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.

Morgan Dana Harrington was the ingenue of artist and adjunct professor at Virginia Tech, Jane Lillian Vance.

She was scheduled to travel with her to Nepal in the Spring of 2010 while continuing to pursue her Education degree in her third year as a Hokie.

Morgan would not make that trip, and Vance would complete her latest work in her former students honor, last week.

With her Mother Gil’s help, albeit posthumously, Morgan is indeed educating children; the underprivileged children of Zambia.   In April, 2010,  Gil Harrington carried some of her beloved daughter’s ashes during the Orphan Medical Network International (OMNI) pilgrimage to Zambia.   After raising donations for the Morgan Harrington Educational Wing, Morgan’s ashes were mixed with the concrete foundation of the school bearing her name.

At 5’6” ,  with breck-girl locks and eyes like briolette  faceted tourmaline’s,  Morgan was a stunning beauty.

Behind her neon smile was the burgeoning sophistication of a girl beyond her years and peers.

This gilded lily stood out.

On the grounds of the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia while attending a Metallica concert with her friends, unfortunately, she also caught the eye of a dangerous predator.    The cost of admission to the events that followed, would be her life.

Devoid of her ticket to return inside the presumed safety of the venue and old friends,  Morgan scored the unwilling and unalterable ticket to the cross-hairs of a Medium Build, 6’ African American sexual sadist who has likely spent the last four years honing his skills.

“Sketch” was interrupted by a passerby during a vicious beating and sexual assault in Fairfax on September 24, 2005.  His DNA is linked to both victims.

Lights, Cameras, 400 Blue Phones

According to JPJ and UVA security guidelines, all hired security must be law enforcement.

In addition to the regularly scheduled patrol assignments of UVA PD, events such as the Metallica concert required additional security posts which were hired via a security request when the date was booked.  Although additional UVA officers were working the night of October 17, there has never been a statement regarding any observations  from that evening on their behalf by Melissa Fielding, Investigative Lieutenant.

However, in a private meeting that included UVA PD staff, shortly after Morgan’s disappearance, an attendee speaking to www.blinkoncrime.com on the condition of anonymity, told me he heard Fielding tell someone openly that Harrington’s car never left Harrisonburg, or JMU, and that it was a different friends car that was driven to the arena and hers had been accounted for.

In response to another UVA PD staffer loudly offering  that he heard that Morgan was behaving “obnoxiously” during the trip to JPJ, which resulted in a tiff between the friends and the reason she ultimately left the concert, Fielding snapped “That was still no reason to leave her.”

When pressed as to why she thought they still believed Morgan’s car was not a factor when Lt Rader of the Virginia State Police (VSP) and Dr. Harrington, Morgan’s Father, both confirmed her car was the vehicle the foursome traveled in,  she repeated that information was incorrect with no further explanation.  While VSP was leading the investigation at this point, it certainly still begs the question as to why the original agency tasked with her disappearance, and still assisting, would have such important misinformation circulating in an active investigation and ongoing search.

According to the Office of the Executive Vice President of UVA,  UVAPD security personnel are also responsible for surveillance on grounds.  The central monitoring  area, which is linked to the security cameras in several lots and public areas, is located in the central parking garage.  There is no information available on the storage medium of recorded footage from the cameras, and requests for information were deferred to VSP.

The University of Virginia uses technology to improve security on Grounds. University Police install video cameras in several parking lots and public areas. Additional cameras may be installed in the future. Security cameras will be connected to a central control room operated by the Police Department in the new Central Grounds Parking Garage. The purpose for using the cameras is to reduce incidents of crime while limiting the need to expand the Police Department.

VSP is not discussing the specificity of what they have or do not have regarding footage supplied by JPJ/UVA.

With the exception of course that out of everything that has “been supplied to them”, there are no images of Morgan whatsoever.

Stationed inside the arena,  is UVA PD security, non-police event security run by RMC Events,  security staff employed directly by Metallica, UVA facilities management personnel, and contracted vendors to both JPJ and UVA.   Firemarshall, zoning, and University guidelines also require EMT attendance.

Invisible As The Web In a Spiders Belly- Marge Piercy

Morgan asked her friend and roommate Amy Melvin to accompany her to the restroom at approximately 8:20PM.

Because of an earlier spat and lingering tension, Amy declined and Morgan left her seat alone.

Earlier, Morgan attempted to diffuse the matter upon entrance to John Paul Jones Arena  in a conciliatory gesture, by purchasing a Metallica T-shirt for Amy.  Amy reciprocated.

When Morgan climbed between the seats to make her way to the restroom, it was the last time Amy Melvin, Sarah Snead and Dan Cassagne would see their friend alive.

Morgan’s friends treating her like a vexatious afterthought did not aid the situation in the least.

A fellow Metallica fan sitting in the general area of Morgan and her friends, whose name is being intentionally withheld as a potential witness in this case, both observed and interacted with her until she left her seat; he assumed, for a drink.

He said during the Lamb of God set, Morgan changed her seat in the middle, and characterized her as very friendly, but “erratic” and repeatedly asked he and his companions for a sip of their non-alcoholic beverages.

In his opinion, Morgan exhibited signs of being under some sort of influence, was definitely overheated and parched.

A few minutes later, another witness claimed to be online with Morgan at the concession stand where she purchased a soda.

Shortly after this exchange, Morgan is seen dabbing a wound on her chin in the ladies room.   Witnesses in a different area of seating believe they saw a woman matching Morgan’s description fall on the steps to the immediate right of their seats, and was not carrying a drink at the time.

After Amy and Sarah left their seats to look for Morgan when she failed to return, Sarah phoned Morgan on her cell at 8:48PM  .

Morgan was clearly upset as she told Sarah she was refused any option of re-entry by security, but did not reveal why she went outside the arena in the first place.

This account conflicts with that provided by lead investigator, Agent Dino Cappuzzo, of the Virginia State Police, who commented during last years walk through on Anchorage Farm that a ticket-taker informed Morgan she would need to repurchase a ticket in order to return to the concert after she indicated that her ticket was “in pieces at the bottom of her purse.”

Morgan had the means to purchase another ticket.  What she did not have, was her red digital Kodak camera she was digging for when she first exited the arena, and not a shred of her Metallica ticket has ever been found.

Concession Confessions- The Deadly Kind

Think a concession connection is far-fetched?  Tell that to Inna Budnytska.

Michael Lee Jones, former concession employee for Centerplate and then Ovations, used his position as a traveling contract food service employee to prey on his victims.  Mr. Jones worked at a ball field in Norfolk, VA for 12 years.

While it is assumed any other reported assaults with a DNA sample he was involved with would come to light,  84% of stranger rapes go unreported statistically speaking, there are likely unreported assaults.

Jones has no known direct connection to Morgan’s case, but the parallel of access to grounds in some of his crimes and therefore victims at the venue he was working,  is investigative 101.

Without the tenacity of retired Long Island cop turned- investigator Ken Brennan, and the equal ability to be open to civilian assistance by Miami Detective Allen Foote,  Jones would be free right now.

Mike Jones would not have been caught in this case, or the other cases, and would likely have raped and assaulted other victims.

Unlike Inna’s case, without the benefit of video in Morgan Harrington’s disappearance, witness accounts of her time and movement throughout the JPJ arena and subsequent grounds make witness interviews invaluable.

It is abundantly clear that VSP,  profiling experts and analysis of the topography of the700 acre Anchorage Farm indicate whoever is responsible for placing Morgan there, was intimately familiar with the property.

In fact, Lt. Joseph Rader, believes her recovery location as chosen by her killer, is the “most important aspect of this investigation… People of North Garden, this will mean something to you.” ”

People in the Anchorage Farm area, you know what goes on there, you know the history,” said Rader. “You know who comes in and out of the vicinity and you might not realize it but you probably have some information for us that you don’t even think is important.”

In an earlier article, published shortly after Harrington’s remains were found, we reported the most recent activity of the land and it’s owners David and Nancy Bass.  During the time of Morgan’s disappearance, the farm house, or the home on the Va historical register occupied at the time by the Bass’s daughter Jenny, was undergoing renovations to its hvac.

A carpenter working for Mr. Bass  during the Summer of 2009 recalled stopping a black male driving a black jeep on the back of the Bass property and was told he was David Bass’s brother.

While the farm’s renovations, rezoning and subsequent withdrawal from a previous taxation commitment was compelling reading, it did not produce any leads and The Bass family did not recognize the image of sketch when shown in July 2010.  Perhaps  the historic property needed more history.

Time For Loud- Not Enshroud

If Anchorage Farm holds the key to revealing Morgan’s killer or killers, what other secrets does it hold?

Plenty, and they lead right back to a time in Virginia history that rips the scab off of a fairly fresh wound for many generations, and back to The University of Virginia.

In the 1740’s, Albemarle county, which was formed from Goochland and Louisa counties, was a vast frontier largely owned by Peter Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson’s father, and Col. Charles Lewis, brother of Robert, grandfather of Meriwether Lewis.

Courtesy of Legends Of Lewis

The men opened two plantations near each other, and produced three generations of one or more first cousin marriages between the two families.

Both families amassed great wealth over the years through slaves and land, but as the eighteenth century drew to a close, through a series of farming failures and poor plantation oversight, the Lewis family fell on extremely hard times.

Charles Lewis sold everything he had with the exception of the North Garden property which he gave to sons Randolph, Lilburne and Isham.

The Lewis plantation later named Anchorage Farm by the White family, would remain with Lewis family members through 1846.

In 1808, with looming debt, resentful neighbors and and little cash to parleigh into prospects, Lilburne and Randolph decided to immigrate to Kentucky, the popular new destination for those in crisis, leaving Isham, and a few aunts  to toil what is now known as Anchorage Farm.

With remaining slaves in tow, the Lewis family traveled by barge to their new home “ Rocky Hill”.

Three family members would die in the first eighteen months, and the worst was yet to come.

In the Fall of 1808,  Isham Lewis traveled to Rocky Hill to pay his respects to his recently deceased older brother Randolf, announcing his plans for an indefinite stay.

Isham was widely known for his less than gentlemanly status and his reunion with brother Lilburne, who by this time had spiraled into a deep depression treated with ardent spirits.

Thomas Jefferson’s nephews Isham and Lilburne forged the unholy alliance that would eliminate the possibility of a Lewis dynasty in Kentucky, forever.

The fuse igniting the transformation of Rocky Hill to Rocky Horror was lit.

A teenage slave named George, who traveled with the Lewis family from Albemarle three years earlier,  ran off for a few days in December allegedly due to Lilburne’s treatment of him.

Fueling the alcoholism and depression, Lilburne’s new wife Letitia Griffin Lewis was pregnant with James Griffin Lewis, the couple’s first child together.

On December 15, 1811 George was asked by Lilburne to fetch a pitcher of water believed to belong to his beloved Mother Lucy.  He broke it and returned to the plantation, met by the homicidal rage of the Lewis brothers while all the slaves were made to bear witness, lest they had any ideas such behaviors would be tolerated.

Lilburne and Isham drug young George to the main house, gathered all the slaves to watch, and Lilburne buried an axe in George’s neck to the horror of all.

He ordered another slave to dismember him and threatened all that If anyone had any similar notions to his, they would receive a duplicate fate.

Fate, in fact, would make an appearance shortly in the form of an earthquake, which made George’s remains accessible to the family dog, ultimately discovered by a neighbor and reported to police.

Isham and Lilburne were indicted and freed on bond.  The brothers formed a suicide pact and headed for the Rocky Hill cemetery where Lilburne ended up shooting himself in the chest while showing Isham how to release the flint lock.

Isham fled only to be captured a few days later and jailed for assisting in his brothers suicide.

Letitia, now a widow, fled Kentucky in fear with her newborn son.

Mysteriously, Isham garnered his freedom anyway, through an assisted jail-break.

He disappeared, was believed to live under an alias, marry and was allegedly killed in the battle of New Orleans in 1815.

His remains were never positively identified.

Brother to Dragons, indeed.

In his eventual biography of Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson eluded to the explorer and Governor of Louisiana’s familial afflictions with mental illness following his suicide.   A memoir of an escaped slave, written by Francis Frederick, is believed to depict the treatment of the slaves owned by Thomas Jefferson Randolph, with whom Thomas Jefferson and family resided and attended the adjacent school as a child.

In this period, Virginia was the largest destination for slaves from the Bight of Biafra on the West side of the African coast, and the natives spoke patois.

The extended Lewis family owned plantations on Buck Island, Red Hill Depot, and Monteagle, which is believed to be the former name of the Lewis Plantation.

Committed at a time  and place where it was illegal to murder a slave, George’s story is definitely an anomaly due to the horrific murder becoming known publicly.

Thomas Jefferson is believed to have owned about 200 slaves; a combination of in inheritance from his Father Peter, his wife’s very prominent family the Rudolphs, and through sale.

His father Peter and he were also very close to the William Cabell family of Tuckahoe, one of the largest slave owners in Albemarle, and relatives of Samuel Cabell, murdered  for “taking up” with a former slave and living openly with her and their children.

Could the current Albemarle descendants from either side of the family tree shed any light on family legends that might lead sketch to dump Morgan Harrington’s remains on the former Lewis plantation?  Have they even been asked?

There is no shortage of information today about slave masters and plantation owners producing offspring of mixed race.

In the case of Morgan Harrington’s murder, there is a forensic DNA link to an African American male, also linked to a brutal rape and assault years earlier, who by VSP’s own confirmation, possesses the navigational prowess of an individual who was comfortable traversing an area of the farm unreachable by vehicle as much as 1000 feet away, in the dark.    He is local, period.

Is the paradox of Morgan’s recovery in the hollows of a historic slave plantation while her legacy enriches the lives of African children that will gain educational opportunities previously not possible, in her honor, be enough to stimulate the concscious of someone who has the answers?

To be continued: Morgan Harrington Murder Part II: Two Years Cold- Two Women, Two Locations, Too Long.

*Investigative Analysis of Morgan’s last known activity in the lot of JPJ and Copely Bridge

*Independent investigation of adherence to UVA/JPJ background policy for employees and contractors

*Investigative Analysis of new evidence

Contributing Editors:  Jason Mateos,  Jacqueline Beaufort,  Madeline Tanner, Klaasend

Image Credits:  Harrington Family,  As Credited.

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.”
• Dan and Gil Harrington discussing the so far unsolved murder of their daughter Morgan Dana Harrington. Get more information at Find Morgan.com.
• Crime blogger Blink from Blink on Crime will be  discussing what’s next in the Casey Anthony case.
• Mike McIntyre -  Syndicated radio host and Crime Author  discussing all things crime related.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TONIGHT LIVE AT 9 PM ET

LISTEN TONIGHT LIVE AT 9 PM ET TO DANA PRETZER ON SCARED MONKEYS RADIO

Dana welcomes special guests:

• Crime blogger Blink from Blink on Crime will be discussing the shocking jury verdict of “not guilty” in the murder trial of Casey Anthony. In a head spinning decision, the jury in Orlando, FL took 10 hours of deliberations and came back with a “not guilty” verdict which begs the questions, is it “reasonable” that a jury could have watched the same trial everyone else did and let the tot mom skate on all major accounts … where is the Justice for Caylee? Blink will add her analysis and insight as to what occurred.

Pat Brown - Criminal profiler will be discussing the murder trial of Casey Anthony and yesterdays shocking verdict. Pat will provide her expert opinion as to Casey Anthony. The jury found her not guilty, but if not Casey, then who? What will Pat’s reaction be to Casey Anthony skating on all major charges. How did Casey Anthony walk?

Tim Miller – the founder of Texas Eqqusearch (TES) joins Dana to discuss his reaction to the Casey Anthony verdict, was it much different from the wild goose chase and runaround that TES received when conducted the searches for Caylee Anthony.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Sally Karioth will be appearing all week.  Try the veal.

Contributor Credit: www.blinkoncrime poster Lizzie 

I am referring to the bombshell dropped on the court by lead defense attorney, J. Cheney Mason. For reasons that may very well stay sealed until the conclusion of the trial, amongst rumors of photoshopping evidence pictures and witness tampering, Mason iniatied an off the record sidebar followed by an incamera meeting someone decided the defendant would not attend.

The dissention in the ranks seemed to stem from Friday’s rookie error, made by Mason, a criminal defense attorney with nearly 40 years of experience and considered one of the “super lawyers” in the State of Florida. Mason asked first responder deputy Ryan Eberlin, of the OCSO if he placed Casey Anthony in handcuffs at the Anthony home , opening the door to the prosecution to allow the deputy to explain, in front of the jury, that he did so at the request of Cindy Anthony after providing proof her daughter fraudulently used her credit cards.

(Editor’s Note: I was so stunned by this ginormous snafu I considered the possibility Mason did so to get fired on purpose. Given Saturday’s events, my jury is still out on that one.)

With Tru Tv’s Insession and other various local affiliates geared up for all day Saturday coverage, this presented the unique problem of having a day of rampant legal speculation as to what could have caused Judge Perry, who already scheduled an extended Saturday as a sanction to the defense for it’s third contempt of an order regarding expert witness testimony, ran through every option.

Based on the fact that immediately after court was recessed until 8:30 AM this morning, Jose Baez informed Dot Simms she would need to accompany State Attorney Jeff Ashton for the afternoon deposition of Dr. Kenneth Furton, that he could not, so she “just had to”, and the immediate seal of both the sidebar and incamera session, it is clear there are very limited reasons for the kerfeffel under Florida Law.

They are:

Jury related issue: Impossible as the court reporter left immediately after the recess. If that were the case, Judge Perry would have been required to address the issue immediately on the record, and with counsel present.

Pending Witness testimony Issue: Would not require recess, would not allow for closed proceedings and sealed transcripts, and there were 7 defense witnesses at the court house waiting to be called.

Plea Deal: Again, would not require in camera session without the defendant.

Misconduct: ding ding ding.. We have a winner.

Health Issue: Possible, but highly unlikely given we are looking at only about another week of testimony.

Rule 4-1.16 Declining or Terminating Representation

(a) When Lawyer Must Decline or Terminate Representation.

Except as stated in subdivision (c), a lawyer shall not represent a client or, where representation has commenced, shall withdraw from the representation of a client if:

(1) the representation will result in violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct or law;

(2) the lawyer’s physical or mental condition materially impairs the lawyer’s ability to represent the client; or

(3) the lawyer is discharged.

(b) When Withdrawal Is Allowed.

Except as stated in subdivision (c), a lawyer may withdraw from representing a client if withdrawal can be accomplished without material adverse effect on the interests of the client, or if:

(1) the client persists in a course of action involving the lawyer’s services that the lawyer reasonably believes is criminal or fraudulent;

(2) the client has used the lawyer’s services to perpetrate a crime or fraud;

(3) a client insists upon pursuing an objective that the lawyer considers repugnant or imprudent;

(4) the client fails substantially to fulfill an obligation to the lawyer regarding the lawyer’s services and has been given reasonable warning that the lawyer will withdraw unless the obligation is fulfilled;

(5) the representation will result in an unreasonable financial burden on the lawyer or has been rendered unreasonably difficult by the client; or

(6) other good cause for withdrawal exists.

An attorney withdrawl in the middle of trial is not unheard of, and it is not automatic grounds for a mistrial. That said, given the fact this is a death penalty case, and Jose Baez does not meet the requirements as lead counsel in a capital case, it increases the chances significantly.

Rule 3.112 of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure (2000) outline the minimum standards for attorneys in capital cases: Lead trial counsel assignments should be given to attorneys who: are members of the bar admitted to practice in the jurisdiction or admitted to practice pro hac vice; are experienced and active trial practitioners with at least five years of litigation experience in the field of criminal law; have prior experience as lead counsel in no fewer than nine jury trials of serious and complex cases which were tried to completion, as well as prior experience as lead defense counsel or co-counsel in at least two cases tried to completion in which the death penalty was sought. In addition, of the nine jury trials which were tried to completion, the attorney should have been lead counsel in at least three cases in which the charge was murder; or alternatively, of the nine jury trials, at least one was a murder trial and an additional five were felony jury trials; and are familiar with the practice and procedure of the criminal courts of the jurisdiction; and are familiar with and experienced in the utilization of expert witnesses and evidence, including but not limited to psychiatric and forensic evidence, and have demonstrated the necessary proficiency and commitment which exemplify the quality of representation appropriate to capital cases. Trial co-counsel assignments should be given to attorneys who: are members of the bar admitted to practice in the jurisdiction or admitted to practice pro hac vice; who qualify as lead counsel under paragraph (c) of these standards or meet the following requirements: are experienced and active trial practitioners with at least three years of litigation experience in the field of criminal law; and have prior experience as lead counsel or co-counsel in no fewer than three jury trials of serious and complex cases which were tried to completion, at least two of which were trials in which the charge was murder; or alternatively, of the three jury trials, at least one was a murder trial and one was a felony jury trial; and are familiar with the practice and procedure of the criminal courts of the jurisdiction and have demonstrated the necessary proficiency and commitment which exemplify the quality of representation appropriate to capital cases.

Ann Finnell, Casey Anthony penalty phase attorney, is the only remaining lawyer on her team that meets the criteria- will Judge Perry order her to resume the defense?

Will whoever shows up at the “table against the wall” request a mistrial or simply a curative instruction? I have a couple of submissions I would like to offer, if that is the case.

Tune in at 8:30AM.