Morgan Harrington Murder Update: DNA Links WANTED SUSPECT
Corrine Geller, PR Manager, Virginia State Police Released This Statement:
special thanks to argano_m for the image work to remove the beard
special thanks to Klaasend for the age progression image
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I am dumbfounded reading some of the posts questioning your motivations. I have been a constant ‘observer’ and ‘reader’ of your site since shiny Ms. Harrington disappeared, and have witnessed nothing but support for the Harrington’s and the ultimate goal to find Morgan’s killer(s) and bring them to justice. Keep up the good work – you (and your amazing posters) have provided light and hope for these families and nobody should even think to question what you do.
I did not recognize your hat krmax, so thank you for the kind words.
B
So in reading today I glean a possible scenario that perhaps not just the shirt was planted but perhaps DNA was planted as well. Perhaps the shirt has nothing to do with were it was found and perhaps the DNA has nothing to do with the crime. Could sketch have been incarcerated just prior to when the shirt was planted? Could there be more than one DNA profile? Could this be the reluctances in the police wanting the sketch released? Just a thought and I am not saying that police were involved. Maybe just someone on the fringe of LE.
I’ve been going back reading old threads — very interesting — and got to wondering: when did the phone info change and why? For the longest time it was call from friends, texting, then phone dead at 9:30. Then it became no texting after 7:30, but was phone still dead at 9:30? I remember this throwing me for a loop and looking back, I still don’t understand it. Anyone?
Just a note..
Illegals commit many crimes in the United States. Rape and Murder are high on the list. One such case is Chandra Levy. There are many more.
A black male could be from Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica or Cuba and many other nations. There are many web sites that note the hideous acts of crimes committed by illegals in our nation.
This male does not have to be an Black American citizen. He could be a dark complected Hispanic.
I’m not sure Sketch is black. I remember when the composite came out, most thought he didn’t look like he was 100% black.
I think many of his features look like that of an East Indian man or someone from Pakistan, particularly around the hairline and eyes.
If one looks at the image that has been age progressed (thank you Blink and Klaasend) and blocks off the area below the eyes, he definitely looks like he could be from India or Pakistan to me.
re; the basketball players. I don’t believe Morgan was in the lot when the basketball players were there ~ I think she was still inside the arena. I know, it’s not a popular theory but it is what I believe.
The basketball players have suffered collateral damage in the same way the friends have imo. Both the basketball players and the friends should be commended for their unwavering loyalty. I’m sure in time they will be.
Mary, there have been so many different reports in the media regarding phone calls and texting, etc, it’s impossible to know if a call or texting even took place at all imo.
I keep trying to figure out where Sketch is now.
Whether he was directly involved or his DNA was obtained by someone else, I would think he would have been in the Charlottesville area or, if not directly involved, in the same area as one of the perps sometime during the October 17th to mid November time period (depending on where the DNA was recovered, etc).
We know his composite was shown in 2005 along with reports of his crime and where it occurred. Apparently he wasn’t identified in 2005 which I guess could indicate that the composite wasn’t accurate enough for someone to recognize him and/or he was not living or working regularly in the Fairfax area at the time.
I would think after the 2005 crime, and reporting of same, if he was living and/or working in the Fairfax area, he would have left the area and relocated quite a distance away if he was able to.
He could have been a Bernardo type that stayed put, confident he could outsmart police, but I don’t get that impression from information released about his 2005 crime. Also, in addition to a living victim and his composite as well as information about his crime being released, he may have felt there was an independent witness ~ the person that he heard coming before he fled.
idk, I get the impression Sketch would have moved out of state. Strictly a guess on my part though after thinking out loud
Does anyone know if there were any credible tips in 2005 that resulted from his composite or reports of his crime?
oops…re; “he definitely looks like he could be from India or Pakistan to me”.
Didn’t mean “from” as in not born in the US…poor wording on my part.
I meant the sketch looks like he could be Indian or Pakistani ~ I wasn’t familiar with the term “Pakistani” and, rather than looking it up (which I should have), I improvised with very poor wording. ugh.
This latest sexual assault at UVA is alarming to me.
http://www.virginia.edu/emergency/message100720.html
I might be hyper-sensitive, but 1) are students/citizens still walking alone at night when Morgan’s killer is at large? 2)the wanted poster
lists the Fairfax suspect as 6′ black, 25-35yo, medium build (185-195 lb?)which indicates this ‘sketch’ is not the latest rapist.
So who else is on the loose and in need of a severe stropping?
I personally believe the height on the sketch is off. I do not think he was that tall. If you think about it, the victim was incapacitated and removed, raped, and then the attack was interrupted and the offender fled.
His face is very full, does not match the description for me, but again, sketch’s are subjective.
B
SAY IT ISN”T SO……..but some of the recent posts I have been reading seem to suggest that early on evidence and information were compromised, and now the talk of “cover-up” and evidence tampering. Could it be that we are heading for another “Aruba”, and will never really know any more than the very little we know now???
PLEASE, BLINK, say it isn’t so!!!!
Hi Word Girl, you said “are students/citizens still walking alone at night when Morgan’s killer is at large?”
In a word, Yes. I have friends, otherwise sharp individuals, who work or live in town and walk and run alone and at or after dusk. Locals pay a lot to get a pedestrian work- and lifestyle, and they are hard pressed to give it up. It’s upsetting and all the more reason I want LE to SPEAK UP about the threat of harm. Also why I want all of us to pressure the new University president to pressure LE to do same. Enrollment and endowments may drop if an alert is issued, but on the positive side, there’s a good chance parents and students beyond this BOC community will be more aware. I guarantee you those enrollment/endowment numbers will fall more sharply, and media attention will be far worse, if and when it happens again … and if those students and my friends are not shaken to their senses somehow, it WILL happen again.
It is as if Morgan’s story is lost on people, as if the view is “well, I am a local/UVa student and I know where I am, so that could never happen in my life.” They mourn her death and will be thrilled when her killer is arrested, but they don’t see how their lives are impacted until then. I so strongly agree with Gil Harrington that law enforcement must speak up.
JEEZ! said;
“Could it be that we are heading for another “Aruba”, and will never really know any more than the very little we know now???”
Not a chance
PS:
LocalCvilleGirl, you still here? In my post above, I forgot to remind everyone of the rumor you heard about that attempted abduction on Water St, which could have been the “next time” if there hadn’t been a Good Samaritan behind the cab that stopped for that girl. Any news on or confirmation of that story? (I never heard anything about it, but then again, I know very few STAB parents of teens.)
Also, Fish, you relayed a story about a rape (or attempted rape?) in Harrisonburg not too long after that, IIRC? HPD thought it was gang related? Any updates on that one?
justiceformorgan,
The thing about the lot siting: The UVa athletic department AND the Virginia State Police have both given public statements stating the basketball players talked to Morgan in the RV lot. It’s one of the few things that IMO can be agreed upon.
I appreciate your hard work on this case.
Word Girl said;
“the wanted poster
lists the Fairfax suspect as 6′ black, 25-35yo, medium build”
I forgot about the wanted poster describing him as black ~ I’m glad that was brought up.
justiceformorgan says:
July 21, 2010 at 2:12 am
re; the basketball players. I don’t believe Morgan was in the lot when the basketball players were there ~ I think she was still inside the arena. I know, it’s not a popular theory but it is what I believe.
TARHEEL says: I thought it was a known fact that the BBP were in the lot at the same time as Morgan and that 3 of them interacted with Morgan and that they were the last known people to talk to her? Am I wrong? Thanks.
I think that Edward makes a valid point regarding the DNA results and the prospects that someone of sub-Saharan descent does not necessarily have to be from that geographic area as there are a number of countries in Central America and the Caribbean with peoples of sub-Saharan descent.
Fairfax county also has one of the largest populations of gang members in the country, particularly from El Salvador (MS-13). El Salvador does not have a high percentage of sub-Saharan descendants, but I don’t think that the aforementioned gang is exclusive to people from El Salvador anymore. They have been growing in their numbers and spreading geographically, including the Shenandoah Valley/ Central VA:
http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=12717743
However, it doesn’t eliminate the possibility that the perpetrator(s) is not affiliated with them, any gang at all, or could be part of a rival gang with its origins in a country with more descendants fitting the profile of Sketch.
If this recent attack is related to Morgan’s case then I would think that eliminates JAB (Stafford) as a suspect as it appears he was still in jail, with no bond, at the time of this attempted rape or sexual assault. Unless, of course, the two are ever linked. Charlottesville PD needs to catch this latest man, get his DNA and Stafford County needs to get JAB’s DNA. JMHO.
2.krmax says:
July 20, 2010 at 7:40 pm
I am dumbfounded reading some of the posts questioning your motivations. I have been a constant ‘observer’ and ‘reader’ of your site since shiny Ms. Harrington disappeared, and have witnessed nothing but support for the Harrington’s and the ultimate goal to find Morgan’s killer(s) and bring them to justice. Keep up the good work – you (and your amazing posters) have provided light and hope for these families and nobody should even think to question what you do.
———————————————————————-
I TOTALLY agree! I do not understand why some people seem to want to attack our Blink, who dedicates SO much of her time and HERSELF to these cases, their families, and trying to help put bad guys away. It upsets me as well. Do these people even realize what she does or how emotionally involved she gets? BUT….then I think about posts from Dr. Harrington, especially ones from a while back where he noticed a decline in the posts and was concerned that the public’s interest was diminishing, Gil talking about wanting to make sure the case is still getting attention and people aware that a killer is still out there and purchasing the billboard, the rock memorial started by a rock from one of our very own
, the quilt project started by BOC members, etc. and I KNOW in my own heart that the Harrington’s know that they have our support and APPRECIATE it, they KNOW how hard Blink is working for justice for their shiny girl, they APPRECIATE it, and then I realize that these people do not know what they are talking about so why even listen 
We know and the Harringtons know – BLINK ROCKS!! So, here cares what anybody else thinks….But, I know, it does upset us nonetheless, because we care and we all tremendously respect Blink.
Thank you Mary ~ I must have missed the reports ~ I’ll look for them now.
Found it. Mary, do you know if the time the basketball players were in the lot was confirmed…based on something other than witness statements?
If Morgan was definitely in the lot prior to the concert ending, my theory is pretty much completely wrong, unless she was allowed back in the arena after her encounter with the basketball players which I would think is highly unlikely.
Just found the time the basketball players were in the lot.
OT (sort of)…
New York City EMT arrested on multiple sexual assault charges
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/21/new.york.emt.charged/index.html?hpt=Sbin
[...] July 1st, based upon an article posted on blinkoncrime.com inside sources confirmed a forensic link between Morgan’s homicide and a Fairfax [...]
Depending on what genetic test they used [I am most familiar with 23andMe], if Sub Saharan African descent was detected enough for it to be released, it’s likely that the majority of the genetic markers are Sub Saharan African and that would most likely mean the suspect would appear that way to the general public.
Please read this and answer my questions if at all possible, because I am combing through each of the 1000 comments left so far and haven’t had these questions answered:
1) Gil herself stated that “DNA doesn’t come down like rain onto a dead girl’s body” so that leads me to believe the DNA was found on Morgan’s person, not the shirt. Why is everyone assuming it’s the shirt even though in the article here: http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/link_made_between_morgan_harrington_case_and_2005_fairfax_abduction/108967/
Gil specifically says “dead girl’s body” rather than “dead girl’s belongings,” could this be a case of her jumping to conclusions or did LE specifically tell her that the DNA was found on the body or at the crime scene? That’s another thing, the LE press release specified “CRIME SCENE” and wouldn’t they have worded it differently if they meant one of the multiple locales where Morgan’s belongings were found?
So why the hesitance to say that the Sketch guy is indeed our perp? I am a college student, a forensic psychology major btw, and let me just say that there are plenty of black men around who would fit right into mine or any other white female college student’s comfort zone. This guy is not in the system, we have reason to believe he’s not the stupid ugly stereotype of a “typical” black male in this country. If he is a serial murderer/rapist who has gotten away with his crimes with NO POLICE RECORD in his likely 35-45 years of life then he is above average intelligence and capable of coming up with some kind of scheme, even a brief and simple scheme, to abscond with a gorgeous blonde girl he happens upon walking around the area of the JPJA that night, it wouldn’t take much. He was probably on the prowl in the area because he knew there was a rock concert and with a rock concert comes a slew of possible victims who are likely to be a little sloshed and perhaps even amped up and reckless. I can imagine Morgan being pissed off, in an independent state of mind and just saying “well f*** this I’ll just wander around until I figure out what I’m doing, this is bulls***” or something angsty and ill advised like that. You have to admit, her actions that night seemed a little hot headed and impulsive. I’ve been there, but because of my major I tend to always be expecting abduction/assault and I always have my guard up. In other words, there are multiple reasons to believe that the profile of the “preppy white college boy” perp is unfounded and unnecessary, let it go until you have more than just a stereotype to base it on. We have some kind of link, according to MORGAN’S MOTHER it’s DNA found on the body, and that DNA belongs to a male whose DNA was linked to a violent sexual assault on a woman in 2005–what more do you need?
I am so confused as to why readers and Blink herself are unconvinced that he is our main guy? What am I missing?
2) J2k–it’s not nonsensical to remove a phone’s battery. It’s very, very clever. Cell phones can’t be pinged if the battery is out, and as far as I have read the battery was never found…if it was just tossed out the door and the battery came out wouldn’t they have found the battery nearby?
3) What on Earth is the scenario that her friends gave for the police? I’ve seen so many conflicting reports it makes my head spin!!! Morgan left the arena—why? Morgan couldn’t get back into the arena and decided to wander around and look for a ride even though her friends were inside, why? What did she say exactly, verbatim, to her friends on the phone? Didn’t she and friends bring her car to the arena that night? If so why wouldn’t she try to arrange to have a friend give her her keys somehow so she could at least wait in her car? Was she drinking for sure or intoxicated? Trust me, her friends would know! What is the deal?
4) Really important question, are the security tapes really available on Youtube? How can I view them if so, because all I’ve been able to do is search for the JPJ arena footage of Metallica on stage that night taken by a member of the audience.
[BTW, that was heartbreaking for me to watch knowing what was happening to Morgan as that concert took place. Words cannot express how much this case breaks my heart. Morgan and I share a lot in common, she could be one of my best friends. She was a unique person, a real individual, I think that makes this case a bit more difficult to solve because dynamic and intelligent people tend to behave in ways that aren't predictable because of their mercurial temperaments and maybe that's why her timeline that awful night seems erratic. I can tell just by her parents that she was absolutely incredible, her parents have said some of the most poignant and insightful things I've ever read from grieving loved ones.
This fall when I return to school in Orlando at UCF I plan to start a kind of campus watch committee in Morgan's honor to help educate potential victims of these kinds of crimes about thinking defensively and reducing the odds of them being a successful target. I am one of the only girls my age I know who really understand the danger I'm in every single day. It's a sick, sad world where I have to tout that like a virtue, but it's true. I want to hold seminars for students that open their eyes to how common crimes like this are and how easy it is to find yourself the victim during what seems to be an otherwise innocuous activity like shopping or walking across campus. I will speak in bloody detail and create a narrative that can't be ignored, because too often the cautionary words we hear all run together and fail to catch our attention. Morgan was a bright girl and yet she still put herself in harm's way, didn't even think about her own safety that night. We cannot afford that luxury in this country, in this day and age. I wish I was going to school at UVa, gathering information on this case would be so much easier that way. It seems that either the people close to the case aren't asking the right questions, aren't giving the right answers, or are keeping a lid on things when it comes to the general public]
5) As far as the dump site, we all know that it’s crucial to this case. I haven’t visited, I wish I could, but from what I understand there is only a very small chance that it was a casual choice made by the unsub. He most likely knew of it previously or scouted it out thoroughly once he had Morgan, dead or alive, in his possession. I’d really like to see an in depth profile of the place and ALL POSSIBLE access routes to where her body was found. Perps like this think about potential dump sites in advance to their crimes, they keep a catalog of them in their minds for potential use, I know I would. If I were an investigator I would spend weeks in the area, getting to know its ins and outs, its regulars, its employees, its heartbeat–there are so many answers to be found by doing so. I don’t necessarily believe the guy lives there or even works there, but I believe with 85% certainty that if he dumped her that same night that he was very familiar with the area somehow and if that’s the case it could do more to reveal his identity than his careful choosing of a remote dump site did to conceal his crime. Blink, do we know whether or not that neighborhood has been carpeted with copies of that sketch? Do we have people going door to door in the AF area with that photo? Please tell me yes!!!
Wow, Angel, just wow. Are you close to Virginia? Your passion for justice for Morgan is inspiring.
Thanks Minnie
I don’t live near VA, I wish I did because I’d be spending a lot of time tracing the locales related to this case, the insight it would provide would be immeasurable.
Morgan’s case hit me right through the heart, we are close in age and seemingly close in personality overall and there is something in her eyes that speaks to me…her parents are also exceptional human beings, heroes really. I have shed tears for Morgan and her family, and I rack my brain daily trying to piece together the big picture. I want so badly to have a clear idea of her interactions with friends/others that night, and those details are the most elusive even though its unlikely they would jeopardize the case in any way–so what’s up with that?
Forgive me if someone already posted but…”Doesn’t sketch” resemble the recently apprehended serial stabber a bit? (Elias Abuelazam) Could be the hairline or dimpled chin…maybe I’m way off base.
Here is a link to msnbc with his pic…
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38671977/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
Sketch is black. Respectfully, yes, you are way off
B
[...] exclusively on http://www.blinkoncrime.com, Morgan’s alleged attacker was tied via DNA to a sexual assault in Fairfax, VA in September [...]