Two Years Cold-Morgan Harrington Murder: Two Women, Two Locations, Too Long
Girl In The Hayfield
Morgan Dana Harrington was the ingenue of artist and adjunct professor at Virginia Tech, Jane Lillian Vance.
She was scheduled to travel with her to Nepal in the Spring of 2010 while continuing to pursue her Education degree in her third year as a Hokie.
Morgan would not make that trip, and Vance would complete her latest work in her former students honor, last week.
With her Mother Gil’s help, albeit posthumously, Morgan is indeed educating children; the underprivileged children of Zambia. In April, 2010, Gil Harrington carried some of her beloved daughter’s ashes during the Orphan Medical Network International (OMNI) pilgrimage to Zambia. After raising donations for the Morgan Harrington Educational Wing, Morgan’s ashes were mixed with the concrete foundation of the school bearing her name.
At 5’6” , with breck-girl locks and eyes like briolette faceted tourmaline’s, Morgan was a stunning beauty.
Behind her neon smile was the burgeoning sophistication of a girl beyond her years and peers.
This gilded lily stood out.
On the grounds of the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia while attending a Metallica concert with her friends, unfortunately, she also caught the eye of a dangerous predator. The cost of admission to the events that followed, would be her life.
Devoid of her ticket to return inside the presumed safety of the venue and old friends, Morgan scored the unwilling and unalterable ticket to the cross-hairs of a Medium Build, 6’ African American sexual sadist who has likely spent the last four years honing his skills.
“Sketch” was interrupted by a passerby during a vicious beating and sexual assault in Fairfax on September 24, 2005. His DNA is linked to both victims.
Lights, Cameras, 400 Blue Phones
According to JPJ and UVA security guidelines, all hired security must be law enforcement.
In addition to the regularly scheduled patrol assignments of UVA PD, events such as the Metallica concert required additional security posts which were hired via a security request when the date was booked. Although additional UVA officers were working the night of October 17, there has never been a statement regarding any observations from that evening on their behalf by Melissa Fielding, Investigative Lieutenant.
However, in a private meeting that included UVA PD staff, shortly after Morgan’s disappearance, an attendee speaking to www.blinkoncrime.com on the condition of anonymity, told me he heard Fielding tell someone openly that Harrington’s car never left Harrisonburg, or JMU, and that it was a different friends car that was driven to the arena and hers had been accounted for.
In response to another UVA PD staffer loudly offering that he heard that Morgan was behaving “obnoxiously” during the trip to JPJ, which resulted in a tiff between the friends and the reason she ultimately left the concert, Fielding snapped “That was still no reason to leave her.”
When pressed as to why she thought they still believed Morgan’s car was not a factor when Lt Rader of the Virginia State Police (VSP) and Dr. Harrington, Morgan’s Father, both confirmed her car was the vehicle the foursome traveled in, she repeated that information was incorrect with no further explanation. While VSP was leading the investigation at this point, it certainly still begs the question as to why the original agency tasked with her disappearance, and still assisting, would have such important misinformation circulating in an active investigation and ongoing search.
According to the Office of the Executive Vice President of UVA, UVAPD security personnel are also responsible for surveillance on grounds. The central monitoring area, which is linked to the security cameras in several lots and public areas, is located in the central parking garage. There is no information available on the storage medium of recorded footage from the cameras, and requests for information were deferred to VSP.
The University of Virginia uses technology to improve security on Grounds. University Police install video cameras in several parking lots and public areas. Additional cameras may be installed in the future. Security cameras will be connected to a central control room operated by the Police Department in the new Central Grounds Parking Garage. The purpose for using the cameras is to reduce incidents of crime while limiting the need to expand the Police Department.
VSP is not discussing the specificity of what they have or do not have regarding footage supplied by JPJ/UVA.
With the exception of course that out of everything that has “been supplied to them”, there are no images of Morgan whatsoever.
Stationed inside the arena, is UVA PD security, non-police event security run by RMC Events, security staff employed directly by Metallica, UVA facilities management personnel, and contracted vendors to both JPJ and UVA. Firemarshall, zoning, and University guidelines also require EMT attendance.
Invisible As The Web In a Spiders Belly- Marge Piercy
Morgan asked her friend and roommate Amy Melvin to accompany her to the restroom at approximately 8:20PM.
Because of an earlier spat and lingering tension, Amy declined and Morgan left her seat alone.
Earlier, Morgan attempted to diffuse the matter upon entrance to John Paul Jones Arena in a conciliatory gesture, by purchasing a Metallica T-shirt for Amy. Amy reciprocated.
When Morgan climbed between the seats to make her way to the restroom, it was the last time Amy Melvin, Sarah Snead and Dan Cassagne would see their friend alive.
Morgan’s friends treating her like a vexatious afterthought did not aid the situation in the least.
A fellow Metallica fan sitting in the general area of Morgan and her friends, whose name is being intentionally withheld as a potential witness in this case, both observed and interacted with her until she left her seat; he assumed, for a drink.
He said during the Lamb of God set, Morgan changed her seat in the middle, and characterized her as very friendly, but “erratic” and repeatedly asked he and his companions for a sip of their non-alcoholic beverages.
In his opinion, Morgan exhibited signs of being under some sort of influence, was definitely overheated and parched.
A few minutes later, another witness claimed to be online with Morgan at the concession stand where she purchased a soda.
Shortly after this exchange, Morgan is seen dabbing a wound on her chin in the ladies room. Witnesses in a different area of seating believe they saw a woman matching Morgan’s description fall on the steps to the immediate right of their seats, and was not carrying a drink at the time.
After Amy and Sarah left their seats to look for Morgan when she failed to return, Sarah phoned Morgan on her cell at 8:48PM .
Morgan was clearly upset as she told Sarah she was refused any option of re-entry by security, but did not reveal why she went outside the arena in the first place.
This account conflicts with that provided by lead investigator, Agent Dino Cappuzzo, of the Virginia State Police, who commented during last years walk through on Anchorage Farm that a ticket-taker informed Morgan she would need to repurchase a ticket in order to return to the concert after she indicated that her ticket was “in pieces at the bottom of her purse.”
Morgan had the means to purchase another ticket. What she did not have, was her red digital Kodak camera she was digging for when she first exited the arena, and not a shred of her Metallica ticket has ever been found.
Concession Confessions- The Deadly Kind
Think a concession connection is far-fetched? Tell that to Inna Budnytska.
Michael Lee Jones, former concession employee for Centerplate and then Ovations, used his position as a traveling contract food service employee to prey on his victims. Mr. Jones worked at a ball field in Norfolk, VA for 12 years.
While it is assumed any other reported assaults with a DNA sample he was involved with would come to light, 84% of stranger rapes go unreported statistically speaking, there are likely unreported assaults.
Jones has no known direct connection to Morgan’s case, but the parallel of access to grounds in some of his crimes and therefore victims at the venue he was working, is investigative 101.
Without the tenacity of retired Long Island cop turned- investigator Ken Brennan, and the equal ability to be open to civilian assistance by Miami Detective Allen Foote, Jones would be free right now.
Mike Jones would not have been caught in this case, or the other cases, and would likely have raped and assaulted other victims.
Unlike Inna’s case, without the benefit of video in Morgan Harrington’s disappearance, witness accounts of her time and movement throughout the JPJ arena and subsequent grounds make witness interviews invaluable.
It is abundantly clear that VSP, profiling experts and analysis of the topography of the700 acre Anchorage Farm indicate whoever is responsible for placing Morgan there, was intimately familiar with the property.
In fact, Lt. Joseph Rader, believes her recovery location as chosen by her killer, is the “most important aspect of this investigation… People of North Garden, this will mean something to you.” ”
People in the Anchorage Farm area, you know what goes on there, you know the history,” said Rader. “You know who comes in and out of the vicinity and you might not realize it but you probably have some information for us that you don’t even think is important.”
In an earlier article, published shortly after Harrington’s remains were found, we reported the most recent activity of the land and it’s owners David and Nancy Bass. During the time of Morgan’s disappearance, the farm house, or the home on the Va historical register occupied at the time by the Bass’s daughter Jenny, was undergoing renovations to its hvac.
A carpenter working for Mr. Bass during the Summer of 2009 recalled stopping a black male driving a black jeep on the back of the Bass property and was told he was David Bass’s brother.
While the farm’s renovations, rezoning and subsequent withdrawal from a previous taxation commitment was compelling reading, it did not produce any leads and The Bass family did not recognize the image of sketch when shown in July 2010. Perhaps the historic property needed more history.
Time For Loud- Not Enshroud
If Anchorage Farm holds the key to revealing Morgan’s killer or killers, what other secrets does it hold?
Plenty, and they lead right back to a time in Virginia history that rips the scab off of a fairly fresh wound for many generations, and back to The University of Virginia.
In the 1740’s, Albemarle county, which was formed from Goochland and Louisa counties, was a vast frontier largely owned by Peter Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson’s father, and Col. Charles Lewis, brother of Robert, grandfather of Meriwether Lewis.
Courtesy of Legends Of Lewis
The men opened two plantations near each other, and produced three generations of one or more first cousin marriages between the two families.
Both families amassed great wealth over the years through slaves and land, but as the eighteenth century drew to a close, through a series of farming failures and poor plantation oversight, the Lewis family fell on extremely hard times.
Charles Lewis sold everything he had with the exception of the North Garden property which he gave to sons Randolph, Lilburne and Isham.
The Lewis plantation later named Anchorage Farm by the White family, would remain with Lewis family members through 1846.
In 1808, with looming debt, resentful neighbors and and little cash to parleigh into prospects, Lilburne and Randolph decided to immigrate to Kentucky, the popular new destination for those in crisis, leaving Isham, and a few aunts to toil what is now known as Anchorage Farm.
With remaining slaves in tow, the Lewis family traveled by barge to their new home “ Rocky Hill”.
Three family members would die in the first eighteen months, and the worst was yet to come.
In the Fall of 1808, Isham Lewis traveled to Rocky Hill to pay his respects to his recently deceased older brother Randolf, announcing his plans for an indefinite stay.
Isham was widely known for his less than gentlemanly status and his reunion with brother Lilburne, who by this time had spiraled into a deep depression treated with ardent spirits.
Thomas Jefferson’s nephews Isham and Lilburne forged the unholy alliance that would eliminate the possibility of a Lewis dynasty in Kentucky, forever.
The fuse igniting the transformation of Rocky Hill to Rocky Horror was lit.
A teenage slave named George, who traveled with the Lewis family from Albemarle three years earlier, ran off for a few days in December allegedly due to Lilburne’s treatment of him.
Fueling the alcoholism and depression, Lilburne’s new wife Letitia Griffin Lewis was pregnant with James Griffin Lewis, the couple’s first child together.
On December 15, 1811 George was asked by Lilburne to fetch a pitcher of water believed to belong to his beloved Mother Lucy. He broke it and returned to the plantation, met by the homicidal rage of the Lewis brothers while all the slaves were made to bear witness, lest they had any ideas such behaviors would be tolerated.
Lilburne and Isham drug young George to the main house, gathered all the slaves to watch, and Lilburne buried an axe in George’s neck to the horror of all.
He ordered another slave to dismember him and threatened all that If anyone had any similar notions to his, they would receive a duplicate fate.
Fate, in fact, would make an appearance shortly in the form of an earthquake, which made George’s remains accessible to the family dog, ultimately discovered by a neighbor and reported to police.
Isham and Lilburne were indicted and freed on bond. The brothers formed a suicide pact and headed for the Rocky Hill cemetery where Lilburne ended up shooting himself in the chest while showing Isham how to release the flint lock.
Isham fled only to be captured a few days later and jailed for assisting in his brothers suicide.
Letitia, now a widow, fled Kentucky in fear with her newborn son.
Mysteriously, Isham garnered his freedom anyway, through an assisted jail-break.
He disappeared, was believed to live under an alias, marry and was allegedly killed in the battle of New Orleans in 1815.
His remains were never positively identified.
Brother to Dragons, indeed.
In his eventual biography of Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson eluded to the explorer and Governor of Louisiana’s familial afflictions with mental illness following his suicide. A memoir of an escaped slave, written by Francis Frederick, is believed to depict the treatment of the slaves owned by Thomas Jefferson Randolph, with whom Thomas Jefferson and family resided and attended the adjacent school as a child.
In this period, Virginia was the largest destination for slaves from the Bight of Biafra on the West side of the African coast, and the natives spoke patois.
The extended Lewis family owned plantations on Buck Island, Red Hill Depot, and Monteagle, which is believed to be the former name of the Lewis Plantation.
Committed at a time and place where it was illegal to murder a slave, George’s story is definitely an anomaly due to the horrific murder becoming known publicly.
Thomas Jefferson is believed to have owned about 200 slaves; a combination of in inheritance from his Father Peter, his wife’s very prominent family the Rudolphs, and through sale.
His father Peter and he were also very close to the William Cabell family of Tuckahoe, one of the largest slave owners in Albemarle, and relatives of Samuel Cabell, murdered for “taking up” with a former slave and living openly with her and their children.
Could the current Albemarle descendants from either side of the family tree shed any light on family legends that might lead sketch to dump Morgan Harrington’s remains on the former Lewis plantation? Have they even been asked?
There is no shortage of information today about slave masters and plantation owners producing offspring of mixed race.
In the case of Morgan Harrington’s murder, there is a forensic DNA link to an African American male, also linked to a brutal rape and assault years earlier, who by VSP’s own confirmation, possesses the navigational prowess of an individual who was comfortable traversing an area of the farm unreachable by vehicle as much as 1000 feet away, in the dark. He is local, period.
Is the paradox of Morgan’s recovery in the hollows of a historic slave plantation while her legacy enriches the lives of African children that will gain educational opportunities previously not possible, in her honor, be enough to stimulate the concscious of someone who has the answers?
To be continued: Morgan Harrington Murder Part II: Two Years Cold- Two Women, Two Locations, Too Long.
*Investigative Analysis of Morgan’s last known activity in the lot of JPJ and Copely Bridge
*Independent investigation of adherence to UVA/JPJ background policy for employees and contractors
*Investigative Analysis of new evidence
Contributing Editors: Jason Mateos, Jacqueline Beaufort, Madeline Tanner, Klaasend
Image Credits: Harrington Family, As Credited.
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As we all Christmas shop for our loved ones and prepare for holiday festivities, laughing and spending time with the people we cherish, I can’t help but think about those who have lost someone to violence. The holidays just makes the void and the pain that much more prominent. When does it end? It doesn’t. It’s not getting any better, it’s getting worse. Violent crimes are getting more and more frequent. There’s no end in sight to it. Sometimes justice is served, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes there’s closure for the families, sometimes there’s not. The suffering never goes away, the void never goes away. Yet, the people who have caused it, who thought they had the right to take someone else’s life, are probably out having grand old time. I pray for the families of the victims. May the Lord give them the strength they need to make it thru.
The only Metallica concert in Charlotte NC that I can find was October 18, 2009
Blink, It’s been more than 2 years. If what Skyler saw on the bridge/beyond the bridge, is too case sensitive to talk about, when will it be not case sensitive anymore? I remember Skyler said she saw a car pulled over beyond the bridge, around 9:30pm, passenger door opened, what looked like more than one person inside. Did this story change? Can’t we talk about it some more?
alexandra- I don’t mind discussing the documented account, but I do mind any associated drama with it.
Not that you would bring it, it just seems to follow her unfortunately.
Her story changed drastically, so at this point I don’t even know what merit it holds or how it might serve the conversation that we have no already discussed at length. I applaud you wanting to revisit information to progress the dialog, however.
B
I hope it’s acceptable to post a short excerpt of Skyler’s most recent comment (that I’m aware of) from the Hook article that has been linked on previous pages “He’s Still Here…….”
While Sklyer’s description of what she thought she saw did change, I do not believe the location of that sighting every changed. If there’s any validity to the timeline, Sklyer saw the vehicle while Morgan was still being sighted in and near the RV lot.
Excerpt from Skyler’s comment—”And thank God for this article, Courtney, and since it is a day for revelation — perhaps this post will stop the rampant speculation — which I have done my best to clear up over and over — I did not ever once see Morgan — I am not LE’s secret witness — I was not put on a “gag-order” by LE — because I don’t know anything — unfortunately — The car I saw pulled over had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Morgan — it was on the onramp to Interstate 64 — approximately 5 miles and at least 10 mins. away from confirmed sightings of Morgan, if VSP’s new timeframe is accurate; that car was “already” pulled over, stopped, the driver was out and was conversing with whomever was in the backseat — and that “whomever” was NOT Morgan — I’ve said this a dozen times.”
I don’t remember all of what Skyler wrote over many months, but I do remember that she agonized over the fact she must have missed seeing Morgan only by a matter of minutes, maybe even seconds, because she (Skyler) was already back at the arena looking for a parking spot during the time frame that Morgan would have been on the bridge or in the RV lot. From what I remember, Skyler’s time frame was consistent with the recollections of the witness who saw Morgan with the MIB, and then saw her in the RV lot with the same group of men, now known to be basketball players. This witness did not get as lost as Skyler, she saw the young woman and men crossing Massie Road heading toward the U-Hall parking lot. The witness and her husband continued looking for a parking space, drove from Massie Road to Emmett/29, turned right onto 250/Ivy and then right onto Copeley. At the most, 5 or 6 blocks and only a matter of minutes. So, while Skyler did change or elaborate on her comments about the vehicle she saw, it seems almost impossible that the car she saw had Morgan in the backseat given the time she said she returned to the vicinity of the arena and parked across the street in a motel lot, the witness who saw Morgan with the MIB and the witnesses who reported seeing Morgan on the bridge.
One thing I did pick up from re-reading the Hook article that I had originally missed, the father/daughter duo saw Morgan prior to 9:23, the time of the daughter’s dorm room stamp. The father stopped at the Seven Eleven around 9:30 as confirmed by his time stamp. Not very precise, around 9:30 could have been just before 9:30 to sometime after 9:30. I did not remember reading the following: From Hook article “He’s Still Here……”
“Within approximately 10 minutes of those two bridge crossings, two other unrelated witnesses reported to police that they’d seen a blond woman hitchhiking there. Cappuzzo says all witnesses’ stories have been thoroughly vetted by police, and none are considered suspects.” Was this “within approximately 10 minutes,” 10 minutes before the father/daughter first saw Morgan, or 10 minutes after the father stopped at the Seven Eleven and recrossed the bridge. If after, then the timeline for her last sighting would extend at least until 9:40 or 9:45, beyond the time when her phone powered down.
I am sorry we don’t hear from Skyler herself on this. Only she could clear it up. If she did see a vehicle or not. It was suspicious.
This is a shout out to Dr. Pepper…they may have found Karen Swift and it may be that she was found near a cemetery. I thought you would be interested in this as I think you have been looking into the death of Patricia Guardado and of course Morgan was found so close to a cemetery. I almost wonder if other cemeteries should be closely looked at with regards to other missing persons. They may hold a certain fascination to these murderers. Link to follow regarding road blocks close to Karen’s last know location. Bledsoe Cemetery lies in between these 2 locations.
http://www.stategazette.com/story/1793438.html
So, he, or someone he knows who was either involved or has knowledge of what he did and is helping him, placed Morgan’s shirt there right before the search assumingly to divert the direction of the search zone. My question is this…..Did he go back and get the shirt off of Morgan at AF? I doubt it considering the shirt was reported to be in good condition and why take such a risk like that. Was Morgan still alive at that point? Where was Morgan’s shirt in the days between October 19th and when it was found?
Are there any employees, directly employed or contracted, who work for the university, arena or security, who may be a “traveling employee”? Possibly someone from the area, therefore knowing AF, who was at the concert or university that night for work related reasons, but may not have been in the area in the imeediate days after Morgan’s abduction and possibly still not even now? Could this be helping him in his evasiveness from the police now and back in ’05? Maybe he comes and goes out of areas, assaulting women while there, and then is gone and out of sight after. Could he be serial and his attacks are just not being connected because of location and not leaving behind any DNA with his other victoms? I keep thinking about the description of what he was wearing in the the ’05 attack, and to me sounds like “work attire”,and as we all discussed, Morgan would have trusted an “employee” and interaction with a girl who was possibly typsy at a concert with an individual appearing as an employee would not draw attention from the average passerby.
From what we do know of the two attacks he was responsible for and/or involved in, I doubt he went 5 years between attacks. He is a violent secual predator. How long do they sit dormant? Certainly not 5 years. There has to be other unknown victims. Sadly, I have no doubt that there will be more if he isn’t caught, if there hasn’t been already. How closely have police looked at other cases that be related and in how large of a radius are they looking to these two attacks?
You are all making me think about other concert locations. Of course we know that there was a concert in Fairfax on the evening that the Urdu speaking woman was raped in 2005. I hope I’m remembering correctly. And even though there was a concert, it was actually us researchers who uncovered that fact, and it wasn’t brought up as having anything to do with the case in Fairfax, so, I wonder now, how many other woman that have been assaulted in other states, were assaulted when a concert was going on at a venue in that particular area.
alexandra – the car skyler said she saw was not on or anywhere near the bridge. she said it was on the off-ramp to a freeway — I think 64 but can’t remember now. Her story changed some as to what she thought she saw going on in the car — just going by my memory, I think she first suggested she may have seen someone outside the car leaning into the backseat and someone inside perhaps getting ill, and then she later said she thought it may have been someone messing with a child seat. I doubt it was very important but maybe there was some embellishment/imagination involved. She did respond to the questions with a post on the hook site. Regardless, it wasn’t very near the bridge.
Ode- thank you for thinking of me. I will take a look at that link.
In regards to Patricia- I may be wrong totally- but it seems that her murder may have less to do with being at a university and more that it was in a crime ridden part of town. LE mentioned the “no snitching rule” playing a part in the lack of witnesses coming forward. Which makes sense. She was taken in broad daylight and found in a pretty bad area as well. I didnt know close to a cemetery.
B and all-
I’m sorry for my absence. Work is tremendously stressful…and that’s an understatement. I have had little time to do anything else.
I’m still here and will post as much as I can.
J4M
I was just re watching the “Disappeared” episode about Morgan with my fiance who is in law enforcement. He said that based on what was shown on tv, it’s unlikely that she was actually hitch hiking and got in a car with a stranger because that is not the M.O of the person in the sketch who’s dna was found on Morgan.
I then came on this site to get an update, and saw that Blink had already made this point a few days ago in a comment.
I think this is a really important point. I wish LE in this case would let go of the whole “hitch hiking” angle and take a much closer look at what was going on inside and outside of JPJ arena in terms of employees, vendors, etc.
I bet the person responsible for Morgan’s murder reads this website and he will offend again if he hasn’t already. in his mind, he has gotten away with it at least twice already. This is so disturbing to me
sunshine, I made that point immediately when I learned Sketch was attached to Morgan’s case via DNA a year ago in July.
ANY PROFILER will tell you upon examination of the unsolved 2005 Fairfax attack, that would be both the public information available and that withheld by investigators, that this offender is not going to pull up in a car and offer a ride to a hitchhiker.
HOWEVER, I will agree that this “opportunity” presented a unique challenge to this suspect. Based on my personal opinion that the individual is/was associated as a contract employee via UVA/JPJ or a vendor, he had to be observed leaving the “scene” to solidify an alibis.
An excellent question to start with would be if the two gentlemen who came across Morgan outside the porta-loo, who say she curtsey’d to them, had any changes to their employment status since her disappearance. Have their backgrounds been checked since then and if so, what prompted it?
I have also maintained that within my own team, some disagree as to the hitchhiking issue in the first place.
It is my belief that Morgan was assured either a ride to “wherever” or a haven until the end of the concert within the lot, with the plan being the suspect would need to get their vehicle, and would pick Morgan up in the vicinity of the bridge.
For me, this has always been the reason for the hitchhiking, and if we BELIEVE the Dad/Daughter witness account, which I would have to say we do as a possibility, Morgan was FACING oncoming traffic, so it again makes sense that the action of “a ride” was pre-planned, and her “thumb out” was a playful gesture to whoever she thought that arrangement was made with. If that is the case, she expected the person to be coming toward campus, not away.
Now, since we have the timing issue with the removal of power from her phone in contrast with the bridge sighting, and the fact that components of the phone are missing, I am of the opinion that Morgan was assaulted from behind, dropped her phone, and if I am right, it would indicate that HAD to have happened at the end of the bridge heading away from the arena, or she turned around and started heading back, perhaps thinking maybe she would think better of taking a ride and waiting it out, or also that she misunderstood the direction of the “plan.”
At the end of the bridge, there is a large tree, and anyone who knows the area, and has access to grounds, can cross in the rear of the baseball field, and hit the end of that bridge completely undetected, and assault and disable someone from behind in almost complete darkness, there are no lights under that trainbridge.
Did Morgan make it back to the lot and was she accosted there? Possible, but again, if she was ever on that bridge, it is my belief that this abduction and immediate disabling of Morgan occurred at the end of the bridge by design.
Remember: Fairfax sketch engaged his victim, and followed her without her detection until it was too late. For all we know, he could have followed her into the food store, and the coast was not “clear”. Five years earlier this is his MO, we have every reason to believe he has honed his skill since then, the least of which that he has not been convicted of a crime in VA that would require his DNA submission.
What if HE WAS arrested, and say, attended some sort of first offender program- anyone check that I wonder?
Rhetorical.
B
That said,
Alexandra, As I understood it, Skyler saw the car pulled off the exit on the highway. Regardless of which account referred to, she did not see this anywhere near the bridge on Copeley Rd. It may have had nothing to do with Morgan at all since the exits are nowhere near the bridge or Copeley.
As far as we know Morgan had no reason to be outside.
There has never been an acceptable explanation why Morgan left when the concert was starting. Indeed it seemed it was not her intention to leave. Skyler s account was very clear in describing the gruelling weather conditions. She also seemed so determined to help the case a long and was where it happened. A first hand account of the situation.
Also I can t help but think that Morgan made it clear to the BBP that she needed help badly or at least a place to get warm. The casual nature of the conversation I don t buy. The accompanied detour across the parking lots speaks volumes.
Poorly written and utterly confusing .
Is it possible that sketch is a janitor ?
Judi
I have zero proof of the following comment. It is just my gut feeling based on the small amount of information that we have been able to confirm.
I believe that Morgan was held at some location, possibly in North Garden, for several days by a group of men. When the searching began to get serious the shirt was placed on the shrub in Charlettesville to misdirect the searches. I believe she was murdered shortly after the shirt placement and moved to AF.
There have been many cases of women being kidnapped and kept alive for several days prior to their being murdered. Some have even managed to escape and get to help. Unfortunately, not many survive.
The problem with serial killers is that they start with one, then over time it becomes a greater and greater obsession. The FBI has records that show the pattern. However, every serial killer is an individual with their own pattern and the type of women to whom they are attracted.
Our society has become increasingly violent in the last forty years. Young women are at great risk when they are able to be seperated from their friends by a predator at a public venue, a school event or parking garage. These predator types are always on the lookout for a potential victim.
Somehow, those that care are going to need to produce an educational program to teach young women how to prevent themselves from becoming a victim.
Beth Twitty has made some efforts at this and Morgan’s parents are doing some work. The real problem is making our young women believe those that know how to help them NOT be a victim. There are dozens of things they need to learn across a broad spectrum of information and behaviors.
A Texas Grandfather..
Great post and I agree that by statistics, she could have been held for a period of time and then murdered. The suspect “Sketch” could have been the only one involved or he could have an accomplice..
So Blink, if I may ask for clarification on the idea that Morgan was accosted at the end of the bridge: I believe you are speaking of the South end of the bridge, near the bank on the west side? Is that correct? I have always had a hard time imagining the walk across. She would have had to cross Copley on the north end of the bridge to the sidewalk. Do you think she crossed the street again at the Suntrust Bank lot and was grabbed there? She could have been put in his car there, then driven back toward the lot where her phone was tossed. Or she may have been dragged across the tracks and back to the lot where her phone was found? That scenerio would have caused quite a ruckus, me thinks, and she would have been a handful if she fought him, which I truly believe she did. I have always thought that that Suntrust lot could have been where he asked her to meet him.
2 4 1
first-time, I am not in a position to pull up an image, and won’t be until next week, there is sidewalk on only one side of the bridge, walking away from campus, I am referring to the bank that leads up from the RRX and meets it at the end, where there is a large tree.
B
You would think that if the VSP had looked at Morgan’s case as thoroughly as they claim that they would have uncovered many leads that, while not leading to Morgan, would have led to other crimes being uncovered and solved. Same for the Childs/Metzler killings near Virginia Tech. Yet, nothing, absolutely nothing has come up in the investigation of either case. What does that indicate?
Thank you redly and J.me. I couldn’t remember how far away from the Copely bridge the car that Skyler saw was.
The shirt was draped over the bush but it wasn’t there when the dude who found it walked by that morning, and if Sketch placed the shirt, not only did he blend in at JPJA, but he felt comfortable in the neighborhood of 15th and Grady. He seems to have no fear. He can come and go at will in the community, in an urban/campus location as well as in the country, at Anchorage Farm, and at all hours of the day and night. Someone with at least a passing resemblance to the Fairfax sketch, yet no one has any idea whatsoever who he may be. Sounds like a ninja to me. Another explanation may be that they do know who it is but they just haven’t been able to get enough evidence to suit prosecutors and I think that’s a very real possibility.
George
Your assumption makes logical sense. However, it is my opinion that VSP keep too much information away from the public and do not engage the community in a meaningful way. Because of this, they loose the respect of the public in regards to being able to solve a crime.
I certainly recognize the need to keep certain information about a crime out of the publics knowledge, but the secrete game makes it difficult for them to solve crimes.
Then again, we have two additional possibilities and neither are good. First they may be lacking in skills and training and the second is worse, where they just are not too interested in a particular case.
Public scrutiny is the only thing that cures this type of problem. If they are able to prevent public scrutiny, then they can continue the present course. I think the people of Virginia need to take a good hard look at all their law enforcement agencies.
Now, before someone decides that I am being exclusive with Virginia, this is the case thoughout out systems in every state. Remember these people hold their job to help the public, but sometimes need to be reminded in a forceful way to get busy and do the job they were hired to do.
Back to the bridge – it would be nearly impossible to grab her while she is actually ON the bridge incline, as there are guard-rails on both sides with a somewhat significant drop over guardrail(from a few feet to ?). There is about 120 yards of ‘bridge’ where she could not have been jumped without putting her in a car or literally throwing her over the side – there is no where to drag her to, and they would likely be seen on the bridge by passing cars. So – I guess I am reiterating what Blink has hypothesized. If she was jumped, knocked down etc…it had to have been at either END of the bridge – not in the 120 yard or so of where there is incline over the bridge. Google Earth offers some great perspective on the bridge, if you haven’t checked it out already.
I hope I am being somewhat clear….sigh
As I write this I have a thought – could her injuries have come from being jumped ON the bridge, then being thrown from it, to the RRX below? A horrible thought, I know. Do we know how well the area surrounding the bridge was searched, and when? We have heard that the dogs tracked her over the bridge…what about below?
241
Just a quick clarification, there is no “track” that any canine ran or hit. There are allegedly individual hits that someone who is NOT trained as a handler or analyst of same, is calling a track.
I want to be clear on this, there is NO credible canine evidence in this case that would ever even stand up to a warrant, let alone testimony.
I say that not to be belittling, I say it because I have spoken directly with assets that have been given this information directly. As you all know, if something is my investigative opinion, I say so, in this case, I am presenting this piece of information as verifiable fact.
With much love and respect to the Harringtons, it is the reason I could not, in good faith, attend her plaque memorial on the bridge, and I shared that with them directly. Again, because they are beyond gracious, they understood.
I 1000% respect the dedication, and more importantly the symbolism of the that bridge to Morgan and the Harringtons- it is paramount to what happened to her and a fierce reminder to women- which to their credit they have stated all along since the loss of their beloved Morgan.
My job, as I see it, with my team, is to use the last place she may or may not have been seen, to initially find her, and then to find out what happened to her.
I guess you could say, we build our own bridge in this process, despite the size of the chasm.
This shiny girl, Morgan “eyes like tourmaline” Harrington was not born to be 20, raped and dumped in a hayfield by some skank-ass-impotent rapist.
But she may have died to expose him. That has to occur to those in his circle. I believe that strongly.
How does this become a prosecutable case?
B
It is going to be prosecutable as soon as somebody identify this shank-ass-impotent rapist torturing murderer.
There are so many windows in plain view of those bushes !! The area is high in population. I can’t believe that this arrogant piece of crap was able to place that shirt without sombody seeing this from a window or a vehicle.
Did LE go door to door where the shirt was found ? If not they failed big time because this ass feels very comfortable in this area and people probably know him.
jmho
@ Blink quote:
“This shiny girl, Morgan “eyes like tourmaline” Harrington was not born to be 20, raped and dumped in a hayfield by some skank-ass-impotent rapist.
But she may have died to expose him. That has to occur to those in his circle. I believe that strongly.
How does this become a prosecutable case?
B
Well said dear Blink well said I miss this shiny girl with eyes like tourmaline…peace to the Harringtons’….Morgan well i do not think she will rest until her cowardly killer is behind bars and the next girl is safe.
I agree with first-time. There is no credible way an assailant could run from Lannigan Field to the end of the bridge, hop over it and assault Morgan. The bridge is arched with a very steep (5 to 6 foot) embankment from the field elevation to the elevation at the end of the bridge. Even after getting up the embankment to the road level the assailant would still have to hop over the railing. The far side of the bridge (near Ivy) opens onto a bank parking lot after the bridge. The other side of the road is even more problematical.
I go to Charlottesville about two or three times a month and always make it a point to go over the bridge. Several times I have parked nearby and walked over and around the bridge.
Also EVERY SINGLE TIME I have gone over the bridge there has been plenty of traffic. Morgan was supposedly there while UVa was in session, with a major concert going on, and a lot of other activities taking place. There doesn’t seem any way she could have been grabbed off the road or even have gotten into a stopped car without someone noticing.
I promise you george, there is a cut through right over the tracks to the embankment, I will be featuring pics of it next month.
B
On the Lannigan Field side of the bridge there is a path about halfway from the end of the bridge and the turn-in to the Lannigan parking lot. Even that appears to have been used by students going downslope and TOWARD the ball field rather than coming toward the bridge and guardrail because of the steep slope and guardrail discussed earlier.
On the other side of the road near the end of the bridge there is a very steep path leading down that has obviously been used by students cutting through to the old basketball arena (University Hall). It seems like it would be even more difficult to go up this hill than the path on the Lannigan Field side.
But publish the photo and I will stop and have a look next time. Got to keep an open mind.
“Person of the Year” Runner’s up
http://www.readthehook.com/102386/person-year-runners
~snip
GIL HARRINGTON
When the remains of her daughter Morgan were discovered on a southern Albemarle County farm nearly two years ago, Gil Harrington could have let searing anguish push her into a quiet corner.
Nice to see you Eloise!!
F.W.I.W I don’t agree that we should completely disregard Skylers’ original version of the sighting of the car pulled to the side of the freeway with its headlights off, the back passenger door open and someone appearing to be in some distress, possibly throwing up etc. The timeline is so off at this stage that anything is possible, and the way I always read it was that if Morgan did get into, or was forced into a car,
that same car could have been forced to stop for some sort of calamity further down the road not exactly at the bridge. That is if any of Skylers’ recollections hold up, as i.m.o. her story did change a lot and that makes me question everything she said.
Until an arrest is made in this case, everything remains on the table.
I’m very glad to see that many are still fighting the fight for Morgan. Thank you for the article!
I can’t help but think that Sketch might not live in Albemarle now. Maybe he felt comfortable leaving her at AF and out in the open because he knew he would be leaving until things quieted down or perhaps for good. Perhaps he is a local by birth/growing up/family only at this point. Nevertheless it seems likely that others who ARE still living here know or strongly suspect the identity of her killer.
The guy who claimed to be Bass’ brother–is that a fact? That’s just ballsy, reckless behavior. Why would someone do that–unless he figured he would not get caught because he did not plan to be around long enough for anyone to be able to ID him if questioned, shown a photo or sketch, etc. And clearly, if he was the guy, he did not yet know there WAS a sketch floating around out there–correct?
You as well Hummingbird. I am always here- just thinking and hoping. Maybe soon.
Speaking of the black male driving the black Jeep on the back property on AF saying that he was David Bass’s brother. It was the carpenter who questioned him, has Sketch been shown to that carpenter?
When I re-read Skyler’s account months ago, I found it incomprehensible. I am a local, and I could not make heads or tails of her memories of driving around UVA grounds. I think she had a couple of bridges confused, for example. (She was from out of town.) Certainly, the 64 exit is not near the Copeley Bridge–but that would have been the exit the killer took to get to AF, most likely. It is only a couple of minutes by CAR from Copeley bridge.
Certainly, the bridge is accessible by foot path from the tracks and there are trees and shrubs that a stalker could easily hide behind, especially in the dark. I restate: I have always been very uncomfortable and fearful in that area of the campus and town at night. It gets very dark and desolate there around the lengthy parking lots, U Hall, fields, and Copeley Road, even on weekends. It is a (sorry) “dead zone,” between various campus neighborhoods and shopping areas. I’m sure many local women would agree with me and have always felt that way.
Blink mentioned above the two guys (UVA employees?) on the cart again–and I too have many questions about them. They are NOT suspects from LE’s point of view?? Hard to believe.
Racial issues and local history were discussed at length in the article–and I’m not sure what they had or have to do with Morgan’s murder. The African-american perp has violently assaulted a white woman and an Asian woman–does that suggest a pattern of racially motivated aggression? Unclear. But I was very, very interested in the fact that AF was the Lewis family home. I had no idea. I’m wondering if LE has connected the murderer’s DNA to other murders and just are not telling–does anyone know for sure? Is this being discussed?
By the way, Tango, I drove over the bridge tonight and a large black man was cheerfully jogging across, big smile, jogging suit, knit hat…of course it’s easy to blend in around here. There are many black men who “resemble” the sketch. I saw another one in town in a shop near the 15th street area an hour before I was on the bridge. But I do wonder who in the heck put that shirt on the bush without being seen by anyone! That’s a populated spot.
How could so many people have been out and around that rainy night, and nobody saw a stalker abduct Morgan? The limo driver said he saw Morgan walking with the guys and that there was another one following behind them? Does anyone remember that?
I wish LE would tell us if the parking lot altercation that a grandmother reported seeing and interacting with, was or was not Morgan. Did anyone come forward claiming to be the couple? Or is it still under investigation? Does anyone know?
The killer was either lurking about outside for a random victim, or he stalker her. Either way, other people had to have seen him. The ones outside. The ones who saw Morgan. Anyone outside who saw a beautiful girl possibly drunk or whatever, would not easily take their eyes off of her until she was out of sight, I would think.
I hope there have been plenty of reinterviews.
If I was living there I would find some friends and go door to door within the vision range of the shirt location and see if anyone remembers anything. I would also place a poster at the exact find spot of the shirt with information like “dates” to see if any walkers remember anything.
i can’t believe sombody did not see something. There are many people who would never call in, but if asked a direct question, they may say something.
But that is just me..
Olivia – I’ve wondered when the dumpsters were emptied on 15th & Grady and if someone who worked for the city didn’t see the shirt thrown in a dumpster and took it out and laid it across the bush. There are so many possibilities, newspaper delivery person, mail delivery person, college person and on and on…..
Alexandra – I can’t remember how many times I’ve said that if the limo driver saw Morgan walking with the bunch of BBPlayers, and he was still parked at the same location, waiting for his rider, why was it that he didn’t keep on watching and didn’t see where Morgan went and with whom.
first-time
Your comment about the length of the bridge made me go back to the area using Google Earth and take another look at the distances.
The actual length of the bridge appears to be one hundred twenty feet (120ft.)when measured with the Google measuring tool. This would be about forty yards. The bridge surface is concrete where the other surfaces of Copley Rd. appear to be asphalt. The wing walls at each end of the bridge line up with the concrete surface.
There are safety railings extending from the wing walls on both sides of Copley. The West (or mostly West) side of the roadway has safety railings extending to the driveway of the bank on the South and going North to the roadway leading to the baseball field and track area.
These railings appear to be std. hwy. type railings with wood posts and galvanized steel rails. They would be 36 to 42 inches high.
Using the elevations from Google Earth shows a slope from North to South over the actual bridge surface with an overall drop of eleven feet MSL. However, in checking the various elevations around the bridge, I find some anomalies in the measurements shown. Maybe George can verify this when he next visits the area.
Questioner
The normal way dumpsters are emptied is with an arm or lift on a special rigged truck. The chances of a city worker seeing a shirt while dumping a dumpster into his truck tank are small to none. IMO it had to be someone else and was not in a dumpster.
The condition of the shirt was not specifically stated. If it was in good condition this indicates to me that it was kept by someone involved and placed to change the search to the surrounding area.
Texas Grandfather – The reason that I mentioned the dumpster is because at the time when I google earthed a map of the area where the shirt was located, a huge red dumpster was sitting there beside Grady Ave and it was packed to overflowing. I’m not certain why that was but there it sat. I don’t know if google earth will show that again because it was in a different year, but I’ll see if I’m able to locate it again.
Just to let you know, I wasn’t able to find a photo of the dumpster. Possibly Blink or someone else here will remember it as well and help.
Which dumpster Q?
B
Questioner,
One of the first comments I made here a year and a half ago concerned the dumpster. I thought maybe a homeless person found it and placed it on the bush because as I drove around the area to see the bush where the shirt was found, I noticed an old man (white, I believe) digging through the dumpster very near the bush. I can’t remember exactly when I drove around the area, but not long after the shirt was found. And of course I saw how many windows face the bush! And how many students wander around there. I can’t even imagine being guilty of this crime and taking the risk of placing the shirt there, day or night. So it made sense that the person who placed it there had found it and was trying to “help” in some way.
By the way, I agree with you about the limo driver–why didn’t he see more of Morgan’s activities if he was just waiting there? Was his limo ever examined?
Questioner…
The limo driver said that after the BBPs left the parking lot, Morgan walked toward the Copely Rd bridge and that she was followed by a “hispanic looking” male as she left the lot going toward the bridge.
This is all according to the limo driver’s employer. I don’t think we’ve ever seen the words of the limo driver himself in print anywhere. I believe that VSP has interviewed the limo driver though.
diana h.
The driver was interviewed several times.
B
Thanks Blink for the quick info.
Interviewed several times. That’s interesting to me. At least one of the BBPs was interviewed multiple times, as I recall, but that’s definitely interesting about the limo driver.
Last time I posted about the limo driver, I mentioned that in my home town, we had the abhorrent Charles Stuart murder of his pregnant wife, which he blamed on a black man who’d supposedly hijacked them in their car.
Ever since that I’m always wary when I hear that someone who could potentially be a suspect (one of the very last people to see Morgan alive) describes a person of a minority group as being the last person near her. I still feel that way. My first reaction is: Oh? Tell us more. More about him. More about you….
Are you at all privy to how those interviews went B? Even if you can’t tell us details, how satisfied are you with what you know about how the multiple interviews of the limo driver went?
Also, Do you know who the ld’s client was?
diana h.
Questioner
The Google earth maps and photos all have a date. Some in the UVA area have been updated. When I first brought up Google Earth looking for JPJA, the photos were so old that they showed the arena under construction. Shortly after, they were updated.
Those who have an actual subscription to Google Earth may get updates more often. The concept for Google earth came from a program begun by the US Dept. of Agriculture. In 1969, I attended a seminar where the people at the USDA were using satellite data to look for crops and crop diseases worldwide. Google still gets a lot of data from USDA.
The red dumpster being a large one was probably picked up without dumping by a city or contract truck and taken to the local landfill.
Sketch was shown to the carpenter, Alexandra, it seems obvious it was, maybe he recognized him and LE looking for that jeep and its owner? Don t know tho they dont owe us feedback.
It took me a while to catch on to Blink s reasoning about the familial or ancestery ties of Sketch to AF. But reading that again he lied saying he was’ the brother of mr Bass’ it suddenly made sense (better late than never). There is a sense of entitlement in that excuse, normally one would make up a story about working there etc.
Also it says something about his private knowledge, maybe a family member of his worked there and the connection is much less deep yet still there is a lot of detailed knowledge. Enough to know where to hide someone. The most obvious link would still be poaching/hunting etc
Also in trying to see a connection in the three locations Athlete Lot / AF/ and Grady and maybe the fourth (Parsons sighting). It seems they are all high profile and not random and say something about the killer. He could be employed by university or private parties connected to it.
specific parking, fraternity area, a large farm, places where evidence was found . Does this lead to the murder site in any way? Do we know if Morgan was brought to AF post mortem?
Or was she killed with the kidnapping still on the way trying to escape as they were moving/driving somewhere near AF? Where is the other all important location.
IMO LE should have the authority to search buildings etc. for a mile radius where evidence of murder is found.
If it all happened really fast the scenario TXGF describes maybe never happened (I hope).
Limo Driver: those are interesting thoughts Diana. What I never understood is why so many were noticing Morgan and did not feel protective,i.e. the hitchhiking in combination of being followed.
3 definate locations, witnesses, DNA, and a body I mean this case HAS to solve.
TG,
The guardrail on the approaches to the bridge seem to be the typical 27 inches used around here to keep cars from going off the road. They can be easily stepped over when going down the hill from the roadway.
Because of the steepness of the slopes they can not be easily stepped over going up the slopes to the roadway. On the paths right next to the ends of the bridge it might even be necessary to grab the top of the car railings with both hands before getting over. The railings on the bridge itself are higher to protect the pedestrians from falling on the tracks – I would guess 36 inches or higher. That is the railing height on both sides of the bridge, even though only the “JPJ Arena” side has the sidewalk and the “Lannigan Field” side does not.
I will measure both the next time I am in Charlottesville.
Those with “Google Earth” loaded can move the “man” figure in the top right of the screen to the bridge with the mouse and get the ground level view of the bridge and roadway along with the railings.