Morgan Harrington Murder Breaking News: Virginia State Police To Fairfax Case
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Charlottesville, VA– According to sources inside the murder investigation of 20 year old Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, there has been a new development in her case.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity to blinkoncime.com, sources inside the investigation have confirmed Virginia State Police are preparing to announce a possible connection between Harrington’s murder, and the homicide of Vanessa Pham in Fairfax, VA.
However, late this morning, although blink editors attempted to confirm the reports in advance, Corrine Geller, PR Manager for VSP released a statement regarding a forensic connection to an unsolved case in 2005.
Therefore, blinkoncrime cannot confirm source reports Morgan’s case is connected to the recent homicide of Vanessa Pham, A Georgia Fashion Design student found stabbed in her upper torso after police initially believed she was the victim of a single vehicle car accident.
Pham was enroute to visit friends on Sunday afternoon at approximately 2:30PM ; by 3:30PM she was dead in a ditch.
Vanessa’s whiteScion had been traveling the wrong way down an access road, hopped the curb and ended up in a ravine. Although police had no indication she was not driving the vehicle, it was later discovered that she was deceased prior to the crash.
Anyone with information concerning the death of Vanessa Pham is asked to contact Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477.
Blinkoncrime.com editor Madeline Tanner contributed to this report
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Thanks Blink!
I was unsure if it was a sexual assault/murder. Are all three of these cases linked?
PS- Sorry for all the posts. I was thinking about Morgan all morning (just as I do most days) hoping something would break soon!
Now they have a face.
Should only be a matter of time.
Looks like we are dealing with a serial killer
well … this is random. wonder what the connection to the arena and the farm will be…does this suspect look familiar to Bass? to the friends? any video footage of this person at the arena that night?
If VSP has linked an unsolved 2005 assault to the murder of Morgan Harrington, can we assume some of the DNA forensic results in the Harrington case have been completed and run through CONUS? I can’t think of any other reason to link these 2 cases at this point. And now VSP is announcing a 3rd connection to the murder of Vanessa Pham! I bet this murdering man’s DNA is all over the place…..
This is unbelievable. Fairfax or another unsolved crime? WTH? This perp is a seasoned, serial murderer. My guess is LE is now working harder than ever to solve these crimes. I hope and pray each day there will soon be justice for Morgan and all these other poor, innocent victims. Please be safe this holiday weekend.
blink, did i say something wrong…my posts are still waiting moderation? other posts have been approved.
Blink, it looks possibly like this guy now lives in the Northern Virginia area, but may have lived and worked near Anchorage Farm in the past. I have a feeling they’ll find other connections in the NOVA area, like other girls who may be unaccounted for, or other unsolved crimes against women. The fact that he may not live here may be the reason no one has squeeled on him…he’s not even known here, nor remembered by old friends.
Blink, it looks possibly like this guy now lives in the Northern Virginia area, but may have lived and worked near Anchorage Farm in the past. I have a feeling they’ll find other connections in the NOVA area, like other girls who may be unaccounted for, or other unsolved crimes against women. The fact that he may not live here may be the reason no one has squeeled on him…he’s not even known here, or remembered by old friends.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/179833
Blunt force trauma, looks like Morgan, went to Morgan’s high school, she graduated from V Tech, and may I ask if this guy is in prison or did he manage to fall through some crack?
Mark Eric Lawlor, 43, arrested and charged with the murder of Genevieve Paulette Orange, 29.
Where is he, where did he work and who are his friends???
O Fish- you hit on a case very near to my heart.
He is and was in jail since shortly after Ginni’s murder.
B
Blink:
I googled impersonating police officer in Fairfax and there was a Steven Rivas who was arrested in 2008 for trying to pull over a woman at the intersection of Gallows Road and the Beltway (which is VERY close to where Vanessa Pham was found).
Here’s the link: http://www.officer.com/web/online/Top-News-Stories/Virginia-Police-Impersonator-Stopped-Off-Duty-Officer/1$39648
I’m sure there are plenty of others out there, but the locations made this one seem significant.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Mr. Bass or someone else from the North Garden area will recognize this guy. Argh this feels close.
Blink,
I can’t leave a comment at the moment in your next article about the Fairfax suspect..so I’ll just comment here for now.
Are they also saying this could be related to Plam’s case too, as well as Morgan?
DNA is very solid evidence to link two cases.
Maybe we are looking at someone who is a rent a cop or works security?
I hope someone turns him in..but this sketch is 5 years old..so I hope they have an artist updating what he may look like today.
I am praying for everyone of his vics…looks like a sexually motivated serial killer.
http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2010/07/01/cold-hit-police-connect-morgan-harrington-slaying-to-fairfax-attack/
I am shocked and stunned. All along we have been told not to be worried. The students of UVA/people of Charlottesville didn’t have anything to fear. How far from the truth that was. It appears this person has struck before Morgan, and after! I don’t understand how they can get DNA results back quickly for some instances, but it takes 6 months for Morgan’s???? I am not an expert, can someone enlighten me? I am sure there are reasons, but perhaps if there had been a rush on the DNA, we would have known the connection to the 2005 case months ago. I am glad they have a break, but sad that it came to this. I am also confused, just a moment ago there was a sketch up with a link the 2005 Fairfax case and now the who article seems to be gone. It could be my computer, or was it taken down because the link now seems to be not verified?
Another question..do we know where the 2005 Fairfax vic was abducted from? Just curious if it was a similiar venue..large crowd, security around, late at night, etc?
#
In Memory of Gini says:
July 1, 2010 at 12:13 pm
So this girl was abducted and assulted in 2005, and just died in a car accident recently and tied to Morgan? Wow!
The woman assaulted in 2005 was 26 yrs old at the time. Vanessa is 19. Not the same person. How could they tell if they are linked, Vanessa died on Sunday. no DNA yet. Should we assume Morgan was stabbed.
So Blink, he did drop something on Anchorage Farm!!!
What’s the difference between forensic evidence and DNA?
Or are they one in the same?
Please, remember this is a learning site or whatever you called it in the past. Give me a teachable moment.
Thank the Lord, that one didn’t fall through the cracks. I just had to make sure.
Laser-focused, remember!
I noticed some similarities with Pham and Morgan….art, fashion.
Could someone have contacted either of them to pose as a model?
Could we have confused Dee with Morgan all along (re: sightings with men in black). Could this be a photo opportunity for a possible modeling job?
Other theory I agree with is that maybe it is a police offer impersonator….helping women in distress?
How old would any possible unsubs have been 5 years ago and does that sketch resemble any of them? It must be DNA. What else could it be? Is the man in the sketch Caucasian? So many thoughts … I hope this is the break they need.
24.fish says:
July 1, 2010 at 12:31 pm
http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/179833
Blunt force trauma, looks like Morgan, went to Morgan’s high school, she graduated from V Tech, and may I ask if this guy is in prison or did he manage to fall through some crack?
Mark Eric Lawlor, 43, arrested and charged with the murder of Genevieve Paulette Orange, 29.
Where is he, where did he work and who are his friends???
O Fish- you hit on a case very near to my heart.
He is and was in jail since shortly after Ginni’s murder.
B
——————-
Fish,
This guy is etched in my mind…and still locked up…
Blink led me to BOC by posting on a forum on Gini’s over the 2 weeks it took Fairfax to get DNA matchup of this monster.
The age of this individual would appear to be fairly significant, I would not be surprised if there are more cases linked, for me, it does bring into question the possibility that she voluntarily went with this person. Hopefully Bass, or someone connected to AF will be able to ID this person.
Blink: I hope you do not mind but I’m going to repost Lt. Rader’s Six Points regarding Anchorage Farm. It just may help a local jog their memory now that we have a sketch.
Point 1: The person responsible for the murder may or may not have a formal connection with Anchorage Farm. Cops say the person likely traveled, worked, recreated, visited or lived near the farm.
Point 2: That person was inclined to return back to that area during a time of high stress.
Point 3: There are people who know the offender or know that the offender traveled through that area.
Point 4: The person responsible has specific knowledge of the farm and the area and was comfortable operating in the area, far from the roads.
Point 5: The choice of the farm area is different than leaving Morgan’s body on a public highway or shoulder, since it’s a seldom-accessed area with little risk involved.
Point 6: Traveling to the Anchorage Farm area would have created a significant risk for any person not familiar with the area and not comfortable with that setting. The farm has difficult obstacles, like streams, fences, defects and terrain that changes — things that an unfamiliar person might have avoided.
You go Lt. Rader and Team!
Kick Ass and Take Names Later.
(can I say that?)
GnM – According to the suspect description, the person is a Black Male, 25-35 back in 2005, 6’0″
GnM says:
July 1, 2010 at 1:00 pm
How old would any possible unsubs have been 5 years ago and does that sketch resemble any of them? It must be DNA. What else could it be? Is the man in the sketch Caucasian? So many thoughts … I hope this is the break they need.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GnM
Here is a link with the full poster.
http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=1991704080566501&act=post&pid=12030107103926206
“The suspect is described as a black male between 25 and 35 years of age, roughly 6′ tall and with a medium build. He has black hair with a beard and mustache”
Bursting with news today. From Kenny at findmorgan.com
Well again, all this was supposed to be confidential but no harm in telling you now. Dan and Gil will be meeting at 2:30 with Joe Rader. They wanted to tell them first with the information. Shortly thereafter there will be a press conference.
__________________
blink, i know you probably can’t, but we need more info on the “possible” link. i’m not buying into anything until i have something i can sink my teeth into.
if, in fact, there is a link that LE feels confident enough in relaying to the public, then wow! obviously, they know way more than we know, and there should be an arrest in hours. this scum should be taken off the street period. a link would mean we are looking at an imminent threat.
nothing but questions taking hold in my mind now. did someone feel like they were going down for morgan and wanted to “get their money’s worth”? what’s the link to the 2005 case? dna? doubt its dna, otherwise we’d be seeing pics of someone behind bars.
could there be an offender with a north garden past now in fairfax? our sketch suspect, is he dark in complexion? sketch looks like it. my instinct here is pham knew here killer, or her killer was completely comfortable in daylight with her.
other link possibilities, did vanessa and morgan have a friend in common? their age is similar, and part of my problem with the age of the 2005 suspect is that he is significantly older than morgan and vanessa.
is the link a LE angle? that would mean that there is supporting evidence of this in both cases. what could it be?
this is all just awful news and we need to start making sense of it and getting answers.
Gotta get his poster up in the North Garden post office and at Crossroads store and Dr. Ho’s, even by the gas pumps at Crossroads and at the smaller stations in NG, pronto. Also NG volunteer fire company.
What hardware stores do NG folks use? Needs to go to those options.
Also Snows Garden Center and the asphalt/quarry places on Red Hill Rd, as well as all contractors who worked homes in Blandemar and building/renovations/landscaping at AF.
Finally, every Sheetz and gas station/convenience mart along 29, all the way from NG to Fairfax County, and down through Lynchburg on to Greensboro, needs a copy of that poster.
I know it should go without saying and I mean no disrespect making these suggestions. VSP, please make sure these are in a checklist.
Does everyone realize that DNA results were back for the shirt months ago?
B
Why place the t-shirt?
Was he is still working in North Garden and wanted us all to stay away?
Come on locals, think!
Mr. Branden Shores of Belle Morte, have you ever seen this guy at a concert of yours? I know, far-fetched but the shirt was found outside your building. Blaine Eichner, how about you?
Is there any known connection from Albermale to Fairfax?
A definite forensic connection in the 2005 sexual assault and an unconfirmed connection to the recent murder of Ms Pham.
Are we to assume LE have DNA recovered?
It`s encouraging to see LE making progress and i`m hoping this animal is caged soon.
What would be required for LE to obtain a DNA sample from somebody, for comparison, if it were not already on their database?
Would this link be enough for the FBI to take control of this investigation?
Imitating an officer? I was thinking a real one….
“Does everyone realize that DNA results were back for the shirt months ago?
B”
OK; I can understand that there may have been a recent trigger to release this sketch. But I cannot understand WHY they wouldn’t have done it months ago. Wouldn’t they have run this and caught the match from the shirt DNA then? Is this one of the reasons that the Harringtons have been frustrated? Holding the info to build a case, but at the possible risk of other young women? But, if LE doesn’t know who he is, I don’t get it, frankly.
B Says -Does everyone realize that DNA results were back for the shirt months ago?
B
——————————-
Are you saying Blink, that it took THIS long for a connection to be made? Were you aware that DNA resided on the shirt that was not just Morgan’s? I know recall that ever being disclosed.
i’m with you lizzy.
so blink, we have 2005 perps dna on morgan’s tshirt. and LE is stopping short of connecting it to pham? i’ll ask again then, does pham and morgan both know an individual, possibly with ties to north garden?
or is the only tie that pham and 2005 victim happened within minutes of each other locationwise. doubt we have dna from vanessa’s crime scene yet. is this the only tie to pham?
taking it a step further, if pham and morgan are the same perp(s), the perp is definitely taking painstaking steps to cover his tracks, and therefore likely to be someone known to the victims. no?
Check out this —– http://www.wdbj7.com for story – while reading story – click on wanted poster for his info – its in about middle of story – suspect’s ID etc.
I am fairly new to this site and to the cases that you are speaking of , can someone please explain to me how you guys are seeing where this perp is connected to Pham also? I think I missed something. I thought they were only connecting the 2005 case to Morgans.
Thanks to whom ever can clear this up for me.
Great site by the way… so much info so quickly
God Bless
kim, as far as i can tell it is only location connecting pham and the 2005 case. they happened minutes from each other along a busy corridor in NOVA.
i am glad for two things, if we are to buy into the latest developments in morgan’s case. if it really is forensic link, then there is evidence in morgan’s case, which i hope will lead to a conviction.
second, if the 2005 perp is involved in morgan’s case, the suspect pool just got a lot smaller. i could be wrong, but i suspect the population of black males between the ages of 30-40 y.o., familiar enough to place morgan’s remains specifically where they did on AF following her death is pretty limited.
furthermore, if i am to believe that pham and morgan are both victims of the same perp, i am making serious note of the extensive effort they undertook to conceal their crimes. a staged auto accident in broad daylight and a shallow grave in a remote creekbed. someone felt terrible guilt or shame for what they had done and wanted real bad for it to go away.
If DNA from the shirt was back months ago, then it should have immediately matched up with the rapist in the sketch, since that DNA was on file. Why take so long for this?
#28, but did the “cold hit” come back six months ago or just today? Wow, all PD should have put communities on notice that there is a serial rapist (now killer) operating in the corridor between DC and Cville. I am also concerned the drawing from five years ago will not help, but thank God, it’s better than nothing. Any other hits on this DNA like Alicia Showalter? Perhaps the hillbilly with the mullet
Rt. 29 suspect was just a helpful good old boy and a local myth.
Nutley St runs between Rt 29 Lee Hwy (Vienna/Fairfax COunty and a mile or so from the Fairfax City line and Rt 50 (Fairfax County, specifically the Mantua Community)just a mile north of Fairfax Circle where there have been many sexual assaults. There is a large wooded area just nearby the shopping center. Vanessa Pham went to high school just two or three miles down Nutley, in the Town of Vienna. If she was either going to or coming from Vienna (to visit with HS friends)and heading back to her mom’s, in Falls Church, she may have stopped at the Shopping Center at Nutley and Lee Hwy (Rt 29). Perhaps someone got into her car or forced her to get in and drive to the nearby wooded area. I have a feeling she may have been trying to fight him off, was seriously injured and then tried unsuccessfully to drive herself to INOVA Fairfax Hospital. The hospital is just blocks away from the car “crash” scene. I think the assault had to have begun in her car. They need to check Vanessa’s debit card. There is also a Safeway and a Safeway gas station right there on Nutley. There is a Michael’s, a Micro Center, a Starbucks, and a McDonald’s and a few other restaurants there as well.
Forensic evidence can be anything from hair to skin, sweat, blood, semen, weaponry marks, chemical, even soil samples, shoeprints etc. BUT, whatever it is it MATCHES!
There is a lot of detailed information here:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/crime-scene/fairfax/fairfax-police-seek-witnesses-1.html
Folks, it seems it is finally time to widen our perspective on Morgan’s murder. ie: looking at patterns that connect to other crimes. This new DNA evidence firmly supports that theory.
As in almost ALL of the unsolved murders in the surrounding area since August 2009, the victims were IN TRANSIT somewhere. In their cars. Not walking around. And now, sadly, Ms. Pham was also in her car headed somewhere when she was killed.
I don’t have to tell you, this puts a lot of cheese on the profile of someone posing as LE, possibly with a taser, badge, siren, etc. (which any clod can order out of magazines unfortunately)
pulling people over on the highway. Ditto the HWY 29 murders back in the 90′s.
sherlock
I guess what I also don’t get is if LE had this guy’s dna and made a match with the shirt dna and therefore had a sketch for quite some time, why no announcement that the ladies of VA might actually be in some danger from a predator. I don’t recall whether LE stated this specifically or if it was only the university, but the message to the public has been, don’t worry–no serial killers targeting women. The exact opposite appears to be true and LE seems to have known it for a while. I am confused about this.
For more details on te Vanessa Pham case:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/crime-scene/fairfax/fairfax-police-seek-witnesses-1.html
Sherlock, I have the same suspicions–someone posing as LE offers help to victims or simply stops them to “talk.” This guy may live here and travel to N. Virginia OR he may live there and travel back here to where he previously lived or visited.
Did everyone see this:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/01/virginia.slain.student/
Relating to Gil’s and others’ comments about our culture of violence that views women as prey, this is an excellent HOOK article reporting on a study regarding violence by male students against female students–usually former intimate partners:
http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2010/05/13/campus-violence-jealousy-stress-sexual-aggression-leading-causes-says-report/
…views women as PREY or PROPERTY.
So there was DNA evidence after all! I’m so relieved to hear this. Someone has got to see this face and know who it is. I am so looking forward to this evil creature being taken off the streets, but like the Harringtons expressed, just the sight of that sketch, by giving my anger an actual target, it just made my blood boil.
The prior victim said that he grabbed her from behind. This is likely what happened to Morgan.
There’s a dump out there and a lot of private garbage-hauling (locals contract individually for garbage pickup out in Red Hill.) Presumably, LE is checking out all the sanitation businesses in the area.
katie, it appears that Vanessa was dead BEFORE the car crash, in other words, the crash was staged.
As I am in Nova (2 miles from where Vanessa was found, saw the cops out there) and am just now reading about Morgan, I’d appreciate any info on the other 2 crimes.
Maybe this killer is smart enough not to cross states lines so the FBI won’t get involved, EVEN THOUGH HE’S RIGHT UNDER THEIR NOSES IN QUANTICO. Now, that’s slick.