Morgan Harrington Murder: FBI, Metallica and Virginia State Police Ask You To Help Them Find Her Killer
Morgan Harrington disappeared from the John Paul Jones arena on October 17, 2009. Morgan’s remains were located and recovered the morning of January 26, 2010 on the Anchorage Farm in Charlottesville, VA.
Reported exclusively on www.blinkoncrime.com, Morgan’s alleged attacker was tied via DNA to a sexual assault in Fairfax, VA in September 2005.
With the help of a multi media campaign, the FBI, Virginia State Police and Fairfax Police are asking for the publics help to catch her killer.
Revised Sketch of Harrington Suspect
Metallica offered this public service announcement:
Metallica Statement On Harrington Case
FBI Press Release:
Authorities Launch Multimedia Campaign in Morgan Harrington Murder Case
Murder Suspect Linked by DNA to Sexual Assault in Fairfax City, Virginia
| FBI Washington June 13, 2012 |
Today, federal, state, and local law enforcement launched a multimedia campaign that includes two enhanced composite sketches of a suspect in the 2009 murder of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington. The unknown murder suspect is also connected by DNA to a 2005 sexual assault in Fairfax City, Virginia.
Authorities recently enhanced the composite sketch created in 2005 from a description by the sexual assault victim. One of the composites shows the suspect with facial hair, as the suspect was described at the time of the attack. The second composite sketch features him without facial hair.
The two attacks were connected through DNA after a forensic profile was submitted by the Virginia Department of Forensic Science to the FBI’s national DNA database. The search found that the suspect in the Harrington murder investigation matched the DNA profile of the attacker in Fairfax City.
The multimedia campaign includes a public service announcement by Metallica lead guitarist James Hetfield appealing to the public to come forward with information concerning the Morgan Harrington investigation. The composite sketches of the suspect are being featured on bus shelters in Washington, D.C., as well as on digital billboards in Richmond, Virginia; Roanoke, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and in 23 other states along the East Coast. Social media outreach and alerts via Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, along with a website dedicated to the Harrington case were also launched Wednesday. Podcasts are now available on iTunes, and radio spots are airing to further raise awareness of the ongoing investigation. The multi-pronged effort is designed to develop new leads and renew the public’s attention in the attacks. The campaign implements techniques similar to those that have led to the arrests of the East Coast Rapist as well as Ten Most Wanted fugitive James “Whitey” Bulger.
The Jefferson Area Crime Stoppers is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Morgan Harrington’s murder. In addition, the band Metallica is adding $50,000 to the reward, for a total of $150,000.
Morgan Harrington Murder
On the evening of Saturday, October 17, 2009, Harrington attended a Metallica concert at John Paul Jones Arena on the University of Virginia (UVA) campus in Charlottesville, Va. At approximately 8:30 p.m., she left the arena and was unable to re-enter the facility. She was last seen hitchhiking for a ride from passing traffic.
Harrington was dressed that night in a black T-shirt with the word “Pantera” spelled out in tan letters and was wearing a distinctive Swarovski crystal necklace made of large crystal chain links, which investigators have yet to recover. Harrington’s “Pantera” T-shirt was found on November 11, 2009, in front of a row of apartments along 15th Street, NW near Grady Avenue in Charlottesville. Harrington’s skeletal remains were later discovered on January 26, 2010, in a remote field on an Albemarle County, Virginia farm along Route 29. A camera that Harrington had in her possession that night has never been recovered.
Sexual Assault in Fairfax City, Virginia
On the evening of Saturday, September 24, 2005, a 26-year-old victim was walking home from the Giant Food Store located on the 3700 block of Jermantown Road in Fairfax City, Virginia. The suspect grabbed the victim from behind as she walked down Rock Garden Drive toward her residence. He then carried the victim to a grassy area behind a maintenance shed, where he sexually assaulted her. The suspect was last seen running from the area.
The suspect is described as an African-American male with black hair and facial hair at the time of the attack. He is approximately 6’0” tall and was believed to be between the ages of 25 and 35 years old at the time of the attack.
The public is asked to review this information and consider whether they know someone who generally fits this description, who lived or had ties to the area around the times of the assaults, or who may have been known to spend considerable amounts of time in those areas.
People who know the suspect may not believe that he is capable of committing these crimes. He may not necessarily have a violent criminal history. Because investigators are in possession of DNA evidence that can either positively link the suspect to his crimes or exclude innocent parties, citizens should not hesitate to provide information, even if it is just the name of a potential suspect.
The following agencies are cooperating in the investigation of these crimes: the Virginia State Police, City of Fairfax Police, University of Virginia Police, Charlottesville Police, Albemarle County Police, Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney, Virginia Tech Police Department, George Mason Police Department, and the FBI.
Law enforcement agencies are asking anyone with information to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Virginia State Police Tip line at 434-352-3467.
Press Contacts:
Virginia State Police
(804) 263-5547
City of Fairfax Police Department
(703) 273-2889
FBI Richmond Field Office
(804) 261-1044
FBI Washington Field Office
(202) 278-3519
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J.me says:
September 6, 2012 at 10:51 am
Respectfully Redly, I don’t recall anyone saying that the problems with the case started with video systems or monitoring. (Though they could potentially be helpful). I think the comments preceeding your last post refer to UVA PD…that the problems with this case started there, with that entity.
____________________________________________________
Perhaps I misinterpreted the earlier posts.
Personally, I don’t believe UVAPD is even close to capable enough to head up a murder investigation. Morgan was reported missing on the 18th. I know VSP were involved on the 19th and, by the 20th were heading the case, were conducting press conferences, helicopter and dog searches and were being assisted by the FBI. What do you think UVAPD did before then that screwed up the case?
UVA PD had continued involvement. What helicopter search are you referring to? The only canine search of the grounds was on 10/28.
I know somewhere in these “walls” I was vocal about UVA PD being a shanda. It goes beyond the initial response, and Melissa knows that.
B
Don’t know from this if they will get a conviction but this is some good police work.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/09/06/tale-tape-small-piece-adhesive-leads-to-arrest-in-connecticut-cold-case-murder/?intcmp=trending
It would have been useful to check out ALL of the faces in the parking lotS. Coming and going from the arena and everywhere in that area from inside to outside from 6pm – 10PM October 17, 2009. Camera ON and rolling. Should have been.
I was referring to the helicopter and canine searches referenced in the various articles from October 21. This is one example.
http://www.tv3winchester.com/home/headlines/65635447.html?storySection=story&mobile=yes
Mr.Harrington apparently isn’t a big fan of the UVAPD. I wonder how much he thinks they botched during the first 48 hours? I can think of quite a few things that were seemingly botched throughout the case but I wonder what the first issues were? Off the top of my head I think of the failure to process Morgan’s car and the delay in bringing in tracking dogs. I still cannot wrap my head around not processing that car. The only word I can think of is “stupid”
http://www.nbc29.com/story/16058201/state-crime-commission-works-to-revise?clienttype=printable
Didn’t Dan tell the police that the car was not there? Obviously they figured it out themselves at some point but I don’t know who would have processed it? I would expect that forensics with VSP would be in charge of that. I don’t believe UVAPD would have that capability but don’t know for sure. It certainly should be done in such a case. As it turns out in this case, however, it doesn’t seem likely at all that the processing of the car has any impact on catching sketch or any other importance to the case other than perhaps evidencing potential drug and alcohol use. According to the article I linked, someone had been doing canine searches by the 20th. Again though, I don’t see those dog searches making any difference in whether or not they catch sketch. It would be interesting to know what Dan thinks they messed up though. The one that comes to my mind is that he thinks the scheduled job fair should have been postponed until after his daughter was found.
The initial plan was for Morgan to drive to JMU, but someone else was going to drive to the concert.
We don’t know if or why the plan was changed, but I do confirm that Dan was told that the group was not taking Morgan’s car and he only found out it was driven after speaking with the friends.
B
i know scalpers were suggested by someone here way back , and the nitrous truck(that is commomn in concert parking lots),what about bootleg concert t shirt sellers.those guys hide in the brush around arena’s ,ready for a guick get away. could morgan have wanted to buy another t shirt ,since she gave hers to amy? might be the handlock guy?or maybe why there was a atm attempt,i think they usually appear after the shows or game, they get arrested on a unlicensed vendor charge.
Leelee said,”I still cannot wrap my head around not processing that car. The only word I can think of is “stupid”.” Leelee, same here. Could NOT believe it…and that word you used describes a few other things that were left undone. Where is “Grissom” when you need him?!
I have seen webcameras at the intersection of copeley and ivy facing the bridge. I think Dr. Dan is pretty ticked that they were not operating on 10-17. Apparently, they are for major traffic events. Now, why wouldn’t metallica playing at jpa result in a major traffic event? I have heard Dr. Dan speak, I can’t imagine a mean or hateful bone in his body. I guess a better word to use than “ticked” is despairing.
Redly…I think it’s my comments you’re responding to with the vague “how can anyone who thinks it through say problems with this case start with monitoring and vid”.. That’s my opinion based on a couple things.First that’s one of the first things LE would have checked in the first couple of hours after realizing Morgan disappeared.Secondly I’ve built 13 arenas/stadiums along with skyscrapers,buildings,the extension of the DC Metro,etc…Although I’ve never been part of an arena that is as little as JPJ all the arenas/stadiums I’ve done post 9/11 have state of the art cameras/vids mainly due to terrorism.Having “state of the art security monitoring” is pretty much the norm these days.Since JPJ was built in 06 I can’t see why they would short change on a security system.What I’ve been apart of all were for the NFL,NBA,MLB and NHL.Maybe that’s the difference in the vid systems installed.As I stated many months ago my best friend from high school installs security(family owned firm) cams,vids, etc in these large facilities.That’s were I get my info from.From his and his fathers knowledge of 30yrs in that business,and my 13yrs of seeing drawings for facilities that are similar JPJ Arena…
Bp3,
Assuming the video cameras were inadequate or not operating etc., which I am willing to do lacking any knowledge one way or the other, how did that impact the case negatively or otherwise? Having been in the arena, I don’t buy that they would ever have cameras that would produce a useful image of her in her seat. I would have expected them to capture her at the entrance/exit though.
Mike says…”I have heard Dr. Dan speak, I can’t imagine a mean or hateful bone in his body. I guess a better word to use than “ticked” is despairing” ….You got it Mike. He has used the word “disenchanted” but I can’t imagine anything worse coming from him. Second to my husband, he is the nicest gentleman I know. (P.S. My dad died 2 1/2 years ago or he’d be tied for 1st). That says alot.
Your comments bp3 about the video system at JPJA and the advertisment about it having a state of the art system, but no usable video was available to LE is the very thing that raised my hackels about something being rotten.
I do remember a case in Charlottsville where a shop was held up and items were taken. The shop owner could not get the police to come down and view the video tape from that shop. Finally the owner took it on himself to contact all the other shops in the area and get them to provide him tapes from their systems so he could find the perp. The police simply took no interest in helping the man solve the crime.
The advances made in video survelance equipment in recent years has made the equipment more capable and less expensive to install. The problem is adequate maintenance. If not maintained, systems soon become worthless.
One would think that UVA would have cameras covering the entire area around the arena as well as nearby parking lots and the parking garage on every level. Maybe not the overflow lot adjacent to Lanigan field.
The other thing is that this was a big crowd for a packed house. There were suposed to be security personell which included certified police officers and at least one EMS unit. None seem to be functioning as they should.
Redly’ I agree that processing her car probably would not have made a difference. Actually what I should say is that it hopefully would not have made a difference. But based upon the limited information LE had at the time i don’t see how it wasn’t seen as potentially important evidence. I am going to give her friends the benefit of the doubt and assume they immediately corrected the information Dr.Harrington had provided regarding which car was driven. At that point all LE knew was that a missing girl had been fighting with her friends, at some point she left a concert she had been looking forward to do months, she didn’t really know anyone in Charlottesville, she allegedly told her friends not to worry about her and she would just get a ride from someone else. And they just left in her car without ever anything was weird about that situation. Sometimes when looking at certain crimes I like to change the key players in my mind but keep the facts/ occurrences the same in order to remove any bias I may unintentionally have about a case. With this case I envision myself as a young women who drives to another town to pick up her boyfriend. The boyfriend and I then take my car to a concert in another town. The boyfriend is aware that I have an obligation the next morning. We bicker and argue during the entire trip. Once at the concert things have calmed down but we still aren’t too pleased with each other. I leave my seat and end up outside the Arena and can’t get back in. I’m upset, cold, slightly injured from a fall, and still a little ticked off at the boyfriend. I call him and explain the situation. Despite my anger and obligations the next day I tell him to just drive my car back to his house and I’ll just hang out in the rainy cold weather until I find someone and get them to agree to take me back home which is over an hour away. He never hears from me again. He just drives back home and goes to bed. The next day I miss my obligation and am reported missing by that person. LE shows up and the boyfriend is questioned and provides the chain of events just like I previously described. What would happen next? The boyfriend would immediately become the prime suspect and his story would seem absolutely ridiculous. Just like how the story the friends told should have seemed ridiculous to LE when they first heard it. They should have immediately viewed Morgan’s car as a key piece of evidence which needed to be be fully processed. Of course now we know everyone in that car that night were more than likely only guilty of being terrible friends but LE had no way to know that when she was first reported missing.
That sounds just like my father. Never did an unkind word escape his lips. I follow in his footsteps.
This room is beginning to sound like a courtroom. What?????Has the trial began?
And yet, ATG, there were many arrests that night at JPJ so there must have been plenty LE presence. IDK. And the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville has new state of the art equipment. No one knows why Morgan wasn’t seen on the outside security cameras. There are overhead cameras on every entrance door. but no Morgan.
One answer about the cameras is that they may not have been working. Or a second posability is that someone doctored the tape or
DVD or the file on the hard drive enough to make the recording not useful. Without adequate knowledge of just how the system was built and its method of recording, one can only guess. There could be gaps of coverage between the cameras too.
Then there is the question of the method used to determine if Morgan was actually inside the arena. Who besides the three that accompanied Morgan to the concert could vouche for her presence? No ticket was found in her purse and yet we have the supposed scene of someone tearing up the ticket or Morgan herself.
Most of the information we have must of been provided by Morgan’s companions and what could be determined from witnesses at the arena and parking lots. Did anyone have an actual picture of Morgan at the arena that would show her as she was specifically dressed and the makeup and jewelry she wore? IDK.
Alexandra your statement about the overhead cameras at each entrance brings up the question if they are providing video of inside the entrance or do they also cover a bit of the outside? Some cameras are designed to be driven by a stepper motor that takes them in an arc of some distance and then back. Others have a fixed position and depend on a lense designed to see everything in some predetermined arc.
The description of the video equipment may not be factual. This was taken from a brouchure made up for advertisement. It does not detail the epuipment. It could mean that the equipment inside the arena for showing a stage presence or following the ball down the court in a basketball game. It may have nothing to do with security.
We also do not have factual confirmed information about how many officers and security people were on site at JPJA. Just how Morgan escaped their attention when she was supposedly walking through the parking lots and needed to support herself with her hands on parked cars and later some mention of have the same problem along the fence at Lanigan field is not known. And yet it is reported that somehow she managed a curtsey without falling down. All of this cannot be actual. Some things are out of place.
ATGF I can’t provide a source because I read this info in a previous comment . My memory is vague in the details but hopefully someone else will recall this more clearly than I do . At some point in this case a member of LE seems to have accidentally referenced a video featuring Morgan. He noted that the wound on Morgan’s chin did not “look” serious. This led many to believe there was footage of Morgan in the arena and that the wound to her chin was visible. Again I apologize for my fuzzy memory!
I can’t find it now but someone once posted a picture of the outside entrances to JPJ arena, pointing upwards, and we saw the security cameras overhead, many of them. They are the round, in a bubble kind.
Thanks to all who remembered something about the video camera. I too remember the picture of one of the camera housings. This was one with a darkened weather bubble. There may be a camera in the bubble or there may not be. The photo was not clear enough to actually see a camera.
Leelee
This is a piece of information that I did not have regarding the video of the wound from the fall. This would tell us that LE did have usable video if it is true. This brings up more questions about why would LE state that they had no usable video. The only reason I can give is they were hopeing that the perp(s) would believe that and get careless.
More “cat and mouse games” I supose.
For those of us who are aspiring sleuths, there is going to be aired a radio program this early morning (8-11-12) on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory. It runs 1:00 am to 5 am (some stations have an hour frmo 12 to 1 of the previous show as well) EDT. It will be about criminal profiling with a noted guest. There is a call in format the last hour. Coast to Coast is a pretty good radio program. I guess I’m not sleeping too well these days because I listen quite a bit. It started out with topics like ufos, aliens, sasquatch, etc. Now it has some more mainstream topics like global finance, crime, and psych. It is still interesting nonetheless. Their website has a lot of good “gee whiz” links to interesting sites.
Here’s the link or url.
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/
We are now talking in terms of years since the night Morgan was murdered and still yet there has been not one single word on public record from her friends about the events of that evening. They must hold very important information that I can only assume LE has told them they must keep private, what could this be? The only definitive fact that can be extracted from the sketch of the suspect is the fact that he is an African American male. DNA is the ultimate weapon that LE can use to catch these people and even though the techniques for utilising this have improved rapidly over the last couple of decades, sadly the potential of this science is not being fully realised and it may very well be another decade or so before countries realise that DNA is the 21st century fingerprint, it must be taken and recorded for EVERY criminal convicted of a violent crime. Mind boggling to think of the amount of lives that this could potentially save if done now.
Liam you are IMO exactly right. However, the problem is getting DNA into the CODIS system. There are estimates that over 600,000 rape kits are backlogged because of lack of funds and the developemnt of an inexpensive way to process them.
This also relates to how long it takes to process each kit. There is a method developed by a young woman at UVA that, if approved by the courts, can cut this down to a time frame of two hours rather than the 24 to 36 hours presently required.
We often see a potential to get something of great value, but it usually depends on a breakthrough to make it happen. Today replecation techniques are very simple and inexpensive when compared to the methods of the 1990′s. There is also the famial portion of DNA that is beginning to be used. It took a change in the law in Virginia to make it available to LE and the courts.
There is another tool for LE to use and that is facial recognition from photos. The distance between the pupils of the eye has been found to be unique for every person. There are agencies that are in the process of using this tool. This may, in the future, become a part of the CODIS system.
Liam the two female friends have commented publicly on the case. SS was actually Gave an interview at one point. And I think Amy spoke to the Roanoke Times at one point. I tried to find the video but couldn’t….. certain items of interest are prone to vanishing online when it comes tothis case. One of those items is the source for the quote I am about to provide. The article was from WSLS.
“Sgt. Herrick’s daughter has been best friends with Morgan Harrington for more than ten years. His daughter is one of “the nine,“ a group of close friends who grew up with Morgan in Roanoke County.
Current JMU student and Northside High School graduate Sarah Snead is another member of “the nine” who came out to search on Friday. Sarah also was one of two friends at the Metallica concert with Morgan, and maybe one of the last to talk to Morgan before her disappearance.
She took a phone call from Morgan that said “don’t worry, I’ll find a way home.“ Sarah and the other friend drove Morgan’s car back to JMU after that concert.
“We wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t think it was okay. Now obviously we wish things had taken place differently,“ Sarah told me. “It’s been one of the worst experiences ever,“ she added. Sarah and the other volunteers patiently waited through safety and search training from the Laura Rescue Center group that was in Charlottesville. Volunteers took their time going through the woods, not wanting to miss anything that appears out of place.”
I tend to take statement analysis with a grain of salt but her statement has distancing. Also of note is her description of it being one of the worst experiences ever as it makes one question what other experience could compare to Morgan’s disappearance. Again I take it with a grain of salt but statement analysis is often correct.
My opinion is that her friends feel rather guilty. Not because they killed Morgan but because they know they treated her terribly that night. I don’t think she ever told them she would find her own way home. They had been fighting that night and things were still awkward which is probably why Morgan had the friends didn’t go to the bathroom with Morgan. That may sound weird to a man but women often pee in packs when with a group of friends. They all go together, some actually use the bathroom while others reapply lip glass and freshen their makeup. Gossip usually happens at some point too. So given that they were bickering and that Morgan apparently didn’t know anyone in the area I doubt she told them they could just take her car. During their last call I think the plan was for her to rejoin the group after the concert if she couldn’t get back in. Once the show was over her friends probably tried to call her while leaving the arena. They then went to her car and saw she wasn’t there either and tried to call her again. As we know Morgan didn’t have a functional phone as of 9:30 so they likely assumed she turned her phone off and was ignoring them. Each time she didn’t answer probably made them even more angry given the weather and the drive ahead. Instead of thinking something bad happened to her they probably thought she was being passive aggressive and decided to leave in car her to teach her a lesson. That is likely why they were so callous after her disappearance. Some may disagree but those pictures where they were pretending to hitchhike are disgusting. They didn’t want to think something bad happened because that would mean that their actions could have put Morgan in the path of a monster. So at first they likely had a cavalier attitude because it was easier and more pleasant to believe Morgan was an irresponsible drama queen instead of facing all the terrible thoughts of what someone may have done to her that night. I’m betting once her body was found and once they realized she may have been dead by the end of that concert they all felt terrible. The whole “butterfly effect”mindset will drive a person crazy with guilt and now they wish they hadn’t been so petty because if they had just gone to the bathroom with her she would probably still be alive.
i have heard the meat cutter rapist case referenced here a few times ,but i mustve missed the link , i was surprised when i stumbled across it ,http://www.readthehook.com/86185/cover-arrested-decade-after-first-known-attack-serial-rape-suspect-custody ,i must correct myself ,when i said campus police dont go into the hood and apprehend suspects, uva police did accompany le for the apprehension.idk but it seems charlottesville le was very zealous about catching him and transparent about the rapes . he doesnt really resemble his sketch, it seems to me ,his face changed a bit ,as he got older. it took ten years,for a victim to bump into him again,hmmph amazing. but the story is mixed up, not sure if its an le error or reporter or a sludge to protect the tipster ,but it says : It was the victim in his last known attack– on Webland Drive on August 18, 2004– who helped lead police to Washington. The woman noticed a car in the parking lot of the UVA Aquatics and Fitness Center where she worked, and the driver reminded her of the man who had fondled her buttocks there on November 12, 2002– one day after a brutal rape in the Willoughby subdivision. The woman got the license number of the vehicle. The victim also spotted Washington at the Barracks Road Harris Teeter supermarket, where he worked as a butcher.— ummm it says “the victim from the webland attack” but then quotes “said woman”: “he fondled her one day after the willoughby attack nov 12 2002″, so she was attacked twice? the webland attack is described as August 18, 2004 The attack on Webland Drive off Hydraulic Road is the last attack conclusively linked to the serial rapist. the assailant used a “blitz” attack, waiting inside his victim’s home then punching her in the face before sexually assaulting her. –disjoint. idk? http://www.readthehook.com/86241/news-sealed-order-dna-confirms-part-serial-rape-case http://www.readthehook.com/86241/news-sealed-order-dna-confirms-part-serial-rape-case he is smiling ,”in cold blood”,the book, says they want to get caught,his crimes were escalating in violence. the east coast rapist basically said he wanted to get caught, too.
oops i duplicated that last link ,its supposed to be http://www.readthehook.com/81568/news-guilty-charged-four-life-sentences-serial-rapist
I agree Liam. I was just thinking about this yesterday. How quiet the friends have been. I have never known a case with such media attention where the silence is so deafening. It’s been years. I don’t get it either.
SusanM I dug around a bit and I can provide you with a clearer timeline. The victim was attacked by him on two occasions.
On 11-11-02 Washington raped a Charlottesville woman.(Victim A)
On 11-12-02 Washington groped a woman in the aquatic center parking lot where she worked.(Victim B)
On 8-18-04 Victim B was attacked in her home on Weyland Drive. DNA linked the attack to previous attacks.
-Over a year later Victim B contacted authorities after she became suspicious of a man who seemed to be waiting for her in the aquatic center parking lot. She stated that his walk reminded her of the person who groped her in 2002. She provided his license plate number. The car was Washington’s wife.
-At that point investigators did a background check and due to his clean record he was only part of a huge number of potential suspects.
- In the summer of 2007 Victim B contacted authorities again stating that while in Harris Teeter she thought she saw the man from the parking lot and he acted strangely towards her.
-LE decided to put him under surveillance and obtained his DNA from a cup he threw away at a Burger King. That DNA matched the rapes and he was arrested.
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/cdp-news-local/2007/dec/12/rapist_conviction_may_unlock_cases-ar-73642/
Can’t we, the public, pressure LE to concentrate more on this investigation? Are they still investigating? How often?
Lt. Rader thought about Morgan’s case when he was introduced to the CT 10 technology. What happened?
I just had a random possibility pop into my head that I havent seen discussed before. Could the basketball players have been viewed by Morgan as a potential way to re-enter JPJ? I am assuming there are certain entrances and exits the team used which are separate from what would be used by concert goers. So perhaps Morgan did want a ride but just back to the arena where she thought she could slip in unnoticed as the guest of a player who would perhaps get her into the building under the guise of having left something at practice. The suggestion could have then been declined because the player knew it wasn’t possible or simply didn’t want to be bothered and risk getting into trouble.
It seems that whether those posting here either believe her bag was planted or dropped after she was ambushed there is a general consensus the killer had to be in the RV lot at some point. That person could have overheard Morgan’s exchange with the players then decided to offer himself as the solution to her problem. He could have made the offer in the lot or on the bridge. Perhaps she felt comfortable getting in the car because he was clearly an employee( either security/le or with UVA facilities) and she had recognized him from the lot. I envision him leaving the lot in his car and seeing her on the bridge. He comments on her group ( the players) being gone and says he will give her a ride and get her back into JPJ or just drop her off so she can meet her friends when the show is over.Who knows if he could but he could have seemed genuine enough for her to get into the car. We always seem to wonder if Morgan really thought hitch hiking was safe but in a situation like I described it may not have seemed as risky. The guy didn’t look evil, maybe he was in a uniform, she desperately wanted to see Metallica, the weather sucked , her inhibitions were lowered and she could have just told herself such a short ride would be a risk she was willing to take.
This theory explains away a lot of my questions. As I mentioned a few posts ago I do not believe Morgan told the friends she would get a ride. I think the plan was to meet afterwards and once she didn’t show or answer her phone they just thought she was being inconsiderate and bratty due to the fighting earlier that night. So they just left her to teach her a lesson. It also answers our questions about how and with whom she planned on getting a ride back home with despite knowing no one in C-ville: because that was never her intention at all. It creates a logical reason for her to ask players for rides in a town where she knew no one nor had another place to go because she just wanted to get back into the arena. She never just let her friends take her car she just didn’t make it back to join them. They lied and feared that admitting to the lie would just make them suspects and they felt the truth wouldn’t help Morgan or the investigation. It also give a better understanding of her willingness to enter a strangers car while also providing a scenario that explains how her killer knew to dump her purse in the RV lot if it was dumped. Details may very in what turns out to be the true scenario but I do believe she wanted back into the arena that night and her killer presented himself as a solution to her problem.
LeeLee
I tend not to disagree with you, but I do not know anything about what the friends really said and what Morgan really said. However, Dan H. might know. They may have told him the truth. He does not seem to blame them for anything. I would think if the friends knew anything they have been told to keep quiet by LE. (they could even possibly be at risk themselves) MOO
leelee — certainly possible but I personally think LE would have said that she asked them to help her sneak into the concert if that is what it was. I say this because I don’t think they would have viewed that request as embarrassing to morgan. My guess is that she asked them to take her somewhere LE doesn’t want to say because they view it as a little embarrassing and thus not worth disclosing to a public that has no real need to know and certainly no right to know — i.e., she wanted to go drink underage, find drugs or hook up. Of course, this is all just a guess.
Redly – I disagree with your disgreeing with leelee.
I think her scenerio makes the most sense, and it would explain the uncharacteristic “hitchhiking”.
leelee thanks for the details, so the meat cutter’s initial encounter ,with her ,lead to him stalking her to her home ,probably from that parking lot,but he didnt attack in her home, til two years later , that guys mo is really creepy. anybody see this : http://www.crimepays.tv/unsolved-murder/150000-murder-reward-morgam-harrington/ -is this rewards tv new?
Leelee says:
September 13, 2012 at 5:13 am
I just had a random possibility pop into my head that I havent seen discussed before. Could the basketball players have been viewed by Morgan as a potential way to re-enter JPJ?
**Lee Lee Hi this has been discussed – from the time we all first learned that Morgan first had “limited interaction” with the BBP-
it was first theorized that Morgan may have known one of the players from her brother having attended UVA previously- it was also theorized, at the very least- Morgan would have known that JPJ was in fact the home of the BBP- they, IIRC had all access to the facility- to include after hour access to the sauna etc for recuperating-
It has been theorized that Morgan would have known that if anyone might have been able to get her back inside JPJ it would have been those BBP-
One local poster here once referred to the BBP as the “Gods of the Arena” and speculated much along the same lines-
–
Redly- September 13, 2012 at 11:54 am
In part wrote:
leelee — certainly possible but I personally think LE would have said that she asked them to help her sneak into the concert if that is what it was.
** Redly,
Hello I think you are kidding yourself about LE stating the whys and what fors of Morgans “limited interactions” with the BBP-
Why because LE has from day ONE been trying to keep the BBP info from being released/named despite the whole talk of (pp) they are free to comment if they so choose to
Remember LE over and over has chosen to utilize vague language when describing Morgan and the BBP- and remember the whole BBP info from day one has been glossed over- heck LE still on the walk thru refused to state they were BBP instead saying group of students those who interacted with her..etc even the disappeared show glossed over the BBP and the Rv lot
Remember, until Blink and other blogs came forward with the BBP being among the last to see Morgan.. we the public were unaware that Morgan was with the BBP I say WITH because again LE chose to say Morgan was walking with but not with a group of students and remember LE at first did not confirm the BIB were in fact BBP- even though the BK is one of the only people who have claimed to see Morgan twice in the night with the same group the BBP tidbit did not come out until much later-
and even in the walk thru Hook piece they refer to the convergence of the student groups and the asking for a ride- but not saying directly
BBP
The fact is Morgan Harrington was trying to regain entry into the arena up until the commotion with the female security guard and then the encounter w/ kickee and subsequently the BBP at the side entrance where she walked WITH them the BBP to the RV lot
—Redly and Lee Lee and all we dont know anything more about the limited interaction then we did early on- although many of us have heard rumors
redly I agree LE may not be releasing the info inorder to spare Morgan or the Harringtons… Morgan may have asked to go somewhere embarrassing or her limited interactions w the players themselves could be viewed as embarrassing- we dont know-
But heres what we do know that LE has said-
The BBP declined to give Morgan a ride because of her behaviors -
well gee this language and other helpful language just like this such as erratic – belligerent- irrational incapacitated in some way- somewhat aggressive- declines all offers of help-etc seems not to serve the investigation or Morgan or to shield Morgan but does seem to shield the BBP security UVA the perp and the defense does it not?
Redly you wrote:
I say this because I don’t think they would have viewed that request as embarrassing to morgan. My guess is that she asked them to take her somewhere LE doesn’t want to say because they view it as a little embarrassing and thus not worth disclosing to a public that has no real need to know and certainly no right to know — i.e., she wanted to go drink underage, find drugs or hook up. Of course, this is all just a guess.
**Redly you may be right Morgans request or behaviors may be questionable and may paint her in a not so demure light- but so much has already been stated as fact that does the same thing—- but how much more questionable can the info be then the tidbits we have already heard from LE and reporters and rumors?
It doesnt make sense ro Keep any info close inorder to spare a dead murdered girl “embarrassment” or to even spare her family as it is not in the best interests of the case or to the prosecution as the defense will surely pounce on the questionable info which was withheld because they will know with out a doubt that UVA LE
are afraid of it …Afterall,they have used language IMO that paints Morgan in a less then favorable light so who are they protecting really?
(PP) she may have wandered off she has a propensity to hook up and take off for a day or two…
- she was drinking may have been drunk may have been stoned- was erratic- out of sorts- irrational -belligerent- under-dressed- Hitch hiking – acting strange- curtsying -declining all offers of help- her behaviors led the poor BBP to decline her a ride… so she was “desperate” and most likely willingly got into a vehicle… and lets not forget must have encountered Sketch a known brutal rapist sometime prior to her death in Charlottesville…
Again Redly you may be right Morgan may have asked to go somewhere embarrassing- but if LE is withholding the info it isnt to spare Morgan embarrassment but may be to protect the case-
or God forbid to protect the BBP for they saw her drop her phone they were aware of her plight- and they chose to leave her alone in a backlot
CVould it be that the ride Morgan asked for and the BBP declined was simply for a ride to possibly the 7-11 and back???? so she could use a clean comfortable well lit bathroom instead of those dark, confining, scary, dirty portaPotties
we dont know- at this point anythings possible and so are the # of reasons why LE would not release the info – again you may be right but I just wanted to offer a different perspective-
Thanks
AJMO
AMBR
sorry for the length and any errors
Leelee says:
September 13, 2012 at 5:13 am
Details may very in what turns out to be the true scenario but I do believe she wanted back into the arena that night and her killer presented himself as a solution to her problem.
hmmm, like someone working there, she saw him as a way to get back in.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/09/fingerprint_experts_say_thumbp.html here’s a 19 year old cold case. i just think sketches dna could be sitting in backlogged rape kits in some other county in va.or close by.
does le have to rerun a +match search- in codis,every time? is the software not designed for automatic update every time a new sample is entered?
Blink,
Did you know that Anchorage Farms is listed for sale on the CAAR.com website?
MLS# 502781
Thanks, IMG, for info that Anchorage Farm is for sale.
susanm, it is my understanding that the dna index (CODIS) is consulted and looks for a ‘hit’ or a ‘match’ to already collected dna in its system. The registry on the state level can also be consulted.
The FBI has a good FAQ on Codis and what dna is collect, how it works, etc. Please also note that dna on record can be expunged if a case doesn’t conclude in conviction.
In Memory of Gini says:
September 16, 2012 at 10:03 am
Blink,
Did you know that Anchorage Farms is listed for sale on the CAAR.com website?
MLS# 502781
________________
hello everyone. I wish I could afford the $11+ million it would take to buy it. What a lovely place.
Is this the right home for sale?
http://www.harmonhomes.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/Virginia/Charlottesville/detail/54755326
Wow. $48k per month…
It’s nice to see the views from inside Anchorage Farm, at last. There is no way anyone is going to sneak around that house in the day time.
Photo 27, just curious, is that an inground trampoline?
http://www.ziprealty.com/property/1864-ANCHORAGE-FARM-CHARLOTTESVILLE-VA-22903/72091672/detail
Sorry, dropped the link on FBI CODIS
Here it is:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/codis/codis-and-ndis-fact-sheet
susanm
CODIS is a database of DNA and other information. Unless there is another program that would automatically run a check when the database is updated,it would require LE to re-enter the query from an authorized site.
Usually the sequence is the LE agency has a statewide network to which they are connected or can connect. Certain people in the agency are authorized with a clearance and a passsword to querry the FBI site which is linked to the actual CODIS database. Some states also maintain a database of DNA and fingerprints similar to CODIS and AFIS. Some of these are known to lack an update to the FBI.
It would be great if an effort were made to operate like the federal reserve does with check clearances. If that were done, the appropriate databases would automatically update every 24 hours. It would not solve the querry problem, but the data would be available.
There is another possible problem with the querry to CODIS. How long does it take to make the match? This system was built prior to the development of the very fast search algorithms used by Google and others.
We are talking about the BB players again. I have always thought that one or two of the BBP dropped back and interacted with Morgan again. This is just a gut feeling I have. It also would explain the early morning sighting by Norma Parsons. How Morgan came into contact with sketch is not known in that scene.
Just wanted to tell ya’ll Im still here. I am in the process of starting my own business right now and it is of course taking up 98% of my time!
I’ll never give up on J4M.
Hope all of you are doing well : )
DP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_kit alot of this info is dated after 2009, imo,a lot of dots could be connected,if kits were processed.
Dr. P
Are You
opening up a private crime lab? You would be good at it.
susanm
As you read in your link about rape kits, one of the things mentioned was the lack of proper computer systems for LE. Twenty years ago, LE was way behind in the use of computers. Today it has improved, but as the article states, some are still without quality systems.
The price of rape kits at $800 each is not cheap. That money usually comes from the tax base. In small communities that may not amount to a large sum. However, in large cities it can be a big expense.
The other problem with rapes is that over fifty percent are not reported and no charges filed. This allows the perps to remain free to do it again. This is an educational problem that needs to be addressed and solved. As long as there is an adversarial process in the criminal courts regarding rape, there will be those that are reluctant to press charges and go through the ordeal of the trial.