Morgan Harrington disappeared from John Paul Jones arena two years ago Monday October 17, 2011.
Morgan was found murdered in a remote section of a 700 acre farm in North Garden, VA, where she went undetected previously for three months.
Blink, Editor In Chief, www.blinkoncrime.com discusses the SAVE THE NEXT GIRL campaign developed and launched by her parents, Dr. Dan Harrington and Gil Harrington along with other scheduled advocacy events in observation of the two year anniversary of her disappearance and murder; which remains unsolved.
A Preview: Morgan Harrington Murder: Two Women, Two Locations, Two Years- Too Long. (Publishing tomorrow)
As you have come to expect, Blink and team take a closer look into the investigation of Morgan’s murder.
Blink analyzes the ties to the unsolved Fairfax rape and assault, the participation of the Law Enforcement agencies involved, concerns about some of the UVA contractor and employee access and asks the question nobody wants to:
Was the Enemy From Within?
Clint Van Zandt, NBC analyst and former FBI profiler discusses the release of Amanda Knox and murder of Meredith Kercher from his former on scene perspective. Clint was inside the house in Perugia, and shares his experience with out host, Dana Pretzer.
Don’t miss Blink on the Dana Pretzer Show on Scared Monkeys radio discussing what is next in for Casey Anthony. Will the civil cases be more successful than the criminal trial? Will Casey rake in the profits from her deceased daughter Caylee? What about Caylee’s Law … What will Justice for Caylee ultimatey look like? Also, other guests will be Alafair Burke, Dan & Gil Harrington, and Mile McIntyre.
LISTEN TO THE DANA PRETZER SHOW TONIGHT LIVE AT 9PM ET ON SCARED MONKEYS RADIO
Dana welcomes special guests:
Alafair Burke – Former Deputy District Attorney in Portland, OR, discussing her new book “Long Gone.”
Charlottesville, VA– Sunday October 17 marks the one-year anniversary of the worst day of Dan and Gil Harrington’s lives. Although they were not yet aware of the horror that had befallen their Roanoke, VA family, the next morning their daughter’s purse was found on the grounds of the University of Virginia Lanigan Field. Morgan Dana Harrington had vanished.
While attending a Metallica concert with friends Sarah Snead, Amelia Melvin and Dan Cassagne with tickets purchased 6 months earlier by Morgan’s Dad, Morgan, for reasons unknown, was outside John Paul Jones arena at approximately 8:45PM.
Morgan attempted to re-enter the arena but could not locate her ticket and was denied access to return to the venue.Shortly thereafter, Sarah called Morgan at 8:48PM looking for her and was told she could not get back in and would be attempting to locate a ride, according to Snead.
Various witness accounts and in some cases corroborating statements from Virginia State Police (VSP), place Morgan in different areas of the adjacent parking lots of JPJ over the following 45 minutes, moving toward the far perimeter of UVA property.
According to the VSP, there is a witness statement that a person matching Morgan’s description was seen hitchhiking alone on the Copeley bridge at approximately 9:30PM.
After several private law enforcement searches and two volunteer based efforts organized by the Harrington’s failed to locate her, Morgan Harrington’s remains were discovered by a prominent Charlottesville land owner on his remote 700 acre farm in Albemarle County,8 miles South of JPJ arena, on January 26th, 2010.Morgan’s death has been classified as a homicide, however her cause of death has not been released.
Until July, the case seemed to be at a virtual standstill from an investigative perspective, in fact the only arrest to date is that of a man who provided a false lead to VSP, and was prosecuted for it.
Behind the scenes, Dan and Gil Harrington, who were made aware of the connection a few weeks earlier, were adamant the sketch was critical to developing leads and warning others and demanded the sketch be posted on the VSP website; it was uploaded later that afternoon at Dr. Harrington’s request.
Virginia State Police have not commented publicly on the case in several months, but in a private correspondence with a concerned blinkoncrime.com reader, Lt. Joe Rader, leading the investigation for VSP,said not only is the case not cold, but he has recently assigned additional manpower to it.
Dan and Gil Harrington, Morgan’s bereaved parents, along with Morgan’s beloved brother Alex, have spent the last year keeping Morgan’s case alive through the development of their own family blog, TV and radio appearances, and most recently, a meeting regarding safety concerns with new University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan.This Sunday, a memorial plaque to promote safety and honor Morgan Harrington is being presented to the Harrington’s on the Copely bridge.
Note From the Editor
“How would you describe the Harrington’s?”I am asked this question frequently.
I always respond the same way.“I would not”.
The grace and poise these parents have shown in the face of the worst conceivable tragedy to befall a parent is not something I could wordsmith or articulate.
If the question comes from someone I feel may help their cause, I offer to make the introduction, but I would never presume to speak for them.
The Harrington’s have created a legacy in memory of Morgan that only parents of a 20-year-old blossoming artist, music loving, budding educator could.
Morgan Harrington Photo chosen by and courtesy of The Harrington Family Library
Elizabeth Morten, Madeline Tanner and Jason Mateos, contributing editors to blinkoncrime.com
Charlottesville, VA– Late Tuesday evening, prompted by questions by the Editor In Chief of blinkoncrime.com about a recent rape which occurred at the DZ sorority on Chancellor Street, The University of Virginia sent out an alert to students.
However, as required of UVA by the Clery Act, the alert was 10 days late. Charlottesville Police recorded a police report of a forcible rape on September 17, 2010.
The Jeanne Clery Act, founded by her parents, Howard and Connie Clery, is a Federal Law applicable to all Higher Learning Institutions that participate in Federal funding assistance which requires mandatory reporting for specified crimes.
Constance and Howard Clery founders of Security ON Campus, Inc. after their 19 year old daughter Jeanne was brutally raped, tortured and murdered while sleeping in her dorm on April 5, 1986.
Fellow Lehigh University co-eds propped 3 different doors open, in violation of security rules, unknowingly allowing her killer access.
The bill which became a Federal law, was based on the fact that 38 different violent offenses occurred at Lehigh U that the student body was never made aware of prior to Clery’s murder. Had they been, it is almost certain not only would the automatic locking doors have been inaccessible, but parents and students combined would have demanded security upgrades to prevent such a heinous event.
Following the email that went to 23,000 students at 11:01 PM September 28, Allen Groves, Dean of Students, and Lt. Melissa Fielding of the University Police Department, held an impromptu press conference Wednesday, as a follow up to the email alert with some additional background information.
Charlottesville, VA- Sallie Hamilton, the original owner of the Hamilton House on Chancellor Ave., was ahead of her time when she chose Charlottesville to build her boarding house.
Recently divorced and the mother of two young sons, she was one of five single women from 1900 to 1910 to build and operate boarding houses to accommodate students of the University of Virginia as a means of income and support for her family.
The Chancellor Street address abutted the newly established and exclusive Fraternity Row on Madison Lane and was directly across from the central grounds. The Delta Zeta Sorority purchased it in 1979.
In the early morning hours of September 17th, 2010, it was also the scene of the latest rape of a UVA student and DZ sorority sister.
September 17th, 2010 also happens to have been the first full day of a 10 day memorial to Yeardley Love, the lacrosse player who was brutally murdered in May.
The columns of the Rotunda were draped in black just hours before the vicious rape and assault in the backyard of the sorority house, an assault that the young woman has very little memory of.
Coincidentally, Yeardley Love was a sister at Kappa Alpha Theta, whose sorority, Saunders House, resides at 127 Chancellor Street.
Tonight at 9PM EST, following special guest Robin Sax NBC Analyst, Author and Former LA Sex Crimes Prosecutor, Blink, Editor In Chief of blinkoncrime.com discusses the latest developments.
