hopefully he can be traced to all of the crimes he's committed.

-The whole Dale Wayne Eaton thing...whoa! Was THIS ever mentioned on UM?!

It wasn't. Actually, if my memory holds up, I believe the one who mentioned it for the first time was Sheila Kimmel, Lisa's mother. She used to post on these boards (user name Shek, I think.) Very nice lady who certainly did not deserve what happened to her.

I remember being very shocked to hear about the Eaton connection. The more I learn about him, the more I'm convinced he's involved.

EDIT: Heh. I didn't realize this was the same thread where Shek puts forth the Eaton theory. Good to see my memory is intact. Somewhat. :)

It wasn't. Actually, if my memory holds up, I believe the one who mentioned it for the first time was Sheila Kimmel, Lisa's mother. She used to post on these boards (user name Shek, I think.) Very nice lady who certainly did not deserve what happened to her.

I remember being very shocked to hear about the Eaton connection. The more I learn about him, the more I'm convinced he's involved.

EDIT: Heh. I didn't realize this was the same thread where Shek puts forth the Eaton theory. Good to see my memory is intact. Somewhat. :)
I hope she's doing well today. I remember she mentioned that she'd had a stroke recently (in the last couple of years).

It sounds like both Amy and Steve had a variety of part-time jobs. Besides the outdoor equipment store, Amy worked at the fitness center when she went missing and she'd worked as a server at a local grill. Bill Sniffin (http://www.sheridanmedia.com/news/virginia-uden-mystery-solved-maybe-someday-we-will-learn-about-amy-bechtel67229), the former editor of the local Wyoming State Journal, mentioned that Amy worked for the paper as a part-time photographer.

I recently watched Amy's case on Disappeared and have a few observations:

-Steve is most definitely a grade-A douche, but I don't think he killed his wife. There is a semi-decent alibi, no "other woman" that we know of, no life insurance policy, etc. Plus, Amy seemed to allow him to kind of do whatever he wanted, so I don't think Amy was crimping his lifestyle or anything.

-Steve did not appear on Disappeared....also his really-freakin'-weird 911 call to report Amy missing, compared to his general jerk-ish behavior, would definitely give investigators reason to suspect him. If they did have tunnel vision, I can't say that I'd blame them too badly...after all, a wife goes missing, husband is a narcissistic weirdo, husband displays a bunch of odd behavior, etc...not difficult to see why tunnel vision might happen in this case. :(



I agree with this. I don't think that Steve was involved in his wife's disappearance, but his overall behavior, both during the marriage (the bruises on Amy and her explanation for them) and after she disappeared, understandably put him on the radar with investigators.

I wish we knew more about the gray truck that was seen further on the road from Amy's car. The Eaton connection is possible, but probably he wasn't the only violent individual in the region at that time.

As of July 24th, it has been 19 years since she disappeared back in 1997. :( I couldn't find any recent news releases/articles about the case--hopefully there will be a push within the next year since it is coming on 20 years. I saw a news story from this week that the WY federal appeals court ordered proceedings to continue in Dale Wayne Eaton's appeal of Johnson's order allowing the state to seek the death penalty against him a second time. Even though he has never talked about any additional victims (IDK if he has ever even admitted his involvement in the murder of Lisa Marie Kimmel), with all these appeals, I wonder if he will be more likely to talk? I really do feel like he is a very strong suspect in Amy's case. I do feel awful, though, for Lisa's family having to go through all these appeals. :(

Watched this segment again today. Steve is weird yes. In fact a lot of the segment comes off as weird. I'm always surprised with his being relieved when he found Amy's abandoned vehicle. I'm interested to watch the disappeared episode. Did not know of the Eaton connection.

Based on the episode and on so many episodes set in rural areas in which the missing person turns out to have died of exposure a few miles from where he or she is last seen, the husband didn't do it. The witness who claimed spotting his truck had this account discredited when the phone company confirmed somebody placed a call from the house. Also, he didn't seem weird to me -- he seemed reasonably self-assured.

Finally, I laughed at the idea that the cops spotted sinister undertones in his journal scribblings -- as if they hadn't ever read a journal before.

A new podcast from the skilful Steven Pachecho, though nothing new unfortunately. https://youtu.be/Hedd1KbGMN8

I watched this again recently, and although I used to think there was something sinister here, but now I don't.

If we look at Occam's Razor, I think it is most likely she went out for a mountain run and either had a medical problem and/or slipped and fell and ended up dying by exposure.

The other possibility is suicide. They had a lot of big life events going on so it's not out of the question that she was pretty stressed. As someone said on another thread, UM really seemed to downplay the cases where suicide could have been a likely reason for someone's disappearance. The friends would always say, "He/she didn't seem depressed, so it wasn't suicide." If only it was that simple.

I'm not sure if it was mentioned, but Amy's husband remarried and now runs a mountain climbing store.

I watched this again recently, and although I used to think there was something sinister here, but now I don't.

If we look at Occam's Razor, I think it is most likely she went out for a mountain run and either had a medical problem and/or slipped and fell and ended up dying by exposure.

The other possibility is suicide. They had a lot of big life events going on so it's not out of the question that she was pretty stressed. As someone said on another thread, UM really seemed to downplay the cases where suicide could have been a likely reason for someone's disappearance. The friends would always say, "He/she didn't seem depressed, so it wasn't suicide." If only it was that simple.

I'm not sure if it was mentioned, but Amy's husband remarried and now runs a mountain climbing store.
Any of those could be possible but I personally believe now she was a victim of serial killer Dale Wayne Eaton.

I watched this again recently, and although I used to think there was something sinister here, but now I don't.

If we look at Occam's Razor, I think it is most likely she went out for a mountain run and either had a medical problem and/or slipped and fell and ended up dying by exposure.

The other possibility is suicide. They had a lot of big life events going on so it's not out of the question that she was pretty stressed. As someone said on another thread, UM really seemed to downplay the cases where suicide could have been a likely reason for someone's disappearance. The friends would always say, "He/she didn't seem depressed, so it wasn't suicide." If only it was that simple.

I'm not sure if it was mentioned, but Amy's husband remarried and now runs a mountain climbing store.
interesting take here,. I agree about the suicide statement. I tend to think she was abducted and taken away from the area. But it is not beyond possible that she was injured in some way (whether self inflicted or accidental) and died from exposure. especially in those elements. I think Law Enforcement had nothing and centered on the husband. Once he stopped cooperating, then they said well he must be guilty. the detective basically says that in the segment. we saw a similar situation in the orange socks segment. detectives keyed on the husband without any type of hard evidence other than a business card.

interesting take here,. I agree about the suicide statement. I tend to think she was abducted and taken away from the area. But it is not beyond possible that she was injured in some way (whether self inflicted or accidental) and died from exposure. especially in those elements. I think Law Enforcement had nothing and centered on the husband. Once he stopped cooperating, then they said well he must be guilty. the detective basically says that in the segment. we saw a similar situation in the orange socks segment. detectives keyed on the husband without any type of hard evidence other than a business card.
She had no history of mental illness, which might tend to exclude the suicide theory. I also think her body would have been found had she suffered some accident. As for the husband, it would depend on whether his friend was covering for him, which I doubt after all these years, but if he was mistaken on times there might be a possibility that Steve had stuffed her body in some concealed crevice, though again to escape detection he would need time to ensure it would never be discovered.

I personally don't think this was a suicide. After learning more about fatal encounters with animals out in nature, I do think there's a strong possibility that she was attacked by an animal (mountain lion) which scattered her remains. I think that's a lot more "common" in these cases of missing people who disappear out in the wilderness.

She had no history of mental illness, which might tend to exclude the suicide theory. I also think her body would have been found had she suffered some accident. As for the husband, it would depend on whether his friend was covering for him, which I doubt after all these years, but if he was mistaken on times there might be a possibility that Steve had stuffed her body in some concealed crevice, though again to escape detection he would need time to ensure it would never be discovered.

Yeah I personally don’t think she committed suicide. I have however heard of people committing suicide without ever showing signs of mental illness or any foreseen warning signs. Either way I think Todd mueller made some good points that I had never thought of. I also think you and thecars make good points. I had not thought of an animal until now, but that would explain why she was never found. If she suffered some type of bad injury she would have been at the mercy of other predators.

I think it was most likely an abduction if she was running on a well traveled path.

People disappearing in the wilderness happens all the time. But in this case, I'm inclined to believe it was foul play. She was on a well-traveled path (alongside the road), and I think some shred of her belongings would have been found had she been overtaken by some wild animal (a piece of her shirt, shoes, etc.). If I recall correctly, she wasn't running into the woods or anything like that, but on the side of the road where cars passed her. A criminal (such as Eaton) could well have taken advantage by grabbing her from the road after spotting her while driving by.

People disappearing in the wilderness happens all the time. But in this case, I'm inclined to believe it was foul play. She was on a well-traveled path (alongside the road), and I think some shred of her belongings would have been found had she been overtaken by some wild animal (a piece of her shirt, shoes, etc.). If I recall correctly, she wasn't running into the woods or anything like that, but on the side of the road where cars passed her. A criminal (such as Eaton) could well have taken advantage by grabbing her from the road after spotting her while driving by.

I agree with you here. I actually just watched the disappeared episode for the first time. The experts did say foul play is most likely due to there not being any trace evidence. This segment is one I saw when I first started watching on lifetime in 2003. Wish there was something else to go off of. If Eaton did abduct her we will never know the truth.

Any of those could be possible but I personally believe now she was a victim of serial killer Dale Wayne Eaton.
I wish I had gone back and read from the beginning of this thread before today. There is so much info on these boards for these cases.

I never realized that Dale Eaton's brother is the one who called in the tip to LEA to report that his brother was camping at the precise area that Amy was last seen running. I've heard on podcasts that there were bad storms that afternoon. the last person reported to see Amy while she was running actually commented that she was crazy for running out there in those elements and when they turned back on their route later they were looking to make sure she was ok, but never saw her again. the weather could have been a cover for eaton to approach her and offer her assistance. not that he needed a cover, but I imagine that she could have run away from him otherwise had he tried to attack her while running.

for me it is very interesting if Law Enforcement was tipped off about Eaton before he was arrested? Is that correct or was the tip given to law enforcement after he was arrested?

I wish I had gone back and read from the beginning of this thread before today. There is so much info on these boards for these cases.

I never realized that Dale Eaton's brother is the one who called in the tip to LEA to report that his brother was camping at the precise area that Amy was last seen running. I've heard on podcasts that there were bad storms that afternoon. the last person reported to see Amy while she was running actually commented that she was crazy for running out there in those elements and when they turned back on their route later they were looking to make sure she was ok, but never saw her again. the weather could have been a cover for eaton to approach her and offer her assistance. not that he needed a cover, but I imagine that she could have run away from him otherwise had he tried to attack her while running.

for me it is very interesting if Law Enforcement was tipped off about Eaton before he was arrested? Is that correct or was the tip given to law enforcement after he was arrested?
I don't think he was a suspect until much later. I'm open to reconsideration. There's more information here in an article named Junkyard Dale:


Scott: There’s question too about the state’s appetite for the death penalty at all. Every year, a bill is introduced in the Wyoming State Legislature that would repeal the death penalty entirely for the state of Wyoming. Every year so far, it has failed to pass, most recently just a few weeks ago in February 2018. Since that higher court ruling overturning Eaton’s death sentence in 2014, state officials have chosen to pursue his execution for a second time. In 2016, a federal judge in Cheyenne ruled the state of Wyoming can continue its pursuit of the death penalty for Dale Wayne Eaton, for a second time. It’s not clear from a legal standpoint if they’ll be successful in this effort. There is virtually no chance of Dale Wayne Eaton ever being released from prison. So why would prosecutors so aggressively pursue a death sentence for a second time, against the only inmate on Wyoming’s death row?

There’s presumably only one practical reason for this. They believe that Eaton may be responsible for other murders. As does just about everybody else. Prosecutors are probably hoping that someday they can use the thread of execution as leverage in extracting a confession from Eaton revealing other victims he may be responsible for. Possibly the 4 other unsolved cases from central Wyoming in the early 80s, or possibly the 1997 disappearance Amy Wroe Bechtel. There were thousands of tips called into the Fremont County Sheriff’s office in the 12 months after Amy disappeared. One of those phone calls was from Richard Eaton, the brother of Dale Wayne Eaton, conveying his suspicions that his brother might have been involved.
Belinda Grantham was last seen at the Natrona County Fair in Casper. Like Dale Wayne Eaton’s confirmed victim, Lisa Marie Kimmell, her body was found in the North Platte River. And as with Kimmell, her body was found near a bridge. The body of Naomi Kidder was also found in Natrona County 3 months after hitchhiking from Rawlins. The following February, Janelle Johnson left Riverton for a modeling interview in Denver. On her way home, and low on money, Janelle hitchhiked to a truck stop near Rawlins, where she was last seen. Her body was found a few weeks later in Shoshone, Wyoming.


The town of Shoshone is not actually in the Shoshone National Forest, but the shortest route to Shoshone from Rawlins is via the Loop Road where Amy Wroe Bechtel disappeared. In fact, while we’re thinking about loops, State Highways 26, 287, and 30, along with Interstate 80, form a loop of their own across the central part of the state. Towns along that big loop include Casper, Shoshoni, Riverton, Lander, and Rawlins – And also the unincorporated town of Moneta, Wyoming where Eaton’s uncle’s property was, where Lisa Marie Kimmell was tortured, and eventually where her car was found buried. Moneta is between Casper and Shoshone on Highway 26.
For a few years in the early 80s, that larger loop in central Wyoming was practically a circle of death for young women between the ages of 18 and 24 traveling those desolate highways alone. It’s where Dale Wayne Eaton lived, and it’s when he lived there. According to Radford University in Virginia, which compiled much of the information on Eaton used in this episode, the peak decades of serial killing in the United States were the 1980s and 1990s. I can’t remember the context of when I first heard that a serial killer was a theory in the disappearance of Amy Wroe Bechtel, but I do remember my reaction, which was basically one of incredulity: “Oh, come on. A serial killer. Really?” But as I glanced into the rabbit hole, I began to come around a little. And the further down a rabbit hole you go, the more interesting things tend to get. 4 young women were abducted and murdered inside or around the Wind River Basin, 5 if you count Amy. Zoom out to a larger area, and we find at least 9 cold cases, which have been attributed to a so called Great Basin Killer. Depending on how you categorize the victims and how far you extend the timeline, the total might be as high as 20 victims. The women were shot, strangled, stabbed, many were stripped nude and aggressively sexually assaulted. The victims went missing in Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, and Idaho. While it’s worth noting that multiple killers are probably responsible for most of those crimes, this is also worth noting. Dayle Wayne Eaton spent at least a year of his life in each of those 4 states.
Lisa Marie Kimmell’s mother wrote a book in 2005. In it, she wrote “The Utah Criminal Tracking Analysis Project suggested that the Great Basin murders stopped around 1997.” That’s about the time Dale Eaton went to prison. Despite his arrest in 1998, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office didn’t begin to take seriously Dale Wayne Eaton as a suspect in Amy’s disappearance until 13 years later when a new lead investigator took over the case. Other members of Eaton’s family are convinced he’s involved in Amy’s disappearance as well. They say they’ve heard Eaton describe the camping areas around where Amy disappeared in detail. As with the only other official suspect in Amy’s disappearance, Steve Bechtel, there is no physical evidence linking Eaton to the disappearance of Amy, just circumstantial possibility. Steve Bechtel himself, along with his father, reportedly went to the Natrona County Sheriff’s Department in 2002 asking about Eaton and whether that agency had collected any information related to Amy’s case. Dale Wayne Eaton surely killed 2 people: Lisa Marie Kimmell and his cell mate. But he is has confessed to neither crime, not even with dead-to-rights evidence against him in both cases. We don’t know what led Eaton to turn himself into authorities in 1986 when they were unaware of any crimes he might have committed, but we do know that he didn’t confess to any murders then and he’s never confessed to the murder, we now know he committed 2 years later. Theoretically, if Eaton were to finally confess to Lisa Marie Kimmell’s murder today, it would likely have no legal bearing on future court proceedings. But it’s probably safe to say that a confession in any of those open cases in question from Dale Wayne Eaton is not likely unless maybe if Wyoming prosecutors are somehow successful at again hanging the death penalty over his head. And even then, who knows at that point if Eaton wouldn’t just prefer death.
Today’s episode opened with a question, and now that you know what you know, we’ll close today’s episode by revisiting the same questions: As Dale Wayne Eaton abducted and murdered Lisa Marie Kimmell, is it possible that that crime was the only crime of such a horrendous nature he ever committed? And if not, how many more were there?

That "Junkyard Dale" info is from a podcast about AB called "Frozen Truth." (It's a decent podcast -- season 1 was AB and season 3 was Jodi Huisentruit and I enjoyed them both.) There is a good deal of info on DWE and his possible (likely?) involvement in this case.

I don't think her husband Steve did it -- however, his flippant call to 911 bothers me. I don't know how someone can joke about any missing person like that, especially your wife.

That "Junkyard Dale" info is from a podcast about AB called "Frozen Truth." (It's a decent podcast -- season 1 was AB and season 3 was Jodi Huisentruit and I enjoyed them both.) There is a good deal of info on DWE and his possible (likely?) involvement in this case.

I don't think her husband Steve did it -- however, his flippant call to 911 bothers me. I don't know how someone can joke about any missing person like that, especially your wife.

The 911 call was strange and wasn’t really covered in UM.

I actually think the 911 call shows that steve at that point was concerned, but probably did not expect that Amy had been abducted and murdered. If he had indeed murdered her or even suspected that she was attacked by someone else, I don’t think he would have had that mindset. If he suspected her to have been kidnapped he probably would have been more frantic. If he killed her he might have faked his emotion on the call. For me this is classic law enforcement getting tunnel vision after they failed to take action in the first place. When steve fought back they didn’t like it and they used her family against him in my opinion. They should not have shown the journals to the family members. That should have been kept confidential. No wonder steve stopped cooperating with them.

I find this very difficult to judge, as individuals have the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. One thing preying on my mind is the statement of the shopkeeper Greg Wagner, who said Amy appeared hurried and looked at the watch several times, as if she were worried she would miss an appointment. This could well have been a rendezvous with her husband at the forest, especially as a truck fitting Steve's description was seen in the area by an eyewitness.


Steve would have had to kill her after his return from the climbing trip with his friend around 4:30pm, maybe picking her up at some prearranged point, making some excuse that they would both ride the course together then stopping the vehicle, taking her by surprise with ligature strangulation then stuffing her body in some crevasse or recess which has hitherto remained undetected.


The question is: why? One clip I have seen of Amy she looks as if she may have been afflicted with some eating disorder, her contemporaries claim that her running times were nothing special, and maybe Steve considered that this was not the partner he wanted to run his fitness centre. On the other hand he seems such a laid-back guy I wonder if he had the nous to plan it all. Why not just make a clean break and divorce?


The lack of a body maybe tends to implicate Steve more, as Dale Eaton would probably have raped her and discarded her carcass in the river or immediate surroundings, though again this is pure speculation on my part.

I have recently re-watched this segment and have to wonder how anyone could think it was anyone other than Dale Wayne Eaton: it is walks, quacks and looks like a duck well you know the rest. I find it impossible to believe Lisa Marie Kimmel was his first and only murder. There is a very small chance she got injured or fell and died of exposure but I have to think she would have been found quickly. All accounts were that she was active, intelligent and in good physical shape and wasn't running in the middle of the forest.

Steve was "uncooperative" with police? After the dirty underhanded crap they pulled (that wasn't mentioned on UM) any sane person would have been too. I think he was far more cooperative than I would have been in that situation. Looking at some of the laughable "evidence" makes me think about what happen if God forbid either my wife or I went missing. Without getting into private details if the police thoroughly searched our room they might think one of us was a monster and I would have to believe the majority of couples would been the same way.

I have recently re-watched this segment and have to wonder how anyone could think it was anyone other than Dale Wayne Eaton: it is walks, quacks and looks like a duck well you know the rest. I find it impossible to believe Lisa Marie Kimmel was his first and only murder. There is a very small chance she got injured or fell and died of exposure but I have to think she would have been found quickly. All accounts were that she was active, intelligent and in good physical shape and wasn't running in the middle of the forest.

Steve was "uncooperative" with police? After the dirty underhanded crap they pulled (that wasn't mentioned on UM) any sane person would have been too. I think he was far more cooperative than I would have been in that situation. Looking at some of the laughable "evidence" makes me think about what happen if God forbid either my wife or I went missing. Without getting into private details if the police thoroughly searched our room they might think one of us was a monster and I would have to believe the majority of couples would been the same way.
I love your post. who are we to believe? Steve's rock climbing partner, his phone call at 430pm, and neighbors that provided his alibi, or DWE's brother who put him at the very place that Amy went on her run? Or do we believe the detective (who says the husband must have done it but I don't have evidence) granted this same detective also stole cocaine from the department.


for me this is a case where law enforcement basically got a free parking. they botched the case and then did everything wrong after the fact by taking evidence and sharing it with the family and the rest of the world. they lost steve's cooperation and probably ignorned every lead and overlooked key evidence that would have solved this case.

I have recently re-watched this segment and have to wonder how anyone could think it was anyone other than Dale Wayne Eaton: it is walks, quacks and looks like a duck well you know the rest. I find it impossible to believe Lisa Marie Kimmel was his first and only murder. There is a very small chance she got injured or fell and died of exposure but I have to think she would have been found quickly. All accounts were that she was active, intelligent and in good physical shape and wasn't running in the middle of the forest.

Steve was "uncooperative" with police? After the dirty underhanded crap they pulled (that wasn't mentioned on UM) any sane person would have been too. I think he was far more cooperative than I would have been in that situation. Looking at some of the laughable "evidence" makes me think about what happen if God forbid either my wife or I went missing. Without getting into private details if the police thoroughly searched our room they might think one of us was a monster and I would have to believe the majority of couples would been the same way.
Well some of us hold out the possibility that Steve Bechtel killed his wife. There was a gap in the alibi, a possible eyewitness sighting, a house to inherit.The way he treated her as his possession makes me think he was a control freak who could easily have disposed of what he regarded as his property. As you say she was a fit young woman who could have run away from her assailant. If you put pen to paper and detail harming your wife then you're not normal-in fact you should consult a psychiatrist.

I find this very difficult to judge, as individuals have the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. One thing preying on my mind is the statement of the shopkeeper Greg Wagner, who said Amy appeared hurried and looked at the watch several times, as if she were worried she would miss an appointment. This could well have been a rendezvous with her husband at the forest, especially as a truck fitting Steve's description was seen in the area by an eyewitness.


Steve would have had to kill her after his return from the climbing trip with his friend around 4:30pm, maybe picking her up at some prearranged point, making some excuse that they would both ride the course together then stopping the vehicle, taking her by surprise with ligature strangulation then stuffing her body in some crevasse or recess which has hitherto remained undetected.


The question is: why? One clip I have seen of Amy she looks as if she may have been afflicted with some eating disorder, her contemporaries claim that her running times were nothing special, and maybe Steve considered that this was not the partner he wanted to run his fitness centre. On the other hand he seems such a laid-back guy I wonder if he had the nous to plan it all. Why not just make a clean break and divorce?


The lack of a body maybe tends to implicate Steve more, as Dale Eaton would probably have raped her and discarded her carcass in the river or immediate surroundings, though again this is pure speculation on my part.

I agree this is hard to judge. what I find interesting is that there is a lot more to this case than what was shown on UM. some of that is because so much time has passed, but good lord there is so much speculation. from the native American reservation that cooperated with a search because someone confessed to running her over, to steve's journals, his strange 911 call, and then DWE's brother claiming that DWE camped in the very area that she was running.

there are a lot of conflicting reports on the people that last saw amy. the last verified sighting was the camera shop that claimed she was in good spirits. then you have people that give podcast's saying she was stressed at the camera shop. I could be confusing this sigthing with a different one. but what I will say is that Amy had a lot of things that she did that day which would give her reason to be stressed and looking at her watch to ensure that she had time to get her run in. for runners, most of them use that as a stress relief, like meditation, regardless if you are olympic level or not.

but you bring up a good point about steve being possessive. if he was abusive and possessive of her that is a game changer for me. but it's hard to know what is true and what is not. what strikes me is that the neighbors featured that knew amy did not comment on steve being abusive and possessive with her.

The way he treated her as his possession makes me think he was a control freak who could easily have disposed of what he regarded as his property. As you say she was a fit young woman who could have run away from her assailant. If you put pen to paper and detail harming your wife then you're not normal-in fact you should consult a psychiatrist.

I would certainly agree he might have had some issues but that does not in any way make him a murderer. This is a family friendly place so I will just say its likely they were into doing kinky acts and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I have to think that DWE, assuming he was the perp attacked her from behind: she might have been in great shape but she wasn't trained in self defense to my knowledge and could have been overpowered. Given the secluded area sadly it's likely nobody heard her screaming.

On a side note it's not always about being muscular or in shape: I remember one short young woman who worked as a undercover security guard in a retail store at also worked at. Despite the fact I was about 1 1/2' taller and at least 100 lbs heavier, she would probably have beaten me in a fight. DWE was a 'skilled' predator and it was proven he already did it to Lisa Marie Kimmel.

I find it almost insulting how much they pried into Steve's personal life. I cringe to think what people would think it if accidently bruised my wife on the account of being much bigger, stronger, taller and being very clumsy.

I would certainly agree he might have had some issues but that does not in any way make him a murderer. This is a family friendly place so I will just say its likely they were into doing kinky acts and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I have to think that DWE, assuming he was the perp attacked her from behind: she might have been in great shape but she wasn't trained in self defense to my knowledge and could have been overpowered. Given the secluded area sadly it's likely nobody heard her screaming.

On a side note it's not always about being muscular or in shape: I remember one short young woman who worked as a undercover security guard in a retail store at also worked at. Despite the fact I was about 1 1/2' taller and at least 100 lbs heavier, she would probably have beaten me in a fight. DWE was a 'skilled' predator and it was proven he already did it to Lisa Marie Kimmel.

I find it almost insulting how much they pried into Steve's personal life. I cringe to think what people would think it if accidently bruised my wife on the account of being much bigger, stronger, taller and being very clumsy.
Steve got railroaded. The evidence that links him is subjective and trivial at best, but authorities went after him 100% to try to pry a confession and poke holes in his story. when that failed the sheriff said he's the husband and he refused a lie detector, so he must have done it. great detective work on his part! sort of reminds me of the orange socks segment in what happened with the husband. Unfortunately since authorities burned their bridge with steve it hurt the case by leaving everything unresolved and it drove a wedge between steve and Amy's family.

DWE was opportunistic. If he were in the location of her run, he would have found a way to abduct her. Bad weather is one thing that could have worked to his favor. it rained heavily in that area on that day. he could have lured her somehow, either to offer her help or to ask her for help. Or as you say he could have surprised and over-powered her.

Well some of us hold out the possibility that Steve Bechtel killed his wife. There was a gap in the alibi, a possible eyewitness sighting, a house to inherit.The way he treated her as his possession makes me think he was a control freak who could easily have disposed of what he regarded as his property. As you say she was a fit young woman who could have run away from her assailant. If you put pen to paper and detail harming your wife then you're not normal-in fact you should consult a psychiatrist.

his alibi was established by 3 different people. all it would have taken is one of the three to discredit his time and whereabouts for that day....yet they all substantiated his claims. yet there was a gap between the two alibi's that could not be substantiated by anyone. this enabled law enforcement to become fixated on him to the point that they were and still are stuck on trying to clear this time gap for eternity(with the added notion of a refused lie detector test). this logic lacks common sense for me.

they spent a lot of effort trying to substantiate steve's details and a possible gap of time, but yet they lost focus on the details that they did have. Take for example Amy's timeline that was substantiated by multiple people and her own hand written checklist. She could not have started on her run before 3-330pm. Steve made a phone call from his house at 430 pm. If you factor that he would have had to leave the area of the mountains by 345-350pm to get home to place a phone call, that means he had a very tight window to abduct Amy. I won't say that it is impossible, but highly unlikely if you look at the substantiated facts. Law enforcement should have quickly moved on from Steve and looked at other possibilities. They had an incredible lead handed to them from DWE's brother and they chose not to act on it? yet still years afterward they were fixated on steve's lack of alibi and a dodgy (still unnamed) eye witness account that placed him at the location? Again I don't blame steve for severing ties with the people that made him the villain in this case. If he did not murder his wife he is also a victim in my eyes and he was treated poorly by a lot of people.

One interesting thing I noticed about this segment is how Steve Bechtel refers to Sheriff David King as "Dave" during his interviews. Unlike many other UM cases, the suspect and the lead investigator probably knew each other personally before the disappearance took place, which would make sense, given that Lander, Wyoming is a fairly small town.

While I don't think Steve had anything to do with it, I wonder if he and the Sheriff might have a personal history together which could skew the Sheriff's opinion about him.

I know I'm bumping old posts here, but this comment stands out a lot for me. I think the small town dynamics played a huge role here. As Dave pointed out in multiple media outlets, Lander knew how to do a search and rescue, but it appears they did not know how to solve a violent crime mystery in 1997. at the time of the disappearance a crime of this nature was unthinkable. it wasn't on anyone's mind (steve's or dave's) because Dave let the Todd and Amy Skinner drive Amy's vehicle home during the search period. Take that for what it is, but for me it was the FBI that came into the small town and took control of the case (perhaps pushing Dave out of the way) and accusing Steve of the disappearance as to maybe obtain a confession out of steve in a desperate attempt to capitalise on the statistical percentages that say he was guilty. when that effort failed it all went downhill. Dave also failed with the case and perpetuated a divide between Steve and Amy's family for many years before he was fired.

That's a good post wonderwall. The programme you mention is not yet available on the other site to my knowledge. However there are other videos of Steve on there and if you look at his body language he appears shifty and looks to my mind as if he is concealing something whatever the subject he is discussing.



for me this is problematic and exactly why his lawyer was 100% correct to advise him against taking a polygraph. if my wife had been abducted and I were being wrongfully accused of her abduction I would have been very emotional and speaking about the topic would be very difficult. In fact I would probably tell anyone who brings it up to get lost. now if you put me in front of a camera or journalist that will perpetuate my words and body language to millions of people, I am probably going to have a hard time staying calm and composed in spite of trying to do so. I know it happens all of the time, but it is not fair to judge others by their emotions or body language in how they react to stressful situations.

It's important to note that the authorities proposed the notion that Steve abducted Amy, directly to Steve in an interrogative manner. this is a game changer in any investigation and there are laws in place to defend people who are wrongfully accused. steve used those laws and used them properly. Law enforcement should have reorganised their case with efforts to get Steve to cooperate with them. instead they further exploited his privacy, tarnished his reputation by releasing some of the contents of the journals, and preyed on differences that existed between Steve and the Wroe family.

I think she was probably abducted. If it was a hit-and-run, I think she was taken far from the area, then, to hide the evidence. But I really have to wonder if Eaton had a hand in this. If he was allegedly in the area and knew the area, a predator like him probably would have acted seeing a young, attractive woman all by herself in a rural area. I really doubt Lisa Marie was his first and only victim. Perhaps after killing Lisa he decided to hide the body of his other victims to throw off the trail and get rid of any evidence (with DNA becoming more prominent than in the 80s). And of course, another person could have done this.

I don't buy that she got lost or attacked by a mountain lion. She knew the area, they had her list of where she was mapping the 10k route and landmarks she had gone to and was planning for, etc. The search and rescue knew the extensive area like a book. I think at least one shred of evidence would have been found had she been attacked by a mountain lion or creature, like a piece of her clothing.


I was very surprised that Steve and the neighbors were only mentioned but not interviewed. Maybe they declined, maybe they were busy, wanted to move on, who knows. (Not an indicator of guilt at all, in my opinion, just mentioning). We did see clips of interviews with them. I am in the camp that Steve didn't do it. I think he really was out mountain climbing that day.

I tend to agree with the bruises from sexual activity argument. If Amy really smiled and said "Steve gets a little rough sometimes" then I doubt she would have smiled and been so nonchalant if it was abuse. The Disappeared segment mentions that Steve stands behind her and puts his hands on her shoulders right after that, which is kind of portrayed threateningly, but it could have been nurturingly for all we know. The notebook entries sound weird, but hey, as a writer myself, I wouldn't want anyone to psychoanalyze my work. Some of the subjects happen to be dark. I really would love to read the works and see why Amy's mother was so disturbed (she mentioned it portrayed his feelings about women including Amy), because I can't really form a solid opinion on this piece of "evidence" with just general knowledge of what was in those writings.

One thing that did bother me was how Amy was supposed to be a dominant personality and was totally "compliant" in her relationship with Steve. Was it just her trying to please him or was he really possessive? One red flag was her looking at him to see what she should order in a restaurant. My second cousin's stepfather was abusive and would control her to the extent of what she could order in a restaurant (I know that's child v. adult, but I still think it's a bit disturbing. Particularly between two adults). However, at the moment, I think Steve is probably not guilty. I'd have to see more evidence to change my mind. All of the above might just be taken out of context.

I agree with all of this. Just a couple months after Amy's disappearance, DWE's reign of terror was put to an end when he was restrained by a married couple who were protecting their baby after DWE abducted the three of them on the side of the road. In hindsight we all know DWE should have been considered for other murders in Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. But in those days communication in Law Enforcement were difficult. One of my favorite segments on UM is the Ohio Truck Driver segment because it shows in those days law enforcement did not always communicate well with other agencies across county, state, and national lines. Great journalism on the part of the writer in Columbus who is one of my all time favorite from the show.

As far as Steve and the Neighbors not being interviewed with Disappeared, I don't know if it has been said, but I think in 2006 Todd Skinner was killed when he fell from a mountain in Yellowstone. This is a very emotional story at the end of the day and I cannot blame Steve and others for not wanting to stay in front of the camera only to be ripped apart by many.

I too was troubled by some of the things that were shown on the disappeared segment. To be fair, I think the 911 call and some of the accounts given against Steve were misleading. One has to consider that the show has to spice up the theory that Steve is still a suspect in order to give it suspense. After everything that happened I understand the reservations expressed by the Wroe family. There are two sides to this story and in the disappeared episode Steve does not present his side so it is not a balanced episode for this case. If you read the runners world article, Steve was included in that story.

It's very mysterious when I recall this case again and upon further scrutiny one wonders why Amy left her keys in the car,though one is unsure as to whether they were the ignition keys to the vehicle or her own house keys,yet the wallet had vanished. The fictional stories written by Steve are disturbing,as is his attitude towards law enforcement in not wishing to become more involved: if I had lost someone I loved I would be pestering the authorities daily until some new lead emerged.http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/bechtel_amy.html

I know this is an old post, but the keys and wallet are serious clues that have not really been discussed much. As far as Steve pestering law enforcement everyday, I understand the point. but, his pestering would have been difficult. it would have gone something like this: Steve: "hey Dave what have you found with the case?" Dave: "nothing, are you ready to take a polygraph?" Steve: "no" Dave: "if you change your mind let me know." Steve: "bye Dave"

as far as the keys and the wallet. this is another potential clue not discussed much on here and I'm glad you brought it up. Runners do not typically run with keys or wallets. It would slow you down and annoy the S##! out of you. Runners enjoy their time and do not like distractions. she would have either wanted to keep the wallet and keys in her car or she would have wanted her wallet secured to her person in a way that it did not detract from her run. With that being said I am curious as to what style of wallet she had. If it were a purse wallet, surely she would not have wanted to carry it. Which means it could be a clue that the abductor demanded her wallet. if she had a field runners wallet around her neck or tied to her person, then at the very least the wallet could possibly exist somewhere and be used substantiate the abduction or identify her. a lot of competitive runners like to train without any extra weight added on their person. I would be interested to know what Amy's habits were in that regard.

As far as Steve and the Neighbors not being interviewed with Disappeared, I don't know if it has been said, but I think in 2006 Todd Skinner was killed when he fell from a mountain in Yellowstone.

I had no idea about this--how awful! I'm really sorry to hear. I had thought perhaps he didn't want to be interviewed again for different shows.
I found his UM interview (and his wife's) to be credible. They didn't seem to be covering for Steve out of loyalty or anything.

I had no idea about this--how awful! I'm really sorry to hear. I had thought perhaps he didn't want to be interviewed again for different shows.
I found his UM interview (and his wife's) to be credible. They didn't seem to be covering for Steve out of loyalty or anything.
Yeah it’s very sad. And I can only imagine his death makes it that much more difficult for everyone.

I found a lot of this information in the Runner’s world article about Amy. It is probably the most balanced coverage of this case that I have encountered.

I found the Skinners to be very credible. And they knew amy at the time very well. If there were any type of physical or emotional abuse going on you’d think that they would have known and come forward because they were friends of amy (not just steve). They also put forth a lot of effort to search for her. I read that they were so close as neighbors that they did not even knock when they went to one another’s house. Amy’s mom even substantiated this. As well the other climber that was with steve in Dubois made it known that he was closer to amy as a friend than he was steve. He and steve apparently were known to get into disagreements when out on their climbs. If there were something wrong with steve he would make it known.

FWIW, below is a link to an article with more on Skinner's passing, including a tribute from Steve Bechtel himself.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.climbing.com/.amp/news/loss-of-a-legend/

FWIW, below is a link to an article with more on Skinner's passing, including a tribute from Steve Bechtel himself.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.climbing.com/.amp/news/loss-of-a-legend/

Thanks for posting that. I was surprised when I heard about it. Hopefully everyone is content because he passed doing what he loved. But it’s still tough.

The AB case is one of the more puzzling ones because they never found her body. I also don't suspect her husband of being involved in her disappearance; I know the spouse/S.O. is the first person they look at in cases like this, but I don't see it here.

Since the authorities were looking at him as a person of interest from Day 1, even if he was innocent I completely see why he would be on the defensive. There have been a lot of innocent people put in jail over the years, and it seems like 2-3 times a week you hear about/read a news story about a former prisoner being exonerated after being in jail for many years.

I think one of several things occurred:

1) A person (not the husband) killed her & disposed of the body. The killer DWE is a good possibility, especially if he was in that area where she vanished. The area where she was jogging/running was isolated & I can easily see this happening without anyone else being a witness.

2) An animal killed her & dragged off the body; I know people have been attacked by vicious, wild animals in isolated areas like this, so this is not that farfetched.

3) She tripped/fell somewhere and died as a result, and for whatever reason her body was missed during the numerous searches; again, not unheard of.

The AB case is one of the more puzzling ones because they never found her body. I also don't suspect her husband of being involved in her disappearance; I know the spouse/S.O. is the first person they look at in cases like this, but I don't see it here.

Since the authorities were looking at him as a person of interest from Day 1, even if he was innocent I completely see why he would be on the defensive. There have been a lot of innocent people put in jail over the years, and it seems like 2-3 times a week you hear about/read a news story about a former prisoner being exonerated after being in jail for many years.

I think one of several things occurred:

1) A person (not the husband) killed her & disposed of the body. The killer DWE is a good possibility, especially if he was in that area where she vanished. The area where she was jogging/running was isolated & I can easily see this happening without anyone else being a witness.

2) An animal killed her & dragged off the body; I know people have been attacked by vicious, wild animals in isolated areas like this, so this is not that farfetched.

3) She tripped/fell somewhere and died as a result, and for whatever reason her body was missed during the numerous searches; again, not unheard of.

you could also add another theory that has been proposed, but for me is the most unlikely due to the geography of that area. she was hit by a vehicle and the perpetrator took her with them. there was a rumor of a hit and run confession in this case, but that ended up being followed up and ruled out.

I don't think Steve did anything wrong. He too was a victim in this case. he was accused of killing Amy by the FBI agent. that to me is a game changer and is why he did the right thing to protect himself.

As far as the animal or a vehicle striking Amy. both highly unlikely for me. animal attacks are rare, and vehicle accidents in that area are likely rare as well. we will never know if there was evidence of either case because it took several days before Amy was considered to be the possible victim of an attack of some sort. most likely any evidence was lost, by the time investigators determined that it was more than someone succumbing to the elements.

Aside from being abducted, the most likely cause of Amy's disappearance is that she died due to exposure. a lot of people underestimate the danger of elements. high altitude, dangerous terrain, sudden changes in weather, all of those can kill, especially if you are not equipped. Amy was certainly adjusted to altitude and was a trained athlete. My only concern is maybe she underestimated the risk and had no way to contact anyone once she became endangered. Most likely she would not have had an issue on the main road, she would have had to be running off the road on a back trail and became injured and disoriented. at that point if she died of exposure, you would have thought she would have been found. as far as animal involvement. if Amy died of exposure it is possible that an animal took her remains, but the search party was on scene quickly and you would think that she would have been found.

For me the most likely outcome is that she was abducted by DWE. It's remarkable to me that his own brother felt compelled to call LE and tip them that DWE was in that area and knew it very well, yet they apparently ruled him out with another family member's alibi. Yet on the flip side, investigators accused Steve of the murder and still do not rule him out. in spite of no evidence and the fact that Steve had multiple alibi's from non family members. So this is where I have a problem. is it not highly unusual for a family member to turn on someone who is not proven to be guilty of a crime? One case that strikes me is the unibomber. if not for his brother's hunch and tip, maybe Ted is never caught. DWE should have been looked at and still could be questioned if someone cares enough about Amy. we know that he killed at least two people, and he spent 19 days in jail for attempting to kill a family that was broke down on the side of the road in Wyoming. he also has escaped his execution charge for violently raping and killing Lisa M. Kimmell. so much for justice for the people that he actually did kill and attempted to kill. I feel like Amy is just forgotten and perhaps they don't care.

While nature can be merciless, I still feel this was most likely a case of foul play. Amy ran alongside the road. I think if she had been attacked by an animal and dragged off, some evidence would have been found.

Steve Bechtel is probably one of the least guilty-looking spouses ever profiled on the show. He had a solid alibi and his writings were totally taken out of context. I don't blame him for not taking a polygraph--they are pseudoscience and do not prove either guilt or innocence.

While nature can be merciless, I still feel this was most likely a case of foul play. Amy ran alongside the road. I think if she had been attacked by an animal and dragged off, some evidence would have been found.

Steve Bechtel is probably one of the least guilty-looking spouses ever profiled on the show. He had a solid alibi and his writings were totally taken out of context. I don't blame him for not taking a polygraph--they are pseudoscience and do not prove either guilt or innocence.

truth, if she weren't a trained professional level runner then I would lean to maybe someone being in over their head, but that doesn't jive because she ran there a lot. I did hear that there were storms that afternoon and that could have factored into her disappearance somehow, with someone using that as an excuse to pick her up or her attempting to take shelter somewhere off the main road...IDK. There doesn't seem to be much information about the weather that afternoon but I have read somewhere that the roads were muddy when they found her car. Of corse any evidence in and around her car wasn't really investigated initially like it could have been.

it doesn't seem possible that Steve could have been able to get to the remote area that Amy was known to be running and then be back at his house making a phone call at the time that Amy was most likely being abducted.

I think one of several things occurred:

1) A person (not the husband) killed her & disposed of the body. The killer DWE is a good possibility, especially if he was in that area where she vanished. The area where she was jogging/running was isolated & I can easily see this happening without anyone else being a witness.

My gut instinct leads me to believe Dale Wayne Eaton had something to do with it. I will have to read up on this case, but the fact that Eaton was in the area, according to his brother, and had murdered at least one woman in Wyoming, and possibly was a serial killer, makes him a credible suspect.

2) An animal killed her & dragged off the body; I know people have been attacked by vicious, wild animals in isolated areas like this, so this is not that farfetched.

I think this is highly unlikely considering the size of the search party, the passing of time, and how publicised the case was. It is almost certain that Amy's remains, or remains of clothing/jewellery would have surfaced in the last 26 years.

Another thing that leads me to believe that Amy was the victim of Eaton's is that her watch was found in the middle fork of a river. Considering that Eaton killed a woman nearly a decade earlier, and threw her over a bridge into a river, seems to support the M.O. of Eaton.

3) She tripped/fell somewhere and died as a result, and for whatever reason her body was missed during the numerous searches; again, not unheard of.

Doubtful. Due to the jobs I have had in my life, many of them were working out in nature. the fact that Amy would have fallen close to a trail she was going to compete in a 10 km run, would have been one of the first places searchers looked. Also, the fact that Amy's watch was found on the bank of the middle of a river, indicates that she was probably placed in the river (most likely dead) at some point.

My gut instinct leads me to believe Dale Wayne Eaton had something to do with it. I will have to read up on this case, but the fact that Eaton was in the area, according to his brother, and had murdered at least one woman in Wyoming, and possibly was a serial killer, makes him a credible suspect.



I think this is highly unlikely considering the size of the search party, the passing of time, and how publicised the case was. It is almost certain that Amy's remains, or remains of clothing/jewellery would have surfaced in the last 26 years.

Another thing that leads me to believe that Amy was the victim of Eaton's is that her watch was found in the middle fork of a river. Considering that Eaton killed a woman nearly a decade earlier, and threw her over a bridge into a river, seems to support the M.O. of Eaton.



Doubtful. Due to the jobs I have had in my life, many of them were working out in nature. the fact that Amy would have fallen close to a trail she was going to compete in a 10 km run, would have been one of the first places searchers looked. Also, the fact that Amy's watch was found on the bank of the middle of a river, indicates that she was probably placed in the river (most likely dead) at some point.
I think it is very clear that Amy was abducted from the scene and murdered. The question is who? DWE is an easy target, but sadly, regarding violence against women, we know that there are other suspects out there that were most likely never known to the public. it's possible that Amy's abductor never got caught for his crimes.

Animal attack highly unlikely, animals don't usually attack in areas that humans are known to travel. if she went off trail, then it could bring that into the equation, but still unlikely especially given that no remains were found.

I think it is very clear that Amy was abducted from the scene and murdered. The question is who? DWE is an easy target, but sadly, regarding violence against women, we know that there are other suspects out there that were most likely never known to the public. it's possible that Amy's abductor never got caught for his crimes.

I think this right here. In my region we've had a number of cases over the past 20 years where women were abducted while jogging, or broken down, and then sexually assaulted and murdered by strangers. These weren't committed by serial killers, but by guys who saw an opportunity, never killed before, and thought they could get away with it. I think that's the most reasonable explanation for Amy Bechtel too.

I think this right here. In my region we've had a number of cases over the past 20 years where women were abducted while jogging, or broken down, and then sexually assaulted and murdered by strangers. These weren't committed by serial killers, but by guys who saw an opportunity, never killed before, and thought they could get away with it. I think that's the most reasonable explanation for Amy Bechtel too.
true, and I still think it is possible that DWE was involved given his brother's statements. But we all know it is very likely that some other creep may have abducted her. I heard in a podcast somewhere that there was inclement weather that afternoon and it was possible that someone could have capitalized on that to abduct her.

Watched this one last night and fell down the rabbit hole. Lots to unpack here.

Starting with geography. It's been speculated that Amy is "in the woods" or was "carried off by an animal" or some other death by misadventure. This is a fairly typical misunderstanding of the geography of the area she went missing in.

In missing persons cases outside of strictly urban areas the prospect of simply going missing in the "wilderness" always seems to come up. People are quick to point to various statistics about how many people go missing in rural areas and come to the conclusion that going missing in any non-urban area is most likely explained by being lost in the "wilderness." People assume that finding remains is almost impossible and dismiss foul play theories on this basis. This is erroneous.

The reality is significantly more nuanced. Not all rural areas are the same in terms of how easy it is to get lost. Some areas that seem exceptionally remote are actually not that hard to find people in. Understanding the geography here is important.

Where Amy's vehicle was found is essentially a high mountain prairie with patches of forest. Its remarkably open for the most part with visibility for miles in many places. The routes that one would use through that area are for the most part drivable roads that would not only be easy to search but are frequented by hunters and other outdoorsmen enough that remaining missing on any of those roads more than a year is highly unlikely. It's not the kind of country that would hide remains well. It appears to mostly be public land.

Looking at the area, and based on where here vehicle was found, it's fair to assume that unless she went significantly off trail for some reason (hard to picture for someone supposedly going for a run and dressed as such) that she didn't simply meet with misadventure and was never found.

Likewise the notion that she was the victim of a hunting accident or road accident is illogical in the extreme, the odds of it happening are extremely remote (it was July, out of season for most game and in a very open area with minimal traffic) and the odds of someone feeling the need to cover it up on top of it having happened stretch the imagination to the limit.

The animal theory is slightly more plausible, but the patchy forest cover and lack of evidence makes a lion attack seem unlikely as well.

That leaves the possibility that she ran off for a different life, she committed suicide, or she was the victim of foul play.

The running off for a new life theory is intriguing, but has all of the usual objections. No evidence she wanted or intended to, zero evidence of preparation to do so, and likely a lack of skills to remain hidden for this long with the level of media coverage given to her disappearance.

UM didn't bring up suicide as a possibility, although there have been runners who have committed suicide in such a fashion by running deep into a secluded area resulting in no body being located for some time. But there doesn't seem to be any indication of this in the period leading up to her disappearance either and again the absence of any remains for 27 years makes this less likely.

That leaves foul play.

I find Eaton not particularly compelling, it’s the usual example of any outstanding homicide or missing persons case being attributed to whatever well known killer is closest geographically. Eaton was only ever shown to have committed one murder which was highly opportunistic in nature and occurred about a decade before Amy went missing. No evidence of any kind ties him to this case, and had he not been convicted in the other murder his name would never have even come up in this one.

That is not to say he could not have been involved, and at least anecdotally he might have been in the vicinity at the time. But I generally disdain the "suspect a serial killer" cliché that gets applied in so many of these cases. If Eaton did what he did to Lil Miss at random it is hardly a stretch to think that there are others who would also do so given the opportunity.

Back to geography a bit. The area Amy was presumably running in is like many parts of the west in that it feels very safe on the surface. When you are alone in such a place all you see around you is trees and grass and rocks and it's easy to feel safe going there. Feels safer than many settled places in fact. However…that changes considerably as soon as you see any other human presence. The reality is such areas are safe only to the extent that you can defend yourself or no one else is around because you don't have any other people to see what is happening or intervene in any way.

The bad part about this dynamic is that it can lure someone into a false sense of security because you can go out many times without incident whatsoever. And I suspect that might have been the problem for Amy. Despite appearances, that is not the kind of place a woman should be running alone unarmed. She could easily have met with foul play at the hands of the wrong person in such a place which makes that theory quite believable. I've gone similar places that felt fine until I had one iffy encounter that made me realize the dichotomy at work.

Which then brings the final question, was she the victim of a random actor or was her husband involved? I was initially leaning more towards a random actor but the more I read and the more I thought about this, the more suspect his actions seem in context. The refusal to cooperate with law enforcement and submit to a polygraph is a red flag, that is not the normal action of someone who has lost their newlywed wife. The 911 call, the negative interactions with her family, the bruises, the journals (whose exact content seems not to be known, but are apparently concerning), and the lack of a clear alibi for some of the time where she was initially missing all cast some suspicion.

However, one point I have not seen discussed yet and which makes me lean towards the husband theory is the fact that a decade + after the fact LE was still saying he was the only one they wanted to talk to and were interested in. That speaks to something else, namely that I am reasonably sure LE has evidence that they have never shared with the public that leads them to be suspicious of him. It would explain their strong initial interest despite a seemingly week case and their ongoing focus.

I would be shocked if this ever gets solved at this point.

Which then brings the final question, was she the victim of a random actor or was her husband involved? I was initially leaning more towards a random actor but the more I read and the more I thought about this, the more suspect his actions seem in context. The refusal to cooperate with law enforcement and submit to a polygraph is a red flag, that is not the normal action of someone who has lost their newlywed wife. The 911 call, the negative interactions with her family, the bruises, the journals (whose exact content seems not to be known, but are apparently concerning), and the lack of a clear alibi for some of the time where she was initially missing all cast some suspicion.

However, one point I have not seen discussed yet and which makes me lean towards the husband theory is the fact that a decade + after the fact LE was still saying he was the only one they wanted to talk to and were interested in. That speaks to something else, namely that I am reasonably sure LE has evidence that they have never shared with the public that leads them to be suspicious of him. It would explain their strong initial interest despite a seemingly week case and their ongoing focus.

I would be shocked if this ever gets solved at this point.

Polygraphs are bunk science and are inadmissible in court. In the same situation I wouldn't take one either. As to the law being hot for him, that can be boiled down to the incompetence of small town police and a cop holding a grudge.

Watched this one last night and fell down the rabbit hole. Lots to unpack here.

Starting with geography. It's been speculated that Amy is "in the woods" or was "carried off by an animal" or some other death by misadventure. This is a fairly typical misunderstanding of the geography of the area she went missing in.

In missing persons cases outside of strictly urban areas the prospect of simply going missing in the "wilderness" always seems to come up. People are quick to point to various statistics about how many people go missing in rural areas and come to the conclusion that going missing in any non-urban area is most likely explained by being lost in the "wilderness." People assume that finding remains is almost impossible and dismiss foul play theories on this basis. This is erroneous.

The reality is significantly more nuanced. Not all rural areas are the same in terms of how easy it is to get lost. Some areas that seem exceptionally remote are actually not that hard to find people in. Understanding the geography here is important.

We have a few resident posters on here who do podcasts and journalistic features on UM cases. Amy's case would be a good one if they haven't already covered it. But Amy has gotten a lot of coverage if you consider Runner's World, Disappeared, and UM all covered her case and there really isn't any new information out there.

Where Amy's vehicle was found is essentially a high mountain prairie with patches of forest. Its remarkably open for the most part with visibility for miles in many places. The routes that one would use through that area are for the most part drivable roads that would not only be easy to search but are frequented by hunters and other outdoorsmen enough that remaining missing on any of those roads more than a year is highly unlikely. It's not the kind of country that would hide remains well. It appears to mostly be public land.

Looking at the area, and based on where here vehicle was found, it's fair to assume that unless she went significantly off trail for some reason (hard to picture for someone supposedly going for a run and dressed as such) that she didn't simply meet with misadventure and was never found.

Likewise the notion that she was the victim of a hunting accident or road accident is illogical in the extreme, the odds of it happening are extremely remote (it was July, out of season for most game and in a very open area with minimal traffic) and the odds of someone feeling the need to cover it up on top of it having happened stretch the imagination to the limit.

The animal theory is slightly more plausible, but the patchy forest cover and lack of evidence makes a lion attack seem unlikely as well.

That leaves the possibility that she ran off for a different life, she committed suicide, or she was the victim of foul play.

The running off for a new life theory is intriguing, but has all of the usual objections. No evidence she wanted or intended to, zero evidence of preparation to do so, and likely a lack of skills to remain hidden for this long with the level of media coverage given to her disappearance.

UM didn't bring up suicide as a possibility, although there have been runners who have committed suicide in such a fashion by running deep into a secluded area resulting in no body being located for some time. But there doesn't seem to be any indication of this in the period leading up to her disappearance either and again the absence of any remains for 27 years makes this less likely.

That leaves foul play.

I find Eaton not particularly compelling, it’s the usual example of any outstanding homicide or missing persons case being attributed to whatever well known killer is closest geographically. Eaton was only ever shown to have committed one murder which was highly opportunistic in nature and occurred about a decade before Amy went missing. No evidence of any kind ties him to this case, and had he not been convicted in the other murder his name would never have even come up in this one.

That is not to say he could not have been involved, and at least anecdotally he might have been in the vicinity at the time. But I generally disdain the "suspect a serial killer" cliché that gets applied in so many of these cases. If Eaton did what he did to Lil Miss at random it is hardly a stretch to think that there are others who would also do so given the opportunity.

Back to geography a bit. The area Amy was presumably running in is like many parts of the west in that it feels very safe on the surface. When you are alone in such a place all you see around you is trees and grass and rocks and it's easy to feel safe going there. Feels safer than many settled places in fact. However…that changes considerably as soon as you see any other human presence. The reality is such areas are safe only to the extent that you can defend yourself or no one else is around because you don't have any other people to see what is happening or intervene in any way.

The bad part about this dynamic is that it can lure someone into a false sense of security because you can go out many times without incident whatsoever. And I suspect that might have been the problem for Amy. Despite appearances, that is not the kind of place a woman should be running alone unarmed. She could easily have met with foul play at the hands of the wrong person in such a place which makes that theory quite believable. I've gone similar places that felt fine until I had one iffy encounter that made me realize the dichotomy at work.

Which then brings the final question, was she the victim of a random actor or was her husband involved? I was initially leaning more towards a random actor but the more I read and the more I thought about this, the more suspect his actions seem in context. The refusal to cooperate with law enforcement and submit to a polygraph is a red flag, that is not the normal action of someone who has lost their newlywed wife. The 911 call, the negative interactions with her family, the bruises, the journals (whose exact content seems not to be known, but are apparently concerning), and the lack of a clear alibi for some of the time where she was initially missing all cast some suspicion.

However, one point I have not seen discussed yet and which makes me lean towards the husband theory is the fact that a decade + after the fact LE was still saying he was the only one they wanted to talk to and were interested in. That speaks to something else, namely that I am reasonably sure LE has evidence that they have never shared with the public that leads them to be suspicious of him. It would explain their strong initial interest despite a seemingly week case and their ongoing focus.

I would be shocked if this ever gets solved at this point.

I think that an animal attack is basically impossible in this instance. they would have found evidence or her remains. animals do not prey on humans and even attacks and encounters are rare. almost all animal attacks of adults are either not fatal or the remains are found because animals will not be interested in consuming a human. in rare cases an animal mistakes a human for another species that they prey on and quickly are not interested after they are aware. usually animals attack in rare situations where their territories are threatened, in the case of mom protection young. Amy was known to be running on the road not in the woods as she was training and scouting a race.

Eaton is a good suspect in this case if you consider the geography as you said. Wyoming is the most rural state in America. Not a place known for multiple serial murderers to be roaming. Aside from his known murder, Eaton also picked up a family that was broke down on the side of the road and abducted them. His attack was foiled by the husband and wife in a dire attempt to protect their baby and Eaton was arrested. Eaton's brother also tipped off authorities that their family frequented the area where Amy went missing. But authorities dismissed the lead, which I think was their biggest mistake of all.

Steve had multiple alibis. He had a climbing partner that he was with for most of the day. He made a phone call from his landline at the time that Amy was known to be running. His neighbors also accounted for his whereabouts at the time that Amy went missing. I think Steve is perhaps proven to be the most innocent spouse ever featured on UM as a suspect of their partner's disappearance. Law enforcement, particularly the FBI agent assigned to the case, tried to frame Steve and that is the main reason he stopped cooperating with them.

there was a theory that Amy was hit by a car and her body was moved. It was also raining heavily up in the mountains that afternoon in that window that she was up there. I wouldn't rule out that she was hit by a car, but the rain could have also provided a motive for someone to offer her a ride and kidnap her. Someone like Eaton could have been opportunistic in that situation and instead of dumping her body in a public place, perhaps this time he put Amy somewhere that she would not be found.

there's a good podcast that I listened to about the case a few years back. it was a 3 or 4 part series, but the one name I can recall was "junkyard dale" and it was on YouTube. It was the most informative media coverage of Amy's disappearance that I have ever heard. highly suggest it if you can find it.

Watched this one last night and fell down the rabbit hole. Lots to unpack here.

Starting with geography. It's been speculated that Amy is "in the woods" or was "carried off by an animal" or some other death by misadventure. This is a fairly typical misunderstanding of the geography of the area she went missing in.

In missing persons cases outside of strictly urban areas the prospect of simply going missing in the "wilderness" always seems to come up. People are quick to point to various statistics about how many people go missing in rural areas and come to the conclusion that going missing in any non-urban area is most likely explained by being lost in the "wilderness." People assume that finding remains is almost impossible and dismiss foul play theories on this basis. This is erroneous.

The reality is significantly more nuanced. Not all rural areas are the same in terms of how easy it is to get lost. Some areas that seem exceptionally remote are actually not that hard to find people in. Understanding the geography here is important.

Where Amy's vehicle was found is essentially a high mountain prairie with patches of forest. Its remarkably open for the most part with visibility for miles in many places. The routes that one would use through that area are for the most part drivable roads that would not only be easy to search but are frequented by hunters and other outdoorsmen enough that remaining missing on any of those roads more than a year is highly unlikely. It's not the kind of country that would hide remains well. It appears to mostly be public land.

Looking at the area, and based on where here vehicle was found, it's fair to assume that unless she went significantly off trail for some reason (hard to picture for someone supposedly going for a run and dressed as such) that she didn't simply meet with misadventure and was never found.

Likewise the notion that she was the victim of a hunting accident or road accident is illogical in the extreme, the odds of it happening are extremely remote (it was July, out of season for most game and in a very open area with minimal traffic) and the odds of someone feeling the need to cover it up on top of it having happened stretch the imagination to the limit.

The animal theory is slightly more plausible, but the patchy forest cover and lack of evidence makes a lion attack seem unlikely as well.

That leaves the possibility that she ran off for a different life, she committed suicide, or she was the victim of foul play.

The running off for a new life theory is intriguing, but has all of the usual objections. No evidence she wanted or intended to, zero evidence of preparation to do so, and likely a lack of skills to remain hidden for this long with the level of media coverage given to her disappearance.

UM didn't bring up suicide as a possibility, although there have been runners who have committed suicide in such a fashion by running deep into a secluded area resulting in no body being located for some time. But there doesn't seem to be any indication of this in the period leading up to her disappearance either and again the absence of any remains for 27 years makes this less likely.

That leaves foul play.

I find Eaton not particularly compelling, it’s the usual example of any outstanding homicide or missing persons case being attributed to whatever well known killer is closest geographically. Eaton was only ever shown to have committed one murder which was highly opportunistic in nature and occurred about a decade before Amy went missing. No evidence of any kind ties him to this case, and had he not been convicted in the other murder his name would never have even come up in this one.

That is not to say he could not have been involved, and at least anecdotally he might have been in the vicinity at the time. But I generally disdain the "suspect a serial killer" cliché that gets applied in so many of these cases. If Eaton did what he did to Lil Miss at random it is hardly a stretch to think that there are others who would also do so given the opportunity.

Back to geography a bit. The area Amy was presumably running in is like many parts of the west in that it feels very safe on the surface. When you are alone in such a place all you see around you is trees and grass and rocks and it's easy to feel safe going there. Feels safer than many settled places in fact. However…that changes considerably as soon as you see any other human presence. The reality is such areas are safe only to the extent that you can defend yourself or no one else is around because you don't have any other people to see what is happening or intervene in any way.

The bad part about this dynamic is that it can lure someone into a false sense of security because you can go out many times without incident whatsoever. And I suspect that might have been the problem for Amy. Despite appearances, that is not the kind of place a woman should be running alone unarmed. She could easily have met with foul play at the hands of the wrong person in such a place which makes that theory quite believable. I've gone similar places that felt fine until I had one iffy encounter that made me realize the dichotomy at work.

Which then brings the final question, was she the victim of a random actor or was her husband involved? I was initially leaning more towards a random actor but the more I read and the more I thought about this, the more suspect his actions seem in context. The refusal to cooperate with law enforcement and submit to a polygraph is a red flag, that is not the normal action of someone who has lost their newlywed wife. The 911 call, the negative interactions with her family, the bruises, the journals (whose exact content seems not to be known, but are apparently concerning), and the lack of a clear alibi for some of the time where she was initially missing all cast some suspicion.

However, one point I have not seen discussed yet and which makes me lean towards the husband theory is the fact that a decade + after the fact LE was still saying he was the only one they wanted to talk to and were interested in. That speaks to something else, namely that I am reasonably sure LE has evidence that they have never shared with the public that leads them to be suspicious of him. It would explain their strong initial interest despite a seemingly week case and their ongoing focus.

I would be shocked if this ever gets solved at this point.

I think that an animal attack is basically impossible in this instance. they would have found evidence or her remains. animals do not consume humans and attacks are rare. almost all animal attacks of adults are either not fatal or the remains are found. usually animals attack in rare situations where their territories are threatened, in the case of mom protection young. Amy was known to be running on the road not in the woods as she was training and scouting a race.

Eaton is a good suspect in this case if you consider the geography as you said. Wyoming is one of the most rural locations in America. If I'm not mistaken it is the most rural state per capita. Not a place known for multiple serial murderers to be roaming. Many years after Kimmel's murder, when the case was still unsolved, D.W. Eaton also picked up a family who were stalled on the side of the road, and abducted them. His attack was believed to be targeting the mother, but was foiled, and he was arrested. Eaton's brother later tipped off authorities that their family frequented the area where Amy went missing. But authorities dismissed the lead. Lisa Kimmel's mother also went on record, perhaps in this very thread, that she believes Eaton could have been involved in Amy's disappearance.

It was also raining very heavily in the mountains that afternoon. Which leaves open the possibility that Amy could have been hit by a car and that means her body would have been moved. But the storm also provides a reason for someone to have picked her up and offered her a ride back to her car.

Steve had multiple alibis. He had a climbing partner that he was with for most of the day. He made a phone call from his landline at the time that Amy was known to be running. His neighbors also accounted for his whereabouts at the time that Amy went missing. I think Steve is perhaps proven to be the most innocent spouse ever featured on UM as a suspect of their partner's disappearance. Law enforcement, particularly the FBI agent assigned to the case, tried to frame Steve and that is the main reason he stopped cooperating with them. immediately after Steve was railroaded by the FBI and local authorities, he initiated his own investigation where he spent years of time and resources investigating Amy's disappearance. He also participated in the Race for Amy and other events that Amy's family were involved with, in spite of her family basically shunning him. It's also important to note that authorities purposefully put a wedge between Steve and Amy's family. eventually Steve moved on and I don't blame him considering he was basically being attacked for no reason.

there's a good podcast that I listened to about the case a few years back. it was a 3 or 4 part series, but the one name I can recall was "junkyard dale" and it was on YouTube. It was the most informative media coverage of Amy's disappearance that I have ever heard. highly suggest it if you can find it.

I think that an animal attack is basically impossible in this instance. they would have found evidence or her remains. animals do not consume humans and attacks are rare. almost all animal attacks of adults are either not fatal or the remains are found. usually animals attack in rare situations where their territories are threatened, in the case of mom protection young. Amy was known to be running on the road not in the woods as she was training and scouting a race.

Eaton is a good suspect in this case if you consider the geography as you said. Wyoming is one of the most rural locations in America. If I'm not mistaken it is the most rural state per capita. Not a place known for multiple serial murderers to be roaming. Many years after Kimmel's murder, when the case was still unsolved, D.W. Eaton also picked up a family who were stalled on the side of the road, and abducted them. His attack was believed to be targeting the mother, but was foiled, and he was arrested. Eaton's brother later tipped off authorities that their family frequented the area where Amy went missing. But authorities dismissed the lead. Lisa Kimmel's mother also went on record, perhaps in this very thread, that she believes Eaton could have been involved in Amy's disappearance.

It was also raining very heavily in the mountains that afternoon. Which leaves open the possibility that Amy could have been hit by a car and that means her body would have been moved. But the storm also provides a reason for someone to have picked her up and offered her a ride back to her car.

Steve had multiple alibis. He had a climbing partner that he was with for most of the day. He made a phone call from his landline at the time that Amy was known to be running. His neighbors also accounted for his whereabouts at the time that Amy went missing. I think Steve is perhaps proven to be the most innocent spouse ever featured on UM as a suspect of their partner's disappearance. Law enforcement, particularly the FBI agent assigned to the case, tried to frame Steve and that is the main reason he stopped cooperating with them. immediately after Steve was railroaded by the FBI and local authorities, he initiated his own investigation where he spent years of time and resources investigating Amy's disappearance. He also participated in the Race for Amy and other events that Amy's family were involved with, in spite of her family basically shunning him. It's also important to note that authorities purposefully put a wedge between Steve and Amy's family. eventually Steve moved on and I don't blame him considering he was basically being attacked for no reason.

there's a good podcast that I listened to about the case a few years back. it was a 3 or 4 part series, but the one name I can recall was "junkyard dale" and it was on YouTube. It was the most informative media coverage of Amy's disappearance that I have ever heard. highly suggest it if you can find it.

The assumption that it had to be a serial killer is the issue here. It doesn't have to be. It could simply be an opportunistic act. Not everyone is Israel Keyes. Yes Wyoming does have low population density, but that doesn't imply its offenders per capita is lower. Eaton lived in the same state (a fairly large one at that) and was alleged to have been in the area, something LE has apparently ruled out.

There seem to be some gaps left in the alibis, especially once the possibility that one of them is bad is taken into account. Landline records show a call was placed, not who placed it. A "buddy" is not really the best alibi, that implies someone willing to lie. The neighbors hold more weight, but the actual timeline of her disappearance is broad, she was last seen in the town prior to his return from the rock climbing, but there is a good 8 hour gap before the car was found. And of course, if it was a hired job the alibis are entirely irrelevant and were likely planned from the outset.

I'm not convinced there was a conspiracy to frame him, there seems to be zero evidence of that. Especially given the FBI was involved in the case and apparently came to the same conclusion. Occam's razor would suggest that LE has information we don't and that explains their stance.

Holding a race and searching for her could simply be performative or intentionally trying to deflect suspicion. If he was so concerned about finding her lawyering up and refusing to cooperate wasn't the move. If the "wedge" was the result of showing his own writings to them...I guess in my mind that is more of letting the chips fall where they may.

Not to say I'm convinced of a particular explanation in this one, I think a random stranger is a very real possibility, but I cannot get past the stance LE has held this long being significant in some way.

The assumption that it had to be a serial killer is the issue here. It doesn't have to be. It could simply be an opportunistic act. Not everyone is Israel Keyes. Yes Wyoming does have low population density, but that doesn't imply its offenders per capita is lower. Eaton lived in the same state (a fairly large one at that) and was alleged to have been in the area, something LE has apparently ruled out.

There seem to be some gaps left in the alibis, especially once the possibility that one of them is bad is taken into account. Landline records show a call was placed, not who placed it. A "buddy" is not really the best alibi, that implies someone willing to lie. The neighbors hold more weight, but the actual timeline of her disappearance is broad, she was last seen in the town prior to his return from the rock climbing, but there is a good 8 hour gap before the car was found. And of course, if it was a hired job the alibis are entirely irrelevant and were likely planned from the outset.

I'm not convinced there was a conspiracy to frame him, there seems to be zero evidence of that. Especially given the FBI was involved in the case and apparently came to the same conclusion. Occam's razor would suggest that LE has information we don't and that explains their stance.

Holding a race and searching for her could simply be performative or intentionally trying to deflect suspicion. If he was so concerned about finding her lawyering up and refusing to cooperate wasn't the move. If the "wedge" was the result of showing his own writings to them...I guess in my mind that is more of letting the chips fall where they may.

Not to say I'm convinced of a particular explanation in this one, I think a random stranger is a very real possibility, but I cannot get past the stance LE has held this long being significant in some way.
I don't think it had to be a serial killer. I think that Eaton is a good suspect given his roaming of the state and he did commit violent crime against multiple people, not just Lisa Kimmel. Allegedly LE ruled out Eaton's brother with another family member alibi who claimed Eaton was in Colorado at the time of Amy's disappearance. So like you said about buddy alibis, I guess that means family aren't good either. It is unique for a sibling to turn their sibling into LE. We saw that is what broke open the Unabomber case. But from everything I heard from people who researched this case in depth, is that in real time LE did not question Eaton about Amy when Eaton's brother provided the lead. LE only tried to question Eaton very many years later and Eaton will not talk. So I'm not really sure what actually happened after Eaton's brother provided the lead.

There is a lot more information out there that I have read about the people who were close to Steve and Amy in those days. The climber that Steve was with in Dubois on the day Amy disappeared was a friend of Amy's and was actually closer to Amy than he was Steve (according to many people that knew both of them). By all accounts, he would not have lied about Steve's location to help Steve murder his own friend. Steve's neighbors were also close with Amy. As far as the phone call, who else would have placed it? That would make it a conspiracy and there is no evidence that Steve hired someone to kill Amy.

I don't know if there was a conspiracy to frame Steve. I actually think it was just one agent trying to earn a confession to close a case. The agent also produced a false witness against Steve. it's a tactic widely used by investigators to break someone down (if their guilty). Lawyering up is absolutely the right thing to do in that situation because it forces the investigator to do something more than bullying someone into a confession. The authorities then got a warrant and released Steve's personal journals to Amy's family. As the personal journals were the only evidence that they had. That is absolutely putting a wedge between Steve and her family. it's a grande smear tactic. I don't know about you, but I would be livid if I were journaling and someone else invaded my privacy. The local authorities also failed to check Amy's car and let the Skinners drive it home. the local authorities did not do anything with Steve until the FBI came in and tried to garner a confession from Steve. The local authorities have suspected Steve, but they failed over and over to provide any evidence that Steve actually did anything wrong. I think the local authorities produced opinions based on husbands being the best suspect when they have no suspect. this was even mentioned in the segment by the main investigator, who mind you was later exposed for questionable activity in his own right.

Polygraphs are bunk science and are inadmissible in court. In the same situation I wouldn't take one either. As to the law being hot for him, that can be boiled down to the incompetence of small town police and a cop holding a grudge.

absolutely. the main (local) investigator didn't even suspect Steve at first. He didn't treat the disappearance as a foul play incident until around the time that the FBI got involved with the case. That is when they went in on Steve being the prime suspect, but a lot of time and perhaps forensic and evidence gathering opportunities were lost because the potential abduction scene was compromised. As I said in another post the FBI used a false witness as to incriminate Steve and that led to both Steve getting a lawyer and refusing to cooperate any further. The alleged witness, that was later proven to be hoaxed, also enabled the authorities to get a warrant to search Steve's house where all they found were his personal journals. To this day that is the only evidence that they have and perhaps they should not have been allowed to get the journals if the justification for the warrant was countered. years later the first local investigator was exposed for stealing cocaine from the county drug locker. He required hospitalization for an OD with multiple substances and after the fact admitted to his crimes.

Interesting and recent article about this case.

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/10/22/police-believe-tip-in-amy-wroe-bechtels-disappearance-worth-looking-into/

Thanks for sharing. My first instinct is to laugh at the idea of a “vision” being used as evidence, but I once experienced something similar. I had a strange vision of a very specific, random underground parking garage that I ended up stumbling into more than a decade later. I can’t explain it, but it definitely happened and I was somehow able to navigate the confusing garage with ease despite never having been in the U.S. before.

While it’s easy to just say “Eaton did it!” or point to any known serial killer, there are a lot of details that line up, and the similarities between Lisa Kimmel and Amy Wroe Bechtel are hard to ignore.

Having said that, I don’t know if I would convict Eaton if I were a hypothetical juror based on the information we have. However, I can say with complete certainty that her husband, Steve, is 100% innocent.

Interesting and recent article about this case.

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/10/22/police-believe-tip-in-amy-wroe-bechtels-disappearance-worth-looking-into/

Seems like more of the usual pointing the finger at any already known killer in the same general area. This is a bias I see a lot in crime cases, people have a preference for the known versus considering the unknown.

Eaton I'm sure was looked at very carefully by LE but nothing came of it.

LE has said that the only person they want to talk to is the husband, who has refused to assist them in finding her.

Seems like more of the usual pointing the finger at any already known killer in the same general area. This is a bias I see a lot in crime cases, people have a preference for the known versus considering the unknown.

Eaton I'm sure was looked at very carefully by LE but nothing came of it.

LE has said that the only person they want to talk to is the husband, who has refused to assist them in finding her.

this case is tough because there was no physical evidence in this case. anytime I see anything new I pay attention just in case, no matter how silly it may seem.

LE bungled this case from the beginning because they did S&R only as opposed to a criminal investigation. the only thing that they have is speculation from people and a false accusation that went wrong. that is why Steve stopped cooperating. as I said before, the local investigator got fired for stealing cocaine from the evidence lab. Eaton is just a theory because of his brother who placed him in the area that Amy was running. LE allegedly cleared Eaton because of an Alibi from another family member, but also tried to speak to Eaton, but he refused.

Thanks for sharing. My first instinct is to laugh at the idea of a “vision” being used as evidence, but I once experienced something similar. I had a strange vision of a very specific, random underground parking garage that I ended up stumbling into more than a decade later. I can’t explain it, but it definitely happened and I was somehow able to navigate the confusing garage with ease despite never having been in the U.S. before.

While it’s easy to just say “Eaton did it!” or point to any known serial killer, there are a lot of details that line up, and the similarities between Lisa Kimmel and Amy Wroe Bechtel are hard to ignore.

Having said that, I don’t know if I would convict Eaton if I were a hypothetical juror based on the information we have. However, I can say with complete certainty that her husband, Steve, is 100% innocent.

I agree. I think the law enforcement official from the article made some good points. I do believe that our brains are mysterious and sometimes can lead us to places that we don't understand. some people's brains also block out memories that are traumatic. IIRC the investigator made the point that sometimes witnesses or associates of criminals use the rouse of a psychic vision to confess or to tip off authorities. that is why I don't think any lead in this case should be ignored. what else do they have?

nothing is better than physical evidence and there is none in this case. that is why Amy's disappearance will likely remain unsolved unless her remains are found.

Saw this case again recently on FilmRise and I don't think Steve is responsible.

just listened to TWC episode for Amy. I didn't even realize it's been out there since 2023. recommend listening.

https://www.trailwentcold.com/e/the-trail-went-cold-episode-355-amy-wroe-bechtel/

Which then brings the final question, was she the victim of a random actor or was her husband involved? I was initially leaning more towards a random actor but the more I read and the more I thought about this, the more suspect his actions seem in context. The refusal to cooperate with law enforcement and submit to a polygraph is a red flag, that is not the normal action of someone who has lost their newlywed wife. The 911 call, the negative interactions with her family, the bruises, the journals (whose exact content seems not to be known, but are apparently concerning), and the lack of a clear alibi for some of the time where she was initially missing all cast some suspicion.

However, one point I have not seen discussed yet and which makes me lean towards the husband theory is the fact that a decade + after the fact LE was still saying he was the only one they wanted to talk to and were interested in. That speaks to something else, namely that I am reasonably sure LE has evidence that they have never shared with the public that leads them to be suspicious of him. It would explain their strong initial interest despite a seemingly week case and their ongoing focus.

I pretty much agree with everything you have to say.

Red Flags:

The Bruises:

Bruises on Her Arm: Amy’s brother, Nel Wroe, told investigators that he noticed Amy had a bruised arm a few weeks before she vanished.

The "Rough" Comment: When asked about the bruise, Amy joked that her husband, Steve, could "get a little rough sometimes," but her brother noted she would not look him in the eye and brushed it off, which he found atypical of her personality.

Neck Bruises: According to discussions of the case, friends and family reported seeing bruises on Amy’s neck at times, and although she insisted she was fine, this raised concerns among her relatives, with her brother believing the relationship was abusive.

This is all typical of an abused victim trying to downplay physical abuse by her partner, in the relationship.

Steve's writing about violence against women:


"several suspicious journals and poems were found, belonging to him. They included song lyrics and writings about power, death, and killing."

Normal people do not write about this type of thing. I can maybe see teenagers, who have anger problems composing writing such as this, but not a married man in his late 20s. That is really bizarre, and considering Amy had visible bruises from Steve, it means he is definitely capable of violence towards women. However, I have never seen what he actually wrote, so I don't want to put too much weight into it.

Steve Not Cooperating with Police:

This is a huge (and main) reason I believe Steve killed Amy. As soon as the Police wanted to question (and possibly) interrogate him in regards to his wife's disappearance, he shut them down and lawyer-ed up. While I agree that Steve has every right not to take the polygraph test, as they are notoriously unreliable, the fact that he has been uncooperative with investigators is the biggest reason that points to his guilt.

If my wife or significant other went missing, I would do everything possible to find her, even if it meant answering some tough questions with authorities. An innocent person would likely want to shout from the mountain that they are innocent. Guilty people tend to run to their lawyers. Not always, but the majority of the time.

Steve lies about his lawyer:

Finally, Steve mentioned years later that his lawyer had told him that if he took the polygraph test, he would drop Steve as a client, therefore he did not take the test. Steve's lawyer at the time has stated this is false. Why on Earth would Steve lie about something like this? And if he is capable of lying about a significant matter in his wife's disappearance,. chances are he is lying about other things, like his alibi.

I do not think the Bechtel family will ever see justice for Amy, but I truly believe that Steve probably killed Amy in a rage, disposed of her body, and asked a trusted friend to provide a false alibi.

I pretty much agree with everything you have to say.

Red Flags:

The Bruises:

Bruises on Her Arm: Amy’s brother, Nel Wroe, told investigators that he noticed Amy had a bruised arm a few weeks before she vanished.

The "Rough" Comment: When asked about the bruise, Amy joked that her husband, Steve, could "get a little rough sometimes," but her brother noted she would not look him in the eye and brushed it off, which he found atypical of her personality.

Neck Bruises: According to discussions of the case, friends and family reported seeing bruises on Amy’s neck at times, and although she insisted she was fine, this raised concerns among her relatives, with her brother believing the relationship was abusive.

This is all typical of an abused victim trying to downplay physical abuse by her partner, in the relationship.

Steve's writing about violence against women:


"several suspicious journals and poems were found, belonging to him. They included song lyrics and writings about power, death, and killing."

Normal people do not write about this type of thing. I can maybe see teenagers, who have anger problems composing writing such as this, but not a married man in his late 20s. That is really bizarre, and considering Amy had visible bruises from Steve, it means he is definitely capable of violence towards women. However, I have never seen what he actually wrote, so I don't want to put too much weight into it.

Steve Not Cooperating with Police:

This is a huge (and main) reason I believe Steve killed Amy. As soon as the Police wanted to question (and possibly) interrogate him in regards to his wife's disappearance, he shut them down and lawyer-ed up. While I agree that Steve has every right not to take the polygraph test, as they are notoriously unreliable, the fact that he has been uncooperative with investigators is the biggest reason that points to his guilt.

If my wife or significant other went missing, I would do everything possible to find her, even if it meant answering some tough questions with authorities. An innocent person would likely want to shout from the mountain that they are innocent. Guilty people tend to run to their lawyers. Not always, but the majority of the time.

Steve lies about his lawyer:

Finally, Steve mentioned years later that his lawyer had told him that if he took the polygraph test, he would drop Steve as a client, therefore he did not take the test. Steve's lawyer at the time has stated this is false. Why on Earth would Steve lie about something like this? And if he is capable of lying about a significant matter in his wife's disappearance,. chances are he is lying about other things, like his alibi.

I do not think the Bechtel family will ever see justice for Amy, but I truly believe that Steve probably killed Amy in a rage, disposed of her body, and asked a trusted friend to provide a false alibi.
most of these red flags can be countered. but my red flag is for the investigation itself. the most obvious is the time window. Steve was at home at the time Amy most likely was abducted. He has alibis from his landline, his neighbors, and his friend that he went with to scout rock climbing earlier in the day. there doesn't appear to be any window that he and Amy could have been together based on multiple witness accounts who saw both Steve and Amy away from the other at multiple locations at different times.

Amy's brother. I imagine that was an awkward conversation for Amy to have with her brother. probably was embarrassed if she was talking about intimacy. I'm in no way dismissing that it's possible she could have been abused by Steve. and I think in general that's probably the only circumstantial information that implicates Steve of any wrong doing.

Lie detector test has to be put into further context. Steve was initially accused of foul play. "We have evidence that says your guilty" but they did not. it's a confession hunting tactic that sometimes even breaks innocent people. which is why he lawyered up. perfectly normal and within his right. now could he have taken a test later when the investigation went cold and there were new detectives assigned, maybe yes. but I can see why he wouldn't if he lost trust with the agency. his lawyer is also on record saying not to take the test, so Steve probably did the right thing. as for the lie about dropping him as a client. could that have been a misunderstanding? Like could that have been an initial conversation early on with Steve? Like he listen to my advice or I will drop you? could that have been fine print in a contract? IDK just sounds like something a very competent lawyer would say. and Robin mentions in his podcast more about the lawyer and his father's pristine record.

I pretty much agree with everything you have to say.

Red Flags:

The Bruises:

I think the more obvious reason is that they were newlyweds and were probably experimenting with kink or similar adult activities and took it a little too far. Of course she didn't want to talk about THAT with family or look directly at them: I certainly wouldn't!

Steve's writing about violence against women:

I don't really see it as that big of a deal. Maybe he was a bit of a misogynist or a-hole or had some dark thoughts (we don't know the guy) but that doesn't make him a murder. As I see it, it's a red herring that the cops used to put a wedge between the Wroe and Bechtel families.

I believe he has been married for a while and there have been zero accusations of inappropriate behavior towards his partners in all the years since.

Steve Not Cooperating with Police:

It seems like it would be a red flag if he did after the stunt they pulled. They lied about "proof" against him and permanently ruined the trust he had. I would immediately stop cooperating too.

Steve lies about his lawyer:

Could it be a misunderstanding that the lawyer implied it by strongly recommending against it after previously mentioning that he would drop him as a client if he didn't listen to his instructions? We will never know for sure. Either way I know a lot of liars and none of them are murderers.

I do not think the Bechtel family will ever see justice for Amy, but I truly believe that Steve probably killed Amy in a rage, disposed of her body, and asked a trusted friend to provide a false alibi.
How was a guy who had no prior criminal record or experience manage to successfully hide all evidence after a passion killing? Sounds more like someone who had experience hiding bodies and evidence..... like Dale Eaton.

As the sheriff in the segment said, statistically, Steve is the most likely suspect.

Finally, Steve mentioned years later that his lawyer had told him that if he took the polygraph test, he would drop Steve as a client, therefore he did not take the test. Steve's lawyer at the time has stated this is false. Why on Earth would Steve lie about something like this? And if he is capable of lying about a significant matter in his wife's disappearance,. chances are he is lying about other things, like his alibi.

I was unaware of this. I was also unaware of the flippant remark he made when calling 911 to report his wife missing (something to the effect of, "I have a missing person, and was wondering if you had an extra"). Amy's brother Nels recalls on season 1 episode 6 of the Frozen Truth podcast when he first met Steve, that he constantly had his hands on her and that the meeting was uncomfortable. This was not mentioned on the UM segment. He also said that Steve's journals containing short stories and song lyrics was "********". He said the journals showed how controlling and obsessed with Amy that Steve was. According to Steve's timeline, he left Amy at around 9:30 on the morning of her disappearance and was back home in time to make a phone call at 4:43 that afternoon. Amy was last seen alive around 2:00 p.m. checking her watch as if she had somewhere to go. A controlling husband wanting her to meet him at a specific time would have caused her to look at her watch. Her wallet being missing has never sat right with me. Every runner, even the terrible ones like myself, would never take their wallet with them on a run. It should have been left behind in the car. That tells me that whatever happened to Amy happened before this hypothetical run.

I
How was a guy who had no prior criminal record or experience manage to successfully hide all evidence after a passion killing? Sounds more like someone who had experience hiding bodies and evidence..... like Dale Eaton.

This is a pretty absurd thing to write. Know how many people with no criminal records, go on to murder their spouse? It happens all the time. Additionally, Steve may ahve planned to murder Amy, for all we know. Not to mention that the couple lived in a remote and rural area, where disposing a body would be easy.

Have you ever lived in a rural area? It's much easier to dispose of evidence than it is in a city, where there one would have to deal with witnesses, surveillance cameras, and thousands of people in the immediate area, that could come across the crime scene, etc.

Chris Watts also had no criminal record, before murdering his family either...

This is a pretty absurd thing to write. Know how many people with no criminal records, go on to murder their spouse? It happens all the time. Additionally, Steve may ahve planned to murder Amy, for all we know. Not to mention that the couple lived in a remote and rural area, where disposing a body would be easy.

Have you ever lived in a rural area? It's much easier to dispose of evidence than it is in a city, where there one would have to deal with witnesses, surveillance cameras, and thousands of people in the immediate area, that could come across the crime scene, etc.

Chris Watts also had no criminal record, before murdering his family either...

Let's face it, he was as sloppy as can be! Plus he confessed the second the police put pressure on him.

As for Amy Bechtel, I am not sure about this one. I tend to point to the husband in these cases, if only 60/40 just because it doesn't seem like other credible evidence suggests otherwise. But she wouldn't be the only person who has vanished in thin air either, so I don't know.

As the sheriff in the segment said, statistically, Steve is the most likely suspect.



I was unaware of this. I was also unaware of the flippant remark he made when calling 911 to report his wife missing (something to the effect of, "I have a missing person, and was wondering if you had an extra"). Amy's brother Nels recalls on season 1 episode 6 of the Frozen Truth podcast when he first met Steve, that he constantly had his hands on her and that the meeting was uncomfortable. This was not mentioned on the UM segment. He also said that Steve's journals containing short stories and song lyrics was "********". He said the journals showed how controlling and obsessed with Amy that Steve was. According to Steve's timeline, he left Amy at around 9:30 on the morning of her disappearance and was back home in time to make a phone call at 4:43 that afternoon. Amy was last seen alive around 2:00 p.m. checking her watch as if she had somewhere to go. A controlling husband wanting her to meet him at a specific time would have caused her to look at her watch. Her wallet being missing has never sat right with me. Every runner, even the terrible ones like myself, would never take their wallet with them on a run. It should have been left behind in the car. That tells me that whatever happened to Amy happened before this hypothetical run.
that sheriff also got fired for stealing cocaine from the department. not someone who can be trusted at all. I would completely disregard him. they also bungled the investigation from the beginning and defaulted to Steve being the only suspect. the journals were released to the family of Amy, which installed a wedge between Steve and Amy's family. that also basically ended the investigation. that journal could have been held onto and used as supplemental evidence against Steve if more evidence was found. moot point, because there is no other evidence.

Amy was checking her watch, in my opinion, because she knew that she had to drive into the mountains, scout a 10K route, go for a long run, and then drive back home to be there for dinner. I think the drive from their house to the area that her car was found is a 30-45 minute drive which includes switchbacks. I was an avid runner as well, mostly a hiker now. women and men do not bring the same items on them when they run or hike alone. You would think they would, but not always true. I learned that in a sexual assault prevention class, and me being a guy, I had never thought of that before. I most always just left the house and didn't even bring an ID because the thought of being attacked just wasn't in my brain. My guess is that Amy may not have thought that way either, being in that rural area, but she could have wanted to run with ID on her and that can explain why it wasn't found.

Amy's car and checklist basically lead me to believe that she was abducted while running, and there were witnesses that said they saw her running. Witnesses could be wrong. I also heard that it was storming that afternoon in the mountains. it would have added an extra element of lightning danger at that elevation and would have been a reason that Amy would have gotten into a vehicle with someone.

Let's face it, he was as sloppy as can be! Plus he confessed the second the police put pressure on him.

As for Amy Bechtel, I am not sure about this one. I tend to point to the husband in these cases, if only 60/40 just because it doesn't seem like other credible evidence suggests otherwise. But she wouldn't be the only person who has vanished in thin air either, so I don't know.

I think that it is fair that Steve became a suspect. I just think that if he did do it, there would be more evidence.

In most situations I would not try to connect a random serial killer. But in this case I do think that DWE is worth more looking at. Wyoming is a rural state. Dale not only got caught for Lisa Kimmel. he was caught actively trying to kidnap and rape another victim. he was bold enough to kidnap a couple and their child at gunpoint. they fought him off and it led to his arrest. DWE was an opportunistic rapist and murderer. it fits the bill especially when you consider that his own brother said that DWE camped in Burnt Gulch which happens to be right by the area that Amy's car was found. Amy also frequented that area so there's a chance Dale saw her there if he frequented the area. Dale has refused to answer questions about Amy, which leads me to believe that he may know who she is. but that would have to mean that an investigator specifically mentioned her by name when speaking to Dale.

that sheriff also got fired for stealing cocaine from the department. not someone who can be trusted at all. I would completely disregard him. they also bungled the investigation from the beginning and defaulted to Steve being the only suspect. the journals were released to the family of Amy, which installed a wedge between Steve and Amy's family. that also basically ended the investigation. that journal could have been held onto and used as supplemental evidence against Steve if more evidence was found. moot point, because there is no other evidence.

The same could be said for Dale Wayne Eaton. There is no evidence against him that shows any involvement in Amy's disappearance. Either way, Steve should still not be the prime suspect, but I've never understood the rush to defend him as opposed to other missing women featured on UM where almost everyone agrees that their spouse was involved in their disappearances somehow. I'm not even saying I think Steve was involved, I'm about 50/50 that he was involved or completely innocent.

Amy was checking her watch, in my opinion, because she knew that she had to drive into the mountains, scout a 10K route, go for a long run, and then drive back home to be there for dinner. I think the drive from their house to the area that her car was found is a 30-45 minute drive which includes switchbacks. I was an avid runner as well, mostly a hiker now. women and men do not bring the same items on them when they run or hike alone. You would think they would, but not always true. I learned that in a sexual assault prevention class, and me being a guy, I had never thought of that before. I most always just left the house and didn't even bring an ID because the thought of being attacked just wasn't in my brain. My guess is that Amy may not have thought that way either, being in that rural area, but she could have wanted to run with ID on her and that can explain why it wasn't found.

Amy, or whoever parked her car, left behind the car keys. If Amy was the one who parked the car it just seems insane to me that she would leave behind her keys in her unlocked car but take her wallet on the run with her. It would have been the opposite, lock the wallet inside the car and take the keys with you on the run. The lead detective in the case was interviewed on the Frozen Truth podcast (episode 5 IIRC) and he said that Amy's car was parked, not in the provided parking lot for this trail, but off of a turnoff, wedged against a tree and surrounded by mud and puddles. Not somewhere someone planning on going on a run would have parked.

Amy's car and checklist basically lead me to believe that she was abducted while running, and there were witnesses that said they saw her running. Witnesses could be wrong. I also heard that it was storming that afternoon in the mountains. it would have added an extra element of lightning danger at that elevation and would have been a reason that Amy would have gotten into a vehicle with someone.

There was that eyewitness who says she saw Steve's truck speeding away from the area where Amy's car was found. The description of where her car was parked makes me believe that she wasn't the one who parked it there. And if a random killer encountered Amy running and abducted her, they would have no reason (or knowledge) of where her car was and would have no incentive to move it. Someone who knew her, who wanted to stage that she went on a run, would have.

The same could be said for Dale Wayne Eaton. There is no evidence against him that shows any involvement in Amy's disappearance. Either way, Steve should still be not the prime suspect, but I've never understood the rush to defend him as opposed to other missing women featured on UM where almost everyone agrees that their spouse was involved in their disappearances somehow. I'm not even saying I think Steve was involved, I'm about 50/50 that he was involved or completely innocent.



Amy, or whoever parked her car, left behind the car keys. If Amy was the one who parked the car it just seems insane to me that she would leave behind her keys in her unlocked car but take her wallet on the run with her. It would have been the opposite, lock the wallet inside the car and take the keys with you on the run. The lead detective in the case was interviewed on the Frozen Truth podcast (episode 5 IIRC) and he said that Amy's car was parked, not in the provided parking lot for this trail, but off of a turnoff, wedged against a tree and surrounded by mud and puddles. Not something somewhere someone planning on going on a run would have parked.



There was that eyewitness who says she saw Steve's truck speeding away from the area where Amy's car was found. The description of where her car was parked makes me believe that she wasn't the one who parked it there. And if a random killer encountered Amy running and abducted her, they would have no reason (or knowledge) of where her car was and would have no incentive to move it. Someone who knew her, who wanted to stage that she went on a run, would have.
I agree about DWE. it's just a theory that he could be involved. and the frozen truth podcast also goes down that path. a lot of it for me depends on whether or not Dale's brother was telling the truth. thanks for mentioning frozen truth. I had forgotten about that and will go back and have another listen.

I don't know that I rushed to defend Steve, although now I do think he is innocent. I saw this segment many times over the years. one of the first of the later season ones that I saw when watching lifetime back in 2003. and I thought Steve probably was involved.

I started looking a lot more into Amy's disappearance after I read the runners world article maybe in 2017 or something like that. then it took me a while to find the disappeared episode because I was living abroad. but podcasts started blowing up around that time and there were a few like frozen truth that went into good detail.

the mud and puddles: there's some uncertainty for me regarding the weather that day. and I think that's a big unknown that could provide some clarity. if it stormed while Amy was out there that afternoon, which was said to have happened by other people who were in the mountains that afternoon, then mud and puddles may have accumulated around her car. there also could have been tire tracks from someone else, but since it wasn't investigated initially we will never know. Amy was also scouting a 10K, so she would have been using her car and measuring distance and looking for start/stop areas that were possibly not the run of a mill place for her to park for a typical run.

My point about her taking her wallet is for ID is more if something happens to her while she's out there. female perspective vs. male perspective also has to be considered. I always take my ID on hikes and mountain runs as opposed to runs in my neighborhood or at the gym or a track because I want nothing on me. and I used to feel safe when I ran in my neighborhood, but a lot more vulnerable on a hike/run in the mountains because of potential for inclement weather and isolation. I would never leave my wallet in the car locked at a trailhead when I go for a mountain hike/run. cars can be targets for theft even in rural areas. in fact there are people that suggest leaving your car empty and unlocked so that people don't break the windows. I usually leave mine empty and locked. Amy and Steve were both outdoor enthusiasts so they would have had safety routines and rituals that they did when driving up into the mountains.

as for witness accounts: that's the most ambiguous for me. you have the witness mentioned on UM. but the time was when Steve was at home. I also think this may have been the witness that the FBI agent cited initially when trying to garner a confession from Steve. I've heard of other witness accounts who said they saw Amy running in the mountains. It may have been the same people, but someone mentioned that it started storming really bad and they looked for Amy when they went back down the road to see if she needed help. but they never saw her again. then there was someone who said they saw another vehicle up there as well. None of this was mentioned on UM and not even sure what to think about it at all. Then there's dale's brother as I eluded to before. They had the teenagers from the wind river reservation that alleged to have hit Amy and that was also dismissed as a hoax. It seems like there is little to no info on that as well.

that sheriff also got fired for stealing cocaine from the department. not someone who can be trusted at all. I would completely disregard him. they also bungled the investigation from the beginning and defaulted to Steve being the only suspect.
.

So what you are saying, is that Steve should have not been considered a suspect, due to one Sheriff in the department committing theft?

This is a pretty absurd thing to write. Know how many people with no criminal records, go on to murder their spouse? It happens all the time. Additionally, Steve may ahve planned to murder Amy, for all we know. Not to mention that the couple lived in a remote and rural area, where disposing a body would be easy.


You specifically said passion killing as I would find it really hard to believe a newlywed would be plotting cold blooded murder especially when they literally just started their life together. I stand by my statement: Dale Eaton had experience in committing violent crime and Steve did not: he might have theoretically been able to hide the body, be smart enough to come up with a solid alibi and bribe friend's of Amy to back up his story but I highly doubt he could conceal ALL the evidence and keep it together for all these years. I do believe he also had a less than amicable breakup and that ex has stated that he did not show any signs of violence or similar behavior. I have seen way too many spousal murder documentaries and there is usually a "tell" but I didn't see one here. Maybe he's an A-hole, maybe not but that doesn't make him a murderer.

Meanwhile, Eaton has obviously done it before, was known to be in the area roughly around that time and his own brother (and Sheila Kimmel) have both publicly stated they believe its him. While that's not proof and I would vote to acquit based on the lack of hard evidence, if we had a hypothetical AI program that said with 100% certainty it was Steve or Dale, I am choosing the latter with hesitation.

On a related note, I just had a thought this evening: what if Steve's cavalier tone was because someone suggested, even jokingly that Amy might have been taken in by the sheriff for whatever reason whether for trespassing or because she just needed water? I personally think it was just a bad joke and nothing more but its something to consider.

So what you are saying, is that Steve should have not been considered a suspect, due to one Sheriff in the department committing theft?

Not just theft but substance abuse and theft of drugs. That’s an integrity red flag and mental instability for an officer that is entrusted to do a job. Steve would be a suspect regardless. I’m discrediting the investigator who I feel bungled the investigation from the start. When there was nowhere else to go he basically just stayed with Steve. I can tell you this. If a detective falsely accuses me of a crime and lies about evidence that does not exist in order to try and get me to confess to a crime, I’m not going to work with those people either and I’m certainly getting a lawyer.

Not just theft but substance abuse and theft of drugs. That’s an integrity red flag and mental instability for an officer that is entrusted to do a job.

Tons of people have substance abuse issues in all walks of life. The actions of one person does not negate the work of an entire department.

I don't know that I rushed to defend Steve, although now I do think he is innocent. I saw this segment many times over the years. one of the first of the later season ones that I saw when watching lifetime back in 2003. and I thought Steve probably was involved.

I didn't mean you specifically, but I am curious why some spouses in certain segments get the benefit of the doubt, where in others almost everyone assumes their guilt. Steve Bechtel's 911 call really changed my perception about him.

the mud and puddles: there's some uncertainty for me regarding the weather that day. and I think that's a big unknown that could provide some clarity. if it stormed while Amy was out there that afternoon, which was said to have happened by other people who were in the mountains that afternoon, then mud and puddles may have accumulated around her car. there also could have been tire tracks from someone else, but since it wasn't investigated initially we will never know. Amy was also scouting a 10K, so she would have been using her car and measuring distance and looking for start/stop areas that were possibly not the run of a mill place for her to park for a typical run.

IIRC, it rained pretty hard at some point that afternoon. Which is why I think Amy was checking her watch. I think she wanted to get a run in before the rain. But if it started raining shortly after she left the photo frame store, she could have gone back home. We don't know what time Steve made it back home that day. There also were no foot prints found around or near where Amy's car was found. Rain could have washed them away, but I do not think Amy parked the car where it was ultimately found.

My point about her taking her wallet is for ID is more if something happens to her while she's out there. female perspective vs. male perspective also has to be considered. I always take my ID on hikes and mountain runs as opposed to runs in my neighborhood or at the gym or a track because I want nothing on me. and I used to feel safe when I ran in my neighborhood, but a lot more vulnerable on a hike/run in the mountains because of potential for inclement weather and isolation. I would never leave my wallet in the car locked at a trailhead when I go for a mountain hike/run. cars can be targets for theft even in rural areas. in fact there are people that suggest leaving your car empty and unlocked so that people don't break the windows. I usually leave mine empty and locked. Amy and Steve were both outdoor enthusiasts so they would have had safety routines and rituals that they did when driving up into the mountains.

But everyone who knew Amy thought it was odd that she would have taken her wallet but left her keys behind. If both were missing with her, that would be reasonable. But leaving your keys behind and taking your wallet to run doesn't make sense to me.

as for witness accounts: that's the most ambiguous for me. you have the witness mentioned on UM. but the time was when Steve was at home. I also think this may have been the witness that the FBI agent cited initially when trying to garner a confession from Steve. I've heard of other witness accounts who said they saw Amy running in the mountains. It may have been the same people, but someone mentioned that it started storming really bad and they looked for Amy when they went back down the road to see if she needed help. but they never saw her again. then there was someone who said they saw another vehicle up there as well. None of this was mentioned on UM and not even sure what to think about it at all. Then there's dale's brother as I eluded to before. They had the teenagers from the wind river reservation that alleged to have hit Amy and that was also dismissed as a hoax. It seems like there is little to no info on that as well.

Maybe I'm having a Mandela effect here, but I could've sworn there was a portion of the segment (that's not on the Film Rise versions) that shows Steve and a friend stopping at a gas station and the friend produced a receipt with a time stamp on it at some point on the afternoon of Amy's disappearance. Of course it could be another segment I'm confusing this with, but I could've sworn it was this one. Steve left his house at around 9:30 that morning, and he made a phone call at 4:43 that evening. We don't know what time he made it back home. His friends say he was rock climbing with them, which IMO, is something that has never been in dispute. But what time did he make it back home?

Maybe I'm having a Mandela effect here, but I could've sworn there was a portion of the segment (that's not on the Film Rise versions) that shows Steve and a friend stopping at a gas station and the friend produced a receipt with a time stamp on it at some point on the afternoon of Amy's disappearance. Of course it could be another segment I'm confusing this with, but I could've sworn it was this one.

This is mentioned in the Disappeared episode. I saw this UM episode many times on Lifetime in the early 2000s and have no memory of this scene. Not saying you are wrong, it's totally possible you caught the first broadcast and are right, I'm just not aware of any cut scene from this episode.

Tons of people have substance abuse issues in all walks of life. The actions of one person does not negate the work of an entire department.

not the whole department, but it does lose credibility especially for the original investigator. I think law enforcement officers should be held to a higher standard when it comes to drug and alcohol abuse. and it should be noted that when you commit a crime along side of taking drugs, it is a sign of a more serious problem. we don't know what he was doing and getting away with before he got caught. we will likely never know. If Steve were the one stealing drugs and doing cocaine, it would have been used against him to attack his character.

I think after the original investigator moved on and a fresh detective came in it could have been beneficial for them to reach out and establish a new relationship with Steve. and it would have been good for Steve to cooperate in that sense. I'm not sure how that all went down once new people came into the department. I heard many years later that another detective insinuated that Steve was the only suspect he wanted to talk to, or something like that.

This is mentioned in the Disappeared episode. I saw this UM episode many times on Lifetime in the early 2000s and have no memory of this scene. Not saying you are wrong, it's totally possible you caught the first broadcast and are right, I'm just not aware of any cut scene from this episode.

That makes sense. What was the time on the receipt?

I didn't mean you specifically, but I am curious why some spouses in certain segments get the benefit of the doubt, where in others almost everyone assumes their guilt. Steve Bechtel's 911 call really changed my perception about him.



IIRC, it rained pretty hard at some point that afternoon. Which is why I think Amy was checking her watch. I think she wanted to get a run in before the rain. But if it started raining shortly after she left the photo frame store, she could have gone back home. We don't know what time Steve made it back home that day. There also were no foot prints found around or near where Amy's car was found. Rain could have washed them away, but I do not think Amy parked the car where it was ultimately found.



But everyone who knew Amy thought it was odd that she would have taken her wallet but left her keys behind. If both were missing with her, that would be reasonable. But leaving your keys behind and taking your wallet to run doesn't make sense to me.



Maybe I'm having a Mandela effect here, but I could've sworn there was a portion of the segment (that's not on the Film Rise versions) that shows Steve and a friend stopping at a gas station and the friend produced a receipt with a time stamp on it at some point on the afternoon of Amy's disappearance. Of course it could be another segment I'm confusing this with, but I could've sworn it was this one. Steve left his house at around 9:30 that morning, and he made a phone call at 4:43 that evening. We don't know what time he made it back home. His friends say he was rock climbing with them, which IMO, is something that has never been in dispute. But what time did he make it back home?

maybe it's not the best comp, but I think of Jeff Olberholtzer. he looked guilty when I first saw the episode, but as time went on I questioned it more. and this could be just me remembering the update that he was cleared by DNA. Anyway I agree about the spouse being involved. it's ambiguous to say the least. another one that I think of is a boyfriend. Wayne Hecker with Tara Breckenridge. I went back and forth on him, but now I don't think he had anything to do with Tara's disappearance.


One thing I'm curious about the weather is regarding lightning. At that elevation in the mountains, lightning can be very dangerous if not deadly, especially around all those tall trees. Almost every time I hike in the mountains soon after a storm I see trees with lightning strikes. I find it hard to believe that Amy would not be aware of that, but it wasn't really discussed very much at all. def not by UM. So that leads me to believe that maybe she wasn't bothered by that. One thing about the car is the Skinners took the car home before there was a foul play investigation. It took a few days before foul play was even considered IIRC. everyone was certain early on that Amy was out there with a minor injury or a medical event. So that means any tracks were probably contaminated by people trampling around the scene looking for her. If that same thing happened today people would probably be more mindful of securing the scene and police would certainly do this...well maybe lol.

The wallet, I could be wrong. If Amy was known to have a certain habit of leaving or taking it, then I would yield to that. it certainly is something to keep in mind in case the wallet is found one day.

I don't recall seeing the gas station and receipt in the UM segment at any point. I did see a Virginia Madsen segment about 10 years ago which was different, but only noticed the difference that she was narrating as opposed to RS. I think WishfulDreamer might be right about that being in Disappeared. I think the guy that Steve was climbing with said the only proof that he had for an alibi was a gas receipt. but the receipt was just a time stamp from that day and couldn't prove 100% that Steve was there. I also heard that the guy Steve climbed with wasn't exactly a close friend, but more of a casual friend that was actually a closer friend to Amy. not sure if that is true, but this was used to make it seem that the guy would not cover for Steve if he thought Steve did something to Amy. UM does show a time stamp of 4:30PM for when Steve is at home putting his gear away and talking to Todd Skinner about his trip. Not sure if that was the time that Steve got home, but I would think around that time. in the reenactment Steve makes a comment about not climbing because of rain and Todd retells the story in the interview of he and Steve talking about Amy not being home.

That makes sense. What was the time on the receipt?

for some reason I'm recalling that it was midday. Lander to Dubois, the area where Steve and his friend went climbing, is 1 hour and 9 minutes according to google maps. It would take almost two hours to drive from Dubois to the location that Amy's car was found.

I believe Steve went rock climbing with his friend that morning into the afternoon. We do not know what time he got back to their house, and whether or not Amy ever made it back home at some point that afternoon. There is also a possibility that he planned on meeting her to map out the run where her vehicle was found. But I will admit that there is barely any evidence that would point to Steve being responsbile other than the odd 911 call and he being the husband.

I believe Steve went rock climbing with his friend that morning into the afternoon. We do not know what time he got back to their house, and whether or not Amy ever made it back home at some point that afternoon. There is also a possibility that he planned on meeting her to map out the run where her vehicle was found. But I will admit that there is barely any evidence that would point to Steve being responsbile other than the odd 911 call and he being the husband.

I think the timeline is going off of Todd and Amy Skinner's testimony, but UM didn't make that clear. They focused more on the phone call at 4:34.Todd has since passed away from a climbing accident, I believe at Yosemite National Park.

the 911 call is odd. the first time that I heard it I was taken back by it. the only think that I can think of now is that it took multiple days before anyone questioned whether or not Amy was a victim of foul play because everyone just assumed that she had some type of injury or accident. But yeah you would think that initially he would have been more concerned or showed more emotion. I understand why LE use that as a hunch to investigate the spouse.

The keys being found inside the unlocked vehicle doesn't sit right with me. I don't even know if Amy ever left the vicinity of her car to go for her run, because she would've taken them with her, even though the area was very remote. People did (allegedly) see a woman resembling Amy running around that area that afternoon, so it is possible that she did go running, but I think someone else parked the car where it was ultimately found.

The keys being found inside the unlocked vehicle doesn't sit right with me. I don't even know if Amy ever left the vicinity of her car to go for her run, because she would've taken them with her, even though the area was very remote. People did (allegedly) see a woman resembling Amy running around that area that afternoon, so it is possible that she did go running, but I think someone else parked the car where it was ultimately found.

Good point. Yeah I would never leave my keys in my car. I've heard people say that they did that in rural areas back in the day. it seems like a bad idea though to do that there and risk someone taking your car and leaving you stranded up in the mountains. It's a shame that the car did not get checked. that could have been the only evidence.

I reviewed this article again today. I think it is a great piece of journalism and they were able to get quotes from several people involved with Amy's case. After listening to a lot of podcasts it appears that many are getting information from this article. but there are some that also did some extra leg work got even more updated information to some degree, like the frozen truth.

https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a20817705/long-gone-girl/

That makes sense. What was the time on the receipt?

The gas receipt is just mentioned from "that day" in the Disappeared segment. I don't think they mention the timestamp.The investigator says it's not good enough to substantiate that Steve was with him (which makes sense, as there weren't cameras at the station or proof that he was there to buy the gas with the friend).


One thing about this case that really strikes me is how new Amy and Steve were to the area. Had Amy been running in this area many times before? Where did she usually park her vehicle for running in the area if so? Did she have a habit of leaving her keys in her car when running, or was it more common for her to have them in her pockets?

Maybe it's my urban mindset having grown up in the most populous county in the U.S., but I can't imagine even in a rural area leaving my keys in my unlocked vehicle to go for a jog even if I didn't have pockets or a place to comfortably to put them. However, I have heard of people in rural areas hiding their keys above their tires/in various spots in the car so they don't need to carry them. That kind of behavior is baffling to me, but may not be to someone who grew up in the country.

The gas receipt is just mentioned from "that day" in the Disappeared segment. I don't think they mention the timestamp.The investigator says it's not good enough to substantiate that Steve was with him (which makes sense, as there weren't cameras at the station or proof that he was there to buy the gas with the friend).


One thing about this case that really strikes me is how new Amy and Steve were to the area. Had Amy been running in this area many times before? Where did she usually park her vehicle for running in the area if so? Did she have a habit of leaving her keys in her car when running, or was it more common for her to have them in her pockets?

Maybe it's my urban mindset having grown up in the most populous county in the U.S., but I can't imagine even in a rural area leaving my keys in my unlocked vehicle to go for a jog even if I didn't have pockets or a place to comfortably to put them. However, I have heard of people in rural areas hiding their keys above their tires/in various spots in the car so they don't need to carry them. That kind of behavior is baffling to me, but may not be to someone who grew up in the country.
those are all good questions that I want to know as well. It seems unknown to some degree about the keys whether she would leave them or not. I read that Amy didn't have a habit of taking her wallet, so maybe she usually left it all in the car. but who knows if that is true. the eyewitnesses said they saw her wearing a fanny pack. they also said they saw something in her car when they drove by it and they saw another vehicle out there as well. not really sure what to believe at the end of the day. I think she got abducted or was removed from the area due to some type of accident.

I lived in a small town as a very young kid and then moved to the city. and yes people did leave their keys in their cars, at least back then they did. Once I moved to the city, I could no longer see how people can leave keys in the car.

I was on reddit lurking on a thread about Amy's disappearance and people that are from Wyoming were saying that they leave their keys in the car. It's reddit so you can take that or leave it. but they were saying that the area Amy was at is extremely rural and safe to leave the keys because when hiking or running, there would be times when you would see no one else up there. they also mention that you wouldn't want to lose your keys on a run or a hike because you might not recover them. I can relate to not seeing people on some of the remote hikes I've been on, but I still wouldn't leave my keys in my car. but when you run for speed, like Amy was, you think about leaving things behind that you don't need. the witnesses that saw Amy running said they were surprised that someone was running up there in the direction away from town. why surprised? probably two fold, one is that it is very rural and there was bad weather that afternoon. two it's very hard to run up hill at 7,000 feet above sea level. that's really when altitude starts to take your o2 away, but it can be done by people who train like that often and live at altitude like Amy did. My guess is that Amy was doing that to try and improve her run time at lower altitude.

Did Amy run up there often? Not sure. there are a couple of reasons that make me believe that she had run up there multiple times, but perhaps not often. She was still scouting a 10K run. She was using her car to measure the distance. that would mean that she could possibly park her car at a different area than she would typically park. the fact that she ran during a thunderstorm makes me wonder if she considered the dangers of being in the mountains with tall trees during a storm. that tells me that she may have still been new to running up there.

Here's another article that I found:

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/long-gone/#

One thing about this case that really strikes me is how new Amy and Steve were to the area. Had Amy been running in this area many times before? Where did she usually park her vehicle for running in the area if so? Did she have a habit of leaving her keys in her car when running, or was it more common for her to have them in her pockets?


The Frozen Truth podcast has a few episodes where they talk to friends of Amy/Steve and the investigators involved in the case, and they were pretty much in agreement that Amy would have never left her keys in her unlocked car to go for a run.

The gas receipt is just mentioned from "that day" in the Disappeared segment. I don't think they mention the timestamp.The investigator says it's not good enough to substantiate that Steve was with him (which makes sense, as there weren't cameras at the station or proof that he was there to buy the gas with the friend).


One thing about this case that really strikes me is how new Amy and Steve were to the area. Had Amy been running in this area many times before? Where did she usually park her vehicle for running in the area if so? Did she have a habit of leaving her keys in her car when running, or was it more common for her to have them in her pockets?

Maybe it's my urban mindset having grown up in the most populous county in the U.S., but I can't imagine even in a rural area leaving my keys in my unlocked vehicle to go for a jog even if I didn't have pockets or a place to comfortably to put them. However, I have heard of people in rural areas hiding their keys above their tires/in various spots in the car so they don't need to carry them. That kind of behavior is baffling to me, but may not be to someone who grew up in the country.



I can confirm that runners in such areas do leave keys in vehicles. The cross country team used to mostly leave keys in vehicles, although more often in gas caps and other places on the car than in the vehicle. However a few people with junk cars that no one would steal left them in the cupholder or something. This was in town even and it would have been even less of a concern where she was.

That said, I never left a key in a vehicle, I always took the single metal vehicle key on one ring on the run. Its entirely unobtrusive in the hand that way and I preferred not to leave it.

Key in pocket running, unless zippered, is a good way to loose a key.

I don't think any meaningful conclusion can be drawn from they keys being in the vehicle.

not the whole department, but it does lose credibility especially for the original investigator. I think law enforcement officers should be held to a higher standard when it comes to drug and alcohol abuse. and it should be noted that when you commit a crime along side of taking drugs, it is a sign of a more serious problem. we don't know what he was doing and getting away with before he got caught. we will likely never know. If Steve were the one stealing drugs and doing cocaine, it would have been used against him to attack his character.

I think after the original investigator moved on and a fresh detective came in it could have been beneficial for them to reach out and establish a new relationship with Steve. and it would have been good for Steve to cooperate in that sense. I'm not sure how that all went down once new people came into the department. I heard many years later that another detective insinuated that Steve was the only suspect he wanted to talk to, or something like that.


I don't think that inherently makes his investigation inaccurate or untrustworthy. I would be more apt to draw that conclusion if he was pushing for a misadventure explanation, ie. taking the easy route, while stealing cocaine on the side. But to do the hard thing, ie. push a foul play angle against a suspect makes me think he was still doing his job.

There are, for better or worse, a lot of incredibly effective people in the world with a drug issue. You find hard drinking men who get things done or guys that smoke like a chimney and get more done than the entire department. It happens. And of course Sherlock Holmes, in the original stories, used...cocaine to solve his cases. Wall Street in the 80's consumed a stupid quantity of the stuff and made trillions of dollars that decade.

I just don't think you can draw a logical conclusion that the investigative work is bad just because of that. They simply aren't related.

I don't think that inherently makes his investigation inaccurate or untrustworthy. I would be more apt to draw that conclusion if he was pushing for a misadventure explanation, ie. taking the easy route, while stealing cocaine on the side. But to do the hard thing, ie. push a foul play angle against a suspect makes me think he was still doing his job.

There are, for better or worse, a lot of incredibly effective people in the world with a drug issue. You find hard drinking men who get things done or guys that smoke like a chimney and get more done than the entire department. It happens. And of course Sherlock Holmes, in the original stories, used...cocaine to solve his cases. Wall Street in the 80's consumed a stupid quantity of the stuff and made trillions of dollars that decade.

I just don't think you can draw a logical conclusion that the investigative work is bad just because of that. They simply aren't related.


My point was more that he was stealing drugs which is a sign of a serious problem, like not just doing drugs, but addicted, violating multiple policies, and hiding it. it's a trust issue. And I used the word addict because typically theft when the motive includes drugs is a red flag of a serious drug problem that is not controllable. I'm not saying he's a bad guy or should be in jail.I'm not saying that he didn't do good work in other situations. but he shouldn't be a detective if he cannot be trusted to store and handle evidence correctly. there is an integrity issue there.

The Frozen Truth podcast has a few episodes where they talk to friends of Amy/Steve and the investigators involved in the case, and they were pretty much in agreement that Amy would have never left her keys in her unlocked car to go for a run.

I would counter the rural argument of it being safe to leave your keys in the car with the downside of having someone take your car and be able to get away with it. even if the chance is .0000001, I wouldn't want to be stuck in the mountains without a car to get back home.

I would counter the rural argument of it being safe to leave your keys in the car with the downside of having someone take your car and be able to get away with it. even if the chance is .0000001, I wouldn't want to be stuck in the mountains without a car to get back home.

Whenever I had to leave my vehicle in a rural area I always had a spare door key on gutted parachute cord around my neck. I rarely locked it, nothing really worth stealing except the CB. If it was parked where there was any chance it might need to be moved, like a pasture entrance, I left the keys in the ignition. Never lost keys during outdoor activities. There is a nice penknife with a scrimshaw blade in the Chisos mountains that fell out of a pocket.

It seems Amy's acquaintences say she wouldn't leave her vehicle unlocked. I knew some guys that would roughhouse with their wives and girlfriends to include headlocks and nuggies. That might account for some of the bruising she had. I understand she was learning to fire an AR-15. It can bruise you if held improperly.

Whenever I had to leave my vehicle in a rural area I always had a spare door key on gutted parachute cord around my neck. I rarely locked it, nothing really worth stealing except the CB. If it was parked where there was any chance it might need to be moved, like a pasture entrance, I left the keys in the ignition. Never lost keys during outdoor activities. There is a nice penknife with a scrimshaw blade in the Chisos mountains that fell out of a pocket.

It seems Amy's acquaintences say she wouldn't leave her vehicle unlocked. I knew some guys that would roughhouse with their wives and girlfriends to include headlocks and nuggies. That might account for some of the bruising she had. I understand she was learning to fire an AR-15. It can bruise you if held improperly.
Chisos, like big bend Chisos? I'm hoping to go there soon. I went for a hybrid hike and run today. I was on a time crunch to be somewhere after and I couldn't help but think about Amy. I think over the years this has become my most frustrating UM case.

I think someone said a few posts ago and I agree with them, the key being found in the car really doesn't change anything. it can be a clue that maybe someone moved her car or took the key from her and left it in the car. but here we are all these years later and we know nothing more than we knew then. Steve is the only suspect and there is little to no evidence.

Chisos, like big bend Chisos? I'm hoping to go there soon. I went for a hybrid hike and run today. I was on a time crunch to be somewhere after and I couldn't help but think about Amy. I think over the years this has become my most frustrating UM case.

I think someone said a few posts ago and I agree with them, the key being found in the car really doesn't change anything. it can be a clue that maybe someone moved her car or took the key from her and left it in the car. but here we are all these years later and we know nothing more than we knew then. Steve is the only suspect and there is little to no evidence.

Yes. A native Texan took me and guy from Florida out there during a 3 day weekend July 4th or Labor day 1977. I hadn't been there since I was a toddler. We would park, hike and camp on both sides of the border. I took a few rolls of film. One or both of the Kaszinki brothers was in a snapshot with us. Seemed like nice guys. I bought the knife during the trip.

Lost it on another trip in late 1986 when I took a tumble a hot day. Later that week (1986)it snowed us in at Ft Bliss. That was the last time I saw Dave Nicewanderer who became an unsolved mystery when he was found dead in the desert. Brad another SF guy from Ft Bragg brought up the Rhonda Hinson case and the other woman who died connected to a water bed ad. I had dated a different Rhonda. Brad could get upset intense. He was convinced a serial killer had murdered Debbie Edwards (Wolfe), the waitress selling the waterbed, and another young woman in the NC piedmont. The women all had waterbeds and resembled each other enough to be sisters. I had met the waitress at least once. The other woman turned out to be a first cousin I didn't know existed.

Correction: Apparently Dave Nicewander is alive and well. The young woman I knew as J. Potter was Beverly Jaye Potter-Mintz. She was brutally murdered Feb 87. So the conversation ref deaths must have taken place Summer 1988 the last time I was at Ft Bliss.

A racaunteur named Bechtel was involved in a lively discussion about Amy's disappearance in the GB club on Ft Bragg. Most of the group thought Steve Bechtel had shot Amy or there was a firearms accident, he panicked and disposed of her. This was pure speculation. Bechtel eloquently defended his nephew's innocence. This Bechtel loved yanking peoples chain. The nephew he had taught to handle an AR-15 was a teenager and had never been west of the Mississippi. Guys who thought he was part of the Bechtel corporation government contractors would " kiss his___ in hopes of employment. Which he thoroughly enjoyed. He had no connection to Steve, Amy's case or to the Bechtel corp.

Every detail of Amy's case like other unsolved mysteries will be examined, discussed and debated as if it is the key to solving the case. No pun intended. Maybe she will be found by hunters, hikers or agricultural workers. It's happened before.

Hmmm....while I think the police bungled this investigation from the beginning, Steve is highly suspicious.

While I know the phone call is obvious, what gets me is his lack of action for an experienced outdoorsmen. If you know Amy went running and she hasnt come back home yet why wouldn't he think she could've been injured and either called the police or went to check on loop road himself?

I find it odd that he didnt call the police immediately after calling her family and friends knowing there's a chance she could've been injured from running. Todd and his wife said that Steve mentioned that she was missing but seemed calm and it took THEM to go search for her

While he may be innocent, a small side of me thinks that Steve was creating an alibi for himself. He called and told people she was missing, but didnt go check for himself or call the police until much later after he called and told everyone

He has time to joke with the 911 operator. He has time to call her mother and ask about her, but didn't have time to go look for her before his friends decided to do it? Also having her declared dead instead of leaving that up to her family is cold

Hmmm....while I think the police bungled this investigation from the beginning, Steve is highly suspicious.

While I know the phone call is obvious, what gets me is his lack of action for an experienced outdoorsmen. If you know Amy went running and she hasnt come back home yet why wouldn't he think she could've been injured and either called the police or went to check on loop road himself?

I find it odd that he didnt call the police immediately after calling her family and friends knowing there's a chance she could've been injured from running. Todd and his wife said that Steve mentioned that she was missing but seemed calm and it took THEM to go search for her

While he may be innocent, a small side of me thinks that Steve was creating an alibi for himself. He called and told people she was missing, but didnt go check for himself or call the police until much later after he called and told everyone

He has time to joke with the 911 operator. He has time to call her mother and ask about her, but didn't have time to go look for her before his friends decided to do it? Also having her declared dead instead of leaving that up to her family is cold

Agree with most of this, however having her declared dead may have been a financial/legal necessity to settle the estate.

Hmmm....while I think the police bungled this investigation from the beginning, Steve is highly suspicious.

While I know the phone call is obvious, what gets me is his lack of action for an experienced outdoorsmen. If you know Amy went running and she hasnt come back home yet why wouldn't he think she could've been injured and either called the police or went to check on loop road himself?

I find it odd that he didnt call the police immediately after calling her family and friends knowing there's a chance she could've been injured from running. Todd and his wife said that Steve mentioned that she was missing but seemed calm and it took THEM to go search for her

While he may be innocent, a small side of me thinks that Steve was creating an alibi for himself. He called and told people she was missing, but didnt go check for himself or call the police until much later after he called and told everyone

He has time to joke with the 911 operator. He has time to call her mother and ask about her, but didn't have time to go look for her before his friends decided to do it? Also having her declared dead instead of leaving that up to her family is cold
all fair points and the reason why many are still suspicious of Steve. I was always a little uneasy that when he called Amy's mom he told her nothing was wrong and not to worry. But Amy had previously planned on going to her Mom's house and canceled so there was a reason for Steve to call to check. It also appears that Steve, guilty or not, perhaps did not have a great relationship with Amy's family. I know if I called my mother in law we would have had a longer conversation and she probably would have offered to come help search, even being a few hours away.

according to Steve and the original detective, they both agree about something. and that's that early on no one thought that Amy was abducted. they thought she was injured or lost out in the mountains. I think the rift between them started when the FBI was brought in and the investigation became a criminal one and Steve became the prime suspect.

Allegedly Steve stayed home while the Skinners looked for Amy because Steve thought there was a chance Amy might come home and Steve also wanted to be able to communicate with authorities. If Steve left on his own looking for Amy, that could also be used against him as being insincere. sometimes for a suspect, there is no right or wrong thing to do, assuming they are indeed innocent.

Allegedly Steve stayed home while the Skinners looked for Amy because Steve thought there was a chance Amy might come home and Steve also wanted to be able to communicate with authorities. If Steve left on his own looking for Amy, that could also be used against him as being insincere. sometimes for a suspect, there is no right or wrong thing to do, assuming they are indeed innocent.

I do think this is a point in favor of Steve's innocence, because it's the logical thing to do at that point. He wasn't panicked, and assumed that Amy was somewhere running late, so staying home for her would make sense. But if he already knew she was dead, it was a perfect way to make him seem more innocent.

I do think this is a point in favor of Steve's innocence, because it's the logical thing to do at that point. He wasn't panicked, and assumed that Amy was somewhere running late, so staying home for her would make sense. But if he already knew she was dead, it was a perfect way to make him seem more innocent.

While true, speaking for myself if I knew my wife was a runner in a large new area and she hasnt returned in some time, I would've called the police and been out there myself looking for her seeing as how she could be injured. Not being calm and cracking jokes with the 911 operator, but we all deal with stress differently

I also question the mental state of anyone that wears shorts to their wedding

While true, speaking for myself if I knew my wife was a runner in a large new area and she hasnt returned in some time, I would've called the police and been out there myself looking for her seeing as how she could be injured. Not being calm and cracking jokes with the 911 operator, but we all deal with stress differently

I also question the mental state of anyone that wears shorts to their wedding

Personally I would have let someone else man the phone. I would have taken the family dog and searched. I don't have direct knowledge of Wyoming. But GPS, Cell & Sat phone coverage was spotty or nonexistent in the mountains & great plains at the time.

I saw this photo and thought the same thing. Weddings are the Bride's big day. Every Groom I knew that wanted wear something nontraditional, or if traditions clashed, deferred to his bride. Steve comes across as dominant and self-centered. It borders narcissism. That doesn't make him a murderer.

The Olympic connection is only mentioned in passing during the segment. I knew couples where one or both had Olympic aspirations. It is life changing, some relationships don't survive the stress.

I saw this photo and thought the same thing. Weddings are the Bride's big day. Every Groom I knew that wanted wear something nontraditional, or if traditions clashed, deferred to his bride. Steve comes across as dominant and self-centered. It borders narcissism. That doesn't make him a murderer.

Yeah it doesn't make him a murderer, but when you add in the arm bruise and other things it begins to paint a narrative

Yeah it doesn't make him a murderer, but when you add in the arm bruise and other things it begins to paint a narrative

Some of those things individually raise questions. Together they can be suspicous, even sinister. I saw watched the segment on ticktok looking for the firearms connection. It was not mentioned but I heard the Olympics brought up. Envy could be motive for foul play intentional or accidental. I knew a woman on the Olympic team. She withdrew to accompany her husband overseas. He was similar to Steve. Their marriage disintegrated.

I may have this confused with another case but I thought I saw a crime show where her relatives or friends were not comfortable with Steve taking an interest in AR-15 shooting and dragging Amy into it. I definitely heard about it on Ft Bragg, after her disappearance and before the UM episode. Some of the guys I served with were very involved in running, climbing, iron man etc. They had connections through competitions etc. Also many of us sought out experts, instructors that were affordable to upgrade our mountaineering skills for military use. I had heard of Todd his friend who was more rounded out in outdoor skills.

I am not ruling Steve out as a suspect I really can't. I try to give everyone in these cases a fair shake. I guess the best way I can put it is that his personality and actions can be offputting, but don't automatically make him guilty.

Some of those things individually raise questions. Together they can be suspicous, even sinister. I saw watched the segment on ticktok looking for the firearms connection. It was not mentioned but I heard the Olympics brought up. Envy could be motive for foul play intentional or accidental. I knew a woman on the Olympic team. She withdrew to accompany her husband overseas. He was similar to Steve. Their marriage disintegrated.

I may have this confused with another case but I thought I saw a crime show where her relatives or friends were not comfortable with Steve taking an interest in AR-15 shooting and dragging Amy into it. I definitely heard about it on Ft Bragg, after her disappearance and before the UM episode. Some of the guys I served with were very involved in running, climbing, iron man etc. They had connections through competitions etc. Also many of us sought out experts, instructors that were affordable to upgrade our mountaineering skills for military use. I had heard of Todd his friend who was more rounded out in outdoor skills.

I am not ruling Steve out as a suspect I really can't. I try to give everyone in these cases a fair shake. I guess the best way I can put it is that his personality and actions can be offputting, but don't automatically make him guilty.

Very interesting you have a semi-connection to this case. In terms of Steve being guilty....its hard to say. The one thing that bothers me is if Steve did kill Amy, then where? If he killed her and then drove her car to loop road then how did he get back home without an accomplice? Im not sure how far their house was to the running site

Another thing would be motive. Seems strange to kill your wife when youre both just moving into a new home and both are helping out

I do think this is a point in favor of Steve's innocence, because it's the logical thing to do at that point. He wasn't panicked, and assumed that Amy was somewhere running late, so staying home for her would make sense. But if he already knew she was dead, it was a perfect way to make him seem more innocent.

I agree.

I just watched the disappeared episode again. They make it clear that the eye witness that thought she saw a truck that looked like Steve's later said she couldn't be sure it was Steve's truck. The new detective assigned to the case points out that the initial investigators had tunnel vision and may have overlooked other leads that could have been followed up on. maybe not word for word, but something along those lines. He also said that Steve cooperated with him and met with him to discuss the case and to share information.

I also noticed that all the theories really lack substance. everyone is just kind of guessing about what could have happened. whether it's Steve or DWE.

Last thing of note is Amy's mom. It really looked like she struggled to get through the interviews. I wish she could have closure. not sure how she's doing now. I am guessing that there had to be some tension between Amy's family and Steve before the disappearance because the relationship basically deteriorated after. I don't think the journals being given to them helped anything, but not sure how much that impacted things.

Very interesting you have a semi-connection to this case. In terms of Steve being guilty....its hard to say. The one thing that bothers me is if Steve did kill Amy, then where? If he killed her and then drove her car to loop road then how did he get back home without an accomplice? Im not sure how far their house was to the running site

Another thing would be motive. Seems strange to kill your wife when youre both just moving into a new home and both are helping out

I don't want to leave the wrong impression. No reaI connection. I have been through part of Wyoming once. Jan1984 roadtrip. It was dark, snowing on icy roads. I heard some second and third hand rumors about the case. Todd was recommended by a friend in 1996. Never made contact and only learned of his death within the last year. I was referred to and read online articles. DALLASTEXAN! just provided links to some of these. Well worth reading.

The questions you present along with others in this thread are valid. I agree or at least don't disagree with these questions and opinions. Todd and his wife, who was also named Amy if I remember right, stated Steve didn't have enough time to commit this crime.

In my opinion there was a lot of stress. "Newlyweds" without guaranteed income. Moving is stressfull and can result in "blowouts". Divergent interests and activities. A lot of driving around was involved. There is a small possibility this led to a situation where Steve was involved in his wife's disappearance. However I think it is more likely that Amy was more affected making her vulnerable. She was described as being preoccupied checking her watch etc.

Did she have some kind an accident while running because she was distracted or because she got a runners high? Was it weather related? The rainstorm may have wiped out evidence even before searchers trampled the scene. It may have carried her out of the search radius. The possibilities are endless.

I feel like the new investigators also have tunnel vision because they are convinced that Dale Wayne Eaton is involved.

I feel like the new investigators also have tunnel vision because they are convinced that Dale Wayne Eaton is involved.

Exactly. Theyre going to ignore everything to try to make it stick to Eaton

Sadly in so many of these disappearances there are multiple predators out there. Just when you think you have one or two good suspects, you realize that there are so many random predators out there. In this case there is literally nothing to go by other than alleged eyewitness sightings. no physical evidence. That means this case will remain unsolved unless Amy's remains are found.

Exactly. Theyre going to ignore everything to try to make it stick to Eaton

Its not uncommon for LE to try and pin cold cases on any vaguely plausible known offender to clear it off the books. This is especially the case when the accused is deceased and thus there is no prospect of a trial, or they are already in prison and the excuse for not prosecuting the case can be that it would be a moot point (even though in both cases the real issue is that the evidence would never hold up in a criminal trial and thus be dis-proven).

Also dead and imprisoned individuals present no or little risk of a lawsuit against the government for defamation when accused in such a manner without actually having a trial proving their guilt.

Its not uncommon for LE to try and pin cold cases on any vaguely plausible known offender to clear it off the books. This is especially the case when the accused is deceased and thus there is no prospect of a trial, or they are already in prison and the excuse for not prosecuting the case can be that it would be a moot point (even though in both cases the real issue is that the evidence would never hold up in a criminal trial and thus be dis-proven).

Also dead and imprisoned individuals present no or little risk of a lawsuit against the government for defamation when accused in such a manner without actually having a trial proving their guilt.

that sparked another thought for me with another case. I saw that UM added an update for the Ohio Trucker Serial Killer. I might be wrong, but it seemed like they tried to pin other murders on him eventhough it seems highly unlikely.

I've gone back and forth on Eaton. I don't think that Eaton is a great suspect because there is no direct evidence to link him. In that way I kind of view Eaton similar to I view Amy's husband being a suspect, although it's important to note Amy's husband was not a convicted rapist and murderer. Eaton's own brother put him at the scene. there are other examples where law enforcement have gotten tipped off by family and have found a criminal, I.E. the unabomber being a famous one. I feel that Law Enforcement probably dismissed that lead too quickly and now they want to act like they tried everything to speak with Eaton when they actually did not when they had the chance.

I've gone back and forth on Eaton. I don't think that Eaton is a great suspect because there is no direct evidence to link him.

There isn't any direct evidence, but at the same time I can't think of a better suspect. As you mentioned, his own brother thinks he did it and the mother of one of his victims as stated here that she firmly believes Eaton killed Amy too and clearly did her homework based on the posts I read. It's certainly not the most illogical theory out there.

Is there enough evidence for a conviction in the court of Mike82? No but it is enough for a hypothetical indictment and it doesn't require a large stretch to make him fit the circumstantial evidence unlike some of the clearly innocent people who were convicted and later exonerated.

In that way I kind of view Eaton similar to I view Amy's husband being a suspect, although it's important to note Amy's husband was not a convicted rapist and murderer.
Not only that but he was in a long term relationship that by all accounts ended badly. The ex has gone on record saying that he never used or threatened any type of violence or similar inappropriate behavior. He may or may not be an A-hole as I never met the guy but he is no killer.

I know that the investigator interviewed in the UM segment (Dave King) was later convicted of stealing cocaine from an evidence locker, but I did not know that he turned the case over to another detective after two months. I also did not know that an FBI agent had accused Steve of being responsible for Amy's disappearance 12 days after she went missing. The FBI were the ones who wanted to polygraph Steve. I also was unaware that Steve did not do any rock climbing on the day that Amy went missing; he and his friend only went to a location to scout the climbs.

Eaton's niece alibied him for the day that Amy disappeared. She lived in Colorado. The two witnesses who claim to have seen a woman resembling Amy running that day claim that the time was 10:30 a.m. The last confirmed sighting of Amy was at a photography studio between 2-2:30 p.m. that day. Amy's friend worked there and said that she was there for maybe 15 minutes, and that she was "dressed for running". Now if the two witnesses who saw a woman running at 10:30 a.m. actually saw Amy, then I do not believe Dale Wayne Eaton could have been involved because she had already went running prior to going to the photography studio. Amy had a check list of things to do that day:

-Call the electric company
-Dropping of recyclables
-Go to the photography studio
-Run

This list was found in her car and the only one that wasn't checked off was "run". According to Steve, Amy left in the morning and had to go teach a class at a fitness center before running the errands. Unless the fitness class she was teaching was hours long, showing up at the studio at 2-2:30 p.m. would indicate that she did indeed go running prior. The area where Steve and his friend went to scout rock climbing was two hours away from where Steve and Amy lived. We have never been given an official timestamp of the gas station receipt his friend had, only that it was sometime in the afternoon from a gas station in Dubois. This would tell me that Steve's friend (who lived about 80 miles away from Dubois in the opposite direction than Steve and Amy lived) was gassing up to go back home. Which could mean that Steve would have arrived home earlier than the time he gave investigators which was 4:30 p.m.

I know that the investigator interviewed in the UM segment (Dave King) was later convicted of stealing cocaine from an evidence locker, but I did not know that he turned the case over to another detective after two months. I also did not know that an FBI agent had accused Steve of being responsible for Amy's disappearance 12 days after she went missing. The FBI were the ones who wanted to polygraph Steve. I also was unaware that Steve did not do any rock climbing on the day that Amy went missing; he and his friend only went to a location to scout the climbs.

Eaton's niece alibied him for the day that Amy disappeared. She lived in Colorado. The two witnesses who claim to have seen a woman resembling Amy running that day claim that the time was 10:30 a.m. The last confirmed sighting of Amy was at a photography studio between 2-2:30 p.m. that day. Amy's friend worked there and said that she was there for maybe 15 minutes, and that she was "dressed for running". Now if the two witnesses who saw a woman running at 10:30 a.m. actually saw Amy, then I do not believe Dale Wayne Eaton could have been involved because she had already went running prior to going to the photography studio. Amy had a check list of things to do that day:

-Call the electric company
-Dropping of recyclables
-Go to the photography studio
-Run

This list was found in her car and the only one that wasn't checked off was "run". According to Steve, Amy left in the morning and had to go teach a class at a fitness center before running the errands. Unless the fitness class she was teaching was hours long, showing up at the studio at 2-2:30 p.m. would indicate that she did indeed go running prior. The area where Steve and his friend went to scout rock climbing was two hours away from where Steve and Amy lived. We have never been given an official timestamp of the gas station receipt his friend had, only that it was sometime in the afternoon from a gas station in Dubois. This would tell me that Steve's friend (who lived about 80 miles away from Dubois in the opposite direction than Steve and Amy lived) was gassing up to go back home. Which could mean that Steve would have arrived home earlier than the time he gave investigators which was 4:30 p.m.
I’ve read that witnesses saw Amy running on the loop road area in the afternoon and that there was also inclement weather. One of the witnesses that saw her running up there made the claim that it would be the last place that they would be running under those circumstances. And on their return trip they even looked for her and were going to offer her a ride. Or something of that nature.

Also the friend that steve was with that day was also Amy’s friend. Not sure how true it is but I read that this friend didn’t always get on with Steve as well as he did Amy and mentioned he would have never lied to protect Steve if he did anything to hurt Amy. I think I read all of this in the runners world article which many podcasters have used as one of their main sources of info.

If Steve were in Dubois he would have had to travel nearly 3 hours from there to get to the Shoshone Forrest and then about 45 minutes to get back home. That doesn’t account for the time that he would have been with Amy. I think for this reason Todd skinner’s wife mentions that there wasn’t enough time for Steve to have been involved.

There isn't any direct evidence, but at the same time I can't think of a better suspect. As you mentioned, his own brother thinks he did it and the mother of one of his victims as stated here that she firmly believes Eaton killed Amy too and clearly did her homework based on the posts I read. It's certainly not the most illogical theory out there.

Is there enough evidence for a conviction in the court of Mike82? No but it is enough for a hypothetical indictment and it doesn't require a large stretch to make him fit the circumstantial evidence unlike some of the clearly innocent people who were convicted and later exonerated.


Not only that but he was in a long term relationship that by all accounts ended badly. The ex has gone on record saying that he never used or threatened any type of violence or similar inappropriate behavior. He may or may not be an A-hole as I never met the guy but he is no killer.
I think one of the main aspects that makes this case nearly impossible to solve is that at the time of the incident no one suspected an abduction. It was more likely that Amy was involved in some type of accident and succumbed to exposure. The people there were confident that they would have found her with the grid search and resources that they had, but it’s been proven time and time again that some people are never found or are find in areas that were searched many years later.

Another aspect that can’t be overlooked is naivety. Amy and Steve were both very young and back in that time in that community they were not concerned with crime. But it also appears that Amy wasn’t paying enough attention to the weather which is a cardinal sin for an outdoor enthusiast. I’ve also read that Many years later Todd skinner died in a climbing accident that could have easily been prevented. Allegedly his waist harness failed and he didn’t take precautions that a beginner would have taken. Maybe it’s complacency.

With the rainfall that occurred and it appeared to be heavy, if Amy was hit by a vehicle the perpetrator could have panicked and moved her out of the area. Any evidence would have been washed away by the rain. there was mention of an alleged confession in the segment and that seems to be disregarded just as much as the animal theory. Additionally, the rain would have provided a reason for someone to pick her up and for her to trust them to give her a ride back to her car.

With the rainfall that occurred and it appeared to be heavy, if Amy was hit by a vehicle the perpetrator could have panicked and moved her out of the area. Any evidence would have been washed away by the rain. there was mention of an alleged confession in the segment and that seems to be disregarded just as much as the animal theory. Additionally, the rain would have provided a reason for someone to pick her up and for her to trust them to give her a ride back to her car.

That's a reasonable theory that fits the evidence and I don't think I have ever seen discussed much. It's fair to assume anyone driving around the area would not have expected to see anyone running in those condition and could have panicked. Still, in those situations people usually slip up in some way. Maybe they got really lucky?

It could also be a case where Amy got in over her head, perhaps was soaked and while she was obviously in no danger of frostbite probably felt very uncomfortable and/or was slipping in the mud and would have been easy prey for Eaton or any similar predator when she otherwise would have waved his offer of help off and kept running.