Morgan Harrington Case: Separating Fact From Fiction From Facebook Part II
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Charlottesville, VA– Just passing the month mark, the disappearance of Morgan Harrington from the John Paul Jones Area located on the UVA campus, leaves us with more questions than answers. Part II
The Faces of Her Facebook
Help Find Morgan Harrington was developed by a few concerned individuals interested in spreading the word about Morgan’s disappearance and boasts over 30,000 members. Not all posts are welcome.
In particular, a member by the name of Nelson Kane was recently banned for posting very detailed hypothesis scenarios that sparked a firestorm of interest in the self-appointed athlete scout. His posts were deleted at the request of Law Enforcement who admit tasking two officers with monitoring the web for such activity in Morgan’s case.
Additionally, Mr. Kane reached out to several individuals on facebook as well as the Harrington family’s findmorgan.com site in attempts to speak to the family directly and request an interview. The Harrington’s were made aware of the concern for such requests by sources close to the investigation.
He has recently changed his facebook drastically. 
Mr. Kane, a member of the family owning the longtime furniture store of the same name in Charlottesville is also a UVA alumni and season ticket holder. In addition to UVA, Kane also claims to have attended Virginia Tech on many of his many social networking profiles. He also fancies himself as somewhat of a Rock band critic.
On his site, nkscouting.com which he has maintained 
since 2001, Kane chronicles his trips to scout mostly High School basketball and football athletes. In an effort to make his site more interesting (his words) he details the travel experience, routes, times and in some cases photos of his visits to High Schools mostly within a few hours driving distance.
Very early on in Morgan’s case, blinkoncrime.com explored the idea that perhaps the double murder of VT freshmen David Metzler and Heidi Childs on August 27th should be investigated as a possible link to Morgan’s case simply because they attend the school and Morgan and Heidi bare a remarkable resemblance to one another.
As far as very odd coincidences go, the location of Nelson Kane’s scouting foray the evening of the August 28th could not be more relevant.
Kane scouted the game at Jefferson Forest High School. The very 
School Heidi Childs graduated from a year earlier. Unlike most of Kane’s other journal entries of his athlete accolades, there is no mention of his travel experience to or from Forest High School so it is unclear where he left from, when he got there, or when he returned home.
This is in no way an accusation that Mr. Kane had any involvement whatsoever in such a heinous crime, of course, but given his proclivities for leaving at all hours of the day and night his keen attention to travel detail and familiarity with the area: Perhaps he saw someone or something amiss in his trip that could help investigators.
On Saturday October 17th, Kane scouts a game, listens to the UVA football game on his way home and is home in plenty of time to make the concert.
Blink how do you know he was at the concert you ask? I do not. I do know he knows alot about security at the JPJ Arena, how to navigate the different lots near Uhall, and of course that there are blue portable lavatories next to Lanigan Field. His posts from the Charlottesville Daily Progress below:
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Wanted to clarify #944, obviously, we were trying to enter the floor area during a concert, not a basketball game.
In case you haven’t seen these. Here are some comments that were posted on Facebook.
Cattie Weston(Virginia Tech) wrote at 2:59 on November 19th , 2009
Morgan’s phone could not have been found without a battery. I called her on Sunday. It rang several times before going to voicemail. It wasn’t until Monday that it started going straight to voicemail.
Ryan Nicholas (UVA) wrote
at 11:56pm on October 19th, 2009
she was sitting right in front of me at the metallica concert, she left after lamb of god finished and i thought it was really weird that she didn’t come back for metallica, but didn’t really think anything of it. figured she was a big lamb of god fan or something. she was acting really wild and crazy along with the music, who knows what mindset she was in when she walked off but i don’t think any of that info will help the police. i think some psycho saw the state she was in and thought it would be easy to grab her
Leslie Carlson(JMU) wrote
at 12:14am on October 21st, 2009
Police reports say that she was separated from friends shortly before 9pm and that she was going outside and was thought to be returning shortly. I arrived at the JPJ around 9pm and witnessed a girl who fits her description leaving the arena. I am not positive I can recall what she was wearing, just that I remember black and high heels. The girl that I saw was extremely intoxicated and by herself. I also witnessed her drop her purse several times, and police reports say it was found along with her cell phone outside the JPJ. I do not want to make assumptions on the very little evidence I have, but if one of her friends that was with her that night sees this and is willing to discuss if alcohol was involved, my report may be helpful. I do not know where she headed after leaving the arena, however. Just that she had a spat with the female security guard working the door. I will call the police hotline and tell them what I know in the morning.
Maggie Voth(UVA) wrote
at 3:16pm on October 19th, 2009
I saw her at 930 too, she was on the bridge on alderman trying to hitchhike and was alone
Here is the Grandmother on video interview who saw a couple struggling in the parking lot. She said the blond wore her hair back and saw a gold earring in ear.
http://www.nbc12.com/global/story.asp?s=11369879
Here is Sarah Snead speaking about the Dee Video
Sarah Snead (Northside High) wrote
at 3:36pm on October 26th, 2009
Those pictures are of a boy and girl that go to JMU…i actually know them through a mutual friend and am 100% positive that that is not morgan. She has longer hair, her shirt was not cut off, and she had on hose. That video was brought to my attention last night but i am sure that is not morgan. Keep up the good work though.
This may confirm that Dee was with 4 guys instead of 3.
Kyle Priber (Washington, DC) wrote
at 6:01pm on October 27th, 2009
idk if any of my other friends posted this yet. but the new video of the security camera as we’re all leaving the floor after the show. the blond girl in the video is my friend zack’s (holding the beach ball) is not morgan, her name is Dee. it is a coincidence that they both had the same outfits on, but that grainy video doesnt offer much to go on. the one thing morgan’s father noticed was the girl in the video was not wearing tights which morgan was wearing tights that night to the concert. Dee has contacted the tipline, and the local news telling them that its not her, and tonight on the harrisonburg news they will be clearing up the confusion from the video of all 5 of us leaving. thank you
I believe Granny.
B
@ #939 J2K:
A good looking girl like Morgan would likely know guys from a neighboring college. Also, her brother was a graduate from UVA and I do believe her father taught psych/med/resident students from (and at?) UVA.
Odds now?
“From a very basic perspective, if I take the “no suspects” at face value, then I believe the students and parents at UVA at a minimum deserve a specific update as a safety precaution- IS there a predator on the campus or could there be?”
The official word — this is no big deal; don’t worry, be happy; just an isolated incident; no need for extra precautions:
Date: November 3, 2009
To: All U.Va. Students
From: Patricia M. Lampkin, Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer
Subject: Please Read: Safety Reminders
Dear Students:
[part of a longer email]
“The University Police will continue to issue alerts, if warranted, to the University community. At this time, they have no reason to suspect that Ms. Harrington’s disappearance was anything other than an isolated incident or that community members need to take steps beyond those they already should be taking to protect themselves.”
http://www.virginia.edu/vpsa/communications/09-10/110309-safety-reminders.html
No further alerts on this issue:
http://www.virginia.edu/vpsa/communications/index.html
wth does that mean? Isolated incident? Yeesh.
B
The first link should be:
http://www.virginia.edu/vpsa/communications/09-10/110309-safety-reminders.htm
Warning:
RE: “…when public help or volunteers are requested, their [sic] IS a reciprocal duty to update them with current and accurate information in an effort to progress leads. That is not happening. I saw a statement yesterday from Ms. Geller stating they still dont [sic] have a suspect.”
I believe that there is a reasonable expectation that when volunteers assist with a ground search as they did earlier, or are asked to provide whatever leads or tips that may be helpful, LE is well-advised to provide the public with updates containing current and accurate information. [Even without the aforementioned, updates are critical.] I disagree that there is “a reciprocal duty”.
VSP has done just that, e.g., they have provided current and accurate information as it has become available–emphasis on the last five words of that statement. That is, in fact, what has occurred. To wit: Ms. Geller’s statement yesterday that LE still does not have a suspect is the most current information they have available. [Caveat: Unless there is a POI, in which case the public will not be made aware of this information, nor should they.]
RE: “Either say something or say nothing at all…”
This provides a clear example of a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” dynamic. If the VSP has nothing new to report, and releases a statement to that effect, they are damned. If they have nothing new to report and do not release a statement to that effect, they are damned. This is referred to as a double-bind, no-win situation.
RE: “…dribs and drabs of nothing…”
This is not reflective of Ms. Geller’s lack of understanding of or control over her role with the VSP. The lack of new information released in Ms. Geller’s most recent statement is instead a direct reflection of where this case now stands: that is, lacking new leads.
If LE has nothing new to report, the public outcry understandably continues and readers clamor for more information. The stated assertion is that “something is off in the investigation”.
I assert that something is indeed “off” with this investigation; however, that anomaly lies not with LE’s management thereof. It rests with three things, and three things only:
1. a found purse
2. a found cell phone
3. a missing young woman
I repeat: unless or until a reader is directly involved in the investigation into the MH disappearance, it is folly to assume anything. There have been assumptions made about MH, MH’s parents, LE, UVA, the BB players, MH’s friends, He-of-the-Orange-High-Tops, etc. et. al.; the list goes on.
The first rule of a successful investigation: Assume nothing.
I confess confusion on one point. You state:
“The investigators choose what information will be given based on the status of their investigation and they do this strategically because they do not want the PIO in the position of accidentally, through word, deed, or expression, giving anything away that might compromise them.”
You then go on to say:
“If it is stated as such, than the public is expected to perceive it as fact, and then from a strategy perspective, not everything that could be done to facilitate movement to finding answers as well as Morgan…”
Although this may well not have been your intent, it appears from the above two statements that you’re simultaneously saying two things:
1. that LE strategically releases information in certain cases inasmuch as they do not want to “show their hand” to a potential POI; and
2. that when LE strategically releases information in certain cases inasmuch as they do not want to show their hand to a potential POI, and the public accepts it as fact, this strategy somehow fails to “facilitate movement to finding answers”.
Reference back to “double-bind”.
RE: “From a very basic perspective, if I take the “no suspects” at face value, then I believe the students and parents at UVA at a minimum deserve a specific update as a safety precaution- IS there a predator on the campus or could there be?”
If the UVA community accepts at face value that VSP “has no suspects” at this time, that does not in and of itself point to a predator on the Grounds. It means exactly what it says: VSP has no suspects. The statement “has no suspects” in no way implies that the suspect is a predator. It may mean that LE has an as-yet unannounced POI who is a friend…acquaintance…former neighbor…ex-beau…who specifically targeted MH. If VSP, UVAPD, CPD, or ACPD had any reason to believe that the UVA community and/or student population was at risk, they would take every precaution necessary and prudent to relay this information. This is precisely what occurred when there was a serial rapist in the CV community.
I submit that LE has no reason to believe that there is a predator active in the UVA/CV community.
IMP. NOTE #1: We are on the same side of this equation, inasmuch as our primary concern is for MH. Her welfare precedes all other considerations, political or personal.
Re: “…utilization of the media is a very strong component in a case like this if handled correctly.”
It is, and I submit that the media has been utilized in the fashion and to the degree necessary in this case. It is not an indictment of the media outlets or LE if the manner and use of the media has not been met with the approval of the public. Again, the public is assuming much in the case of MH.
RE: “…there are different approaches available here and we think they should be given consideration…”
Absolutely and without question. I attempt only to provide what I perceive to be necessary balance to those considerations.
IMP. NOTE #2: Please bear in mind that my view of LE–like UVA–is far from myopic; I, if anyone, appreciate their foibles and shortcomings as I have on more than one occasion witnessed and experienced them first-hand. I likewise understand and appreciate not only their efforts, but their strategies, their reasoning, and the manner in which they intentionally manage a case.
Here are, in my humble opinion, the bottom lines:
1. The public is frustrated. *
2. The public wants to help. *
3. The public does not believe that LE has been as forthcoming as they (the public) would like them to be.
4. The public believes that LE has been inconsistent and untimely in their release of information.
5. The public does not feel as though they have been engaged by LE to the degree that they would like to have been. *
6. The public believes that, with their increased engagement, they would be able to help break the MH case. **
7. The public feels thwarted in their efforts.
8. In the public’s increasing angst to see MH returned home, their focus almost imperceptibly turns from the perpetrator of this crime to LE’s perceived failure to further the case.
9. The public wants answers from LE, yesterday.
10. The public decries the lack of answers from LE.
And the cycle continues. And MH remains unfound.
And the end-goal is always the same: to bring MH home.
And once again, the defense (respectfully) rests.
[And no, I am not a defense attorney, nor do I play one on tv.]
Observer, please forgive me, I have a development in another case that needs my attention. I will respond personally, but I wanted to post this and let the readers weigh in.
B
Blink,
Could you please restate your concerns with the Mile Marker tips on either the Blue Ridge Parkway or the Skyline Drive. I have reread the posts and am still confused.
I drove up yesterday to MM 105 of the Skyline Drive. It is before the entrance gate and a couple of hundred yards past the overpass of Route 250. There is no overlook or dropoff on the road at all until you get past the entrance gate, just up-sloping terrain and trees on the right (traveling north) and downsloping terrain and trees on the left.
The midpoint of the bridge over Route 250 is apparently “Mile Marker 0″ of the Blue Ridge Parkway going in the other direction (south), because Mile Marker 1 on the Blue Ridge parkway is exactly one mile past the midpoint of the Route 250 bridge overpass.
Blue Ridge Mile Marker 105 and 120 are in the vicinity of Roanoke with road access close to those mile markers. Again there are no fees associated with the Blue Ridge Parkway and numerous secondary roads offer access all along its length.
The warning above should have contained the words:
Reading glasses alert.
mjh, B, Reece (re: #917/944)
Thanks for finding and posting this, mjh. I definitely am chewing grains of salt as I type this, but even a friend of a friend of a Friend is insight I welcome at this point. However, I agree with B – the only “insight” was the “altered plans,” bit… but that could mean they were no longer going back to JMU as a tired foursome looking forward to munchies and getting in their jams. They may have felt compelled to drive to where they thought she’d go, look for her, and fail to find her … it had to be a rather somber evening from that point forward, and well outside the realm of their initial plans.
Most striking, I thought, was that Tarheelplaya06′s posts underscored the thick vail of secrecy around the Friends, and, subsequently, the events of that night. When we pour through a friend-twice-removed’s vague comments on things we already know, it’s obvs that NO ONE is talking. The only way that makes sense is if They know more. And the only way They know more than the public is if they know WHO.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to wash all this salt out of my mouth.
Yep. They know the Who…
B
Judi
I fully agree, the limo driver that had seen her talking to the BBplayers would have stayed there until after the concert. I am just assuming that it was the limo driver that saw the players talking to Morgan, but he was parked there, Blink, tell me if I’m completely wrong on this. If a purse was laying there I would think that he would have seen it. If you look at where the purse was supposidly found, someone would have had to practilly run over it to get out of the RV lot.
It is my understanding the players and Morgan walked past the limo driver who was stationary at the time, so no.
B
In regards to Post #945 and Blink’s comment, “Yep. They know the Who…”, is Mr. Who the suspected perp/possilbe POI, the guy Morgan may have been meeting, the male she was texting or all they all three the same person?
POI
B
Kenneth Kaiser can anyone run plates? I saw a charcoal gray Honda going down Highway 55 in Imperial, Missouri. There was a blond that resembled Morgan in the car she was slouched down looking out the passenger window, she looked sad, like she didnt wan t to be in the car, she appreared to be wearing dark color clothes, she kept look…ing back at me like she notice me looking at her, I have my metallica shirt on today… anyway there was a white male driving , he was in all black with a dark color baseball cap and sunglasses on and it’s gloomy here in Missouri today, he on a car phone, I studied the plates a bit and could tell that they were not Missouri plates, I notice green on the plates, I got the plate numbers 588 VXC… I don’t know if it was her but it struck me as suspicious… she had the look on her face like she was being taken to jail or just not happy… its hard to explain but it caught my attention… this was like 20 mins ago, it’s 3:12 central time.
People please if you see a girl that looks like she is in trouble call 911. I don’t care if she looks like Morgan or not. Why wait until you get back to your computer and put it on a facebook wall. What can we do? Even if we can run the plates that doesn’t tell us who is in the car. That car could be anywhere now.
Here are, in my humble opinion, the bottom lines:
1. The public is frustrated. *
2. The public wants to help. *
3. The public does not believe that LE has been as forthcoming as they (the public) would like them to be.
4. The public believes that LE has been inconsistent and untimely in their release of information.
5. The public does not feel as though they have been engaged by LE to the degree that they would like to have been. *
6. The public believes that, with their increased engagement, they would be able to help break the MH case. **
7. The public feels thwarted in their efforts.
8. In the public’s increasing angst to see MH returned home, their focus almost imperceptibly turns from the perpetrator of this crime to LE’s perceived failure to further the case.
9. The public wants answers from LE, yesterday.
10. The public decries the lack of answers from LE.
And the cycle continues. And MH remains unfound.
WELL said Observer, thank God you can think clearer than I right now. Anger is the only thing that I’m feeling at the moment and have been now for days. Why ask the public for help, if they aren’t intending to give the public something to work with!
Here’s an example of what I am talking about:
http://www.vsp.state.va.us/MissingChildren.shtm#h
Morgan Harrington is not even listed on the VSP missing persons site correctly. She is listed as a missing child. This stuff is database driven, shouldn’t be room for error in that regard.
B
Counselor4u (re: #945)
I’ll give you 1 out of 6,000… but not sure what the over-under is.
Toy and Momof3, she couldn’t have lost the battery inside the arena because her friends are able to talk to her on her phone outside of the arena at 8:48, and she is able to text someone.
I’m of two minds about the battery. I think we all were instantly interested in this case when we heard her purse and cellphone were found in the parking lot but the battery was missing. But now her folks have said (repeatedly?) that it wasn’t unusual for her battery to fall out of her phone. Whatever that means. I ask myself, if it was really significant for her battery to be missing, why would they be playing it down? Why would LE ask them to play it down? Maybe I am missing something. The missing battery is weird and intriguing, but I’m feeling like it’s a red herring at this point. Though it’s odd if it has never been found. huh. dunno.
But I do think (to Judi’s point) that it’s possible that the purse was not discovered until the morning because 1) if it was really in the RV lot, not many cars were parked in that lot cuz it was reserved for athletes, not concertgoers and 2) it was dark there, and the purse was black and thus not easy to spot. But I won’t rule out the purse being dumped later, tho I think that’s a risky move.
Re: post 907. I have been following this case since the begining and have been reading all the comments on a daily basis. This is my first time posting though. The basketball players are not involved with MH’s disapearance except as being witness just like many other people. Sene’s suspension was for a violation of team rules..he failed a drug test is what I am hearing. As for Tucker..he took a leave of abscence to tend to some domestic issues with his girlfriend which my understanding was that she was having his child and he took a leave to tend to that greater responsibility.
Wouldnt NCAA rules necessitate a failed drug test be disclosed?
You may be correct, they may simply be witnesses, but I am not buying the pregnant girlfriend thing. Specifically, he has been at every game, and began practicing last Friday. Sadly, there are hundreds of NCAA athletes with children before they finish school.
B
Blink – may i asked re:#950, which case this is in reference to?
i cant imagine they wouldnt lift all available fingerprints off all items in her purse.If no fingerprints,wiped clean, except finders and uva there’s some foul play.really that shouldnt be to hard to do .i am bothered by no evidence of foul play,seems to me the buck stops there.no foul play, no need for further investigation. also does no new leads also mean that old ones have been exhausted.
I have finally figured out why this case is bothering me so much. I feel like this website is the only place/people really interested in finding her. Really analyzing and thinking hard, not just “I had a dream”…Not to say that her parents aren’t, but compare and contrast to Natalee Holloway’s Mom. She was on every show and pounding the beach for weeks and months on end. I now have a feeling that there is a lot we don’t know, more than just the obvious. I am beginning to think she took off willingly and nobody can figure out a way to get her back. Is that why there are no searches anymore? Huge college town, you could have hundreds every weekend out there.
The picures as pointed out (she does look very different), the lack of any evidence of foul play, nobody talking. There is no way all those girls could keep quiet if they thought their friend truly needed help. No one has a conscience? Her Mom’s writing’s have an odd ring to them, like maybe Morgan can read them or something.
I am at a loss. If she was my daughter, I would be screaming from the rooftops.
blink: good evening. i have a response to your response to post 913…here are my feelings for what they are worth.
re: c geller and vsp.
yes, i do believe this statemnt of yours said it all. i am not that eloquent with words but i lost a little bit of faith in her and vsp when all we have heard from her and she is the face of vsp, right now, is the drips and drabs. i do not envy her position and i truly do understand that it must be difficult. with this being said i go to my next comment…
re: reciprocal duty.
i do not need to know it all but as one person who voluteered to search and run that risk of finding Morgan deceased (although i have already seen death and not in a delicate, natural package, as it may) but others with me have not! i had a grandfather and grandmother in my group…emotional but sincere. a young girl who had tears in her eyes the whole time…how was she going to fair possibly walking up or unearthing Morgan. a single mom…so moved she forgot to drink and eat, she was a diabetic and became weak but boy, did she want to help. we all were there to search for clues not for ourselves but to help LE. to be their eyes and ears! we went out knowing just what we heard on tv (not always your best place for info but at times, as you state, can be very useful)
we went out…came back…a necklace
we went out again…came back…a camera,
we went home…bb players,
we are home…hitchhiking…get my point.
just keep us posted to the best that you are able to as to not jeopodize “the case”. i want the bad guys to be put away too. i believe the vast majority if not the majority that weekend just wanted to find Morgan and bring her home! where she belongs!
re: UVA.
i too, do not believe UVA would willfully cover up a murder(?). i would hope, pray and know deep down that an institution would not want to have this unresolved and hanging over their heads. not even if their bb team was winning nor do i believe those would want to leave Morgan out there somewhere, quite possibly, becoming “a skeleton”. i am sure of this because they have kids too. i am sure their kids are like mine. for example, a boyscout. they (uva, vsp and such) would not want their boyscout to be on a hike and come across a body. NO NO NO. i do not believe as parents any of us would want that in the memory banks of our children.
finally, and i sure you are all grateful. it was tough for me and others that search weekend. i started out feeling like a team member and now i feel well, sorta empty. not knowing what to think anymore???
would i do it again? if you asked me two weeks ago, even a week ago, i would of said “Hell Yes!” afraid or not. but truth be told…i’m beginning to think not. but where does that leave me as a member of my community, of society? all for one and one for ONE!?
no way to live because i believe then the gg bg and the bg bg would win at all of our expense!
i do apologize for the length but i hope that it gives all of you on this site, that deal in LE, the legal eagles or crime reporters or whatever capacity you are in this field, some insight to just a “Mom” who was trying to do the right thing and help out fellow parents. thank you all for listening and blink, if you do not want to post…i totally understand!
If the 3 bb players that interacted with Morgan were just getting out of practice there is the likelihood that other players and components of that practice were also out, coming out or leaving. So there may have been other witnesses besides these 3 players.
Who all might (I stress, might) attend a bb practice – -
the bb team (all or in part), coaching staff, assistants,
team photographer, team videographer, sports therapist, invited staff and colleagues, maybe some VIP’s, some alumni, security, … wow, a lot of possibilities.
‘Cause there’s no way these 3 guys were the only ones attending that venue for practice that night.
Darn, and I just put my Spectator pumps on, too.
The friends’ actions appear to lean more toward concealing than cooperating.
I still question whether MH actually ever entered the arena. Other than the friends stating that she did, and some people claiming they saw her inside (which possibly might have been sightings if Dee S. inside rather than MH), is there concrete proof MH entered the arena? Just to be clear, I am not questioning whether MH was seen outside the arena – Blink made it clear that the BB players’ account of seeing MH is believed to be credible as far as being MH they encountered rather than Dee S who was inside the concert at that time. I question specifically whether MH was in fact ever inside the arena. Because if there is no actual proof that she was inside, it would be relevant to know why she wasn’t.
Watch, just to clarify, the term POI is a media term, not an investigative classification.
There are 3 classifications only:
1. Witness
2. Suspect
3. Victim
A dear Detective friend of mine puts it this way ” The suspect becomes the suspect when the cuffs go on.” I know everyone may not agree with that, but ask your friendly LEO if they agree. They will.
B
Assuming there is a POI, why is this being kept quiet? The whole reason for the term POI is to differentiate from “suspect”. Gives the person an opportunity to allow LE to clear them without the stigma of being named an actual “suspect”. If the POI is not cooperating or lawyer’d up, at what point would LE officially name them a suspect? Any POI(s) would be well-aware that they are. I’m just not buying this theory that LE and the friends are working together keeping quiet so as not to alert a possible POI that they are a POI in the hopes the POI is magically going to lead them to evidence. Seems more likely to me that they have a group of people who are sticking to the same story, which LE likely believes is bullshit but can’t prove otherwise just yet.
Here’s an example of what I am talking about:
http://www.vsp.state.va.us/MissingChildren.shtm#h
Morgan Harrington is not even listed on the VSP missing persons site correctly. She is listed as a missing child. This stuff is database driven, shouldn’t be room for error in that regard.
B
OMG, what on earth are they thinking about here? And honestly right now, I’m thinking that Morgan just left. If no more info is forth coming from LE it’s my take that they don’t have too much to go on and this case is at a solid stand still.
M-
You will continue to, no worries.
B
gosh, carson, i hope you are right that she took off willingly. i just don’t think so, but I so hope you are right. Hope though, for me, was lost in the torn purse and phone. Alas.
Speaking of her mom’s blogs, I wonder why they are posted weeks after (e.g., “Thoughts from 11/12″). I think that began around the time the hitchhiking story was released, which makes me wonder if they are doing that because they know more and it would be inappropriate, in some way, to post current thoughts. Her mother is quite articulate and has a unique and insightful way of sharing.
I’d like to weigh in on the basketball players leave of absence. I was a cheerleader in college and travelled with our basketball team. We signed identical contracts as the b-ball players that outlined expected behavior from as as we were “role models”. This included dress, profanity, public drunkedness, public smoking, criminal activity, grades, etc. Obviously I have not seen the contract (if any) that these players signed but I honestly do not feel that WE would have been forced to take a leave of absence for simply talking to a person who ended up missing or for not voluntarily coming forward after talking with this person.
As for studying in the car on the way, if this is the case and the rest of them were partying, she may have felt she had to “catch up” once they arrived, if so and she drank fast, it could have hit her all of a sudden causing her to become disoriented and falling.
I do not believe for a second Morgan was studying in the car on the way there.
B
Pregnancy?
observer, i was trying to find info that le can give false information in a public statement as an investigative tool,i didnt find anything yet,but i did read a bit about le being allowed to use false info in interrogation for investigative purposes,even this practice falls under scrutiny in a trial,it is allowed ,so most times they get past it in court.this stresses me with the “confident she was hh statement” this statement scares as to complications it could have in court.,maybe ms. gellers laywer and uva’s lawyers and the lawyer that will represent the bb player should he become a suspect are all in the same law firm ,(cuz at this point how does uva athletics know for sure that one theirs might come up for this). you say the hh has been beat,yet you yourself just suggested that no suspect does not mean there is a predator ,you said:it could have been someone she knew,targeted her,( what he made her hitchhike?le is confident,remember)(or he got lucky and she just happened to start hitch hiking as he rode by?) if indeed she was hitch hiking with thumb out as le is confident this counts out -someone she knew– see the thing with the hitch hiking is ,hitchhiking is stranger oriented,its almost part of the meaning,so she was either hitchhiking or not,hitching a ride means an entirely different thing,(which is what starts to scare me with this “confident”, once you get to court)and if she was indeed hitch hiking(seriously when is the last time you(everyone)saw someone inner city hitchhiking,).even if she was or especially since she was, wouldve been an excelllent time for ms.geller to update virginians on laws and dangers from hitch hiking PREDATORS and she didnt, neither did the uva community for college students and campus >>>in light of a recent incident :warning on hitch hiking laws & the dangers & predators that come with it.
Sorry to post again, but let’s look at this from the flipside. I think this is being handled like a runaway more so than a missing person. Maybe the little bit that has been released to pique public interest has been done because of the prominence of her parents. Everyone knows runaways get NO press, no help in finding them. It explains LE reluctance to release anything. Explains no searches. Don’t want to admit she ran away because everyone would lose interest but still want to help her parents out. Her parents want her back, keep quiet about possible personal stuff so people will keep their eyes open. Can’t you tell I am frustrated. But I really am starting to believe this.
Much appreciated Blink, Thank you for the edit.
#958
Suz, Hi. I am aware of the report she called and texted her friends. But it took how many weeks to come forward with the hitching scenario?
IMO in this case nothing can be eliminated KWIM? It would be so easy to release the texts. At least release a detailed fact sheet. That everyone can follow today, instead of going back over already debunked sightings ect. Some reports state she called her friends others say they called her.
Morgan’s story is endanger of being forgotten. Most of the public believes this is a case of some college rich girl partying too much before a metal concert and o-ding only to be left for dead somewhere by her scared friends. What other option is being followed up on? People tend to believe the easiest scenario. It certainly does not help that reports are stating there is no evidence of a crime being committed. It is so frustrating.
Actually Blink, please don’t post #965 and 966…I could figure out how to word any of that and it doesn’t sound respectful. Maybe you get my drift, but I don’t want to offend the others.
local
I did, and I agree.
B
#964
Carson, I totally understand your point of view. I too would be screaming from the rooftops. But, IMO her parents are doctors and have learned to put their feelings aside in order to deal with life and death. I think most Doctor’s are cut from a different clothe then most. I for one, could not hold a person’s life in my hands and then lose them, only to do it again the next day with out pause.
I fear like you, alot of people following this case are starting to believe she was into drugs and stopped 6mths ago, only to run away and be free on the night of the concert.
Please, do not give in to this thinking, it does not answer the many questions of why the friends are not talking. Just because she looks different in photos does not mean we should jump to that conclusion. There are a myriad of other reasons just as speculative about why this would be the case.
Honestly, there is no way to quantify what the Harrington’s are going through, what they know, what the believe, and what they fear, that contributes to their demeanor or action. I dont really understand the dynamic, even though I have seen it personally and it repeats itself for every missing persons case.
This situation is paralyzing and suspends rationality for people unilaterally. I actually think the Harrington’s are doing remarkably well. It has always reminded me of falling out of the world’s tallest tree, backfirst, so you cannot see the way down, grabbing at the limbs to catch yourself for terror of the pain of the landing you know is coming.
In the end, the fall was the worse part if you actually have the benefit of landing.
Landing meaning you find your child at all.
B
suz (re: #968)
And fairly pointless.
I think you make a solid observation (Judi too) that her black purse would not have stood out if it was on the ground all night.
Side note: Excellent use of the term “red herring.”
B: Do you believe LE has already interviewed the current POI? Do you, Observer? (not fair, I know I know)
And further, Observer (if you’re considering addressing anything in this comment thus far), while it makes *me* feel better to post speculations and tease-out logic here in regard to an utterly tragic situation I’ve actively engaged my mind in, is it at all fruitful or productive to speculate and reason about this case in a platform such as this? Is it … detrimental? (hope not)
Figured you’d be the best one to pose that to.
I cannot say if LE has SPOKEN to the POI, but yes, I believe they have one.
B
Yikes — we are turning on ourselves — we don’t know what happened, so imho, everyone’s contribution sheds some light ; 0 )
SuzeeB — 945 — thank you for posting those FB comments. I would have never been able to retrieve that. From my professional life, I know witnesses’ statements closest to the events are usually more accurate — you’ve got a guy sitting behind Morgan — he noticed her because as my own 18 y/o boy said: she was smokin’ hot — while we can only speculate what the poster meant when he wrote she was acting “wild and crazy” — we can speculate that she wasn’t passively sitting in her seat awaiting Metallica — she was having fun at a rock concert —
then another poster who arrives late says >>I am not positive I can recall what she was wearing, just that I remember black and high heels. The girl that I saw was extremely intoxicated and by herself. I also witnessed her drop her purse several times, and police reports say it was found along with her cell phone outside the JPJ. I do not want to make assumptions on the very little evidence I have, but if one of her friends that was with her that night sees this and is willing to discuss if alcohol was involved, my report may be helpful.
another person saying she was impaired —
then another person stating they saw her on “Alderman” — is that the same as Copley Bridge ? — alone and HH’g
Then the series of posted pix of Morgan — obvious weight loss, confirmed by one of the parents stating she had recently lost weight — in the pix, she has very dark circles under her eyes — not makeup — speculation here, but was she popping speed to lose weight ? Ritilin is speed, and from what I’ve read, a large problem on college campuses and this age group across the nation — so maybe Morgan is hyped on speed and/or other drugs, not alcohol — which impairs her ability to think straight, and so after a long string of unfortunate events, she does HH —
and the only thing we know that happens next is Morgan disappears.
To me, it is absolutely plausible she had friends on UVA’s campus and/or in Charlottesville. Back in the stone age when I was in college, I had friends on a number of different campuses — where I met their friends — I also made friends with lots of people who did not attend my same college, but lived in the town — it became a very small world, and that was before cell phones and email.
I also believe it’s very plausible that there is a preditor in Charlottesville — according to the crime stats, these are reported rapes — many rapes go unreported — did this person just happen to drive by Morgan at an opportune time and snatch her ? — were they prowling hoping for an opportunity and found one ?
Don’t mean to talk about God, but I do pray every single day Morgan is found — soon — and/or that the person(s) responsible for this tells somebody who reports it to LE — I don’t know what else to do .
Morgan’s disappearance caused me personally to become aware of the huge number of college students who go missing and/or are murdered on campuses across this country every year. It is mind boggling. And to sit my own kid down and have ‘the talk” — I was absolutely not aware of the “balloon vans” — he was –
And what I personally do know, if this were my child, I would so much appreciate the efforts of every single contributor to this forum, and to Blink for starting it.
PS — anyone else the 100,000th visitor to this site
Lol, great post and congratulations, you’ve won.
B
Josie — I wondered about the search dogs too. I believe they detected her scent at the bridge (don’t know exactly where on the bridge) but no further, which suggests she got into a car. But as Observer says, we shouldn’t assume anything.
I trust the work of dogs and hope they have been fully utilized in this case. I did not realize that many search dog groups offer their services for free to LE.
Does anyone know if the dogs picked up her scent anywhere else (Pantops Mt., Crozet, etc.)?
Observer:
Thank you again for your “reading glasses” post. I read your post, then re read it again. I would like to particularily comment on your summary:
Comment by Observer: — December 2, 2009 @ 6:39 pm
Here are, in my humble opinion, the bottom lines:
1. The public is frustrated. *
2. The public wants to help. *
3. The public does not believe that LE has been as forthcoming as they (the public) would like them to be.
4. The public believes that LE has been inconsistent and untimely in their release of information.
5. The public does not feel as though they have been engaged by LE to the degree that they would like to have been. *
6. The public believes that, with their increased engagement, they would be able to help break the MH case. **
7. The public feels thwarted in their efforts.
8. In the public’s increasing angst to see MH returned home, their focus almost imperceptibly turns from the perpetrator of this crime to LE’s perceived failure to further the case.
9. The public wants answers from LE, yesterday.
10. The public decries the lack of answers from LE.
I do believe that one could replace “public” in your numbered summary and replace it with “LE”. I do believe that LE is feeling the very same way as you describe the public is feeling. Observer, This is called “projection” in psychology.
Perhaps LE is feeling very frustrated themselves with this case, as you indicate the “lack of evidence” as you clarify that by stating that:
Observer states:
I assert that something is indeed “off” with this investigation; however, that anomaly lies not with LE’s management thereof. It rests with three things, and three things only:
1. a found purse
2. a found cell phone
3. a missing young woman
No doubt, this has got to be frustrating for all LE. This is a unique and human connection to this case, whether it is a lay person, such as myself that lives half way across the United States, or a local LE officer working the case. We are all human. We all very much want to find Morgan and we want to find her yesterday!
Also, your statement on “assume nothing” to be successful. well I have to think that if an officer and a team of law enforcement were presented with only 3 pieces of evidence,
a cell phone, minus the battery
a purse
and a missing 20 year female
I would have to respectfully say to “assume everything”! Anything and anyone is fair game only to be ruled out with evidence. This is what has been posted and presented on this thread. Many, many viable scenarios, theories. Perhaps the perp has even posted.
I would also have to respectfully ask you Observer, that if the public is not needed, why would there be 2 tasked officers on the Morgan Facebook site, and possibly on here? For folly?
I do know, because of the media powerful impact, there has been many cases that have been solved due to information that was fed to the public, and the publics response to that information. Many, many missing children have been found by people, many murders have been solved by lay people reading a flyer, website, or from TV, just due to the medias interventional information and powerful presence in the publics eye.
Observer, please do not ever under estimate the publics power and intelligence. I felt like your comments to be somewhat condesending. We are here, eyes, ears wide open. We the public can be resourceful and could be a good tool to solving this case. We are much more valuable than you give us credit for in your post.
In fact, Blinks site could render huge benefits to this case by the posting that is being done on this site.
Again, alway enjoy reading your intelligent posts and insightful information, but I felt that I needed to comment on your response.
Blink,
I have always believed the grandmother as well. ID the guy and you are on your way to finding out what happened to Morgan.
So, who is this guy? SS’s boyfriend? The EX that the parents did not seem to like? Looks like it’s not an older, married man as some have guessed, as the grandmother says he was young.
SS’s boyfriend with the keys still seems like the right answer to me. That’s who I would call if I was stuck outside in the cold. I’d want to wait in a warm car.
Grandmother says the girl was wearing large gold earrings…of course, we have seen NO pictures of Morgan that evening, so we don’t know if that matches. And that is one of the oddest things about this whole situation….the friends.
I have a teenage daughter, and when she goes off to an event with friends, she comes back with her cellphone crammed with pictures of herself and everyone who went. None of Morgan’s friends took her picture??? Hard to believe. But why would the police withhold a picture of her that evening???
As to the friends leaving the arena without her,,,my daughter was flabbergasted. Even if her friend said she was probably going to get a ride, my daughter would want verification (i.e., a call from said friend saying I’m on my way)before she would leave the arena.
These were supposedly very close friends. Maybe it’s just me, but I think something stinks here.
Observer, what do the asterisks in your list signify? (sometimes 1, sometimes 2, sometimes none)?
#922 Blackpearl
“If BG had removed battery then the movement of the cell phone (and perhaps the persons) could be tracked by pings off of cell phone towers in the area. Removing the battery prevents that from happening”.
That is my point exactly. If the phone was left with the purse and not on their person, why bother removing the battery. If it is not on them then there is no pings.
“Getting rid of the phone entirely”
Yes LE would be able to access the information without the phone. However, I believe that it would take a search warrant and a lot of wasted time to get the information from the phone. By only removing the battery and leaving it in the purse. It would only take a replacement battery to access the most recent activity.
This is why it makes no sense to take the time to remove the battery when it would have been smarter to eliminate the phone in its entirety.
#923 J2K
“Regarding the sim card”
Weeks ago I questioned why a person would bother taking out a battery and not the sim card and Blink informed me that the type of phone Morgan carried did not have a sim card.
Post 909 – sweetpea,
I totally agree with you on the battery. I dont think it has anything to do with anything. I read an article in the very beginning in which Morgan’s father said that it was common for the back to fall off her cell phone and the battery fall out. She probably just had a banged up phone.
She literally could have just been goofing off with whoever she was with and he wanted to see something on her phone and she didnt want him to see it and they were prob play-arguing and he was grabbing for it and so she took the battery out and put it in her pocket. Ive done that before when my cousin once tried to grab my phone to read my texts (that were about him LOL). So its probably something as simple as that…
sweetpea (re: #965)
Thought 1: Yeah, I seem to remember reading that. I was just kind of musing aloud that the missing battery (while piquing our attention) was probably not directly related to the case. And, if it was, *someone* should have spent a Saturday watching Forensic Files reruns rather than playing Xbox.
Thought 2: So, no sim card and a defect that allowed the battery cover to pop off at will…
Surely you can do better, Telecommunications Industry. Surely.
But the battery COVER was recovered, not the battery. I am sticking with original thoughts. That said, I know LE is with you guys.
B
i think its possible that they have a poi under surveillance right now.
I just can’t get these two unrelated comments out of my head. One pings round a while, then the other.
Gil: Morgan, are you a skeleton now too?
Blink (about a certain bb scout): Perp, prob not. Cleaner, maybe.
#913 Observer
“Re: continued conjecture suggesting a cover up or intentional misrepresentation of UVA,UVABD, the UVA BB players, et al”;
I wish I could be as confident as you in your trust and reliance
of the UVA organization.
However, IMPO they will do whatever it takes to protect their reputation. Their livelihood depends on it. Not to mention the fact that the John Paul Jones Arena was built on donations made by alumni.
(35 million from the son of John Paul Jones himself) Having a young girl missing from this arena, I am sure would not sit well with their
Board of Trustees.
This comment is in regard to the University only. Not LE, I truly believe that LE in hindered in their investigation by UVA, Lawyers of certain witnesses, and state laws that protect witnesses who are not readily coming forth with information.
Re: my #970 comment and Blink’s comment:
Oh I believe you Blink. My point was just that the term “POI” lends itself to the idea (to me anyhow) that if someone is innocent and has nothing to hide having the opportunity to have LE clear them, before having the “suspect” label and the cuffs slapped on. IMO, an innocent person who may have found themselves – for whatever reason as a POI – seems they’d welcome the chance to clear any suspicion if in fact they are innocent. Always appreciate your comments Blink and the good work you are doing here, giving others this forum.
Watch- that was my bad. I should have clarified that was a note to all, I know you already knew that. Thanks.
B
J2k-
If you have been following on blinks site from the beginning of this case the battery has and was discussed at length. I would refer you back to earlier posts. It seems that we have new posters here going over the same stuff from over 1 month ago as if was new news. All is welcome though. But, good to go back to the basics, and review. Someone posted early early on, that the type of phone and service that Morgan had did not include a sim card based on the type of service they had in VA. . So, if you want to go by the post, the sim card is irrelavant FWIW. I do not know if this is true, but this is what was posted. If there was a sim card, I’m sure LE has it.
Also, I believe what blink is trying to say is this: If the cover was found in tact with the phone without a battery, what does that tell you? I believe if this is the case, th battery was taken out intentionally, and it didn’t fall out after a drop. The battery was taken out intentionally. If the cover would have been found separately from the purse this would indicate that it dropped and was accidental.
Blink, has the POI been ‘outed’ on this site, either by you or one of your readers?
Sue- you know better than to ask me that. I would do the same, but regardless-
B
Knowable things I wish we knew (at all, or for sure) about the purse:
1. Exactly which lot it was found in
2. What was in it?
– phone (in or out)?
– battery cover on or off?
– credit card(s)?
– ID?
– cash and/or checks?
– keys of any kind?
3. What is thought to be missing from it?
– camera?
– cellphone battery (ding ding ding, we know one!)
– wallet/ID/cash etc.?
4. Condition of the purse:
– strap(s) broken
– strap(s) cut
– perfect condition
– clean? dirty?
– wet? dry?
– looked like it got run over in the parking lot
5. Position purse was found in:
– on its side
– upright
– upside down
6. Open or shut?
– open, with contents spilled out
– open, with contents contained
– zippered or snapped closed
7. Kind of ground it was found on
– lying in grass
– lying in gravel
– lying in dirt
– lying on pavement
How come we haven’t even seen a photo of the purse? Just…cuz?
I was sitting down getting ready to address Observer’s post from earlier when I read this. This IS exactly what I am talking about in terms of information.
EXACTLY WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT>>>>
To add: Who found it?
-are they a student, groundskeeper, athlete?
-did they pick it up and go through it first for ID?
You get the point. There is tons more to fine tuning this investigation and not treating the public like a pack of baby birds at feeding time.
B
B (re: #983)
Yes. But, when recovered, it was by a passerby or maintenance person, who had no knowledge of how significant turning in the purse and its contents would be. There were probably A Lot more questionable items swept up and turned in from the arena’s parking areas the next morning. I think it’d be impossible for LE to know whether the findee of her stuff saw the battery – even if it was in the direct vicinity of the phone. The only evidence left behind by MH was completely compromised before LE even got it, so while curious, it’s probably not worth our attention, even if some well-meaning amateur criminal crime-scene stager indeed removed it. It’d only be significant if found, imo.
It’s hard to ponder the possibilities anymore. The details are so confusing–and so many unverified or, if verified, doubted by many of us (e.g., HHing)–and I find myself going in circles and losing steam. Is this how the feared loss of public interest happens?
Blink isn’t there any way to encourage LE to release a couple more details, just to keep people thinking? I certainly believe LE is *trying* to do right by MH … but just a morsel now would keep this at the forefront. I fear people are starting to cease thinking about it, just because it feels futile/circuitous.
What about just a picture of MH from that night? I am 100% confident they’re out there; or do you suspect the friends’ lawyers won’t let said friends share their photos with LE? (Do they all have lawyers now? Is it true one of the friends is a VA trooper’s daughter?) Why will they not release a photo of MH from that night?
**delete this para if you deem necessary**
Or, Blink, do you still have hunch they have a POI? Even if so, it does not alter my belief that LE should throw us something to keep the case on people’s minds … and possibly mislead POI.
(BTW it may be the Harringtons are quiet lately because of whatever LE’s told them, but I also think passing the month marker and Thanksgiving has nearly broken them. So sad.)
I believe they have a POI in theory. I believe they are building a case to substantiate this possible POI.
B