VA Tech Student Morgan Dana Harrington missing since 10/17/09#1 10/19/09-7/1/10

[trimmonthelake]

http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-body-found-albemarle-100126,0,5332581.story
Medical Examiner Positively Identifies Remains as Morgan Harrington
Meantime, Harrington's father tells CBS 6 about his mission to honor his daughter's memory.

Catie Beck and Misti Davidson

January 26, 2010
ALBEMARLE COUNTY - The state medical examiner has confirmed the remains found on an Albemarle County Farm Tuesday are those of Morgan Harrington.

Virginia State Police say the confirmation was made using dental records provided by the family and say the investigation continues into the time and cause of death.

Meantime, Morgan Harrington's father talks to CBS 6 about the discovery of his daughter's remains and what the revelation means to his family.

Dan Harrington tells Catie Beck, "This may sound strange, but we have found some peace in all of this. It wasn't the outcome that we wanted but we know now where our daughter is and there is peace in that."

Harrington said he felt that God had answered his prayers in a way after last week telling his wife he couldn't take much more of the 'not knowing.'

He said, "Now we have to figure out how to honor Morgan in death, how to have her life mean something."

In a conversation Wednesday morning, Harrington says his mission may include campus safety or self-defense for women, but most importantly he wants his daughter to be remembered.

"That's been always our biggest challenge - making sure that people don't forget her."
Harrington says the Charlottesville community has taken this case seriously from the beginning and that he has stated from early on that there was a crime and that the criminal lives in the Charlottesville area.

He says, "I always said she would be found within five miles of the campus. This person knew the area. If Mr. Bass had found a fresh body, we would be feeling very differently today, like perhaps Morgan had been held and tortured. I think my daughter was dead before that concert was over."

The family has not made burial arrangements yet ,but they plan to.

Harrington also mentioned that he and his wife were recently on Capitol Hill testifying on behalf of the National Center for Missing Adults telling their story about Morgan. He says he's been amazed by the goodness of people through all of this and that he and his wife Gil have grown as people through the process.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Virginia State Police announced the discovery of the body of Morgan Harrington, saying they are "fairly comfortable with that conclusion."

Col. W. Steven Flaherty said items and evidence found on site indicate the remains are those of Harrington. He said Morgan's parents, Dan and Gil Harrington, were on hand to make the tentative identification. He indicated the search for her, underway since October 17 of last year, was now over.

Lt. Joe Rader, the lead investigator in Harrington's disappearance, said the area where the remains were discovered had not been searched previously. He added that the missing person case was now most likely a homicide. He said investigators were combing the area carefully, saying it was "imperative to maintain the sanctity of the crime scene, since the perpetrator, or perpetrators," were still at large.
He would not characterize the state of the remains, nor what evidence may have been found at the scene.

The Harringtons arrived in the Charlottesville area in the early afternoon. They had told CBS 6 they were there to identify skeletal remains that had been found in Albemarle County Tuesday morning. When speaking, Morgan's father Dan was in tears, telling CBS 6 "this is a horrible day" for his family.

An Albemarle County resident found the remains Tuesday morning at a private residence called Anchorage Farm on Anchorage Farm Road in the southern region of Albemarle County. The farm is ten miles from the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville where 20-year-old Morgan Harrington was last seen at a Metallica concert October 17.

CBS 6's Catie Beck spoke to David Bass, who discovered the remains on his property. Bass, a farmer and owner of Anchorage Farm, says after the wind and rain last week there were several downed trees in his yard. He was out looking for possible damage to make repairs in a remote area of his property, when he spotted the body.

He said the area would be next to impossible to access from a road, since it's at least a mile and a half from the roadway.

He said at first he didn't know whether the remains were human or animal, describing them as very badly decomposed. "I looked down and saw what looked like a human skull and my first thought was that it was Morgan Harrington," said Bass. He said the skull had no hair on it and he couldn't tell from looking whether the remains were male or female.

He immediately went inside and called 911, telling a dispatcher, "I'm not even sure if this is a human body, but I think so."

Bass told CBS6, "We're a small, rural family and we've never had any trespassers. Now in dealing with this tragedy, of a dead person and at the same time [wondering] if this is Morgan Harrington, a part of me thinks this is something good for people to know."

He said police confirmed right away that it was a human body.

Check www.wtvr.com for the very latest.

[cookie]

!whew...finally able to log on here!  trying for a long time...

this is horrible for Morgan and her family...she had a full life ahead of her...her parents have been robbed of all things that Morgan will never get to enjoy...having a wedding, becoming a mother...just living her life...so many things that were taken from them and from Morgan by scum...Rest in Peace Morgan...words fail me...

[Lovinlife]

#446 Comment by SuzeeB — January 27, 2010 @ 12:34 pm
Posted by Jimi Albert on Facebook

Based on a news video

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/3937/videol.jpg

and google maps, the location of where her body was found is indicated in the dot within the RED circle, (the X pattern of trees) the BLUE circles are houses. based on this I think the person stopped somewhere in the area indicated by a green circle in the top right part of the image. I think the other areas would have been too risky to be seen, I also believe, based on this info, that this guy KNOWS the area VERY well and is local.

That location hides her from every house, fyi.
B

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/7411/farmr.jpg

http://blinkoncrime.com/2010/01/26/missing-vt-student-morgan-harrington-body-found-near-charlottesville/#comments

-------------------------------

How upsetting for the Bass family to be involved in this.  There must have been some devine intervention that he felt the need to check on his fencing in that area.  Morgan might not have been found until Springtime.  And finding her, ugh, I can't even imagine. 

And the Harrington's, my heart breaks for them.

[trimmonthelake]

http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=10835
Discovery of Morgan Harrington's Remains Saddens 2 University Communities

January 27, 2010 — The discovery Tuesday morning of skeletal remains believed to be those of Morgan Dana Harrington brought profound grief to her family and friends and sadness to two university communities.

At Virginia Tech, where Harrington, 20, was a junior education major, President Charles Steger said the news took away hope for a happy ending. "Once again, we find our strength and resilience tested in the face of profound grief and loss," he wrote in an open letter.

Harrington's disappearance Oct. 17 during a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena also touched the U.Va. and Charlottesville communities, which had searched for her in vain.

"The University community is deeply saddened by today's news about Morgan Harrington," Leonard W. Sandridge, U.Va. executive vice president and chief operating officer, said Tuesday. "Our hearts go out to Morgan's parents, Gil and Dan, to her brother, Alex, and to our friends in the Virginia Tech community at this very difficult time."

He added, "We are grateful to members of the larger community for the extraordinary support and commitment they have exhibited since Morgan's disappearance. We had all hoped and prayed for a different outcome."

Col. W. Steven Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police, acknowledged at a press conference early Tuesday evening that police were making the announcement of Harrington's discovery "with heavy hearts."

Although the identity of the remains was not confirmed until today, Flaherty said that police are confident it was Harrington a farm owner discovered in a remote hay field about eight miles south of Charlottesville. He emphasized that the investigation is in its infant stages. "We have more questions than answers," he said.

Lt. Joe Rader, a state police investigator, said that the case is likely a homicide. He added that the focus of the investigation now will be on recovering evidence, determining how Harrington died and "bringing this case to justice."

Witnesses last saw Harrington at 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, hitchhiking on the Copeley Road Bridge on U.Va.'s Grounds. State police are working with police for the University, city and county on the investigation. Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the state police tip line at 434-352-3467 or University Police at 434-924-7116, or email bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov.

"The University Police Department will continue to do all it can to support the Virginia State Police as they work to solve this case," Sandridge said.

Dan Harrington, who works at Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, holds dual appointments at Virginia Tech and the U.Va. School of Medicine. He and his wife, Gil, kept their daughter's disappearance in the public eye with a blog, media interviews and fundraisers.

Harrington released a statement today expressing sadness but also relief.

"Gil and I are overwhelmingly saddened by yesterday’s discovery, but we are also relieved because our questions can now be answered and we can give our daughter a proper burial," he said. "We know that because of the good life Morgan led and the love she created for everyone around her, she is now in a safer, better place."

Sandridge said the University has assured "the Harrington family of our concern and offered to help during this difficult period in any way we can."

[trimmonthelake]

http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-harrington-parents-react-skeletal-remains,0,7932727.story
"We Hoped To Find Her Alive"
Fighting back tears, Dan and Gil Harrington talk about the finding of their daughter's body in Albermarle.

Sandi Cauley CBS 6 Executive Producer
1:24 PM EST, January 27, 2010
CHARLOTTESVILLE - One day after bones were found on a remote farm in Albemarle County, the Richmond Medical Examiner confirmed Virginia State Police's initial determination - the bones do belong to Morgan Harrington.

Harrington disappeared October 17, 2009 in Charlottesville, where she was attending a concert. Wednesday her parents held a news conference from the bridge where she was last seen.

Here are excerpts from that conference that started with words from Dan Harrington, Morgan's father.

"This is not what we had hoped would be the end for Morgan. We hoped to find her alive. We now have some piece and closure today. We came here because this is last place she was seen before someone took her and murdered her."

Harrington broke off momentarily to thank everyone who had helped search for Morgan across the world and then continued to talk about the difficult time they've endured for 100 days since Morgan vanished.

"Even though Morgan has been found and has been murdered we need to find the person who did this and they need to be brought to justice. We need to go forward with Morgan so that we do not let her name and person and the wonderful work she did and her life as a young person be forgotten. We need to figure out how we're going to honor Morgan."
***


Gil Harrington spoke slowly and fought back tears as she spoke.

"I want to tell you all today - it's clear as you see us, our sorrow is etched in our faces. Our pain has been carved into our hearts this has been an unimaginable horrific journey but since yesterday for the first time in 101 days, I have fate tendrils of hope that are growing in my soul. For the first ... I am not thinking what is he doing to my daughter - now what is she having to endure?"

"We are happy to have resolution. We are happy to know that Morgan did not live through the time through the concert. I'm happy that she was not alive long enduring unspeakable things."

"We will move on, we will find a way to be a family of three. (Speaking to the media) You all have these tripods they hold things. They are not as strong as a table with four legs. We don't know how to make a tripod work but we will figure it out. We do have to figure out a way to honor our daughter, Morgan. And I can tell you having seen, that girl even had some lovely bones."

***


When asked about the investigation, Dan Harrington talked about what happened Tuesday when they were notified that the skeletal remains were found.

"We were not allowed on property but state police did helicopter us around so we could see the area."

Dan Harrington said they have not made funeral or memorial plans because the medical examiner will not release the body for another five to six days.

"I think particularly right now the area where Morgan was found - This is not a random place that someone came upon accidentally. This is known to somebody here. This is a local person," said Harrington.

"As I said all along Morgan would be found within five miles of this bridge. I'm sure it was a local person. I do urge tips."

***
Gil Harrington added that all women should be cautious and perhaps it's time for a social change.

"I think in addition to caution we need to change the social framework that views women as prey. That is the shift that needs to be made I'm not sure how that can be accomplished., But that's what we can change."

"Parents always caution their kids, we need to do that plus something. Young people feel not very comfortable - they're very trusting in this world we live in... We need to ponder do we honor Morgan and advocate campus safety?"

Dan Harrington added to what the couple saw consistently when visiting the Charlottesville area to search for Morgan:

"Every time we come up here there's not a time that goes by we don't have 10 young women running by themselves."

"I don't think this necessarily is a place where something would happen again, but women are vulnerable. We didn't want Morgan to go out by herself alone."

"There's so many things that if we could change we would have a different outcome."

[Lovinlife]

Dang, I missed the pressor.  Been having a devil of a time today, Trimm must have a special key

[cece]

Dang, I missed the pressor.  Been having a devil of a time today, Trimm must have a special key

Me too, Lovin.

Video report at this link:

http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-body-found-albemarle-100126,0,5332581.story



Morgan Harrington’s parents, Gil and Dan, and brother, Alex, arrive at Copeley Bridge near John Paul Jones Arena where Morgan Harrington was last seen.
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/crime/article/harringtons_deliver_emotional_message/51496/
Harringtons deliver emotional message

video:
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/crime/article/video_harringtons_deliver_emotional_message/51497/

[klaasend]

NEW BLINK POST:

http://blinkoncrime.com/2010/01/27/morgan-harrington-murder-dan-and-gil-harrington-speak/

Morgan Harrington Murder: Dan and Gil Harrington Speak

[cece]

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/01/metallica-profoundly-saddened-by-fans-death-/1

Metallica: 'Profoundly saddened' by fan's death

The band Metallica says it is "profoundly saddened" by the news that the remains of a Virginia Tech student who disappeared in October after attending a Metallica concert were discovered in a remote farm field outside Charlottesville, Va. yesterday. In a note on the band's site, they say:

    Our most sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Morgan Dana Harrington, the 20 year old Virginia Tech student who was last seen while attending our concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA. Sadly, Morgan's body was found yesterday ending her family's three month vigil hoping and praying for her safe return. Mere words cannot express the anguish and grief that we know her parents Dan and Gil are feeling, and our thoughts are with them.

The band also urges anyone with information to call Virginia State Police.

[cece]

Thanks Klaas.  On my over there now. 

[no rose colored glasses]

NEW BLINK POST:

http://blinkoncrime.com/2010/01/27/morgan-harrington-murder-dan-and-gil-harrington-speak/

Morgan Harrington Murder: Dan and Gil Harrington Speak

Thank-you, and thank-you for all the updates.

[crazybabyborg]

NEW BLINK POST:

http://blinkoncrime.com/2010/01/27/morgan-harrington-murder-dan-and-gil-harrington-speak/

Morgan Harrington Murder: Dan and Gil Harrington Speak

Thank you Klaas. How sad. I hope they find whoever is responsible for all this pain and loss quickly and hold them accountable.

[trimmonthelake]

Dang, I missed the pressor.  Been having a devil of a time today, Trimm must have a special key

Hanging on by a fingernail here.   

[trimmonthelake]

Thanks Klaas.

[trimmonthelake]

http://primewriter.com/news-1246-headlines/?s=Morgan+Harrington
Morgan Harrington update: body found identified as Morgan, Metallica responds (photos, videos)
Posted by Melissa Finlay  On January - 27 - 2010
Morgan Harrington update: body found identified as Morgan, Metallica responds (photos, videos)


A tragic end has come to the case of missing Metallica fan, Morgan Harrington. The 20-year-old girl disappeared on October 17, 2009 while attending a Metallica concert. Her body was found yesterday on a 700 acre farm in Abemarle County, Virginia. Dental records have positively identified the body as belonging to Morgan Harrington.

Morgan Harrington Latest News


Morgan was at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia attending the concert when she went outside. She was not allowed back into the arena and was never seen alive again. An investigation into her disappearance has been ongoing and now an autopsy is being performed to determine the cause of death.


Metallica placed a statement on their band website expressing their condolences and sorrow over the tragedy.
“Our most sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Morgan Dana Harrington, the 20 year old Virginia Tech student who was last seen while attending our concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA. Sadly, Morgan’s body was found yesterday ending her family’s three month vigil hoping and praying for her safe return. Mere words cannot express the anguish and grief that we know her parents Dan and Gil are feeling, and our thoughts are with them.”


Authorities have said that her body was found approximately 10 miles from the John Paul Jones Arena.

Source: WTVR

[trimmonthelake]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/01/27/virginia.harrington.remains/?hpt=Sbin
Dental records confirm body is Va. Tech student's
By Mallory Simon, CNN
January 27, 2010 4:21 p.m. EST

(CNN) -- Skeletal remains found in a hayfield are those of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, a spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police said Wednesday.

The remains were identified based on dental records provided by the victim's family, spokeswoman Corinne Geller said.

Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old education major, went to a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia, on October 17. She was separated from her friends and was the subject of repeated searches.

"Investigators are now working to determine how the remains came to be in this particular location, cause and time of death, and identifying who was responsible for the remains being there," Geller said in a news release.

More information is expected after the completion of an autopsy, the spokeswoman added.

Police said skeletal remains were found Tuesday morning by a farmer driving a tractor through a hay field on his 700-acre farm. The area has no public access point, police said.
The farm is about 10 miles from where the concert was being held.

The farm's owner, David Dass, told CNN affiliate WTVR that he was out looking for damage after wind and rain knocked down several trees in his yard over the past week. He told WTVR that the area is at least a mile and a half from a main roadway.
I looked down and saw what looked like a human skull, and my first thought was that it was Morgan Harrington," Dass told WTVR, adding that he immediately called 911.

WTVR: State police 'confident' remains are Harrington

There was significant evidence leading police to believe that the remains are Harrington's, Virginia State Police Col. W. Steven Flaherty said, though he declined to specify what the evidence was.

Police said the area where the remains were found had not been searched during the early stages of the investigation into her disappearance.

The girl's parents, Dan and Gil Harrington, were in town to identify the remains, WTVR reported.

Dan Harrington, in tears, told WTVR that "this is a horrible day" for his family.
Gil Harrington expressed concerns Saturday that there was beginning to be complacency in the search, she wrote in a blog on the Web site set up to help find their daughter.

On Sunday, more than three months after Morgan went missing, Gil Harrington still clung to hope.

"Despite the length of time Morgan has been gone I remain hopeful," she wrote. "Part of me is waiting to be surprised. Waiting for God to pull the rabbit out of the hat and bring Morgan home.

"I remember that the light always returns, it cannot help but return. Will the light of my life return soon? I cannot imagine that all the water of Morgan's potential is to run down the drain and be wasted. Can it really play out like that?"

Now, it appears, the Harringtons finally have their answer. Police say they have now switched their focus to finding out how Morgan Harrington ended up in the remote farm and who put her there.

During the concert, Harrington left her friends to use the restroom, police said. When she did not return, they called her cell phone at 8:48 p.m. She told them she was outside the arena and could not get back in because of its policy, police said, but told them not to worry about her and that she would find a ride home.
There are restrooms inside the arena, police said, and police do not know how or why Harrington got outside. Witnesses who saw her outside the arena said she did not appear to be with anyone, police said.

About 9:30 p.m. that night, witnesses reported seeing a person matching Harrington's description walking on a nearby bridge, police said. No further sightings were reported.

Harrington's purse, with her identification and cell phone inside, was found the following day in an overflow parking lot near the arena, police said. A friend had driven Harrington's car to the concert, she said, and was still in possession of the car keys when they got separated.

Harrington was reported missing the day after the concert, when she did not show up at her parents' home to study for a math exam with her father.

Working with police and the Texas-based Laura Recovery Center, the Harringtons organized community searches, saying they would not give up hope that their daughter would be found.

A $150,000 reward has been offered for information leading to Harrington's whereabouts, police said. Of that, Metallica contributed $50,000.
The couple was joined at a news conference after her disappearance by Ed Smart, whose daughter Elizabeth was abducted in 2002. She returned home nine months later, after police say they found her in the custody of Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee.

Harrington said he reached out to Smart last week to seek advice on how to go through the disappearance of a child.

Harrington was wearing a black Pantera T-shirt, a black miniskirt, black tights and black boots when last seen.

[no rose colored glasses]

I am losing my mind, there is a RSO that lives about a mile from where Morgan was found. His initials EH, does anyone know his name so I can look him up on the registry. He is 20 years old. WS is talking about him, but of course it is all cryptic. 

[trimmonthelake]

suejay40  suejay40 is online now
Registered User
        
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 53
There is a 20 year old violent sexual predator (rapist specifically) that lives where the main road intersects with the Anchorage Farm Road which is not actually identified on google. And he works at a plumbing company within a mile or so of the arena. Bet if he was raised in the area, he would know how to get where her body was found.
    I just saw this on WS, have no idea if this is true or not, but found it very interesting.

it is true, his name is Eric Howell. here is the link to the sex registry page

http://sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov/sor/offenderDetails.html?regId=20223

Bump for NRCG

[trimmonthelake]

http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/forensic_science_expert_weighs_in_on_harrington_investigation/77413/
Forensic science expert weighs in on Harrington investigation
By Angela Hatcher | WSLS10 Reporter/Anchor
Published: January 27, 2010
More than 100 days passed from the last time Morgan Harrington was seen alive, to when her skeletal remains were found.  While it may seem investigators don’t have much to work with, a forensic science expert weighs in on what could help lead to a suspect.

“From a little piece of bone, you can find a suspect.“, says Dr. Tod Burke.  Burke is a forensic science expert at Radford University.  He is not associated with the Harrington case.

“Anytime you have remains, that’s of forensic value.“, says Burke.  “Sure it would be ideal for an investigator to just approach the scene and have a fresh body.“

Burke says a suspect might assume a remote location, like where Morgan’s remains were found, would guarantee a body would never be found.  He says the location, however, could work to the suspect’s disadvantage.

“It’s not heavily traveled. So you don’t have a lot of people coming and going.“, says Burke.  “Whereas if a body were dumped in a suburban or city area where you have a lot of movement,  the chances of being seen are greater but the forensic value may be contaminated.“

The massive snow, that likely covered the remains and delayed searches for Morgan, could preserve a body.  Warmer temperatures could speed up decomposition.

“There was hot weather, there was warm weather, there was cold weather all could play a role in body decomposition.“, says Burke.

Burke says animals can contaminate a crime scene, but could also help in an investigation.  He says that’s because animals can carry pieces of evidence from remote locations, to places where someone will find them.
Burke says don’t discount the possibility of DNA evidence, especially on any clothing Morgan was still wearing when she was found.

He’s confident whether it’s days from now, or years, we will find out what happened to Morgan.

“The forensic evidence is there.“ says Burke. “A suspect is there.“

[trimmonthelake]

http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=11890764
Social Media Sites Play A Role In Grieving
Posted: Jan 27, 2010 4:46 PM CST Updated: Jan 27, 2010 5:18 PM CST
Hundreds of people who never knew Morgan Harrington have felt compelled to mark her passing with their thoughts and prayers on Facebook and Twitter. It presents an interesting new role for the social media sites.

While cards and posters pile up along the Copeley Road Bridge for the Harringtons, lots of you are also heading online to pay your respects to the family.

More than 33,000 people are remembering Morgan Harrington on Facebook. A Twitter search for her name turns up pages of responses just one day after her body was found in Albemarle County.

The posts are sharing thoughts and prayers with Dan and Gil Harrington. It's a new way people are grieving, regardless of where they live or whether they had ever met the Harringtons.

UVA clinical psychologist Dr. Peters Sheras says, "When we have an event like this a lot of people relate to it at a lot of levels, so social networking has really opened up a way for these people to be in communication with one another, whether in fact they knew the person or not."

Dr. Sheras says the social networking sites are replacing a sympathy card or phone call, especially among young people. 

Hundreds of people are also turning to the NBC29 web site. In the last 24 hours more than 200 posts have flooded NBC29 discussion boards.