Missing From UVA : Hannah Elizabeth Graham
Charlottesville, VA- Second year University of Virginia student Hannah Graham texted her friends last Saturday morning at approximately 1:20 AM- saying she was lost in the area of Wertland Street.
She has not been heard from since. According to Charlottesville Police Captain Gary Pleasants, it is believed Ms. Graham was intoxicated at the time of her disappearance and may have been on her way to a party but did not arrive.
In recently released images of Graham leaving her apartment at approximately 9:30PM Friday evening, she is shown wearing black skinny pants and a gold and black mesh crop-top, beige shoes or sneakers.
Ms. Graham’s disappearance is not related to a 2013 teen runaway from Indiana with the same name.
The disappearance of Ms. Graham comes on the heels of the recently adjudicated murder trial of Alexis Murphy , the disappearance on the same date as Ms. Graham in 2010 of Samantha Clark and of the course the unsolved murder of Morgan Harrington, who disappeared from John Paul Jones arena in October 2009 and later found murdered in January 2010 on Anchorage Farm in Albemarle County.
In Ms. Harrington’s case, the DNA profile and sketch of the suspect in her murder as well as a rape in Fairfax county in September 2005 was released, but he has not been identified by name or captured.
Harrington Murder Suspect Sketch
Ms. Murphy’s remains have never been recovered and Ms. Clark is still missing, also believed to also be a victim of Randy Allen Taylor, currently serving a life sentence for Murphy’s kidnapping and murder.
Hannah Graham is described as 5’11 tall, with light brown hair and blue eyes. Police are asking anyone with information regarding her disappearance to call the Charlottesville Police Department at 434-970-3280 or CrimeStoppers at 434-977-4000.
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Thanks for covering this. Live in the area and everyone is very concerned. Slight spelling correction, though. I believe the correct street name is Wertland, not Wertman. Regardless of spelling, it is not in the best part of town
Thank you for the correction, I have updated. I am also very concerned. I would be focusing search efforts on the 29 corridor/Red Hill area.
B
Can’t shake the creepy feeling… her last supposed whereabouts (Wertland & 14th) is 4 tenths of a mile (9 minutes walking distance) from where Morgans shirt was found at 15th & Grady…. Prayers is she found safe and soon!
Yes.
B
Glad to see this Blink. What else should be done at this early stage in search efforts that may have been missed in Morgan’s case? Thinking in terms of aerial searching, better community involvement in checking property, etc.
Not waiting for 10 days to get canines ( properly trained) involved- not pulled in a direction the offender wants. Entertaining the possibility as a parallel investigation it could be connected to other crimes. Releasing the location of her last ping location and any GPS data interfaces. Boyfriend issues, etc- what can be ruled out to save time?
B
UVA and Charlottesville has a serious and long-running problem. Law enforcement, the University, and local politicians and activists need to get their butts in gear. This is absolutely unacceptable. Police presence should be increased permanently. CCTVs need to be installed on streets. Every student at UVA– especially women— need to receive information about past cases and how to stay safe. Too many. I am SO angry.
Someone needs to check the lot where Morgan’s purse and phone sans battery were found.
I wondered if you’d be covering this. When I saw on a map yesterday how close Hannah’s last known location was to 15th & Grady it made my skin prickle. Hoping she’s found safe and sound.
awful news. it does appear to fit a pattern.
Thanks for the coverage Blink-
I am very worried for this young woman.
Unfortunately days went by before anyone was aware she was truly missing.
According to some of the media reports- Her phone “cut out” and hasnt pinged since her last text approx 1:20 am.-
That is very concerning.
Did LE ever catch the man that posed aas a taxi driver and abducted the woman who was lucky enough to get away?
If Hannah was inebriated “lost” and trying to make her way to a set destination it seems this would be an opportunity such a predator would seek out
At first glance there does seem to be similarities to Morgans plight as well. It may be coincidental or not
I do think Blink is correct about the search area needing to include 29
- I am hoping she is found safe and sound and all of the worry was for not.
Prayers for Hannah her family friends and community
AJMO
Peace
I don’t know Mom3.0 but I can tell you as a fact that I passed info on to LE about similar “cab” stories from young women that were never reported to police so it happened a few times.
B
Egads Blink…..she was seen on video outside McGrady Irish Pub. This is right next to H&H auto care….I am freaking out…Freaking Way Out.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/H+%26+H+Quality+Car+Care/McGrady's+Irish+Pub,+946+Grady+Ave+%2316,+Charlottesville,+VA+22903/@38.0376326,-78.4912237,20z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x0:0x7555b2be6a1d772e!2m2!1d-78.491491!2d38.0379!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b38631157ecccd:0x82416c97564691f3!2m2!1d-78.491143!2d38.037671!3e2
Not sure if my link to map will work
It isn’t clear she was actually near 14th and Wertland. Her text apparently said that is where she thought she was but was lost. It is almost impossible that you could be lost in that area IMO, as that is so close to the big corner bar/restaurant area. 14th and Wertland is not a bad part of town — it is pretty much all students until you get to 10th (where it changes quickly).
They have surveillance footage of her outside McGrady’s Pup which is near 10th and Grady (a ways north of wertland), heading east on foot towards Preston and, in their words, looking visibly intoxicated. It may be that she was confused about where she was. You would get into very questionable areas heading east from there very quickly. Very worrisome.
yes, indeed Redly.
B
LE have adjusted the search based on a tip / possible sighting-
http://www.roanoke.com/news/virginia/police-adjust-search-area-for-missing-uva-student-hannah-graham/article_388f7507-5eb6-5363-957a-c382ed249776.html
snipped
Charlottesville police Capt. Gary Pleasants said Tuesday that the tip prompted authorities to move the search area farther east, though he could not provide details about the possible sighting.
Would that be unusual for someone to text they were lost? If I were drinking at that age I’d have happy fingers. I’d be more inclined to talk – especially if out in dark, alone and lost – even a 911 call. Do you think that was actually her texting? Anymore usage of phone? That’s really creepy to have another girl missing from that area. Where are the best of the best who can investigate and determine what is happening to all of these females and if the cases are related. My prayers for the safe return of Ms. Graham. Also, don’t these schools recommend at orientation to travel in groups? In C’ville, in particular, I’d heed the warning.
I cannot articulate properly how it maddens my senses to the core to hear that a young woman is walking around by herself at that hour, intoxicated. Ladies- the buddy system, hello?
B
What better way to throw people off her location than to text from the girl’s phone…..
Though she was seen on camera outside McGradys. Wonder who else they might have caught on camera.
Xactly. I am not buying the last text time and location if she was last seen at 11:50PM- her phone shut off at exactly the time of the last text is a huge red flag for me.
B
You have GOT to be freaking kidding me!?!?! I was just on Facebook and “UVA Charlottesville” caught my eye. I can’t pretend that I didn’t walk places alone in college (or afterwards) so I’m not one to talk.
However, it has seemed to me that this school has all but ignored the fact that a young female was abducted & murdered while walking alone on campus & that her case has not been solved.
Her phone “cut out” just a Morgan’s did.
There should be billboards in the area warning students with the sketch. I cannot believe this. Here we go again. Here we freaking go again!!!!
Praying she will be found alive & unharmed!!!!!!
the students don’t call it The Shady Grady for nothing or because of the trees. I am not a local but have spent some time in C’ville around the school and I can appreciate how one can get lost between Grady and the grounds. Moreover, a lot of the side streets are dark with a lot of hedge enclosed lawns, perfect for an ambush and abduction. I think the powers should get going on a worst case scenario and search near anchorage farms and red hill road. Maybe take the dogs there before too long.
Yes, agreed.
B
http://wtvr.com/2014/09/16/new-clue-hannah-graham-missing/
See….Grady, like.mentioned above…ugh
I hope they’re steps ahead of us and already searching Anchorage Farm, always better to err on the side of caution.. good grief, this is making me sick
I think it’s time for a decoy. Have a female officer dress like a college student and have her wear a wire and have her under surveillance. She should walk the same areas as these girls have disappeared in and act intoxicated. See what happens. In the meantime, I think LE needs to be searching the area Morgan was found in.
Being alone drunk outsideof McGradys is a bad place to be in the middle of the night. My husband and I go there to watch soccer games but even with him, I don’t feel entirely comfortable after dark. It is not far from her apartment but is a very easy place to get lost for some reason. And it goes from “normal” to unsafe very quickly. I really think the cab driver theory advanced on here years ago with regard to Morgan is looking more likely. One of Hannah’s friends reported that there was discussion about calling a cab but Hannah decided not to….maybe she changed her mind if a cab drove up?
I believe there is a predator in the Cville area ( can’t say he stays there continuously but I think the stretch toward the Potomac) that has access to, or operates in the role of some form of transportation provider. That includes cabs, limos ( Morgan, limo driver saw bball players)security providers, etc. The common link to sketch’s first known rape and potentially attempted homicide was over a ride- Morgan was said to have arranged a ride-
We are not talking west coast PCH hitchikers from the 70′s people- someone knows this guy, someone saw her, the timeline of surveillance video available is running out so I hope they have enough detectives assigned. Very interesting that VSP is not lead agency.
B
I agree…I bet UVA has a gazillion posters, fliers, ads, even info in orientation packets re “Save The Next Girl.” I would think even among the Freshmen that the abduction and murder of Morgan Harrington would be a well discussed topic. I hope all parents are on the phone with their kids (not only college kids) lecturing them AGAIN – male and female.
RE#11 – Curious about tips/tiplines…is it possible to cross reference if any of the same persons/numbers show for other missing persons. Obviously, a misleading tip – no matter how real, credible it sounds – can throw the investigation way off course.
Oh how terrible is right. I agree with you all, I immediately wondered if it was Hannah that made that 1:20 text claiming to be lost. I believe she lives on 15th and hadn’t she been at a party on 14th earlier?
Earlier reports did say she attended the party with a male friend who offered her a walk home and she declined, so I guess she remained solo for the rest of the night. Ugh, I would be too paranoid to walk that. I believe they were going to bring in new dogs today.
If this is cab/limo/security related, we need to warn young women not to take a ride that’s offered even if the driver appears to be “official.”
A B S O L U T E L Y !
B
Hi Blink,
It’s Josie. I used to be a regular on the Morgan threads. I haven’t posted for awhile, but have been following you lately on your recent Holly Bobo thread. I’m so glad to see that you’re covering missing UVA student Hannah Graham. I was thinking all day today how I hoped you would. Imagine how excited I was this evening when I found that you are. Just as Morgan’s story was close home for me, so sadly, is this one. I still have a student at UVA. I pray this young lady is found alive. Unfortunately, I don’t feel good about it. So much time passed before she was even reported missing. How does one not think to check on a friend that didn’t show up, receive a text that says she’s lost, and don’t think to check on them until a day and a half later??? A lot of what’s come out so far, does remind me of Morgan’s case. Circumstances, location, and seemingly no one checked on her knowing she was drinking, alone and possibly lost and in danger. With Morgan, Alexis, Samantha, Sage and others, why can’t these kids heed the warnings that bad things do happen especially to girls and ladies who are alone? Morgan’s killer is still walking free and possibly right in the area where this girl was last known to be. Dear God, please be with this young lady and let her be okay. Please…
maybe a completely unwarranted stretch but: people (military and military civilian employees) come and go and come again to C’ville to the Jag school (next to uva law school) and the dia ground intelligence center up on 29 (don’t know its new name). Of course, these people are also prevalent in Fairfax and environs. If sketch is not too scruffy (and his rendering looks like he maybe neatly groomed) he could be a military type who has to visit c’ville now and then. Of course, he could just drive to c’ville whenever he wanted. But then again, he must have had some knowledge of anchorage farms so a local connection at least may be presumed. Just another food for thought tidbit to ponder – nothing else has seemed to help.
http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/charlottesville-police-searching-for-university-of-virginia-student/28064644
She is a second year student B.
Can anyone speak to the likely thought process of a predator/criminal like this? Several people have suggested that Anchorage Farm should be searched. How likely is it that– if the same man is responsible for both Hannah’s and Morgan’s abduction– he would actually return to Anchorage Farms? The obvious link between that location and Morgan should put in on the short list of LE. I would think that someone interested in avoiding exposure/arrest would try to avoid places LE is likely to search to buy himself more time or avoid the quick discovery of clues?
I can.
In short, not enough info is known for exclusion as to location- but in terms of odds and similar offense probability and location- there has been a warning to other schools to in include Morgan’s sketch. Since it took years to publish the sketch in the first place, I have to believe there is merit to it.
B
Suspect in Morgan Harrington case seen in Lexington
http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Possible-Suspect-Sighting-Spurs-Public-Safety-Notice-275375341.html
http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Possible-Suspect-Sighting-Spurs-Public-Safety-Notice-275375341.html?device=phone
Possible sighting of Morgan’s killer?
Does it bother anyone else I could not get VSP to release a sketch ( and Dr. Harrington had his own conversation on this) and there is a public alert to 2 specific schools?
They know or suspect an individual, and at the end of this, I will be shocked if it is not someone we don’t already know.
B
H&H Bail Enforcement Agency
946 Grady Ave. Suite 24
McGrady’s Irish Pub
946 Grady Ave. Suite 16
RE: mosaic says:
September 16, 2014 at 9:16 pm
Exactly- quite an eye opener. And then you have the Sketch sighting at Lee Washington, what are the odds? Maybe they all have had enough!
Back again. Dear lord protect and watch over us all.
Amen Redrock.
B
Jane says:
September 16, 2014 at 5:38 pm
RE#11 – Curious about tips/tiplines…is it possible to cross reference if any of the same persons/numbers show for other missing persons. Obviously, a misleading tip – no matter how real, credible it sounds – can throw the investigation way off course.
—
I agree and I am sadly wondering if the tip or possible sighting perhaps included the tip/warning Irish and J.me posted concerning Sketch
This is so horrible I remember Gil saying Hes hiding in plain sight…..
Yes Blink it bothers me- I am glad that they are at least alerting the public now after possible sighting-
With the FBI involved and possible sighting of sketch what was that LE officer thinking when he advised no foul play is suspected?
That line seems all too familiar too.
For Hannahs sake I hope it proves true
Cont prayers.
AJMO peace
“They know or suspect an individual, and at the end of this, I will be shocked if it is not someone we don’t already know.” B
Exactly….someone we have already urged them to look at. And now Hannah is missing…..
Hi Blink,
Just wonder if you have heard anything yet about a possible sighting of Sketch in Morgan’s case this past weekend at Washington and Lee University. Does that seem a little coincidental to you? My thoughts and prayers are with the Graham family. I just have a terrible sinking feeling that this is the work of the same guy.
Sorry, please ignore my last comment I just saw it addressed on the thread already.
Lets hope they froze cell tower data. Tourism and reputations be dammed, this area has a very bad person on the loose, apparently able to come and go at will. Likely a periodic visitor; a traveler who has reason to be in C-ville. Someone in town probably knows him. He could be a driver or chauffeur or run a sales route. He could work for an event planner or caterer. He could be any sort of service rep or tech from electronics to elevators to medical equipment to burglar alarms … you name it. He could be a construction tradesman. He could be an inspector or sorts. C-ville/UVa. have to make some candid admissions – that this place is not safe. Were there any musical acts in town that weekend?
One thing is clear for me Redrock- I agree with you even if it is not associated with the “sketch” in Morgan’s case- but if he is…
B
Not sure I agree with the thinking that this ‘must’ be or is highly likely to be the work of a serial killer/the same culprit as Morgan Harrington…yes, there could be an individual who lives in that area but it seems highly unlikely to me that the person who murdered Morgan would have a) stuck around Charlottesville (especially since there was a connection to the fairfax rape and we don’t know whether the perp ever lived in Cvile to begin with) given all the evidence in that case (DNA etc) or b) would just happen to be hanging out in the area when an intoxicated Hannah happened to walk by. It certainly is a possibility – I am not denying that – but what seems more likely is that there was an unfortunate mix (that to be honest, as a female UVA alum and current resident of downtown c’ville I am surprised doesn’t happen more often as sad as it is) of incapacitated female and opportunistic unsavory member of the community taking advantage of the situation. There are many examples of that situation that take place around the country. We are just unlucky enough to have this occurring in relatively quick succession (2009 with Morgan and now with Hannah). Alexis and Samantha, as this post notes, are the work of a separate perp who has, thank God, been locked up (nor were those students or in the area of the UVA campus).
Admittedly it is rare- but rare-er is an alert to a specific suspect who exists only in a sketch and DNA profile as a by-product of this case.
B
Prayers for Hannah and her family. Also, I noticed train tracks since types of transportation were mentioned. Just a thought.
Was the alert re the sketch generated by this case specifically? I thought it was because there was a sighting… Releasing the sketch because there was a sighting vs releasing the sketch on the back of this case have two different implications to me?
That being said the proximity of McGradys and some neighboring small business that have been discussed in reference to Morgan is creepy. Though one could argue a lot of things in C’ville are in proximity to one another.
A new freshman walking alone at 1:30 A.M. and unfamiliar with the area. A prime opportunity for a predator to take advantage of.
The location posted on Scared Monkeys puts her a block from the RR overpass and near the University medical complex. It is possible as Redly posted she was not at that location, but somewhere else.
It has been almost three days. Every hour she is not found reduces the chance of being found safe. I would have thought that UVA freshman orientation would include a “Take Back The Night” lecture that would include good safety instructions.
I hope LE is able to develop some good leads quickly.
It is hard to say whether sketch passes through or lives here but it it is clear he is comfortable in this area. Also if Hannah has been abducted by sketch, it is not just a coincidence that he has stumbled onto two impaired girls in circumstances where they are extremely vulnerable—it means he is probably out there trolling for victims a lot and can act when the opportunity arises. He is a predator and they enjoy the hunt. Also it took years for Cville to catch the serial rapist even though they had his DNA … he was working at the Harris Teeter all along. Criminals like that tend to stay where they are comfortsble, they do not usually leave for fear of being caught.
Mike posted about two military training centers/schools in the Charlottesville area. It’s interesting to note that the Washington & Lee campus (where Sketch might have been spotted) directly abuts the campus of the Virginia Military Institute. Could a man in military uniform or with a military badge make women feel safe enough to get into the car with him when he offers them a ride?
In some areas security contractors can be authorized to detain persons under certain guidelines, jus sayin.
B
Also, someone posted about a bail enforcement agency being located in the same shopping center as McGrady’s Irish Pub.
Does anyone know where the bail bonds companies are located in Lexington, VA? I found some doing a google search but they didn’t list an actual street address.
If it’s the same guy, he seems to be energized in the fall when school is in session and VA towns are at full occupancy. He is a Virginia resident if that sighting at W&L is reliable. He knows campuses around the Commonwealth.
Cassandra Morton, albeit not a student, was found not far from the Liberty University campus in Campbell County just near the LBurg city line.
He runs the corridors N-S, E-W scoping out college towns. He didn’t quite blend in with the crowd in Lexington. It makes me think that he is hiding in plain sight indeed in Charlottesville, however.
LE are using the help of the FBI to figure out where the last text was sent-
http://wtvr.com/2014/09/17/police-now-think-hannah-grahams-last-text-listed-incorrect-location/
snipped
“A lot of things happen when you send out messages and text, and we’re following that,” Pleasants said. Police said Graham was “fairly well intoxicated” at the time she was last seen.
The timeline of the last hours anyone heard from her is as follows:
11: 50 p.m. Friday, Graham was last seen by friends at Camden Plaza Apartments, in the 200 block of 14th Street NW.
12:45 a.m. Saturday she was seen on surveillance video outside of McGrady’s Pub on Grady Street.
1:20 a.m. Saturday, she sends a text to friends saying she was lost in the area around 14th and Wertland Streets.
Google maps indicates the distances between these places would make for substantial walks, especially for person “fairly well intoxicated,” as police and friends say she was
Good morning, just sending a link with new information from overnight…
http://wtvr.com/2014/09/17/police-now-think-hannah-grahams-last-text-listed-incorrect-location/
Dog track ended in front of McGrady and she got into a vehicle, absolutely.
The story of what happened will lie in the ping study between 12:46 and 1:20 AM
B
B says(snipped): ……That includes cabs, limos ( Morgan, limo driver saw bball players)…..
___________
dda says:
September 16, 2014 at 4:00 pm
———–
OMG. I have such a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“The story of what happened will lie in the ping study between 12:46 and 1:20 AM
B”
Absolutely agreed, the timing and location of any cell phone usage always provides helpful clues. I also find it hard to believe that any 18 y/o college student would leave the house for a night out without a fully charged or almost full cell battery, I believe that cell was manually turned off. Last comment, another article said she was speaking to someone in the McGrady video but it did not clarify if that meant an actual person or was on the phone talking. Have you heard anything in regards to that piece of info?