Morgan Harrington Case: 2 Unidentfied Bodies Found in Different Locations (Updated)
Breaking News
Roanoke, VA Laurel, MD– Two bodies of unidentified individuals, one confirmed female, were found this morning in Roanoke, VA and Laurel MD, respectively.
The remains in Roanoke, which is also the town Morgan Harrington’s family home is located, were spotted by a coal train employee near the tracks under the Wasena Bridge. The Medical Examiner is on the scene and it is believed to be the body of a female.
In Laurel, MD Prince George County, Homicide detectives have been called to the scene at approximately 6 am this morning following the discovery of a deceased individual in the Encore Recycling Plant. Police are not commenting on the victims gender or age at this time.
Blinkoncrime.com will be updating this developing story as information becomes available.
Update #1 11:58 EST. The Female Body recovered near the RR tracks in Roanoke is tentatively classified as a suicide. Press Release forthcoming from Roanoke PD
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Sure B
Police in Prince George’s County are investigating the discovery of a body at a recycling plant in Laurel.
Officer Henry Tippett, spokesperson for Prince George’s County Police, says the body, which appears to be an adult, was found in a trash compactor at the Encore Recycling Plant in the 13200 block of Virginia Manor Road.
Tippett says the gruesome discovery was made sometime before 6:15 Tuesday morning.
Homicide investigators are on the scene, however police are classifying the incident as a suspicious death.
http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=93813
Thanks Lily, new article is up, mind reposting there? Thanks friend
B
From previous thread:
Comment by lily — November 17, 2009 @ 11:35 am
http://www.nokenews.com/2008/08/15/exploring-roanoke-wasena-bridge/
The bridge doesn’t seem high enough to be a “suicide” type of place imo
Comment by lily — November 17, 2009 @ 11:40 am
http://www.nokenews.com/2008/06/16/exploring-roanoke-the-roanoke-river-greenway-part-2/
More pics of the bridge – not a suicide imo
goodness, and another body in york county, sc (but with a tattoo)
snip
Authorities in York County are investigating the death of a young woman found burned Sunday in Kings Mountain State Park. ….
The sheriff’s and coroner’s office are asking the community for help identifying the woman. Investigators estimate her age was between 13 and 20, and she was approximately 5-foot, 5-inches and 115 pounds.
The female body had been burned but there was a visible tattoo on the upper right arm, the release states. It appears the tattoo was of some sort of band, perhaps barbed wire.
http://www.heraldonline.com/front/story/1748046.html
The latest on the unidentified body in Laurel, MD:
http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=93813
the body appears to be an adult and the police are classifying the incident as a suspicious death…
Thanks Heri.
B
I have a question concerning the body found in Roanoke. If it was identified as a criminal investigation, such s murder, wouldn’t the police still be there taking pictures, taping off and collecting evidence? I think if they cleared the area so quickly, it probably isn’t Morgan, or it may be a suicide.
Also, if the area was flooded, could it be that the body could have been in the river, and ended up on the bank by the tracks and the bridge??
Chad, I am thinking the same thing…
http://www.gazette.net/stories/11172009/prinnew101856_32561.shtml
Police: body found under Wasena ruled suicide.
http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/police_body_found_under_wasena_ruled_suicide1/63017/
Thanks Heri
B
LE is tentatively ruling the Roanoke FB as a suicide.
News release to appear shortly.
Thanks Observer. I understand they are not releasing her ID with the presser pending family notification, is that your news as well?
Sweet Jesus…All these bodies found in a short period of time. My God Blink what and the hell is going on here? First that sweet child given into prostitution by her own MOTHER and now all of this. Im sicken. Its becoming way too much. Is there so little regard these days for a human life……..I pray for the Harrington family.
Thanks Heri for the info on the Wasena bridge incident. So sad.
Blink, how do I send you a post not for public consumption?
Here I will keep it private upon request
B
This is from a article I hadn’t seen:
Wasena Bridge Update: State police now say they don’t believe it’s the body of Harrington, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/crime/article/police_body_found_in_roanoke_as_missing_va._tech_student_case_continues/48996/
You’re welcome Lily. And yes, so sad indeed..
From the Richmond Times Dispatch:
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/article/BODYGAT17_20091117-113201/306285/
They are stating that the Roanke LE officials do NOT believe this person is Morgan Harrington.
@chitown lady–My goodness, you are so correct. What is this world coming to? I have never seen or heard of so much violence in my life. It’s as if we live in a world gone mad. Take care!~Moonchime
While we’re very relieved it is not Ms. Harrington, we should all share in a moment of silence/prayer. We have a five year old child found murdered, this person and countless others missing or presumed dead. Each of whom is someone’s child, parent, brother, friend… It’s an extremely violent world. Each of us needs to be very vigilent of ourselves, our families, friends and neighbors. Be safe my friends.
Please do, as will I.
B
women and children are not safe in this world anymore. i am sickened and saddened by the death of the little girl in north carolina and by the disappearance of morgan. it seems as if the whole world is going insane and that the victims of the insanity are women and children. i pray for the family members.
What an amazing woman, wife, mother, and a person with such exceptional strength ……….during the news that is unraveling today and all around us, perhaps she is navigating all of us through this tragedy with poise, dignity, and hope. Please read her words.
Updated Blog by Gil Harrington (11/17)
ON NOVEMBER – 17 – 2009ADD COMMENTS
People want a happy ending. The happy ending might not come. Instead what they get might be a take home message and a modeling of how people can proceed through a tragedy with dignity. I believe there is a shift as a country towards community: we are seeking and feeling reconnection and intimacy.
I don’t know how to do this, though.
We know a surgeon who had his fingers burned off. He didn’t know how to operate with the pads of his digits but he learned, as we can learn this. I believe there are heroes among us- I am not a Pollyanna. I also recognize that evil exists. The trick is to choose not to let it defeat you. And you do so by living well, not letting this tragedy poison your life. Using your pain to open yourself to others’ pain and be more compassionate, make more connections rather than pull away from the world.
Acknowledging and sharing in the joys of your colleagues and friends is what makes life rich and worth living. Holding others up when tragedy hits, as we are being held. If you let the loss ruin your life you let the guys who snatched Morgan win, you let evil win- I cannot let that happen. Our planned circumscribed picture of a life has been fractured, but the shards can be re-arranged into a mosaic; different and abstract now, but still beautiful and precious. How to do this?
FAMILY BLOG
I am humbled by her grace and that of this family. Her words moved me today when I needed them.
B
I feel bad for Morgan’s parents. What a rollercoaster this must be for them.
This is one amazing woman……i feel she has given me strength even now
What a strong woman Mrs. Harrington is………she reminds me of Beth Holloway in alot of ways. Please don’t let Morgan be another Natalee. I pray for Morgan’s safe return.
Wow! Her words give me strength in my own life!
Her words are so fitting for some of the comments here.
Just when we are questioning the evils and thinking the world is a bad place…don’t let it get to you. If you do, evil will prevail.
I would like to quote from one of my favorite movies…”Where the Heart Is”
“You tell them that our lives can change with every breath we take. …….
You tell them we’ve all got meanness in us, but we’ve got goodness too. And the only thing worth living for is the good. That is why we’ve got to make sure we pass it on”
That bridge is only a few blocks from me, it is high enough to jump off of, and the river last week was flooded so high that the greenways were covered…I’m thinking someone just either got caught in the flood or was just a transient that od’d or froze under the bridge. Prob nothing.
From Jane’s lips to Gods ears……Mrs. Harrington has shown us all what strength and courage and class she has through this darkest hour.We all pray for Morgan’s safe return and for The Harrington family to hold strong…..I guess there is none more truer statement then TRUST NO ONE!
I confess that I am not certain precisely how (or where best) to say this–and do not mean to hijack the latter part of this thread–but: I still believe most strongly that the outlying areas around CV, especially the most rural areas, are the ones where a targeted search for MH would be most effective. Every investigative instinct in me leads me in that direction. I hope that I am wrong and that MH is returned safely to the waiting arms of her loving family.
BTW: Did anyone else notice Gil’s use of the plural “guys”? This may or may not be telling.
Observer, are you aware of the body discovered at the recycling plant in Laurel this morning?
Yes, I have noticed Gil use the term “Man” in terms of who or what happened to Morgan and today the the plural term “guys.”
I noted it when I posted it on SM. There has been no news out of Laurel, MD since early this morning, making me very nervous
B
Not to much to say.
Another family will be in the throws of grief today. My prayers go out to them.
Mrs. Harrington has proven yet again that Morgan came from a family that is loving and thoughtful. Instead of focusing on her own grief she reaches out to help us with ours.
Thank you Chad, for bringing her words to us. I can’t help but notice her reference to the men who took Morgan. I hope they will be brought to justice soon.
Does anyone know if the recycling center that housed the trash compactor where the body was found was a normal depository for VG garbage to be taken for disposal? I’m a little confused about exactly what type of facility the body was found. I can’t seem to find any details anywhere.
Thanks-TR
It is a private COMMERCIAL recycling center. It is endorsed with current haul registration paperwork.
B
This may be why there is no news out of Laurel:
“Officer Henry Tippett, police department spokesman, said Tuesday afternoon that investigators were still trying to determine what happened. He said there was possibly extensive trauma to the body caused by the compactor. This is making it hard to determine the age, gender and cause of death.”
http://www.examiner.com/x-21182-DC-Crime-Examiner~y2009m11d17-Body-found-in-Laurel-recycling-center-dumpster
The problem with that is I can tell from the quotes that this gentleman spoke to the press prior to arriving on scene at some point today, and was giving first responder info, imo.
B
Chad – glad you decided to stay. To be (moderated) or not to be . . . trust me moderation is the way to go. Blink moderates and manages this site with great care. A lot of us are working moms like Blink – and even though she’s not in my same time zone I swear I’ve figured her schedule out – and pretty much know when she might have a few minutes to study, respond to and release comments by instinct now! I may just work my schedule around hers – ha!
Thanks for bringing Gil Harrington’s comment over here today – it is a beautiful testament to the type of family Morgan has.
The comment is worrisome to me – was it released after the discovery in Laurel? If so, it makes me wonder if the family has heard that there is a possibility that this is Morgan. I so hope its not but that’s like wishing for another’s heartbreak. No news out of Laurel yet. This has been an unbearably sad week already. I am at a loss and not good at comforting others like so many of you are here.
It’s hard to know what to hope for, but it is important to remember that all of these bodies are someone’s daughter, perhaps sister, maybe mother. I haven’t become so engrossed in this case, invested though I am, to wish for it to be someone else’s tragedy.
It’s odd that the news is so quiet from Laurel. I saw one google link that says it was a womans body that was found there – but when I click on the link – they story isn’t there.
Odd.
I’m not even sure what to pray for. At times, I hope it is her – so that her parents can know where Morgan is. And, other times, I pray it isn’t her – because I so much, want her to still be alive.
This world has gone crazy. I’m scared to let my kids out to play, anymore.
Blink,
Could either of these be Christine Sheddy or Brittannee Drexel?
no
B
yes, these events are tragic, but the world is not a less safer place. Actually, 40% less children have gone missing in 2008 from 1988. each case is horrible, and the news cycle covers them aggressively, but there are actually less cases.
If this is Morgan at the recycling yard she did not just wonder in there.
If it was a worker, I believe they would have began their story with possible work related accident at recycling center…
The first reports stated no obvious knife/bullet wounds. Which leads me to believe this person was purposely put there. Before or after death? If it is Morgan the #$%^ *! took away the ability for Morgan to be viewed one last time by her family. In essence stealing her away again.
Whomever this turns out to be I mourn for their family.
Regardless of who these deceased people turn out to be, I am stunned by the evil committed of some of our fellow human beings and yet astonished at the grace of people like the Harringtons. There must be lessons here but I’m feeling right now that they are beyond me.
Blink: Are your inside sources telling you anything? Anything at all?
Sorry Teri, no short cuts today friend
B
blink:
i do not know when i started reading your site. it was some time ago. i think in was the beginning of the Caylee Anthony case. although, it is the Morgan Harrington case that i began to post my thoughts and theories. i would like to thank you for your site. i do not participate and write often, i read everyday. today, has been hard with all those found. it is a strange and evil world out there but knowing that there are those out there like you and your other posters…i truly believe that we do outnumber “them”!!!
God bless, watch out for each other and all stay safe!!!!
B: I am aware of the DB found in Laurel, MD. Will share more as I am able.
I know. Me too. Thanks Observer.
B
still no fresh laurel news, but a different pic of the center
http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=93813&catid=158
LAUREL, Md. (WUSA) — Police in Prince George’s County are investigating the discovery of a body at a recycling plant in Laurel. …
Tippett says the gruesome discovery was made sometime before 6:15 Tuesday morning.
Homicide investigators are on the scene, however police are classifying the incident as a suspicious death.
lilbugs – I hope that my comment wasn’t mistaken as being too engrossed with this case or wishing for this to be someone else’s tragedy. Please know that my intent was exactly the opposite. I was right about not being good at knowing the comforting things to say at times like this.
Teri – I too know how you feel about not knowing exactly what to hope for. Its confusing. Guess I’ll get started on my commute and put on some soothing music and just hope for strength for everyone who is going to need it today.
Blink – #35.
Thanks, Blink. I figured you probably couldn’t share…but the heartache I feel for this girl and her family made me ask anyway.
The lack of news coming from there is unsettling, to say the least.
My intuition says they’ve already determined, with a relative amount of certainty, whether it’s Morgan or not. If nothing else – her beautiful, long blond hair would be evident, if it is her.
The silence of the details regarding the finding of this person is deafening.
Not her, sorry, they were not releasing his name up until a bit ago.
B
This is exactly why I want to buy pepper spray or mace for my step daughter that is a marathon runner and jogs all the time, all times of the day, and my daughter in law who has two teen age girls. This stuff is legal in WI. What makes me nervous is I told my step daughter my concerns about her jogging out in the countryside in the dark and she just laughs at me….HELLOOOOOOOOO!
Gods Speed to everyone involved today.
I live in baltimore about 25 miles from Laurel, its a fairly rough area so lets not assume that any body found here could be Morgan…. the only reason this is on the radar is because its right along i-95
Two dead bodies found in two different locations.
WHAT DOES THIS POINT TOO? SERIAL KILLER? OR MURDER SUICIDE?
Lets pray Morgan is still alive.
In Mrs. Harrington’s words I see a lady who cherishes family, friends and life itself. I am deeply touched by her caring wisdom, courage and generosity of spirit. Morgan’s photographs show the same sparkling warmth. I don’t know what to say other than to ask prayerfully for the investigation to result soon in Morgan’s return to her family.
What a couple of days this has been. Please don’t let this be Morgan. Please don’t take our sunshine away. I still have hope in this sad, sad world of ours. Let Morgan live to shine another day.
Identified:
LAUREL, Md. (WUSA) –Prince George’s County Police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in a trash compactor at a recycling center in Laurel Tuesday morning. Police later identified the man as 45-year-old Lindolph Marcellouf, Jr., of the 12300 blk of William Beanes Road in Upper Marlboro.
See http://origin.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=93813&catid=189
It sounds like we are due for a horrific announcement. I am a rather cynical, distrustful individual but I always hope for miracles in these types of situation–like I am certain we all do. However, I have a sick feeling that my natural instincts will once again be proved right. Never had children because it seems the world begins to chip away at innocence the first chance it gets…couldn’t bear that thought. Still hoping for an unlikely miracle.
Just clicked on the link above – story was updated. Laurel body was a man.