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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Re # Comment by carson — December 2, 2009 @ 8:29 pm
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Good points here, Carson. Maybe this explains some of Gil H’s seemingly coded language: perhaps the parents think MH went off with a known guy, someone they didn’t want her with, and they believe he still may have her, even alive. I read elsewhere that some locals are saying that the concert-night friends are carrying on with their lives–parties, school, dates. Unimaginable to me if my friend were missing: yes, I might go to work, but be so visibly social so soon? Can’t see why the presumed lawyers or friend’s LE father doesn’t tell them NOT to do that at this time–unless they are in fact really waiting for Morgan to return alive?
Hi Fish, very noble of you to help in the search for Morgan. I may be wrong, but I get the feeling that this case is personal for you, (understandable) and you are feeling betrayed and lied to.
Your post made me recall this conversation between Jane Velez Mitchell and Dr. Harrington,
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tell us about your daughter Morgan. Is she a person who would be likely to scream? Is she sort of a feisty talkative young lady or is she more demure?
D. HARRINGTON: Morgan is a — Morgan is a wonderful girl. I think, probably, she`s like a lot of people, I think maybe somewhat trusting. And you know, that`s a worrisome part of all of this.
I think — you know, she doesn`t think the bad things about those around her. And she`s — this kind of — I don`t think she has gone away with a boyfriend, which she didn`t have, or gone away for some other reason. She was quite close to us and really, pretty transparent in how she lived her life.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So, no problems with drugs or alcohol or fights? She was just a contented, happy, good student living her life?
D. HARRINGTON: We had — we just had a wonderful summer with Morgan, who lived with us and worked for me at our new medical school. And Morgan would spend the evenings watching TV with us, which you know, was kind of a nice thing on have.
I think we can all glean that perhaps those headlining how this case is presented to the public, (PR Firm) have done a bit of whitewashing. Again, understandable.
Lovely, interesting take on the phone, thanks for that. So in your (plausible to me) scenario where she’s goofing around with someone and pockets the battery, how, when, where, and why does she get separated from her purse and phone? That’s a mystery to me, which is why I like the sightings of an inebriated Morgan who keeps dropping her purse, cuz at least it makes sense as to why the purse was in the parking lot, and maybe why the phone was batteryless.
wpgmouse (re: #947)
Yes.
My apologies.
Does a cell phone ping or does a cell battery ping? I assume the phone would require the battery in order to ping, correct?
Does it only ping when in use or while roaming?
In most cases, as long as a phone has a power supply, it will ping.
B
fish (re: #968)
Thank you for posting that, fish; I was sincerely humbled and quite moved.
Did Morgan’s dad say that the battery falls out of the phone? It seems like I remember him saying that Morgan often removed the battery from her phone. I remember wondering why she would do that?
Also, about the purse. Where has a reference been made by LE that the strap was broken? That is something else that I missed? Her mom talked about the straps being adjustable and could be changed to use as a shoulder strap or back pack, but that is all I’ve ever heard or read about the purse straps. Can someone reference that?
I’m going to try to find what Mr. Harrington said about the battery. This was way back during the first interviews.
J2K
(Thank you for acknowledging that.)
Some questions about bb practice and showers, if you can help.
Would the facility not have showers or they do and it’s a personal choice whether the players utilize them or not.
Is it common for players to leave practice sweaty, wearing their work-out gear and is “home first” the required destination before they head out to public places (“required” as in team rules regarding public presentation).
I scratch my head wondering why we don’t know any (or all) of those tidbits about the purse. Surely not every aspect would compromise the investigation, so why not give us another morsel or two or three or five? Obviously we’re not asking for really key info like whether they found any prints on the purse/phone, etc. Why do we have only the stuff Morgan’s mom said? (the description of the purse having backpack style straps so Morgan could dance–and perhaps that a strap was broken, if someone can provide a link to her saying that)
Should I be mad at the reporters covering this?
The police communications office?
The investigators who have clamped down on all leaks?
No one?
Am I just spoiled by Casey Anthony’s mounds of discovery?
It’s just so frustrating…
Come on, LE, send me something very naughty! Wait, I think I’m getting these threads mixed up….
Again with my cravings for salt!
Somebody on here wrote something that made me think back to something from my college years, and made me search for relevant references online hinting at a completely speculative thought of mine it triggered regarding the MH situation, which takes into account MH’s seemingly varying degrees of wellness over the last few years (appearance-wise), “the relationship been great over the last 6 months” statement from DH, and the avoidance of any talk of her state of mind that night.
If anyone reading this knows her and can assert otherwise, I apologize in advance and appreciate any sort of factual retort.
I changed nothing:
“11-29-2009, 09:03 PM
shannon2008
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Virginia
Posts: 173
I heard some interesting things this weekend about Morgan from what I feel is a reliable source I know who works around the VA Tech area, and also know people who know Morgan directly.
*rumors/hearsay here*
The basic gist is that a lot of people (my note – not necessarily the girls she was with, or I’m guessing not friends her parents could ‘see’ on FB/Myspace) Morgan hung around were known as heroin (my note – specifically heroin) addicts. The other thing was that Morgan had gained a reputation as a bit of a ‘man stealer.’
… the drug question has been avoided and/or carefully answered previously. From what I gathered from this person, this information is well known around there but is being excluded by the media. I don’t know if they mean exclusion out of respect, out of a request from family, or out of seeking to keep Morgan’s personality flawless so people don’t lose interest in her. When drugs are mentioned in these cases, most people tune out…even though nobody deserves being kidnapped or attacked or killed (NOBODY).
Please don’t be angry at me for posting this, I just wanted to share it because I found it to be different from what we are seeing reported and therefore interesting.”
As someone who was shocked and very saddened by what I saw happen to a small crew of very popular, attractive high-school friends I knew who got into heroin (not shooting but snorting) in early college, and as someone who distantly bore witness to the tragic outcomes of this sporadic abuse of such a cheap, incredibly addictive, tolerance-deadly drug, I can say that it is not beyond the pale for a seemingly well-adjusted young woman like MH to easily make a mistake of extreme significance that cost her her life (or, in the case of my memories, his life, and soon after, those of several others).
Regardless, anyone who inadvertently facilitated MH’s demise through this pathway should still, in the words of GH, “Be the hero.”
Just puttin’ it out there.
I have been working through my thoughts on this issue for 2 days. Not ripe. imo.
B
wpg (re: #1007)
Can’t help. It was just an inappropriate rhetorical flourish.
to blink and blink on crime posters: yes, personal. thank you for understanding and kind words.
back to business…
please fill in the blanks with times and this only concerns last physical sightings.
limo driver sees Morgan and bbplayers walking at _____ p.m. in uhall lot?
bbplayers say talked to Morgan at 9:20 p.m._____? left her in uhall lot? and possibly state she was hitchhiking now.
grandmother sees Morgan we’ll say fighting/arguing at 9:30 p.m._____?
do we know which lot?
i may happen to believe her. the gold earring bothers me as Morgan’s necklace was silver with lots of bling! not something i believe a young fashion-minded, artistic girl would put together. plus, dark and misty. how could you see it was gold maybe it wasn’t? was she that close to her car? obviously, she talked to them. this woman does not strike me as an ambulance-chaser. but maybe health issues, sounds as if she has difficulty breathing, (ie. the inhaler on table next to her on video interview she gave). maybe that is why she did not get out of her car. it really seems like she was just helping her son and grandson out. it was grandson’s birthday present. this sounds like she helped out when and how she could even if she just drove her grandson and friend and why would she lie?
maggie voth(uva) sees Morgan on bridge at 9:30 p.m._____? is this a fact? Morgan can’t be in two places unless grandma and maggie are close to each other?
my point being…how can Morgan move from lot to lot to lot to bridge this quickly or is she in one lot near the bridge, where all these people saw her? all this movement might just say she did drop her phone and purse. it may be just that simple and then maybe she was scared or becoming more confused. hit to head? i too am curious as to whether the back cover was put back on phone?
another point: can someone clarify this…
“keep up the good work though”, is this something SS posted or said in an interview? what does this mean? this comment is strange. i also, do not believe for one minute, Morgan is studing on the way to the biggest concert of her year! they landed in hburg and had time on their hands. where did they go and what did they do and who did they talk to. i mean all of them including Morgan? hello…phone records.
i also am wondering about someone with ill-intent. maybe he thinks he got away with it and a few years go by and he does it again. regardless, whether Morgan knew him or not. this is why GG..BB and BBs’ must be caught and punished. this is what makes us civilized. when i talk with other moms and dads, we begin to worry about sending our kids to uva camps. even though, there are really good ones. it would help to solve this one.
so here is the personal part…a few more years and my daughter will be wanting to do this same things. out with friends, going to concerts, college and just plain living life! she should be able to. i am sick and tired of this repeating itself.
crimes like this are truly cancers in our society!
i am hoping that Morgan gets the break she deserves and is returned to her family in whatever way that is.
Morgan deserves some respect, dignity and peace!!!
thank you and good night all.
B: In the most somber way one can say this, I’m glad it’s not ready for acceptable consumption.
#981
Blink,
Thank you for your eloquence. I hope and pray, as every other parent/sibling does, never to have to truly know what horror the Harrington’s are going through. I know that through your work you come to know and feel the emotions of a victims family. Anyone reading your posts regarding Christine Sheddy would know this. Thanks again for all you do.
Thank you Mom3, and thank you to all of you that spend the moments of your day caring about the pain of others and hoping to ease it. I do believe it helps to balance the chi.
B
Is she still working with victims of domestic abuse? I realize her work was with the children but could it be possible that whoever is responsible for her being missing is someone angry or revengeful over however Morgan may have helped (or seemed to help)victims of this perp?
An angry, vengeful person does not think rationally and could have blamed Morgan in some way. I know it’s a bit far-fetched but it could possibly be related to her volunteer work. This person could have even made an attempt to endear himself to Morgan while planning to eventually have his revenge.
Shoot, I don’t know what to think. This is probably another one of my hare-brained ideas but for some reason I fear Morgan viewed people with rose-colored glasses and may have had no sense of the danger a person with a checkered past could present.
I cannot seem to get the “it” that the friends said they wouldn’t have done if they’d… (Could they have set up a “reunion” with someone Morgan had broken off from?) I just think the importance she gave her outfit for the night may indicate her hopes/plans to meet someone she wanted to somewhat impress. Generally attention to this degree either means the female is either (a) meeting a new person and wants to impress or (b) meeting an old flame and wants to create a “look what you’ve lost” atmosphere. Not saying that attention is not always paid to appearance but this seemed to go beyond the norm with the three outfits and new purse, etc.
However, it’s been 35 years since I was in college and unless the “nothing new under the sun” is clicking in, everything is probably very different now.
So six weeks later and what do we have. Nary a thing. Not a picture sent to a friend not a video not a peep from anybody.
LE certainly has the squeeze on. I wonder how they are doing that?
Amazing.
hard drug use could send this case in another million different directions, you never know what a person will get themselves into when drugs are involved… another sign, her recently overdrawn bank account that her and the father were supposed to meet and talk about
on that note, I thought that was kinda fishy from the beginning.. Dr harrington said they were to meet and talk about “balancing her checkbook”. A 20 year old at college doesn’t write a bad check or miss-add her check registry, she uses a debit card and online banking. Nobody uses checks nowadays except old ladies in the grocery store with 52 items in the express aisle. Perhaps Dr harrington knew she was spending too much money lately on things she shouldn’t have been spending it on and hasn’t been very honest with the media or LE.
Fwiw, I think those were here Dad’s words. I also think he may have said it strategically with a thought to the fact she may have been kidnapped, in other words, she had no money for someone to steal, that the “kidnapper” would have to reach out to them.
B
Here are a few thoughts.
1. There were 4 people who went 3 tickets purchased. Did the 4th one even gte bought? If so is there proof? This would explain alot: she never got in the concert/ why she was outside, why she didnt call her parents. It is possible there were only 3 tickets and they tried to pull the old you go in then hand me the ticket. If a 4th one was bought was he planning on sitting with them. Or did he buy a better ticket to trade with her?
2. Is there a connection between the scout and any of the players?
3. The EMT/ security guard with profound interest. If she were injured who would she trust to help her. A security guard who happens to be an EMT…that would be the ideal. Safety and medical help.
In no way shape or form am I accusing anyone…just connecting the dots.
It would be interesting to hear more from fellow students around the campus of VT. I’d bet there is a some truth in whatever rumors have/are circulating around campus. I agree with so many. The silence is deafening BUT I’m not sure how to take it?
Hi there Blink et al,
This is my first post but I’ve been a long time reader (wince – lurker) for quite some time now. I really enjoy and appreciate the intelligent and thought provoking exchange of ideas that goes on here. I can’t imagine what this family is going through and I fear, as do many of those posting, that activity in this case is slowly coming to a stand still. The lack of new leads and the change in weather has me very worried for this young woman and her family.
In regards to post #972, I too wondered why Morgan was listed on the NCMEC’s website. After doing a bit of research I came across “Suzanne’s Law” named after a 19 year old college student who went missing back in the ’90′s. It basically requires LE to immediately accept missing person reports for individuals between the ages of 18-20, eliminating the waiting period before beginning an investigation. LE is also required to report these individuals to the National Crime Information Center. I believe the thinking behind the law is that even though individuals in this age group are technically “adults”, they are often living on their own for the first time making them vulnerable. In addition, the law enables NCMEC to post pictures, provide photos and use age progression technology.
Here’s a reference from a Department of Justice publication for those interested: http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/publications/NC74.pdf under the “Extending Resources to Missing Young Adults” heading.
Please know, that I am not trying to bust your chops by posting this. I too was confused by Morgan’s listing and I thought I would share what I found. Wish it was something more valuable. In addition, once your on the list as a child or young adult, you are not removed from the list until you are found or recovered. That’s why there are middle aged missing adults on the site.
I’m not sure why Virginia LE didn’t follow Suzanne’s law when this young man went missing, however.
http://missingchild.wordpress.com/2007/01/18/chip-alert/
Thanks and welcome Yoshi-
B
J2K, thanks for your last post (.012). This time I think you’re smelling what I’ve been stepping in, but I’ve been afraid to post it aloud. I’ve heard of these rumors coming out of Tech…and rumors can be rumors…but I’ve felt all along that some of the answers will come from Blacksburg, not Charlottesville. If this is the case, the friends may have been suffering along with the family for years, constantly feeling like Morgan was living just out of reach. A beautiful butterfly living at the edge of their fingertips…on her own trajectory.
Now maybe the unnamed male traveler knows as much about this as anyone; he was an enabler/suppplier, or knew someone who could get Morgan what she needed. It’s possible that the girls have been babysitting Morgan for years, and now regret that they trusted her enough to go to the bathroom by herself (or go outside, whatever was really said in that phone call.)
My brother was gone for over a year before we got a PI to find him. As part of a probation/deal, he had to stay clean, stay in school and graduate (which he did), only to blow it at the very end. He showed up drunk for his last meeting with his PO, then left the state 3 days before his probation was over. This made him a minor felon, I guess, and no one out there seemed to care. The story got worse for him, which is so off topic here, but my point is that addiction comes in all shapes and sizes, and it happens to people from good families. I think of Dr. Harrington remembering for the reporter how nice it was having Morgan live with them this summer. I have a feeling that they did have a system of checking-in…coming home to study, fix the checkbook, etc. This disappearance truly was their worst nightmare.
Blink…again, please don’t post if you find this offensive. I mean no harm, I’m just writing from my gut on this one.
I’d say a skinny college gal is more likely to be anorexic or bulimic than a heroin user, but I reckon we don’t know that much about her so anything is possible. But the descriptions of her at the concert, if accurate—being the first to jump out of the car, being all excited, dancing wildly during the opening acts—doesn’t sound at ALL like heroin, which is more of a lie-on-the-bed-and-stare-at-the-ceiling-while-listening-to-Pink-Floyd kind of lethargic drug. Now some other drug? Maybe.
i think if this case is figured out, the result will be a lot less dramatic than people expect. i think the turning point will have been her own behavior, motivations and those of her friends. the behavior of these girls is at the center of the case. not JPJ, not bball players, not some random 5ft guy. morgan, her friends and their behavior will be the story.
Is it possible, if the straps on the purse were adjustable, that one came undone from the buckle rather than being broken? That strap would no longer be attached at one end to the purse, the same as if it was broken, but would show no signs of a struggle.
I was just on the Facebook site to see if there was any new news. Same old ‘I’m psychic, send money, check out my website, I’m a prophet doncha know…’
Anyway, I found my way to Wayne Townsend’s MySpace . It seems he just had a new baby and is tired. Now there is Kenny, the candle lighting vigil all around good guy. He seems to be one of the only ones who are ‘in the know’ over there now.
I too have been giving thought to all of the drug rumors because I felt from the beginning that something was just ‘off’ with this picture that was being painted.
Still, other than possible overdose, I’m not sure how that changes anything. What am I missing?
A Body.
If she O’d and that’s all this is, where is she?
B
To J2k, thanks for putting that out there. Those were my thoughts when I said lets consider that she left willingly, just afraid to go there. Maybe the reason no one will say she left the arena was she went to get drugs. Couldn’t get back in, calls back the dealer and they take off together. Explains why the friends are so quiet. Would you want to announce to the world you dabbled in drugs. They will be job interviewing in a year or so. Explains LE reluctance to release anything. Explains the parents avoiding the drug question. They don’t say “No, I don’t think she used”, they say they had a wonderful summer. The implication being there is something in her past. No way would my senior daughter change schools for last year of high school. Something is up there.
This scenario has 2 outcomes. The best, she is alive and on one heck of a bender and can’t get out of it on her own. And for anyone who has never known an addict, please don’t say it is not possibe. IT IS! Drugs make you selfish and paranoid. Maybe having this conversation will open up the dialog about this. How can she come back without being condemned by the public. As I tell my kids, no problem cannot be solved as long as everyone is alive.
Outcome 2, she died somehow. Through an overdose or was killed the person she left with.
I much prefer number 1.
I don’t know if it’s already been said, but she IS on the VSP missing person’s list. She’s erroneously listed under “children” though.
http://www.vsp.state.va.us/MissingChildren.shtm#h
Whoops, sorry Blink. I see that you posted that link a little earlier.
It’s alright Shannon, welcome.
B
Good points, Carson. While I agree that she certainly could have used drugs, I just don’t think that it’s directly related to her disappearance.
Peripherally, possibly in that her impairment caused her to make some errors in judgments, but not directly as in your scenarios. I do, however, think your scenarios are a possibility.
One of the things that did jump out at me at the outset of this case, was the fact that Morgan had the words ‘Ramble on Rose’ painted above her bed. From the famous Grateful Dead song. If you take the time to dissect the lyrics, you could make some uncanny comparisons to Morgan’s life and disappearance.
This material, in my opinion, would be better suited for the Facebook page. One could spend days dissecting this theory.
Link if anyone is so inclined….
http://artsites.ucsc.edu/GDead/agdl/ramble2.html
Question: those of you who say you “believe the grandmother”: are you saying that you believe she saw Morgan, and that it was not Dee, even though Dee said it was her (Dee)?
M.
Did I miss where Dee said it was her fighting with a BF in the parking lot?
Anyone?
B
Thanks for your posts. Jk2, way to put that out there for all of us.
Local, we all have been touched by addiction in some way. Most know the power of addiction, and how it can ruin families, and destroy lives. If this is the case with Morgan, the switching of schools, weightloss, “babysitting” of the friends, parental monitoring, etc……gosh, it really does make sense. Could this explain the silence of the friends, and also “things have gotten out of hand” comment by Gil???
Nonethless, if it is true, Morgan is still a young, beautiful “butterfly” that is missing.
First, prayers of support to everyone grieving their loss of Cassandra Morton, with hope for quick apprehension of the responsible party.
A few questions I’ve wondered about and thoughts about Morgan’s purse and the HH/bridge sighting:
–It’s hard to imagine a willing decision to separate herself from the purse and its contents, which indicates to me a possibly abrupt departure from the area where the purse was recovered.
–As for bridge sightings, was anyone reported walking just ahead, behind or parallel to her on the opposite side? If so, was she seen around others just beyond the bridge; would such an area usually be deserted or would it be a corner often crossed by evening pedestrians?
–I’ve read that dogs tracked her scent to the bridge. Is it possible that friends later searched this area and carried her scent from the car? Admittedly, I don’t know when and where friends may have searched; nor do I have any idea if scent could be transferred and detected in this manner.
M.
I just e’d you. There are some things in your post I have a question on before I approve it.
Thanks
B
Blink – This is beginning to make sense as to why her parents had her passwords and stuff. Had she been in trouble and her parents were trying to help her straighten her life out and that is why they had her give them her passwords and stuff?
1) Given the recent info regarding changes in appearance and the supposed hear-say around campus about her AND LE saying that they don’t even have evidence of foul play, is it possible that she did in fact “run away” with someone? IS THIS WHERE HER MOM’S MESSAGE COMES IN WHEN SHE SAID THAT THE PERSON CAN BE KNOWN AS BEING THE ONE WHO SAVED MORGAN ( ALL OF US ASSUMING FROM DEATH, BUT WHAT IF IT IS FROM DRUGS? )
OR
2) Again, given the above info, that seems to increase the possibility that she meeting someone to go party, leaving no foul play at or near the concert, and OD’d and the person panicked?
It is the general belief that LE has a POI based on their behaviour, which if something happened to Morgan, I really, really hope that is the case. But, is LE acting the way that they are because they know that she just ran off?
Also, what pictures are you guys seeing that she looked skinnier or had circles under her eyes and stuff? I’m not seeing them – just pics of her with not as much makeup on as others.
What are your thoughts Blink and everyone else?
I am going to continue to simmer silently for a bit. I am allowing this hypothetical dialog as it is speculatively possible, and in the interest of progressing Morgan’s case.
B
B
In regard to the possibility MH started using again (if she ever used in the first place), a few points:
Heroin is inexpensive, powerful, and easily available near college campuses. If someone had a problem with it for a time, and this person got help/”cleaned up,” if he or she started using again spontaneously (or, “just for tonight”), there would be no way to gauge his or her lower tolerance after a period of not using. That’s where it can be incredibly dangerous. Seen it happen. A person – in the spirit of partying – does one fraction of a bump too much and it can cause a fatal overdose. Not pretty.
One thought I’ve toyed with is that perhaps MH and her group got ectasy for the show (not entirely uncommon for college kids), and it piqued her dormant craving for opiates. I sincerely believe she didn’t leave the concert looking for drugs, but if she was escorted out of the venue, then she’s on the outside alone, intoxicated, upset, and she knows who to call. If LE saw in her text messages that she was attempting to meet up with friends for drug-related purposes or was looking to score, it may explain why statements to the media continue to claim “we don’t know if a crime has been committed.”
For those who think this is a dramatic/unrealistic direction for this case to go, I submit that you’re deluding yourself. It’s entirely posssible, and would address some of the more curious aspects of this atypical MP case. Of course, it may very well NOT be the case. But rumors like that don’t just spring up out of the blue… there is usually some basis for their existence – even if MH is simply guilty by association. And, in that scenario, her “associates” could definitely supply it and encourage its use.
Lastly, it appears the Roanoke region has a burgeouning problem in regard to heroin use among its you. To wit:
This article was published in The Roanoke Times (Feb. 25, 2009)
“Rise in heroin use among youth alarms officials”
Federal prosecutors said the case is just one that has raised flags in the past year about heroin use among people ranging in age from 17 to their mid-20s. It’s a trend that may be too recent to be fully reflected in the figures kept by police, courts and hospitals, but law enforcement and treatment center workers said it’s clear to them that in some parts of the region, something has changed.
“It’s like this wave has washed over the Roanoke area. It’s different than we’ve seen before,” said Julia Dudley, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia.
Pockets of heroin use among teens and young adults show up regularly in national media accounts, often in the Northeast or in more populated areas such as with a case involving a string of overdoses last year in Northern Virginia’s Fairfax County.
Don Wolthuis, an assistant U.S. attorney and veteran drug prosecutor, said recent developments have shown that Western Virginia faces similar problems. “Traditionally, there have been small pockets … or minicommunities of people who use abuse heroin. This is different,” he said.
But federal authorities said that what they’re hearing from informants and seeing in cases has them worried that heroin is following fentanyl and OxyContin in popularity of illicit use, even among people with little prior experience with drug use.
“They’re skipping over pot and going straight to heroin,” Dudley said.
…
Authorities said the increased heroin use has been accompanied by overdoses, although they declined to give details of such cases.
Federal authorities said that in cases involving overdoses, they plan to charge heroin suppliers with contributing to death or injury, as well as the more standard distribution charges. The resulting death or injury charge carries a 20-year minimum sentence.
The only such case now in Western Virginia’s federal courts, prosecutors said, is that of Cynthia Nichols, who faces two charges of contributing to a serious injury as well as distribution charges. Her trial is scheduled for March.
Rea estimated that he had seen 15 overdose cases in the past year — many of them people who mixed heroin and Xanax or Klonopin, a combination that can affect breathing. He was aware of only one fatal overdose during that time.
Apart from an apparent concentration among young people, the increase in heroin use does not seem limited to any particular group, Dudley and others said.
It “jumps all socioeconomic and racial boundaries,” said Lt. Huck Ewers of the Roanoke County Police Department.
Ewers said he first noted an increase in heroin activity after reviewing offense reports in April 2008.
The offenders tended to be 17 to 23, “without a doubt the youngest group of individuals” using heroin that Ewers said he had encountered in almost a quarter-century of police work.
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You can read the whole story here: http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/195771
college and drugs are an oxymoron,this news actually makes me sadder,i feel even worse for her parents,and for all the kids who have trouble making it over the teenage to adult hump.i had no idea herion was a campus drug( ive heard disturbing highschool death reports though),alls points stay the same ,the placemats and tablecloth change,i think from an investigative angle this news narrows the suspect field. this makes an od senario more likely,esp since the above posts says she was a snorter,smoking it doesnt kill you ,but snorting can, i dont have an intuition to go on ,cuz i am not familar with the gists of college students doing H,do they get on campus? ,student dealer?,downtown jumpstreet?.this does cause alot of ah ha’s,i understand now.this needs more info from sarah,was she a user? if not? shame shame,her role would be babysitter,if a concerted effort was to keep morgan clean.explains the fall,the unresponsive look after fall,ending up outside,dad not wanting her to drive to charlotteville ,hhiking(decent people will go ghetto fast ),but thats only if she was using,relapse?the cops can figure this one out,and good plea bargining will produce the body,if it was an od. if she was looking for a ride to score,she might have been willing to take any ride. if she snorted in restroom,or before entering arena,and started to get too high or throwing up ,she’d run outside with no care about getting back in.and drop her purse and not even know it.so sad,i hate drugs.
rita, yes, what are the possibilities about how the purse ended up there? I see the following, but perhaps there are more:
a) she got in a struggle with someone in that very parking lot, and she dropped the purse as she ran away
b) someone snatched the purse from her at another part of the parking lot and stole cash or whatever from it and then ditched it in that spot as they ran away from morgan
c) someone abducted her from that very spot and she dropped the purse during the struggle (either accidentally or deliberately)
d) she had set the purse on top of a car while she chatted with someone (maybe while lighting a cig or something) and absentmindedly forgot it when she willingly got into the car and they drove off together, and the purse tumbled to the ground
e) she set her purse on a car while she chatted with someone and they suddenly grabbed her and pulled her into the car and sped off with her, and the purse tumbled onto the ground
f) Whomever abducted her returned to the scene to drop her purse in the parking lot (sometime between 9:30 pm and whenever the purse was found the next morning—what time was that?) to throw LE off the trail
g) Morgan never made it to the concert and her friends dropped her purse in the lot to pretend that she had
h) Morgan was the inebriated (or head injured) person seen wobbling through the lot dropping her purse, and was so out of it that she forgot to pick it up the last time it fell
I bet there are more scenarios.
wait, here’s one more
i) she is abducted in the parking lot in a car, and as they speed off, the perp throws her bag out the window
Sue, I agreee that Morgan’s possible drug use might not be directly related to her disappearance, but we really have no idea. In fact, we don’t know much of anything. We don’t know if 6 months ago she came home from a residential treatment center…having been treated for anorexia, bulimia, alcohol, or drug use.
Who knows? But it may give a hint at her frame of mind, and as Observer suggested, we can’t rule anything out at this point.
She does seem more like a Bonnaroo type of girl, a good old Dead Head. I’m hoping she did pull a Ramblin’ Rose, and just hasn’t yet found her way home.
Ok, that’s an interesting theory—Morgan on a tight leash, with everyone trying to keep her clean and sober. She’s been good for 6 mos, so now she’s allowed to go to a big concert under the close supervision of her friends. Could explain why she had to tell her folks someone else was driving to the concert, so she wouldn’t have the means to get around town, I guess. The friends let her out of sight for one second to go the bathroom and bam, she immediately runs outside to score, can’t get back in, and then, what? Finds some lowlife(s) to party with and is never seen again?
BUT..if everyone were really afraid of Morgan getting access to drugs, I would think her folks would have either gone with her to the concert (driven her there and waited to drive her home, if they didn’t attend themselves, with earplugs—you always see parents at these things), or made the brother go with her. I don’t think they’d depend on the friends to chaperon her that closely in a place that would be soooo full of temptation and accessibility to bad things.
I think one of the possibilities that may have happened is that she had a struggle with someone in the parking lot and she ran to the bridge where someone else could see her and help her, I don´t think she was HH but probably trying to get peoples attention because someone was trying to harm her already and that is why her purse was found in the parking lot. Just a guess…
PS. sorry for my bad english.
I’m thinking that instead of having Morgan on a tight leash for this concert, it was sort of a “you made it” kind of thing. A show of trust, with a sense of hope mixed in.
My thought on the purse is still that it will not turn out to be that big of a deal. Morgan may have dropped it for the umpteenth time, or sat it down on a car, only to forget about it, or not care. I know that when my phone has a freak, I have to remove the battery to re-set it…maybe she didn’t have the full dexterity to do this at the time, and threw the battery on one direction, and the purse in another. I would have done this stone cold sober. And if the bag were found in the cage parking lot, or even the RV lot, it could have easily been overlooked until the next morning. I don’t think the purse is a solid clue.
This is a site dedictaed to the most commonly used drugs on college campuses. http://www.campushealthandsafety.org/drugs/club-drugs/
Check out both the club drugs and the performance enhancing. I’m leaning towards, based on eye witness accounts of her behaviour, the weight loss, circles under her eyes, etc, Ephedra (under performance enhancing as this is used for weight loss and energy to stay up to study or party – CHECK OUT THE BEHAVIOUR SIDE EFFECTS AND TELL ME THIS DOESN’T SOUND LIKE THE WITNESSES ACCOUNTS). But, also, possibly meth, which is under club drugs (causes weight loss, etc).
Thoughts?
I do agree there are some signs of an underlying problem and the idea of Herion snorted is possible. I have heard Herion snorted with Cocaine gives a much different effect. Alot of rumors at schools tend to turn out with some truth. If Morgan was involved in drugs, that does not make her a bad person she may have just gotten lost along the way. It is very sad but does happen even in nice families. I do not think the friends were babysitting. If they were they were not very good at it. However I do believe they hold a key and know more. LE may know all of these things even if we do not. I agree that Mr. Harrington did avoid certain questions by saying “we had a wonderful summer with Morgan”. I have not seen any photos of Morgan that looked thinner or with dark circles. Where are these photos? The drug theory would explain some of the behavior, and some of the actions and words by the Harrington’s but I am not convinced about it yet. If Morgan had been involved in drugs and something occurred 6 months ago why would Dr. Harrington give Morgan and her friends tickets to Metallica, seems like that would be a very tempting situation. I am not really sure what to believe anymore. I just wish they would find Morgan very soon. I feel very bad for the Harrington’s they seem like wonderful people. Blink I just want you to know you have a wonderful sight and I can tell you are full of good energy. I know most of us are emotionally involved in this case at this point because we all truly care. Thank you Blink for having such a wonderful site to share. BTW Skyler, I am the 100,000th Visitor too:)
TY
B
#1033,Suz: TY for a thorough list. Although reported accounts of the purse offer no definite direction as to when and why it remained without Morgan, I connect it to the location from which she left the arena, and the driver certainly could have been someone she knew.
susanm (re: #035)Bear in mind, this is total speculation stemming from unverifiable rumors. There are no official reports out there that she used drugs of any kind, but we have pieces to a puzzle and don’t know what picture they’ll form when they’re all put together. It’s possible that a relapse into heroin is a cornerpiece; it’s equally possible that MH never used opiates.
carson, suz, localcvillegirl (re: #026/039/041)
(local – sounds like we could both stand to clean off our stinky shoes.)
carson, suz – The idea that she left the arena “looking to score” might be taking it a little far, but who knows? Personally, I think IF she got clean 6 months ago – when the tix were purchased – she didn’t need babysitters, per see, maybe just better friends. I don’t think she was snorting/using in the venue. I think whatever level they took the party to beforehand may have been partially responsible for MH getting ejected. From there, she could have made her way down a slippery, well-worn slope that led her right back to the demons everyone thought/hoped she had conquered.
chad (re: #026) Definitely a possibility. (But isn’t every scenario at this point? sigh…)
I don’t know Judi. To me it seemed like she was just good old fashioned drunk.
Still, I’m not getting the relevance.
In regards to the photos…it’s very hard to tell when the weight gain occurred. She looks thinnest to me in the prom picture, which could have been the junior or senior prom, so 2 or 3 years ago. Then there is the picture of her in the hippy dress with the head scarf where she looks scary thin as well, which we don’t have a time frame for. There are really only one or two photos where she looks substantially heavier. Women can quickly and temporarily gain weight for a variety of reasons.
1)Prescription drugs such as antidepressants, corticosteroids and birth control pills.
2)Pregnancy
3)Eating disorder
4)Treatment in a rehab facility
5)Depression
6)Sudden change in diet(ie. “the freshman 15″)
7)Thyroid disorder or other metabolic diseases
8)Quitting smoking
9)Heavy drinking
I’m really not able to believe that a 20 year old girl, who has seemingly always been slim, who by all accounts is very concerned with her appearance, just let’s herself go…In one picture she looks to be a good 25lbs heavier than when she was her thinnest. That’s a lot for a young girl whose metabolism should still be high. Too much weight to be attributed to quitting smoking, freshman 15, or a penchant for budweiser.
The weight issue along with comments made by her parents about the last 6 months, rumors of her hanging out with known drug addicts, and the unexplained transferring of high schools in her senior year all point to something not being 100% kosher.
BLINK you’ve been simmering for a while now…is the pot boiling over yet??
Because of all this is mind boggling, Blink, could you please help and check this out?
http://www.monolithonline.com/bios.asp?bio=joel
Notice the name of the group member and his bio and the name of the pervert who was arrested near Lynchburg…
Not him. We saw that a few days ago, that guy is from the UK.
I am very disturbed by the fact that Wooldridge was arrested for an incident occuring the same day as the Metzler/Childs murders.
B