Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Cops Say Whoever Killed Morgan Harrington Knew Tricky Farm Area
Virginia Police Ask for Help From Farm Area Residents
By EMILY FRIEDMAN
Feb. 4, 2010
Whoever killed Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington and left her body on a remote farm knew the tricky "obstacles" to get to the location, Virginia police said today.
Virginia State Police Lt. Joe Rader asked at a press conference today for people who live in the area to alert investigators to whoever was familiar with the roads and terrain there.
Rader said investigators believe the person or persons responsibile for Harrington's murder was familiar with the area on Anchorage Farm where the 20-year-old's body was found.
"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."
"We encourage you, pick up the phone and call us," said Rader, also offering a special phone line, 434-709-1685 , that has been set up for tips.
Anchorage Farm is in Albemarle County about 10 miles south of where Harrington was last seen at a Metallica concert. Her body was discovered by the owner of the farm on Oct. 17. Harrington's death was ruled a homicide on Wednesday, but her cause of death has not yet been determined.
Rader went on to list several points of interest about the location and the significance of the location that he said he was offering in hopes of getting a response from the community.
Among the items in Rader's list was information about the "obstacles" that a person unfamiliar with the farm would have faced trying to get to the stop where Harrington was found.
"The choice of that particular location is quite different than if the person responsible had chosen the public highway or the shoulder," said Rader. "This particular location would have been a high risk location unless you're familiar with the area."
"People living in that area, this will mean something to you," Rader said cryptically.
Family and Friends of Harrington Suspect Foul Play by Local
Family and friends of Harrington have long been convinced that she was a victim of a murderer.
Jenna Testerman, one of Harrington's best friends, said that she knows Harrington would not have succumbed to a killer without putting up a fight.
"I really don't know what happened to her," Testerman told ABCNews.com, just days after the search for Harrington came to a grim ending with the discovery of her body. "She wasn't someone who would just wander off."
"But what I do know is that Morgan is a fighter and she would have fought to the death," said Testerman.
"We were all hoping that they were going to find her safe and while we knew it would take a lot of work to get Morgan back to normal, we just wanted her to be alive," said Testerman. "We just wanted her to give us one of her big hugs that she's known for."
Testerman said she is particularly feeling the loss. She and Harrington were part of a close-knit group of girlfriends who called themselves "The Nine." Some of the girls even got the number nine tattooed on their bodies as a symbol of their friendship when they all went off to college. Now they are eight.
"We just hope that she didn't have to go through any pain and that her killer showed her mercy and that she's up above in heaven looking down on us," said Testerman.
In a chilling blog entry on Jan. 31 on a Web site dedicated to Harrington, the girl's father, Dan Harrington, wrote about retrieving his dead daughter's body after months of hoping she'd be found alive.
"How could someone have erased so much of what Morgan was and reduced her to a jumbled heap of bones?" wrote Dan Harrington. "Who would ever have thought it would be mine to see every image of Morgan's life – from her first faint shadows on fetal ultrasound to the gaping orbital hollows in her skull? An abomination to witness this ending."
What Happened to Morgan Harrington After the Metallica Concert?
Few details have emerged about the night she went missing. Harrington had gone to a Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville when she got separated from her friends, who believe she stepped outside for a smoke.
Harrington, who was wearing a black mini skirt, black tights and black boots as well as a black t-shirt with "Pantera" written on the front in tan letters, called her friends on a cell phone to say she was not allowed back inside.
Sarah Snead, who had accompanied Harrington and another friend to the concert, told WSLS in Raonake that she had been the one to receive the phone call telling them that she was stuck outside the arena.
"[She said] don't worry, I'll find a way home," said Snead.
Surveillance cameras at the concert caught Harrington getting turned away from several entrances as she tried to return to the conert. Later, witnesses told police they saw someone matching her description in a nearby grassy parking lot, and then walking on an adjacent road.
The morning after the concert, Harrington's purse and cell phone were found in that grassy field and later, her parents Dan and Gil Harrington, called police to report her missing.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/morgan-harringtons-killer-knew-obstacles-farm-area/story?id=9749253&page=1
Virginia Police Ask for Help From Farm Area Residents
By EMILY FRIEDMAN
Feb. 4, 2010
Whoever killed Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington and left her body on a remote farm knew the tricky "obstacles" to get to the location, Virginia police said today.
Virginia State Police Lt. Joe Rader asked at a press conference today for people who live in the area to alert investigators to whoever was familiar with the roads and terrain there.
Rader said investigators believe the person or persons responsibile for Harrington's murder was familiar with the area on Anchorage Farm where the 20-year-old's body was found.
"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."
"We encourage you, pick up the phone and call us," said Rader, also offering a special phone line, 434-709-1685 , that has been set up for tips.
Anchorage Farm is in Albemarle County about 10 miles south of where Harrington was last seen at a Metallica concert. Her body was discovered by the owner of the farm on Oct. 17. Harrington's death was ruled a homicide on Wednesday, but her cause of death has not yet been determined.
Rader went on to list several points of interest about the location and the significance of the location that he said he was offering in hopes of getting a response from the community.
Among the items in Rader's list was information about the "obstacles" that a person unfamiliar with the farm would have faced trying to get to the stop where Harrington was found.
"The choice of that particular location is quite different than if the person responsible had chosen the public highway or the shoulder," said Rader. "This particular location would have been a high risk location unless you're familiar with the area."
"People living in that area, this will mean something to you," Rader said cryptically.
Family and Friends of Harrington Suspect Foul Play by Local
Family and friends of Harrington have long been convinced that she was a victim of a murderer.
Jenna Testerman, one of Harrington's best friends, said that she knows Harrington would not have succumbed to a killer without putting up a fight.
"I really don't know what happened to her," Testerman told ABCNews.com, just days after the search for Harrington came to a grim ending with the discovery of her body. "She wasn't someone who would just wander off."
"But what I do know is that Morgan is a fighter and she would have fought to the death," said Testerman.
"We were all hoping that they were going to find her safe and while we knew it would take a lot of work to get Morgan back to normal, we just wanted her to be alive," said Testerman. "We just wanted her to give us one of her big hugs that she's known for."
Testerman said she is particularly feeling the loss. She and Harrington were part of a close-knit group of girlfriends who called themselves "The Nine." Some of the girls even got the number nine tattooed on their bodies as a symbol of their friendship when they all went off to college. Now they are eight.
"We just hope that she didn't have to go through any pain and that her killer showed her mercy and that she's up above in heaven looking down on us," said Testerman.
In a chilling blog entry on Jan. 31 on a Web site dedicated to Harrington, the girl's father, Dan Harrington, wrote about retrieving his dead daughter's body after months of hoping she'd be found alive.
"How could someone have erased so much of what Morgan was and reduced her to a jumbled heap of bones?" wrote Dan Harrington. "Who would ever have thought it would be mine to see every image of Morgan's life – from her first faint shadows on fetal ultrasound to the gaping orbital hollows in her skull? An abomination to witness this ending."
What Happened to Morgan Harrington After the Metallica Concert?
Few details have emerged about the night she went missing. Harrington had gone to a Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville when she got separated from her friends, who believe she stepped outside for a smoke.
Harrington, who was wearing a black mini skirt, black tights and black boots as well as a black t-shirt with "Pantera" written on the front in tan letters, called her friends on a cell phone to say she was not allowed back inside.
Sarah Snead, who had accompanied Harrington and another friend to the concert, told WSLS in Raonake that she had been the one to receive the phone call telling them that she was stuck outside the arena.
"[She said] don't worry, I'll find a way home," said Snead.
Surveillance cameras at the concert caught Harrington getting turned away from several entrances as she tried to return to the conert. Later, witnesses told police they saw someone matching her description in a nearby grassy parking lot, and then walking on an adjacent road.
The morning after the concert, Harrington's purse and cell phone were found in that grassy field and later, her parents Dan and Gil Harrington, called police to report her missing.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/morgan-harringtons-killer-knew-obstacles-farm-area/story?id=9749253&page=1
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Below is a video of a band named Here's to the Long Haul playing at Anchorage Farm. I'm not sure when the video was taken, but it was posted in December. A lot of people must be familiar with Anchorage Farm if they had parties with bands playing. It's chilling to think that Morgan's body may have been on the property at the time the band was playing and people were partying.
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
LIVE VIDEO at 3PM: Morgan Harrington memorial
By Matt Dooley
Published: February 5, 2010
Updated: February 5, 2010
Family and friends of Morgan Harrington will be held in Roanoke today. The ceremonies are open to the public and the media. The Mass will begin at 3:30 PM at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Roanoke. A reception in celebration of Morgan’s life will follow at the Hotel Roanoke.
WSLS.com will have a video stream of the ceremonies.
http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/live_video_at_3pm_morgan_harrington_memorial/79333/
By Matt Dooley
Published: February 5, 2010
Updated: February 5, 2010
Family and friends of Morgan Harrington will be held in Roanoke today. The ceremonies are open to the public and the media. The Mass will begin at 3:30 PM at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Roanoke. A reception in celebration of Morgan’s life will follow at the Hotel Roanoke.
WSLS.com will have a video stream of the ceremonies.
http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/live_video_at_3pm_morgan_harrington_memorial/79333/
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Friends and family gather to remember Morgan Harrington: 'She was not a perfect child, but she was an original'
Hundreds gathered to share their grief and celebrate the life of Morgan Harrington.
By Rex Bowman
Saturday, February 6, 2010
The friends and family of Morgan Harrington gathered at St. Andrew's Catholic Church on Friday to memorialize the zesty young woman known to her parents as "our child of light."
Seeking comfort in the somber cadences of Catholic prayer, more than 500 people braved snow and treacherous roads to pay tribute to the Roanoke County woman. Sharing the grief were friends of Harrington's from Northside High School, her classmates from Virginia Tech and strangers who never knew her but who followed the story of Harrington's disappearance and death in the media.
"She stood out in a crowd, not just because she was so beautiful with her long blond hair and her sparkling blue eyes, but because of something much deeper within her," said Father Steve McNally of the Church of the Transfiguration in Fincastle, who delivered the homily during the memorial Mass.
Harrington, 20, vanished from a Metallica concert in Charlottesville on Oct. 17. Her skeletal remains were found Jan. 26 in a hayfield in Albemarle County, 10 miles south of where she was last seen.
In her brief life, she was known for her passion for travel, fashion and music (from Jerry Garcia and the Beatles to Metallica); her hug-happy relationships with her friends and family; and the delight she took from working -- and playing -- with children. She aspired to be a teacher.
"I always said she was beautiful on the inside and out, and she truly was," her father, Dan Harrington, told those in the pews of St. Andrew's. "Morgan was an original. ... She was not a perfect child, but she was an original."
Following the memorial Mass, the family hosted a celebration of Harrington's life in a ballroom of Hotel Roanoke.
As a machine blew bubbles into the air, throngs watched a slide show of pictures of Harrington and gathered at a table where her belongings were displayed. The items included stiletto heels and cowboy boots, a red sequin dress, her passport, makeup kits and a blow dryer, sundry bracelets, baubles and an essay on the beach she had written in elementary school. (She received an A minus after misspelling "television.")
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/235623
Hundreds gathered to share their grief and celebrate the life of Morgan Harrington.
By Rex Bowman
Saturday, February 6, 2010
The friends and family of Morgan Harrington gathered at St. Andrew's Catholic Church on Friday to memorialize the zesty young woman known to her parents as "our child of light."
Seeking comfort in the somber cadences of Catholic prayer, more than 500 people braved snow and treacherous roads to pay tribute to the Roanoke County woman. Sharing the grief were friends of Harrington's from Northside High School, her classmates from Virginia Tech and strangers who never knew her but who followed the story of Harrington's disappearance and death in the media.
"She stood out in a crowd, not just because she was so beautiful with her long blond hair and her sparkling blue eyes, but because of something much deeper within her," said Father Steve McNally of the Church of the Transfiguration in Fincastle, who delivered the homily during the memorial Mass.
Harrington, 20, vanished from a Metallica concert in Charlottesville on Oct. 17. Her skeletal remains were found Jan. 26 in a hayfield in Albemarle County, 10 miles south of where she was last seen.
In her brief life, she was known for her passion for travel, fashion and music (from Jerry Garcia and the Beatles to Metallica); her hug-happy relationships with her friends and family; and the delight she took from working -- and playing -- with children. She aspired to be a teacher.
"I always said she was beautiful on the inside and out, and she truly was," her father, Dan Harrington, told those in the pews of St. Andrew's. "Morgan was an original. ... She was not a perfect child, but she was an original."
Following the memorial Mass, the family hosted a celebration of Harrington's life in a ballroom of Hotel Roanoke.
As a machine blew bubbles into the air, throngs watched a slide show of pictures of Harrington and gathered at a table where her belongings were displayed. The items included stiletto heels and cowboy boots, a red sequin dress, her passport, makeup kits and a blow dryer, sundry bracelets, baubles and an essay on the beach she had written in elementary school. (She received an A minus after misspelling "television.")
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/235623
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Remembering Morgan Harrington
Justice4all- Admin
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Why Harrington didn’t have to die
By Bryan McKenzie
Published: February 14, 2010
Hidden by tall grass in a lonely field, afflicted by animals and insects, through rain and sleet and beneath 2 feet of snow, Morgan Harrington lay for as long as three months.
It’s a kick to the gut to think that she wound up dead and dumped in the woods. It’s frightening and angering to believe that someone from this community — and it most likely is someone from this community considering the remote nature of where Ms. Harrington’s body was found — would kill her.
But the hardest thought, and the one we avoid discussing, is that it didn’t have to happen.
A cruel chain of events
OK, let’s get it straight: The person to blame for Ms. Harrington’s death is the low-life, slime-sickened, green-horned chicken hopper that killed her and put her in a pasture. What led to her death, however, was a chain of events in which any broken link could have changed the outcome.
The first link was Ms. Harrington’s condition the night of her Oct. 17 disappearance from a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena. Police have described her as intoxicated.
Unfortunately, alcohol use affects judgment and, had she not been intoxicated or less so, her judgments and actions may well have been very different. That may have precluded the second link.
The second link is Ms. Harrington walking out of the arena while intoxicated and, in keeping with arena policy, not being allowed back inside.
Had she not walked out, she would not have been in a position to be taken. Had the arena not had such a stringent policy, she would not have been taken. If she was visibly intoxicated, as some witnesses have suggested, arena staff or onlookers in the parking lot could have called police to report a student in “an altered state” leaving the building in clothes ill-suited for cool temperatures.
Had police picked her up on charges of public intoxication and safely held her in supervised custody, the outcome would have been different.
The third link is her message to three friends inside the concert. Ms. Harrington told them she was stuck outside and that she would find another way home, being as her friends had her car keys and her car.
Had one of the three friends left the concert to babysit the intoxicated friend, perhaps going to the nearby Italian Villa for breakfast and killing time until the concert ended, she would have had a ride home. She would have had company.
That would have precluded the fourth link, which is Ms. Harrington’s decision to hitchhike on the Copeley Road railroad bridge. There she became an easy target of opportunity for a killer.
Behavioral problems
That brings us to the fifth and final link, which is the killer himself. Had the killer sought psychiatric help for what should have stood out even to him as a mental problem, or had someone forced the issue and found him help, Ms. Harrington would be alive.
At the risk of preaching, let’s recap the lessons we should learn from what happened.
Do not go to parties or public events intoxicated so that you may keep your wits about you.
Change policies to protect rather than punish patrons, even it means calling police. Better a night in safety and a misdemeanor charge than being left to the wild pigs in the street.
Take care of your friends, even if they make you extremely angry and inconvenienced.
Avoid strangers when stranded and seek help from people in authority.
Control your urges. If you can’t, seek professional help.
Ms. Harrington’s death is a tragedy, but if it helps us change our behaviors, it need not be in vain.
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/opinion/columnists_bryan_mckenzie/article/why_harrington_didnt_have_to_die/52260/
By Bryan McKenzie
Published: February 14, 2010
Hidden by tall grass in a lonely field, afflicted by animals and insects, through rain and sleet and beneath 2 feet of snow, Morgan Harrington lay for as long as three months.
It’s a kick to the gut to think that she wound up dead and dumped in the woods. It’s frightening and angering to believe that someone from this community — and it most likely is someone from this community considering the remote nature of where Ms. Harrington’s body was found — would kill her.
But the hardest thought, and the one we avoid discussing, is that it didn’t have to happen.
A cruel chain of events
OK, let’s get it straight: The person to blame for Ms. Harrington’s death is the low-life, slime-sickened, green-horned chicken hopper that killed her and put her in a pasture. What led to her death, however, was a chain of events in which any broken link could have changed the outcome.
The first link was Ms. Harrington’s condition the night of her Oct. 17 disappearance from a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena. Police have described her as intoxicated.
Unfortunately, alcohol use affects judgment and, had she not been intoxicated or less so, her judgments and actions may well have been very different. That may have precluded the second link.
The second link is Ms. Harrington walking out of the arena while intoxicated and, in keeping with arena policy, not being allowed back inside.
Had she not walked out, she would not have been in a position to be taken. Had the arena not had such a stringent policy, she would not have been taken. If she was visibly intoxicated, as some witnesses have suggested, arena staff or onlookers in the parking lot could have called police to report a student in “an altered state” leaving the building in clothes ill-suited for cool temperatures.
Had police picked her up on charges of public intoxication and safely held her in supervised custody, the outcome would have been different.
The third link is her message to three friends inside the concert. Ms. Harrington told them she was stuck outside and that she would find another way home, being as her friends had her car keys and her car.
Had one of the three friends left the concert to babysit the intoxicated friend, perhaps going to the nearby Italian Villa for breakfast and killing time until the concert ended, she would have had a ride home. She would have had company.
That would have precluded the fourth link, which is Ms. Harrington’s decision to hitchhike on the Copeley Road railroad bridge. There she became an easy target of opportunity for a killer.
Behavioral problems
That brings us to the fifth and final link, which is the killer himself. Had the killer sought psychiatric help for what should have stood out even to him as a mental problem, or had someone forced the issue and found him help, Ms. Harrington would be alive.
At the risk of preaching, let’s recap the lessons we should learn from what happened.
Do not go to parties or public events intoxicated so that you may keep your wits about you.
Change policies to protect rather than punish patrons, even it means calling police. Better a night in safety and a misdemeanor charge than being left to the wild pigs in the street.
Take care of your friends, even if they make you extremely angry and inconvenienced.
Avoid strangers when stranded and seek help from people in authority.
Control your urges. If you can’t, seek professional help.
Ms. Harrington’s death is a tragedy, but if it helps us change our behaviors, it need not be in vain.
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/opinion/columnists_bryan_mckenzie/article/why_harrington_didnt_have_to_die/52260/
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Wow, J4A, that last article really gives one food for thought. It's human nature to want to blame someone or something when a tragedy happens. And it's scary to think that ONE lone action could have completely changed the whole course of events. I've never quite thought of any tragedy in exactly those terms.
But the writer is 100% correct.... while any one of the actions leading up to Morgan's death could possibly have have altered the outcome, the true blame lies with the sick monster who made the choice to take the life of this beautiful young woman.
But the writer is 100% correct.... while any one of the actions leading up to Morgan's death could possibly have have altered the outcome, the true blame lies with the sick monster who made the choice to take the life of this beautiful young woman.
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Snaz, there are many of these tragedies where one even action would have altered the outcome, but you are right that the true blame lies with the SOB who chose to take Morgan's life. Almost everything in life could have been altered by one action, but once we take an action that doesn't work out the way we would like, we can't go back and take a different action.
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Harringtons Visit Charlottesville, Talk with Police
February 18, 2010
Dan and Gil Harrington received an update from police Thursday in Charlottesville about the case of their daughter, Morgan. They say it could be five to six months until the medical examiner can release DNA analysis from Morgan's remains.
Dan and Gil Harrington visited Charlottesville Thursday to meet with police.
Investigators continue to look for the killer of their daughter, Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, and her parents are making it clear they think that person is in Charlottesville.
The Harringtons say it will take several months for the medical examiner to finish analyzing the DNA and toxicology reports. They visited the Copeley Road Bridge with determination and resolve following their meeting with police for an update.
"There is a bad guy here in Charlottesville who knows the region, who specifically knows the area around Anchorage Farm," Dan Harrington said.
Morgan has been laid to rest in Roanoke, but investigators are still analyzing Morgan's DNA. The Harringtons say it will take five to six months for toxicology results.
Her parents continue to come to grips with what happened. Gil Harrington wore the bracelet her daughter had on when she was found.
"It's as if you've had an amputation," Gil Harrington said. "And perhaps you learn to write with the non-dominant arm, but you never forget you're missing your right arm."
The Harringtons said they will continue coming back to the Copeley Road Bridge, the last place Morgan was seen alive, until they find justice.
"Evil just amazes me, that we have it around us, I guess," Dan Harrington said. "But we need to find the person that did this, and you may get tired and not come anymore, but this [memorial] ain't going away. This will be here until Morgan finds justice."
__________________________________________________________
Gil Harrington wrote a poem filled with poignant words from a mother's heart addressed to whoever took her daughter's life.
Morgan, Music Fan
by Gil Harrington
Our girl wanted to go out and dance
Didn't know she took such a chance
Just wanted to be part of the scene
Didn't know people could be so damn mean
That anyone would want to hurt her
He was checking the scene planning a murder
EVIL lurking, around the periphery
To kill and vanquish her beauty
EVIL like killed Lennon, King, JFK
Decided to take out a girl on that day
And threw her like refuse in a field of hay
Now I have felt the heft of her skull in my palm
An abomination for any mom
Your crime and your EVIL fill me with rage
We will not rest til you're locked in a cage
We will catch you, I know that we can
We're after you--me and Dan
So other girls will be safe on the street
To follow the music
To follow the beat
http://www.newsplex.com/news/headlines/84731632.html
February 18, 2010
Dan and Gil Harrington received an update from police Thursday in Charlottesville about the case of their daughter, Morgan. They say it could be five to six months until the medical examiner can release DNA analysis from Morgan's remains.
Dan and Gil Harrington visited Charlottesville Thursday to meet with police.
Investigators continue to look for the killer of their daughter, Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, and her parents are making it clear they think that person is in Charlottesville.
The Harringtons say it will take several months for the medical examiner to finish analyzing the DNA and toxicology reports. They visited the Copeley Road Bridge with determination and resolve following their meeting with police for an update.
"There is a bad guy here in Charlottesville who knows the region, who specifically knows the area around Anchorage Farm," Dan Harrington said.
Morgan has been laid to rest in Roanoke, but investigators are still analyzing Morgan's DNA. The Harringtons say it will take five to six months for toxicology results.
Her parents continue to come to grips with what happened. Gil Harrington wore the bracelet her daughter had on when she was found.
"It's as if you've had an amputation," Gil Harrington said. "And perhaps you learn to write with the non-dominant arm, but you never forget you're missing your right arm."
The Harringtons said they will continue coming back to the Copeley Road Bridge, the last place Morgan was seen alive, until they find justice.
"Evil just amazes me, that we have it around us, I guess," Dan Harrington said. "But we need to find the person that did this, and you may get tired and not come anymore, but this [memorial] ain't going away. This will be here until Morgan finds justice."
__________________________________________________________
Gil Harrington wrote a poem filled with poignant words from a mother's heart addressed to whoever took her daughter's life.
Morgan, Music Fan
by Gil Harrington
Our girl wanted to go out and dance
Didn't know she took such a chance
Just wanted to be part of the scene
Didn't know people could be so damn mean
That anyone would want to hurt her
He was checking the scene planning a murder
EVIL lurking, around the periphery
To kill and vanquish her beauty
EVIL like killed Lennon, King, JFK
Decided to take out a girl on that day
And threw her like refuse in a field of hay
Now I have felt the heft of her skull in my palm
An abomination for any mom
Your crime and your EVIL fill me with rage
We will not rest til you're locked in a cage
We will catch you, I know that we can
We're after you--me and Dan
So other girls will be safe on the street
To follow the music
To follow the beat
http://www.newsplex.com/news/headlines/84731632.html
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
I am in awe of those people. God bless them. I know in my heart they won't rest until her killer is brought to justice.
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
I get a sense of their enormous grief when reading their comments to the public. I, too, hope they catch the ba$tard that did this, and put an end to the evil POS.
Cali- Posts : 2968
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
What a poem! My heart goes out to them soooooooo much!
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
The Harrington's have shown such amazing grace in the face of the worst possible tragedy that can happen to a parent.
I pray they find justice for Morgan, so they can rest, knowing they did all they could humanly do, and that their beloved daughter can finally rest in peace.
God Bless Gil and Dan.
justice for Morgan.
I pray they find justice for Morgan, so they can rest, knowing they did all they could humanly do, and that their beloved daughter can finally rest in peace.
God Bless Gil and Dan.
justice for Morgan.
Snaz- Posts : 4972
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
These are some amazing people. How "classy" they are. I know a few others that need to take some notes...if you know what I mean.
Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
DNA tests under way on body, Harringtons reveal in visit to C’ville
By Ted Strong
Published: February 19, 2010
Experts have enough tissue from Morgan D. Harrington to conduct several tests, though those tests could take many months, the parents of the slain college student said Thursday.
They made the statement after coming to Charlottesville to speak with police about the search for their daughter’s killer, addressing a small gathering of media on the bridge where their daughter was last reported alive.
According to the parents, officials are performing toxicology and DNA tests.
“You have to reconstitute them to then do your chemical assays on,” Gil Harrington, Morgan’s mother, said.
Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student, disappeared after leaving a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena in October.
The last reports police have of her alive indicate she was hitchhiking on the Copeley Road railroad bridge.
In January, an Albemarle County farmer found her remains in a pasture.
At the bridge, the Harringtons took several symbolic actions. Together, they cut away the three yellow ribbons — one for each month their daughter was missing — that they had tied on a pole. They will leave a black ribbon until her killer is found, they said.
Gil Harrington also displayed a bracelet that she had given her daughter. It was recovered with her remains.
“It wasn’t even a robbery,” Dan Harrington, her father, said.
The Harringtons said they have found some closure since their daughter’s funeral but know that life will never be the same.
“It’s as if you have had an amputation. … You never forget that you’re missing your right arm,” Gil Harrington said.
She said she’s been writing poetry to help her cope. She read one of her poems, which included the lines “Threw her like refuse in a field of hay” and “Now I have felt the heft of her skull.”
Dan Harrington said it’s important for community members to continue to help police with the case.
“There is a bad guy here in Charlottesville,” he said.
Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller referred all questions on scientific matters to the state medical examiner’s office, which could not be reached Thursday evening.
She said police continue to receive tips and conduct interviews.
A recent call for bicyclists who ride in the area where the body was discovered to contact authorities was instituted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of a blanket call for information and not in response to any specific intelligence, Geller said.
http://www2.starexponent.com/cse/news/state_regional/article/dna_tests_under_way_on_body_harringtons_reveal_in_visit_to_cville/52534/
By Ted Strong
Published: February 19, 2010
Experts have enough tissue from Morgan D. Harrington to conduct several tests, though those tests could take many months, the parents of the slain college student said Thursday.
They made the statement after coming to Charlottesville to speak with police about the search for their daughter’s killer, addressing a small gathering of media on the bridge where their daughter was last reported alive.
According to the parents, officials are performing toxicology and DNA tests.
“You have to reconstitute them to then do your chemical assays on,” Gil Harrington, Morgan’s mother, said.
Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student, disappeared after leaving a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena in October.
The last reports police have of her alive indicate she was hitchhiking on the Copeley Road railroad bridge.
In January, an Albemarle County farmer found her remains in a pasture.
At the bridge, the Harringtons took several symbolic actions. Together, they cut away the three yellow ribbons — one for each month their daughter was missing — that they had tied on a pole. They will leave a black ribbon until her killer is found, they said.
Gil Harrington also displayed a bracelet that she had given her daughter. It was recovered with her remains.
“It wasn’t even a robbery,” Dan Harrington, her father, said.
The Harringtons said they have found some closure since their daughter’s funeral but know that life will never be the same.
“It’s as if you have had an amputation. … You never forget that you’re missing your right arm,” Gil Harrington said.
She said she’s been writing poetry to help her cope. She read one of her poems, which included the lines “Threw her like refuse in a field of hay” and “Now I have felt the heft of her skull.”
Dan Harrington said it’s important for community members to continue to help police with the case.
“There is a bad guy here in Charlottesville,” he said.
Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller referred all questions on scientific matters to the state medical examiner’s office, which could not be reached Thursday evening.
She said police continue to receive tips and conduct interviews.
A recent call for bicyclists who ride in the area where the body was discovered to contact authorities was instituted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of a blanket call for information and not in response to any specific intelligence, Geller said.
http://www2.starexponent.com/cse/news/state_regional/article/dna_tests_under_way_on_body_harringtons_reveal_in_visit_to_cville/52534/
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Gil Harrington’s thoughts from February 26, 2010
February 26, 2010
Ashes in a cigar box. Morgan we have your ashes setting on our coffee table. They are stored in one of you granddad’s JGW cigar boxes. It seemed the right choice. We have several of them and use these boxes every day. Dad keeps change and keys and such on his dresser in a JGW cigar box. I store my tea and sweetener in a JGW cigar box on the kitchen counter and open it up every day. Alex has his filled with letters and photos. Predictably, you have used your JGW cigar box to store an assortment of funky jewelry.
Alex even found a photo of you as a baby playing with jewelry in a JGW cigar box. Never could I have imagined a reality where you would be inside the box – waiting for the right day to be sprinkled outside and returned to the earth.
I was starting to spiral into the vortex of grief and loss thinking. “we have only ashes left”. How can we snatch meaning from Morgan’s ashes?- but remembered that ashes can be used to make cinderblocks which can be used to build strong foundations – for good – for education here at VTC and in Africa with OMNI School and who knows what else. We will pledge your ashes, mix and use your ashes as well as we can, to create some substantive good from this tragedy and in so doing honor the light that was Morgan Dana Harrington.
241
http://findmorgan.com/family-blog/gil-harringtons-thoughts-from-february-26-2010
February 26, 2010
Ashes in a cigar box. Morgan we have your ashes setting on our coffee table. They are stored in one of you granddad’s JGW cigar boxes. It seemed the right choice. We have several of them and use these boxes every day. Dad keeps change and keys and such on his dresser in a JGW cigar box. I store my tea and sweetener in a JGW cigar box on the kitchen counter and open it up every day. Alex has his filled with letters and photos. Predictably, you have used your JGW cigar box to store an assortment of funky jewelry.
Alex even found a photo of you as a baby playing with jewelry in a JGW cigar box. Never could I have imagined a reality where you would be inside the box – waiting for the right day to be sprinkled outside and returned to the earth.
I was starting to spiral into the vortex of grief and loss thinking. “we have only ashes left”. How can we snatch meaning from Morgan’s ashes?- but remembered that ashes can be used to make cinderblocks which can be used to build strong foundations – for good – for education here at VTC and in Africa with OMNI School and who knows what else. We will pledge your ashes, mix and use your ashes as well as we can, to create some substantive good from this tragedy and in so doing honor the light that was Morgan Dana Harrington.
241
http://findmorgan.com/family-blog/gil-harringtons-thoughts-from-february-26-2010
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Morgan Harrington's Mom Warns of "Sadistic Monster"
Posted: 9:39 AM Mar 17, 2010
Five months to the day after her daughter disappeared while attending a Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Morgan Harrington's mom wrote a soul-baring account of her feelings, saying a "sadistic monster" is walking free.
Morgan, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student, vanished on October 17 after leaving the concert at JPJ.
Her body was found in January at an isolated spot on Anchorage Farm, a few miles south of Charlottesville. Police say she was murdered but have made no arrests and have offered little new information about the crime and their investigation in weeks.
Here is what Gil Harrington wrote in her blog on FindMorgan.com:
"The nights can be difficult. When you are between sleep and wake your defenses dip and then unwanted thoughts and images come roaring in. I try not to think of how scared you were, the terror you felt. I try not to think of how much pain you were in as you were slaughtered.
Were you still alive when they brought you to Anchorage Farm? To be hunted like a deer running frantically over the hay stubble in the field desperate to escape, trying to survive, crying, screaming, I see it. I hear it. Or, were you brought there already dead, like a slab of meat, carrion to be discarded and dumped in the field to rot - just another carcass in the hunting preserve.
These images haunt me at night. During the day I can usually shake them off and focus on our job, trying to find your murderer. Other girls are in danger while this sadistic monster walks free. We will never rest until he is put away. Morgan will you help us, in what ever way you can to remove his evil from the world?
http://www.newsplex.com/news/headlines/88164177.html
Posted: 9:39 AM Mar 17, 2010
Five months to the day after her daughter disappeared while attending a Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Morgan Harrington's mom wrote a soul-baring account of her feelings, saying a "sadistic monster" is walking free.
Morgan, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student, vanished on October 17 after leaving the concert at JPJ.
Her body was found in January at an isolated spot on Anchorage Farm, a few miles south of Charlottesville. Police say she was murdered but have made no arrests and have offered little new information about the crime and their investigation in weeks.
Here is what Gil Harrington wrote in her blog on FindMorgan.com:
"The nights can be difficult. When you are between sleep and wake your defenses dip and then unwanted thoughts and images come roaring in. I try not to think of how scared you were, the terror you felt. I try not to think of how much pain you were in as you were slaughtered.
Were you still alive when they brought you to Anchorage Farm? To be hunted like a deer running frantically over the hay stubble in the field desperate to escape, trying to survive, crying, screaming, I see it. I hear it. Or, were you brought there already dead, like a slab of meat, carrion to be discarded and dumped in the field to rot - just another carcass in the hunting preserve.
These images haunt me at night. During the day I can usually shake them off and focus on our job, trying to find your murderer. Other girls are in danger while this sadistic monster walks free. We will never rest until he is put away. Morgan will you help us, in what ever way you can to remove his evil from the world?
http://www.newsplex.com/news/headlines/88164177.html
Piper- Posts : 10277
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Dan and Gil Harrington speak at John Paul Jones Arena five months after Morgan's disappearance
by Brendan Fitzgerald
March 17th 03:22pm
Saint Patrick's Day marks five months since Morgan Harrington disappeared during a concert by Metallica at John Paul Jones Arena. Nearly two months since their daughter's remains were found on Anchorage Farm in Albemarle County, Dan and Gil Harrington returned to Charlottesville today to speak with press.
"We come to Charlottesville about every two to three weeks. And we don't always meet with folks like you," said Dan Harrington, referring to members of the press. The family visits Charlottesville roughly every two or three weeks. "But we will continue to meet. And we are meeting with police on a regular basis."
"It is easy to be complacent," added Dan Harrington. "Five months is a long time, and I think it's important for us to remembe that we need to keep it in the forefront of the public. And we will, as much as we can."
Dan Harrington then distributed a list titled "Missing and/or Murdered in Virginia," featuring the names of 18 individuals, including Morgan, reported missing or dead since August 28, 2009. Gil Harrington also shared her perceptions of the person she deems responsible for her daughter's death, saying that there is a "man-monster in Charlottesville" who "makes sport out of killing."
http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=1991704080566501&act=post&pid=12031703100486107
by Brendan Fitzgerald
March 17th 03:22pm
Saint Patrick's Day marks five months since Morgan Harrington disappeared during a concert by Metallica at John Paul Jones Arena. Nearly two months since their daughter's remains were found on Anchorage Farm in Albemarle County, Dan and Gil Harrington returned to Charlottesville today to speak with press.
"We come to Charlottesville about every two to three weeks. And we don't always meet with folks like you," said Dan Harrington, referring to members of the press. The family visits Charlottesville roughly every two or three weeks. "But we will continue to meet. And we are meeting with police on a regular basis."
"It is easy to be complacent," added Dan Harrington. "Five months is a long time, and I think it's important for us to remembe that we need to keep it in the forefront of the public. And we will, as much as we can."
Dan Harrington then distributed a list titled "Missing and/or Murdered in Virginia," featuring the names of 18 individuals, including Morgan, reported missing or dead since August 28, 2009. Gil Harrington also shared her perceptions of the person she deems responsible for her daughter's death, saying that there is a "man-monster in Charlottesville" who "makes sport out of killing."
http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=1991704080566501&act=post&pid=12031703100486107
Justice4all- Admin
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Parents of slain Virginia Tech student believe murder is related to Colonial Parkway killings
The parents of the Virginia Tech student who was kidnapped and murdered after a Charlottesville concert are now worried her killing is part of a larger crime spree.
Her father said the murder could even be related to the Colonial Parkway killings.
Today Gil Harrington went to the Copley Bridge in Charlottesville, the last place her daughter Morgan was seen alive.
She placed a chrome angel atop a spreading memorial. She chose this sculpture because it is featureless. It's not just for Morgan, but for a number of young women mostly who have vanished or who've been slain in a series of unsolved crimes.
"This is not his first crime. He has upped his game in a significant and disturbing way," Gil Harrington said.
Morgan's father distributed a map showing the disappearances or murders of several people like Morgan in the past year. He's also aware of Alicia Showalter Reynolds, the victim of an unknown highway stalker in the Charlottesville area. In the mid 1990s, a man targeted women on Rt. 29. Morgan's body was found not far from where Reynold's remains were dumped more than a decade earlier. Dan Harrington thinks the cases may be related.
"We have discussed that with police. They have not commented nor committed that Morgan's death is connected to that, but clearly it is being considered. It is also being considered with the Colonial Parkway Murders," he said.
Many people, including family members of Colonial Parkway victims, have suspected the killer who took eight lives in our area migrated in the 1990s to the Charlottesville area, where the highway stalkings frightened a dozen women and ended in Reynold's murder.
"There are a lot of unsolved crimes in Virginia in the last 15 years. To me, it is quite frightening that those things remain unsolved," Dan Harrington added.
Today Morgan's parents also revealed the killer severely battered the student before her death. They said the damage to her skeleton was horrifying.
"This Charlottesville man hurt Morgan Harrington enough to break her bones before he murdered her. I cannot get the image of Morgan's shattered bones out of my mind."
Gil Harrington believes the killer is from the Charlottesville area, but police have not named any suspects.
Morgan's parents worry the killer is stalking other women in the area around the UVA campus.
Harrington's parents say if someone does not turn him in, he will surely strike again.
http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-morgan-harrington-cp-murders,0,6816155.story
The parents of the Virginia Tech student who was kidnapped and murdered after a Charlottesville concert are now worried her killing is part of a larger crime spree.
Her father said the murder could even be related to the Colonial Parkway killings.
Today Gil Harrington went to the Copley Bridge in Charlottesville, the last place her daughter Morgan was seen alive.
She placed a chrome angel atop a spreading memorial. She chose this sculpture because it is featureless. It's not just for Morgan, but for a number of young women mostly who have vanished or who've been slain in a series of unsolved crimes.
"This is not his first crime. He has upped his game in a significant and disturbing way," Gil Harrington said.
Morgan's father distributed a map showing the disappearances or murders of several people like Morgan in the past year. He's also aware of Alicia Showalter Reynolds, the victim of an unknown highway stalker in the Charlottesville area. In the mid 1990s, a man targeted women on Rt. 29. Morgan's body was found not far from where Reynold's remains were dumped more than a decade earlier. Dan Harrington thinks the cases may be related.
"We have discussed that with police. They have not commented nor committed that Morgan's death is connected to that, but clearly it is being considered. It is also being considered with the Colonial Parkway Murders," he said.
Many people, including family members of Colonial Parkway victims, have suspected the killer who took eight lives in our area migrated in the 1990s to the Charlottesville area, where the highway stalkings frightened a dozen women and ended in Reynold's murder.
"There are a lot of unsolved crimes in Virginia in the last 15 years. To me, it is quite frightening that those things remain unsolved," Dan Harrington added.
Today Morgan's parents also revealed the killer severely battered the student before her death. They said the damage to her skeleton was horrifying.
"This Charlottesville man hurt Morgan Harrington enough to break her bones before he murdered her. I cannot get the image of Morgan's shattered bones out of my mind."
Gil Harrington believes the killer is from the Charlottesville area, but police have not named any suspects.
Morgan's parents worry the killer is stalking other women in the area around the UVA campus.
Harrington's parents say if someone does not turn him in, he will surely strike again.
http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-morgan-harrington-cp-murders,0,6816155.story
Justice4all- Admin
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
The image of Morgan's shattered bones will forever be in their minds. They are so strong, my heart goes out to them. I hate to think of Morgan's death being so brutal, as far as shattered bones. I wonder if the damage would be consistent with being hit by a car or truck?
Piper- Posts : 10277
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
This sounds so gruesome, my heart goes out to her parents that this has happened to their daughter, their little girl, their baby.
From above:
Today Morgan's parents also revealed the killer severely battered the student before her death. They said the damage to her skeleton was horrifying.
"This Charlottesville man hurt Morgan Harrington enough to break her bones before he murdered her. I cannot get the image of Morgan's shattered bones out of my mind."
From above:
Today Morgan's parents also revealed the killer severely battered the student before her death. They said the damage to her skeleton was horrifying.
"This Charlottesville man hurt Morgan Harrington enough to break her bones before he murdered her. I cannot get the image of Morgan's shattered bones out of my mind."
Julie- Admin
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
‘Take Back the Night’ rally tonight at Virginia Tech to honor Morgan Harrington
By Candice Nelson
WSLS10 Reporter
10 On Your Side’s Ashely Roberts will be covering the rally. She’ll bring you the tributes to Morgan Harrington, tonight on WSLS at 11:00 p.m.
BLACKSBURG - Tonight, Virginia Tech students are holding a Take Back the Night march in support of women who have been sexually assaulted.
People hung T-shirts at the drill field with mesages protesting violence against women.
The rally symbolizes community support so women should not have to fear being alone at night.
This year, the rally is dedicated to Morgan Harrington, the Virginia Tech student found dead after leaving a Metallica concert.
“They just wanted to dedicate it to her. It’s kind of in loving memory and just something special that makes it different than the past years,“ said Emily Hanssen.
http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/new_river_valley/article/take_back_the_night_rally_tonight/89166/
By Candice Nelson
WSLS10 Reporter
10 On Your Side’s Ashely Roberts will be covering the rally. She’ll bring you the tributes to Morgan Harrington, tonight on WSLS at 11:00 p.m.
BLACKSBURG - Tonight, Virginia Tech students are holding a Take Back the Night march in support of women who have been sexually assaulted.
People hung T-shirts at the drill field with mesages protesting violence against women.
The rally symbolizes community support so women should not have to fear being alone at night.
This year, the rally is dedicated to Morgan Harrington, the Virginia Tech student found dead after leaving a Metallica concert.
“They just wanted to dedicate it to her. It’s kind of in loving memory and just something special that makes it different than the past years,“ said Emily Hanssen.
http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/new_river_valley/article/take_back_the_night_rally_tonight/89166/
Justice4all- Admin
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Dan and Gil Harrington Respond to Planned Protest Against Morgan
A Kansas-based religious group plans to protest murdered Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington later this month. Morgan's parents respond to the impending protest with a statement deploring the group as "evil."
Posted: 10:11 PM Apr 1, 2010
Reporter: Jessica Jaglois
The parents of murdered Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington speak out about a planned protest against their daughter. In an email sent out Thursday, Dan and Gil Harrington deplore the Westboro Baptist Church, calling them "evil."
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church, a controversial religious group who is best known for protesting military funerals, plan to protest in Blacksburg against Virginia Teach and Morgan Harrington on April 9th.
The group says on their website, they will picket Virginia Tech because Morgan Harrington's murder was a message from God.
"God sent the killer because of your proud sin!" Reads the Westboro website. "God is cursing you by killing those same children that you have lied to all their lives. VA Tech was just GodSmacked (sic) --another of your students murdered -- and you still refuse to heed and obey the standards of God. Woe unto you! "
Dan and Gil Harrington responded with the following statement:
"As you may know the Westboro Baptist Church, which we do not consider a church at all but a group of domestic terrorists, has chosen to target our murdered daughter Morgan Harrington with a hate rally in Blacksburg on 4/9/10. Yes there is evil in the world and this latest strike from it is painful and disturbing, but nothing compared to the death blow we have just survived. I don't understand how this evil gathering, which clearly appears to be a political entity, can cloak themselves in religiosity and thereby gain constitutional protection and financial indemnity.
I am not courageous enough to be one that seeks out evil in the world to vanquish it, but I am not cowardly enough to turn my back on it and run either. When evil like the WBC presents you must face it and keep your eye on it as you attempt to neutralize its poison.
We will not let this petty evil topple us. We will shine the light and dispel the darkness of intimidation and domestic terrorism. We will continue to work for good, as caregivers, as educators, as advocates, feeding the poor, washing their feet, and binding their wounds. We will not be diverted from these tasks we have taken on in Morgan's honor. We will not allow Morgan's killer to erase her from the world nor these petty thugs to poison her legacy.
Darkness must always give way to the light. We will prevail."
http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/89744282.html
A Kansas-based religious group plans to protest murdered Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington later this month. Morgan's parents respond to the impending protest with a statement deploring the group as "evil."
Posted: 10:11 PM Apr 1, 2010
Reporter: Jessica Jaglois
The parents of murdered Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington speak out about a planned protest against their daughter. In an email sent out Thursday, Dan and Gil Harrington deplore the Westboro Baptist Church, calling them "evil."
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church, a controversial religious group who is best known for protesting military funerals, plan to protest in Blacksburg against Virginia Teach and Morgan Harrington on April 9th.
The group says on their website, they will picket Virginia Tech because Morgan Harrington's murder was a message from God.
"God sent the killer because of your proud sin!" Reads the Westboro website. "God is cursing you by killing those same children that you have lied to all their lives. VA Tech was just GodSmacked (sic) --another of your students murdered -- and you still refuse to heed and obey the standards of God. Woe unto you! "
Dan and Gil Harrington responded with the following statement:
"As you may know the Westboro Baptist Church, which we do not consider a church at all but a group of domestic terrorists, has chosen to target our murdered daughter Morgan Harrington with a hate rally in Blacksburg on 4/9/10. Yes there is evil in the world and this latest strike from it is painful and disturbing, but nothing compared to the death blow we have just survived. I don't understand how this evil gathering, which clearly appears to be a political entity, can cloak themselves in religiosity and thereby gain constitutional protection and financial indemnity.
I am not courageous enough to be one that seeks out evil in the world to vanquish it, but I am not cowardly enough to turn my back on it and run either. When evil like the WBC presents you must face it and keep your eye on it as you attempt to neutralize its poison.
We will not let this petty evil topple us. We will shine the light and dispel the darkness of intimidation and domestic terrorism. We will continue to work for good, as caregivers, as educators, as advocates, feeding the poor, washing their feet, and binding their wounds. We will not be diverted from these tasks we have taken on in Morgan's honor. We will not allow Morgan's killer to erase her from the world nor these petty thugs to poison her legacy.
Darkness must always give way to the light. We will prevail."
http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/89744282.html
Justice4all- Admin
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Morgan Harrington's father reacts to controversial group's protest
April 8, 2010
A controversial church group plans to be in Blacksburg Friday to picket Virginia Tech, and a counter demonstration will move onto campus.
Members of Westboro Baptist Church claim God cursed Tech and sent the shooter on April 16th, 2007.
The group informed the town they'll be at three locations: outside the Jewish Community Center, along Main Street and in front of Blacksburg Middle School.
A positive counter demonstration is set for noon at the Graduate Life Center Plaza.
Blacksburg Police say they've done extensive planning to protect everyone. Extra officers will be on duty.
News7's Justin McLeod has learned Morgan Harrington's father plans to be there Friday. The family has heard Westboro Baptist Church plans to be there because of Morgan Harrington's death.
Her father told News7 by phone Thursday he has seen posters on the group's website involving his daughter that he finds appalling and disturbing.
Morgan Harrington is the Virginia Tech student who went missing after a Metallica concert at UVA's John Paul Jones arena in October.
Her remains were found several months later in a field just outside of Charlottesville.
Harrington's family can't believe Westboro Baptist Church plans to make Morgan the focus of its protests.
"Very upsetting to a family that lost their daughter to murder five and half weeks ago. They plan to be at Virginia Tech tomorrow to protest a number of things including the fact Morgan Harrington's death was deserved, and again, how would any family feel when you hear those kinds of comments made?," said Dan Harrington.
He plans to be at the counter protests on campus Friday, but he doesn't plan on engaging the group.
There has been that argument that people should just ignore this group. News7's Justin McLeod asked Dan Harrington about that and will have his response tonight on News7 at 10 & 11.
http://www.wdbj7.com/global/story.asp?s=12279783
April 8, 2010
A controversial church group plans to be in Blacksburg Friday to picket Virginia Tech, and a counter demonstration will move onto campus.
Members of Westboro Baptist Church claim God cursed Tech and sent the shooter on April 16th, 2007.
The group informed the town they'll be at three locations: outside the Jewish Community Center, along Main Street and in front of Blacksburg Middle School.
A positive counter demonstration is set for noon at the Graduate Life Center Plaza.
Blacksburg Police say they've done extensive planning to protect everyone. Extra officers will be on duty.
News7's Justin McLeod has learned Morgan Harrington's father plans to be there Friday. The family has heard Westboro Baptist Church plans to be there because of Morgan Harrington's death.
Her father told News7 by phone Thursday he has seen posters on the group's website involving his daughter that he finds appalling and disturbing.
Morgan Harrington is the Virginia Tech student who went missing after a Metallica concert at UVA's John Paul Jones arena in October.
Her remains were found several months later in a field just outside of Charlottesville.
Harrington's family can't believe Westboro Baptist Church plans to make Morgan the focus of its protests.
"Very upsetting to a family that lost their daughter to murder five and half weeks ago. They plan to be at Virginia Tech tomorrow to protest a number of things including the fact Morgan Harrington's death was deserved, and again, how would any family feel when you hear those kinds of comments made?," said Dan Harrington.
He plans to be at the counter protests on campus Friday, but he doesn't plan on engaging the group.
There has been that argument that people should just ignore this group. News7's Justin McLeod asked Dan Harrington about that and will have his response tonight on News7 at 10 & 11.
http://www.wdbj7.com/global/story.asp?s=12279783
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
More evidence released in Morgan Harrington case
Thursday, April 15, 2010; 6:16 PM
by Liana Bayne, news reporter
As Virginia State Police continue to investigate the death of former Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, more evidence continues to surface.
Information about the clothing Harrington wore the night of her disappearance on Oct. 17, 2009 was confirmed today for the first time.
It had been reported that she was wearing a black t-shirt with the band name “Pantera” written on it in tan lettering.
A Charlottesville resident found that shirt on Nov. 11 near the intersection of 15th Street and Grady Avenue, about eleven mile from the farm where Harrington’s body was found on Jan. 26, and about one mile from the John Paul Jones Arena — the last place she was seen before her disappearance.
State police have pursued almost 1,000 leads in Harrington’s case so far and are still encouraging people to call their tip line at 434-977-4000. A $150,000 reward is available for information leading to Harrington’s murderer.
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/15387/more-evidence-released-in-morgan-harrington-case
Thursday, April 15, 2010; 6:16 PM
by Liana Bayne, news reporter
As Virginia State Police continue to investigate the death of former Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, more evidence continues to surface.
Information about the clothing Harrington wore the night of her disappearance on Oct. 17, 2009 was confirmed today for the first time.
It had been reported that she was wearing a black t-shirt with the band name “Pantera” written on it in tan lettering.
A Charlottesville resident found that shirt on Nov. 11 near the intersection of 15th Street and Grady Avenue, about eleven mile from the farm where Harrington’s body was found on Jan. 26, and about one mile from the John Paul Jones Arena — the last place she was seen before her disappearance.
State police have pursued almost 1,000 leads in Harrington’s case so far and are still encouraging people to call their tip line at 434-977-4000. A $150,000 reward is available for information leading to Harrington’s murderer.
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/15387/more-evidence-released-in-morgan-harrington-case
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Billboard Asks for Missing Piece in Harrington Murder
Posted: 5:26 PM Jun 1, 2010
Reporter: Liz Palka
The family of Morgan Harrington is putting up a request for tips in the case, and it's hard to miss.
People driving down High Street in Charlottesville will see a new billboard with Morgan's picture, reminding them her murderer is still on the loose.
The billboard went up on Tuesday morning. The billboard space is one that the Charlottesville Newsplex rents, but the Newsplex donated the billboard space to the Harringtons because all other spots were sold out.
"They wanted to get the billboard up there as soon as possible to get the reward information out there again," said Cindy Semer of Lamar Advertising.
"We're most appreciative of this latest kindness in a multitude of blessings that we have had from the community," Gil Harrington, Morgan's mother, said in a phone interview with CBS19 on Tuesday.
Dan and Gil Harrington said they want to accomplish two things with the eye-catching sign.
"We want to instigate awareness of safety in the Charlottesville community," Gil Harrington said. "And we also want to promote that awareness for people to give information on any suspicious behavior or information they have of the night of Morgan's abduction."
In the eight and a half months since Morgan's disappearance and death, her case has been a puzzle. The Harringtons say there's still a missing piece.
"That is what we need. We need one piece to make all of this click together and come into focus and for us to have an arrest," Gil Harrington said.
That missing piece could be key in bringing justice for the Harringtons and finding the person who took her life.
If you have information about Morgan Harrington's case, call the tip line at 434-352-3467.
http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/95355919.html
Posted: 5:26 PM Jun 1, 2010
Reporter: Liz Palka
The family of Morgan Harrington is putting up a request for tips in the case, and it's hard to miss.
People driving down High Street in Charlottesville will see a new billboard with Morgan's picture, reminding them her murderer is still on the loose.
The billboard went up on Tuesday morning. The billboard space is one that the Charlottesville Newsplex rents, but the Newsplex donated the billboard space to the Harringtons because all other spots were sold out.
"They wanted to get the billboard up there as soon as possible to get the reward information out there again," said Cindy Semer of Lamar Advertising.
"We're most appreciative of this latest kindness in a multitude of blessings that we have had from the community," Gil Harrington, Morgan's mother, said in a phone interview with CBS19 on Tuesday.
Dan and Gil Harrington said they want to accomplish two things with the eye-catching sign.
"We want to instigate awareness of safety in the Charlottesville community," Gil Harrington said. "And we also want to promote that awareness for people to give information on any suspicious behavior or information they have of the night of Morgan's abduction."
In the eight and a half months since Morgan's disappearance and death, her case has been a puzzle. The Harringtons say there's still a missing piece.
"That is what we need. We need one piece to make all of this click together and come into focus and for us to have an arrest," Gil Harrington said.
That missing piece could be key in bringing justice for the Harringtons and finding the person who took her life.
If you have information about Morgan Harrington's case, call the tip line at 434-352-3467.
http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/95355919.html
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Petition seeks video from night Morgan Harrington disappeared
WSLS News Staff
June 16, 2010
ROANOKE - An internet petition has been started over surveillance video from the night that Morgan Harrington disappeared.
The website ‘thepetitionsite.com’ lists the FindMorgan.com website, as well as ‘Friends & Concerned Citizens in the case of Morgan Harrington’ as the petition’s sponsors.
The petition calls for UVA and State Police to publicly release all surveillance video from the John Paul Jones Arena area from the night of October 17, 2009. That’s the night of the Metallica concert where Morgan was last seen at.
Previously, investigators have said that the surveillance video did not show Morgan.
As of 5:40 p.m. on Wednesday, 143 people had signed the petition.
You can check out the petition by clicking here.
http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/internet_petition_trying_to_get_surveillance_video_from_night_morgan_harrin/106138/
WSLS News Staff
June 16, 2010
ROANOKE - An internet petition has been started over surveillance video from the night that Morgan Harrington disappeared.
The website ‘thepetitionsite.com’ lists the FindMorgan.com website, as well as ‘Friends & Concerned Citizens in the case of Morgan Harrington’ as the petition’s sponsors.
The petition calls for UVA and State Police to publicly release all surveillance video from the John Paul Jones Arena area from the night of October 17, 2009. That’s the night of the Metallica concert where Morgan was last seen at.
Previously, investigators have said that the surveillance video did not show Morgan.
As of 5:40 p.m. on Wednesday, 143 people had signed the petition.
You can check out the petition by clicking here.
http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/internet_petition_trying_to_get_surveillance_video_from_night_morgan_harrin/106138/
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
So did I miss something? Does Morgan's family think the surveillance video will show something they haven't been made aware of? And is the reason for the petition because UVA/State doesn't want the video released?
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
It looks like Morgan's parents want to verify that LE is correct when they say she is not on any security video from the night she disappeared.
Here is how the petition is worded:
Where is Morgan? Public Demands Answers from JPJ Arena
Morgan Dana Harrington was abducted near or around the John Paul Jones Arena, a facility operated and maintained by The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. She was there that night for a Metallica concert. Months later, poor Morgan was discovered brutally murdered in a field on a farm in Albermale County, Virginia. As of the moment, Law Enforcement, Virginia State Police and the FBI have no suspects of POI's in custody.
By many witness accounts, Morgan was at JPJ arena the night on October 17, 2009, and at some point ended up outside the arena. One would think, with "state of the art" security in place, Ms. Harrington would have been captured on security video. Both the venue and law enforcement have told the public that there is no video of Ms. Harrington from the evening of October 17th.
We seek two outcomes for this petition:
1 - Explain why in such a state of the art facility there alledgedly is no video of Morgan Harrington.
2 - We request they (JPJ/UVA) release all the video from that night to the general public so we can view it and verify there is none of Morgan.
Thank you for your help.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/help-find-morgan
Here is how the petition is worded:
Where is Morgan? Public Demands Answers from JPJ Arena
Morgan Dana Harrington was abducted near or around the John Paul Jones Arena, a facility operated and maintained by The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. She was there that night for a Metallica concert. Months later, poor Morgan was discovered brutally murdered in a field on a farm in Albermale County, Virginia. As of the moment, Law Enforcement, Virginia State Police and the FBI have no suspects of POI's in custody.
By many witness accounts, Morgan was at JPJ arena the night on October 17, 2009, and at some point ended up outside the arena. One would think, with "state of the art" security in place, Ms. Harrington would have been captured on security video. Both the venue and law enforcement have told the public that there is no video of Ms. Harrington from the evening of October 17th.
We seek two outcomes for this petition:
1 - Explain why in such a state of the art facility there alledgedly is no video of Morgan Harrington.
2 - We request they (JPJ/UVA) release all the video from that night to the general public so we can view it and verify there is none of Morgan.
Thank you for your help.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/help-find-morgan
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Thanks, J4A.... I understand now.
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
J4A,
Thanks for keeping this stroy alive...
I think its a great idea.. Too bad parents wishes cant be honored without having to go and fight for things in courts..
I think its a great idea.. Even if she is not on the tape, one person cud see someone, who was not supposed to be there .... I cant see how it cud hurt..yes it cud bring dead end leads but it cud also bring good ones to lead them to her killer.,... MAny ppl will now get to view this where 2 heads are better than one at least in this case..
Thanks for keeping this stroy alive...
I think its a great idea.. Too bad parents wishes cant be honored without having to go and fight for things in courts..
I think its a great idea.. Even if she is not on the tape, one person cud see someone, who was not supposed to be there .... I cant see how it cud hurt..yes it cud bring dead end leads but it cud also bring good ones to lead them to her killer.,... MAny ppl will now get to view this where 2 heads are better than one at least in this case..
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Morgan Harrington’s parents worry public becoming complacent
By Ted Strong
Media General News Service
Published: June 18, 2010
The parents of Morgan D. Harrington, the woman killed sometime after leaving a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia in October, are worried that people are growing complacent.
“We keep coming to Charlottesville because we’re concerned for the community,“ said her mother, Gil Harrington. “Nothing else can happen to us. Our daughter has already been killed. But there are other young women there.“
The Virginia State Police continue to give the family weekly updates that are cautiously optimistic, Morgan Harrington’s father, Dan, said.
He said the state police have been upfront about the fact that they don’t have much to say during homicide investigations.
“This is not a group that gives much information out,“ he said.
As a result, he and his wife have been largely leading the charge for publicity, he said.
“It’s a dance between pushing attention and exhausting people’s short attention spans and trying to motivate the police and also not wanting to offend ... and also limited resources of time and energy that everyone has,“ Gil Harrington said.
She said that the parents feel a “moral imperative” to keep warning of the danger a killer could pose until there is an arrest.
They’ve also been speaking to groups, particularly about campus violence, and raising funds for a memorial scholarship in honor of their daughter and an educational building in Africa that’s to be named for her.
State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said that tips from the public are still trickling in and that public awareness does help state police in the efforts to unravel what happened.
But she attributed the agency’s relative silence in recent months in part to the shift from a missing persons case to a homicide investigation, which happened after Harrington’s remains were found in an Albemarle County pasture in January. Police fear giving out details will make it harder to convict anyone they arrest, she said.
“Now we have a homicide investigation, so we do have to be more restricted and limited with the information,“ she said.
She added, “Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the beast when it comes to a homicide investigation.“
http://www2.starexponent.com/cse/news/local/article/morgan_harringtons_parents_worry_public_becoming_complacent/59361/
By Ted Strong
Media General News Service
Published: June 18, 2010
The parents of Morgan D. Harrington, the woman killed sometime after leaving a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia in October, are worried that people are growing complacent.
“We keep coming to Charlottesville because we’re concerned for the community,“ said her mother, Gil Harrington. “Nothing else can happen to us. Our daughter has already been killed. But there are other young women there.“
The Virginia State Police continue to give the family weekly updates that are cautiously optimistic, Morgan Harrington’s father, Dan, said.
He said the state police have been upfront about the fact that they don’t have much to say during homicide investigations.
“This is not a group that gives much information out,“ he said.
As a result, he and his wife have been largely leading the charge for publicity, he said.
“It’s a dance between pushing attention and exhausting people’s short attention spans and trying to motivate the police and also not wanting to offend ... and also limited resources of time and energy that everyone has,“ Gil Harrington said.
She said that the parents feel a “moral imperative” to keep warning of the danger a killer could pose until there is an arrest.
They’ve also been speaking to groups, particularly about campus violence, and raising funds for a memorial scholarship in honor of their daughter and an educational building in Africa that’s to be named for her.
State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said that tips from the public are still trickling in and that public awareness does help state police in the efforts to unravel what happened.
But she attributed the agency’s relative silence in recent months in part to the shift from a missing persons case to a homicide investigation, which happened after Harrington’s remains were found in an Albemarle County pasture in January. Police fear giving out details will make it harder to convict anyone they arrest, she said.
“Now we have a homicide investigation, so we do have to be more restricted and limited with the information,“ she said.
She added, “Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the beast when it comes to a homicide investigation.“
http://www2.starexponent.com/cse/news/local/article/morgan_harringtons_parents_worry_public_becoming_complacent/59361/
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
This family continues to amaze me with their class, and undoubtedly unmatched intelligence - the way they word their messages are unsurpassed - their messages are so vivid - the way they express themselves about Morgan makes her live on every day and the way they paint her killer makes me shudder in my inmost being. they have painstakingly pieced together the portrait of a killer - they have single handedly profiled their daughter's murderer - and why have they had to take on this monster themselves?? We have to speak out for victims - if Morgan did not have the parents she does, she would have long been forgotten, even by ppl as we are - seasoned crime bloggers - The Harringtons encourage me to keep bringing attention to cases like Morgan's - thru FB, thru blogging, thru emails, etc. However we can help - let's help. My prayers are will you dear Harrington family - I hope God richly rewards you for your efforts - you have no doubt protected many a life after Morgan's was taken.
Last edited by tish on Tue Jun 22, 2010 2:53 pm; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : spelling)
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Tish,
I so agree.. amazing inspiring ppl..
God Bless them!
Their continuous efforts continue to show what a great life Dana was privy too... They are definitley remarkable ppl!
I so agree.. amazing inspiring ppl..
God Bless them!
Their continuous efforts continue to show what a great life Dana was privy too... They are definitley remarkable ppl!
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Police link Virginia student slaying, 2005 sex assault
By the CNN Wire Staff
July 1, 2010 10:01 p.m. EDT
(CNN) -- Forensic evidence links the cases of a Virginia Tech student believed slain in October and the kidnapping and sexual assault of another woman four years earlier, state police announced Thursday.
The surviving victim was able to provide a description of her attacker to police, and detectives have begun circulating anew a sketch developed from her recollection. Investigators have asked the public to help find the suspect in that abduction, which took place in 2005 in Fairfax, Virginia, outside Washington.
The announcement is a new turn in the 2009 killing of Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old student at the Virginia Tech, and her parents told HLN's "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell" that they had mixed emotions about the news.
"It's hard to say that you're happy about an obscenity," her mother, Gil Harrington, said Thursday night. "But in effect, we were happy that we were one step closer to finding and apprehending this vicious predator and getting him off the streets."
Harrington's father, Roanoke psychiatrist Dr. Dan Harrington, said the emergence of a suspect's sketch has made him angry, "maybe for the first time."
"Obviously, we know Morgan was murdered, but it was an abstraction," he said. "There was no one that you could put a face to. But today, there's the concrete picture of this man, and it seems to me that for the first time, anger became way more of a prominent emotion for me."
Harrington disappeared October 17 after a rock concert at the college's Charlottesville campus, and her skeletal remains were found by a nearby farmer in January.
Virginia state police did not disclose details of the forensic evidence that links her case to the attack in Fairfax, about 80 miles away. But the Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, said the cases are linked by a DNA match.
Police warn that because the sketch is five years old, the person it depicts may have changed his appearance.
Gil Harrington, a nurse, said her daughter's case shows that "the social framework that views women as prey" needs to be changed.
"It is something that I think you have to start from young ages with children, that you're training them not to beat up and not to act out," she said. "But you would think in 2010 that we would be working on issues of cherishing and upholding each other in relationships rather than can we just stop hurting each other. But unfortunately, that's where we're stuck. We have to disallow it."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/01/virginia.slain.student/
By the CNN Wire Staff
July 1, 2010 10:01 p.m. EDT
(CNN) -- Forensic evidence links the cases of a Virginia Tech student believed slain in October and the kidnapping and sexual assault of another woman four years earlier, state police announced Thursday.
The surviving victim was able to provide a description of her attacker to police, and detectives have begun circulating anew a sketch developed from her recollection. Investigators have asked the public to help find the suspect in that abduction, which took place in 2005 in Fairfax, Virginia, outside Washington.
The announcement is a new turn in the 2009 killing of Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old student at the Virginia Tech, and her parents told HLN's "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell" that they had mixed emotions about the news.
"It's hard to say that you're happy about an obscenity," her mother, Gil Harrington, said Thursday night. "But in effect, we were happy that we were one step closer to finding and apprehending this vicious predator and getting him off the streets."
Harrington's father, Roanoke psychiatrist Dr. Dan Harrington, said the emergence of a suspect's sketch has made him angry, "maybe for the first time."
"Obviously, we know Morgan was murdered, but it was an abstraction," he said. "There was no one that you could put a face to. But today, there's the concrete picture of this man, and it seems to me that for the first time, anger became way more of a prominent emotion for me."
Harrington disappeared October 17 after a rock concert at the college's Charlottesville campus, and her skeletal remains were found by a nearby farmer in January.
Virginia state police did not disclose details of the forensic evidence that links her case to the attack in Fairfax, about 80 miles away. But the Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, said the cases are linked by a DNA match.
Police warn that because the sketch is five years old, the person it depicts may have changed his appearance.
Gil Harrington, a nurse, said her daughter's case shows that "the social framework that views women as prey" needs to be changed.
"It is something that I think you have to start from young ages with children, that you're training them not to beat up and not to act out," she said. "But you would think in 2010 that we would be working on issues of cherishing and upholding each other in relationships rather than can we just stop hurting each other. But unfortunately, that's where we're stuck. We have to disallow it."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/01/virginia.slain.student/
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
For a while now, the Harringtons have said they believe their daughter's murder was done by a serial offender - and it looks as if they were spot on - good for them - they have just suprised me with their strength and stability thru this whole process - I pray that they are closer now than ever to justice for their daughter.
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
The Harringtons have always amazed me by their strength and grace even through the horrific murder of their beautiful and beloved daughter. I can only hope I would conduct myself with such grace given the same circumstances. I pray I never find out.
The A's should take note......
The A's should take note......
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Police investigating 50-plus tips in Morgan Harrington case
By Rex Bowman | The Roanoke Times
Friday, July 02, 2010
State police say the sketch they released Thursday of a man forensically linked to both Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington’s death and the 2005 sexual assault of another woman in Fairfax has elicited more than 50 tips from all over the nation.
State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said the tips have come in the form of e-mails and phone calls, and investigators are now prioritizing them.
Harrington, a 20-year-old Roanoke County resident, disappeared from a Metallica concert in Charlottesville on Oct. 17. Her body was found in a field of an Albemarle County farm in January.
Thursday, police disclosed that forensic evidence found at the farm links her death to the 2005 abduction and sexual assault of a 26-year-old woman in the city of Fairfax. State police released a sketch of the assailant Thursday.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the Jefferson Area Crime Stoppers at (434) 977-4000, Virginia State Police at (434) 352-3467 or Fairfax police at (703) 385-7959.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/breaking/wb/252375
By Rex Bowman | The Roanoke Times
Friday, July 02, 2010
State police say the sketch they released Thursday of a man forensically linked to both Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington’s death and the 2005 sexual assault of another woman in Fairfax has elicited more than 50 tips from all over the nation.
State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said the tips have come in the form of e-mails and phone calls, and investigators are now prioritizing them.
Harrington, a 20-year-old Roanoke County resident, disappeared from a Metallica concert in Charlottesville on Oct. 17. Her body was found in a field of an Albemarle County farm in January.
Thursday, police disclosed that forensic evidence found at the farm links her death to the 2005 abduction and sexual assault of a 26-year-old woman in the city of Fairfax. State police released a sketch of the assailant Thursday.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the Jefferson Area Crime Stoppers at (434) 977-4000, Virginia State Police at (434) 352-3467 or Fairfax police at (703) 385-7959.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/breaking/wb/252375
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Morgan Harrington Update: Police Link Va Tech Slaying to Unsolved Assault
July 2, 2010 11:15 AM
Posted by Edecio Martinez
RICHMOND, Va. (CBS/WDBJ/AP) Eight months after Morgan Harrington's murder, police have announced a new development in the case.
Forensic evidence gathered in the investigation into the slaying of the Virginia Tech student matches that from an unsolved 2005 abduction and sexual assault in northern Virginia, state police said Thursday.
State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller refused to identify the type of forensic evidence that was found.
Harrington's remains were found on an Albemarle County farm on Jan. 26, more than three months after she disappeared from a Metallica rock concert at the University of Virginia.
Police released a composite sketch of the suspect in the 2005 case based on the victim's description of her attacker, but warned that he may have changed his appearance.
In that case, a 26-year-old woman was walking home from a grocery store in Fairfax when a man grabbed her from behind, carried her to the pool area of a townhouse complex and sexually assaulted her.
Police are trying to identify the suspect, and attempting to determine what kind of contact he had with Harrington the night of her disappearance, and what his role may have been in her disappearance and death, Geller said.
"Before today, there was the abstraction of a murderer that killed our daughter, but now that you see a face with it, it makes you very angry," Dan Harrington said. "The anger that I have has kind of been multiplied because I now see a face of someone who did this to another human being."
On comments posted by Harrington's mother Gil on the family's website on Wednesday, she warned her daughter's killer that his luck would run out.
PICTURES: Morgan Harrington Missing
"That corpse will not rest. Morgan wants justice," she wrote to the "monster" who killed her daughter. "A day of reckoning is coming!"
The chief medical examiner's office has determined that Harrington's death was a homicide, but officials have said they have no further information on how she was killed. Her parents have said her bones were shattered.
Police have said the person who killed Harrington likely knew the area where her body was found in a remote hayfield 10 miles southwest of Charlottesville, where she was separated from her friends Oct. 17 while attending a Metallica concert. Investigators said only a person familiar with the farm or the immediate area would have dealt with the property's obstacles, including streams, fences and changing terrain.
The Harringtons said "a wealth of physical evidence" was found at the scene.
Dan Harrington said he hopes the sketch, despite its age, will register with someone who knew the suspect.
The suspect is described as a black male, 25 to 35 years old, approximately 6 feet tall with a medium build, with black hair, a beard and a mustache.
There is a $150,000 reward in the case.
Anyone with information about what happened to Morgan Harrington are asked to call the police at 434-352-3467.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20009532-504083.html
July 2, 2010 11:15 AM
Posted by Edecio Martinez
RICHMOND, Va. (CBS/WDBJ/AP) Eight months after Morgan Harrington's murder, police have announced a new development in the case.
Forensic evidence gathered in the investigation into the slaying of the Virginia Tech student matches that from an unsolved 2005 abduction and sexual assault in northern Virginia, state police said Thursday.
State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller refused to identify the type of forensic evidence that was found.
Harrington's remains were found on an Albemarle County farm on Jan. 26, more than three months after she disappeared from a Metallica rock concert at the University of Virginia.
Police released a composite sketch of the suspect in the 2005 case based on the victim's description of her attacker, but warned that he may have changed his appearance.
In that case, a 26-year-old woman was walking home from a grocery store in Fairfax when a man grabbed her from behind, carried her to the pool area of a townhouse complex and sexually assaulted her.
Police are trying to identify the suspect, and attempting to determine what kind of contact he had with Harrington the night of her disappearance, and what his role may have been in her disappearance and death, Geller said.
"Before today, there was the abstraction of a murderer that killed our daughter, but now that you see a face with it, it makes you very angry," Dan Harrington said. "The anger that I have has kind of been multiplied because I now see a face of someone who did this to another human being."
On comments posted by Harrington's mother Gil on the family's website on Wednesday, she warned her daughter's killer that his luck would run out.
PICTURES: Morgan Harrington Missing
"That corpse will not rest. Morgan wants justice," she wrote to the "monster" who killed her daughter. "A day of reckoning is coming!"
The chief medical examiner's office has determined that Harrington's death was a homicide, but officials have said they have no further information on how she was killed. Her parents have said her bones were shattered.
Police have said the person who killed Harrington likely knew the area where her body was found in a remote hayfield 10 miles southwest of Charlottesville, where she was separated from her friends Oct. 17 while attending a Metallica concert. Investigators said only a person familiar with the farm or the immediate area would have dealt with the property's obstacles, including streams, fences and changing terrain.
The Harringtons said "a wealth of physical evidence" was found at the scene.
Dan Harrington said he hopes the sketch, despite its age, will register with someone who knew the suspect.
The suspect is described as a black male, 25 to 35 years old, approximately 6 feet tall with a medium build, with black hair, a beard and a mustache.
There is a $150,000 reward in the case.
Anyone with information about what happened to Morgan Harrington are asked to call the police at 434-352-3467.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20009532-504083.html
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
State Police link 2005 assault to Morgan Harrington murder
July 1, 2010
Eight months after Morgan Harrington's murder, there's a break in the case.
Virginia State Police say they have forensic evidence linking Morgan Harrington's case to an abduction and rape in the city of Fairfax, Virginia in 2005.
State Police went to the Harrington's Roanoke County, Virginia home Thursday afternoon to meet with Morgan's parents and talk about case.
Police say evidence connects Harrington's case to the abduction and sexual assault of a woman in Fairfax five years ago. In that case a 26-year-old woman was grabbed from behind as she walked home from a Giant grocery store and carried to a park where she was sexually assaulted.
That woman survived and gave police a description of the suspect. The suspect is a black man and now would be somewhere between 30 and 40 years old. He's six feet tall and in 2005 had a medium build.
Police say they don't know who the man is, but they're fairly sure the cases are connected.
"We think there is someone out there who had contact with both victims," said Lieutenant Joe Rader of the Virginia State Police
Lt. Rader would not elaborate on what type of forensic evidence was found.
"We'll just leave it at forensics right now. I don't really want to get into discussing whether it's DNA or any other type of evidence but it's very reliable what we have," Rader said.
Harrington vanished after leaving a Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesvile last October. Her body was found three months later at a farm about 10 miles away in Albemarle County.
Harrington's parents say they're happy there's a break in the case. "It's no longer a matter of testimony it's hard evidence," Gil Harrington said."It's DNA. It's DNA from Morgan's case linked to a previous case five years ago."
"This is the biggest break since they released the fact that her shirt was found and returned in Charlottesville," Gil Harrington said.
"I'm relieved that we have some movement in the case. I think it's also makes me feel more hopeful that we're going to be able to give Morgan some justice," said Dan Harrington.
The new information also brings about new emotions and new anger for Morgan Harrington's father. "There is a killer among us and now there's a face to it which makes me very angry when I see it," Dan Harrington said.
----------------
From the State Police news release:
Forensic evidence recovered during the course of the Harrington investigation has confirmed the link to the City of Fairfax assault. In September 2005, a Fairfax woman was abducted and sexually assaulted and City of Fairfax Police detectives were able to create a composite sketch based on the victim's description of the suspect. However, the suspect may have changed his appearance over the course of the past five years.
They ask anyone with information about the Fairfax case to contact City of Fairfax Police Detective Mike Boone at (703) 385-7959. Anyone wishing to provide information in the Morgan Harrington case is encouraged to call the Jefferson Area Crime Stoppers at (434) 977-4000 or Virginia State Police at (434) 352-3467 or email State Police at bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov.
Click here to see 2005 wanted poster from Fairfax County
Morgan Harrington, a Virginia Tech student from Roanoke County, disappeared after a concert in Charlottesville last October. Her remains were found on a farm in Albemarle County in January.
http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=12741242&Call=Email&Format=HTML
July 1, 2010
Eight months after Morgan Harrington's murder, there's a break in the case.
Virginia State Police say they have forensic evidence linking Morgan Harrington's case to an abduction and rape in the city of Fairfax, Virginia in 2005.
State Police went to the Harrington's Roanoke County, Virginia home Thursday afternoon to meet with Morgan's parents and talk about case.
Police say evidence connects Harrington's case to the abduction and sexual assault of a woman in Fairfax five years ago. In that case a 26-year-old woman was grabbed from behind as she walked home from a Giant grocery store and carried to a park where she was sexually assaulted.
That woman survived and gave police a description of the suspect. The suspect is a black man and now would be somewhere between 30 and 40 years old. He's six feet tall and in 2005 had a medium build.
Police say they don't know who the man is, but they're fairly sure the cases are connected.
"We think there is someone out there who had contact with both victims," said Lieutenant Joe Rader of the Virginia State Police
Lt. Rader would not elaborate on what type of forensic evidence was found.
"We'll just leave it at forensics right now. I don't really want to get into discussing whether it's DNA or any other type of evidence but it's very reliable what we have," Rader said.
Harrington vanished after leaving a Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesvile last October. Her body was found three months later at a farm about 10 miles away in Albemarle County.
Harrington's parents say they're happy there's a break in the case. "It's no longer a matter of testimony it's hard evidence," Gil Harrington said."It's DNA. It's DNA from Morgan's case linked to a previous case five years ago."
"This is the biggest break since they released the fact that her shirt was found and returned in Charlottesville," Gil Harrington said.
"I'm relieved that we have some movement in the case. I think it's also makes me feel more hopeful that we're going to be able to give Morgan some justice," said Dan Harrington.
The new information also brings about new emotions and new anger for Morgan Harrington's father. "There is a killer among us and now there's a face to it which makes me very angry when I see it," Dan Harrington said.
----------------
From the State Police news release:
Forensic evidence recovered during the course of the Harrington investigation has confirmed the link to the City of Fairfax assault. In September 2005, a Fairfax woman was abducted and sexually assaulted and City of Fairfax Police detectives were able to create a composite sketch based on the victim's description of the suspect. However, the suspect may have changed his appearance over the course of the past five years.
They ask anyone with information about the Fairfax case to contact City of Fairfax Police Detective Mike Boone at (703) 385-7959. Anyone wishing to provide information in the Morgan Harrington case is encouraged to call the Jefferson Area Crime Stoppers at (434) 977-4000 or Virginia State Police at (434) 352-3467 or email State Police at bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov.
Click here to see 2005 wanted poster from Fairfax County
Morgan Harrington, a Virginia Tech student from Roanoke County, disappeared after a concert in Charlottesville last October. Her remains were found on a farm in Albemarle County in January.
http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=12741242&Call=Email&Format=HTML
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
OMG this is huge.. so now the footage they have shud help as having a physical description shud help... Also, I dont believe Morgan was ever walking on a brigdge hitchiking.. I think someone was in that parking lot area just waiting to grab a vulnerable girl... Hopefully someone will remember something now..
God Bless Morgan and her wonderful family! I am so happy for them...
God Bless Morgan and her wonderful family! I am so happy for them...
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Also, just wondering.. I suspect it is touch DNA.. and just wondering if you think LE had this for along time, or if it was just discovered where we heard about it immediatley?
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Harringtons suspect 2 were involved in daughter’s death
By Tasha Kates
Published: July 17, 2010
The parents of Morgan D. Harrington, the 20-year-old who vanished after a Metallica concert in October, said Saturday that they believe two people were involved in their daughter’s disappearance.
Virginia State Police announced July 1 that forensic evidence shows a man who abducted and sexually assaulted a woman in 2005 in Fairfax came into contact with Harrington. The man was never identified, and the Virginia Tech student’s body was discovered in January on a southern Albemarle County farm.
Dan Harrington, Morgan Harrington’s father, said it was unlikely that a person from outside the area would have just happened upon the pasture where she was found.
“How does a person from Northern Virginia know about 15th Street?” Dan Harrington asked. “It’s not a place you happen to find.”
Corinne Geller, state police spokeswoman, said earlier this month that authorities believe the person who left Morgan Harrington’s body had ties to Albemarle.
State police released a composite sketch of the Fairfax assailant, who is described as a black man with a medium build who is about 6 feet tall. At the time of the 2005 attack, he had black hair with a beard and mustache.
Geller said Saturday that the state police have received about 75 tips since the sketch was publicized.
Gil Harrington, Morgan Harrington’s mother, said that her conversations with state police have given her hope.
“I’m feeling from the language I hear that they are confident that given time, they will tighten this up and have a resolution,” she said.
The Harringtons were in town Saturday visiting their daughter’s memorial on Copeley Bridge, where she was last seen nine months earlier.
Morgan Harrington would have turned 21 on July 24. Gil Harrington said Saturday that the week leading up to her daughter’s birthday normally would have been filled with discussions on how to celebrate.
Dan Harrington said Saturday that the last few months have been tough for the family. The patriarch said he closed the forum on http://www.findmorgan.com, the family’s Web site dedicated to their daughter, because people were posting threats. Gil Harrington said the family has received much support and love from the community.
“Those things give you a lift,” Gil Harrington said.
However, the family is focused on keeping the investigation alive and raising awareness about what happened to their daughter. The Harringtons expressed concern that the person or persons involved in their daughter’s disappearance could be around the new crop of University of Virginia first-year students who will arrive next month.
“What he thinks is ‘fresh blood,’” Gil Harrington said.
Anyone with information about this case should call Crimestoppers at 977-4000 or contact the state police at 352-3467 or via e-mail at bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov . A reward of about $150,000 is being offered.
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/article/harringtons_suspect_2_were_involved_in_daughters_death/58293/
By Tasha Kates
Published: July 17, 2010
The parents of Morgan D. Harrington, the 20-year-old who vanished after a Metallica concert in October, said Saturday that they believe two people were involved in their daughter’s disappearance.
Virginia State Police announced July 1 that forensic evidence shows a man who abducted and sexually assaulted a woman in 2005 in Fairfax came into contact with Harrington. The man was never identified, and the Virginia Tech student’s body was discovered in January on a southern Albemarle County farm.
Dan Harrington, Morgan Harrington’s father, said it was unlikely that a person from outside the area would have just happened upon the pasture where she was found.
“How does a person from Northern Virginia know about 15th Street?” Dan Harrington asked. “It’s not a place you happen to find.”
Corinne Geller, state police spokeswoman, said earlier this month that authorities believe the person who left Morgan Harrington’s body had ties to Albemarle.
State police released a composite sketch of the Fairfax assailant, who is described as a black man with a medium build who is about 6 feet tall. At the time of the 2005 attack, he had black hair with a beard and mustache.
Geller said Saturday that the state police have received about 75 tips since the sketch was publicized.
Gil Harrington, Morgan Harrington’s mother, said that her conversations with state police have given her hope.
“I’m feeling from the language I hear that they are confident that given time, they will tighten this up and have a resolution,” she said.
The Harringtons were in town Saturday visiting their daughter’s memorial on Copeley Bridge, where she was last seen nine months earlier.
Morgan Harrington would have turned 21 on July 24. Gil Harrington said Saturday that the week leading up to her daughter’s birthday normally would have been filled with discussions on how to celebrate.
Dan Harrington said Saturday that the last few months have been tough for the family. The patriarch said he closed the forum on http://www.findmorgan.com, the family’s Web site dedicated to their daughter, because people were posting threats. Gil Harrington said the family has received much support and love from the community.
“Those things give you a lift,” Gil Harrington said.
However, the family is focused on keeping the investigation alive and raising awareness about what happened to their daughter. The Harringtons expressed concern that the person or persons involved in their daughter’s disappearance could be around the new crop of University of Virginia first-year students who will arrive next month.
“What he thinks is ‘fresh blood,’” Gil Harrington said.
Anyone with information about this case should call Crimestoppers at 977-4000 or contact the state police at 352-3467 or via e-mail at bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov . A reward of about $150,000 is being offered.
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/article/harringtons_suspect_2_were_involved_in_daughters_death/58293/
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
A killer stalks among us
By Kari Pugh
Published: July 22, 2010
Prince William County, Va.- The man who killed Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington likely has strong ties to both Charlottesville and Northern Virginia, where he attacked another woman in 2005.
"He has some nexus," retired FBI profiler Gregg McCrary said in a recent phone interview. "He strikes where he is comfortable, in his own territory."
Virginia State Police announced earlier this month that they'd found a definite forensic link between the October 2009 disappearance and death of 20-year-old Morgan Harrington and the September 2005 abduction and sexual assault of a 26-year-old woman in Fairfax city, not far from George Mason Univer-sity.
Investigators won't say what that link is, but Harrington's parents have said it was a DNA database hit.
State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said the Virginia Department of Forensics made the connection, and the information is now being compared in databases across the nation.
Police so far have not tied the man to any other crimes, or stumbled upon his identity in any state or na-tional offender databases.
But McCrary, a Spotsylvania County resident who has worked on hundreds of serial murder cases, said the two attacks are not the killer's only offenses.
"It's hard for me to imagine that he hasn't tried this before," he said. "There have been unsuccessful attempts in both Northern Virginia and the Charlottesville areas. Chances are, there are unreported cases, victims."
Do you know this man?
State police admit they took a risk by putting out a composite sketch of the man. It was created in 2005, based on the memory of the victim in the Fairfax city attack.
"Composites cut both ways," McCrary said. "If it looks a lot like the guy, it could be helpful. If it doesn't, it can be a distraction. You're dealing with witness recollections in a traumatic situation."
Attack in Fairfax
The Sept. 24, 2005, attack in Fairfax caused a wave of panic in the neighborhoods surrounding George Mason University. The victim was walking home from a Giant Food grocery store on Jermantown Road about 10 p.m. when she was grabbed from behind.
The attacker carried her to a park area off Rock Garden Drive, where he sexually assaulted her. He then let her go and ran toward Fairhaven Court. The victim described her attacker as black, 25 to 35 years old, about 6 feet tall with black hair, a beard and a mustache.
The victim tried to fight him off, telling detectives she'd left scratches on his face.
Charlottesville
Morgan Harrington disappeared on Oct. 17, 2009, during a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Despite a massive search and national media attention, her body wasn't found until Jan. 26, 2010, when a farmer discovered her skeletal remains on his 700-acre property in Albemarle County.
In February, state police investigators said they were convinced that the killer worked or lived near the farm in southern Albemarle County, and that the area had some significance to him emotionally.
In a news release, state police stated that the man they were looking for "may have been inclined to return to the farm during a period of increased stress."
McCrary said dumping Harrington's body on a remote farm was risky, as was grabbing a woman on a well-traveled path in Fairfax, showing he was confident and knew both areas well.
But who is he?
Is he a student who has attended both U.Va. and GMU? Did he grow up in Charlottesville? Does he have relatives he visits in Northern Virginia? Is he a roadie who works concert venues? There was a Googoosh show at the nearby George Mason Patriot Center the night of the 2005 attack.
"There are so many scenarios possible, and we are looking at them all," Geller said. "We are hoping somebody out there looks at the composite and there's some recognition. Maybe the facial hair has changed, maybe the hairline or even the hairstyle has changed. But look at the eyes, the facial structure."
Geller said police have received close to 80 tips since releasing the composite earlier this month. She said investigators are in the process of vetting those leads, and working with Fairfax city police to identify a killer—before he strikes again.
He's still out there
McCrary said, and state police agree, that the man's pattern shows an escalation in his crimes.
"He will most certainly strike again," McCrary said. "Your chance of crossing paths with this guy is slim, but I'd tell women to be vigilant. Use reasonable care, stay with your friends if you're out at a concert."
For state police, "that pressure exists to find this person," Geller said.
"There is a pattern developing, and we need to prevent it from happening again," she said.
She said investigators are convinced that someone out there has the missing piece to the puzzle, whether they know it or not.
"For people who think, 'I might have seen this person,' you might discount it. But we might have two other people who saw the same thing. Call us, e-mail us and let us see if the piece fits."
On her family blog, Harrington's mother, Gil, wrote that she's convinced the killer is "hiding in plain sight."
"They are a little off, their edges blurred, but they are passable if you only glance quickly and then look away," she wrote. "When the hairs on your neck raise and your skin starts to crawl take note, get out, call the police, and we'll have him."
The Harrington family is offering a $100,000 reward, and the band Metallica has put up $50,000, for in-formation leading to an arrest in the case. If you have any information, call state police at 434-352-3467 or e-mail bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov .
http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/a_killer_among_us/61090/
By Kari Pugh
Published: July 22, 2010
Prince William County, Va.- The man who killed Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington likely has strong ties to both Charlottesville and Northern Virginia, where he attacked another woman in 2005.
"He has some nexus," retired FBI profiler Gregg McCrary said in a recent phone interview. "He strikes where he is comfortable, in his own territory."
Virginia State Police announced earlier this month that they'd found a definite forensic link between the October 2009 disappearance and death of 20-year-old Morgan Harrington and the September 2005 abduction and sexual assault of a 26-year-old woman in Fairfax city, not far from George Mason Univer-sity.
Investigators won't say what that link is, but Harrington's parents have said it was a DNA database hit.
State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said the Virginia Department of Forensics made the connection, and the information is now being compared in databases across the nation.
Police so far have not tied the man to any other crimes, or stumbled upon his identity in any state or na-tional offender databases.
But McCrary, a Spotsylvania County resident who has worked on hundreds of serial murder cases, said the two attacks are not the killer's only offenses.
"It's hard for me to imagine that he hasn't tried this before," he said. "There have been unsuccessful attempts in both Northern Virginia and the Charlottesville areas. Chances are, there are unreported cases, victims."
Do you know this man?
State police admit they took a risk by putting out a composite sketch of the man. It was created in 2005, based on the memory of the victim in the Fairfax city attack.
"Composites cut both ways," McCrary said. "If it looks a lot like the guy, it could be helpful. If it doesn't, it can be a distraction. You're dealing with witness recollections in a traumatic situation."
Attack in Fairfax
The Sept. 24, 2005, attack in Fairfax caused a wave of panic in the neighborhoods surrounding George Mason University. The victim was walking home from a Giant Food grocery store on Jermantown Road about 10 p.m. when she was grabbed from behind.
The attacker carried her to a park area off Rock Garden Drive, where he sexually assaulted her. He then let her go and ran toward Fairhaven Court. The victim described her attacker as black, 25 to 35 years old, about 6 feet tall with black hair, a beard and a mustache.
The victim tried to fight him off, telling detectives she'd left scratches on his face.
Charlottesville
Morgan Harrington disappeared on Oct. 17, 2009, during a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Despite a massive search and national media attention, her body wasn't found until Jan. 26, 2010, when a farmer discovered her skeletal remains on his 700-acre property in Albemarle County.
In February, state police investigators said they were convinced that the killer worked or lived near the farm in southern Albemarle County, and that the area had some significance to him emotionally.
In a news release, state police stated that the man they were looking for "may have been inclined to return to the farm during a period of increased stress."
McCrary said dumping Harrington's body on a remote farm was risky, as was grabbing a woman on a well-traveled path in Fairfax, showing he was confident and knew both areas well.
But who is he?
Is he a student who has attended both U.Va. and GMU? Did he grow up in Charlottesville? Does he have relatives he visits in Northern Virginia? Is he a roadie who works concert venues? There was a Googoosh show at the nearby George Mason Patriot Center the night of the 2005 attack.
"There are so many scenarios possible, and we are looking at them all," Geller said. "We are hoping somebody out there looks at the composite and there's some recognition. Maybe the facial hair has changed, maybe the hairline or even the hairstyle has changed. But look at the eyes, the facial structure."
Geller said police have received close to 80 tips since releasing the composite earlier this month. She said investigators are in the process of vetting those leads, and working with Fairfax city police to identify a killer—before he strikes again.
He's still out there
McCrary said, and state police agree, that the man's pattern shows an escalation in his crimes.
"He will most certainly strike again," McCrary said. "Your chance of crossing paths with this guy is slim, but I'd tell women to be vigilant. Use reasonable care, stay with your friends if you're out at a concert."
For state police, "that pressure exists to find this person," Geller said.
"There is a pattern developing, and we need to prevent it from happening again," she said.
She said investigators are convinced that someone out there has the missing piece to the puzzle, whether they know it or not.
"For people who think, 'I might have seen this person,' you might discount it. But we might have two other people who saw the same thing. Call us, e-mail us and let us see if the piece fits."
On her family blog, Harrington's mother, Gil, wrote that she's convinced the killer is "hiding in plain sight."
"They are a little off, their edges blurred, but they are passable if you only glance quickly and then look away," she wrote. "When the hairs on your neck raise and your skin starts to crawl take note, get out, call the police, and we'll have him."
The Harrington family is offering a $100,000 reward, and the band Metallica has put up $50,000, for in-formation leading to an arrest in the case. If you have any information, call state police at 434-352-3467 or e-mail bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov .
http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/a_killer_among_us/61090/
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
x
Last edited by tish on Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
There are most likely other victims, either in Virginia or elsewhere. Sometimes it takes years of the police periodically running a perp's DNA through a database before there is finally a match after the perp has ended up being arrested for another crime. I hope this guy is caught sooner rather than later.
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
x
Last edited by tish on Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:27 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Re: Morgan Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10
Bridge To Honor Morgan Harrington
September 15, 2010
~Snipped~
Tuesday, the U.Va. Board of Trustees approved the installation of a plaque on the Copely Road bridge. The marker will be dedicated Oct. 17, the one-year anniversary of her disappearance.
Read more: http://www.wric.com/Global/story.asp?S=13156438
September 15, 2010
~Snipped~
Tuesday, the U.Va. Board of Trustees approved the installation of a plaque on the Copely Road bridge. The marker will be dedicated Oct. 17, the one-year anniversary of her disappearance.
Read more: http://www.wric.com/Global/story.asp?S=13156438
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