Suspicions growing regarding missing woman's husband

RIVERTON, Wyo. (AP) - As time passes in the investigation into the disappearance of a Lander woman in July, the lead investigator says he is growing more suspicious of the woman's husband.

Despite the wishes of Amy Wroe Bechtel's family, her husband, Steve Bechtel, has refused a polygraph test and has refused to talk to investigators.

"It's a balance of rights and responsibilities. He's exercised his right to keep his mouth shut forever. I think he has some responsibilities too," said Dave King, lead investigator on the case for the Fremont County Sheriff's Department. "Steve's actions or inactions are perfectly legal. But I can also say that they're an obstruction to this investigation."

Bechtel's attorney, Kent Spence of the Jackson firm of Spence, Moriarity and Schuster, acknowledged his client has had disagreements with authorities.

"Steve Bechtel has been more than specific with the details of where he was the day his wife turned up missing," Spence said. "Steve is totally focused on one thing, and that is trying to find his wife. And he doesn't want to let these other issues become a distraction to him."

Spence said he would not let his client take a polygraph test because of information he said showed they can be inaccurate.

"Why would I ever allow a client to take a polygraph test where they could end up with a false positive reading, and then be falsely accused of being involved in something like this?" he said.

King said in the past, he had given Bechtel the benefit of the doubt. He said that has changed.

Amy Wroe Bechtel disappeared July 24 while jogging near the Loop Road in the Shoshone National Forest.

Spence said his client has had four formal interviews with authorities, and said the way Bechtel was treated by investigators bordered on harassment.

King, however, said Steve Bechtel has been interviewed only once "pursuant to the possibility that he may be involved in Amy's disappearance."

He said he would like to ask Bechtel about the couple's relationship, discrepancies in the timeline of the day of the disappearance and about other information revealed through the investigation.

Bechtel has said he was scouting out places to rock climb with another Lander resident the day of his wife's disappearance. Bechtel and his climbing partner have said they bought a hammer at a Dubois hardware store that day, but they have been unable to produce a receipt, King said.