Morgan Harrington Case: Lack Of Leads Frustrates Search Efforts
Charlottesville, VA– With Morgan’s disappearance entering it’s fourth week, an eagerly helpful public shows signs of frustration at the lack of information being clarified by both the Virginia State Police and the Harrington Family.
Dr. and Mrs. Harrington will be appearing on Dr. Phil tomorrow afternoon, but at press time there are no scheduled press conferences for them or for Corrine Geller, PIO for Virginia State Police.
Over the weekend, The search efforts coordinated by the Laura Recovery Center had as many as 1600 volunteers scouring the surrounding areas where she was last seen, with no results tied to Morgan’s disappearance or possible whereabouts. The areas designated had been searched previously at the direction of Charlottesville PD and VSP.
Was Morgan At The Concert
Although there are numerous alleged sightings of Morgan, some appearing to be credible, there is not a single image of her caught on camera at the John Paul Jones Arena.
How is it that Morgan goes through three seperate buildings and annexes, at least twice, multiple areas for re-entry, and not a single image of her exists? On the facebook created to help find Morgan, there are a growing number of associates beginning to doubt Morgan ever made the concert at all.
Ticket For Seat #312
One of the quickest ways to tell if Morgan attended the concert with her friends would be for Dr. Harrington, the purchaser of the tickets, to review his account with livenation or ticketmaster, which utilize ticket return and request the scan data for all the tickets he purchased. This would reveal if the tickets were scanned and presented together as alleged by the friends.
According to the livenation policy, the ticket will only scan once at it’s original presentation, even if there is a duplicate bar code.
The timing on Morgan’s ticket scan is critical to the investigation into her disappearance, as is confirming her attendance in the first place. Could LE be looking in the wrong place?
What the Friends Know
The rumor mill has been buzzing non-stop about the possibility that Morgan’s friends may be the key to understanding what happened to her.
We know that Dr. Harrington was told by one of her friends that Morgan’ s car was NOT at JPJ arena. Following her disappearance, one of her friends, Amelia “Amy” Melvin, who was with her and Sarah Snead the evening of the concert had her myspace mood set as “I dont have time for myspace”. It has since been removed. There are numerous pictures of the friends at almost every outing they attend all over the web. Were there any taken that evening?
What She Was Wearing
We have seen no less than 8 different Pantera tshirt styles on the FB site, and not a single confirmation from Police or the family as to what it actually looks like. No image of the black skirt or black boots to jog anyone’s memory from that night. WHY?
It was also stated that Morgan was wearing a “distinctive” gold knecklace that evening. Every pawn shop within a 60 mi radius should have been faxed a photo of it within 24 hours. Pawn shops are required to file certain sale reports that would definately list such an item if it had been sold. Has this been checked?
Inside Sources
Sources wishing to remain anonymous, have confirmed to blinkoncrime.com that LE is aware of a woman matching Morgan’s description was visibily intoxicated outside the JPJ arena and was seen dropping her purse and upset while talking on her cell phone. She allegedly engaged briefly with a few UVA basketball players as she was crossing the parking lot.
Why am I feeling like Charlottesville is the new Aruba?
One thing is clear. The fastest way to turn an active case cold is to frustrate the public with inconsistencies and unclear information.
Generating leads is the only way to keep Morgan’s case in the spotlight and at this point it is this editors opinion there are some serious questions in need of answers in order to progress this case before it stalls.
Candace Bond and Kate Mills are contributing editors to this report
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Just a thought, I attended a Metallica concert a couple years back, we had VIP tickets with a private room and alcohol and food were included. During the opening act we drank some beers and ate, at half time and before Metallica came on they announced Metallica does not allow any alcohol to be sold or consumed during their performance, I thought this was odd since we had spent a lot of money on these tickets specifially because it included open bar and food. Do you think Morgan had a buzz going and maybe they announced alcohol would no longer be served now that Metallica was about to perform maybe she thought she could go to the car and drink or try to sneak alcohol back into the venue then realized should could not get back in? Maybe she wasn’t lured from the building after all.
from my college expeirence living on campus next to base/basketball dorms,the baseball team has the baseball field the football team has the football field ,the basketball team has the arena/colisuem, at our school they had their own section/entry/rooms in the colisuem,i remember,barely ,at some off night event they had the run of their section of the arena.
145…I think that is plausible. Say she did get a drink and tried to regain entry and was denied. Someone then offered tickets to regain entry.
However, my only thought on this is what are the policies/laws on selling tickets near the arena? Some places won’t allow on the selling of tickets property, others it can be allowed near the entrance.
correction- that was directed to renandrj.
We also need to know where they were parked.
I don’t understand why the information can be given to 1600 people involved in the search but you can’t say it here because it will hinder the investigation? Obviously any member of the public was allowed to participate in the search and thus be privy to this information so why is it such a secret?
If there was a secret element to Morgan’s life and she was trying to sneak off and see a boy, why would she choose the night of a much anticipated concert to make such plans? It just doesn’t add up.
In response to #145, I recall reading that searchers were asked to look for a camera. I don’t think I ever read of any other items. A camera would be crucial because it could hold clues to what happened. I am guessing that witnesses have suggested she had a camera with her?
I am lost and confused. There is so much conflicting info out there that it is hard to tell anylonger what we know to be true and factual.
Blink is it possible you could make a list for us of the facts to this case..what has been vetted. I keep thinking there have got to be more specifics out there somewhere that will not hinder the investigation.
Gypsy my friend, I would, but Observer just did a better post than I would have.
B
#142 Comment by Momof3
I understand what you’re saying about her friends coming clean. That’s what my original post was about. If LE is holding back so much info, how do we know exactly what the friends have told them? We’re just speculating?
And what about the friends closing down their FB pages? Could LE have suggested this so that they wouldn’t get bombarded with questions and possibly answer inappropriately? (or give out too much info) Sounds far fetched, ha? What a mystery.
Folks, the fact that there have been no photos of her from that day released more than likely indicates none were taken, or they were destroyed. The fact that none were taken or none exist point to her, at least, not going to the concert. Its unfathomable that they did not take photos. I think the police are way ahead of us on this and probably know for sure if she was really there or not. This all seems like a quickly planned cover story that was believable on its face, but is falling apart under close scrutiny. I dont buy for a minute the friends dont know what happened to her.
#145 Comment by concerned
Where did you hear about the 2 objects? If it was asked of the public, wouldn’t it be okay to mention them now?
comment #146 i think it might be where they are playing for the fact that i attended the metallica concert at the toyota center in houston last november and we did most of our drinking while metallica was performing.it might have something to do with an agreement between the venue they are performing at or state laws,i’m not really sure.
I apologize in advance for the length of the following commentary.
I work in very close proximity to the JPJ arena and have been following this case since its inception. I have not commented earlier but instead have been reading the posts, following the media, and trying to piece together the puzzle of Morgan’s disappearance. In that vein, I offer the following observations:
1. Keys – One of Morgan’s friends drove Morgan’s car from Harrisonburg to Charlottesville. It is easy to assume that this friend held on to the keys when the group arrived at JPJ. This is why, when Morgan left the arena, she was unable to get into her car parked in the adjacent UHall parking lot. It’s easy to understand why, when she did talk by phone w/ one of her friends, she did not ask for someone to try to “pass” the keys outside to her, as she’d told her friends she’d find a ride home. [Whether “home” was rendezvousing back in Harrisonburg on Sat. evening after the concert or on Sunday morning is unclear. What is clear, however, is that Morgan intended to eventually end up back in Harrisonburg one way or another, where her car would end up after having been driven back by her friend after the show. Morgan’s only way back to Roanoke from Harrisonburg on Sunday (and her roommate’s only way back to Blacksburg on Sunday) would have been in Morgan’s car. [Remember: Morgan and her roommate originated their trip to the concert by leaving the Blacksburg area together in Morgan’s car.]
2. Only three options remain open:
a. Morgan planned her departure at the concert and intended to leave behind the life she’d known. I think this scenario is highly unlikely for several reasons, not the least of which is that, for all intents and purposes, her life was stable and going well. There is no evidence at this time of a reason why she would want to “leave everything and start over”. Given the closeness of the family, it’s also unlikely she would intentionally continue to put her family through the horrific trauma they are now experiencing as a result of her disappearance.
b. Morgan was abducted and is alive somewhere being held against her will. Again, I think this scenario is unlikely, as most abductions result in the victim’s murder. There are two recent exceptions to this scenario: Elizabeth Smart and Jaycee Duggard. Both of those victims, however, were very young when they were abducted. Victims who are abducted who are older—as in the case of Morgan—are extremely difficult to manage, control, and manipulate for any significant period of time. This is especially important in Morgan’s case, as she is by all accounts a very bright, independent, and capable young woman. An abductor would have a very difficult time holding anyone but a very young victim against their will for anything more than a brief period of time, after which time they would resort to murdering their victim. They could not simply allow their victim to go free, as the victim could identify his/her abductor and provide LE with a mountain of clues to lead them to the abductor.
c. Morgan was abducted and subsequently murdered.
3. Did Morgan know her abductor, e.g., had she met someone on-line earlier who she believed was a good person and planned to meet him IRL at the concert, or was she the victim of a random assailant that evening? This is actually immaterial—unless, that is, LE can identify and track the digital footprint of this individual through Morgan’s computer, e.g., IM’s, Facebook, email, and cell phone records—all of which have assuredly been well-scoured by LE by this time. Had LE been able to identify a person of interest, they would have this individual under constant surveillance and would have made every attempt to determine if he was either holding Morgan against her will or had murdered her. If LE has been able to ID a POI, they are intentionally (and wisely) keeping such information confidential. They would not want the POI to know that they were being surveilled as it could lead to their “going to ground” (going into deep hiding) and/or the POI could intentionally lead them away from wherever Morgan is—dead or alive. LE is maintaining confidentiality of certain information and not releasing it to the general public for a reason, not the least of which is the a POI would be monitoring all the websites and media coverage of Morgan. Perpetrators of such crimes are often compelled to “watch their own press” and maintain an avid interest in the media flurry surrounding such an abduction.
4. Why did LE allegedly wait three weeks to initiate a volunteer ground search? LE appropriately began their ground search for Morgan almost immediately upon the realization that she was not a walk-away. An air and ground search was initiated for the immediate area in an attempt to obtain any evidence that might lead to finding out what happened to Morgan. I believe that LE called off the search because they have every reason to believe that Morgan is no longer in the Charlottesville area. I believe that LE held that a continued or wider search would be a wasted effort that could be better re-directed to find and return Morgan. LE later supported the Harringtons’ desire to use the Laura Recovery Center, however, to effect a larger-scale volunteer search for these reasons:
a. It allowed understandably frustrated community members to engage actively in helping to bring Morgan home, providing an appropriate outlet for their frustration, energy, and desire to help.
b. It allowed the Harringtons to be comforted in the knowledge that a much broader area had been searched.
c. It allowed LE to underscore their earlier belief that Morgan is no longer in the CVille area.
d. It provided LE with the additional and extensive manpower necessary to recover any trace evidence that might still be in the area.
e. It allowed this missing person’s case to remain in the media and in the forefront of everyone’s mind.
5. Flyers – While posting flyers around the country is an admirable effort, I believe it will not prove fruitful. A flyer might remind someone if they saw Morgan; however, I do not believe that the abductor at any point allowed Morgan to be seen by anyone, nor do I believe that Morgan was taken to an area outside of a 25 mile radius of Charlottesville. The Charlottesville community has been inundated by flyers and media coverage, so if anyone in that area had seen Morgan they would have reported it by this time.
6. Friends – Blaming Morgan’s friends is another futile exercise. Anyone might second-guess the friends and their choices and behaviors that evening. All the speculation in the world and blame targeting Morgan’s friends will do nothing to advance this case.
7. Purse and cell phone – Many have asked why, if Morgan was purportedly seen on the Copeley Bridge, would her purse and cell phone be left or found “behind” her at the Lannigan Field RV lot? Some conjectured that she dropped it there earlier, by mistake, before heading down to the Copeley Bridge. It may be worth considering this scenario: Morgan left JPJ. She walked through the UHall parking, and into the Lannigan Field RV lot–all with purse in hand (or, on her back if it’s a type of “backpack-purse”). She then proceeds to Copeley Bridge. [She is reported to have been seen on both sides of the bridge—both walking with traffic headed toward Ivy Rd. and on the other side—the only side with a sidewalk—walking facing traffic that was headed toward JPJ and the UHall area.] If the abductor is headed toward JPJ, he stops, convinces Morgan to get into his vehicle (remember, it is misty, dark and 42 degrees outside and Morgan is only wearing a tee-shirt; no jacket or coat), drives directly to the Lannigan RV lot (only feet away), disables her, discards her purse out the vehicle window, and leaves the area with Morgan. If Morgan’s cell phone was in her purse (her mini-skirt probably did not have pockets), the cell phone battery could easily have fallen out on impact. This logic also prevails given that the individual who found the items on Sunday morning and turned them in—both purse and phone—found them closely adjacent to one another. The very small size of a cell phone battery could be easily overlooked, especially if it fell in the RV lot where vehicles after the concert would run over it when departing the lot. Other than a meticulous visual search of the area, the cell phone battery might only be found by using a metal detector. To date, no one has made mention of use of a metal detector in an attempt to local the missing battery. As stated by the VSP in one of their earliest news conferences, the absence of the cell phone battery is not considered material to this investigation.
To those who might question how an abductor might cajole Morgan (or any other victim) into a vehicle, it is enormously easy for a charming and otherwise skilled person. It would not be difficult to gain Morgan’s trust by offering a quick ride, e.g., back to the JPJ area, indicating that it is not safe for a young woman to be walking around by herself at night. An abductor can gain the trust of his victim by focusing on the danger she might otherwise be in without his “help”. Serial murderers are masterful manipulators who target their prey just as animals do in the wild. If Morgan was at all under the influence of any substance that made her an even greater—and easier—target not only to abduct, but to subsequently subdue.
A final cautionary word to all: Beware of believing all that you read—including my own conjecture above. Given the media storm and cyber coverage of this event, massive miscommunication is occurring daily. This serves only to cloud the investigation and waste LE’s time having to pursue purported “leads” that are little more than loosely-connected pieces that do not actually fit. Everyone’s heart is the right place; we just have to exercise good judgment as we each attempt to assist LE and the Harringtons in successful resolution of this puzzling and most disturbing case.
Observer- welcome to blinkoncrime and you certainly make an entrance. I would ask all reviewing this case to read this post. I can tell you first hand there are things in it that the general public would not know. Observer, I appreciate you pointing out the immediate search activity on behalf of LE. It is my understanding thermals were also generated quickly.
B
in response to # 158,i did read in another forum(can’t remember the specific one) where an eyewittness did see morgan taking pictures,but she also said morgan’s back was to her but she did see flashes like a camera would put out.and yes if she did have a camera it would at least prove she was at jpj and inside.and then we are back to the main ?,why she left the venue and went outside.
Blink – Re: #137 -
Understand and no problem.
If all this guy, these two, (or none of the previous) did was run in to her and talk for however many minutes, what other reason on this earth would a seasoned BB player need to go on a permanent leave of absence? It is my understanding he’s been a player for a very, very long time.
No need to answer — just rolling this in my head as there is no comfirmation of connection. Just strange.
#163 Observer
“Everyone’s heart is the right place;…” –
You are correct and thank you!
Welcome to what I believe is one of the most professional “commenting” sites. Thank you for sharing.
Oh…the three main items that I personally am aware of that are not allowed at major concerts like this are (depending upon the venue site and the bands contract rider):
cameras, video camera’s, and coolers/thermos.
Bless your heart, Blink!
Back to 158: Yes, the camera.. are they saying there was a camera (likely with pictures of she and her friends before the show) in her purse that is now missing? Could there be pictures on the camera of some people/guys they were hanging out with that may indeed be the “one”??? It was just odd that this was the first I heard of a camera. And I’m not sure how this particular show was, but you’re not always allowed to bring cameras in.
Yes.
B
Another C’ville area resident. Like Observer, have also been following the case closely. Glad to see somewhat else comment on the fact that law enforcement did almost immediately conduct a thorough search of the area around JPJ once Morgan was reported as missing. A lot of the armchair quarterbacks seem to have forgotten that fact. Curious though about the “25 mile radius” limitation on where Morgan might have been taken. Given the thoroughness of the post, I’m guessing that distance just wasn’t pulled out of the air, but can’t figure out how LE or whoever his source(s) are might come up with such a range.
Mystified-
I do echo that LE is acting appropriately, and certainly behind the scenes, but I would point out that the “armchair quarterbacks” you reference would not have been aware of the early proprietary thermal and aerial work, I for one, did not report on it. I would also point out that the good readers of this site and followers of this case, are reasonable people to their credit know when things are being witheld.
B
re #163, it was not the venues request to not serve alcohol, it was requested by Metallica, James Hetfield had a major issue w/ alcohol and after rehab did not want anyone drinking at their concerts. I went a couple years ago so maybe they’re off the wagon and allowing alcohol to be served again during their performances.
Did anyone watch Dr. Phil?
Listening to Morgan’s parents was heartbreaking. The one thing that I noticed, is them saying that none of this made sense, and it doesn’t seem that this is behavior that Morgan would typically do.”
I totally got the feeling that they are about as much in the dark as we are, I hope I’m wrong. I can understand to a certain degree with the lack of info to the public, but imo, LE needs to keep the family informed as best as they can.
From reading here & there, I’m pretty sure I know at least 2 items they were searching for during this past weekend. Is that ok to post now, or should it still be kept quiet?
ok to post.
B
Following is more conjecture on my part–again, based on reading and considering different theories that have been put forth thus far by various parties. [Plase note: I am not a member of LE but am instead a member of the general public. The things I have shared are my theories and are based on no first-hand knowledge from LE or any other sources.]
I do not believe that Morgan’s friends contrived or concocted this story to cover-up for any wrongdoing on their part. There are far too many friends involved. The greater the number of individuals involved in a conspiracy, the greater opportunity that one will slip up and reveal the truth.
These are college-age women, not seasoned criminals. Their ability to mastermind something nefarious would be very limited. It is also easy to assume that LE has used all methods available to them in an attempt to dissect the stories given idependently by each of Morgan’s friends and identify any inconsistencies therein.
I find it neither revealing nor surprising that Morgan’s friends have shut down their FB pages. It is easy to imagine that they have been inundated with commentary–some of it vitriolic–about their alleged responsibility for Morgan’s disappearance. If I were they, I would do the very same thing.
I believe that the public, in their sincere quest to find Morgan, are drawing at straws and creating connections where none exist. Likewise, I believe that basketball players mentioned earlier are not involved in Morgan’s disappearance.
We all want answers and in our collective frustration we rush to one judgment or conclusion or another. We are inpatient because we all realize that as each day goes by, the chances of finding Morgan and reuniting her with family, safe and sound, lessens.
I don’t have the answers; I just have conjecture like everyone else. I do, however, trust LE implicitly. These are the individuals who are the experts–unlike someone like myself–and are trained to unravel these mysteries. Godspeed to them in their efforts.
Sorry for another post already, but my whole copied statement from Morgan’s parents didn’t post. What they said was:
“““Is that just way unusual that she would be out on that bridge?” Dr. Phil asks. I think it’s very unusual for Morgan,” Dan says. “It’s very confusing to me as to why she would say that she would find another ride home.” He explains that she did not live in the same city as the stadium, and she was supposed to go to another city 45 minutes away after the show. “None of this makes any sense, and it doesn’t seem that this is behavior that Morgan would typically do.” (click thru the pages: http://www.drphil.com/slideshows/slideshow/5398/?id=5398&showID=1349)
“This is why, when Morgan left the arena, she was unable to get into her car parked in the adjacent UHall parking lot. It’s easy to understand why, when she did talk by phone w/ one of her friends, she did not ask for someone to try to “pass” the keys outside to her, as she’d told her friends she’d find a ride home.”
I don’t find this easy to understand at all. It was a cold, misty night. Why would she not insist on getting her keys so she could sit in her warm car? And why in the world would her friends think “oh, OK- you’ll get a ride back…that sounds like a great plan!”
It is that series of decisions that causes me the most difficulty. I don’t understand that at all… unless she knew (and they knew) who she was going to get a ride with.
Wow, Observer. Nice summation!
Quick question. Everything I’ve read and, I believe, confirmed by Blink, says that the cell phone was in the purse. Could the finder of the purse have put it inside. Anything more we know?
I like your metal detector idea. Hopefully someone will go out and do it. A someone of good character!
Post #164…You have brought tears to my eyes. My heart gets so heavy when I know that people are in pain..once you experience severe grief,you never want it for ANYONE! I will continue to pray that it is option #2 A..and Morgan will be found.
While I have skipped over to Blink’s new article today “Morgan Harrington Case: UVA Basketball Players Last To Speak To Missing VT Student”, I wanted to comment again on #164 Observer…stating
“[She is reported to have been seen on both sides of the bridge—both walking with traffic headed toward Ivy Rd. and on the other side—the only side with a sidewalk—walking facing traffic that was headed toward JPJ and the UHall area.]“.
I did not know that. Walking against traffic toward’s Ivy Road on both occasions. Meaning all she did was start out on one side of the the bridge, then cross over to the other side to use the sidewalk. And never made it. First time I have ever read that piece of information though.
Observers post makes a lot of sense except for the fact that Morgans car was not driven to Charlottesville but left in Harrisonburg Correct??? Her phone was found in her purse and not beside her purse of course her abductor still could have removed the battery and pitched the purse. And why would the friend that needed a ride home when she realized that Morgan was not back when they returned from Charlottesville be concerned at that time or certainly by the next morning. Or any of them for that matter. Or did they call her parents at that time? I know her father reported her missing but who called who first? Who eventually took the one friend back to Harrisonburg.
And most importantly it was reported that they waited long after the concert was over waiting for her. Why??? If Morgan told them she was getting a ride back to her car or home. Were they expecting Morgan to show up??
That is the first time I have heard she was seen walking on both sides of the bridge. Did she cross because she was expecting to be picked up by someone that would be coming to the arena to pick her up? Or did she cross because someone convinced her it was not a good idea for her to be out there alone not to mention she was probably freezing. Why would she cross the bridge if she decided to perhaps go back and maybe get the keys so she could at least get warm.
I have seen night photos of that bridge, no way a positive ID could be made in that regard, imo.
B
I think the police have lots more information than they are releasing, like everyone else does. The mother on the Dr. Phil show said she felt Morgan had met with foul play and was not alive. Not sure of her exact words. You know she and her Dad have the inside scoop. They are searching for a body at this point. I think the police have the suspect, just need enough for an arrest. Just my gutt feeling. If they let out what they know just more time for cover up.
Blink
Is it true that Morgans friends said they waited for her after the concert or is that false information. If it is true WHY would they wait around if Morgan told them she would get a ride home?
IDK
B
Well a lot of good thinking by “Observer” and others above. If I may offer one point of constructive criticism that will bring things more down to earth for a minute, and one that must be borne in mind when considering plausible theories in Morgan’s disappearance. Excuse me for being blunt, but – where is the body???
As true crime researchers like Blink can tell you, it is extremely difficult to hide a dead body for very long. For one thing, pardon me but, there is the odor factor. Not to mention hair, fiber, DNA and other evidence to hide. A body randomly dumped beside the road would likely have been seen by now by someone. How long was it before Sandra Cantu’s body was found in that suitcase – a few weeks at most?
This is an unpleasant fact, but one that cannot be ignored in a case like this. Neither a basketball player, one of Metallica’s roadies, a party friend who gave her a date rape drug, and certainly not her friends have the experience to know how to hide a body without discovery for this length of time. Even pro serial killers often make mistakes in this regard. Plus, all of the above scenarios involve more than one person likely involved in her death and/or disposal of body. The more people, the higher the likelihood that someone will talk either voluntarily or by LE interviewing. So far, zero.
If her killing was accidental due to overdose or some other means, then the only possibility is that her body was transported by vehicle to some other area or likely state, where it was dumped and since LE hasn’t looked that far away yet, it hasn’t been found.
No, the fact that no body has been found strongly suggests that whoever killed her had pre-meditated plans and/or the experience to know how to conceal her body, and the tools and means to do so. Of course there is also the possibility that she is alive and being held by such a person. This was not done by amateurs.
The only other theory that makes sense is the one which, until further evidence proves otherwise, I will adhere to – she has run away. And for her sake and her family, I hope I am right.
Sherlock makes a good point, I agree.
That said, I have learned along the way that luck sometimes plays a bigger role than skill in these cases. I don’t think one has to be particularly skilled in that region/terrain to dump a body off a roadside with a steep incline.
70% of the foliage has fallen since Morgan went missing and she is dressed in all black. Those areas are only searchable by traversing and I can tell you without a lead or a solid aerial anomoly- well, you know.
B
I would add another reason for the massive search: perps often like to help. I understand that picture IDs were required for all attendees at the search.
Hey Blink. Thanks for response to my earlier comment (#168). Please note that my armchair quarterbacks line was not directed at the folks exchanging ideas on this site. This forum by far offers the most reasoned discussion of what might have happenned to poor Morgan.
Justice or anyone else with the knowledge..can you tell us the two items searchers wee told to be on the look out for? One seems to be her camera..what else was missing from her purse?
I second B’s last comment and am unsurprised that Morgan’s body–if, in fact, she was murdered–has not yet been found. Albemarle County (which surrounds the city of Cville and the University proper) is the fifth largest county in VA covering approx. 744 sq. miles. Much of the county is very rural; the number of back country roads is significant and the population density in the outlying areas is very low.
It would be enormously easy for an abductor to drive down any one of these myriad back roads and deposit a body just a bit “off the beaten path”. The ground cover of leaves alone at this time of year makes this even more plausible. There would be no need to attempt to go to great lengths to hide a body, e.g., dig a shallow grave, etc. and the odor of decomposition would go unnoticed.
I do not believe that the fact that Morgan’s body has not been recovered to date is an indication of whether or not Morgan’s abduction was pre-meditated.
In response to an earlier question, re: the 25 mi. radius, I believe that research will reveal that in most abductions that result in murder of the victim, the victim’s body is found within a 25 mi. radius of the location where the victim is last believed to have been seen. For a variety of reasons, an abductor who kills his victim is not going to want to drive a great distance and/or for a long period of time with a victim or body in his vehicle. Regardless of whether or not a abduction is pre-meditated, the assailant will want to deposit the body relatively quickly–ergo, the 25 mi. radius referred to earlier.
Remember: Morgan is an adult victim, not a young child. If at first temporarily disabled by her assailant, it would only be a matter of time before he would be faced with trying to again overcome Morgan, possibly while still driving. There would not be ample time to drive, for example, far out-of-state.
Even if a victim is completely disabled initially by the assailant, he again would be disinclined to drive a great distance with a victim in his vehicle. He would want to discard the victim or body as quickly as possible in order to avoid the possibility of being discovered.
The VSP and local LE conducted an intense ground search of the area immediately adjacent to JPJ, UHall, Lannigan Field, and the Copeley Bridge. When that and the aerial search revealed nothing, LE suspended the search. They did not and do not have the manpower to effect a 25. mi. radius ground search grid. [Note: The volunteer ground search did not include the outlying and rural areas of Albemarle County.]
Here is a suggestion I’ve been mulling over for the last couple of days: Engage all the local hunting groups–local to Albemarle County and the six adjacent counties of Louisa, Greene, Nelson, Fluvanna, Buckingham and Augusta–to keep their eyes open for any sign of Morgan. My sincere belief is that Morgan’s body is located in far reaches of one of these counties and the best opportunity of finding her is a hunter coming across her while trekking through the woods. This is hunting season and these hunters may be LE’s best chance of finding Morgan.
Finally, all of the above is dependent upon one thing and one thing only: That Sherlock is not exactly on-the-mark: Morgan voluntarily ran away. Ironically, that would be the very best case scenario. What puzzles me about that scenario, though, is this: If Morgan did, in fact, contrive this entire event, she went to great lengths to do so. To wit: she attempted to re-enter the arena and she left her purse.
If Morgan indeed meant to walk away from her life, would she try to re-enter the arena just to try to make everyone believe she really wanted to get back in–even though she was planning to run away? Would she intentionally leave her purse and contents, including make-up, etc.? A 20 yr. old who prides herself on her appearance–in fact, who takes great pains to select just-the-right outfit for her night out at a rock concert and is always seen wearing a significant amount of make-up–does not leave her purse and contents anywhere by intent.
She might leave her ID (in order not to be later identified if discovered) and she might leave her cell phone (so pinging and GPS won’t lead investigators to find her), but she would take her purse with her. If Morgan meant to leave these items behind as she walked away from her life, she’d simply toss them in the closest trash can–not leave them near a remote parking lot.
If Morgan meticulously planned her departure, she would likewise know that when LE found her purse, cell phone, ID, etc. they would naturally expect foul play. She would know that the combination of these founds items and no communication from her would cause her family–including her brother–unspeakable anguish.
If Morgan has voluntarily left, she knows beyond doubt the tremendous emotional turmoil her family is experiencing today. That leads one to ask: is there any indication that Morgan would continue to do this to her family?
From all accounts, Morgan is not the type of individual who would knowingly and willfully inflict this type of pain on those she loved–even if she did want to leave her life to begin over again elsewhere.
Additional points: A person who walks away from life does not answer their phone when called by a friend. She simply walks away. She leaves the JPJ venue according to a well-planned, pre-arranged schedule. She does not leave alone, with nothing–no cash, no credit cards, no make-up, nothing.
Unless Morgan had made meticulous arrangements ahead of time with someone–a person with whom she ran away, who picked her up and whisked her away…well, my sense is that she simply did not. I freely admit that when I first heard of this case, my immediate thought was that she intentionally ran off with a newly-found “internet friend”.
The found purse and phone, closeness with her family, and lack of any communication from Morgan to assure them of her safety, lead me to believe that Morgan met with foul play in some form or fashion.
Observer- thanks for that outstanding suggestion, I would be glad to support it as well.
B
The other has been mentioned before as well —- a neckalce she was wearing.
Regarding the two UVA basketball players. I checked with an insider about this and he told me one of the players was suspended because he missed practice. The other one was sent home because he was failing and probably would flunk out. FYI
I heard that about Assane missing practice Nov. 5th. WRT to Tucker, there is a protocol for academic problems for student athletes, which include him being put on academic probation if necessary and C.A.S.T. is one of the best academic support structures around, This School has a 94% graduation rate. Lastly, nobody sent him anywhere, HE filed for indefinite leave on his own.
Thermals and aerials – yes, thank goodness big brother has tools and satellites watching the earth. I was wondering if any real time data would be available to investigators. I am sure VA has lots of eyes watching from above with all of the critical facilities nearby.
They have it already, yes.
B
Ok thanks B on the info.
YW. Fwiw, he was on the High honor Roll coming out of Gary and he is an Anthropology major.
B
Bear with me – I’m just putting this out as speculation – I’m no detective. I’ve taken so long to write this up that when/if it posts,it may be completely irrelevant-sorry.
Metallic is not a death metal band or Satanic. Morgan strikes me as a person who prides herself on marching to her own individualistic beat – but not reckless or a misfit cutting herself in her closet because she feels misunderstood. She has a good enough relationship with her parents and obviously intelligent with good priorities. She had life goals that required her to finish her education. I see no warning signs that she would plan this as an elaborate “escape” from her middle class life. I agree she didn’t run away.
JPJ has three routes to leave the area – I-64East/West, Rt 250, and Route 29 North and South. On the assumption that the goal was a ride to get back to Harrisonburg to wait for her car, then found someone who promised to drive her there, the route is I-64 West to I-81. She may not have been murdered until she realized she wasn’t being taken where she was promised. That’s the problem- you are in the Shenandoah mountains with a ski resort not far away. If the subject is from the VT area, there were plenty of dark unseen places to murder her, dump her body and get back on I-81 to the Blacksburg/Roanoke/Lynchburg areas. Crozet was mentioned and would be in the 25 mile radius from C-ville on the I-64 West route, before the Shenandoahs begin.
Like Blink mentioned, at this point you’re looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Better to turn up the heat on the friends and the BB players/witnesses.
But what would lure her out just when the show she has waited for for 6 months is about to start? It has nothing to do with roadies or drugs obtained by nurses.Could it be that she was trying to meet someone else who was going to the show, but wasn’t where he was supposed to be after calling/texting her- but was watching and waiting for her to go out of sight from others who would identify him?
Why did the basketball players leave when Metallica’s set was starting? Who leaves when the main act begins? If they didn’t have tickets to the show,why were they there? If they knew she needed a ride, why not drive her to a safe place so she can get a cab? Not sure if I believe they didn’t offer to take her back to the dorm out of the cold. So did she tell them she was trying to find a specific person in a place she couldn’t find and asked for clarification on directions? Did she try to get back in after giving up,then became even more upset when she couldn’t do that either- which impaired her judgment?
Who would someone like Morgan trust enough to get in a car with? If the profile of the subject remains the same, then obviously, it’s who she knew with a connection to LE, who was supposed to be at the show. Now, this person may have promised to drive her someplace safe to get a ride – and then took her some place else. That fits the 25 mile radius theory as well. Then he gets back to the arena before the show ends and dumps her purse in the field while patrolling. If he’s local, he could have put it there in early morning to detour away from the crime scene. If he’s the person she was to meet to begin with, so much time has elapsed from the time Metallica started playing, that there’s no point for them to try to buy her another ticket and get inside. So, let’s just get out of here and hang out aomewhere else before going back to Harrisonburg……
Here is some new information. For some of us this is not new.
http://www.wset.com/news/stories/1109/677884.html?ref=rs&cmpid=rss_news_677884
I agree with Observers Post . I too don’t think she was trying to “start a new life”. If she was she did not plan it well. I don’t think she would have involved her friends in any way if that was the scenario and there would have been no reason what so ever to leave her purse. And why go to or for that matter wait for a concert of any kind if those were her plans. She already lived away from home, she could have set it up at any time unbeknownst to anyone and without involving anyone of her friends.
I would be curious to know if she had ever attended concerts at this arena in the past and was aware of the rules about going outside. Wouldn’t her friends know that? It was 42 degrees that night. She didn’t at least bring a sweater/jacket with her?
Where did she encounter the Basket Ball Players? If they work out/practice there, Do they have a special access door? Did she run into them at the front entrance or on the U Hall side.? Did they offer to try and get her back in? Did they walk with her up to Lanigan Field? What did she say for crying out loud? Why would that be such a big secret? With all the supposed RV’s, tailgate parties, drug deals that purportedly can and apparently does go on at these venues , I can’t imagine the parking lot area isn’t crawling with security . And if it is crawling with security well then, are there photos of where they were at any given time?
It also would be interesting to look for a car that was sitting in a parking lot that left for a time and then returned around when the concert was over. If that is possible
This girl loved her family. No way was she trying to run away and start a new life. I helped search for this young lady with someone that is best friends with the Harrington’s and he was telling me how much love this family had for one another. Breaks my heart and I was hoping for a happy ending to this story as well, but I have to be honest I don’t think we will get that happy ending. The questions I have it seems everyone else has been thinking the same thing. Why did the friends allow her to go looking for another ride that night?? They may have a very good reason but to me I am not sure what that reason could be unless she made them feel secure as to how she was getting home. It could have been they were all intoxicated but I don’t ever remember being that drunk I would let my friend find their own way home. Again, just questions I have from what could have happened that night.
I know. I know. Please stay strong for this family.
B
A few minor points of clarification:
To cmaissol: There is a much quicker route to Harrisonburg from Cville: Take 29North to Ruckersville, and take a left onto 33W straight to Harrisonburg. This route brings you over a mountain. It is quite steep, dark, and desolate. [This route leads you from Albemarle into Augusta and finally into Rockingham County where Harrisonburg is.]
I still do not believe that the basketball players had anything whatsoever to do with Morgan’s disappearance. I also do not believe that the perpetrator of this crime had any links to LE. I do believe, however, that the suspect lives in and is very familiar with the area. Criminals who perpetrate such crimes are typically familiar enough with a community so that they can quickly and easily enter and exit an area. The last thing a criminal wants to do is become disoriented in an unfamiliar area when he has a victim with him, whether or not the victim still alive.
to suzeeB:
1. My understanding is the Morgan had attended concerts in the past at JPJ. [JPJ opened in August, 2006.] Almost all major concert venues have an established no-return policy that has been in place for a number of years. For JPJ, the no-return policy is posted prominently on each ticket. I believe Morgan knew–or, should have known–that she would not be allowed to re-enter. This may or may not go to Morgan’s state of mind on the evening of October 17, 2009.
2. The Lannigan RV lot is not heavily patrolled by security, nor are there video cameras in that lot. My understanding is that there was at least one, large Klieg light operating that evening.
Re: security in general: During the time-frame in question–8:20-9:30–most of the UVAPD and concert security would be focused and detailed in the area inside and immediately outside the arena, rather than the vast parking areas adjacent, e.g., UHall. Inasmuch as most of the concert-goers would be inside by that time, the focus of the security detail would be within the building and the areas just outside. These were where the crowds would be greatest and would require the most attention from security.
IMP. note to follow:
Media outlets report this afternoon the following press release from VSP:
“As the search and investigative efforts continue for missing college student Morgan Harrington, state and local investigators are now able to release additional details concerning the night of her disappearance…Based on independent witness accounts, investigators are confident that Miss Harrington was hitchhiking for a ride while on the Copeley Road bridge. If anyone recalls seeing a young woman hitchhiking that night on or near the Copeley Road bridge, then they are asked to please contact police by phone or email. Anyone who might remember seeing a vehicle randomly stopped in the roadway on Copeley Road bridge that night is also asked to contact investigators. Investigators are also hoping to hear from anyone who might have loaned their cell phone to a young woman fitting Miss Harrington’s description to make a call that night.”
This latest release underscores my original belief that Morgan entered a vehicle–either by enticement or hitchhiking–on or near the Copeley Bridge. This supports LE’s original ground search that was limited to the areas immediately adjacent to JPJ, UHall, Lannigan, and Copeley–all in very close proximity to one another.
The final appeal in the last statement of the release is quite telling: The police are actively seeking anyone who may have loaned their cell phone that evening to someone matching Morgan’s description. This tells me that LE has reason to believe that at some point that evening Morgan made–or attempted to make–a call to someone (perhaps a friend) from someone’s cell phone other than her own. This would indicate that Morgan had either lost her phone or it was no longer functional, e.g., the battery had died.
Right, but Observer, if they know that, then they know who the phone belongs to.
Are you aware there is someone is security claiming to have spoken with Morgan that evening?
B
Blink: LE would know who the phone belongs to only if it has an account associated with it. If it is a throw-away phone, they do not.
I’m not certain what you’re asking in your second sentence. Please re-state and I’ll attempt to respond.
Possibly yes, but there is some red flag phone number somewhere for that issue to even come up, imo. Could be a prepaid someone recently got rid of, of course.
I was asking if your aware that there is a security employee that claims to have spoken to Morgan the evening of the concert and “wished he had helped her more.” ?
FWIW to all: I state again that I do not believe that the basketball players have anything to do with Morgan’s disappearance. For any poster here to impune the integrity of these individuals at this juncture is folly at its very worst.
Furthermore, I do not believe that LE–including UVAPD–are attempting in any way, shape or form to cover up wrongdoing. Politics aside, they have far greater motivation and pressure to bring this case to closure than to expend valuable energy attempting to hide facts.
LE has shared the information it has to the public, when it has, for investigatory purposes. To assign nefarious intent undermines LE’s sincere efforts.
We Agree . I don’t think anyone was saying there is nefarious intent on behalf of LE, that is unfounded. I think for the most part we are saying whatever those investigative reasons are, are not jiving with known information.
I will take this one further with the utmost respect to Ms. Geller. It is commonly known in LE that not everything they know is shared with the PIO. Not everything they provide in the form of “ok to release” is for the public to consume necessarily. It could be for a perp, and the PIO may not even know it. As a matter of fact, if it is critical to the investigation, most times they will not share it with the PIO lest they get asked the question..
B
To 192, SuzeeB,
I agree with you that she probably just didn’t pack up and go “start a new life”. What I think is that she might of been, instead, running away from the life she had. Doesn’t sound so much different, but it is.
Since nothing seems to make sense to us, it might be because things didn’t make sense in Morgan’s mind, that night and perhaps since, thus why she might of acted in a way that none of us can understand. What I am thinking specifically here is, perhaps, the onset of mental illness or heavy drug use.
Somebody who is having a psychotic episode might very well believe that her life is in danger and leave, thinking that everybody is out to get her. I was a social worker for many years and I met people who had totally lost touch with any concrete reality. It does happen and it is not marked on their forehead that they are delusional. People with psychotic troubles also often try to conceal the symptoms from the people around them at first, because of fear or of not knowing what’s happening to them.
On the other side, somebody who is strongly addicted to drugs might be scared at the thought of their close ones finding out and try to avoid that by leaving, perhaps with someone who can help fuel a heavy drug use. Since Morgan seemed to have problems with her finances and was supposed to meet with her dad about that the next day, one might presume that she might of been scared of being discovered and decided to fly instead.
These situations do happen and they happen in every social class. In any of them, Morgan’s reasonning would be impaired and that could lead her to act in a different way than what could be generally expected of her, an irrationnal way, therefor making it hard for us to understand why she acted the way she did and muddying the water.
Anyhow, I sure hope Morgan left on her own. Better that than being abducted and silenced… This being said, I also agree that Observer’s reflections make a lot of sense… Who knows, really… All I hope for her to get back home soon… My whole heart goes out to her family…
My perspective is that we are witnessing again what we have been witness to often over the past almost four weeks now: the public’s understandable thirst for more information and greater detail. The public is frustrated by their desire to assist in resolution of this case and simultaneously feels thwarted when information is made public in only a piece-meal fashion–as is the case in many investigations.
I repeat my earlier cautionary note: none of us–myself included–should jump to conclusions. We need to methodically take each piece of the puzzle as it is revealed to us until we have assembled a complete picture upon which to base a conclusion. Any action otherwise is misguided and ill-advised.
Blink, re: your earlier question: I had heard earlier that there was a security guard who suggested that he “wished (he’d) helped her more”. I cannot, however, assert validity.
Observer, I think you make a valid argument. However, I would just like to insert a component of what I think you are also seeing here. The contributors and posters of this site, as presumably you saw for yourself, are not really a fair cross section of Joe Public because by it’s origin, it attracts true crime followers who have what I will call advanced degrees in analysis and investigative techniques for the most part. So while your points are very valid, there is also an undercurrent here of folks that function in the advance of what is coming out, and simply are focused on finding Morgan yesterday.
For Example, if you review the comments and outrage about the hitchhiking information in chronological order ( and I will state for the record I did not delete a word). You see that reasonable people, in an astronomical percentage, understand that the reconcilliation of released information does not even match known facts in this case and it is as some posters put it, insulting to them and to Morgan and her family. Like it or not, that absolutely is part of the dilema for LE.
So for me, I get it is simply a matter that they are not even talking to us. They are talking to whomever told them that story about the hitchhiking. They are saying to that individual (s) “We believe You, tell us the rest.”
Yeah, Blink, you know, as more information is coming out, I feel like I’ve been moving with it and away from the JPJ Arena. I just had to stop myself and say, okay, settle down, stop moving. Maybe we need to go back to where we were in the beginning and look again. KWIM.
Very Much so. I found my razor starting with an O.
B