Morgan Harrington Case: Virginia State Police On New Search
Charlottesville, VA– Virginia State Police are searching an area of route 64, between mile markers 112 and 114 today in their efforts to locate missing VT student, Morgan Harrington.
Located approximately 4 miles west of Charlottesville, VA, the stretch of highway leads up to an early area of interest, Crozet, VA.
VSP PR Manager, Connie Geller says the area is not being searched based on any new tip.
Check back to blinkoncrime.com for this developing story.
Update #1. Jim Hanchett, Newsplex, reports the search has ended for this area today, and is awaiting any news of other possible search areas.
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A couple of thoughts tonight.
Big discussion over on Findmorgan.com. Seems there are rumors that one of the basketball players took a LDT and failed it.
I am wondering why anybody is looking for Morgans necklace. Isn’t it still with Morgan who was wearing it? Until she is found we will know if Morgan and the necklace in deed parted.
Who was it that gave LE the “important” news that Morgan was HH. Was it the basketball players.
Could Morgans purse have been up on one of the cars and fell off when they took off?
More rumors over at Findmorgan.com are that Morgans car was never investigated by LE. Dan washed and cleaned it up and Alex is now driving/using it. Also the basketball players cars were never looked at or processed by LE???
One question. Is Jamil Tucker still a student at UVA or has he gone home for good.
The more information we get the more questions we have.
Happy New Year to everyone.
Blink…where are you…
Geeze. Blinkettes, NY dinner, Cleanin out the bayou. Ya know.
B
What would happen if the police thought that the friends/basketball players whoever were withholding information? Hoping that law enforcement is savvy enough to outwit a group of 20 somethings what could the police do to legally “encourage” someone to speak more freely?
Chad-
There is no way on the Earth I am posting that here. I am and have been aware of that rumor for weeks. I attempted to substantiate it, to no avail.
Let’s say this. A rumor that a basketball player failed a lie detector test is swirling. I am not posting it here until it can be substantiated. In fairness to Chad, the start was “I dont know if this is true or not..”
From Blink: No body of LE will even confirm which bball players were interviewed, let alone any addtional info pertinent to an ongoing in investigation.
B
peapod:
“What would happen if the police thought that the friends/basketball players whoever were withholding information? Hoping that law enforcement is savvy enough to outwit a group of 20 somethings what could the police do to legally “encourage” someone to speak more freely?”
peapod,
I have a feeling there might be those withholding information that are older than 20-something. Just a feeling.
from peapod:
“… what could the police do to legally “encourage” someone to speak more freely?”
Up the reward to a minimum of half a million dollars. Surely there’s enough monies within the JPJ Arena/UVA/Alumni/etc.
wpgmouse, I think when the dude says this:
“There is no blond girl who lives along this stretch,” says John Griffin, a Fourth Year engineering student, who lives next door, near Pavilion VII.”…
he’s saying, “Oh, if someone says they saw a blond girl here, I guess it could have been Morgan or some other stranger cuz we sure don’t have any blond girls who live here.”
wpgmouse wrote:
Blink,
Are you saying the 2 purse reports are indeed both for Morgan’s purse?
If so, then it could not have been her seen dropping a purse multiple times at or outside the arena. Not her or a woman dropping purse never happened?
Blink’s response:
well, we dont know when the purse droppings occurred. I am of the opinion they may have occurred inside, but not sure.
B
FWIW in this article, some of the “facts” of the case are reported :
(unsure if the reporter knows these to be facts or is rehashing possible facts from earlier reports)
*caps by me*
- They’re looking for a red digital camera — a Kodak or Sony — that MAY HAVE FALLEN from Harrington’s purse outside the arena.A woman matching her description was seen dropping her purse more than once OUTSIDE John Paul Jones Arena, and later sticking out a thumb to hitchhike on the nearby Copeley Road bridge, police said.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/231440
from Elizabeth:
“More rumors over at Findmorgan.com are that Morgans car was never investigated by LE. Dan washed and cleaned it up and Alex is now driving/using it. Also the basketball players cars were never looked at or processed by LE???”
Apparently there was a live chat that Dan H. participated in, and I hope they decide to post an unedited transcript just as the “Find Morgan/Missing posters” were distributed. That chat should be made public – - after all it was on a public forum.
I have no problem in that the players cars were not processed. Haven’t seen any probable cause to justify that or for a search warrant to be signed off on.
I should say, that the to the extent LE requested, Morgan’s car was searched and released to the Harrington’s.
B
I admit I am taken aback that Morgan’s car has been cleaned and is in use.
Could LE file an obstruction of charge should someone be suspected of withholding information? Or would that not apply in this situation?
re: the purse
Momof3,
I am at the point of not knowing or believing whether Morgan was at JPJ or not.
It’s all “may have”, “could have”, “we have reason to believe”, “someone matching the description of”, but nothing concrete has been presented to prove Morgan was there that night. If LE truly has not one visual of Morgan captured that night – - not even at the points of entry/exit – - IMO, something is off… really, really off. I have to wonder if there are visuals of her friends there.
Morgan’s purse may have been at JPJ, or at least it was found in one of the lots (can’t even remember which one anymore – - the Cage or RV?)
wpg mouse
“I have no problem in that the players cars were not processed. Haven’t seen any probable cause to justify that or for a search warrant to be signed off on.”
I disagree. They were the last folks to see a missing girl. That to me is probable cause. If they were the ones to tell LE she was hitchhiking that is “double” probable cause.
Just my humble opinion.
NYMom, hope you didn’t feel that I was chastising you for using the words “separated.” That was not my intent. It’s obvious from some of the questions and statements posed by various people that a few posters are not familiar with the area and probably not what is currently going on at the University. Most of what I know only comes from local news or sports reports, I have no inside knowledge and absolutely no connection to the University. I merely meant to point out the simple fact that Sene has returned to play. I agree that the fact he has returned does nothing to explain the reason for the suspension. Consistent with my other comments I have posted here, I don’t know that we, as merely the public, have any right to expect an explanation. He, and everyone else who witnessed anything that night owes the Harringtons and LE the absolute truth, even if that truth should prove harmful to a friend or relative. As for my “scenario” I posted that demonstrate that there are all kinds of ideas that can come out of an active imagination, often based on little real fact.
Chad,
http://www.virginia.edu/uvapolice/reports.html
LARCENY FROM VEHICLE � The Park 200901369/22
Reported purse and contents stolen from vehicle
RPT: 2130 10-17-09
OCC: 1738 10-17-09 to 1755 10-17-09
CASE STATUS: Suspended
my translation:
Occurred between 1738 (5:38pm) and 1755 (5:55pm)
Reported at 2130 (9:30pm)
all on October 17, 2009
Chad, your comment “If you really want to throw LE off, why not throw it out the window in 3 miles going the wrong way?”
Perhaps it was to lead one to believe Morgan was actually at the concert, or perhaps an individual saw her interacting with someone(s) at that location and is attempting to misdirect attention to this someone(s) and away from themself(selves).
From my post above, currently numbered 1413, I violated my own self-imposed rule of not assuming something that is not known. What I wrote assumes Sene was one of the players who saw Morgan or a Morgan look alike. I don’t know that for a fact, so I would have preferred to have written-Everyone who witnessed….
Has it ever been stated that she was wearing the necklace the night of the concert? I just think it is odd that this is considered a missing item or an item to look for at the search if she were wearing it. I wonder if she wore it and then friends saw her take it off before the concert and put it in her purse. When it wasn’t found with her purse, it became a missing item. I also wonder if it is just ‘missing”, i.e., no one saw her wearing it the day of the concert, but it was an item that wasn’t located by her parents at their home or her apt.
I have been through over 400 photos of Morgan. NONE in the necklace.
I do not believe she was wearing it
B
from Elizabeth, re the bb players and their cars not being searched:
“…They were the last folks to see a missing girl…”
Elizabeth,
I can appreciate that, but who/what made that “sighting” and the credibility of who/what has to be taken into account from a legal aspect.
LE has not officially said the bb players were the last to see her, did they? I mean, if there was a witness(es), certainly the witness(es) can also be considered one of the last to see her as well. I am not a legal expert, so perhaps someone else can weigh in on this.
“I should say, that the to the extent LE requested, Morgan’s car was searched and released to the Harrington’s.
B”
Yes, right. Sorry, that had been discussed here on another thread. My oversight for not addressing that with Elizabeth.
Again, I keep saying…as I keep reading theories of this and that….How can we even theorize if we don’t even know if she was actually there?
Was she at JPJ Arena or not? Her car was there…her purse was there…but was MORGAN there? Has anyone actually verified her presence at JPG Arena? Her friends say she was there, but very few people appear to believe what they say and I have not seen one report that it is a FACT. (Now, I may have missed it, because as you know, there is a lot or posting and links to read through.) If there are FACTS proving she was there, I think all of the theorizing about HH, having head injury and so on would apply, etc. and etc. So, I ask again, is it a FACT that she attended the concert? That is what I would like to see in print. FACT: Morgan Harrington was inside the JPJ Arena and it is verified that she left the building at such and such time. This is the red flag that keeps appearing in my line of reasoning. Again, if she never showed up, we are thinking mosting in the wrong direction. Maybe the focus should be on JMU or Crozet area and what happened BEFORE the concert.
I don’t want to offend, I am just a thinker, and as everyone else has stated “something is wrong…something doesn’t add up”. It is our universal GUT feeling that something is OFF in this case. Nothing seems to follow logic.
Not sure if this has posted before, but you can see the campus webcams here.
http://www.virginia.edu/rcam/
Did Morgan perhaps complain to someone about a missing/stolen necklace?
I am of the opinion that Morgan was at the concert, but it is certainly worthy of more discussion since there is room for doubt. Will you all help me with a little exercise?
I would like to answer the following questions: (have put draft answers)
**What is the absolute minimum number (names or IDs) of people who would have to be directly and deliberately telling coordinated lies, in order for her not to have been at the concert? 3 — SS, AM, DC
**What is the probable number? 4 — above plus DG??
**How many additional people who interacted with “someone fitting Morgan’s description” up-close-and-personal would have to be wrong? 2 gate attendants; 3 BB players; Who/how many should we add here?
The last leads me to another question. Has LE had the outside witnesses look at a photo line-up of lots of blondes in black, including Morgan, Dee, morphing-Amy, etc.? Or wouldn’t they be allowed to do that? Don’t know the rules.
wpgmouse, The only people that have reported on the record a conversation with Morgan at the concert are Dave, (Dee and Dan’s friend) and SS (phone call) all the others may have been mistaken.
If all LE is basing their belief that Morgan was at the concert is on these witness accounts, and the location of her purse, then it is not enough in my opinion to rule out any plausible scenario.
I don’t understand why they would release that Morgan was drinking that night, now, yet state in the same conference that they do not know whether she was under the influence of drugs but state they were not ingested purposely by her, then state she may have been acting irrationally due to a fall inside or outside the arena, yet say they do not know how or why she left the arena, but they know she wasn’t coerced or forcibly thrown out, then go on to say they have physical evidence, meaning a shirt or blood, but no poi, then say they believe she was HH on or near the bridge.
Where are they getting this information? How can they KNOW so much but at the same time know so little?
No offense taken by me, MsL. I happen to agree with you. I think the usefulness of members of the public speculating intelligently here with scenarios such as the one you described is that many more people read than post–and it’s possible even a hypothesis will trigger a helpful memory or detail about something heard or seen around the time Morgan disappeared. (Not that I’m contributing any brilliant insights thanks to detail overload and general brain freeze–but as the mother of a kid who just finished college apps yesterday, this story caught my attention back in October. It combines a parent’s own worst fears with memories of my own college days.)
Peace to the Harrington family in 2010.
Blink, Thanks for not posting my comments on the above post. Thanks also for your additional comments that you have been trying to verify this rumor with LE. It appears that as though other forums will post an
unverified rumor and let it take a life of it’s own true or not. I appreciate the respect you have for your site, and I think we all respect and enjoy this site for all the above board, ethical approach to victims and crime.
Mouse,
Thanks for the time verification.
As for the 3 mile mile post, that was all Blink quotes.
Uh… Blink? (Catch raises her hand) I also bought The Gift of Fear (2 copies) just before the holidays. Started reading it by flashlight while the power was out due to the snow/ice storms. Got them online, used, good condition, $1.00 ea. + $2.95 S&H.
I’ll be getting more copies because I, as ‘CountryLady’, have a website/forum, mostly ladies of all ages, where we discuss ‘preparedness’ and ‘self-reliance’ of all types… hurricanes, auto accidents, tornados, abusive spouses, abduction, flooding, robbery, winter storms, economic downturn, car-jacking, house fire, etc., etc. My plan is to share copies among our members who are interested in having a private discussion group based on the book.
Blink, thank you for recommending The Gift of Fear, and for having this website. Thanks also to the Blink Team and other participants here. I have learned a tremendous amount just thinking over the various perspectives of your commenters.
Altho, I don’t post often, I do follow Morgan’s threads closely as I live not too far from Blacksburg & Roanoke. My heart goes out to Morgan, her family and loved ones. My prayer is for Morgan to come home soon.
Congrats. Thanks. I am so proud you bought it.
B
Momof3,
I completely agree.
from Chad:
“Mouse,
Thanks for the time verification.
As for the 3 mile mile post, that was all Blink quotes.”
Chad, you’re welcome. Sorry about mistaking Blink’s comments for yours.
My response remains the same.
Some of the posters on FindMorgan are questioning whether they are supposed to keep the info in the live chat with Ann private. Some say they think they should since reference was made about a specific BB player. Rumor or real? Also, it seemed that one of the participants posted some info from the chat that brought exclamatory response from other posters and some commented that they were going to immediately copy and save it. It is unknown to me what was posted because it must have been quickly deleted right before I began reading the posts. I tend not to trust any forum that censors and deletes the posts of others when it pertains to public info about this case and does not pertain to derogatory remarks toward other posters. I ask you–has this become a competition?
Lordy.
B
I received the book for Christmas and plan to start reading it today. I hear that it elaborates on the importance of one’s instincts or intuition. It should never be ignored.
As far as the MH case, my instincts (based on what I’ve read and we’ve been fed by LE)tells me that the last person or persons to see her and/or speak to her should be scrutinized carefuly. People just don’t disappear out of the blue. Ostensibly, one minute she was on the bridge (near the RV lot, mind you), the next minute she disappears into thin air. Look at the most logical scenario – what first comes to your mind??
… Also, this thread is starting to get much too long. Time to start a new one, Blink.
RU Mom Yes I agree something is very “off” with this case.
Over ten weeks and we don’t know for sure that Morgan even attended the JPJ Arena on October 17.
Too many unanswered questions. Too little information. I hope this didn’t cause Morgan to lose her life. What could have been….How very, very sad.
Wow–so very much to read today. A few things have jumped out at me that seem truly odd.
Dan Harrington wrote on the Help Find Morgan FB site that there are no pictures of Morgan wearing the Pantera shirt–nor any pictures whatsoever of Morgan taken on October 17th. Something is wrong with this picture. No pun intended.
Hubby and I took our daughter and one of her friends to see the New Kids on the Block in Phoenix on September 16, 1990. We drove the girls up from our home in Tucson. For one thing, the two of them didn’t want to change into their “concert” clothes until the venue opened. We actually rented a room at a Motel 6 just so they could change, freshen their makeup, take some before concert pics, etc. Yes, we spoiled our daughter.
Hubby and I rented that room for just an afternoon and a bit of an evening. We didn’t attend the concert ourselves. We picked them up when the concert was over, and made the two hour drive home to Tucson that night.
I just ran across some of the pictures we took that day before we left the motel to drive them to the venue. Pictures were a high priority to my daughter and her friend. This was before camera phones, and digital cameras. I was forever lugging around my 35mm Pentax. But, I took their pictures–both at the motel and again when we arrived at the outdoor venue.
To read Dan Harrington’s words stating that not one picture exists of Morgan from October 17th, just Screams out that something is horribly wrong within her circle of friends. They had to have been clicking away, IF everything was normal up until MH left the arena.
The ONLY tangible evidence of Morgan in Charlottesville is her purse and cell phone. Nothing else. At least we know that her purse arrived safely there.
We all ponder the meaning of the purse. Did she drop it to alert us that she was abducted? Then, how could she have had the time to remove the phone’s battery? To me, it all seems so odd–and yet easily understood if we allow ourselves to question the fact that the friends cannot produce one picture. Why not? Because all of the pictures from that day ended with Morgan at JMU. They would just have deleted them. And Morgan’s camera is missing.
I strongly feel that whatever happened to Morgan happened before the concert. I don’t believe she was ever at JPJA.
Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable. How many blondes in black mini skirts attend Metallica concerts?
Someone–perhaps one of the friends could even have made a big scene–sure to be noticed by “eyewitnesses.” In all of the LE statements they never once say for sure that the BB players interacted with MH. They are careful to say “A person matching MH’s description.”
Please feel free to edit this post as you see fit, Blink.
Perhaps I am biased since my whole life and identity was based on being “switched” as a baby, with my cousin. We were born 7 weeks apart to unmarried sisters–who didn’t live with their parents any longer. My grandparents were given custody of us, and they were going to raise us as fraternal twins. They gave us both the birthday of the first grand daughter. November 10th. We also were given similar names. Well, maybe if you just go to this link, you can read my story. I had to limit my entry to under 1000 words, but you get the gist. I was the first place winner. ~Link is following in another comment. Thank you Blink.
http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/1xmas/xmasstorywin.htm
Mine is the first place winner story.~Marilyn/Marian
read this on FB realizeit is a long shot but…who knows?
Candice wrote3 hours ago
I found this log entry yesterday. Would someone please forward to VSP just in case they haven’t compared this note with UVA PD? Due to the status being active I am assuming no one has claimed the camera. No description here either so maybe it’s Morgan’s.
UVA police logs – from 11/23
LOST PROPERTY – Newcomb Hall Bookstore 200901575/44
Reported camera found
RPT: 2014 11-24-09 OCC: 1000 11-23-09 to 1040 11-23-09
CASE STATUS: Active
Mouse
“It is safer to search in the maze than to remain in a cheeseless situation.” The moral of the story: Don’t Hem. Try not to Haw. Always Sniff, and be ready to Scurry when the cheese changes.
lol
B
Please remember to give Gift of Fear to all the men in your life.
Tia.
WG
Do you mean the book?
Ba dum bump
Sorry. Good suggestion.
B
Maybe the perp has the necklace in their possession and le is hoping someone will recognize it as belonging to Morgan Harrington.HNY!R
Chad (re: #1383)
HNY! thanks for sifting through the annals of past posts here – a veritable book’s worth of insightful observations (mostly) made in the form of real-time-responses to releases of info from LE, as well as self-claimed witness accounts to the press and thought-provoking articles published by Blink.
Your spotlight on Observer’s prolific first post from mid-November pretty much negated my last 1,000 words here about the Emmet/Ivy Parking Garage. Sorry folks.
Observer (November 12, 2009 @ 3:43 pm):
“It is easy to assume that this friend held on to the keys when the group arrived at JPJ. This is why, when Morgan left the arena, she was unable to get into her car parked in the adjacent UHall parking lot. …”
[sidenote: J2K tips hat to Word Girl's familiarity with AP style]
So it has been noted (possibly just internally) that MH’s car was in the UHall lot that night. Good to know – and not officially released to the public, from what I can recall/find. According to the timeline, MH made her way through that lot, so she could have easily walked by her car and confirmed to herself it was locked tight while continuing to move forward, soon connecting with the BB players.
I guess she had her dad’s or bro’s alumni parking pass? Sounds like the lot was sold out to pre-registers prior to the show.
Observer went on to state:
“What is clear, however, is that Morgan intended to eventually end up back in Harrisonburg one way or another, where her car would end up after having been driven back by her friend after the show.”
Hard to tell if this is logical speculation or another insight not privy to the public through official press releases. O? It certainly makes sense when one considers her predicament, but if actually *known* to LE, this fact means they have knowledge of her intentions either through her phone’s archived texts/calls or a witness account.
Important differentiation.
Momof3 (re: #1423)
Your post drives at the heart of much frustration experienced by those still following the case more than two months in:
“The only people that have reported on the record a conversation with Morgan at the concert are Dave, (Dee and Dan’s friend) and SS (phone call) all the others may have been mistaken. …
If all LE is basing their belief that Morgan was at the concert is on these witness accounts, and the location of her purse, then it is not enough in my opinion to rule out any plausible scenario.”
I don’t think LE is basing their belief MH attended the concert solely based on the aforementioned self-alleged witnesses. We are only aware of these accounts because these individuals spoke directly to the press, which reported their statements. LE likely has a bevy of reports and accounts accrued from witnesses and on-hand arena/security staff that they’ve used to construct the timeline and the litany of established details made privy to us – other people chose not to speak with reporters.
You go on to note: “I don’t understand why they would release that Morgan was drinking that night, now, yet state in the same conference that they do not know whether she was under the influence of drugs but state they were not ingested purposely by her, then state she may have been acting irrationally due to a fall inside or outside the arena, yet say they do not know how or why she left the arena, but they know she wasn’t coerced or forcibly thrown out, then go on to say they have physical evidence, meaning a shirt or blood, but no poi, then say they believe she was HH on or near the bridge.
Where are they getting this information? How can they KNOW so much but at the same time know so little?”
I submit that it’s not that LE “knows so little” – it’s we who do not have the clarification on these matters. The press and, subsequently, the public are only going to learn the “facts” LE has substantiated, or the theories it seeks info from the community/witnesses to confirm or refute.
In regard to your excellent questions above, I opine that they released the drinking confirmation because, as they noted in follow-up, MH was not acting normally that night based on what they’ve learned in the course of the investigation; LE put out the drug-use caveat because it may be sensitive to the family, and such a component in her evening has not been substantiated.
The details pertaining to how she ended up separated from friends and outside the venue have been murky from the get-go. But LE *has* alerted us to what has been officially determined: She was not coerced to leave the arena, and she was not strong-armed out by security. This leaves open the possibilities that she either left on her own and immediately regretted the no-return decision, or she was escorted out (not forcibly ejected) by security.
By all accounts posted by those familiar with the JPJ here, it would have been highly unlikely that she could have left the venue without a warning from security that she would not be re-admitted. And if she slurrily said “F it,” and went out anyway – security may not have re-admitted her , in that case, due to her oblivious condition. As the timeline states, she attempted re-entry nearly right after she was outside, so it stands to reason she didn’t breeze out to the lot/her car, returning dumbfounded at being screwed in such a way when she was just “looking for a bathroom.”
I think the intense scrutiny from the public would put UVA/JPJ security in a very uncomfortable spot if it was officially released that her unfortunate fate was kick-stared by university/arena staff members and an inherent policy. I believe we’ll learn the details of her expulsion/mistaken departure when her whereabouts are discovered/suspect is arrested/case goes to trial.
Lastly, would you mind elaborating on your line about physical evidence – I was not aware LE had anything other than the purse and its partial contents. TIA
Oh, and post-lastly: We can’t get around the HH component. For whatever reason (and I bet it’s a good one), LE states MH flagged a car down on Copeley Road, near Ivy Lane. They have not moved the proverbial cheese from this dairy shelf. It should probably be figured into speculations – whether or not she knew the driver is up in the air, of course. This activity, directly before she’s off the grid, has somehow been substantiated or it would not be repeatedly stated by LE, imo.
Just a few comments –
Blink commented above,
*********************************
I have been through over 400 photos of Morgan. NONE in the necklace.
I do not believe she was wearing it
B
***********************************
Yes, strange isn’t it? Did she keep it in a drawer all this time, only to wear it this night? Inconsistent with normal “jewelry style” for Morgan. What if the necklace was sold for money that night? Money for travel or trade for something else?
I guess we CAN assume –
1. the necklace was Morgan’s (according to family).
2. the necklace IS missing (according to LE and family).
And this excellent post from Momof3 that sums up well the frustration of everyone here, and the weird confusion over facts and lack of thereof -
**************************
# Comment by Momof3 — January 1, 2010 @ 11:50 pm
wpgmouse, The only people that have reported on the record a conversation with Morgan at the concert are Dave, (Dee and Dan’s friend) and SS (phone call) all the others may have been mistaken.
If all LE is basing their belief that Morgan was at the concert is on these witness accounts, and the location of her purse, then it is not enough in my opinion to rule out any plausible scenario.
I don’t understand why they would release that Morgan was drinking that night, now, yet state in the same conference that they do not know whether she was under the influence of drugs but state they were not ingested purposely by her, then state she may have been acting irrationally due to a fall inside or outside the arena, yet say they do not know how or why she left the arena, but they know she wasn’t coerced or forcibly thrown out, then go on to say they have physical evidence, meaning a shirt or blood, but no poi, then say they believe she was HH on or near the bridge.
Where are they getting this information? How can they KNOW so much but at the same time know so little?
***************************************
Yes, indeed – so much and so little. As you say, is it their belief that Morgan was inside the arena at any time based on only eye witnesses or on video evidence? If they HAVE at least one picture of Morgan taken either with a personal camera or video security – how would it hamper the investigation to publish that photo??? Would it not HELP move things forward? I don’t get it. A pix of Morgan AT the show with the clothing she was wearing. Hard facts that would help.
Drinking?? The ONLY way they can absolutely know that is a blood alcohol test, which is of course absurd. A witness seeing her acting altered would have no way of knowing whether that was from drugs or drink. Neither would a video camera.
Someone would have to stay within her presence long enough to actually watch her drink multiple drinks (beers?) to be able to say yes, she was drunk.
To give proper credit to the LE, one possible explanation that makes sense is that they DO have a POI, and they’re trying to keep that person from “going to ground” and hiding by releasing more facts that would tip him off???
And as I’ve said before, another possibility (and still valid I think) is that we have a strange mixture of two crimes here.
1. A planned runaway (which is not a crime) but deception by MH and at least one friend (all of the friends she rode with would not have to know – maybe NONE of them did – only the person she had a pre-arranged meeting with really HAD to know, logically).
2. Something goes wrong and we have abduction/murder, possibly by someone completely outside the circle of known people. At this point, the “trail” of friends, BB players and other known people becomes an obsolete dead end because they lost contact prior to the perp abducting her, and she entered a “zone” of action for a period of time where she was among strangers or one stranger, thus “off the radar”.
And those pesky keys!!! Either SS, Amy or Dan had them, right? If that phone call from MH really happened, then why to God didn’t one of them go to security and arrange to give her keys to her. Should have been an easy thing to do.
Here is where the possibility enters of a complete deception by Morgan wherein NONE of her friends may have known of her plans.
1. The accidental exit from arena was a ruse (she meant to leave).
2. The “get a ride home” message was a ruse (she was not going back home).
If the person that was going to give her a ride to “away” changed their mind and refused, or didn’t show up as planned – then that opens the door to crime #2, and a stranger entering the scene.
My brain is getting tired grinding up the same old scraps of info.
I need new cheese!
I’m afraid I only have old cheese-
That said, I reread Mom3 comments. LE was giving someone a pass to come forward.
Those comments say ” We believe it could have been an accident”.
B
I’m not sure I believe any of the “sightings” of Morgan, I don’t necessarily believe the friends, and what if this was an entirely different girl who interacted with the basketball players? I’d like to see more proof that Morgan was actually in Charlottesville and at the concert. Dan drove her car, and anyone could have brought her pocketbook. Anyone could have used her ticket so that it was scanned. And what’s with the necklace? It was not even her style. We’re pretty sure she made it to JMU because this is what she told her dad, with her own voice…but presumably from a cell. Was there a stop in Crozet? Where did these guys go after 2pm on the 17th? Please tell me that LE has some solid facts about the afternoon, and this is why they only want to know about 9:30 on. Still stumped.
Comment by Chad — January 2, 2010 @ 1:29 am
Mouse
“It is safer to search in the maze than to remain in a cheeseless situation.” The moral of the story: Don’t Hem. Try not to Haw. Always Sniff, and be ready to Scurry when the cheese changes.
“lol
B”
I am here early a.m.after waking from a nightmare. Blink, if you would be so kind to elaborate…
Sorry wpg- not my quote, not sure what it was in response to but gave me a chuckle.
Sorry about your nightmare, go count some some monterey cubes and rest.
B
While we’re all feeling stumped, can we take a break and go back first to Blink’s comment at 1252,
“Something has bothered me to my core since the statement from Ms. Wood, UVA. You may have noticed I have not spoken about it, still not going to. Waiting for one of y’all..”
and then to Blink’s question at 1258,
“Does anyone happen to know if any of the Mom’s/Aunt’s/Sisters of the bball players were on campus the weekend of October17th?”
We never tackled this. Since we all seem to feel stymied with everything else, let’s look at it now. I wonder if Blink has info that one or more players used a relative’s visit as an alibi, but she can’t substantiate it. I stay away from the other boards but am going to see what I can find elsewhere. Anyone else? Might not lead anywhere but at least it’s a new question.
GREAT IDEA.
B
Comment by Chad — January 2, 2010 @ 1:29 am
Mouse
“It is safer to search in the maze than to remain in a cheeseless situation.” The moral of the story: Don’t Hem. Try not to Haw. Always Sniff, and be ready to Scurry when the cheese changes.
Good Morning, Chad
Fondly, never underestimate a mouse. They can get in and out of the smallest of places while holding on to their cheese at all times.
Going back to catch some zzzz’s.
1443,i missed the original comments ,but funny ,thats who i always pictured in my imagination as the hitch hiking witnesses.
http://search.al.com/campus+rape+unreported here are two very recent (dec 23rd,dec28) news paper artcles.and the link to the source of the first one is http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/campus_assault there is a current series here on the subject.
That’s a quote from the popular book “Who Moved My Cheese?”–a cheesy self-help guide for dealing with change. If you spent any time in corporate America since 1998 you were probably required to read it. Like Limburger, some people really love it, others not so much. (Limburger’s not bad on occasion with onions, pickles and dark bread.)
sherlock, I guess the friends could have testified to her drinking (“yes, she was drinking in the car—we all were except for driver Dan”). Morgan drinking or even being passed out in the back seat makes more sense to me than Morgan reportedly studying in the back seat on the way to a concert, but I concede that either are possible. (I do think there is an unfortunate tendency to want to make her into St. Morgan, when we could all still see her as a really nice kid we hope is safe somewhere, even if she drinks or does whatever the kids do today.)
And they might not have wanted to give her the keys if 1) she was really plastered or messed up—not a good idea to hand a drunk the keys to a car, or 2) they were in a squabble and there was a danger of her storming off in the car and leaving them stranded.
Or maybe the friends even offered her the keys and she refused them. I know that I could easily have acted the martyr at that age (mmm, and maybe still now, lol) if I were angry and frustrated (and drinking). However, I would have hung out after the concert and made sure my friends caught me trying to walk home or (pretending) to HH so they would be riddled with guilt about what they forced me to do when they did not somehow come to my rescue, or whatever I would have been in a snit about. (BTW, this never happened to me or my friends at any of the many, many concerts we went to—ours were uneventful, except for the time our Linda Ronstadt tickets blew across the Cap Center parking lot and into a creek, but we miraculously found ‘em and had a good laugh.) But I can see that scenario more easily than just giving up and really trying to HH away. Like I said, if I were there for the music, I would have stood around and listened to the band playing from the parking lot and enjoyed it, and then waited for my friends and then sulked and acted even more cold and miserable. But maybe someone there for the whole “concert experience” would feel differently.
October 16, 18, and 18 was “Family Weekend” at UVa.
Something I re-read not too long ago on FB, perhaps this is the witness to the HH/last known siting and not the BB players?
at 12:16pm on October 19th, 2009
I saw her at 930 too, she was on the bridge on alderman trying to hitchhike and was alone.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=161409341318&ref=nf#/wall.php?id=161409341318&page=82&hash=a7ee6bc674d621b902efa00c59546aeb
(I believe there was a post about witnessing her dropping her purse in this same event thread but have not found again yet.)
HNY. Keep up the good fight!