Inspiring Vigilance: The Murder Of Morgan Harrington One Year Later
Charlottesville, VA– Sunday October 17 marks the one-year anniversary of the worst day of Dan and Gil Harrington’s lives. Although they were not yet aware of the horror that had befallen their Roanoke, VA family, the next morning their daughter’s purse was found on the grounds of the University of Virginia Lanigan Field. Morgan Dana Harrington had vanished.
While attending a Metallica concert with friends Sarah Snead, Amelia Melvin and Dan Cassagne with tickets purchased 6 months earlier by Morgan’s Dad, Morgan, for reasons unknown, was outside John Paul Jones arena at approximately 8:45PM.
Morgan attempted to re-enter the arena but could not locate her ticket and was denied access to return to the venue. Shortly thereafter, Sarah called Morgan at 8:48PM looking for her and was told she could not get back in and would be attempting to locate a ride, according to Snead.
Various witness accounts and in some cases corroborating statements from Virginia State Police (VSP), place Morgan in different areas of the adjacent parking lots of JPJ over the following 45 minutes, moving toward the far perimeter of UVA property.
According to the VSP, there is a witness statement that a person matching Morgan’s description was seen hitchhiking alone on the Copeley bridge at approximately 9:30PM.
After several private law enforcement searches and two volunteer based efforts organized by the Harrington’s failed to locate her, Morgan Harrington’s remains were discovered by a prominent Charlottesville land owner on his remote 700 acre farm in Albemarle County, 8 miles South of JPJ arena, on January 26th, 2010. Morgan’s death has been classified as a homicide, however her cause of death has not been released.
Until July, the case seemed to be at a virtual standstill from an investigative perspective, in fact the only arrest to date is that of a man who provided a false lead to VSP, and was prosecuted for it.
On July 1st, as a direct result of an article linking Morgan’s case to an unsolved sexual assault case in 2005 in Fairfax, VA published by blinkoncrime.com, a sketch of a man forensically linked to both the Fairfax case and that of Morgan Harrington was released by the Virginia State Police, albeit grudgingly, at first.
Behind the scenes, Dan and Gil Harrington, who were made aware of the connection a few weeks earlier, were adamant the sketch was critical to developing leads and warning others and demanded the sketch be posted on the VSP website; it was uploaded later that afternoon at Dr. Harrington’s request.
Virginia State Police have not commented publicly on the case in several months, but in a private correspondence with a concerned blinkoncrime.com reader, Lt. Joe Rader, leading the investigation for VSP, said not only is the case not cold, but he has recently assigned additional manpower to it.
Dan and Gil Harrington, Morgan’s bereaved parents, along with Morgan’s beloved brother Alex, have spent the last year keeping Morgan’s case alive through the development of their own family blog, TV and radio appearances, and most recently, a meeting regarding safety concerns with new University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan. This Sunday, a memorial plaque to promote safety and honor Morgan Harrington is being presented to the Harrington’s on the Copely bridge.
Note From the Editor
“How would you describe the Harrington’s?” I am asked this question frequently.
I always respond the same way. “I would not”.
The grace and poise these parents have shown in the face of the worst conceivable tragedy to befall a parent is not something I could wordsmith or articulate.
If the question comes from someone I feel may help their cause, I offer to make the introduction, but I would never presume to speak for them.
The Harrington’s have created a legacy in memory of Morgan that only parents of a 20-year-old blossoming artist, music loving, budding educator could.
Morgan Harrington Photo chosen by and courtesy of The Harrington Family Library
Elizabeth Morten, Madeline Tanner and Jason Mateos, contributing editors to blinkoncrime.com
Madeline Tanner, copy editor
Images By Klaasend
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Hello everyone. I’m still here, every day.
Olivia – I believe he was watching her too, and was lying in wait for the right moment.
2 4 1
http://www.nbc29.com/story/15250415/charlottesville-pd-holds-forensics-training
The Charlottesville Police Department held forensics training at mock crime scenes Thursday.
It was a long day for several Charlottesville forensic technicians. They started collecting evidence at several mock crime scenes around 3:00 Thursday morning. Under the city lights they brushed up on night photography skills in downtown Charlottesville.
Then it was off to McIntire Park where they used special lasers for scale photography, collected shoe impressions from the dirt, and swabbed mock DNA.
Lieutenant Ronnie Roberts said, “For officers, they are on the front lines trying to capture and collect the physical evidence that’s at the crime scene, which is very important in moving forward in the criminal case, moving forward in the court system.
Sergeant Steve Dillon stated, “I think CSI is more of glamorization, as opposed to the documentation that’s required, as well as all the paper work in preparing for a case.”
There are 12 evidence technicians in Charlottesville and they all rotate brushing up their skills with this type of training.
——————-
Are we JUST now realizing that the area needs brushing up???
Olivia, I also think the BG was probably observing her, possibly following her and waiting, rather than randomly driving along and spotting her. Given the time frame.So in a sense it was not random, it was an organized, experienced perp looking for a crime of opportunity, and then he pounced. He disabled her and she ended up in a vehicle and was taken to AF, where the perp knew he/she/they / would not been seen from the road. IF she did get into a car I have to wonder if it was some sort of security vehicle, driven by someone who had been watching the evening unfold. Someone who Morgan perhaps would have trusted enough to voluntarily get into the vehicle.The perp is a seasoned predator, and knows the area very well.
Poor Morgan did not have a chance. Suddenly separated from, and then abandoned by her so called friends, refused re entry by security, refused a ride from the BB players. Cold , alone, afraid, mad, vulnerable and her senses impaired by whatever she and her friends had partaken of that night. A perfect storm for such a tragedy to occur. A crime of opportunity for and organized predator. At 9 30Pm at a very public place, a huge concert, but on a badly lit lot surrounded by trees and bushes. Everything that night conspired against her and everyone around her dropped the ball. Just too sad and could have been prevented if one person stepped up and did the right thing.I think Morgans phone was ripped from her and disabled, when she was abducted. Dear shiny girl , such a loss to her family and to the world.
in the wp interview with ff investigators, on the east coast rapist case ,they say they had him on their short list.is there a short list for sketch?can ff interview the same charlottesville witnesses,for they have in dog in this case too ? blink do you think this guy would have been equipped with a radio device? morgans phone was off, what about his? and i just read that acpd and acso are security fill ins for all major events at uva .
Olivia says:
August 10, 2011 at 9:43 pm
“The police say the dogs followed Morgan’s scent from the fence to the potties to the bridge.”
What fence – are they referring to the guardrail along the road as a fence?
Re the timneline-
The timeline (from press conference) does not reference- any specific witness account- nor does it reference exact times- other than 8:48 phone call all times given are windows of time ex- 9:10- 9:20……
http://www.nbc29.com/story/11398019/harrington-press-conference-held-wednesday?redirected=true
article posted Oct 28th-snipped-
** by me
8:20 – 8:48 PM: Someone matching Morgan Harrington’s description was seen outside John Paul Jones Arena parking lot by the ticket office and on the University Hall side.
* Is this the timeperiod in which Morgans ticket was torn? Is this the timeperiod that Morgan was seen dumping out her purse seeming looking for the camera?
8:48 PM: Morgan calls a friend inside the arena, discusses trying to get back in. Tells her friend that she will get a ride home from friends around Charlottesville.
*
SS called Morgan- Still not sure of exact words given by Morgan- Morgan seems to have attempted rentry once more- as by Kickees account of commotion at front doors- which he states he believes this was Morgan being denied reentry-
8:48 – 9:00 PM: Morgan is still spotted outside the arena. Police say they have no indication she re-entered the building.
*So- what about the “ticket taker’s” account which was featured in the Hook article- which stated that Morgan exited the arena for the second time?- When did this exchange regarding the torn-up ticket take place?
9:00 – 9:10 PM: Someone matching Morgan’s description was seen walking through the University Hall parking lot. Nobody saw her with someone, but there were other people walking in the same direction.
* This is the time period of Kickee and the bookkeeper-
Kickee placed time of incounter at 9pm made a phone call directly after to g-friend- bookeeper account is that Morgan was walking WITH a group of 4 men- shook her leg at them- all laughing- places time of sighting at 9pm makes a phone call to friend a minute or 2 after- these times appear to be known & set- due to cell activity…
9:10 – 9:20 PM: Someone matching Morgan’s description was seen in the Lannigan Field parking area near the track. This parking lot is used for overflow parking for arena events. The person matching Morgan’s description had limited interaction with people who were at the parking area.
* This appears to be bookkeepers sighting of Morgan WITH the same group of 4 men- states they were ALONE in parking lot around a particular vehicle- and BK assumed they were going to be partying TOGETHER before Metallica took the stage- BK estimates time at 9:15 pm
9:20 PM: The people who witnesses the person matching Morgan’s description left the area.
* This statement appears to be marking the BBP departure- all accounts I have read place the BBP leaving at 9:20pm- notice no mention of the other BBP “converging” in the lot- also no mention of Morgans asking them for a ride- also no mention of their leaving in separate vehicles after denying a ride to Morgan…all these actions/inteactions would take time…
also notice no mention of curtsy duos encounter-
question- when did LE know about Curtsy duo? It is stated in the Hook article- that the curtsy duo entered the timeline AFTER the BBP had left and they saw Morgan near the porto potties- which would extend whatever timeline between BK account of seeing 4 men and Morgan the later convergence of BBP- the later asking for a ride, the later denial of ride- then lastly the departure of all BBP in separate vehicles
9:20 – 9:30 PM: The person matching Morgan’s description was seen on the Copeley Road Bridge near Ivy Road. The last spotting of Morgan Harrington was at 9:30 PM near the intersection of Copeley Rd. and Ivy Rd.
* timestamp of F/d dorm was 9:23pm- KIM a poster her made the trip in day time- no concert traffic- no ran and said it could be done in 3 min- depending on where dorm was- and length of time for goodbyes- and walking to door and entering… Morgan had to have been on the bridge by 9:20 NO later- for the timeline to work- yet no definite time- of BBP departure- only 9:20 no definite time of curtsy duo sighting- just AFTER departure of BBP- Morgan then would have had to make it to the bridge inorder to be seen before 9:23 by F/d next time stamp by F/d is after 7-11 receipt -9:36 pm second pass no Morgan- MV places Morgan on bridge at 9:30
Here is map of timeline
http://www.roanoke.com/datasphere/wb/224154
I agree most times are an estimate- a window….but most times are backed up with other calls stamps ect- EVERYTHING occurs at 9:20 or has to occur before 9:20
We know Morgan was gone from the bridge at 9:36pm We know no one has come forward to place Morgan entering a vehicle on the bridge. We know her belongings were found in the lot and we know that her phone went dead at 9:30 -We know Morgan retrieved her things each time she dropped them- yet seems to have left them behind to HH…and 9:30 phone breakdown occurs after Morgan is on the bridge….
Timeline cant fit- even with LE estimated windows of time-
AJMO
Blink- in reviewing your security article- So much info…. I came across this response of yours:
“My thoughts are that Morgan’s phone was found with the battery cover attached-
For me, not jibing with the hitchhiking theory, and I would seriously seek to know who those witnesses are, because if they are security lot attendants, we have a problem.”
B
–Question Blink was Morgans cell found with the backcover attached? or were you basing this response on known info then-which has since been deemed not factual?
And IRT your mentioning the witnesses being security…We know that the F/d are not security- but are the curtsy duo security?
Here is the post in its entirety-along with your response:
Judi says:
September 5, 2010 at 11:34 am
I have spent alot of time over the last few days just playing everything over and over again in my head.
Couple things I would like you all’s input on.
First, Gil specifically mentioning the environment protecting him being, not just PEOPLE protecting, that has my mind going.
Contruction I don’t think would offer any protection in it’s environment.
NGFVD – that could be.
Security – that could be.
A Family with clout – could be.
My personal primary thought of how Morgan left JPJ Arena: I think she was out in the parking lot, locked out, upset. I think she met up with some college kids (Book-keepers and limo driver sighting of 4 BIB) and went to a college party that started at UVA (Newspaper lady’s sighting) and ended up at the house fire location, which is where she met her demise. Her purse later returned OR faked “being found” the next morning. This does not, however, limit the suspect pool to UVA students, because once leaving UVA and going to where the house fire was, anyone could have been in attendance at the party, not just college students. Do we know if a particular local RSO whose age is not much more than a college student’s is and who lives near AF ever attends parties at the where the house fire happened? Could anyone who does know anything be afraid of him/his family, too afraid – for their lives – to dare speak what they know or dare go against him/them to stop them from killing Morgan, now also makng themselves accmplishes, making them even more scared into silence?
My secondary thought of how Morgan left JPJ is forced by someone she did not know, that she did drop her purse there during the abduction, BUT I also think that the perp(s) would have had to use a taser, cloroform, or something of the sort to be able to pull this off in such a crowded place, without anyone seeing Morgan fighting, resisting, yelling, etc. Do security personnel carry a taser? I don’t know. But, probably would cause an alarm if seen carrying one.
Your thoughts?
My thoughts are that Morgan’s phone was found with the battery cover attached-
For me, not jibing with the hitchhiking theory, and I would seriously seek to know who those witnesses are, because if they are security lot attendants, we have a problem.
B
—
PS please overlook all my spelling typos ect- from previous post- I am having an off day… TIA
In Memory of Gini posted a comment on the previous page in reference to a report about a recent Charlottesville Police Department training course on forensic evidence.
“Are we JUST now realizing that the area needs brushing up???”
I think there were some important points made by the officers involved.
“There are 12 evidence technicians in Charlottesville and they all rotate brushing up their skills with this type of training.”
Read the word “rotate.” Maybe I’m wrong, but to me this means that the training is ongoing for all members of the team on a rotating basis.
Another important point Sgt Dillon made,“I think CSI is more of glamorization, as opposed to the documentation that’s required, as well as all the paper work in preparing for a case.”
CSI is fiction written to fit into an hour program. The writers know where the story is going from the very beginning. What they need to do is to create programs that will keep their audiences coming back week after week. They can’t portray fully what goes on behind the scenes, the documentation and paperwork that has to be absolutely correct in order to stand up in court. They can’t even show all that has do be done in reality to collect the samples to produce that all important forensic evidence. Actual police work is real life. They don’t have the luxury of knowing how the last 10 minutes of the case will end. They don’t build their cases to achieve this final outcome. They have to work toward an unknown final outcome, and when they get to that final conclusion, be sure they have done everything right, because there’s some smart defense attorney waiting to get a case thrown out on a technicality, get a conviction overturned, or plant doubt in the mind of just one juror. So many posting here are absolutely positive that Casey Anthony is responsible for the death of her child. Today, she’s walking free because her jury did not feel investigators and prosecutors met the test of proving, through forensics and other evidence, how the beautiful little girl died. Why try to present as a negative or question (???,) the fact that the Charlottesville Police Department, and I am certain all departments all over the country, train, re-train and brush up on techniques in order to keep their skills as up-to-date as possible? If a cardiologists brushes up on the latest medical techniques on a regular basis, does this mean that he/she was incompetent when he saved your grandfather’s life last year? We hear about cold cases solved today through DNA analysis that was not available at the time the crimes were committed 25 or more years ago. Some of these cases are solved only because a piece of evidence has been kept for years and years. Maybe there was hair, or blood or semen stains on a piece of clothing that has lain in an evidence box for years, long after the people who investigated the cases are gone. If police forces never updated their techniques and knowledge, how would departments know to go back, look at and retest old evidence? I see as a positive any time our police departments engage in additional training for their officers.
If the timeline is correct, that would cast a dark cloud over the BBP actions, refusing help to a girl who was dropping her purse, umbrella, etc without picking them back up again for her or seeing her retrieve them. What did they talk about?
She then proceeded to HH.
Everything that could have kept her safe or even just dry she left behind to go HH: friends, phone, security, police,, car, keys, umbrella.
So if you defend that timeline, you r also saying Morgan was in such a state that if people did not help they were criminally responsible. No that just not ‘ just happen’ only in times of chaos and war.
Did she scare the athletes? Or security, or LE?
Ik keep repeating this, but in my experience people like that (lets just say security men/athletes in general) react the exact opposite and would offer help more often than wait to be asked to help. And Morgan knew that, choosing to ask people she thought she could trust (Friends, ticket taker, BBP and Sketch?).
So much more likely is that someone did ‘ help’ and it ended badly. Maybe Sketch did not meet Morgan till much later, was she dropped of at the location she discussed with the BBP? evidence could tell more.
I have no idea what Morgan said to the athletes and why they left her. Perhaps they were cold-hearted jerks who didn’t care a thing about the fact she was cold, wet and alone. It’s possible they offered assistance, but not the assistance she wanted. Maybe her disposition or attitude convinced them she was trouble they did not need. They are ACC athletes, they know what one lie, told by someone, and believed by a DA can do to a team and to individual lives. It could be that they felt they had two choices, drive away from someone who made a request that could jeopardize their scholarships, or report her to LE. It’s possible they made the choice to walk away and not get her in trouble (they thought.) Whatever the situation, they made the wrong choice with tragic consequences and will have to live with that decision for the rest of their lives. LE has chosen not to say what she requested of the athletes. The athletes have chosen not to speak. By saying what I have, I’m not trying to defend the athletes or place blame on Morgan. I’m just pointing out what some of us seem to forget, we don’t know what happened. Regardless of whether they acted as jerks, offered help she refused, or weren’t able to comply with what she wanted, the ultimate result is the same, Morgan encountered a predator who ended her life.
Why is this so hard to solve?
241 Morgan !
mom3.0,
Thanks for the refresher on the exact time-line. I recalled a logistical problem and there appears to be one based on the news reports: Bb players leave at 9:20, curtsy duo sees her after that by potties, Dad sees her on the bridge at 9:20 too, because he gets to the dorms at 9:23.
So it’s possible that Bb players last see her at 9:15, which leaves a few more minutes for her to get to the bridge where Dad sees her at 9:20, but the reports state 9:10-9:20 repeatedly–last witnesses in the parking lot. Or could it be that the curtsy duo were the last to see her at around 9:18?
Sorry to belabor this…
But surely her behavior would prompt a 911 call? For exactly the reason ‘ not wanting to get involved’ .
That way the BBP / friends / security s reputation would remain untarnished if it turned out Morgan was in danger.
Every witness account of seeing Morgan was memorable to them, its not like she was unnoticed at all. In fact LE described it terms like ‘remarkable’ etc. Someone falling, shouting, kicking and even HH. oh and I forgot the latest revelation ‘ curtsying’ .
How can someone so in the public s eye disappear?
10.MsL says:
August 12, 2011 at 4:55 pm
You said it so well MSL.
How could it be that after the miserable night poor Morgan was having, she ran into a predator? How could this be? And then the T shirt in town 2 weeks later?
The athletes should have called the campus police and remained with Morgan until they came. Did not one of these “student-athletes” have any parental upbringing on helping persons in need, did not all have University direction on their responsibilities? Just what the hell is going on with the athletic programs at that school?
Hello Olivia-
Youre welcome-
I dont know how to work the timeline to make it all fit.
heres the thing- from the very beginning- LE has had the timeline set- at least the windows of time set-they have said it is difficult to pinpoint because SOME witnesses were not wearing watches-
Lets take a look at the witnesses we are aware of and whether or not they were wearing watches-
Ticket taker- Not sure-I assume they have a time for this encounter- there would be a clock inside -somewhere right?
Kickee- he was waiting around for late arriving friends- I assume they did arrive sometime- and that would have helped to pinpoint the time… considering they gave his time as a pretty tight estimate, with the explanation of 9:00pm with a phone call to his girlfriend a minute after- I assume he didnt have a watch,or never looked at it- but that the time and the conversation was verified by the gf and cell records.
Bookkeeper- she and her party were arriving late- I assume she did not have a watch- because again her times are estimates- she places the first sighting of shaking leg Morgan at about 9:03 because she too made a phone call to a friend soon after or while the sighting took place- later she estimates the second lot sighting at 9:15 verified through phone records and I would assume also through the other members of her party.-
BBP- I would think that at least some of them had watches- if their times are estimates, they are pretty definite estimates, as they had all just left practice-which means they would have been aware of the time, especially since we know that they had to be somewhere else that evening-hence knowing the time they left the arena area in separate cars inorder to make their destination in the allotted time.
Also the time of 9:20 for their being gone has never wavered- even before they were named as the BBP, they had these witnesses leaving and gone by 9:20- So it would seem that their converging time and the time they had limited interaction with Morgan is an estimate- but the time of departure is definite…
curtsy duo- not sure – if they did have watches the time of AFTER is a very wide estimate- but if they were coming from a specific event/job and getting to a set event or job -then they would roughly know their times….
F/D DEFINITE TIME-had to have seen Morgan before or at 9:20 not after- inorder for timestamp of the door 9:23- could have been wearing watches but times backup with doorstamp-and receipts… (7-11 receipt read 9:32 I believe?)
2 other independent witnesses- not sure but would seem they did not have watches either- as it was said within 10 minutes of the F/d sightings…
So- as far as I can tell, the only definite watch wearers might of been some of the BBP….
AJMO
To me the T shirt in town two weeks later flies in the face of a random predator acting alone.
The “draping” of the T shirt on the bush was a premeditated and provocative act by SOMEONE who knew SOMETHING.
WHO was that someone? It suggests more than one person involved with, or having knowledge of, Morgans abduction and murder.
Some kind of a warning to someone to keep quiet, or some kind of anonymous tip off to the police by someone close to the murderer, who knows about the crime, or found the T shirt among the perps belongings and wanted to lead the investigation into that area without incriminating or endangering themselves. Or to lead the investigation away from the next area the search was about to take place in.
Anyway some solo random, train hopping vagrant would not have done something as planned and flagrant as this, and also as the police have definitively stated they believe there was a vehicle involved.
Location, location, location. The perp knew the area well or the people he was with did.
Personally I cannot get away from the security, fire department, uniformed person, relative of BB players aspect of the profile of the perp. Someone Morgan felt she could trust. Someone who offered to”help.”
Don’t worry Morgan. This case is not going away. You deserve to rest in peace, and your family have closure.This miscreant needs to be hunted down before another beautiful young innocent girl is brutally murdered. Stay with us shiny girl and help take this murderer off the streets.
J4M.
http://articles.wdbj7.com/2011-08-06/morgan-harrington_29860209
Roanoke business raising money for Morgan Harrington case
August 06, 2011
A Roanoke business is doing its part to help solve a local murder case.
Paco’s Tacos is holding an event called “Morgan’s Day.”
Proceeds from every item they sell goes to efforts in the name of Morgan Harrington.
The Virginia Tech student died in 2009, after being kidnapped at a Charlottesville Metallica concert.
Police still haven’t found her killer.
“We can’t bring Morgan back, but we can raise the concern for safety and for needing to find the person that did this to our daughter,” said Dan Harrington, Morgan Harrington’s father.
and
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2011/aug/10/efforts-save-harrington-facebook-page-ar-1231064/
Members of a Facebook group memorializing Morgan Harrington were able to avert a conversion that would have stripped the group of its tens of thousands of members.
The group was in danger of being archived. It would have eventually re-emerged, but would have lost its existing members.
Facebook said the group would have to have 90 new posts to be eligible for a direct upgrade, which the group met handily, according to Denise Sparks, one of its administrators.
Harrington was killed after disappearing in October 2009 from the vicinity of the John Paul Jones Arena. Her remains were found in an Albemarle County pasture that winter. Her slaying was later linked to a 2005 sexual assault in Fairfax, but, despite the release of a composite sketch of the perpetrator of the assault, police have not yet made any arrests in the case.
well this case has to be solved because of the previous years issues with the jay-z concert,http://www.topix.com/forum/source/nbc29/TESU0KLQFVL54GM3B/p3 , the comments with this articledealing with security at jpja are (especially nighthawk}eeire :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Charlottesville, VA Oct 27, 2008
UnknOWN wrote:
The Charlottesville Police get the credit? I hardly think so, I attended and did not see a single Charlottesville police officer, only University of Virginia Police and the security that the arena provided so they get some credit, but they weren’t in sight in the parking garage and other areas and people still seemed to contain themselves so I guess they deserve some credit as well since trouble makers and thugs don’t represent the majority of people who listen to and enjoy hip hop, so sorry to those of you who were hoping and waiting for something to happen such as a shooting of sorts so you can have something to blog about, not this time… ————————-
You are wrong about UVA police being the only department working events. UVA police presence at UVA events is always supplemented by other departments – CPD, ACPD, ACSO and VSP. Not to mention VCU police at football games.
AND for example: police chief Longo ‘s 18 year daughter attended ,and he worried about her safety, http://www.readthehook.com/82832/cover-encore-did-violence-free-jay-z-show-just-save-local-hip-hop,
http://www.topix.com/forum/source/nbc29/TESU0KLQFVL54GM3B/p3
who doesn’t walk around with a cell phone on a college campus in 2009? who has ever owned a cell phone that didn’t display the time?
granted, that doesn’t mean someone will stop to note the time they see something remarkable. how many people at jpj that night? 5k? 10k? clearly some saw Morgan. no one saw anyone remotely like sketch? for the purpose of being clear, i did say remotely like sketch.
so no one saw a 35-45 y.o. black male, in the vicinity of a clearly noteworthy, beautiful, young blonde woman at a metallica concert? and they found her t-shirt at 15th & grady? and her remains in an obscure field, with difficult access?
the same animal committed a despicable crime far away in fairfax in 2005? at jpj the security cameras didn’t work? we are not going to aggressively circulate the sketch? an entire team of basketball players saw her moments before she vanished, but nothing else?
welp, i’m outta ideas. i guess we’ll just have to wait until we get some better clues.
In most of the other missing persons cases, the friends, roommates, boyfriends, girlfriends, all have something to say, publicly.
Not Morgan’s friends, boyfriends, roommates….they were silent.
Was it truth, Blink, or rumor that Dan Cassangne lawyered up the very week Morgan went missing?
Very strange indeed. And not only her friends. If Morgan had been found in my modest neighborhood people would have been organized, flyers sent, pictures posted. Several residents would have STARTED with the Governor’s office and worked their way UP the chain of command. Yet in North Garden……zip,
nada. In Blandemar Farms one rich biddy is supposed to have gotten the vapors. That’s about it.
the timeline firmly stated that 2 of the bb interacted with morgan for 10 minutes after the others left in the rv lot ,it is stated somewhere that 9:20 is firm .
@deetee…are you referring to the guy whose dad is a doctor and mom is an attorney with an office in FAIRFAX, VA? His current resume lists occupations as bail bondsman, assistant parts manager for Mercedes, security guard, bouncer, and lists his employers as H and H Security, Club 216, Rivals? The parents address is approx. 5 miles from AF? If that’s the wrong dude, fill me in, as it seems everyone is related down there and they’ve all got connections to each other in one way or another.
I had a lightbulb moment while I was trying to get to sleep last night….We know for a fact that Morgan was outside wandering around for over an hour that night. Do you guys think it’s possible that someone who was there made a call to a friend/relative and said something like “Man, there is a gorgeous blond girl outside the concert and she is effed up, do you think I should approach her or try to help her?” Maybe the friend/relative said, nah, you don’t wanna mess with that. If said friend/relative was within, say, 15-20 miles from C-ville, and the call was made before 9pm, wouldn’t that give this person enough time to hop in their vehicle and haul ass to the JPJA area to see if he could “help” her? The person who made the call would not necessarily know that his f/r made that decision, so never linked the murder with this person. IDK, this case is never far from my mind.
A few other questions: Redly said August 11, 2011 @ 10:26am…
“One guess” snipped, “Couple of baseball facilities folks checking out the field in advance of the upcoming games drive past in a golf cart. She curtsies. She decides the potties are gross and she will just get into town and pee in a bar/restaurant.”
Redly, she was drinking and freezing cold, two contributing factors to “I gotta go, and I gotta go NOW!” I honestly think she would drop trou and pee right outside the potties rather than wait until she gets into town. It’s jmo, but I think the need to go was rather imminent.
I’ve been reading some old threads on here, and came across this:
Enquirer January 27, 2010 @ 3:21pm…
“#473-Blink/Observer..What leads me to believe that purse was dumped after the fact, is whispers that the debit card was found in the purse, and HAD been used post 9:30pm”
“Xactly why I moved my cheese, yes.” B
So is that a fact? The debit card was in the purse, and had been used AFTER 9:30pm? If that’s true, I think perhaps she did get a ride with someone from the rv lot, and that person may or may not be sketch.
I would have to see the context of that snip, I think that may be out of context, although I do know that answer, but it is case sensitive until I hear otherwise.
B
Oh, I forgot something…I know I mentioned this before and put up a link, but I don’t think anyone saw it or, maybe just didn’t think it looks like Morgan, but in the “photos” section of the security company’s website, in the “Meadows Park, Fredericksburg, Kids Day ’08″ there is a set of streaming photos. One photo shows a pretty blond woman interacting with two small boys in red shirts and “the President” of the company. I didn’t notice this the last time, but behind RH is a partial view of a girl who looks somewhat like one of Morgan’s friends. I would just like someone else’s opinion on this blond…could it be Morgan? You can stop the photos from streaming, there is a pause button that you can pop up at the bottom of the photos.
http://www.charlottesvillesecurity.com/photos.html
Blink, I’ll try to find the whole comment regarding the debit card and purse. I think it was in the thread regarding her remains being found at AF.
I think we should assume since VSP has said there is no sign of her outside of JPJ that the card was not used.
B
B…I went back and found the comment, I didn’t actually snip that one, that was the extent of comment/answer.
Blanket of silence indeed, its frayed edges even reaching here.
people saw Morgan and feel bad about not helping her out, there is no shame in that. But it is a mystery why everyone seemed to have failed her that night was she really scaring people of with her odd behavior? I doubt that but okay if so wouldnt that prompt someone to call security or 911 or ask if she is okay?
It makes sense tho the items being dumped later in the RV lot, in fact one of the things that could make the timeline work. And also a huge risk to return.
That brings us to the tshirt, if its condition was good that means it was kept by the killer and put on display later. Weeks of bad weather would leave its marks. Why not alert the locals immediately that a missing girl s clothing was found in their neighbourhood and ask them to be alert for their own safety and ask if they seen anything odd that night.
All these things lead to think of him/them as planning offenders. Also it could mean they are intended to point the wrong way, probably serve as distractions?
I know I have read many times that it was believed Morgan was looking for her camera when dumping her purse. I have always wondered if maybe she had words with her friends inside the arena…something along the lines of…well find your own ride home(Morgan to her friends) and one of the friends took Morgans keys from her purse without her know it so she could not leave them without a ride and the keys was what she was looking for thinking she had them in her purse but just could not find them. I find it odd that she would have given her keys up just because there was a DD when she had a purse to keep them in. Just curious if anyone else thinks this could be a possibility??? Not sure it would make a difference in the outcome, why she didn’t have her keys, but odd if her friends were less than truthful about how they got them.
@Georgie
that would be the individual i was referring to. again, i did not personally research the location of his parents house or the house he grew up in, but i do recall reading at least one post on BOC that suggested his childhood home was close enough to “spit” on AF. that would not be 5 miles, imo though.
Isnt there someone local with some political power to investigate the trail of money and lawyering up and PR that all serves as a blanket of silence? It seems we cannot make a dent in the going ons behind the scenes and its frustrating. Personally I think Dakota and the newspaper lady and the other lady that wrote here so much are invaluable until they were sadly disgraced by others.
‘ there is not much to go on’ does not bode well.
Maybe this is the time for me to just offer my sympathy to Morgan s family as its all I am capable of. They are such empty words and lack any power to find this beast. I will pray for her and all the daily victims of ‘ stealth predators’ that are free to roam our open societies en abuse its liberties so horribly.
Anger is not a good emotion maybe sadness is more fitting I do hope someone from your country picks up the challenge. There is a plethora of evidence to go on and undoubtedly a lot of leads.
I ll stick to lurking unless i can t help but speaking out! The best to ALL Blinksters from the Nepalese Maoist consipracy theorists to the JPJ apologists. Without real information or feedback we just don t know.
Maybe the VSP should give the case over to the Charlottesville Police. They, at least, have a good track record; they did not mess around with George Huguely who still sits in the slammer in spite of his family connections. They are the only state organization that has performed admirably over the last two wretched years.
Hey VSP-
There’s a brutal rapist/murderer on the loose in your state.
Times up.
You’re wall of silence approach is not working.
What piece of info do you need?
Ask the public.
At the very least, release one of you BS statements.
Come the F on.
I’m just flabbergasted with your refusal to engage the public’s help.
What you’re doing is not working.
Above is said with all due respect
Well, Georgie, there IS a young woman who looks amazingly like Morgan in that photo–but she is in sunglasses, so it’s probably just a bizarre resemblance from a distance.
BB players left the arena “around 9:00,” according to Hook article, converged at rv lot…maybe five minutes later. Left fairly quickly, one would have to assume, given that the curtsy duo saw her after that:
From Courtney Stuart’s Hook article: “After the students departed, Morgan walked along the fence that separates the lot from the UVA track, according to Cappuzzo, who says her trail was picked up by the bloodhound, which stopped near a small line of portable toilets at the lot’s rear. Cappuzzo says two non-student witnesses driving down a road that leads from the baseball stadium to the RV lot reported seeing Morgan in that area– and recalled yet another unusual behavior for a young woman alone on a dark rainy night.
“She curtsied,” says Cappuzzo, but she didn’t attempt to flag them down.”
What I find strange about that article is that there is no mention of an exact time given by a single “student” (athlete) who was in the rv lot or anyone else, including the curtsy duo. That’s just odd. Deetee mentioned this above. Surely ONE of those people could provide an exact time that they drove away or were chatting in the parking lot. If we assume that the duo saw her after the bb players left (as stated in the article) at around 9:15, then she could have been picked up (abducted) on the bridge–probably by someone watching and waiting. I think Georgie’s idea is a good one–that someone “arrived on the scene” who had been alerted by someone else who observed her.
Blink and Dan Harrington
I’m interested in your opinions on Morgan’s case. How is the investigation going? What evidence is needed to make an arrest? What scenario do each of you have as to how and why Morgan was murdered? Is there anything, in your opinions, that the public can and should do to help resolve this case? Thank you.
“I think we should assume since VSP has said there is no sign of her outside of JPJ that the card was not used.” B
B, would it be presumptuous of me to assume you were being a tad sarcastic there????
er, normally yes, but no.
B
Ok. Typing thoughts before I forget them. There’s so many pieces to the puzzle, that don’t connect, it’s easy to forget about them.
So think about all of this at the same time:
Her purse was found in the “RV LOT”
Phone was found sans battery
*not disclosed exactly what condition it was in when found though
She was last seen on Copely Road with her thumb out
(F/D- did she have her purse then?)
!!! Her purse was found far away from where she was last seen.
The shirt was planted on a bush. Ding ding
Her body was found in a place not many people even know exist
Wow. What a complex case!
warning speculative: not for sensitive souls:
Hmmm just decided to take a last look at ‘ the Hook’ thinking about the blanket of silence it might have some relevance also had to think back of the fictional ‘ AF scrolls’:
A classic fictional detective book (S. Holmes) about a fictional murder and kidnap is banned for being not political correct. Apparantely it insults a certain Mormon group living in Abermal county. I wonder how Jefferson would think about book banning?
How easy is it now to see how careful everyone is with a real crime involved in the same area where they can (still) ban a book?
The AF scrolls had a religious theme, a bit like the mormon book of UFO scrolls. Its far fetched but could deserve some scrutiny. A religious (non fictional) perp is not out of the picture? Someone either feels justified or guilty in the last case, a suicide might be possible. The first is the scariest he might even feel ‘ glorious’ . I have to think of the person from Norway who seems to revel in the fact that he did the most horrible thing and thinks he did something right.
What a world we live in..
http://www.readthehook.com/100171/anti-mormon-sherlock-holmes-yanked-reading-list
disclaimer: no text is intended to insult any religion, creed, race, age or gender etc.
Georgie says:
August 15, 2011 at 10:38 pm
““I think we should assume since VSP has said there is no sign of her outside of JPJ that the card was not used.” B”
I agree with Georgie, the response does not make sense. There was obviously “signs” of Morgan outside of JPJ, that is what we have been discussing for two years.
Are you referring to her bank card use? The only definitive thing we have been told to date is that it “goes to the case” or some such non-answer.
Again the question is “Was Morgan’s card used (or attempted to have been used) after 9:30″.
Please remember some of the brightest people on this blog have English as a second language.
Just as a point of correction, the Doyle book was not banned. It was removed from the required reading list for the 6th grade. It remains as a literary option for the 10th grade. Mark Twain is one of our greatest American authors, but I believe “Huckleberry Finn” is no longer on most elementary school reading lists because of language that can certainly be perceived as racially sensitive in this day and age. I am sure there are many who consider this as political correctness run a muck. I am not Mormon and have not read the Sherlock Holmes book. I have read Huckleberry Finn and accepted the language used as indicative of what would have been said at the time of writing. I was not offended, but then I am not African American. I really don’t see what the discussion about the book and whether or not it offended a particular religion has to do with the death of Morgan Harrington. JMO
you r right MsL but my point rather was that if a book of harmless fiction about a crime creates such actions would a real murder in their community provoke an even more drastic reaction.
I mean in terms of ‘ not speaking about it’ ‘ it didnt happen here’ etc etc. Going as far as not talking to LE about what they know. In other words a very close and self protection area?
As I said its far fetched and maybe I have too much imagination.
I think we’re all REALLY frustrated with this case….Blink’s extra dose of sarcasm leads me to believe she’s as frustrated as we are. If you think this is difficult for us, think about what it must be like for the Harringtons. They have to try and go on with their lives, without their precious daughter (flaws and all, because we ALL have them), and not knowing who is responsible for taking her from them. I’m not familiar with the political climate down there, but I have to wonder if the power wielded by UVa is having any influence on this case moving forward.
So was Morgans bank card used, or attempted to have been used, after 9:30? Can someone answer the question without using double negatives?
George says:
August 16, 2011 at 11:42 am
So was Morgans bank card used, or attempted to have been used, after 9:30? Can someone answer the question without using double negatives?
_____________________________
Of course none of us can answer. It seems logical that it was not or LE would have likely disclosed it when they did the extremely detailed walkthrough of what they know about morgan’s movements after she left the arena, but no one here (unless the killer posts here) knows it for a fact.
That is not accurate, but I say go with Redly.
B
Help me understand.
If Morgan’s card was used after 9:30 and it was found in her purse in the RV parking lot on October 18th…why would LE keep that a secret? It hasn’t helped them solve this crime almost 2 years later. What would be the harm of telling us? That could change alot of things…like Mrs. Parson’s sighting on The Lawn. IDK, Blink, if you know, why is it still considered investigative?
Redly,
Thanks for your reply. I believe Dr. Harrington stated that he was asked by the VSP not to answer the question. This was some months ago, however. It seems an odd request to have made of the Harringtons as Morgan’s abductors would know and they would figure out pretty quick that the VSP would know also.
If the card was used and subsequently found with the contents of Morgan’s purse when it was found in the lot the next morning then there is not much doubt the purse was planted after the abduction. And so much for the theory that Morgan was blitzed and dropped her purse because she was “increasingly impaired”.
LE, security, guards, private security, a variety of local dpts. know a lot about Morgan s movements, because they were THERE the 17th on routine official duties to some effect or other (read the crime incident reports that night and those were just emergencies) its not as if they were only present after the time of the murder/kidnap and in the same fog as we are.
Same goes for the athletes/superstars. They and the apologists PR people make it sound as if all they have is a reconstruction of facts. The stunning part is that it happened right under the blazing lights of a world famous band performing. I do not believe she was a normal sight AT ALL.
I think i cannot write any clearer why the official version sounds so brazenly inadequate and distanced. And thats not taking into account even the timing of publicity it took months and months for even the most essential information to be helpful.
Its not like someone irrationally wandered of into the woods alone at night but somehow it sounds that way. To me the reality always was that she was forced to leave JPJ and basically had no alternative then to plead for help and that is inexcusable. Also we do know or at least can speculate about Morgan s movements without being the killers. Her belongings were found on 15th/Grady and on AF also she was seen on the bridge HH.
Then we have the Norma Parson sighting. And the BB statement where she wanted to go. As well as the conversation with her friends on her destination?
I believe the VSP quote about Morgan’s condition outside the JPJ Arena was “increasingly desperate”. My mistake. I don’t see why they did not say: “An increasingly clear-headed Morgan was in a part of a college town she knew like the back of her hand with safe student venues in most any direction”.
http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Two_Arrests_in_14th_Street_Robberies.html
This is right down the road from where Morgan’s shirt was found. This guy was picked up in Louisa (approx 30 min from 14th St).
I can’t help but wonder about recurring crimes in the area and any possible ties to Morgan.