Morgan Harrington Murder: Coincidences or Clues ?
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North Garden, VA– Morgan Harrington, the 20 year old fair-haired, radiant beauty, was brutally murdered after disappearing from the John Paul Jones arena the evening of October 17, 2009.
Morgans remains were recovered the morning of January 26, 2010 in a hayfield on Anchorage Farm, owned by David and Nancy Bass.
Since Morgan was found by Mr. Bass that blackest of days in January, there has been rampant speculation about her last hours and how she ended up in the creek bed of total strangers.
A sequence of events and incidents in the days and hours preceding and following the January 26, 2010, discovery of Morgan Harrington’s skeletal remains on Anchorage Farm continues to attract attention from pundits and volunteers dedicated to Morgan’s cause.
Although naysayers point to a lack of a viable connection, and police have disavowed a link, others say emergency services runs to a nearby fire and also other responses which are not supported by publicly available documentation has led to calls for more complete disclosure to eliminate any connection or chance of prank calls to misdirect or busy first responders.
The editors of www.blinkoncrime.com present a series of events occurring in Albemarle County, VA that pose the question:
What the Hell is going on and what does it have to do with Morgan Harrington’s murder?
The Monsoons of Albemarle County …. PD
Ok, maybe I meant “The monsoor”. Karl Monsoor that is.
Former Officer Karl Monsoor had been tugging on the shirtail of ACPD for years before he finally left with pocketfuls of sunshine. Almost 500 G’s.
It is not my intention to be glib, it is my intention to say that as one of the youngest police departments in the country, enacted in 1983, this tank needed algeacide before this past March.
Death By Cop.. January 1, 2010
Colby Eppard, described by some as a cross between Gomer Pyle and cool hand luke, had the rawest of deals growing up in Greene County.
According to his foster-mommy-aunt, Tammy Harlow Cox, Colby was hit by a car at a very young age and suffered a brain injury that apparently served to shape his future of home upheavel and juvenile detention facilities.
Ms. Cox, to whom Colby Eppard was entrusted for a time as a foster parent, is no stranger to the judicial system. Tammy was arrested for admittedly having sex with 3 High School seniors athletes on the Varsity Football Team, where her own sons attended. The same school Colby elected to leave without his diploma.
Colby’s family recalls better times, and I don’t think anyone believes this is the last we have heard of this case.
Specifically under VA statute, Greene County Captain Randall Snead was out of his jurisdiction, both when he was called about Colby stealing the patrol car and the fact that he was in North Garden, Albemarle County, looking for it. It would seem the Greene County Roster could accommodate a deputy vs. a captain to respond, no? Keep in mind, EVERY responding officer was put on desk duty pending the investigation, through at least February 9th, 2010.
While the attorney for the Commonwealth, Denise Lunsford has cleared all officers from all participating counties involved, none of the dash cams have been released despite requests through The Freedom of Information Act..
According to Ms. Lunsford, in an incident that spanned almost 70 miles and over 2 and a half hours where traffic was rerouted and stringers were used, Colby Eppard was allegedly wielding the 20 gauge Greene County Issue out the windows, not one LEO attempted to engage or respond to Eppard in an effort to get him to pull over, or negotiate his surrender at any time.
In fact, according to statements from Snead, Albemarle Deputies Fields and Marden, they were all in place on the south junction of 20 “in the event” he went that way, yet, they did not block traffic until after the stinger caused Eppard to crash.
My biggest question regarding this incident is: Did anyone ask Colby Eppard why he would take the truck and 2 rifles on New Years day ending up in Albemarle County?
Was it related to a New Years Eve occurrance of a friend, family member or associate of his? After Sgt. Hutchinson loses Eppard near the Nelson line, the next time he is seen is parked on Green Creek Rd, back in Albemarle.
What route did he take from 29 South to end up there? Was he seeking Red Hill Road where the overdose call came in to EMS the night before?
By all accounts he was a troubled young man with challenges throughout his young 18 years.
Additionally corroborated by those that knew him, he was never violent to anyone. There were over 6 Law Enforcement Officers from 4 different jurisdictions this man encountered before he hit just below Carters Bridge; 14 by the time the stolen vehicle ended up in the ditch.
Not one of them spoke or attempted to speak to Colby Wade Eppard at anytime he was on the police radio for over 2 hours. Was there an order given not to?
How is it that not one officer responded to Eppards threats, which were even being monitored by the media at this point in an effort to have a peaceful result to this situation?
Did Eppard have a cell phone with him and have the records been checked?
Did he call anyone, like Amber Rogers, his off-again girlfriend of 3 years? His brother Courtney or any of his friends?
In the preliminary release by the Virginia State Police, it stated Eppard returned to his crashed 2006 Ford Ranger truck prior to stealing the unmarked Green Cty car. If he were attempting to have a police stand off, why would he not take the two rifles he brought with him? He left his guns behind.
It also states in the report that Eppard is seen on the video from the STOLEN police car retrieving the shotgun from the trunk and loading it, how is that possible considering all the cameras are dash mounted?
Can someone explain to me how the officers have been cleared, but the footage of both Eppards actions and their responses, the very evidence of the incident cannot be released? One of the officers involved, Caleb Marden, was fired for reasons nobody is willing to comment on.
There is only ONE way that is legal; if is part of an ONGOING investigation.
So what investigation is it an active part of?
(Editors note: If Mr. Eppard put ANYONE’s safety at risk through his actions, in the end, I say what happened to him was done to protect others, which I support. That said, as it was not so long ago a Virginia Conservation Officer was indicted for the involuntary manslaughter of a 16 year old kid whose girlfriend he was trying to grab out of his moving car, and later had the charges dismissed, I think it is worthy of conversation.)
Byrd Watching DungSmoke – January 22, 2010
James Byrd Gunn, resident or squatter at 5027 Stoney Point Rd, Barboursville, VA owned by Piedmont Manor Land Trust, was busted for possession of Marijuana with intent to deliver, and possession of a firearm as a felon.
TODAY, Mr. Big Gunn is on the Run-Run. He was indicted on both counts Monday and declared a fugitive this afternoon.
CR10000107-00 GUNN, JAMES BYRD POSSESS MARIJUANA W/INTENT 06/07/2010 Active
CR10000169-00 GUNN, JAMES BYRD FELON W/ A FIREARM 04/08/2010 Fugitive
In a SEPERATE arrest on January 23rd, 2010, Jeremy Manning– Smith 
(JMS) with the cool 144 acre pad in Keswick, also indicted on 4/5/2010 , may turn to the fivefold plan to help him out. JMS keeps a cool $55K recession-proof wad around for emergencies. Mr. Manning-Smith is a long time composter, although he never really states what he is growing.
Lisa Powers, copperworks and the fivefold planners say burn the dung. They are pals, although I doubt she is securing his bond.
Cash Runs OUT.. January 24th, 2010
Jason Todd Cash, with NO CHARGES OR WARRANTS PENDING allegedly tries to kill a cop when he is stopped in Nelson Cty in a vehicle registered to someone in Buckingham County. Remind you of anyone? He ran from the scene, leaving the vehicle and eluded police on foot.
The vehicle was impounded. He apparently is driving on a revoked license, which county has that occurred in? We will get back to J-money.
NON Garden Party…. January 25th
At approximately 10PM on the evening of January 25, Albemarle County Fire and rescue services responds to a call at the 37 acre farm of award winning gardening and horticulture experts John Sauer and his wife Cathy Clary. It is listed as a tactical incident rescue and as of March 24, 2010 is still an open incident. What was it? Who or what needed rescuing?
Mr. Sauer is the long-time gardner for Carr’s Hill, the residence of the President of UVA. Carr’s Hill was the former site of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity until 2003 when it was moved by the city to it’s current location on Culbreth. Ms. Clary is a horticulture proffessor at UVA, and most recently taught a home landscaping course which included a field trip the afternoon of Saturday October 17, 2009.
The Sauers are also members of Piedmont Landscaping Association, which is open to anyone in the landscaping field and the Virginia Cooperative Extension.
Interestingly enough, there were several fire alarm activations on the UVA campus on this same day. Faulkner House reported a residential fire around 4:10 am.
Threes Company, Four is Combustible..Jan 26th
Sometime after 10PM, the residential fire at 3323 Sutherland Rd breaks out.
This would be the fire that is still an OPEN INCIDENT.
This fire,as you can see, was no curling-iron-left-on.
It allegedly started after the residents were asleep, although they had all apparently packed their belongings and were on a month to month lease, 2 had already moved out.
In fact, according to Peruvian vacationer and dog owner of Blanca, the pit bull that perished in the blaze, he was not aware of the fire until days after the fact because he was with friends in Peru.
Convenient, if you ask me, as he has a previous weed distribution and subsequent traffic charge in December 2009.
Meet new pup to the left. In fairness to fair-weather k9’s of America, he was only asking for dog-sitting, and not on the lease. Choose your kenneling wisely people.
The residential fire at the 3000 block of Sutherland Rd has some issues. For starters, you have the first press release regarding the possible accidental fire since as far back as 2003 before a cause determination has been made.
Additionally the release itself appears to have missed the fact that approximately 2 hours after the last apparatus departs, there is an additional call back to the property requiring 12 responders within minutes of the discovery of Morgan Harrington’s remains. They may have literally passed each other on Route 29; they definitely would have heard the dispatcher.
The former owner of the Sutherland property is buried on Anchorage Farm. A relative of the current owners has hunted the Anchorage Farm property.
The band in the image on the left is pictured practicing in the Sutherland home.
A firefighter, whose identity blinkoncrime is choosing to withhold, who fought the fire, without sleeping took an impromptu trip to New Jersey with his ..”aunt, uncle, cousin, his cousins uncle and a friend..” at 10:23PM January 27th, driving straight through without stopping and returned to North Garden by 1:45PM January 28th. Through his own facebook postings, he spends the bulk of his time when he is not volunteering for the North Garden Fire Department at his cousins; a Toco Hill address also listed as the home for a recently released registered sex offender.
Retired Greene Sheriff Takes His Own Life.. January 28
There is no evidence to suggest that William “Willie” Linwood Morris’s suicide has anything in common with the Morgan Harrington’s case directly, with the exception that there are obviously folks that knew him as well as other individuals being discussed. I have spoken with a family member, and an individual who has known him for twenty years and by those accounts Willie was in deep discomfort from the tinnicus he suffered from.
He took care of every detail prior to ending his life behind the barn on his farm in Stanardsville, VA, including withdrawing the cash for his own funeral.
Willie Morris was found by Captain Randall Snead, who was allegedly supposed to be on desk duty until the Eppard case investigation was completed. According to Commonwealth Attorney Denise Lunsford, that was not completed until February 9, 2010, almost 2 weeks later.
Cash is Busted on a Tip.. March 19
Not long out of Nelson County jail for a non-violent offense, Jason Todd Cash is being held in Albemarle County jail since his arrest around 1am the morning of Friday March 19.
One has to wonder if the tip about where Jmoney was hanging out on Secretary Sand Rd from his kin in Amherst.
Clint Cash, a registered sex offender was arrested in December on a felony parole violation and is facing some heavy time . His wife Donna, had just pled guilty to a misdemeanor the day before the tip came in regarding JT Cash’s whereabouts and received a suspended sentence.
Jason Cash was apprehended with help from Bink, the new Albemarle County k9 when the house he was staying in on Secretary Sands was raided and he attempted to stay hidden inside.
What are Coincidences… What are clues?
The aforementioned volunteer for NGVFD lives in same stretch of Secretary Sands Rd.
Yet another relative of Jason Cash, a registered Sex Offender, shares an employer with the cousin of “volunteer”, and volunteer; specializing in outdoor landscape lighting.
Colby Eppard was stopped in the area of Green Creek Rd that is a large parcel of land owned by Cash family member.
As far as making allegations in this report, there are none. The investigation of the events contained herein are entirely based on public information and witness accounts.
I have come to the conclusion that while we cannot say specifically which one of the issues discussed directly relate to the murder of Morgan Harrington, a primary or secondary scene integral to the investigation of same, and the hunt for her killer(s), but I do believe the incidents need to explored fully in a public forum.
Jason Mateos and Elizabeth Morton contributing editors to this report.
Blinkoncrime.com posters justice for morgan and juliemooly contributed research credits.
Images by Klaasend
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Wow, Hummingbird. Bless you and your family.
If I am correct, what would make people stick together to protect someone that is really dangerous?
B
Family ties would be my guess in this case.
Oh dear Fish and Hummingbird, my heart aches for the pain and sorrow you have both suffered. At the same time, I am in awe of the strength and compassion that you both show here on BOC.
Thanking you for sharing your stories. I shall keep you and your families in my prayers. May God ease your burdens.
dew
planted shirt is most likely only a misdirect. why take the chance and use it as a warning for someone that can finger you?
only way i can see that its a warning is if the planter is aiding the culprit, but why would the person assisting the perp have hard evidence in his/her possession?
now if it was two rso’s involved, i would hazard a guess (at best) that this was a team effort. and its aligned with the goal to take the heat of af and put the heat on a common enemy.
Hello Blinksters…have not posted in a while but still lurking about…re: the below post:
acho says:
April 17, 2010 at 8:04 am
HokieHi says “Acho mentioned the car being on an “autotrader” type website. Is it possible the car was sold and the reason for the trip was to merely drop it off to the new owner?”
One thought…if this trip was just to drop off of a car being sold, why would 6 people need or want to make this quick trip? something does not seem right about this….
Today, April 17, 2010 is the 6 month aniversary of Morgan’s disappearance and death. I want to thank all the riens and supoerters who have stayed with us thru this long and difficult journey. We need you as we wait for justice to be servers. Thank you from The Harringtons.
those asking about what prompted the burn just before the discovery of morgan’s remains has been bugging me for several days now too.
i’ll offer this in response: what if the “tactical response incident” at 10pm on 1/25 was the proverbial domino that set everything in motion?
*clink*
TO: Fish, re: your 4/17, 2:09am post:
Words rarely fail me but they do after reading your post above.
I am close to speechless.
You speak with such emotion and passion.
Your words convey feelings that are palpable.
I am so terribly sorry for the loss of your sister to violence.
[Today is the my baby brother's "death day"--the annniversary of his death. It is always a very sad day for my family.]
I am so sorry to hear the sad stories of others here who have likewise experienced domestic violence in their lives.
As my heart goes out to each of you, I honor the courage you have shown in sharing your stories.
In my eyes, each of you is a heroe in your own right.
May you each gain strength in the knowledge that many here support your healing journey.
May you each know peace in your lives.
So I missed this somehow and I apologize if it’s been discussed already but I think it’s interesting in regards to the goings on of the ACPD.
http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2010/03/05/officers-punished-including-one-who-shot-eppard/
Note the comments section. Take this with a grain of salt based on who is saying it but the jist is that the suspensions had to do with sexual misconduct while on duty and there are implications that the area where the affairs took place was near AF.
Gasbag Self Ordained Expert March 5th, 2010 | 5:31 pm
Rut roh! Information was just posted on the NBC 29 News forums… and I quote, “One of the boom boom spots while on duty was on 29 South near a farm that has been in the news recently.” (Obviously, Anchorage Farm and the death of Morgan Harrington.)
I think this should be a pretty startling revelation to anybody. There’s all kinds of thoughts running through my mind right now!
Just Bob. March 6th, 2010 | 8:11 pm
Oh and… If the Anchorage Farm area is a romance spot for law officers- then maybe we should be looking at the PoPo for Harrington’s killer.
The killer would’ve had to:
1. Know the area (PoPo gets a checkmark)
2. Be able to make a lone female comfortable getting into a vehicle with them (PoPo gets another checkmark).
And of course I am not libelously suggesting any individuals. Just tossing another theory into the ring.
Gasbag Self Ordained Expert March 6th, 2010 | 8:32 pm
Bob, based on your Anchorage Farm area reply above, I feel quite confident the Virginia State Police are already exploring this theory or possibility.
I too would hate to think the state police were investigating who killed the hens in the hen house, with the fox standing right next to them in press releases. I pray to God that this could never be true. I personally know of no cop who would be capable of the Harrington abduction and murder (or whatever took place). But, I do not know a lot of these newfangled rookies either.
I think this is a stretch but initially we had discussed a POI as having a military or LE background. The officer that was fired has National Guard training and was a 6 year veteran of the force. I noticed from the “I HeArTE JADE” blog that his name is listed. Was he part of the drug task force? Is it possible that he was a “dirty” cop that was involved in the drug ring somehow? Not trying to offend or bring up a ridiculous scenario but who could easily and without raising eyebrows be able to plant evidence? Cop maybe?
RE: domestic violence: For several years now there have been NFP (not-for-profit) programs and agencies that will collect used cellphones to be refurbished and donated for free to survivors of domestic violence so that they may call 911 in the event of a future emergency. [I've donated several myself over the years.] Just this evening I came across yet another program, an off-shoot of “How Sweet The Sound” (a national church choir competition).
For anyone interested in learning more about how/where to donate your old cell phone(s), please see below. Remember: your old phone could literally save a life…
“Support survivors of domestic violence by donating old wireless phones at How Sweet the Sound venues nationwide, at your neighborhood Verizon Wireless store or use the postage-paid label at http://www.verizonwireless.com/hopelinemailinglabel to submit through the mail.
Use your voice to inspire and unite people all over the country. You can give hope to survivors of domestic violence nationwide. How? By encouraging your community and fellow choir members to donate old wireless phones, families that are in need will finally have a voice.
Here’s how it works. Encourage your choir and your parish to start a program that collects old wireless phones, batteries and accessories from any wireless provider for HopeLine. Then bring all of the items you collect to the live How Sweet the Sound event to drop in the designated bins. The used wireless phones will either be refurbished or recycled. With the proceeds, Verizon Wireless donates wireless phones and airtime to survivors of domestic violence and provides funding and other contributions to non-profit domestic violence shelters and prevention programs across the country.
So we ask you to gather up your old wireless phones, batteries and accessories in support of our HopeLine Program. How Sweet the Sound is not just about celebrating music, it’s about celebrating each other. Join the celebration today.
Click here to learn more about HopeLine and how contributions like yours can truly make a difference.”
Website: http://www.howsweetthesound.com/general/hopeline#
From RMH website:
Dan Harrington’s Mini Press Conference
Yesterday, 08:44 PM
Pippi, asked if I would answer some questions. I have posted the questions and answers below:
1. I asked earlier and you said no pictures or video of Morgan or her three friends in JPJ Arena. Do you believe they were ever there? Did other witness that knew them see them there?
To the best of my knowledge there are no pictures or video of Morgan in or out of the building.
2. With no pictures and no video is the only confirmation Morgan attended the concert the word of her friends?
I have no reason to believe that Morgan skipped the concert; she had been looking forward to it for months. Her presence has been reported by eyewitnesses (per description) that Morgan was present in the parking lot before the concert, in JPJ, and in the parking lots after she left the building.
3. Are there any photos taken of Morgan after she left your home on the afternoon of Oct. 17?
None that have come to light.
4. When you called Amy Oct. 18 what was her reaction?
I did not initially speak to Amy, I spoke (as I recall) to Sarah, I was upset and scared, and I knew Morgan something terrible had happened to her. I spoke to Amy when she brought Morgan’s car back on the evening of October 18. I do not recall the conversation; I was in a state of shock.
5. Was Morgan’s car every processed by LE? If not why?
Morgan’s car was searched by police.
6. Was Morgan ever stalked or followed or afraid?
Not that I am aware.
7. Why did Morgan feel the need to deadbolt her bedroom door at Blacksburg?
During times she and Amy had friends over or parties, friends/visitors would be in and out of her bedroom. She wanted her privacy and did not want people coming into her room when she was not there. She was quite organized and had fairly nice jewelry.
8. Where did the girls go before the concert?
Morgan and Amy went to JMU to Sarah’s house. I do not know what they did in Harrisonburg. I do not believe they went anywhere else in Charlottesville.
9. Did Morgan know the BB players previous to Oct. 17?
Not to my knowledge.
10. Has Morgan’s necklace ever been found?
That is part of the investigation.
11. What articles were found with Morgan?
The chunky silver bracelet that Gil gave to her was give back to us. The rest of the information is part of the investigation.
12. Was Morgan shot as Gil hinted at?
The details and cause of death are part of the investigation.
13. Did Morgan or the Harrington Family have any ties to AF?
No, despite Gil’s maiden name being White, she had no connection to AF.
14. Did Morgan ever attend parties or have friends living at North Garden?
Morgan had visited her brother when he was in school; she occasionally went to concerts in Charlottesville. To my knowledge she had never been there.
15. Was Mr. Bass home the day and night of Oct. 17? The day and night of Oct. 18?
I am told no, but I have no confirmation of that.
.
16. Do you believe AF holds the key to Morgan’s murder?
I believe it is part of the puzzle. One would have had prior knowledge of AF for her body to be were it was found.
17. Why was the sighting of Morgan by Mrs. Parsons the newspaper lady discounted?
I do not think it was, I still believe it is a possibility, I do not think it is a closed deal.
18. Are there any sightings of Morgan after 10:00 pm October 17?
Not to my knowledge, unless she was on the lawn.
19. Why were the friends that went to the concert not concerned when Morgan did not arrive to drive home with them?
I think they were concerned, but I think they thought she got a ride.
20. Did her friends think she was safe with whomever she told them she was with?
I do not believe she told them she was with anyone.
21. Do you believe there is any connection between Morgan and Cassandra’s’ murder?
I do not rule that out.
22. Do you think AF has anything to do with Morgan’s’ murder other than her being found there?
It has something to do with her murder, if only that it is well known to the killer(s). It is not just a random place to put her. I believe she was placed there with thoughts she would never be found. The shirt now being acknowledged as being her is significant and it was found in a mixed neighborhood (students/frats/drug users/ poor)
23. Are there any questions you would like to add to this list before I topic it?
No
fish says:
April 17, 2010 at 2:09 am
Pleeeeeaaaaasssseeee, let me by your sister! Let me hold your hand. If you do not want that then I am sure, proof-positive, without a nano-second of a doubt that this woman would step in. Post to her. Post it with DO NOT POST! DO NOT POST! DO NOT POST! at the top and tell her that you need help. Get busy living.
No one is expecting after so much time, for you to do it on your own. How could we??? His hold may be greater than most of us can imagine. You are not the freak that he is. You can be redeemed and go on to live a beautiful life.
You have so much to give and so much to live.
Help Morgan as you would a sister.
Help Morgan’s family.
You can and will do better. Not going to lie to you, it will be hard. It will be the hardest mother-lovin’ thing you will ever do in your life. But you will be brave and will do what is just.
He is an abuser IN life and a theif OF life.
If it makes you feel better, then choose to believe that you are seeking help for him. Choose to believe that he will change, that it will be better for you after he gets clean of his sins. Believe whatever you want.
Live in denial for an hour but during that hour, grab a hand, go to a safe place, and just make that CALL COURAGEOUSLY!
I beg of you.
Save yourself before he steals your self!!!
————————————–
SARA – Sexual Abuse Resource Agency in Charlottesville:
http://www.sexualassaultresources.org/
24 HOUR HOTLINE: (434) 977-7273
SARA serves women, children and men who have experienced sexual assault and their families and friends in Charlottesville, Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties, Virginia.
It can be hard to talk about sexual violence. Many people never tell anyone and are afraid of being blamed or not believed. Often family and friends want to help but may not know what to do or say. SARA’s staff and volunteers are here to listen in a caring and understanding way. They offer information and support to help survivors make decisions for their healing.
Observer said:
“Slowroller, while you and I are clearly in the minority here (I believe there are only one or two others who share this sentiment), I’m ok with that…and repeat my earlier mantra: I always reserve the right to be wrong.”
—-
FWIW, that’s where my suspicions lie as well, I tend to think the simplest explanation is probably the one.
Clary/Sauer residence is in Afton–very close to North Garden. After viewing adult ed brochure from UVA, I would GUESS that Clary fieldtrip might be to her personal residence.
rnmom and Blink herself have both mentioned they don’t understand
why family protects dangerous relatives. Consider the Cummings/
Croslin situation in Satsuma and the Anthony situation in Orlando (and
that’s beyond simple protection of family). I’ve seen it with my
mother and sister protecting and believing my nephews stories about
why they were in jail. How everything was misconstrued and they didn’t do it (whatever “it” was) and they were blamed by someone else,
etc. etc. Such sob stories with soulful and hurt looks. Yes, they
were quite accomplished liars. And here is their mother and grandmother who raised them since litle. Yes, they believe the
stories. I am told that we are genetically geared to protect our
“genes.” To accept the truth of the actions of a relative must be
terrifying. It takes a great deal of strength to come forward to
authorities if its a family member. It’s much easier to report
an “other.” I’ve personally seen a lot of parents unable and refuse
to accept what their children do in simple misbehaving (yes, I’m a teacher). The other side of the coin is “fear.” Remember the
headless rat Ron C. sent to Tommy Croslin? That was a message–you’re
vulnerable, I can hurt you or yours–be quiet. That puts a relative
in a scarey position. Justice for Morgan, Haleigh and Caylee.
small correction; the website is findmorgan.com
10.Justice says: April 18, 2010 at 10:02 am
From RMH website:
Dan Harrington’s Mini Press Conference
Blink and Friends,
I cannot say it better than Fish:
Alls’ good I am in BOC therapy and it works!
Morgan is never far from my mind. I am so impressed and affected by Dan and Gil Harrington and the fearless and unflinching way they have faced the loss of their precious daughter, expressing their grief and including us in their painful but unfortunately very real journey.To admit ones grief is very shameful in society, still hard for me. They have become heroes and set such an incredible example to so many of us, who have brutally lost a loved ones, or have been, or maybe still are victims themselves.
The Harringtons truly represent and embody the statement Mom3.0 made of”Victory for the Victims”
I am forever indebted to them and for Blink for “standing up” for those who need it” and walking the walk.
TO: In Memory of Gini: One minor point of clarification: the acronym SARA in Charlottesville stands for “Sexual Assault Resource Agency” rather than “Sexual ‘Abuse’ Resource Agency”. [Thank you so much for sharing that important resource with readers. I was Pres. of and sat on SARA's BOD for approx. 15 yrs. so know the agency well.]
RE: “RAD” ["Rape Agression Defense"] training is some of the very best self-defense training available anywhere. Many organizations, including the UVA Police Dept., offer RAD training. As others here have suggested, I highly recommend interested readers search for RAD (or similar) training in your area.
TO: bluewillow: Agreed. I tend to err toward simple rather than complicated in most cases, while still appreciating that a complicated confluence of events can and does indeed happen in certain instances.
OT: A couple threads ago someone(s) was asking about book recommendations. If anyone is still interested, I’d strongly suggest these two:
1) “Little Bee” by Chris Cleave – the story of a young Nigerian girl who was orphaned and fled horrific brutality in her native country and immigrated to the U.S. It’s a short, easy but most compelling read about the depths of human compassion, as is:
2) “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson – From BookBrowse: “The inspiring account of one man’s campaign to build schools in the most dangerous, remote, and anti-American reaches of Asia. In 1993 Greg Mortenson was the exhausted survivor of a failed attempt to ascend K2, an American climbing bum wandering emaciated and lost through Pakistan’s Karakoram Himalaya. After he was taken in and nursed back to health by the people of an impoverished Pakistani village, Mortenson promised to return one day and build them a school. From that rash, earnest promise grew one of the most incredible humanitarian campaigns of our time—-Greg Mortenson’s one-man mission to counteract extremism by building schools, especially for girls, throughout the breeding ground of the Taliban.”
It was Mortensen’s book that inspired me to personally adopt and equip a tiny village school in rural Mexico.
Both of the above books speak volumes about the triumph of the human spirit over overwhelming adversity.
TO: Moonchime (and any others), re: Morgan’s ROCKS: When I checked the p.o. box yesterday no rocks had yet arrived. I think you (Moonchime) sent yours at least 2 wks. ago from Nevada. I’m not certain what happened but will check directly w/ the postmaster to see if I might sort this out.
Love to Hummingbird~~~~~~~
I pray that that through the process of revealing Morgan’s murderer(s), y’all find a new sense of healing and progession.
May I share a poem with y’all that reminds me about life’s great mysteries? Hill and valleys. I pray it brings comfort to someone. I read it everyday to remind myself that our lives are not destinations. They are journeys and somehow we have to find the power inside to keep pushing through the darkness.
Through the Valleys I Grow
Sometimes life seems hard to bear
Full of trouble, sorrow and woe
It’s then that I must remember
It’s in the valleys I grow
~*~*~*~
If I always stayed on the mountain top,
And never experienced pain
I would never appreciate God’s love
And would be living my life in vain
~*~*~*~
I have so much to learn
And my growth is so very slow
Sometimes I need the mountain tops
But it’s in the valley I grow
~*~*~*~
I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do
But I am very sure of one thing
My Lord will see me through
~*~*~*~
My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death
His victory was Satan’s loss
~*~*~*~
Forgive me Lord for complaining
When I’m feeling so very low
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it’s in the valleys I grow
~*~*~*~
Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share your love with others
And help them find their way
~*~*~*~
Thank you for the valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it’s in the valley I grow
~*~*~*~
Written by Jane Eggleston
Much love to everyone ~xo~
Through the Valleys I Grow
Observer, prayers for your baby brother on his “death day”
Thankyou for honoring us and seeing us as heros for sharing.
I do gain strength and in the knowledge that many here at BOC support my healing journey, and pray for peace for us all. I am in admiration of you as a powerful, compassionate,educated and effective advocate for women and children. I am keeping a file for all the resources you offer to us here for future use and reference for myself and any others who may need them.
Fish, seven girls huh! Wow. “spare the rod, spoil the child” such a mean Victorian M.O. Yes mum also picked what she knew, and I agree, I don’t know how some of us escaped but thank God we did and did not choose it.
MslAL, Thankyou you are so right, I said things I have been wanting /needing to say for a while to people I only know through the internet …it beats me…..have never blogged anywhere else. Thankyou for your wise comments and Blessing.
Suz, Thankyou for your blesssing.
Dew, Thankyou for your prayers.
With gratitude and love Hummingbird xxx
Dan, Gil and Alex…..we all continue to stand with you, with vigilance and determination. We continue to fight the good fight the best way we can….we continue to honor your passion, devotion to justice, and love for your daughter that we have all come to love and honor with you. We will not stop until justice is served.
..
….
.
Hi, I’m a new poster, but I’ve been reading for a while. Just wondering about the shirt. DNA was the means of identification. Does anyone know whether the DNA source was hair, blood, etc? What about condition of the shirt? Was it intact or torn? Any holes in it?
I can’t comment on the source of the DNA, but the shirt was in good condition.
B
So, LE is not ruling out the newspaper lady’s sighting. Didn’t the newspaper lady say they never even had her give them a detailed description of who she saw her with? Didn’t she also see the room they came out of?
She was seen walking with 4 MIB, in parking lot, seen with 3 in Lawn (less tights!!). Newspaper lady an artist and said she can describe the 3, didn’t she?
So who is willing to get into a discussion about the Pantera shirt with me? It has been debated whether this was a sloppy plant job or an attempt to send a message. I think it was to send a message. To me, a shirt that is visibly displayed this way screams “keep your mouth shut” and I think drugs are the underlying reason. When the dust clears from this case, I think drugs are going to be a major factor. This is not to say I believe Morgan was tied up in it but I think the POI’s are heavily into it.
Blink hasn’t come right out and said it’s definitely a drug ring but I think the mention of Byrd and Manning-Smith are clues. And the circle from Waynesboro is into it BIG TIME. I went to college. I know weed is plentily available. I know a lot of college age kids do drugs and smoke a lot of weed. But these kids have access to a ton of it. Read the twitter account for AW (Velveeta’s stepbrother’s wife) and you can see she is constantly smoking. We’re not talking every now and then, it’s like every day. You have to be connected to smoke that much weed. Same thing for her brother. His FB pages are a little more covert in his posts but it’s clear that’s what he’s talking about. There is another kid, MB that is friends with them who seems to advertise that he has it for sale in his FB posts. And KH is definitely into it too.
But back to the shirt. Blaine Eichner claims he found the shirt on his way back from class. Eichner says, “It was just blatantly on top of the bush, like someone had, almost like someone kind of just placed it there to be seen, it looked like someone wanted it to be found.”
http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=12321554
So this is what I find intriguing: Unless things have changed when I was in school, classes started at 8am and the last classes ended at 9pm (scheduled but never lasted that long). I don’t think he was coming back from a night class because this was a black shirt and it would have been dark out. Less likely he sees it in my opinion. So let’s say he found it in the daylight. If the shirt was “blantantly on top of the bush”, how did he miss it on his way TO class? This seems to imply that shirt was placed during daylight hours. If that is the case, how could it be done without being noticed? Who wouldn’t attract attention? LE, Utilities workers, or Landscaper perhaps? Is there a way to find out who handles the groundskeeping at this apt complex to see if any familiar names surface?
I could be way off and I’d love to hear what you all think. It just seems to me that if it was that obiously placed and as if “someone wanted it to be found”, then it would have been spotted as someone went TO class if it had been there all night.
To Sobermom and others who commented on NJ trip and possible drug connection. That sounds totally plausible. After all, who buys an 88 Merc Sable, sight unseen, from a distance of hundreds of miles? And who sells one, with little to no book value, for little more than gas money up and back? It would have to have been very low mileage, in exceptional condition, to bring much more than a few hundred dollars in a private sale. Convenient way to get a vehicle out of the state and into a chop shop, if it were involved in some other incident as well. Would like to see the title transfer on that deal, if there was one.
Back to drugs…using and dealing has become so commonplace in the last decade, particularly in college towns, where there is a steady market. You have your prescription drug trade, hinging on shady doctors and pain clinics and very young people with “chronic pain” issues, questionable accidents, no steady work. You have meth, easy to make, more commonly manufactured in rural areas, and responsible for a lot of FIRES. Heroin is cheap, and pretty much instantly addictive. Add in coke, prescription speed, crack, it’s just a cornucopia of substances waiting to be consumed. Since the 60′s, we are in what, our 4th generation of ever-increasing drug abuse? And the snowball keeps getting bigger and the resultant behavior more obscene. Of the cast of characters that have been mentioned, no doubt many are users, as most are apparently not shy about admitting, but dealing would not be a big stretch, either. And complicity of authorities, well, they all seem to be related to each other, or travel in similar circles, so go figure! Who killed Morgan? Gawd only knows. As Juliemooly said, the net of possibilities just keeps getting wider. Maybe a big drug bust will precede an indictment of Morgan’s killer.
One last thought about domestic violence and its impact. My former step-daughter, a beautiful girl with a great sense of humor, smart in some ways, but very naive in others, got herself involved in an abusive relationship at the age of 16. When her father and I found out about it, she came to us and talked about it, not spilling all the details of course. I was heartbroken about her situation, and apparent lack of will to do anything about it. We were talking about it, and she looked at me with the utmost of sincerity, and said “hasn’t Daddy ever hit you before?” Thought I would die. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I said “hell no. For one, he would never do such a thing, and two, if he did, it would be the first and last time.” She could not believe it. As far as I know, this child had never been exposed to domestic violence through either her mom or her dad. Where, then, would she get the notion that hitting is o.k.? The only thing I can think of is the constant barrage of violent imagery that is displayed in music, movies, video – anything you see in a video is cool, right? It’s horrible for the kids who have experienced it first hand, and you can understand how they grow to accept and then repeat the same behaviors, but is it just as damaging and powerful to kids who absorb it second-hand through multi-media? I don’t want to advocate censorship, but fail to see the art in the stark violence as it is being portrayed by soul-less individuals of dubious talent and spoon fed to impressionable youth to in essence “create” a market for it. I think we not only need to Take Back the Night, but also the streets, and the minds of many of our youth. Then, I am reminded of the kids who do incredible things to foster positive change in society, and I pray it all works out for good.
I’m still here Dr. Harrington, even though I haven’t posted in a while. I still read every post. Morgan is on my mind each and every day. Your entire family are in my prayers on a daily basis. Morgan has touched us all. The love you all have for one another shines through to everyone. We will never give up on making sure Morgan’s murderer/s sees justice. My only wish is that in seeing justice for Morgan, it would bring your shiny girl back. It saddens me greatly that anyone would be unsafe in this world of ours.
Observer, my rock must have been lost. My hubby sent it before you left, and sent it priority mail. I will send another soon. Thank you so much for taking rocks to Morgan’s Memorial bridge for everyone.
Big hugs,~Moonchime
I don’t think I’ve made the comment before about how much I respect the strength Dr. and Mrs. Harrington have shown through this whole ordeal. So many parents and family have to deal with similar situations, and almost always, their composure just overwhelms me as they stand in front of TV cameras to discuss their missing loved ones.
Many things stood out in Dr. Harrington’s quoted interview, the fact that he spoke initially with Sarah, not Amy, the fact that, at least to his mind, Mrs. Parsons’ sighting is still not a closed issue, and the fact that he believes there could be a connection between the death of Cassandra Morton and Morgan.
One thing I’ve heard before and had forgotten, the deadbolt lock on Morgan’s bedroom door at her apartment. We have deadbolts on all of our exterior doors, but is it a common practice for college kids with roommates to have a deadbolt on their bedroom doors? I can understand a lock, but a deadbolt lock seems to indicate mistrust or fear. I’m not implying that she didn’t trust or was afraid of Amy, but the lock does raise the question in my mind, was there someone she did fear? Perhaps someone she had never discussed with her parents?
my rocks were returned ,no po box xxxxxx,i’ll resend to the other po box,i am having computer technical issues and am trying to keep up ,if a girlfriend placed the shirt,it could be mixed emotions ,it could be her way of saing,”i know” or ” you should be worried because i am a wild card look i’ll throw caution (t-shirt) to the wind”,or “i dont have the shirt anymore” (was the fire at southerland because unsubs thought the shirt was in the house ? )clever or coincedence on le’s part; the mystery of whether or not it was her shirt ,is part of how i see le going around the unsubs laying the net,premptive strikes,then they are going to close the net in.
Susanm:
Oh no! The rocks were returned? I mailed my rock on April 10th. What is the other PO Box? I will put a tracer out tomorrow! I sent to PO box 4492 Charlottesville, VA 22905-4401. My box siz 12 x 6.
Can someone advise?
Just a quick remark re: Dead Bolts
My daughter is going to be living in an apt next semester, shared by three others. Each bedroom has a deadbolt, the kitchen, living room are common areas. Now this isnt campus issued housing, just local to campus. You may not know the other people if you don’t go into with all 4 people. I believe Morgan & Amy were in an apartment? I see Dr Harrington says she put a deadbolt on. I am suprised there wasnt one already if it is similiar to my daughter’s setup. That is your only private quarters. The situation she is in now, is a school 4 person suite, 2 to a room, and I dont believe there is any deadbolt on those bedroom doors. Interesting to think about.
Just read the following on our local NBC affiliate website (NBC29.com)
“Teen’s Body Found In GW National Forest
Posted: Apr 18, 2010 5:28 PM EDT Updated: Apr 18, 2010 5:28 PM EDT
An autopsy is planned in Roanoke Monday on the body of a 14-year-old boy found dead this weekend alongside Todd Lake in part of the George Washington National Forest in Augusta County.
Sheriff’s investigators have ruled the death suspicious, telling us that the teen did not die of natural causes.
The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office has not released the boy’s name or exactly how he died.”
c’villemom says:
April 16, 2010 at 8:56 pm
“TY Hokie Hi. I appreciate the info. I looked up Faulkner House on the UVA website and got that it was once William Faulkner’s house and now houses the Miller Center for Public Affairs. It’s location is 917 Rugby, which, by the way, is not far from Grady.”
*****
I want to clarify something here. There are actually three locations at UVA that could be considered “Faulkner House”.
First, there is the house that William Faulkner personally owned and lived in while he was Writer in Residence at UVA. This house is located at 917 Rugby Road. It is still a privately owned residence.
Then there is the Faulkner House that currently houses the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. William Faulkner never lived there, but it is named in his honor. This building is located at 2201 Old Ivy Road.
Finally, there are the Faulkner Apartments that are UVA uperclass dorms (University owned, as opposed to privately-owned and rented apartments). They are located pretty much adjacent to the JPJ and U-Hall parking lots. When I went to UVA, a lot of athletes lived there because it was close to practice for them.
Do we know which of the three was where the fire occurred?
Fish and Hummingbird, so very sorry to hear these stories. As the child of an alcoholic, things got pretty scary in our home many many times. There was little physical violence, but the verbal was horrendous. The final straw (for me) was on his last bender, which was years after the 4 of us were gone from home. He decided he wanted to die, but wanted to take out my mom & his dog 1st. While loading his gun & ranting & raving about what he was about to do, my mom escaped to my house, scared out of her wits (of course). Being that I had always been a sort of “daddy’s girl”, and could handle him better than anyone, I made the decision this would happen NO MORE! I then headed to his house to confront him, but not before making a couple of phone calls. I called the hospital 1st, to see what they could do to help, and then the magistrates office to see what it entailed to commit him. I then got to dad’s and because of his drunkenness, he didn’t fight me about a trip to the hospital to help “dry” out (his bender had been 30+ days already). The hospital was able to hold him because he was a “danger to himself & others” so the cops met me there and handcuffed him to his bed, while I went and took out a warrant on him. He was fine up until they handcuffed him to the bed & he realized what was about to happen. With my mom’s help, we were able to have him kept there in the psych ward for 30 days. That man could not believe what I did to me, and it took several years for him to forgive me and quit trying to collect that hospital bill money from me, but he never ever drank another drop after he realized what he had “almost” done. The saddest part was, it was that he “almost” killed his dog that upset him most
As soft as my daddy’s hands could be most of the time, I still shudder to think of what he could be capable of when he was drinking. To this day, my siblings can’t believe that I, the “favorite”, would have the courage to do what I did that night. But I was running off of adrenaline. It took my whole life to have the courage I did that night, and wish I had done it many years before.
From the location where Morgan’s shirt was found (on top of the bushes), isn’t it possible that maybe someone dropped it out the window of the apartments during the middle of the night or early morning hours so as not to be seen?
Recently, I had some serious problems and was prescribed Oxycontin for the pain, 5 mgs. My youngest came home from school the day after I was put on the meds and told me that “a friend” told him he’d give me $10.00 per mg if I wanted to sell any. The going price might be as suggested here earlier, but it’s evident that some would be willing to pay whatever to get their hands on these type of drugs. I do know this kid doesn’t come from a wealthy family and he doesn’t work so I’d venture to say he “knew” what he was doing. I’m just happy that my child & I had this opportunity to once again have “the” talk about the dangers of not only illegal drugs, but the prescription ones as well.
#15: ross says:
April 18, 2010 at 12:28 pm
“small correction; the website is findmorgan.com”
Ross, go to the main forum page and it now says “Remember Morgan Harrington”. They changed the name after Morgan’s body was found.
Good Grief !! I will never get caught up reading — too much to do piddling outside in all this beautiful weather ….
But digging in the dirt gives me time to think — one thing I was thinking about — remember “Cooper” the retired LE — well, Cooper has not posted in quite some time — Is Cooper actually Sheriff Willie Morris ?
I hate to bring this up — but my pal who “sees things” stated way back in October this is all connected to a drug ring — she described it like a drop of water from a faucet into the bathtub — starts out small, and then the circles widen and widen —
I still cannot discount the death of Kristan Fox of a drug overdose from a connection w/ Morgan —
I’m just throwing this out for discussion, and it’s not an absolute – but way back in Oct. my friend said an arrest in Morgan’s murder would not be soon — and will not come from a confession — because to confess puts the confessor in legal jeopardy — plus, they have a good thing going and now Morgan’s murder is a forgotten event, like a dropped dollar bill in a parking lot …or on a railroad bridge, like the one on Copeley Road.
We’re making pleas to a female to leave and turn in the male — but what if it’s the female who did the actual murder ? The others who may suspect are not going to talk, and even 150 g’s is not worth the price of their freedom.
My friend said this is a male who does NOT attend UVA, but sells to UVA students and maybe hangs out w/ them.
Morgan was not HH’g on that bridge. I believe Morgan was walking toward UVA — or Ivy Rd where there were two banks w/ atms and the 7-Eleven, etc. — it was cold, and she was so thin, she had to be freezing — it’s why she turned up her boots over her knee — plus, she was impaired somehow, and I don’t believe it was due to her ingesting some alcohol prior to the show …
I believe Morgan absolutely knew the person whose vehicle she got into, and got inside of her own decision and free will — and soon thereafter realized she’d made a huge mistake and tried to get out, but was locked in.
And the last known personal “friend” of Morgan to speak to her is the oh-so-mournful party girl and liar, Sara Snead. We will never know the true convo between them — Sara Snead lied in the beginning and she will lie about this for the rest of her life — She absolutely knows why Morgan left that arena, and she is absolutely complicit in Morgan’s murder, in that I strongly believe she played what may have been an innocent role in the beginning, but her silence could have cost Morgan her life. I wish she would sue me for defamation, but she can’t, because I speak the truth.
The police have one theory of the case, and they have been, or continue to, try to make the evidence they have fit their theory — and they are wrong.
That night, Morgan stumbled into more than just the hands of a murderer — she fell into the middle of a large ring of criminal activity — which may involve persons affiliated w/ LE or other public service departments or public figures.
My uncle was a Va. St. Trooper and was killed in the line of duty, leaving behind three very young children and a wife who loved and adored him — and all four of their lives were shattered — and it just ticks me off w/ all of the misdeeds and inbreeding among all the local police and public service depts.in that area.
Police officers are just like everyone else — there are going to be bad apples here and there, but Morgan’s unfortunate, life shattering fate has revealed bad apples by the bushel — I cannot get Colby Eppard’s horrible fate from my memory — that boy was murdered — I’m not condoning his actions, but there could and should have been an entirely different resolution to the ineptitude beginning w/ Randal Snead — who left his police cruiser, w/ a loaded weapon inside, unattended and running, w/out calling for or awaiting backup while he was way outside of his jurisdiction — and then before the Commonwealth’s Atty had issued or made any determination, the car was hauled off to *Richmond* mere days later to be destroyed — it was not impounded, it was not checked by forensics —
Morgan’s body was not found as a result of police work — and unless they start afresh and go in a different direction, her murderers will not be apprended, arrested and convicted.
In the meantime, we can enjoy the music of local bands, such as the ever-popular tune: beat rape murder repeat …
TO: Hummingird: Thank you so much for your very kind words. Even if only one of my posts has helped only one reader along their way, then my efforts have not been in vain. [BTW & OT: Did you know that the tiniest bird in the world is the bee hummingbird? It lives near Cuba. I've always loved birds, with the hummingbird on the very top of that list.]
TO: Hokiehi, re: Morgan’s shirt: Like you, I remain very interested in engaging in healthy speculation about where and how Morgan’s shirt came to rest on that bush outside the apartments on Grady Ave. I’ve been back and forth multiple times in the last 24 hrs. since I first heard news of the DNA confirmation of Morgan’s shirt.
My initial thought was this: much to his (panicked) surprise, the BG realized on/around Nov. 11 that Morgan’s shirt was still in his vehicle. [Depending upon the condition and contents of the interior of his vehicle, this is not an unreasonable consideration.] In a knee-jerk reaction of panic, he tossed it out the window as he drove by Grady–but with specific intent to lend to LE a distraction from his identity inasmuch as that apartment complex on Grady is known to be predominantly leased by students. This is, of course, assuming the BG is not a student–and for several reasons I do not believe he is.
[FYI & FWIW: In local parlance, the area in question is sometimes referred to "Shady Grady".]
On another hand, however, I am puzzled about something: if, in fact, the BG panicked upon realization that Morgan’s shirt was still in his vehicle, why did he not immediately dispose of it in a manner that would preclude any easy connection to his identity, e.g., burn it, place it into a garbage bag and toss it into the nearest dumpster, large public waste disposal site, etc.?
I do not believe the BG knowingly and willfully kept Morgan’s shirt as a “trophy” after Oct. 17, 2009. It is not uncommon–rather, it is SOP/de rigueur–for serial BGs to retain “trophies” of their victims. A serial BG would not intentionally part with one of his “trophies”, e.g., Morgan’s tee-shirt.
My sense is the BG did not intentionally place the shirt where he did as a potential “warning” to an accomplice. He might only do so if:
a. he was absolutely certain that his DNA was not on the shirt; and
b. he was absolutely certain that if his accomplice’s DNA was on the shirt, his accomplice would not break and disclose to LE the events of Oct. 17, 2009 and implicate him; or
c. he believed (or, had reason to believe) that neither his nor his accomplice’s DNA was not on the shirt;
d. he was a dim bulb and considered none of the above as he had no prior knowledge of the potential for trace DNA evidence collection …which would lead to:
e. he has no prior experience in LE (which would provide him w/ knowledge of the evidentiary value of DNA) or:
e. he’s not a seasonsed BG, or he would be very aware of the incidence of convictions based on DNA evidence.
I likewise do not believe the shirt was “placed” on Grady by an angry girlfriend or ex-girlfriend of the BG. If so, she would have to believe that his DNA was not on the shirt–or she would know that his DNA would tie Morgan’s murder to him. [Unless, of course, she too is clueless about DNA evidence.] If that were the case, why would she not have contacted LE earlier and directly with her suspicions about her ex-BF, particularly if she is angry with him?
Morgan’s shirt continues to puzzle me. I would be most interested in one data point: precisely what was the placement of the shirt on the bush, e.g., spread out neatly (indicating intent)? I am not interested in media reports, hearsay, or on-line conjecture in this (to my mind) most important point.
TO: susanm, re: Morgan’s rock: can you please verify the p.o.box to which you addressed your rock, and the state from which it came? I’ll try to touch base tomorrow with the postmaster here in Charlottesville, as I’m very concerned about what’s been happening with Morgan’s rocks.
Observer, in that case, what are your thoughts on the how and why placement of the shirt on the bush at the apartments?
B
TO: Chad: As of yesterday (4/17), your rock had not arrived either at P.O. Box 4492. From what state was it coming?
Please let me know the results of the tracer. TIA!
Thanks for the info on apts cvillenative. I may be over reaching, but if I was a betting woman, I would say the fire call would be the apts, as it seems more relevant to our discussion. So I found this link, if anyone is interested.
http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:INiAFmDqvhEJ:www.virginia.edu/housing/options.php%3Fid%3Dfaulkner%26type%3Dupp+&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
SOOOOOO what i gather is the DNA on the shirt belongs to Morgan and IF there is other DNA its not in the system so to speak??
Good Question.
NOT necessarily.
Morgan’s shirt was found in good condition, no evidence of assault.
I posted early on I would not be surprised to hear that LE has an account from someone admitting to being with Morgan that evening, and that they dropped her back off at JPJ.
In that scenario, it would explain an ID’D DNA sample. We know that DNA tests confirmed it was Morgan’s, but we don’t know what specific test, or any dilutions that were used.
Unless any evidence can tie her shirt to a subject, and also to a crime scene, it is doubtful VSP is getting a warrant or true bill on that alone.
B
Ragdoll says:
April 18, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Love to Hummingbird~~~~~~~
I pray that that through the process of revealing Morgan’s murderer(s), y’all find a new sense of healing and progession.
Dear Ragdoll I second that prayer for us all and thankyou for your kind thoughts and the beautiful poem xxxx
Are you people telling me that WILLIAM FAULKNER lived at UVA TOO???? OMG!!!!I was an English major, dropout, due to my dad’s illness. I gotta say I could get through Faulkner better than I’ve been able to get through Kurt Vonnegut, and I swear I’ve tried.
Fish and Hummingbird, how brave you both are to put it all out there like that. Raw pain, but you both are healing and contributing in spite of it. You both are inspirational. I wish I could express my admiration adequately.
Skyler, is there a prayer for new plants? I spent the weekend planting stuff. This is my second year gardening. I sure have missed a lot of peace before now.
My story: Alcholic father, schizophrenic mother. My brother and I joke that we don’t know whether daddy drove mama crazy, or mama drove daddy to drink! I remember trying to get ready for a 9th grade pageant with my dad lying passed out on the back porch steps. And my mom tried to call the Shah of Iran back in the late 70′s. She actually called Jimmy Carter’s White House and was kept on the line a LONG time. (She was from Georgia too so she really liked him). Guess they figured out from the trace she was harmless. She died at 61 of a massive heart attack and my dad died 2 years later from suicide. I found him. I hope Sherriff Morris didn’t have anything to do with Morgan’s murder. I respect him for leaving a note and having a friend find him rather than his children. Please people, if I don’t get anything across to anybody in my lifetime other than this: DO NOT COMMIT SUICIDE. YOUR FAMILY WILL SUFFER MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE NOW.
Okay, back to William Faulkner. Are you people telling me that Edgar Allen Poe AND William Faulkner have BOTH been residents at UVA???? Dear Lord I must make a pilgrimage.
I have no criminal profile background or training.
so bear with the following..
BG(s) has already sent out some narcissistic signals in my opinion with their activities.
I cannot see BG(s) going quietly off to jail in jumpsuit orange….
he/they seem to be waiting for arrest but sitting in the pen for years on death row does not seem to “fit”
suicide prior to arrest seems more likely for such a character.
there has been mention of a prior suicide in relation to CE…. maybe foreshadowing?
I would be disappointed to see justice derailed in this manner
Cvillenative and Cvillemom:
I kind of screwed up with my response. The person I named, WF, is actually spelled different than Faulkner (pronounced the same). WF apparently still has some relation with the Sutherland house but not sure if he has any relation to Faulkner house. Forgive me but I was a couple of beers deep at the time and didn’t realize the spelling was wrong
Observer, thanks for the info about the phone recycling. I’d also like to encourage hotels to donate all of those phone chargers left in rooms (after their 90-day stay).
This would be a great high school awareness project.
Question: If the tshirt was washed before it was placed/thrown in the apartment bushes, would that make any difference on the DNA testing? Does it erase DNA? Or can the forensics still get DNA from the shirt? Sorry if this seems like a naive question, but I am curious.
It could, yes.
B
Warning: LDP (long damn post)
Observer – Welcome back. Sounds like you weren’t listening to the gift of fear when you got on that boat!
Hummingbird and Fish – Thank you for sharing your powerful, painful experiences with domestic violence. It shows such courage and strength of character.
Fish – I hope the GF/wife is reading your message(s) to her. If she has any hope of living a long productive life – free of fear and regret – she needs to reveal what she knows. Despite whatever kind of childhood and problems she may have had, surely she didn’t plan to be involved in a murder and/or its cover-up.
I wonder how many women would *begin* a relationship with someone they knew was an abuser or murderer. Probably very few. So why do they stay with someone who has hurt them and/or committed a violent, heinous crime?
I’m tired of women saying, “but I love him.” That’s not love; that’s co-dependence. And as hard as it would be to break off such a toxic relationship, the pain would be short-term. A strong woman can get through short-term pain when she knows it will save her from the long-term pain of living a life of violence, fear, and additional crime. It’s not love when a man hits or shoves a woman; it’s dominance. And as time goes on, it *will* get worse.
This guy will get caught and will likely spend the rest of his life in jail, or he may be put on death row where there will be endless appeals that won’t accomplish anything because – let’s face it – Virginia is a state that likes to execute its inmates. Our previous governor didn’t believe in the death penalty, but he still allowed many executions to go through. Our current governor has no such qualms.
I have been experiencing shoulder pain for the last six months. It started off as quick, unexpected jolts of pain that got more frequent and more intense. To avoid the pain, I started limiting my movements, my activities. I didn’t want to do anything that would set it off.
But as time went on, it took less and less movement to cause pain to shoot up and down my arm. Typing on my computer or using my mouse was difficult – and that’s my living. After a little while, I had almost constant pain that throbbed from my neck to my hand. I used my arm less to avoid that short-term pain, which caused me to lose almost all mobility in my shoulder. I couldn’t lift my arm high enough to shave under there! Couldn’t sleep on my side, had trouble getting dressed, washing dishes, walking the big dog, shampooing…. My life wasn’t my life anymore. It was dominated by how my shoulder felt any given day.
By trying to avoid the pain instead of dealing with it head-on, I made it so much worse. Now I have adhesions that are holding my arm in place.
One of the reasons I put off addressing my problem is that I don’t have health insurance, and I can’t afford orthopedists, X-rays, physical therapy, and possible surgery. So I let it go until I couldn’t use my arm.
Recently, I found out about a local network of doctors, physical therapists, dentists, etc., who will accept patients who can’t afford their care – free of charge. I felt ashamed to have to use this service; I’ve never depended on charity before and I didn’t want people to know how foolish I had been. But I called and saw an orthopedic surgeon the next week (last week) at no charge to me. He ordered X-rays – again, free – and gave me a cortisone shot that hurt more than anything I’ve ever experienced. That night, I was in terrible pain and wishing I had dealt with my problem much, much earlier. Before it got so bad. And caused me so much grief.
But the next day, most of the pain was gone, and now, three days later, I’ve got more mobility in my arm than I’ve had in six months. I can’t give a high-five with that arm, but I can now give a low-five. Even better, I’ll start physical therapy this week that will help me to heal and move forward. If I need a further procedure to break the adhesions that have formed, I know it will hurt like hell … but it will be what’s best for me, and it will make my quality of life better in the long run.
When things got bad and I stepped forward and asked for help, that help was offered to me. People gave their time and skills to help me get through a difficult period. One I couldn’t have solved alone; one that would get worse and more painful and more immobilizing to the point that I would be in constant pain and unable to use my arm or live my life fully.
Subtle analogy? Hardly. But it reminded me of the position the girlfriend/wife may be in, the pain she may be experiencing. The fear that it will get worse. He is getting more volatile, more violent, more scary. If she stays, she’ll spend her life walking on eggshells, not knowing what might set him off. What will bring on his fury.
It will be painful to turn him in and end the relationship – but that will be short-term. Taking that action will be the first step toward getting rid of the fear and pain she’s been living with. And if she reaches out for help, from Blink, from law enforcement, from community agencies, it will be there for her. Not judging, but offering help. Offering the therapy she will need to move forward, and in the long run, live the happy life she was meant to live, like the one Morgan was meant to live. The pain and fear and guilt will subside and she’ll be so glad she did the right thing.
I hope she will.
Today I went out and rode around Anchorage Farm. There were signs up at Red Hill Road pointing toward homes to tour for Historic Garden Week. I rode up Red Hill to Taylor’s Gap Road and back to Blandemar. Halcyon Farm was on display as were some other homes and gardens.
There were several options for stopping along the way to dispose of something. First was a gravel shoulder near the creek. This seems a bit risky. Then there’s a gate with access to a field. Seems a bit risky also. Then there’s a gate with access into a stand of pines. That seems like an ideal place if you have the ability to open the gate. There’s also a power line with cleared right of way down to pasture. Maybe worth considering.
After seeing the place up close, the body had to be put there by someone who knew the farm. I know that’s obvious but after seeing things there’s an overwhelming sense that no one could have chosen the site at random. There are far more wooded spots off of Red Hill Road where something could be dumped if someone just happened to turn in looking for a place to dump something and leave.
I firmly think the shirt was taken to where it was found for the purpose of redirecting any search effort.
To the person asking about the fire at Faulkner, I’d like to say that UVA has fire alarms somewhere almost every week. It’s very common over in the medical facilities.
Agreed on both counts.
B
TY HokieHi and Cvillenative for all the clarification on the Faulkner living quarters. Just out of curiosity – is that general area anywhere near where the newspaper woman supposedly saw Morgan and 3 guys that night?
As to the question about what would cause one to keep the identity secret if one knew or suspected such a perpetrator? I agree with Rnmom who says “family ties” I also tend to be in agreement with those who think fear of drug-related prosecution. We would have to be talking about certain bad guys dealing, not just possessing IMHO.
Which brings me back to cheesy jumpsuit. Is it possible that he was staying at the Sutherland house and that would explain his failure to register, he got caught? Didn’t he have to re-register like Jan 25 or 26th? And maybe the family member/band member is connected to drug dealing in some way which is why no one is breaking his/her silence? Just bear with me here, but could the discovery that he wasn’t where he was supposed to be – be the domino that started all the fires/panic, etc? amongst the crowd? And somehow Mr. Bass stumbling on poor Morgan’s remains really was a coincidence brought about by the heavy rains?
As to the landscapers – there is nothing to landscape here in Virginia in the middle of January. Especially not this year with all the snow. So they have to either be Mr. Bass’ hired staff, or working on landscape lighting that could have been damaged in the floods or something. It could just be another case of poor reporting. Maybe the reporter referred to them as landscapers instead of farm hands.
Hey Bob-dog, Ouch! So sorry to hear about your arm, but glad to hear you are on the mend. To answer your question, why do people stay with someone who has hurt them?
I stayed because I was addicted to drugs and he supplied them. I believed him when he said he was sorry and would never do it again. I hated him but went back to him time and again to get high. I hated myself and felt I deserved it on some level for being such a piece of shit addict. I was young and stupid. I was living in denial, I refused to see the reality of the situation. I kept thinking that I would give it one more week or one more month and then I’d leave.
Living in active addiction is a living hell on earth filled with incomprehensible demorilization. I felt utterly powerless to get out of the life that I led, but young and arrogant to think I could handle anything.
I had to drop out of college, move out of the state, sever ties with everyone I associated with..it’s not an easy thing for a young woman with limited resources to do.
Everyone seems to be so interconnected in this sticky morass, I can see how it would feel virtually impossible and terrifying to come forward. But I agree, it is possible and it is the key to getting out from under it all.
If a wretch like me can do it, anyone can.
justice, your son’s friend is offering to wayyyyyy overpay for that oxy. You should take him up on it! (KIDDING! Kid sounds naive. Tell him don’t do drugs, stay in school, get a haircut.)
Dear Dr. and Mrs. Harrington:
Your journey is our journey. We are here for you and your family.
As a grieving but ever-healing sibling,
I would like to send a big ~Ragdoll~ hug to your son,
(((Alex)))
I know what it means to receive one and know what it means to give one during such an unbearably tragic and grief-stricken time. He is never far from my thoughts. I also know that he misses Morgan, as much as I miss mine. I hope that he will find some comfort in knowing that he is not alone, Morgan is not alone, and never will be.
Not all strangers are monsters and there are those of us out here that just want to send some peace and love and lots of it!
fish