Former UVA Cop Charged With Rape: Sean Michael Horn Faces Bond Hearing Today
Charlottesville, VA- Sean Michael Horn, 42, current Albemarle County reserve deputy and former police officer for the University of Virginia as well as the Albemarle Sheriffs Office was arrested last evening for rape. The arrest follows an extensive investigation conducted by the prosecutors office.
While there has been no specifics released, and it is the policy of www.blinkoncrime not to identify alleged victims of sexual crimes, we have learned that a complaint of rape against Horn was received in the Fall of 2011.
The arrest follows what can only be described as a series of chaotic incidents and events affecting Albemarle county law enforcement officers since 2009 at a minimum.
Following the death of 18 year old Greene County resident Colby Eppard on New Years Day 2010 by police gunfire, 7 Albemarle county officers were either suspended and/or demoted. Caleb Marden, a decorated sharp-shooter who served in Iraq was fired.  Denise Lunsord, prosecutor for Albemarle county and North Garden resident, cleared all officers of any wrongdoing from the incident.
Eppard allegedly stole a neighboring Greene County patrol car and traveled almost 60 miles to Albemarle county. Although off duty Greene Sgt Randall Snead was out of his jurisdiction, Snead was among the officers in pursuit of Eppard and participated in the ambush to stop the teen. Snead’s former mentor and Sherriff, Willie Morris, committed suicide on January 28th.
Although he was on desk assignment pending the investigation of Eppard’s death, Snead responded to the scene of Morris’s home where he was located and rushed to the hospital. Morris was removed from life sustaining efforts without ever regaining consciousness.   A suicide note blamed his tinnitus condition.
In a recent election, Steve Smith won the Sheriff slot running against Snead, and has since met with controversy after releasing nearly all of his staff.  An email criticizing Smith was received by several news outlets from a previously fired Albemarle County Lt. Scott Cox, then a Greene county deputy who has since been released.  Horn has Sheriff Smith listed as a friend on his facebook profile. Cox was among the Albemarle County Officers who was demoted after 18 years of service in the scandal.
Albemarle county is also the home of The Anchorage Farm, where murdered Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington was recovered after exhaustive searches of the areas surrounding the JPJ arena, UVA campus and private LE searches failed to locate her.  Harrington disappeared from a Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones Arena on October 17, 2009 after being refused re-entry by security. DNA evidence has linked the Harrington case to a suspect in an unsolved rape in Fairfax, VA in 2005. Former lead detective now retired, Lt. Rader, has only indicated that forensic link means that Morgan came into contact with that individual prior to leaving Charlottesville.
Efforts to confirm whether Sean Horn was working the event as a UVA officer that evening have not been returned.
Corrine Geller, public information officer for the Virginia State Police, whose agency leads the probe into Morgan’s homicide responded to our inquiry as to whether or not Horn was a target of their continuing investigation this morning:
“The investigation remains ongoing at this time. I’m not able to comment on who our agents have or have not looked into during the course of their investigation.”
Horn lists Virginia Tech among his educational credentials on his facebook account, where Harrington was a junior at the time of her disappearance. It is not known if the two were acquainted.
Horn is being held in the Albemarle Regional jail pending his bond hearing today.
Check back to www.blinkoncrime.com for updates.
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Sydneyfrog
Satellite photos, when examined by people who are trained, can reveal things that occured on a parcel of land that may be several years or several centuries old. The same is true where a low flying aircraft is used to take photos. The lead-in to your reference is a lot of balloons flying, they could be used as a platform.
Soil that is compacted or loosened is easily determined when compared to the general soil density in the area. A group of archeoligists has recently released a set of maps of the middle east,made using satellite imagery, cataloging over 9,000 sites of former villages.
Whitehat…thanks for pointing out that it was the West Mesa killings we were looking for, and SydneyFrog, good link! If only there were satellite images of AF right before and right after Oct 17, 2009.
Doctor Pep….I’m not even going to attempt to list all the people missing and/or suspicious deaths in that area, there’s way too many, and I think almost everyone on here is already familiar with most of them. There are several which are unsolved, several which have been labeled “suicide” by LE, but the COD ruling is disputed by the victims’ families.
The cases which I find most similar to Morgan’s are
1)Laticia Faust, 50, who disappeared Dec 9, 2009…on her way home from Floyd Pharmacy, she told her mom she was taking a ride on the Blueridge Parkway. Her car was found in a remote area of an abandoned residence not visible from the road. In Jan 2010 her sandal was found between the residence and a 1/2 acre pond on the property. her remains were found by canine team searching a deep ravine nearby. No COD, still under investigation. A family member posted on a PI’s website pleading for help…they feel this was not an accident.
2)Dannell Kraus, 32, Waynesboro, missing March 17, 2010. Husband reported her missing in the morning, LE never filed a report. Her body was found later 100 yards down the mountainside off of Route 610, 3.8 miles sw of Route 250. COD initially listed as exposure, husband disputes.
3)Joan Renee Cook, 45, last seen at her Salem Va residence. Left on foot at 11pm, last contact was a text received from her phone on Jan 25, 2010. She was 6 miles away on the 3rd Salem exit going south on I-81 Va. She had a 7 year old daughter, she has not been found, her family is still searching.
4)Cassandra Morton, 23, went missing Oct 10, 2009 from downtown Lynchburg. her body was found Nov 29, 2009, in a shallow grave on Candler’s Mountain on Liberty University property. Her head was found several feet from her body, but LE will not speculate if that was a result of foul play. ?????
Then there’s Vanessa Pham, Eleanor Salotto, Delene Curry, Sally Rumsey, Brenda Eades, Zorina Rose Williams, and a whole raft of men, all within a short time frame.
Anxiously awaiting the press conf on Childs/Metzler.
Justice for all those taken too soon.
Watch Morgan’s dissappeared episode on youtube.Pay attention to Radar’s reaction while explaining that Morgan is not on a single frame of video from that night.I really think they are full of shit.I believe they either have her on vid and are keeping it quiet,or they know that footage has been erased.If footage was erased guess what?There’s a big problem bc that points to shady LE.Which judging by all the other disappearances in that area would make some sense.Watch Dino’s reaction while talking about sketch.Ya he’s sold on that photo.If VSP were so for sure that sketch’s photo was 100% accurate,why not release an updated version of sketch?It has been 7 yrs I’m sure he’s aged a little.My guess is either sketch is somehow in LE,or is either a friend or relative of a person in LE..I really believe they have a POI who is in LE,but the evidence is weak.The POI needs to slip up,but he’s smart and hasn’t yet.If VSP show their hand early they could loose their chance at him/them.I dunno I maybe way off on my thinking,but the body language from Dino and Radar during “HEAVY Metal”,is very telling.The facial expressions,body language,and Dino tripping over a word or 2 talking about sketch is too obvious….for me.
Or it points to inappropriate retention on behalf of JPJ, or they were precluded from turning it over for whatever reasons. Recall that Geller said we are trying to determine “what is available”.
B
Hi Blink! You had said you believe that Morgans killer(s) have struck again. Can you tell me the cases you are looking at as similar? Wanted to read up on them as well. When you have time of course
AND yes… if only A.F had before and after ariel images of A.F.
It still may be worth doing today, but sketch is probably not (I want to say ballsy enough, but sketch has no balls) to try to use A.F as a dump site again. But who knows….??
Sydneyfrog- I did not say that. I provided a very detailed example of what I would request be evaluated at the investigator level that could be related.
I am saying that I believe he has offended after Morgan’s death, yes, but because no charges were ever filed in the case, I am not able to discuss it publicly. The information I had was turned over to Rader by me personally, however.
B
Blink, you “believe he has offended after Morgan’s death, yes, but because no charges were ever filed in the case, I am not able to discuss it publicly. The information I had was turned over to Rader by me personally, however.”
Holy crap! I don’t know what else to say, and I guess I can’t ask you anything because you won’t be able to answer, like where did this happen? How did you become aware of it? Do you feel the perp is still around? Oh, I just asked questions…..
They have DNA evidence in the Childs/Metzler killings. And interesting as hell is what was taken from Heid’s purse…..her cell phone, camera, ID card, and VT lanyard…sound familiar? Although I guess those would be common items to take????
http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/306768
Actually it is the opposite of Morgan’s- hers were returned with nothing taken.
No, I cannot comment on a case I believe may be related to Morgan’s where no charges have been filed. It should be noted as many as 90% of sexual assaults go unreported.
B
B
Here’s a PDF from the Montgomery County, VA Sheriff’s office with their news on the Childs-Metzler murders.
It describes the murder weapon (30/30 rifle), items taken (Heidi’s purse and its contents), and has a special message to the killer(s) that DNA evidence has been collected.
http://www.montgomerycountyva.gov/filestorage/1146/98/179/719/7369/Media_Handout_03-29-12.pdf
Bern1417….regarding Rader’s demeanor in the Disappeared episode, I noticed something odd about it too, can’t really find the right word, and I’ve been trying since it first aired. There’s the possibility that he’s just uncomfortable in front of the cameras, but he sometimes seemed unsure of the info he was passing along, like “well, we THINK this is what happened, so we’re just going with that for now” type of thing. It was more pronounced at certain times of the show, it left me a little perplexed.
thanks for this post:
bern1417 says:
March 29, 2012 at 1:12 pm…
______________________________________
that could certainly help make sense of some things. i have only seen the disappeared episode once, late at night and while i was falling asleep at that. i will have to watch for it again.
ATG, thanks for the scanner info. my father was a volunteer fireman when i was growing up, and we had scanners in our vehicles and one in the house – a ‘plectron’ iirc.
Blink,
Will you please comment on the news release today re: the Childs-Metzler case and Morgan’s case, mainly from a PR perspective? I don’t believe that they are connected. One was cold-blooded and cruel while the other was both of thoseand sadistic.
I just want to know why nothing like that is coming out in Morgan’s case other than the fear of fueling this guy’s fragile ego.
I am going to do a brief piece this evening on the Childs/Metzler case.
B
Blink I look forward to your new piece. Is there any connection to Morgan, I have to wonder? Both cases include a missing camera, a bit of a stretch for any connection. There was no mention today if the DNA in the Childs/Metzler case matches any other cases, of course there was no mention it did not. Early on Gil Harrington expressed that Morgan was taken, like JFK, Lennon and King. Did she mean that Morgan was shot? If Morgan was shot there is no way that Morgan’s death was not a murder and was an accident. Her body was left in plain sight as was Childs/Metzler.
http://blinkoncrime.com/2012/03/30/new-leads-brings-new-life-to-cold-case-the-murder-of-virginia-tech-students-heidi-childs-and-david-metzler/
Morgan was not shot. I believe Gil was comparing her death to an assassination.
B
a texas grandfather writes about satellite imagery (may as well say aerial pictures). His remarks are well taken. I believe that it may not be too late to have a flyover using black and white film. Black and white sometimes shows more patterns and lines than color. It’s actually a bit better for analyzing surface areas which are camoflagged (sp?). I dont even know if black and white film is still available to the general public now that Kodak is caput. If some wheel marks, lines and ruts still exist, it may show from where to where. I would do it early in the spring season before the grass/hay gets too high though apparently the hay was high when Morgan was left there. I guess that was one resaon she may have just been dumped – no one could possibly see her anyway. Does anybody know when if at all farmer Bass’ hay was harvested in 2009?
Had not been harvested.
There is reverse polarization technology for drones and flyover aerials, but it would not be usable now at any rate. There were identifiable tracks, and hell, even hikers/campers on grounds the week after Morgan disappeared. From an aerial perspective, her outline in that field would have been glaring from the air- a major missed opportunity.
B
I would like to know what type of ammunition was recovered from the Caldwell Fields/Childs-Metzler investigation. A .30 caliber rifle has been used for nearly a century by the US and NATO (since the 40s) military. This caliber rifle can have some serious kick; however, the weight of the bullet can make it more tolerable for a less experienced or slight-in-build shooter. If the grade is heavier, then it means that the shooter is experienced (possibly with a military background) and/or a bigger person which should allow investigators to narrow down their field of POIs.
On this one, a wiki does not do justice to just how common this rifle is.
It is the original How the west was won lever load rifle. Lighter ammo available- I wish they would release a projectile report. That might narrow it down.
B
Excuse me, I thought that the rifle used was a 30.06; which had been a common firearm in the military for years. However, the gun used in the Childs/Metzler case was a 30/30 which is often used for big game, typically deer in this part of the world, of course. However, it is also a very popular firearm in Mexico and Latin America. I wouldn’t discount either demographic group in SW Virginia, hunters or Latino drug gangs. If this person is still in the area or even the country, I believe that they will get their man/men.
I wish that the evidence was that plentiful (or available) in Morgan’s case.
http://blinkoncrime.com/2012/03/30/new-leads-brings-new-life-to-cold-case-the-murder-of-virginia-tech-students-heidi-childs-and-david-metzler/
Any person with a Poppa or a Papaw who has had a gun handed down to them has one of these.
B
Obviously, I know very little about guns other than what I am able to research. With a house full of boys in the suburbs, my dad only brought a gun into the house on one occasion when he received a legitimate death threat; he quickly gave it back to his friend once there was no longer a threat from that particular individual.
I do know that Montgomery, Giles, and Bedford Co. (where Childs is from- Bedford has the most registered deer kills in the Commonwealth, typically) like many in VA, are loaded with deer… and hunters.
Blink I get the distinct feeling that you have a definite POI. You can answer yes/no…I can take it from there lol.
?
I think a few of you may be on the wrong thread today?
B
Sorry I had to “drop out” of the conversation…kids are on springbreak we have been busy.
Questioner thanks for sharing your thoughts- I didnt mean for it to seem like i was calling u out i was genuinely interested in your thoughts…
George-
Hi I appreciate you laying it all out there regarding your theories-
in this instance I agree with Blink- although your theories cant be entirely ruled out (by us) (those who are not in the know)
I do not think Morgan succumbed to drugs nor do I think she was placed on AF near a tractor rut-
again guys – given everything we do know and everything Gil has said-
it does not make sense that anyone would cover-up an accidental (even manslaughter) death by any means- by hiding the body and making it look like a murder.
Whomever this person is has ties to Sketch or IS Sketch, a brutal rapist…Morgan was not left on the side of the road, or in a dumpster she was hidden away on a farm in a very secluded part of the farm- and this most likely took place in the dead of night- again LOCATION is important-
as for the shallow grave- digging takes time and why dig when there was ample leaf litter? and other foliage and tall grass to aid in obscuring Morgan from view?? and dont forget fences and streams to cross- whomever chose to place Morgan in that spot on Anchorage farm knew what they were doing- IMO they had a plan-
Just like I think they also knew what they were doing with itens taken or left with Morgan-
Blink has said alot these past months- Morgans shoes were not there her feet were bare her necklace is gone but her bracelet and earrings were left…what of her rings? were they left? her shirt was placed elsewhere- found in good condition her purse cell and umbrella left at JPJ lots…what of her other clothing- bass is quoted as saying he saw black clothing was this her skirt? her leggings? or other garments such as undershirt etc…?
Someone once said that a crime scene and the remains will answer all questions all the information is there to be found to aid in catching the killer- whats not there also points to the killer… but one must know what the correct questions are to be asked so that the answers will lead in the right direction-
Is questioning the cause of death- or degree of homicide the right questions… IDK but I dont think so… at least not now …so what are the right questions? who knows
I think there are some very smart and determined people here, your one of them george- keep asking questions nomatter if proven right or wrong and perhaps the answers will present themselves.
But we should always be mindful of the consequences which Blink warns of like sending the wrong message to the community and the killer and to the victims family…as well as to LE
AJMO
Peace.
Blink, have you spoken with the Harrington’s lately? How are they doing?
I got a promotion at work that has taken up time I usually spend on here LOL, so if this has been addressed, I apologize….Why is LE willing to take DNA samples in the Heidi/David case, but not Morgan’s case? I believe that would have been a huge help in Morgan’s case if they took DNA samples from residents by where her shirt was phone, and AF, and everyone who worked security at the concert that night, etc…
Not recently, but the last time I did, they were determined, but weary.
B
CORRECTION: From where her shirt was found, not where her shirt was phone…
Hey George, I believe we’ve spoken before about your queries regarding the handedness and height of a potential perpetrator .
Here’s an article you might appreciate about the angle of a wound. Now I’m not sure of the scholarship of these articles,although it’s pretty interesting.
http://www.ehow.com/how_6752567_determine-handedness-stab-wounds.html
And here’s an article on how some students were able to determine the height of the thief who stole King Tut’s funeral mask.
http://triblocal.com/mundelein/community/stories/2011/11/a-mystery/
Then there’s this one which states you can determine a height range by foot prints because “The Foot tends to be approximately 15% of the person’s average height” according to this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footprint
(OT. Must be why the basketball coaches kept asking about my daughter’s shoe size and when her feet stopped growing–not soon enough!”
George, I’m not sure if this is where you’re going with your questions or not, but it seems that these measurements are meaningful when you have a specimen that is either static or contains a little more flesh and blood than bone.
big fan of gov christie ,here too.while reading jenn keese’s
case ,i read that new jersey wont allow a cricket stadium,nj, got a second thumbs up from me.i was more worried about certain states that didnt make the list,if corruption isnt even on the radar,then its going undetected? wisconsin, wasnt on the list?
Word Girl,
Thanks for your post. That is exactly the informaion I was refering to. It would seem that if the VSP had such information about Morgan’s attacker they would be under a very serious obligation to release it. With the large number of broken bones that Morgan is imputed to have how could the medical examiners not have some useful information?
Consider that, if on the morning Bass found Morgan, he had been on his tractor a couple of hours earlier in the weak light at dawn, he might have run over Morgan himself. Yet we are told that no one ever ran over Morgan in the time she was in the field.
The medical examination should have been able to determine if bones were broken while a person is alive or after their passing, so the information is there in the report, or should be there.
I do think that Morgan should have been interred after the examination, so that the evidence could be reexamined at a later date if necessary. Right now if the VSP came out and said Morgan was run over in a field after passing away from a drug overdose, I wouldn’t necessarily believe them either.
George it should be noted that the tractor with which Bass accessed the upper perimeter of that area of his hay field could NOT access the hollow to be able to run anyone over. The incline is far too steep for that piece of equipment.
You are 100% correct that an anthro study was performed on Morgan’s remains by a forensic anthropologist which has yielded a great deal of useful information which resulted in a homicide determination.
That does not include any specific determinations outside of the connections to sketch at this point, in other words the findings would not be inconsistent with a suspect that size and build.
As an example, and I am in no way stating this was a finding with Morgan, I am strictly using a hypothetical- REPEAT- a hypothetical: If a suspect were to tie a persons hands behind their back, and twist a portion of the upper or lower arm and apply enough force to break it at the shoulder, elbow and or clavicle- that may be something learned in an anthro study as a pre-mortem injury based on a combination of fracture patterns and if any disarticulated ligaments or tendons are still attached.
If a victim was held and any fractures or bone alterations occur over time, even days, this will be obvious in it’s presentment and could assist in determining a person’s post mortem interval.
I can’t say that I blame you wrt lack of faith in the VSP as it relates to Morgan’s case but because I am aware of some hefty missteps by UVA PD and we all know the mess at Albemarle County- I am just not sure where to point a finger exactly. I do not discuss my conversations with LE, but I can say that I DO believe Agent Cappuzzo is committed to, and would very much like to solve this case.
B
I have often wondered if the damage to the bones could have been the result of animal activity.
“George it should be noted that the tractor with which Bass accessed the upper perimeter of that area of his hay field could NOT access the hollow to be able to run anyone over. The incline is far too steep for that piece of equipment.”
If you go to the Roanoke Times article (www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/234568) you can see an aerial photo of where Morgan was found. The photo was taken from the northeast looking southwest.
Now go to (www.mytopo.com) and enter the coordinates of Morgan’s location in the search engine. I have her location at N 37.985371 degrees and W 078.617833 degrees. (That is degrees only format, not degrees, minutes, or degrees, minutes and seconds).
The mytopo maps are oriented with north at the top of the map or photo. You can switch back and forth from “map” to “topo” to a satellite view. The satellite view clearly shows vehicle tracks entering the triangular-shaped field where she was found at two locations. The topo map does not show any steep gradients in the area.
Google earth indicates the highest elevation in the field is about 634 feet which is about 500 feet northeast from where Morgan was found at an elevation of 622 feet.
If you have a different location for Morgan please let me know. In degrees and minutes format the (same)location is N 37 degrees, 59.122 minutes, W 078 degrees, 37.067 minutes.
In degrees, minutes, and seconds format the location is 37 degrees, 59 minutes, 07.40 seconds, W 078 degrees, 37 minutes, 04.00 seconds.
I am not wedded to the idea that Morgan was run over by a tractor after being placed in the field some time after her passing. Neither am I wedded to the idea that she wasn’t.
I know what my problem has been. I have been completely focusing on Morgan’s shattered bones, trying to think of ways they could have gotten that way other than just an accident while still researching other cases, searching for the same type injuries and finding very few similar ones. What I was forgetting was that from the beginning after Morgan’s body was found, Gil began blogging, and in my opinion giving us a virtual glimpse of the various injuries that she suffered.
The first one that I can clearly remember was that they felt “shot through” with Morgan, and I can remember saying at the time, the only word that Gil left out of that sentence was “along” with Morgan. If you read along with Gil’s blog, she has stated these things:
shattered bones
shot through
broken ribs
empty eye orbitals
gap toothed skull
Put those all together and maybe we can understand how this wasn’t just an accident, at least I can. I do come to my senses every now and then.
All I can say is, VSP, you need to release some information, so that those who might be in the know, might remember someone that they know or knew who smiled at inapropriate times, like a Ted Bundy. Someone who needed to always be in control, who might come to someone’s aid but made those person/person’s uncomfortable. He’s out there, and someone knows him.
Just saw a banner ad for Save the Next Girl on wset.com (Lynchburg ABC affiliate). It has the photo of Morgan with her dad- although she’s isolated in this frame- and it also features Sketch. It stands out among the other banners, at least to me. I am guessing (hoping) that the station has provided considerable value-added for this media buy since it’s essentially a PSA.
Even though Roanoke-Lynchburg are of the same media market, I find it very interesting that there was a media purchase with WSET as most of its viewership is Lynchburg, whereas Roanoke is dominated by WDBJ (CBS) and WSLS (NBC). Charlottesville has its own affiliates.
I am glad to see it regardless of the target geographic market. I think that the Harringtons’ determination and continued dedication to spreading the word in both traditional and non-traditional fashion will lead to discovery (I use the term loosely) and hopefully J4M.
Just a short question: among the poachers near AF would there also be ‘trappers’?
Its highly illegal not to mention dangerous, as far as profiling goes and among the subgroup of hunters that might be interesting to look at. Remember a trapper shoots to maim and torture not to kill, there is a big difference.
Sry forgot to add a link
http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/elist/eListRead/wolf_torture_and_execution_continues_in_the_northern_rockies/
warning disturbing images. Don t know which is worse the poor wolf/dog suffering or the human broadly smiling as if he did something worthwhile. On that webpage it is suggested this person is actually a cop for the forest service.
Still its hard to connect Sketch/Fairfax to a hunter/poacher type? Ik keep trying to find a personality profile that fits. Is there any news about the person in this article about the charges against him?
The place Morgan was found in is described as steeper and more of a hollow than I ever thought. would this specific spot ever be used for a purpose? (like a well or a hunter hiding place etc(?
Just some thoughts sorry I dont have much relevant ideas anymore its beyond frustrating how little progress we made in finding the killer.
Regarding what Amy just posted: I don’t see any difference between taking joy in torturing an animal and possibly doing the same. This is not an indictment of hunting or hunters, but the POS that is grinning in the photos in Amy’s link, wolves or another animal.
The hunters that I know have great respect for nature, the sport, and the humane doctrine which is taught by a young hunter’s mentor. I would not be surprised at all if the person who is responsible for Morgan’s death had a history of animal cruelty in one way, shape, or form.
Georgie
My take on the elevation differences in the area where Morgan was found is similar to yours.
This slope is not that steep. However, I do not know the type of tractor that Mr. Bass owns. If it is a high wheeled tractor with two small wheels close together in the front, he would be on an unstable vehicle for the type of terrain making up AF. A wide stance tractor with a low center of gravity, made popular by Ford, could traverse any slope on the farm. I have cut hay and raked it with just such a tractor on slopes greater than those on AF. One just has to be careful how the slope is approached.
Mr. Bass is in his early eighties. Some, that age, are just not strong enough with good balance to tackle tasks around a farm. I find it very hard to believe that the Bass tractor was not a wide stance vehicle. It also could be that Mr. Bass was always a gentleman farmer and never got his hands dirty doing manual farm work. Therefore, his tractor driving skills may be minimal.
It is my understanding that you are correct in your first example. Large rear wheels in the rear, low profile in the front. Bass does NOT cut his own hay, in fact he contracts that out to a neighbor.
B
Bass does NOT cut his own hay, in fact he contracts that out to a neighbor.
B
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______
I know that we have discussed this before re: vetting those with access: I am assuming that the neighbor’s help have been questioned?
I had a neighbor that owned a farm. I had been there numerous times growing up and thought that I knew the tract pretty well until I helped bale hay a couple of times. You definitely gain a perspective that few have depending on the size of the farm.
That certainly seems to be what Rader was hinting at when he said, “location, location, location…” I was thinking initially- and maybe he was- that it had to do with a real estate transaction gone awry and that a key player was involved.
Has the hay gathering operation always been outsourced or has he ever had a farm manager responsible for that? I would think that this person, if the age profile is correct, could have had access/ knowledge from the mid-late 80s until very recently, regardless of current residence.
CentVANativeAway
There is nothing like cutting and baleing hay to learn every large or small bump and hole or depression in a field. There are those made by water and by animals. Natural slopes and rock formations also enter into this where it is a part of the terrain.
Maybe the tractor Mr. Bass drives was a part of the farm equipment sold with the farm. A tractor like I first described is good for low sloped fields used for raising row crops. It is generally worthless for work on a farm like AF. I would not use that type of tractor to try and move one of the large rolled bales of hay stored along the fence line.
We do not know if the neighbor who has the contract to cut and bale the hay does it himself or if he hires others to do some of the work.
Over 700 acres of land on the farm with probably 500 usable for growing hay. Two or perhaps three cuts during the year is a lot of work.
We also do not know how the hay is marketed. It may be the neighbor is responsible or it could be a co-operative that markets. Who is responsible for moving the hay? Are local truckers used or does it sometimes involve trucks from out of town or perhaps some out of state? This would give additional individuals access and knowledge of the farm.
Thanks TX GF: moving “square” bales is not enviable work, but satisfying once you’re done.
You make excellent points about access including your comments about those that may have been around the property prior to Mr. Bass’ acquisition in the early 80s. It really could have been anyone. However, I agree with Gil’s assessment and believe that this person is in plain sight.
I would think that, given Mr. Bass’ apparent networks in the area, he probably distributes any overages not used by his cattle to, almost exclusively, local farmers.
CentVa Native Away
The principal revenue stream as a farm for Mr. Bass is hay. His small cattle herd could not eat five percent of his production.
Each one of those large rolls is equal to the volume of 33 to 35 square bales that you have worked. That is why it takes a tractor to move them. Weight is from 3,500 to 4,000 lbs depending on the type of grass and the amount of moisture.
If his production per year is over just 400 acres and each acre produces just one role of hay, that is 400 rolls each production cycle. With two or three cycles during the year, between 800 and 1,200 rolls will be produced.
This will require trucks with large trailers to move them. Most commercial flatbed trailers pulled by a large tractor can handle 400 square bales or about twelve of the large rolls. That is thirty-two truck loads per cycle. Not a small operation.
Maybe we should be looking at someone who runs a trucking operation or drives a truck. There is a large lumber mill near North Garden. This requires a truck to move logs and finished lumber. Our perp could be someone that moves hay with their truck as well as lumber.
Kids that played on A.F years ago who are now in their 30s or 40s would be worth looking at. Although tracking down those adult kids of friends and relatives connected to the farm could easily leave lots of people overlooked.
For example, my Aunt and Uncle owned a good size farm when I was growing up. It was not nearly the size of A.F but still big enough to snow mobile all over the land and as kids we knew every inch of the property. My relatives also took care of animals and chores on neighboring farms when the owners were away that myself my Cousins and a good number of friends also tagged along and played at.
Honestly after thinking about all this, it depressed me because I don’t know how LE would ever be able to track down people like that and obviously since still no arrest or POI even.
Not sure how credible the information in this article is but it suggests a different type of a possible offender in this case . http://www.psychlogenesis.com/?p=383
One interesting tidbit From this article that had somehow missed in the past is that one of the rape victims actually spoke to Sketch when she noticed his odd behavior and he nonchalantly told her he was waiting for a friend. I was also shocked to realize just how brazen he was with the victim. The fact that she noticed his suspicious behavior didn’t stop him, he pretty must followed her to the front door of her town home,He dragged her into the darkness yet she was screaming loud enough for a neighbor to hear her yet Sketch was not dissuaded and simply tried to drag her further away.
Question for you Blink: what is your estimate on the number of times Sketch has attacked a woman? Well actually let me instead ask if you think he has been a frequent offender steadily attacking women.The two attacks with The DNA which linked to Morgan’s case happened in the same month(both around 10 PM) of the same year yet there arent any known crimes to link him to until poor Morgan’s murder. It makes no sense to me to think he went from two rapes/attempted murders within a short time span only to take a multiyear hiatus. My assumption is that other crimes were unreported by the victims or there is just a significant rape kit backlog in Virginia. Or perhaps his hiatus was due to being arrested for some other crime .Also he has clearly gotten a bit more sophisticated as a vehicle was definitely involved in the abduction of Morgan where in the past it appears he was on foot during the Fairfax attacks .
I don’t have enough info on sketch to answer your question with any certainty.
B
Texas Grandfather:
I am with you, sir. It really could be someone who simply provides the logistics for the flow of hay in this area. All great points from you, as usual. They could have a pretty big customer network given the number of farms all along the 29 corridor from Northern Virginia all the way to the NC border and points beyond.
I found an interesting Youtube video. I didn’t choose it for its artistic content, but the fact that it mentions hauling hay from Loudon Co., VA to Centreville, VA (Fairfax Co.):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9A4WxglK4g
I’m here and reading but I have little to add. Just want to point out that no one (as far as I know) suspected Ted Bundy was a murderer (much less a serial murderer) until he was pulled over for speeding ( I think) and police saw some very suspicious items (such as pantyhose with eye holes) in his car, and saw that he had no front passenger seat. He was by then about 28-29. But the point is, he was extremely violent in his attacks, even biting some of his victims. He WAS suspected of being a petty thief, by some acquaintances/friends, but not of being violent or deeply pathological.
I am here reading everyday as I always have done from the start, but also have little to add.
Just hope beyond hope that something jogs someones memory, or that some one comes forward or is
apprehended and made to pay for murdering Morgan Harrington.
Sweet shiny girl missed by so many , loved by all.
J4M.
I’ve had the Fairfax rape attacks on my mind for awhile because I am fascinated by Sketch committing two brazen and public attacks in such a short period of time. I came upon these stats and they definitely raised my eyebrows. In 2004 There were 47 rapes and that number literally doubled to 94 in 2005. It dipped to 73 the following year before returning to the 90s in ’07 and ”08. You may have to copy and paste it to view it.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:eIQDKPErq50J:www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/crime/statistics/2008/pg_3-_index_crimes_in_fairfax_county_2004-2008.pdf+fairfax+va+crime+rate+rape+2005&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjSEv0zNfIvDoEozl8xwUVE5_xSI6ZaJv-FIMNzF8PYHwJBCvt2wUQryNdYJsfjpSGzd0DI2s44cBSlHuVJWcbIgfSeyHL3HCl84mPbjftR2ZU1uIEKgt5Tq_d2mhAD3c7wu7zM&sig=AHIEtbRbDEtrAkj7RUiDUKf0xlma6UzeB
leelee — there was only one reported fairfax attack connected to sketch.
Faifaix county has a population of over 1 million. It is the most populous county in the greater Washington DC area. According to the internet, it has the second highest median income of any county in the US and has the lowest crime rate in the greater Washington area, and the lowest crime rate amongst the 50 largest jurisdictions in the US.
Olivia, Ted also use to frequently hang out on college campuses where he could easily blend in with the student crowd to the eye who knew no better… As Gil said, “Hiding in plain sight”.
Redly I am having a good laugh at my own expense. I read two separate articles about the attacks and the details were so different that it seemed as if there were two separate attacks. I know see the error was caused by the fact that I read the initial article when the rape occurred and in 2005 then a more recent article since the connection to Morgan’s case. You seem familiar with Fairfax so do happen to have a hypothesis as to the doubling of reported rapes in that area between 04 and 05?
Speaking of Fairfax this story is rather chilling. I doubt this is Sketch unless there were serious discrepancies between the victim’s memory of Sketch and his actual appearance. It is worth the read just to see how the chain of events in an abduction and brutal rape can occur. Its also interesting to see the attack appears two have involved two men who likely when out that night looking for prey. To me the victim and Morgan Harringtom resemble one another.
http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=79767
Mike in your #11 post above you talk about aerial photos and question how film would be acquired today since Kodak is out of business.
Fuji film and other film makers are still in business. Most professional photograpers do not buy film one or two rolls at a time as individuals do. They buy in bulk based to the requirements of what jobs they have scheduled. There are quite a few wholesale outlets that sell in bulk.
You are right about black and white film and its ability to produce finer detail. However, with the density of charged coupled devices it is often possible to get finer detail than with film. The limitation is the method used to make prints or the device used for readout.
The problem with your suggestion is access multiple times for cutting, rolling the bales and moving them to a pickup point where they could be placed on a truck for taking to market. Unless a daily diary of work were kept, photos would not mean a lot. The only other thing would have been to fly a drone or helicopter over the area during the time when Morgan first went missing.
Sydneyfrog–that’s right, he blended in.
I went over to Wild Wing Cafe the other night for the first time, and there were all these men hanging around the outside who I tool to be “security.” It was kind of strange. It called to mind the conversation on here at times about “security.” But it was not Buffalo Wild Wings on Arlington Blvd. This was on Main Street.
I found an interview with Mr.Bass that appears to contradict some of the info I noticed in the discussion above about the farm. Mr.Bass states that he and his neighbors believe that the area was accessed via The Blandemar farm subdivision. The subdivision is a cul-de-sac of big homes surrounded by clipped grass. During sn investigation of the crime scene he witnessed a police car drive across that grass and through a neighbors hayfield to access a fence lIne near where Morgan was found.
Mr Bass also states that he has NO employees and does the farming himself. He states that the only workers that would have been on the farm from time to time would be the sort who deal with issues in residential homes such as plumbing trouble or repairing an air condition. He also describes the area as a creek bottom with quick growing grass that he personally bushogs. Normally the grass is knee high until it had been pressed down by 20 of snow in the area in December. The matted grass coupled with the height of the tractor caused him to see Morgan’s remains.
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/cdp-news-local/2010/jan/29/spot_where_harrington_body_found_scrutinized-ar-83094/
I just have it in my head that sketch is not the person who took Morgan. I can’t work it out how he’s involved if at all but if he is I think he had help. No I’m not psychic and the only thing I have to go on is the shirt. I feel it was left as a way to throw off the investigation and nothing more. I’m also concluding the DNA must have come from the shirt. Again no idea why I feel this way.
http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=79767 well now!!
How did these creeps get away with killing Morgan? I couldn’t believe that an attendee to the Metallica concert could have had such a shitty night only to end up meeting the likes of a brutal sadistic killer. How was that possible? Right under the noses of so many people? I still cannot accept this and I wait, daily for him/them to be caught and brought to justice.
Olivia
Are you referring to the Wild Wing Cafe located near the property of the train station just off W. Main? Norfolk and Southern and Amtrac.
Approximately how many are “all these men”? What made you believe that they were security people? Were there any vehicles parked that indicated private security or perhaps LE?
This may be a gathering spot for security or LE before going on an assignment. There is plenty of parking.
Please don’t think I am picking on you about the information. You may be a good observer or you may not. I am just tryng for clarity.