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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OK, Blink … what about the ‘old’ house in the clearing behind the double gates. You’ve seen the ‘old’ roads through that area, leading straight up thru where Morgan was? There was – had to have been a crossing over NFRiver — where was it?
You mean the farmhouse? I stand by my opinion that the power line access is the most likely entry/exit point.
B
PS — Mississippi, Old Natchez Trace. If you know the original old traveled roads (at different times) you can trace cemeteries – and ‘civil’ seats. There are opposite “histories” to most any location and legacy.
This isn’t really meaningful to the case as this sort of thing would not have gone on at AF, but thought I would pass it along for interest.
http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=16522
Regarding the ATV and the accessibility by the power lines to where Morgan was found.
Arguably last people believed to have seen Morgan alive were the curtsey duo by the porta potties.
Driving in an ATV. Security personnel I believe.
peace through music says:
November 3, 2011 at 2:12 am
@Löni: When I said that about the Amanda Knox case I was referring specifically to the people posting judgmental comments on news sites trashing AK’s character, insulting her family and spreading misinformation about the case based on rumors and sloppy reporting. That’s who I meant by “idiots”–I guess I could have made that more clear. I didn’t mean to offend anyone (although I would encourage you to look more closely at the evidence in the AK case and especially at the head judge/prosecutor, who has a history of professional misconduct and false accusations). It’s just that the tone of those AK comments was so similar to the tone of recent comments on other sites regarding Morgan’s case.
Hi Peace through music, we are here close to Morgan so i don’t want to discuss about AK, just a few words. I am not judging AK i only have another take on the events and that what suggest to be evidence for me in this case. I am happy that other persons think otherwise because it push me to look deeper into many things. We exchange informations opinions and i respect the opinion of others, those are only opinions. Sometimes we are right and sometimes we are wrong. The only Thing that matters at the end is to learn from it for ourselves our objectivity and for other cases.
No, sorry Blink. I meant the “OLD Red Teel House” … no longer there and not really mentioned except in one thing I read and on old maps; the clearing where the double gates lead. Just interested for any name or relationalship connections. It’s now the two acreages that back-up to the spot where Morgan was found. There was not a Red Hill Road then, but like one that followed up through Bass’s and past, to the mountain ridge. There were two other properties of the White’s to the left and a Johnson above the Bass’s new home close to HWY29. I got onto the UVA Historical Libraries SOME HOW one night and spent three days loving that area.
But, I agree, the power line seems like the best route for the murderer to have taken Morgan.
The Johnson property is opposite AF across 29, the wife is a White descendant.
B
redly says:
November 3, 2011 at 12:14 pm
This isn’t really meaningful to the case as this sort of thing would not have gone on at AF, but thought I would pass it along for interest.
http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=16522
How beautiful…I’ve looked at this site before.
@Redly,
I should clarify something about my last post. The site I have been to is the one for the foundation that takes care of this property. This property is discussed there.
http://www.uvafoundation.com/
Yes, yes … that makes sense. There was no HWY 29 then. Thanks.
The double farm gates I was referring to are about 1.26 miles up (north) on Red Hill Road from the Route 29 intersection. The gates are on the right side of the road going north. The whole right side of Red Hill Road is pretty much wooded. You can see the main clearing several hundred feet into the woods if you stop at the double farm gates and look closely. The road through the gates toward the clearing looks very passable for an ordinary car.
The clearing coordinates are 37 degrees, 59.136 minutes North, 078 degrees, 37.382 minutes West. The clearing is about 1,500 feet west of where Morgan was found.
I believe this 20-acre parcel is now owned by the Waldemar Trust, which is part of Blandemar Farms. An earlier photo taken 4/7/94 shows a building about 40 feet on a side in a secondary clearing southeast of the main clearing. In later photos the building is gone but the foundation outline remains.
My thought was that if someone did have access to this 20 acres of land for hunting they could pull into the clearing, offload the ATV, and drive Morgan almost to the point where she was found without leaving the property except at the very end.
My second thought is that the intent was not necessarily to place Morgan on Bass’s property. The intent was to be sure Morgan was not placed on this parcel of land that the assailant had permission to be on.
The access through the powerline right-of-way is also plausible. That pathway does not show up very well on the latest Google Earth photo, but does on an earlier photo.
Please take a look at the attached photo. Just below the pinpoint on both tacks appears to be straight structures that cross the ravine/creek. I guess it could be downed trees but they look to straight to me. Bridges?
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx24/RUHokieHi/Untitled.jpg
Yes George, and there was a guy on another website that did a lot of computing from top. maps and showed a ‘trail’ of easily traveled terain from here. Then, see Hokie Hi’s comment. I know from some old – old survey maps a road went right over the NF River, so there had to have been a bridge or bridges of some kind at one time.
I would love to see that ’94 photo … I did try to find out about razing properties … there was a 3rd house on Bass’s property not too many years ago … I saw arials of it — looked like a big house with cars parked. (just NE of the historical AF home). I couldn’t find any info on it – permits – nothing, or the other as well.
There was not a third home on the bass property, there was an additional out building which has since been removed, and you may be referring to the neighbors barn you see in some of Nancy Bass’s work, but depending upon the timeframe you are referring to, it could have been a construction trailer.
The issue of accessing the property from the top itself is not difficult, what is difficult to see is the terrain and the elevations to Morgan’s ultimate resting place.
B
How does the killer get to AF from the JPJ arena? Obviously, he didn’t drive an ATV all the way to AF w/ Morgan.
I’m trying to understand how this freak just happens to have access to an ATV in the middle of God’s country, in the wee hours of the night….WITH MORGAN in tow.
He would certainly have to have access of some kind to one close in proximity, which in my mind, also says intimate knowledge. That said, for me, it also bolsters the idea more than one person is involved, which is my personal belief.
B
Hey Blink,
There was just an incident in Philly where a woman was raped in the parking lot of an eagles game in 2008. the man who raped her was finally caught after his dna was entered into the system for another felony. the man had posed as a lot attendant trying to help the woman find the bus she came to the game on, he then raped her. It reaffirmed for me that this incident could have been similar to what happened to Morgan.
Certainly not out of the realm of possibility in some aspects, here is the case:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/03/parking-lot-attendant-charged-in-rape-outside-philadelphia-eagles-game/
I think HokieHi may have found something very significant. (Please note the photo is oriented with the South at the top of the photo) The structures do look like two log footbridges across the streams. Moreover the two “footbridges” are aligned with each other.
If you were to draw a straight line across the two “footbridges” and extend the line to the extreme left side of the photo the extended line would intersect a tree in a fence line. That fence line is the Bass property line. Morgan was found just out of the photo to the immediate left of that tree.
Just really curious.
I should have asked HokieHi to note that image was from 1994. I would have to check, but they may not be there any longer with the building of the dam by Mrs. Rosentiel.
B
Parking attended at philadelphia eagles game arrested for rape in 2008
http://us.foxnews.mobi/quickPage.html?page=25949&external=1202571.proteus.fma
Blink,
I believe you are misreading Google Earth. 1994, specifically 4/1/94, is the earliest you can scroll back to. The current image on Google Earth is 12/30/09. The current photo clearly shows the “footbridges”. The photo shows the confluence of the stream draining the pond with the Hardware River (which is really a small stream). This confluence of the streams is about 300 feet southwest of where Morgan was found and is about the same elevation. There was never a dam here where the streams converge and is not one now.
I am not at my computer, sorry, but WRT razing old buildings: is NGVFF site still down? Because if not, you can go to the photos and view the NG burn of a farmhouse. I think I’ve mentioned before, and I’m not sure we ever confirmed its location. But I always wondered about Blandemar. I think the burn was circa 2005.
since we are on the AF access issues again, i want to offer some of my experience traveling around rural farms in 2 wheel drive vehicles, as i have done this extensively in my past in northern nj, as a hunter specifically. i would also like to say i am having a little difficulty excepting that sketch and possible additional perps offloaded Morgan at some point to use an ATV, in addition to the vehicle used to transport her from jpj. personally, i think if you have a dead woman in your vehicle, you really cannot dispose of her soon enough. i also think our perps just couldn’t help themselves, and there was very little planning or forethought that went into this crime.
although i do not have a good grasp of the elevations and terrains involved on AF, my own experience included several farms and swamps in the foothills of the appalachains, so there were changes in elevation in the neighborhood of 500 or more feet in spots with inclines that most people would never attempt without 4 wheel drive. i can assure you it can be done, with a little nerve, familiarity and experience, and with surprisingly little difficulty at all.
my father and i routinely traversed this terrain in a 2 wheel drive, compact pickup, which is probably one of the worse vehicles you can use in slippery conditions since it was rear wheel drive, with no significant weight above the drive axle.
mud was rarely an issue, as in the fall the ground is cold, and somewhat harder than in the spring. and on the hills, mud was hardly an issue because water flows down the hill and would puddle at the base, rather than making the whole hill slippery. in fact, we were certainly cautious, but i can’t recall ever getting stuck and needing help.
under a dark new moon sky, you don’t even need headlights to run this terrain, so long as you are familiar with it. we would just use our parking lights, so not to spook any deer in the area. keep in mind, you would almost never be moving more than 10 or 15 mph so, you only need to see a few feet in front of the vehicle. you do need to know the area and path you are traveling for sure though if you are moving at night.
a vehicle traveling in this manner will be very stealthy, and in fact, you probably won’t even hear it from the other side of the field, and it will also be surprisingly hard to see. red and orange lights do not stand out and only the brake lights and backup lights will draw attention when they are in use.
the only real prerequisite that i can think of besides familiarity here, is that there would need to be some minimally used travel path available. essentially, a path used by other vehicles, be they 4×4, tractor or other. it would be asking for trouble to head blindly into a previously untraveled route. i think it was A Texas Grandfather that whom outlined a route that sounded just about right for this kind of movement many moons ago.
George says:
…My second thought is that the intent was not necessarily to place Morgan on Bass’s property. The intent was to be sure Morgan was not placed on this parcel of land that the assailant had permission to be on…
________________________
i think this makes a lot of sense George, and i would put it high on my most likely scenarios list.
sketch dumped her on AF because the primary scene or scenes of the crime lead to him. in some way, AF does not point to him, but he or one of the perps knew how to safely or comfortably access it, on short notice, with more confidence than in other possible dump sites. she was just over the property line too, and this was the “safest, quickest” option for disposal.
Here are a few more Google Earth screen captures and I’ll throw in a scenario for good measure. I’m going to break this up into a couple of posts since there is more than one link. On the first one, we see AF and the two “bridges” as well as Morgan’s final resting place. Google earth says the photo was from 2009.
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx24/RUHokieHi/AnchorageFarmSatelliteDec2009.png
Here is the same area shown from 2007. Personally, I can’t see those structures but there is more tree growth, leaves, etc so it might be covered up or maybe it wasn’t there.
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx24/RUHokieHi/AnchorageFarmSatelliteJan2007.png
One thing that I’ve always thought of as a possibility is that the bad guy was working on the large home under construction across the street from the area where Morgan was found. I was up in that area a couple of years ago and snapped a couple of photos.
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx24/RUHokieHi/AnchorageFarmSatelliteJan2007.png
This is the one that stood out to me. Right near the construction across the road is a gate that seems to go back into the woods. Notice though that the earth around it looks as though vehicles have been driving in and out of the area.
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx24/RUHokieHi/05db3819.jpg
And finally, here is a satellite photo showing where all of these points are on the map. I can’t help but think it’s possible that someone who worked on that house everyday new there was a gate heading back into the woods – it’s secluded, no good view from any of the other homes on Red Hill Rd. And if you look from the home and the gate, it’s a pretty straight shot down to where Morgan was found. Just speculation on my part but I always got an uneasy feeling about that gate.
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx24/RUHokieHi/AnchorageFarmSatellitephoto.png
Sorry, I linked the wrong photo for the house. Should have been:
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx24/RUHokieHi/aa4e95a1.jpg
acho, I remember that and the ‘practice’ burns and always wanted to know the location as well. And, there was the connection to someone on the NGFF.
HokieHi says:
November 4, 2011 at 10:25 am
This is the one that stood out to me. Right near the construction across the road is a gate that seems to go back into the woods. Notice though that the earth around it looks as though vehicles have been driving in and out of the area.
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx24/RUHokieHi/05db3819.jpg
_____________________________________________________
That is a good picture of the Virginia red clay that is so common around there too. It is as hard as a rock. I lived on a similar property out rt 20 south for a couple of years and we used to take our vehicles in the uncut area out back all the time without any problem, including front wheel drive vehicles. I don’t think it is as hard or as bold as people think. There is no one around at night.
HokieHi, Great photo work! Really something to think about as to how Morgan may have been placed.
redly & HokieHi
It is a simple thing to build a temporary bridge that is capable of supporting a full sized pickup truck from logs on a site. This is what I make of the two bridges over the stream in the photos. Although these appear to be two logs set as a footbridge.
The pine in the area is sufficient to provide good material. Red clay is usually found where pines grow. They need the iron that makes the clay red in order to grow. The clay also supports the long tap or main root that often is 20 or more feet into the ground.
Red clay is very slick and hard to drive on when wet, but easy when the surface is dry. East Texas is mostly a pine forrest with red clay everywhere. People who are experienced in driving on a clay surface, have little trouble even when wet.
There are several ways to get to the site where Morgan was found. Blink’s route would not require an ATV, just a vehicle with enough ground clearance to traverse the one rough spot at the edge of the woods West of one of the power poles. This power line is there to provide power to the buildings on AF. It is not a high voltage line. 480 volts maximun. Most electrical power line rights-of way are kept cleared and have a route that would allow the line maintenance crews to drive their trucks right up to a pole or other structure.
It has always made logical sense to me that the body was wrapped in a tarp and slid under the fence to place it on the Bass property, then the tarp was removed. This means to me that the route to the site was from Red Hill road and then down through the woods.
We are all speculating regarding the how and why, because we don’t have any real evidence that points us to the actual method.
Mom 3.0- I got it, but will not have a chance to review until Sunday at the earliest. Kidtivities, and a huge cleanup effort at my parents, whose property sustained major orchard and tree damage from the early Noreaster.
Did you know your green today, lol?
hugs
B
Blink and all-
OOps- Yes I noticed – my fault, not a glitch on your end.
I am sorry to hear of your parents weather troubles- lots of broken limbs around here too. Time consuming mess but glad to hear of no injuries or damage to homes ect.
Thanks for taking a look at it Blink- no rush, just needed to pass it along just in case- if I didnt,… it would bother me forever.
–
ps
Ive been thinking…
We once discussed who Morgan would feel comfortable accepting a ride from-
I would think someone “safe” with common interests ect would fit the bill, whether familial or not… IDK just a thought
–
Questions for you or for one of your knowledgeable readers:
With the talk of the lawsuit- and Gils plans to use the money for the school in Africa ect- I was wondering if anyone knows whether Gil or Morgan can/could speak one of the languages of the continent, I realize there are many more than just one or just English ect…
Also, I cant remember if this has been asked and answered-but
Were all of the BBP at practice that night? I seem to recall one or two of the players had sustained an injury… was this the year before?..or perhaps after that night? I cant remember, but I think someone had a hurt arm from an accident while playing… can anyone remember the details? Am I remembering this incorrectly?
thanks
AJMO
Anchorage Farm is a working farm. Cows need to be fed the large bales daily. A tractor or 4wd dump body truck needs to deliver the hay daily to the cows in the pasture. In October the cows would have been being fed on clean ground every day. Calves may be being born or weaned and definitely checked for health issues, etc. What I am saying is that someone would be traveling the farm every day. Cows can be fed in the dark of night so it might not be uncommon for a vehicle to come and go to do so and owner not there or owners daughter may be used to comings and goings of various farm help. The owner may have hired help or any farm help nearby may have access to come and go. It may not have been an atv but could have been a tractor or hay dumping truck. I just wanted to offer another perspective from a used-to-be farm gal.
Regarding the basketball players I thought that there were 2 players that were suspended from the team and had to return to their homes in NoVa in Nov or Dec.09. I always wondered why they were suspended from the team or the school. I wondered if they knew something and the University was trying to cover up or make it go away. perhaps something about Morgan…
Regarding the UVA basketball team, they have been made available to LE as needed by Coach Bennett. The coach assured that his players would always be available as needed. Tony Bennett, not the singer of course, has a great reputation as a coach, and more importantly, as a person with great morals and high degree of integrity.
Caralot
If you have google earth on your computer it can be used to look at the type of hay being fed to the cows. They are using round bales which weigh about 3,000 lbs.. This requires a tractor with a front end loader or fork assembly to move them.
In Texas, bales of this type are moved to a wire enclosure in the open field or the hay is placed in a feeding shed and broken down. The small number of cows on AF could feed for several days on a rolled bale. I have not seen a feeding shed in any of the photos. There is a barn, but it may not be used for feeding.
Cows are usually fed in early morning and then late evening. A wire enclosed feed area would allow feeding anytime the cows were hungry. No one would need to be specifically on-site to get it done.
A large part of AF is used to produce hay to be sold to others. I believe that Mr. Bass has a local person contracted to mow and roll the bales. This should have been completed two to four weeks prior to Morgan’s abduction.
JFTR, My reason for asking about the players status was not to place the team or the coach in a poor light, or as possible suspects or any thing of the sort-
I asked the questions because I could not recall them having been asked/answered before-
Caralot thanks for trying to help- yes I remember that -but I was wondering specifically about injuries which happened IIRC way before Morgans disappearance, not after..
I do not know why they were suspended. I think someone came out and said it had nothing whatsoever to do with Morgan.
AJMO
Thanks again though.
Al said:
great morals and high degree of integrity.
Does this mean he was not at JPJ that night? Or anyone matching that description?
I been assaulted several times and the work of friends/security/police even strangers always amazes me in their courage and action. And that is without asking for help. Also its not always 1 person, especially when they have some connection to a club (sports, ec) they operate in groups always with 1 leader tho.
Its what made me so determined in this case to find out why noone saw what was going on even when they knew. We already found a lot of mismatching info that was later added or adjusted.
Even if Morgan was hostile to all attempts of being ‘ saved’ that alone would get a lot of attention. Possibly from the wrong guys. This attention is the last thing a kidnapper would want. The best thing to do is make a lot of noise and run. Her actions however suggest she was trying to save dignity and not seem to come over as desperate/panic? I think the ‘ curtsey’ fits in there.
Very understandable but panic might have saved her ironically.
In a way its what we do here, instead of remaining silent with a trust in unseen work. How many times does a crime get solved by someone in the public coming up with something (evidence, witness,questions) ?
Care alot and TXGF thank you, had no idea this was a ‘ real ‘ farm always thought of AF as a hobby farm. This area was not so isolated and the pool of possible people with knowledge is rather large.
In looking at the wooded lots between Red Hill Road and the Hardware River it seems like these were recently modest farms. The hardwood trees are clustered around the sites of the farmhouses and barns and the fast-growing pine trees have overgrown the fields. These were typically owned by mildest farmers, including some Africian-American families as well. It doesn’t seem too far-fetched to imagine “sketch” being brought up or visiting relatives on one of these farms as a young child.
Above should be “modest farmers” of course.
1. re-entry
-how much time between the closing of the arena doors and an attempt to re enter? Was it after a phone call? A smoke? A look around or almost instanteneous? (making it not leaving at all but a obvious mistake)
2. Why did Morgan refuse help from numerous people yet accepted a ride from a random stranger? In the same vein why would honor bound vips refuse to help someone in desperation?
There is a famous case in S Africa where a cabdriver, moonlighting on the side, drove a woman to a ghetto where she was assaulted and killed. The question remains if her newly wed husband was involved (because he is rumored to be gay?). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Anni_Dewani
This means at least 3 people involved. Not uncommon. Also at least one (anonymous) witness stating there was a sexual motivation not a money one.
And the person had ghetto friends waiting for a crime to commit, its certainly strange cause the car the cabdriver lost is worth more than the alledged reward for killing Anni, it seems like random violence…
Abshire too, remember when we discussed his story didnt ring true? Its all we can do , focus some attention to where things dont add up. Shame on the people with blind trust in LE and that keep forever silent in ignorance.
George
Your description of the development of the trees on the land along Red Hill road makes me think about the age of sketch.
If these were indeed small farms at the time that sketch was a small boy, we can make a guess regarding his age at present. If sketch actually visited a family in the area or lived in the area at the age of eight to ten, he could certainly know the area well.
The pine trees from the photo at the double gate appear to be between thirty to forty years old. Loblly pine grows fairly fast and can reach a height of fifty feet or more in thirty years.
This would place sketch’s age in the range of forty to fifty years. I think we have a person that we have discussed that matches this age range. He would be one of the principles in a security company that provided security at vareous venues around the Charlottsville area.
Blink, I’m on fire-fox now. I think explorer is a-ok now, but I’ve spent another night with DELL, after trying to find “old” stuff again!
ATG … could the suspect be clear to VPS … but, have an iron-clad alibi?? One that includes “connections”? That’s the hold up?
241 Morgan!
Rose said…”could the suspect be clear to VPS … but, have an iron-clad alibi?? One that includes “connections”? That’s the hold up?”
…………………………………………………………..
Rose, I have often though exactly that, which may be why so many tips “seem” to go unacknowledged. This is why even the slightest little clue/tip is important. Don’t give up hope and I hope people keep calling in those tips. Save the Next Girl….
TG,
Thanks for your comments. Interestingly the three lots at the top of Red Hill Road on the right are called ” Blandemar Farms Estates” on the County website as opposed to “Blandemar Farms”, indicating that perhaps they were added to the main development at a later date than the others. None of these three 20-acre parcels have any new houses built on them.
I can’t tell from the Albemarle County website who owned the parcels more than one or two owners ago. I will have to stop by the County Courthouse to look it up.
It will be interesting to see if anyone known to be involved in the local security business grew up on any of this land.
George- you may also have luck in the archives of the zoning board- let us know what you find.
B
Oops, slight error. The three lots are known as “Blandemar Farm” subdivision. The larger group of lots is known as “Blandemar Farm Estates” on the county website.
Go to ‘Albemarle.org’ , then select ‘GIS’ from the menu then ‘GIS-WEB’
When the search form comes up select ‘Blandemar Farm’ in the subdivision block and click on the map icon to see the lots.
I think that LE definately has a couple of people on their radar who were working the arena that night.
She was denied re-entry.
If she caused a fuss- security had to have gotten involved. But theres no paper document of this (TMK)
That alone I would think would give probable cause for a warrant to obtain DNA samples from workers.
Has anyone thought to check cell phone activity around AF that night?
Codis
I asked this question 80,000 times and no one ever really responded.
What system is sketch not in?
Is it really a national database?
How many other samples in others states are simply waiting to be analyzed and put into codis?
Slightly off-topic. A preliminary study about the causes of mortality for college students and a comparison to mortality rates/causes among the general population. Of interest, the homicide rate was 97% lower for college students than for the general population. The study did not employ a random sampling so it is limited, but interesting.
http://apha.confex.com/apha/139am/webprogram/Paper241696.html
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More U.S. College Students Die from Suicide Than Alcohol-Related Causes, U.Va. Researchers Find
News Source: U.Va. Health System
November 4, 2011 — Suicide outpaces alcohol as a cause of death among college students, according to the first study in more than 70 years to look at the major causes of college mortality in the United States.
The study, “Leading Causes of Mortality Among American College Students at Four-Year Institutions,” was commissioned by Dr. James C. Turner, executive director of student health at the University of Virginia, when he was president of the American College Health Association. It was conducted by the association’s research department and analyzed by Turner and U.Va. colleague Dr. Adrienne Keller, director of research at the National Social Norms Institute, part of U.Va.’s Elson Student Health Center.
Turner said the study, the first such research since 1939, also suggests that mortality rates of college students are much lower than the same-aged general population. He presented the findings at the American Public Health Association annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 2.
The findings are based on data from 157 schools, representing 1.36 million students ages 18 to 24, which responded to a survey sent to 1,150 institutions. In the survey, schools were asked for mortality rates and causes of death of students between the ages of 18 to 24 for the 2009-10 academic year.
“Most previous studies of college student mortality have not looked at colleges directly, but have used data extrapolated from the general population,” Turner said.
The results seem to contradict conventional beliefs concerning the number of alcohol-related deaths, he said. Suicides accounted for 6.18 deaths per 100,000 students, while alcohol was a factor in 4.86 deaths per 100,000.
Overall, the No. 1 cause of death was vehicle accidents, at 6.88 deaths per 100,000, about half of them alcohol-related.
But findings also suggest that campuses provide much safer and more protective environments than previously recognized. When compared to the mortality of 18- to 24-year-olds in the general population, college student death rates are significantly lower for such causes as suicide, alcohol-related deaths and homicide.
“Hopefully this work will inspire further research to better understand what factors contribute to the protective environment on campuses,” he said.
One area appears to be an exception. While the rate of suicide is half that for the general population, the rate has not changed from prior reports on college suicide since the late 1980s, suggesting that greater attention should be placed on student services for depression and other mental illnesses, he said.
Alcohol education and awareness programs are also needed, as alcohol abuse remains a critical public health problem on college campuses.
Since the sample of schools was not random, caution should be exercised in generalizing these findings to all students in higher education. The sample was very similar demographically to the entire U.S. college population, but was slightly over-representative of Caucasians, public schools and institutions in urban areas.
Citing the urgent need for a more formalized tracking and reporting method among all college campuses, Turner said he has secured a grant from the Centers for Disease Control to develop a surveillance network that will electronically link clinical statistics from health services nationally.
“By directly collecting epidemiologic statistics from major campus health services in the U.S., we can provide a much more accurate picture of health trends in higher education,” he said.