Morgan Harrington Murder: A Security Check On Security- Why Did It Fail?
Charlottesville, VA-
On the afternoon of October 17, 2009, Morgan Harrington and three of her friends drove to John Paul Jones Arena, located on the University of Virginia campus, to attend a long-anticipated Metallica concert. Following an apparent fall and chin injury occurring around the time she was visiting the ladies room, Morgan ended up outside the arena and attempted to gain re-entry to the venue.
How and why she got there comes in at a baffling second only compared to what happened to her next.
Nine months ago Dr. Dan and Gil Harrington, Morgan’s parents were notified their daughter was missing which is when their nightmare began.
On November 5, 2009, the day before a search which was organized at the request of the Harrington’s was to commence, a vintage black Pantera t-shirt placed on a bush in front of an apartment complex at the intersection near 15th Street and Grady Ave. was located by a nearby resident.
While this discovery was not released publicly, Charlottesville PD knew immediately it belonged to Morgan Harrington. Sara Snead, one of the friends that accompanied Morgan to the concert, immediately confirmed the distinct vintage design that compelled Morgan to borrow the t-shirt from her a week before the show.
Subsequently, DNA analysis confirmed the t-shirt was indeed the same one Morgan was wearing the night she disappeared.
On January 26, 2010 the remains of Morgan Harrington were discovered by David Bass, owner of Anchorage Farm, located in Albemarle County. Although her cause of death has not been released, her manner of death has been classified as a homicide by the Virginia State Police.
Dan and Gil Harrington marked the nine-month anniversary of Morgan’s disappearance from her memorial on Copeley Bridge 4 days ago.
Gil Harrington’s impassioned statement made it clear that her family’s mission is to prevent what happened to Morgan from happening to another victim and their goal is to educate young women about safety and personal security.
On July 1st, based upon an article posted on blinkoncrime.com inside sources confirmed a forensic link between Morgan’s homicide and a Fairfax County Case. Research on this case indicates it was a violent sexual assault that happened in 2005. The victim assisted in the sketch of a man police wish to interview in connection with both the Fairfax assault as well as the apparent abduction and murder of Morgan Harrington. .
What did it mean to the investigation and to the parents of young women in Charlottesville? We have a serial offender on the loose in multiple jurisdictions and an immediate need to beef up personal security.
As our very vulnerable student body returns to campus next month, blinkoncrime.com provides a glimpse at current conditions.
Unregulated Regulations In Security
The 2004 General Assembly, through House Joint Resolution (HJR122), requested the Virginia State Crime Commission to study safety at Virginia’s institutions of higher education. As a result, DCJS created the Office of Campus Policing and Security (OCPS) to address the law requiring minimum training and employment standards for campus security officers.
Campus Security Regulations for Institutions of Higher Education in the State of Virginia, fall under the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Private Security Services Advisory Board. Below is an excerpt of the unapproved draft meeting notes of their quarterly meeting held December 8, 2009; the first and only since Morgan’s disappearance from JPJ.
The issue of safety and security on college campuses was addressed in a 2006 Crime Commission Study on Campus Safety. This study resulted in the statutory requirements under Code of Virginia (Code) §9.1-102 (49).
College populations represent a large concentration of students between the ages of 18-25 years with limited supervision and life experience. In terms of homeland security, campuses are identified as “soft targets” and are frequently targeted by domestic and foreign terrorists. Campuses also house volatile materials and research facilities that are also targeted by radical elements in society. Campuses host large stadium events and concerts that are potential targets for terrorism and riots. Most campuses also have facilities that are open to the public and are relatively difficult to secure and lockdown. Campus Security Officers are primary first responders to incidents of crime and violence on campus.
Although UVA campus security officers require a certification provided by DCJS, there are ZERO regulatory standards for certification. It was NOT until Morgan Harrington disappeared from the grounds of the JPJ Arena that emergency regulations were sought from Governor Bob McDonnell.
How does a woman on the campus of a University that provides it’s very own Police Department in addition to event security simply vanish without a trace?
By the time Morgan ends up in a hay field 7 miles away, she has passed through 3 different law enforcement jurisdictions and a slew of private campus and event security agencies and personnel. While private security regulations fall under the umbrella of the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, they also require a judicial amendment only if and when they are approved via “emergency” status by the Governor.
Who’s Looking Out For The Kids, Exactly?
As the safety on campus study showed, our college age kids are at their most vulnerable in the University setting. Out from under the watchful eye of Mom and Dad and wading through the rich culture and nightlife of downtown Charlottesville, students face a host of potential safety risks.
In fact, during the very development of this article, I received an alert from UVA security that a UVA student was sexually assaulted in the area of Roosevelt Boulevard. While I commend the swift response and warning from UVA PD chief Michael Gibson, I can’t help but wonder if a similar alert upon learning Morgan disappeared from the UVA/JPJ campus would have made a difference for her.
A simple Google of “Charlottesville security” produces the front page for HH Security Services, Inc, a local private security and bail bonding firm. I am no expert but isn’t it a bit odd to claim to protect one’s security and then bond out someone that may threaten it in the first place?
Who is vetting the security that is responsible for ensuring safety?
While HH Security or it’s employees have no known ties whatsoever to the Harrington case, it is a prime example of the weakness of current security regulations, involving students and private events, 6 years in the making.
At H & H Security Services, Inc. we specialize in Private Investigation, Private Security both armed and unarmed as well as fast efficient Civil Process Service. Our full-time professional agents are well trained, well equipped, well informed, and discreet.? Owner Rod Howard is a native of Charlottesville and central Virginia, where he’s been a well respected business owner for over twenty years. H & H Security Services, Inc. is his vehicle in his effort to help serve and protect the community he grew up in. Over the years he’s assembled a team of certified and experienced personnel who share his commitment to the safety of the community.
HH Security, in a business journal ad, claims to hire members of law enforcement and be very well connected with various police departments and security agencies for nightclubs, special events and home security checks as well in 2007.
HH Security is the security firm of choice for Club 216, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Rivals, which are bars frequently visited by UVA students and athletes.
Roderick M Howard, owner of HH Security and H&H Car detailing maintains active licenses issued through the VA Dept of Criminal Justice Services for private security and as a bailbondsman.
While blinkoncrime editors were researching this piece, a review of Albemarle County Court records show Roderick Howard was arrested for felony rape in 1993, subsequently indicted for same and a year later on the first day of trial, pled guilty to misdemeanor sexual battery whereby he was sentenced to 12 months, 11 of which were suspended and two years unsupervised probation.
Howard was also arrested a few times for felony bad checks; both cases ended nolle prosequi.
How can an accused rapist and convicted sexual batterer hold a dual license in the private security sector as well as two classifications of firearms, all of which is monitored by the VADCJS? It is specifically stated in the regulations regarding moral turpitude AND sexual battery that the VADCJS MAY DENY an applicant on those grounds.
According to Mr. Howard’s own advertisement, he has been in the security industry since 1989. Would that mean he was employed in the security field when he was arrested for rape?
Shockingly, It may be perfectly legal. Although the administrative statute for licensure prohibits granting a license to someone with a misdemeanor sexual battery conviction, if Howard divulged the crime in his application and requested a waiver from the director at the time, it is possible one was granted.
Blinkoncrime.com spoke to Lisa McGee, Regulatory Program Manager for DCJS, private security advisory committee:
“…there is a code in the statute that allows the potential for both an individual convicted of a felony and the outlined misdemeanors exceptions contained therein to obtain a director’s waiver. Two felonies we would never even consider are rape and murder, but dependent upon the criminal offense, the circumstances and the length of time that has transpired with a clean record, the verbiage in the statute would allow an applicant to at least request a waiver for our consideration…” Lisa McGee
Ms. McGee was not able to address Mr. Howard’s file specifically, citing privacy laws, but she was able to verify that Mr. Howard’s registration with the agency is current.
There are however, some discrepancies in the press release written to announce the “restructuring” of both companies, announced October 19th.
For starters, there was only a name change to Mr. Howard’s business, which actually took place prior to the October 19 release date, in May, 2009.
These are not two separate businesses. In fact, the bailbondsman license issued to Mr. Howard’s agent, Anthony Halstead, leads back to Accelerated Bail Bonds, which is not a listed entity in the state of Virginia or listed as a fictitious name for H&H Security Services.
I would be willing to wager that the police departments that allow off duty security employment with this firm would appreciate some clarification on both the personnel and licensing issues.
There has been no arrest in the homicide of Morgan Harrington. In a statement released by Corrine Geller, PR manager for the Virginia State Police, VSP has received approximately 100 significant leads from the release of the sketch of the alleged perpetrator of the 2005 Fairfax County sex assault.
Dan and Gil Harrington will be meeting with new University of Virginia President, Teresa Sullivan, next month to address safety and security issues on campus.
“..People think it cannot happen to them, IT CAN– Dan Harrington.”
Editors Note: I am not a resident of Virginia. However, I think the interest of the safety of our children is a National one. Any person that is placed in a position of public trust, most especially those that come into contact with our vulnerable students, should be REQUIRED to disclose past convictions that would negate them that position without some sort of subjective “pass”. How can we know-TRULY KNOW the level of presumed safety if we really aren’t aware of the backgrounds of those in charge of it?
Blinkoncrime.com editors Jason Mateos, Elizabeth Morton and Madeline Tanner contributed to this report
Images by Klaasend
Related Posts
Related Posts:
2,469 Comments
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Blink, I’ll ask again!
“”"Blink: I’ll ask!
Did a cop or cop-wanna-be lure Morgan out of that arena???
Was he infatuiated with a pretty girl???
Rage, impotence, drugs; steroids, self–loathing, violence, loser, agression,, depraved spawn,
OK, I guess that is “last seen alive” and ending up with her “passing”.
Remember you all may not agree wiith me and that is OK.
But let me give you my
Shoes of Grief!
&&& NOT my
Shoes of Peace!
MORGAN DANA HARRINGTON MATTERS!
May we ask the VSP and Lt. Rader a question or two?
Is it proof-positve that she was last on that bridge?
Is that the so-called “following the evidence”?
I think that is what they say in LE.”"”
~~~
So, did someone “lure” her out with ill-intent?
Why the need for the bridge and not the “LOTS”?
Can you provide us with an explanation, please.
This better not be heading towards blaming the victim.
I’m so there!
I do agree with Blink and her opinion of the words that will forever be on this plaque.
I think it’s a nice gesture, however I personally don’t like the wording, “A student at our sister institution, Virginia Tech,
Ms. Harrington was last seen alive on this bridge
on October 17, 2009.”
Did the Harrington’s decide on this or was it UVA?
UVA
B
http://gisweb.albemarle.org/SearchResults.aspx
Remember to reclick Basic Search.
Put in Anchorage Farm Road, for one.
Albemarle Gisweb has new 2010 ortho photos up and running.
Gives you the perspective for those of you that cannot make it out to Anchorage Farm and area, to see it all first hand and what the land looks like currently. Plus, you can see houses that are no longer there.
Jump around the roads. Taylor Gap, Red Hill, 29 and yes, Sutherland.
I hate euphemisms; they hide the truth.
Specifically?
B
How about this for a plague?
Morgan Dana Harrington was on last seen on this bridge, sure.
Morgan Dana Harrington suffered at the hands of a violent, sadistic, evil monster of a man and lost her life.
And yes…
HE WAS ALSO LAST SEEN ON THIS BRIDGE!!!
Please call 911 or the Morgan Dana Harrington Tipline,
so that our own Virginia State Police, who also happened to be on this very same bridge searching for her, could solve the murder of this shiny girl.
WARNING!
Be careful when crossing this bridge.
It is life-threatening!
Fish, The Harrington’s support it, and we support them.
We all have strong feelings and opinions on the issue, yes.
However, my strongest feelings are about safety of others, justice for Morgan, and support of the Harringtons, in that order.
Therefore, Dr. H is right, it memorializes Morgan and promotes safety, and I am reminded of something he said to me many months ago, in pertinent part:
“..There are 2 people who want to find out what happened to Morgan, and who is responsible for it , more than any other person or persons-
That would be Gil and I, Morgan’s parents…”
So there we have it, let’s get back to work finding the barbarians.
The rest- we will just have to cross that bridge when we come to it-
Sorry, I could not resist, I had to lighten this up.
B
Blink, we were asked to review and change the wording, if we wanted The wording was suggested but it was not forced on us by UVA.
Thank you for the clarification Dr. H.
I sincerely hope the strong feelings of support demonstrated here for you, Gil, Alex and Morgan are seen as our version of solidarity for justice in Morgan’s death.
In Support.
B
Using the word “passed” on Miss M’s memorial plaque is insulting to me. Pisses me off.
I hate euphemisms; they hide the truth.
If this were my child, I would be livid.
When we choose words like passed instead of murdered, we are perpetuating the cycle of violence. We are indirectly condoning it. Unacceptable.
I don’t think the word passed is on the plaque- or did I get that wrong?
B
My sincere apologies–got a case of “fishitis,” which isn’t a bad thing. She aptly made the distinction between passing and murdered. We don’t say “shut-up” in our family and we don’t use the word “passing” in our family, along with many others.
I don’t like “last seen alive,” either. It hides the fact that she was brutally murdered. So thankful that the Harrington Family was, at the very lest, consulted on the wording and the placement of the plaque.
Good Morning Texas Grandfather, thank you for your post. My parents also grew up in a time where there neighbors and community knew one another and knew their families and looked out for one another. It was common practice for everyone to be on the look out for bad behavior and it was acceptable for whomever to give the child a talking to, whether it was that parents child, or a helpful neighbor’s parent.
I myself lived in such a neighborhood, at one time, where my parents and other parents knew one another and felt it was their duty and obligation to watch over the behaviors and actions and well being of the children, and felt good about reporting any concerns to a child’s parents.. All the parents welcomed this and wanted this. And yes it helped to keep all of the behaviors in check.
Unfortunately, today, many people are not friends with their neighbors, and even if they are, they would not feel it is their place or right to intervene or “talk to” other parents children.
In fact, in my experience, some parents would not take kindly to this, and may even go so far as to get in the face or even threaten to sue the helpful, wise, advice giver.
I have witnessed conversations that begin with- who do you think you are- and who are you to tell my child…. or Who are you to tell me how to parent.
TGF, You wrote:
We must all learn to listen with sharpened ears the conversations that young boys have with one another. Bad behavior begins around ages ten to twelve when some think it is “cool” to emulate the behavior of a bad guy in a movie, a comic strip, a favorite sports figure or an older child within their circle of friends. If this behavior exhibits low regard for girls or women, then they need to be immediately given a lecture on proper respect and behavior. Being politically correct and not saying anything that may hurt their “self esteem” is what allows this behavior to continue.
—I agree we must all learn to listen to boys and girls conversations at any age really. We must look for red flags and bad behavior, so that when able, we can nip it in the bud.
As a parent I do this. As an educator in school’s I did this also.
In my experience children do want to emulate their heroes- , as a parent and an educator, I can tell you that children who play batman or other such characters ect- want to be the GOOD Guy- most children fight off imaginary bad guys because they do not want to be The Joker or the robber or the evil nemesis.
If I ever saw a child consistently wanting to be “The Evil Guy” that would be a red flag to me. Fortunately, that was not my experience.
As for older children wanting to emulate the behavior of their peers and wanting to be cool- I agree. That is why I believe it is so important to know who your children’s friends are. In parent teacher conferences ask your child’s teacher about any concerns they have about what crowd your child is hanging with. Often, they will have already noted a change in behavior and friends of your child and they may have already brought their concerns to your attention or wanted to.
Most parents and teachers go out of their way to make sure that the children that are in their care are well taken care of, and shown right from wrong, disciplined when needed ect, But again in my experience, sometimes nomatter who brings it to the parents attention that their child is out of hand or going down the wrong path, sometimes they do not believe it or it seems some parents do not care.
I am not sure why you brought up political correctness, but I am not against offending someone in a just cause. But, teachers and other adults can only by law do so much.
Many have their hands and mouths tied because of laws that prevent them from what some would deem as going over board or over stepping their boundaries, when it comes to others’ children.
There is a zero tolerance policy for violence in school’s now. This means children can no longer play – touch football- character games such as batman-dodge ball ect.
But school’s are still having huge problems with bullies, and there is still school violence. Why?
I’ll end this with a story. My child was in Kdg. and was coming home crying because the teacher had changed the seating arrangements a couple weeks prior. My daughter had been placed next to a little girl who would torment her daily. She would make hurtful comments about my daughters work, appearance ect. She would nudge her during class accidentally bump her with her elbow ect.ect.
I asked my child if she asked the girl to stop- Yes- she wouldn’t. I asked her if she told the teacher, she said yes. I asked her what happened, she said the teacher told the girl to stop. I said good. Let the teacher know if it happens again. I also gave her advice to stand up for herself and use her problem solving skills- “What could you say to____ to make her stop?” “What could you do?”ect.
We brain stormed ideas, and she felt confident that everything was going to be fine.
Well she still came home crying. So of course I went to talk to her teacher. I asked her if she was aware of___ and the behaviors. I told her about my daughter and asked for her seat to be moved ect.
She apologized said- Oh Mrs___ I am sorry. This isn’t the first time I have moved ____. I thought placing her near someone that was quiet and well liked, she would be more agreeable and perhaps find a friend. Unfortunately it didn’t work out that way.
All people do not react well to conflict. Lots of people even some parents and teachers just brush away their concerns or move them around and out of sight never really dealing with them. Perhaps that is the problem IDK
Fair enough.
Nobody more solid than myself.
That is a promise!
Does anyone know, for sure, exactly where the dogs picked up her scent?
Does anyone know, for sure, if she was even ever on the bridge? ( I know the dogs picked her scent up there but does that mean for sure, she was there or could that just be an indication that a personal belonging of hers could have left her scent?)
TO THE HARRINGTONS: I pray for you, every day. I think of you and Morgan, every day. I hope you can feel the love and support that all of here at BOC have for you.
United (behind you) WE stand!!
Divided (by the truth) THEY will fall!!
May I ask this of you, Blink?
How do you think HE learned this land called Anchorage Farm?
Learned it by following the North Fork Hardware River North to South and then back again or by some other means?
I think he grew up hunting, fishing, and roaming it all, not just AF.
B
Blink, I have posted this question on FindMorgan.com but figured here would also be a good place to ask…
Does anyone know (or know how to find) statistics as to how many murderers move from state to state or other areas and offend after their first offenses? I guess it could possibly depend on the specific murderer and their “ways”, so to say.
I was just thinking, we know Sketch is a serial offender…and we know that serial offenders thrive from their actions and in most cases it has been proven that they are known to re-offend within a certain time period. So, knowing that whoever placed Morgan’s body on AF was familiar with the area would place them as local or somewhere very close to…atleast close enough to know such a private area as AF. So lets just assume the muderer is local, and waiting anxiously to re-offend…but he is too scared to do so in or around the same area, what is the probablity that he would move out of state to do so? Is this a common trait among serial killers or do they typically stick to areas where they are comfortable?
Well, that would mean as a kid, he was without the use of a vehicle so he had to walk and walk from somewhere close by.
No?
Yes. Definitely, ride bike, horse, fishing boat.
B
Wait growing up before or after 2005?
I do not think Sketch is tied to AF at all prior to October 17, 2009.
I was referring to the bg I believe is.
B
Fish, I guess our families are different. In one way we are, we have never suffered the death of a loved one at the hands of another. The violent death my family suffered was a suicide. One bright, sunny day, my uncle decided to put a gun in his mouth. I won’t go into the additional gory details. Suffice it to say the family member who found him will never forget what he saw. Even to this day, we refer to that day as the day he passed away, just as we refer to the day my grandmother died of old-age, just as we refer to the day my Uncle’s only son died in a car accident as the day they passed away. Maybe it’s an antiquated way to refer to death, but if I had not read here that some have a problem with Dr. Sullivan using the word “passed”, I would never have questioned a hidden motive. The last comment I plan to make about a topic I think is just as useless in trying to find Morgan’s killer as the topic of whether she was 5 or 10 feet off of University property when she was taken. I think we can all agree, she was probably still within sight of the arena. What we do not know is who took her. When there’s an arrest and the case goes to trial, hopefully the entire story of that night will be told, and let blame fall where it may.
Is there any way that the BG–not Sketch is, or was a minor?
Not in my mind, no.
B
I don’t know whether or not the link to the Newsplex story has the audio comments made by Mrs. Harrington. I heard her comments this morning so perhaps they were not part of last night’s story. If you have an opportunity, please listen to her comments about the plaque.
I am not finding an audio link MsL
B
Yes, I do.
Yes, his sister is one, lives on the property.
B
MsL: I agree with you 100%. Let’s find who did this to her.
But I want to say.
I am deeply sorry to hear about the loss of your uncle.
I have often said, it sometimes doesn’t matter the way in which they die. Pain is pain. I have always said from October 2009 on, this little saying that someone at my sister’s funeral placed in my hand. I think I told Crimewriter to pass it along to his friend’s Dectective McCaffey’s wife when he died.
“The Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal”
MsL. I pass that along to you and yours. That little card that was placed in my palm has since long been shredded. Tears, snot, sweat, and such; ripped, tore, and just plain desinagrated it.
I would just like to think that this here little blog that we all are participating in, is due in part, to all our family members we all have lost, in whatever way that is. It is now the card I carry around with me and no chance of it disappearing.
MsL, know deep down that I would firmly and staunchly have your back just as I do Morgan and her family!
Plain and Simple…
My grief is NO greater than yours.
Blink I have a question for you. I may be going crazy. In your “freak show” post the other day, did you have something in there originally about a child beater or something of that nature? Did I imagine that, did you edit it out, or did I see that elsewhere? That part of the statement has bothered me and I wanted to revisit it and now I don’t see it.
No, probably some sort of bully reference-
B
“fish says:
September 15, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Wait growing up before or after 2005?
I do not think Sketch is tied to AF at all prior to October 17, 2009.
I was referring to the bg I believe is.B”
~~~
I wasn’t thinking of Sketch either. I was thinking about possible family moves into the area since 2005.
Seems I am WAY off base here. Sorry.
Not necessarily Fish- I could always be wrong.
B
SBISHOP6002 says:
September 15, 2010 at 12:22 pm
I would suggest you start here first…
http://www.fbi.gov/publications/serial_murder.htm
-Then I would search for geographical profiling.
Fish, I have to say, I do believe, your grief IS greater than mine. I know grief isn’t a contest and that’s not what you meant, but the situation with my uncle was at his own hand, he made the choice to die that day, someone else didn’t make the decision for him. My uncle died, passed away, committed suicide, how ever it’s said, when I was just entering my teen years. What affected me most was not his death but my mother crying and my poor father not knowing what to do or say to comfort her. I remember her question,”did he say anything we should have listened to?” Guilt of the ones left behind. Some who have read my previous posts have heard about the uncle unjustly accused of a crime. One in the same. Did that episode years before have anything to do with his suicide. Most likely not, he was always a troubled child, young man and adult. His life and what I have learned about it though has instilled in me a sense of justice for people I think are unjustly accused. If that makes me come off as sounding uncaring about Morgan sometimes, nothing could be farther from the truth. The fear she must have felt that night and the horror her family has to live with every day would have to affect anyone other than the absolutely uncaring. Anyone reading some local comments connected to her stories know we do have some of those in Charlottesville. These people aren’t just uncaring about Morgan, they are uncaring about just about any topic commented on locally. You come to recognize them, even if they do post under different names, sometimes often on the same topic.
hey everyone
*There are things I want to address in this post.
1. My last post/rant a couple of weeks ago was about abt getting LE’s attn, figuring out why there arent many wanted posters up and expressed my (strong to say the least) desire to keep Morgan’s name out there in the public eye.
—Since–it has all made progress. Rader’s personal email reply totally answered any concern I had about their dedication to this case) etc…I felt like everyone was immediately on the same page & accomplished exactly what I wanted to happen!! I really feel that we are SO close. I just want to be doing exactly what B needs us to. I REALLY WANT TO HELP IN ANY WAY THAT I CAN.
Second- I need your help on a couple of things.
1. RSS Feed
2. Initials
In order to not seem like a total idiot- I thought it would be helpful to give u a little background on LovePalm.
palm background: #3 of 4 kids. Mom so busy/overwhelmed…ADD not diagnosed til 12th grade. I basically had to go & re-teach myself things I shouldve learned up to that point. BC I had to do it by myself, I developed an unconventional method tof analyzing/understanding info. It works well, very well. But many write it off as random/sparatic/stupid b4 seeing results. Now, I give a disclaimer about my unconventional ways. I am explaining all of this-b/c I need you to overlook the randomness & know that underneath it all- it makes complete sense to me & will to you soon! (Im also in a self reflection/understanding wave of life & this is helpful!!)
end of background–
SIDE NOTE: I stop in my tracks EVERYTIME Blink’s comments in bold appear and REALLY try to read between the lines. B is like our shephard and keeps us in line.
#3. Rss Feed:
I want to go back through all of the comments to find out for myself for the initials are that you refer to and to see if theres anything from past discussion that may be relevant now.
-I know its a pain for you guys to have to repost all of the time so I have avoided asking for help until now.
-I am new to this whole rss feed thing.
-late/confused rss subscriber
I use google reader & dont understand it. Is that what ya’ll use? Are ya’ll able to reply using that or do u have to go back to the actual site?
-Is there another easier reader I can use?
I finally resorted to going back to each of the comments pages in July & copying them into a word doc so I could highlight the comments I think need to be re-discussed & look at initials. 250 pages.
–I cant go through those on google reader bc it was b4 I had a subscription.
–what am I missing out on?
#4 – Initials:
There are a TON discussed here. Is there ANY WAY that you could just post a couple of initials and a quick bio? I desperately want to research each but I simply cant keep up.
Overall: I am so dedicated to this case, really feel that I can contribute if I can just get myself up to speed on the players on your radar.
I hope this post doesnt annoy ya’ll…aside from the personal advice ya’ll will give me on rss feeds…I think it may be very helpful for all to be up to speed on initials.
Thank you in advance.
j4m…..Gil and Dan….YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN.
Love_
palm_tree
I meant to say….post as many initials & bio as possible…even if its only 2 initials per post.
I will be more than happy to go back through and put together a list (or incognitoish list(
Also—
Its really cool- I feel like Ive gotten to know each of your own personalities through this experience. I think each of you are amazing and aside from my main goal of catching these creeps…I keep coming back to BOC because I truly enjoy the company.
Oh and Blink… have you patted yourself on the back today? My mother used to tell me that everytime you do something nice for someone out of the goodness of your heart….God puts a brick of gold on your house in Heaven. Your house my friend, is likely currently a skyscraper (if you have those in Heaven!)
When you feel stressed out, pissed off, unproductive, tired, unhappy whatever—-take a deep breath & remember how much your hard work means to so many. When I grow up- I want to be like Blink (especially her witty comic & writing style). You are simply amazing. Thank you for being exactly who you are.
Ok. Back to job hunt.
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!
And yes…I am overly cheesy….but I mean it all from the bottom of my heart and boast it proudly.
J4M
Ok. I didnt read the recent posts before posting that. I started it last night and just immediately finished it. If some of the things were already addressed today- I will get them all when reading.
I just got a glimpse of Sketch not being tied to AF b4 OCt 09…..Ive gotta catch up
One more thing regarding the police and EMT presence outside the arena – paramedics are trained to spot disoriented persons, and they are aware of certain behavioural patterns indicating that a person is in fact in need of help. I know that because I attended a few of their training classes (long story). It happens quite frequently that they have to apprehend someone who is no longer deemed fit to make own decisions. There is a plethora of disorders presenting with an altered mental status, and these symptoms are actually very important indicators. It could be stroke, concussion, hypoglycemia, epilepsy – or something as banal as dehydration. Shock can make a person insensitive to pain for a while, and someone with serious injuries may try to walk away from the scene of an accident.
I have no idea whether police officers have some basic medical training as well, but they certainly have the experience to judge whether someone is a danger to themselves or others, and should be assessed.
44.Judi says:
September 14, 2010 at 10:37 am
I remember well the day that we learned of Morgan’s disappearance. My first thought being how did this absolutely stunningly gorgeous girl get abducted from such a populated place and where the **** were her friends?
When this fist happened I thought that maybe it was a girl on girl attack. Like one of her friends.
Why was Morgan outside with blood on her? Where were her friends ??
This generation must be questioned at all times as many of them lack value and concern for others..
Since then I have changed my mind because of the DNA
Still the DNA could very well belong to somebody well known by all who ignored Morgan in her time of need and a supposed friend could have knowledge of the culprits true idenity. He could be a boyfriend or brother or second cousin..
Somebody could have called him from inside arena to intercept Morgan.
Girl on Girl attacks are very common in todays society..
In another case..Tracy Ocasio, could very well been murdered by girls and a male was used to deliver Tracy to them.
He sits in jail today and there is no evidence against him. If other girls were involved nobody is talking.. Todays generation will not snitch.. there is no honor in telling the truth. Even when it involves murder.
What we do not know, when discovered, will lead us to the truth.
Question everything and everyone from early on. The answer is there someplace.
also the police need to go back to where that shirt was found and question everybody that lives within eye sight of that spot.
jmho
I came home today and this was in my inbox. As some may know, my daughter is at school in Virginia. I am trying not to freak.
Dear Parents of Students:
As you may be aware, since the beginning of the academic year there have been several assaults on students. Two assaults occurred off campus and one occurred on campus. In all three incidents, the victims sustained non-life threatening injuries and are continuing to recover.
We are greatly concerned about these incidents. Longwood’s Police Department is working closely with the Town of Farmville Police to investigate these assaults and to identify the individuals involved. In addition, both police departments have increased day and evening patrols both on and off campus. Visit http://www.longwood.edu/police/reports.htm to view the campus announcements concerning these incidents.
As parents, please stress to your students not to walk alone at night. We recommend to students that during the evening, night, and early morning hours that they travel around campus and in surrounding neighborhoods in groups of at least two and preferably of three or more. Additionally, students should not engage in texting or other distracting behaviors while walking. The best prevention is always to be aware of one’s surroundings and of those who do not appear to be members of our campus community. Students are encouraged to program the LUPD phone number – xxxx their cell phones so that it can be dialed quickly if needed. ( end snip-VPstudent affairs)
E-
Have you discussed this your daughter and do you and she have a “constant contact” plan for now?
Let me know if you need more info, but I think you know exactly what to do.
I think what happened to Morgan will be attempted again, if it hasn’t been already and women alone are their prime target. How do we teach our girls.. You may not know them, but THEY are watching you, waiting for that opportunity..?
B
OK, the off campus attack was at her apt complex!
I would like to see the University at least plant a tree in memory of Morgan with a plaque. Maybe in the large grassy area on college property across the street from the campus shops that line University Avenue. The area is about 100 yards southeast of the Rotunda. It is an area frequented by students who could reflect on what happened and still would be a quiet, beautiful place for the Harringtons to come through the years. I don’t think the bridge is appropriate.
My 21 y/o daughter is in school in Virginia. I gave her a purse size pepper spray, she never carries, gave her my last little can of pepper spray (I’m without), which she forgets to carry, is glued to her cell phone, texting and FB’ing, I tell her over and over, I told her about the bee spray, but alas…she is not listening. fingers in the ears and la,la,la.
I keep at it tho
Ugh. Thanks Blink. I talked w/ her and despite all the convos I have, she says to me, “Well that girl was attacked by some people she knew.” I said great, people dont attack just acquantances. She does not know the girl. Has no further info than the email. Never mind she says, we dont know it was rape. I am going to go thru the phone on her. She has campus police # pre-dialed, all the regular rules, but they act like it will not effect them. I sent the email to her bf that lives by me to help in enforcing the amped up alertness I want her to have. Not to be dumb, but other than speaking each day by phone or email, do you have another thing in mind?
She lives w/ 3 other girls, but like you said, they have not gone unnoticed.
Eloise,
Terrifying for you. I’m sorry. I bet you’ve already gone over all the important points with your daughter. It’s all over the place, and obviously not just in Virginia.
I just read that William & Mary also warned students this week about a man committing “lewd acts” in front of women walking around campus. (see below for link to full article)
Gil Harrington’s words the day of Morgan’s discovery echo in my head. It’s a whole cultural shift that has to happen, too huge to ponder all at once, so how to break it into smaller, more manageable chunks?
http://www.dailypress.com/news/williamsburg/dp-nws-wm-lewd-man-0913-20100913,0,5622192.story
“WILLIAMSBURG — College of William and Mary officials are warning students of a man who has confronted at least two students on campus with “lewd behavior or gestures.”
Edward,
I simply feel that those young ladies (and young man) who were with Morgan that night are withholding important information.
I don’t think they plotted harm on her. But man do I ever believe they’re guilty of impeding an investigation.
I don’t know if they’ve looked at it that way, but it would behoove them to. If we’re coming close to an arrest, that means trial prep is underway too, and boy oh boy would it serve those three well to disclose all about pre-concert antics and those Sunday early a.m.-to-lunchtime hours now, instead of getting grilled in a court of law … and they will if they don’t open up. (I’m going on your assertion that kids that age don’t tell, ’cause I feel pretty sure you are correct and these three haven’t told all.)
Sadly, I agree. Should be no surprise to most, but my heart is heavy about it.
Does not Have to be. In this case, the truth would absolutely set them free.
If they do not “get that”, it may set someone else free. That cannot happen.
No secrets in this case will remain secrets.
I am reminded of reading my daughter
The Princess and the Pea
.
Except in this story, the pea is something else, but a lump just the same.
Blink, I didn’t find an audio link either. The comments I heard were on our local TV news. I don’t remember exactly what Mrs. Harrington said, but she said something to the affect that the signs will fall and the posters will become faded by rain, but the plaque will be a reminder in stone of their daughter’s life. I’m really sorry I can’t quote her directly, I found it very touching.
Eloise — from your link it looks like three of the assaults were on men and not sexual. The sexual assault appears to have been an acquaintance rape. Not to say our daughter should not be very careful, but at least it does not appear that it is a serial rapist or anything like that in the farmville area.
Whoops, sorry, I addressed my comment about the friends to George and meant Edward.
The wording on the plaque probably was suggested by the lawyers for UVA. If there is some question regarding the actual location of Morgan when she was kidnapped, then that would remove a possible liability to the university.
In my opinion, the university made a myrid of mistakes during the administration of Casteen. The new president has not been there long enough to address all these problems. Will she get them solved? Only time will tell. If you want to look at some of them, go out to the web site uvavictumsofrape.com. I have a list of items that fills a page. Some of these mistakes border on complicity in addressing a crime and not reporting it to the authorities.
Fish
ALL YOUNG WOMEN MATTER. It is not just Morgan. If enough concerned citizens can work to make a difference, that is what we should do.
I read something a few days ago that UVA was discussing the possibility of having some special classes to address the safety and responsibility problems. I hope they do and that they are wise enough to bring in some outside experts to help them with the message.
Judi
Thank you for the kind words. By working together we become more than just the sum of the parts. We can become a formidable force is returning good behavior to all communities.
Houston mom
Steriods are definately a problem beginning at the high school level. We can blame this directly on the coaches in our sports programs. In their eternal quest to win, some have no regard for the personal wellbeing of their players. Until communities make the decision to stop this behavior, we will always be faced with the possibility of a steriod driven crazy person.
Acho
I completely agree with you about the friends. After retirement, I decided I would go back into the classroom and teach my first love Music. I did this for eight years.
I could not believe what I found. No longer could you trust the students to tell the truth. You could watch them perform a bad behavior and if you called them on it, they would lie and say they didn’t do it. Responsiblity for their acts or words was not a part of their character. This was completely flipped from when I was a young person. Then you had maybe one or two in a class that were not trustworthy and now you found only a few that were.
Where did these eleven to eighteen year olds learn such behavior? My only answer was from the permissive society in which we live, where parents want to be a childs buddy rather than a parent, schools that refuse to provide the proper discipline and juviniel court systems that refuse to impose meaningful punishment to those that come before them.
Morgan’s friends were her age. Maybe they did not understand the need to tell the whole truth no matter how bad it might make them look. Character counts in real adults, but when do they make the transition to become adults? My experience tells me that where it used to be around 18 or 19 it is now as late as 24 to 27 years.
Thanks acho. Yea, I was worried about the one in her complex which is off campus. It was a girl, and her friend(s). So of coarse she had car trouble tonight while going back up to the campus, calling and freaking. I had her call when she was leaving & stayed on the line until she was in the door. This day has stunk all the way through for multiple reasons. Going to bed to have a better day tomorrow. Thanks BOC/Blinkers.
Mom3.0
Yes, I understand the problem. Been there too many times. I once had a couple visit in my home who brought their unruly children with them. When the children began to do things that were not allowed in my home, I asked the parents to control their children to conform to my standards. Their reply was they didn’t believe in punishing them for things they were doing in order to meet my standards. So I told them that they could visit as adults, but they were to take their children home immediately. They were shocked. No one had ever told them that before.
Bullying in schools will continue until the adults in the community get enough and begin to do something about it. Bullys are usually cowards and when confronted in a meaningful way will stop that type behavior. We no longer have real punishment in our school systems because the school administrators are all afraid of law suits.
Young children do things that are totally beyond comprehension. My twin sister became a biter at age three. She would bite me for no reason. My mother sat us both down and talked about that behavior. I was told to bite her back, but I wouldn’t do it. Finally out of desperation our mother bit her to show her how it felt. Problem solved. A drastic measure perhaps, but it worked.
When I was in Jr. High School our coach brought all the boys into the gym and talked about what would happen to a bully. His solution was to put the bully into a boxing ring with 12oz. gloves and have him box as many rounds as necessary with guys his same size. A fresh guy each round. Twelve ounce gloves get heavy in a hurry and they are so padded that no one can really get hurt. He only had to do that once. Today he would have had some lawyer all over him.
what bothers me about the memorial ,is that ,it is being taken down right – before- the one year anniversity,the anniversary has the potential of someone somewhere showing their in some sleight way and bring about some psychological tellingness in that someone somewhere who might be under survellience –Take it down after october 17 ,,please some respect.
showing their hand in some sleight way ,i meant to say above.
i said anniversity??? wonder whom i am directing that comment at? :: university.
E–good catch on seeing RH near the corner of 10th and Grady via Google’s street view. He was also seen continuing his walk and rounding the corner in front of that brick building–The Sound. Thx. I had to laugh, too.
It’s hard to for me to add this note: I always cringe when a blogger reveals the exact location of their child away at school. You’re hot on the trail of this hideous perp and could be considered a threat.
I hope everyone, in future, leaves off the names and descriptors of their own whereabouts and, especially the identifiers of their own children.
Palm Trees–I’m working on something to help you with the initials. I’ve got my own attention issues so I haven’t been able to use the RSS feed. I go to BOCrime, click on the case I want to read about, and click back through the older comments, page by page, to get to the beginning of the comments. Usually I only have to go back a few pages to catch up, but I have started at the beginning and readandreadandread. I would suggest you go to one of Blink’s first articles about Morgan–like this one (http://blinkoncrime.com/2009/10/29/missing-morgan-and-then-she-was-gone-morgan-harrington-vanishes-from-metallica-concert/)
and read through, from the beginning.
@ Eloise, @ Redfly: did you see this, it sounds very similar:
http://thecollegianur.com/2010/09/10/four-assaults-reported-last-weekend/13317/
While I am VERY concerned about the sexual assaults on the young women, I could not help but notice the similarities between the assaults on the young male students which were not robbery related, but just sheer violence. Longwood is not that far from University of Richmond.
Acho, I have always believed there is something the friends know that could shed more light on why Morgan left the arena. Maybe I’m wrong, and maybe it is because I have 20 years on them, but it just floors me that apparently she was not questioned about why she was outside during the 8:48 conversation. Apparently no effort was made to even get her keys to her so she wouldn’t be outside in the cold and rain. After a supposedly close friend has been outside for at least an hour and a 1/2 and they do not know her whereabouts, they leave Charlottesville in her car. They go home, go to sleep and do not even call her parents when she hasn’t returned or called by the next morning. Dr. and Mrs. Harrington only found out their daughter had not returned to Blacksburg after receiving a call about a found purse and making a call to Amy (sorry if I have the wrong name.) I really hope, even though the public does not have the full story, that they have shared every thing with LE. Again, thinking as a 40 year old rather than a 20 year old, I still have the feeling that they did not believe there was any reason to be concerned. Why? Maybe just the thinking of, as I believe TX Grandfather described them, an old child/young adult. I do not believe they had anything to do with Morgan’s disappearance and death, but if they have not been completely upfront about everything that was planned or happened that day and night, they need to step up and tell what they know, no matter how minor it might seem. Very small pieces make up a complicated puzzle. With even one small piece missing, the puzzle could remain unfinished.