He's here: Harringtons warn killer he'll be caught
Dan and Gil Harrington arrive at the Copeley Road Bridge on Thursday, February 18. PHOTO BY COURTENEY STUART
They don't know who killed their daughter, but Morgan Harrington's parents say they remain certain about where he lives, and that he will be caught.
"There is a bad guy here in Charlottesville," Dan Harrington pointedly told reporters gathered by Morgan's memorial on the Copeley Road bridge on Thursday morning, February 18, after he and Morgan's mother, Gil, finished meeting with law enforcement.
Recalling lone female joggers he and Gil saw earlier that morning crossing the bridge and praising both UVA and Virginia Tech for emailing messages to all of their students, specifically referring to Morgan, Dan Harrington cautioned, "Students and citizens to be aware of their surroundings and not make themselves unsafe."
While the Medical Examiner in Richmond has publicly ruled Morgan's death a homicide, her parents may also know more specifically how their daughter died. Asked if police had shared her cause of death, the Harringtons paused and looked at each other before replying. "That," said Dan, "you'd need to get from police."
State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller declined comment, citing toxicology tests still being conducted by the Medical Examiner.
One forensic expert says he believes there should be plentiful physical evidence, even if Morgan perished the night of the Metallica concert, October 17, thanks to cool fall nights followed by the two-foot blanket of snow that buried Central Virginia from mid-December until days before January 26 when Morgan's remains were discovered by Anchorage Farm owner Dave Bass as he rode his tractor checking fences.
"In decomposition, a major factor is temperature," says Dr. Bill Bass, a UVA-educated forensic scientist and founder of "The Body Farm," a research facility in Knoxville, Tennessee that studies the breakdown of human remains and which was the subject of the eponymous 1994 novel by Patricia Cornwell.
Bass, who is no relation to the Anchorage Farm owner but who coincidentally owns his own farm near Lynchburg, says toxicology tests and DNA tests can be run on minimal amounts of tissue, even on partially or mostly skeletonized remains, as Morgan's have been described by both police and her parents.
While forensic expert Bass is not working on Morgan's case, he says the medical examiner's immediate ruling that Morgan's death is a homicide suggests "they have found something in the body that is damaged. It could be a gunshot, could be stabbing." Toxicology and DNA tests can take weeks, even months, to complete, he notes, although he says it's reasonable to believe police know the cause of death but "may not want to say yet" for investigative purposes.
The Harringtons held a public funeral mass and reception in Roanoke on Friday, February 5, but didn't receive Morgan's remains until the following week, an event that Gil Harrington has detailed in poetry and blog posts at the family's findmorgan.com, including one titled "Jewelry," about a heavy silver bracelet Morgan wore when she died, and which Gil now wears on her own arm.
Police and the Harringtons decline comment on any other items recovered with Morgan's body including a widely publicized Swarovsky crystal necklace; however Dan Harrington seemed to suggest that the bracelet was not the only piece of jewelry found.
"He didn't even want her jewelry," he said, adding his belief that Morgan's death was a sexual assault that "ended up in her murder."
Gil Harrington now wears the silver bracelet her daughter Morgan was wearing when she died. PHOTO BY COURTENEY STUART
The Harringtons have become familiar to millions of people through news coverage, and their grace in the face of personal devastation has further endeared them to strangers who comment extensively on Facebook and other Morgan-devoted blogs.
Their dedication to solving the mystery surrounding their daughter was once again on display Thursday, as they acknowledged that while they will never find closure or move past the loss, they do not seek to blame her friends or the John Paul Jones Arena, which has a policy that locked Morgan out during the October 17 Metallica show.
"Her killer is to blame," they said, soon after cutting three yellow ribbons from a lightpole on the bridge. Those yellow ribbons signified the three months they'd hoped Morgan would come home safely. One black ribbon, signifying her death, will remain on the lightpole, they say, until her killer is found and brought to justice.
"This ain't going to end," said Gil gesturing to the memorial, the ribbons, and the cameras aimed at her, "until Morgan finds justice."
–Correction: Patricia Cornwell's The Body Farm was published in 1994.
102 comments
Well, none of you can write, so does reading matter that much more?
They need to use tissue from the remains for the tox testing- not DNA comparison.
Not saying that drugs were a cause of anything- tox test have to be done, unless a death occurs naturally. Perhaps only to check alcohol content. The DNA available will be used to "confirm" the remains as well, but at this point primarily to determine what was absorbed into the system, how much was there and perhaps even determine a time of death based on the degredation of any substance found.
Oh, yes, I believe that bracelet had lots of DNA on it. You'd better turn yourself in now, perp.
CC, You're a jewel and you're critiquing our flaws in typing/typos is a hoot! "Thanks" Toots,for making me laugh .
does anyone think that Morgan just partied to hard with whoever she went with and just OD'd (alcohol poisoning, etc)and these people just freaked out and left her there? Are we sure she was raped? There are so many unanswered questions.
More than 45 miles is nothing in an area where people drive all day long. Theh fact ramains that your area C'ille and adjoining has an awful lot of young women showing up dead and nothing seems to be done about them. And what about Rachel Good who was dating a police officer according to her parents? Noone seems to have done the DNA on her pregnant corpse. Again you seem to feel in Jeffersonville, that a few dead women along the way doesnt matter much. I live in a pretty ripe city, but at least here we investigate murders--not sweep them under the rug. What do you think would have happened if the Harringtons did what all these other famliies did which is go away to grieve and trust the police to do their jobs? There has been only been 5 years with no answers for Rachel Good's family. Unless there is pressure and disinterested investigations from people who are not possible suspects there will not be a solution to this crime. Again how many dead young women in Charlottesville and nearby environs?? And who cares and who is investigating them?
I remember when the Kluges decided to do driven hunts and their gameskeeper killed all those endangered hawks. Law enforcement just sent the guy out of the country and that was an end to that. No penalty whatsoever. Maybe we have another situation where someone powerful has decided to do another kind of hunting. Too bad for the women. Go wahoos.
To Lannie I do not know the Albermarle county LE people, I am no longer from the county anymore. I live in a different state. My comments are directed specifically to a lack of follow-up from a number of murders that have taken place in the area, and the lack of follow-through. Is anyone investigating the Good murder? I doubt it. Was that case turned over to another juristiction or was it just passed over. What do you think? Furthermore, I am absolutely certain that if the Harringtons had not pressed on so hard and made this murder such a big issue, this would have been no case at all. If these many women were turning up dead in Connecticut, and there was no activiity, people would be marching in the streets. Also, you have a University there, with an large number of young women. UVA may be a good school to graduate from - if you are alive to graduate. If you cant go out after dark alone becuse it is dangerous, and the area has a 20 plus history of unsolved female- directed homicides, why go there at all? Morgan didnt go there to school. Unfortunately she did visit there. Tooo bad for her. Go wahoos. Bitter, yes I am bitter. I am female and when I was there, I knew woman who were assulted. Back then they didnt go to the authorities. The authorities wouldn't have done anything. What has changed? How is Cassandras's killer? When is his trial coming up??
If any of you people know me from your passing through The Hook blogs, you know I will be the first to speak up if law enforcement is involved in a discussion or questionable event. And what I say is far from pro-cop in many cases. But, having worked for 3 different sheriff's offices in the central Virginia area, I rest well at night knowing that NO cop was involved in any of the unsolved murders in this area.
They might run over pedestrians in wheelchairs, they might lock up citizens after almost running over them in crosswalks, they might feel justified in a so-called righteous killing in a critical incident, and they might have trouble keeping their pants on as we all saw last week... but I do not think any local officers could ever be involved in an abduction and murder, which appears to be the case with Morgan Harrington.
I pray to God that I am right, and I am 99.99% sure I am right. There are coverups here locally, things are often swept under the rug, but if a cop was involved in any local abduction and murder I can assure you 100% that this type of activity would NEVER be swept under the rug or covered up nowadays. Face it, based on the promotional and career advancement opportunities alone, there are cops and detectives out here that would love to solve the Morgan Harrington case if it meant arresting their own brother or another cop.
Evil isnt a fog or an amorphous substance. Evil is a person or persons and if you dont go after them and you permit them to continue hunting and killing, they will. I live in a big city where yes my door is locked but I can walk around safely after dark. That is one of the advantages of living in a big city. If you cannot go out alone after dark in a small town --- you are living in the wrong small town. A foundation of safety should be proper law enforcement-- not telling all the women to stay indoors after dark. Its Charlottesville for crying out loud not Peshawar. Also if you are a town that derives a large income from running an institute of higher education, you should have some standards to protect those young people who attend that institute. Morgan is dead. No answers. I havent seen anything about heightened protection for women in Cville other than people directing women to stay indoors. Several other women ar dead not necesarily in C'ville but in Va and there seems to be very little interest in solving these crimes. Your response seems to indicate that you think this isnt an issue, it probably isnt if you aren't female or if you havnt already lost a female relative in Charlottesville to violence. I have, so it isnt so trivial to me.
I pray you are right also.
Let this be the day the killer/s are caught and the justice for Morgan begin. I trust that the people of c'ville and surrounding towns have been busy pounding the pavement and beating bushes that will lead to guilty perp/s. It takes everyone who lives there to get this perp/s off the streets so no one else becomes a victim.
Hair testing is notoriously unreliable.
I imagine lots of DNA from the perp was probably found on that bracelet Morgan was wearing. Hopefully the person will be caught soon.
In a perfect world, a young woman should be safe, no matter the decisions and choices she makes. Unfortunately, we don't live in that perfect world. There are evil people waiting for the one mistake that makes a future victim vulnerable. If Morgan was not drugged without her knowledge,she did make at least 2 bad choices. IF she was not ejected, for whatever reason she voluntarily left the arena. I, with others, cannot accept the explanation that she left to smoke, or accidentally wandered out while looking for a bathroom. There are smoking facilities available very near to the location of what has been reported to be her seating section, and bathrooms are numerous and within site of any seating section entrance/exit. Even if there were long lines, those lines would have certainly been faster than trying to seek a distant port-a-potty. After being denied re-entry, her next mistake was wandering off into parking lots/public streets full of strangers and apparently, at least one kidnapper/killer. She should have stayed in close proximity of the doors of the arena where it is well lit. IF security tried to force her away from that safety, and I'm not saying they did, she should have created such a disturbance that the only choice was to take her into custody. Hours of trying to explain such actions to LE would have kept her away from the fate that befell her. She perhaps made a 3rd bad choice (actually a 1st choice) if she drank too much or voluntarily used drugs, thus affecting her sense of reasoning and own personal safety.Do any of these choices make Morgan to blame for what ultimately befell her. No, as I said before, she should have been safe no matter the decisions she made that night. The one(s) responsible is(are) whoever harmed her. There were choices made though that put her in harms grip. If nothing else, I do hope this story can change and possibly save the lives of other young women. First, stick with your group. By the same token, that group should not leave one of their own in the position Morgan found herself in, outside and unable to even get into her own car. Before leaving your dorm, apartment on a concert venue, think about what you are about to do. Are you about to jog in the dark when streets are practically empty (but maybe not empty of a deviant?) Be aware walking to your car if you have to work or shop a night. Anything or anyone suspicious, scream and get the heck out of dodge. Don't worry about causing a disturbance and being embarrassed if there was no danger. When at home, keep your doors locked, and do not open the door to strangers. Friends, back up your friend if she/he ends up in a precarious or unexpected predicament. There are people who prey on others moments of vulnerability and inattention to personal safety. We will never be perfectly safe, but there are common sense steps that can be taken to make it less likely that the creep waiting in the dark alley, hiding between apartment buildings or cars, or using his charm to entice a young woman into his car will be successful.
SJones, I am more then a little skeptical of " a Minister & his wife" stories. You will forgive me because I had a loved one who was murdered in C'ville under completely different circumstances,however it was in broad daylight and witnessed by neighbor ( who happened to be a local P.O. and the perp was arrested and charged. The perps brother was a Minister , well thought of in community and $$ to hire the best attrny...and he got off .. Thats right.. he got off and they blamed the victim.
Your "What if" theory says a minister and his wife passing thru picked her up and let her off after she freaked. ( Their words).
Forgive me if I am skeptical of the story and in light of the recent developments of the local LE. I would suggest every report about Morgans disappearance, be gone over very carefully.
If she had been in that field from that night.. as you theorized ..how come no buzzards flew overhead and alerted human curiousity? I will say again.. no one should be ruled out as there are alot of questions unanswered and folks seem to be to unmoved by yet another young ladys'murder. The perp/s are still out there. People who witnessed strange or unusual happenings that night.. need to contact the F.B.I or S.P.O and report what they know again.. to make sure every report was investigated.
S,Jones, if what you say,, they contacted their attorney and Then LE to telll this version of their events...doesn't raise redflags for many reasons.. I am at aloss whom you may be trying to protect and or blame the victim. Science is law and has lead LE to many perp/s that I continue to have Faith.. yes Faith that those responsible will be held accountable.
In this case.. Morgans character speaks for itself and if you cannot get beyond that tunnel you have formed.. I'm fearful for all the victim in and around C'ville. The student who summoned friends to help her as she was dumped behind a McDonalds off Thomas Jefferson Blvd and they take her to Martha Jefferson Hospital and she dies the next day should raise concerns for the citizens too. This victims mother was murdered 10 yrs before in Texas by her stepfather ..so is there anyone out there fighting for Justice for her? You bet The feds should be asking questions and hopefully they have brought in feds to uncover the truth. Perhaps the Locals have become comlacent as the residents have. There is alot of questions that need answering to allot of goings on in this area. No one should be excluded as the Perp/s.. No one. Let's get those responsible off the streets.. so there are no more victims. If it is done thru forensics and DNA.. then Let it begin. Leave No One out of radar and check them all..SJones I will say again.. someone knows something and there is a reason no one is willing to step forward..or just maybe they have and we DON'T know and are not meant to know. Citizen should be pounding the pavement until questions are answered and not told to leave it alone as many have stated on another blog. It may take awhile.. but theperp/s will be caught.. They always are. Patience is the ticket and imperative not to arrest the wrong one/s. Keep the Faith or you will never succeed in finding those responsible.
I hated the snow but I guess it was a blessing after all if it ends up helping that family come to justice.
My heart goes out to the family. When they cath this person or people that done this to such a beautiful young lady. i think they sould torture them in the very same way and then hang them Putting people like this in prison they still have a life of friends,eating,tv its not fair to the familys. these familys suffer for ever and these killers are living it up..3 meals a day,friends just like them
God bless you all,Morgans killer will be found!
Toxicology testing is underway. It will take a few months to allow the usable tissue to reconstitute itself so that a reliable finding can be made to determine what may have been in her system.
Until then, let's not speculate too much.
No one wants to think that somone in our city would have been able to do somthing like this but the truth is it happened and now there is a killer or killers on the loose in charlottesville .
Dog and Pony
No the police should not hold press conferences during an open investigation. By the same token, police officers probably shoudn't be holding private "boom boom" parties near an area where a body has been discovered. Somewhat dilutes the impression that they are giving it their best. How long has this area been a police party site? That is now an issue. That makes the police part of the news.
Again you have a predator in your area. There doesnt seem to be much action that has been taken over the years. Morgan is a young corpse. The other women have been dead for years with no action, and at least in one case with a police officer as a suspect who helped investigate his own dead lovers case. That makes the police part of the news. Too bad for the dead women. Maybe someone is looking a little harder in Morgan's case. Does anyone know the progress of Rachel Wood's case?
Again I dont live in Charlottesville any more. Noone else in my family can die in Charlottesville. But you all are pretty calm about having a real hunter in your midst. go wahoos
Subject: Blame the girl
Yes let’s just blame the girl.
It’s the girl’s fault
She shouldn’t have been beautiful
She shouldn’t have been at a concert
Wearing makeup
And a skirt
She was asking for it
They all ask for it
That way when the body is found it becomes their fault
Or the friends
Or the parents
Never the killer’s
No, he was giving her what she asked for
So in America in 2009
If you are a woman don’t go out alone
Don’t go to public events alone
Don’t walk after dark alone
If you are pretty or young,
Because if something happens to you
Remember you asked for it
Thst’s what the world will say
Not that you are/were beautiful
full of live
Waiting to burst onto life’s arena
Waiting for your first real love
your father walking you down the aisle
Your children
No, you are a tri-dimensional flesh cartoon
An object of hostile desire
An object to be destroyed
We talk about the Taliban
With girl/woman murderers in our midst
But as we can see, in America
in 1009 and 2010 you can always find people to say
She asked for it
whats happenin in the dark will come out in the light by mans law or god law god bless every one who lost a love one by the devil black white whoever.
"General Assembly Passes Harrington Resolution."
Hmmmm...young women making poor choices will get rewarded by the General Assembly?
I'm not asking for any critical information in the case and fully understand the precautions they must take.
IMO, LE does need to keep the community informed though. If nothing else just tell us to use precaution in our everyday lives because this monster is among us. They can't even tell us that...we have to hear it from Dan Harrington. He's got enough on his plate right now...he shouldn't have to be the one sending the warning to us.
You want to know what's sloppy...LE returning that bracelet to the Harringtons. That can be very damaging when and if this case goes to trial..defense will have a field day with that.
Concerned in Ivy, withholding information from the public during an investigation is a common LE practice. And one with very good reasons, not because they feel the community can't handle it. While we might be hungry for more information, that very information may compromise the investigation.
Those involved are likely to be keeping tabs on the news reports concerning the case. Therefore, keeping vital information quiet can help to prevent them from fleeing the area or otherwise taking other steps to cover their tracks. Vital evidence can be lost or destroyed as a result of information leaks.
And secondly, information is often withheld so that when a suspect is questioned, a confession is more likely to stand up in court. It's a common and practical method, keeping vital pieces of information secret from the public so that only those directly involved (LE and those responsible for the crime) would know. It helps protect against crazies falsely confessing, and helps to verify the validity of a confession.
Be patient. With all the legal loopholes and standards that must be met during an investigation and prosecution, law enforcement must tread very carefully.
I am waiting to read a lengthy, official police report on what occurred at the JPJ arena. Is anyone investigating anything? It seems the police are simply hoping to get lucky with a witness to events nine miles away.
This investigation is not impressing me at all.
I feel so much for this family. What their daughter went through and what they continue to go through is just horrible. Getting DNA from Morgan's bracelet or person tells me that this person was sloppy and probably thought that she would never be found, or at least not for much longer. Whoever it was is acting different, is losing sleep, is having major anxiety and stress about the fact that LE are closing in on them. People close to this person must notice this and I can only hope that they come forward sooner rather than later with their suspicions. This isn't tv, this is real life, and a life that was cut short because of a selfish person(s). Just do the right thing here. Imagine it being someone you know and love. Imagine that.
I'm with you Jeff...instead of LE trying to get people to come forward from that area, they need to go out and do a door to door themselves.
Nothing is making sense.
"Concerned" or IGNORANT in Ivy?
cat, I don't know where you read that the farm was a "play area" for local police officers. The one comment I read, made by an individual on a local comment forum, not necessarily someone in the know, was that the activity happened in the vicinity of a farm that has been in the news (my paraphrase, not worth going back to get the actual comment.) Certainly, we all know the farm referenced. The 29 murder(s) did not happen in Albemarle County, but in Culpeper County, more than 45 miles from Albemarle County jurisdiction. That being said, I agree with others that if what is being speculated at is true, an investigation should be made by an independent source to determine if this problem is more widespread and has endangered the public by officers not attending to their duties.
S Jones. Me too
Lannie- FYI- Cell phones- coverage is determined by the service provider not the cell phone itself, although 911 is available by law on any cell phone- with a service plan or not, regardless of provider.
Well said ,Lannie! She should have never been left by her so called " friends" and then not even a phone call to her parents to see if she had made it to their house safely.
I say the whole story stinks from these so called " friends" First , witnesses have reported she was visibly upset in the smoking section and had already had some kind of scuffle that left her with a bleeding bump on her forehead and chin. What went on before she departed the seating section to go have a smoke?
Who were the other friends that joined those who drove Morgan and her car to the concert who happened to have a friend along that jus happened to be a lookalike of Morgan? Why have these friends not been out on that night yelling and searching the area before they left that fateful night in Morgan's car and not searched since? One of those Friend know why Morgan was upset and retreated to the smoking area. I will withhold my opinon on that for now. However, I say that those " friends" are not exactly withcoming with the truth.. or at least as not be reported.
I also believe that alot of nonsense had been said that wants everyone ..including her family.. who knew her the BEST, to believe she transformed into some unknown character who went on a risque ,wreckless outing that night and she walked her ownself into the hands of the perp/s. That, in and of itself should raise flags for everyone.
Why would local businesses deny family and caring volunteers to post a Flier that she was missing and now MURDERD? What is going on around that section of town that people are afraid to help victims of crime or the victims family?
To S.Jones.. " straw" is a bad choice of words.. considering where she was found . For that I apologize to her loved ones who may have read it.. However, Your theory just doesn't fit this case, considering she tried relentlessly to get back into the arena to see "Metallica" who she had gotten her tickets months in advance to be there. Then she attempted to get a stranger to act as though she was with him to throw her attacker/s off and sadly he dismissed her and called his Girlfriend instead. These are not actions of a person in a state of drunker or drugged up stuper. "Your theory" is just that... because if any couple as you speak of was of decent character... They would've immediately summoned someone to come to an "upset state" beautiful girls aide. Your theory just doesn't apply in Morgans situation for many reasons, in my opinion ..only.
There is someone out there who knows who is responsible for Morgans death and possibly others in and around that area.. who for some unknown reason has come forward ..YET. I continue to have FAITH in L.E. and todays forensic and know it is a matter of time before the perps is caught. LE is working constantly and will soon have the evidence they need to bring JUSTICE for MORGAN and Her FAMILY.
That day and only that day.. will be " The End" .. S.Jones.
One more thing, to reiterate what Lannie said in above.. Friends stick together thru thick and thin and never would allow their friend to end up like Morgan did and in this case.. Have the unnerving conscience to drive back to their cozy homes, bed in their missing friend's car and not even call her Folks or Alert L.E. !That makes me shudder.
S.Jones, it shouldn't have mattered what the person looked like or whethere it was male to female.. The point is.. if your theory were correct that she was picked up by a preacher and his wife and then let out .. anyone with deceny and integrety would have alerted someone tp help.. no matter what the sex of the victim was. You seem awfully bent on blaming the victim/s. Interesting.
I will say again , c'ville residents have become complacent and for some reason allow the unthinakble to go on. Is it because of the consequence some have had to endure that attempted to report or of it something else?
Yes, I have faith that now LE will being Justice to the many victims around c'ville and surrounding towns.
It might take awhile...however I believe it has begun.. and look forward to seeing the one/s responsible taken to task.
I am only interested in the DNA that will lead us to the killer/s who are responsible for the murder of Morgan Harringon.
The reports from the Man who said she approached him as to say.. " shall we go now" should tell anyone with a little common sense Morgan was not impaired by drugs or alcohol. She was simply seeking safety and wanted back in that arena perhaps to get her keys from her " so called Friends". Other witnesses say they saw her inside the arena's smoking section obviously upset with abraison/scratch on her forehead and chin.. as if she had fallen or been pushed or hit. I would hope LE has questioned anyone that was around her and the " friends" before she parted to have her cigarette. I question why they would say they waited in her car for 2 hours after the concert for her to return, but never once phoned her parents to see if she arrived home safely. Some one lured her outside that arena who she felt trustworhty and when she realized she was in danger, she tried to get back in at least 3x and refused each time. She was Madd as hell as only anyone would be who knew they were tricked and felt in danger. I don't think Morgan could use her phone to call her folks or brother as many have said their cell phones cannot get out from that area. The perp/s knew this too and I believe her battery was removed to keep someone to track her where abouts. The perp/s knew exactly what he/she.they were doing. LE will get all involved and will have every t's crossed and i's dotted before they make the arrest/s. Until then, Gil, Dan and Brother Harrington, Keep the Faith and Let Morgan's Beautiful,positive spirit lead to the truth and Justice for Her. You are wonderful people who did everything right in her raising. She trusted the wrong one/s and LE will find them. Peace be with you . Thanks you to The Hook for keeping this in the news until justice is done and may there not be anymore victims.
Justice for Morgan-I only want to comment on one part of your post above. The the comments about difficult cell phone access referred to the North Garden area, not in the vicinity of the arena. I've used by phone from inside the arena before shows and between sets and never had a problem, but I'm sure there could be some spots from inside that would not have good reception because of how the building is constructed and configured and electronic interference, but I don't believe she would have experienced a problem with a fully functional phone outside the arena had she wanted to contact her family. What needs to be remembered is, Morgan was more than 2 hours away from her parents. If she needed transportation or assistance, it seems she would have exhausted closer contacts first. Even the unidentified male she texted, if he was only 60 miles away, could have reached her much quicker than someone from Blacksburg/Roanoke. I believe she either lost the battery from her phone, her battery died and then was lost, or she was forced to give up her phone and it was powered down.
Thank you for this article. Great job Courtney. Our prayers and sympathy continue for her family.
First, I want to express my sincerest condolences to the Harringtons for their tragic loss of their beautiful daughter, Morgan. Words cannot convey the pain I feel for your family.
Secondly, In light of Dans statement that a killer is still among us, I feel it is of the upmost importance that LE comes forward to the comminity to confirm this as fact and stress precautions. They need to stop downplaying that a murder took place in our community and be honest with us. We are a strong community and won't wilt under this fact. We are not babies. LE owes us a press conference. I, for one, am sick of the cryptic pressers. Come right out and tell us what you need and what we need to do.
We all need to be extra cautious...I know I'm one who never locked my back door until Morgan was found. Now it stays locked right along with my front door.
To the editors...
Please lean on LE to give this community the press conference they need. We need reassurance of some sort...give us something, anything, please.
Moon
My sympathy , My condolences do not mean much but they are for you. Prayers for your strength I still pray. Prayers for the answers we still seek for you . The truth is always revealed & I pray that it will be swift .
~ Blessings ~ from a Warrior ~
I'm not a religious man, nor particularly faithful, but your strength and conviction remind me of my favorite childhood prayer,
"Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change
Strength to change the things I can, and
Wisdom to know the difference!"
Your strengths are inspiring, and may the guilty get his/hers!
The USA needs more organ donors.
The USA has way to many prisoners on death row.
Instead of lethal injection,death row prisoners could be eliminated by donation of their organs...I for one am tired of feeding Charlie Manson...he has been pastured for 45 years ..time to use the fatted cow for some good.Look at all the waste of hearts,eyes,kidneys,etc
We need a new rule....
I vote for Automatic Organ Donation instead of Lethal Injection.
We gotta toughen up so theses senseless crimes will stop.
"You want to know what’s sloppy”ŠLE returning that bracelet to the Harringtons. That can be very damaging when and if this case goes to trial..defense will have a field day with that."
If the bracelet was thoroughly tested and all DNA evidence was removed from it why is there a problem returning it to the next of kin?
Racism or the reward?- what were the circumstances regarding his dissappearance? It has to do with an entire different set of circumstances.
Play the race card- that works well...............
It is extremely interesting to see people's concern about this crime and how many people have been affected by this crime. There are a couple of real isses to consider however:
1. this murdering person or persons is/are still out there
2. there is still a reward for info leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever did this to Morgan. Gil and Dan are correct, there is a killer in or around Charlottesville and someone knows who he is. The best thing to do is to make sure that other young women are safe and to GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE REWARD. Someone knows something.
I am not in Charlottesville (thankfully) but from what I am hearing from people there, it sounds as though the farm was a play area for local police offiers. And we are finding this out 4 months after Morgan is missing? And you have had other women missing and turning up dead for years now with no solution. I have heard rumors for months that police officers were suspected. Why no news on this? When did the police stop being the helpers and become the hunters?
When I lived in the county you could depend on Deputy Sheriff Higgins to at least come over if there were problems. I do remember hunting season when you couldnt go into your own woods because people with guns were trespassing and if you went after them you could lose your barns or your animals. This was the county in 70s through the early 90s. Sounds like Charlotesville has gone downhill from then. Again, you keep talking about semantics and another young woman is dead and nothing is happening expect that her family is devistated and unlike the families of other murdered women is not going away. Tell me again about how the rt 29 murders have been solved. Cville a pretty town whose most famous citizen is a slave owner who married money, kept his own family in lifelong slavery, and defaulted on his debits. I guess in comparison with that, corrupt possibly homicidal cops, and a raft of dead women are not very important to you. Praise be I am out of there. Too bad for all the dead women. Go wahoos.
Cat,
Have you seen The Wicker Man? Its kinda like that around here in Charlottesville. Shhhhh, keep it a secret cuz the cops are definately in on it........geez, people, their theories, and the bozos that buy into it....
cat, think you missed my point entirely. I wasn't indicating that someone from Charlottesville could not have been involved in the stalker cases on 29N. Simply pointing out the fact that Albemarle County would not have been the primary investigative entity. Rachel Good disappeared from Elkton, again not within the jurisdiction of Albemarle County PD. I believe your comments have more to do with LE in general than Albemarle County PD. That's certainly your right, and I don't dispute the fact that way to many crimes against people, both female and male, go unsolved. As for the farm, I think enough reckless comments have been thrown out about the farm and its owner by people on another site after Morgan Harrington's remains were found. I don't think the farm needs to be referred to as a "play area" for these individuals based on comments made by other posters. If you made you comment based on known fact, that's another matter.
Don't read any of my comments as a defense of how this matter was handled. I don't enough about what actually happened to express an opinion. If what has been alluded to is true, then I think the issue does need to be addressed about whether the events happened while these officers were on duty. Any misconduct (not of an illegal nature) during on duty hours should be reviewed and appropriate and equal punishment handed out to all involved.
Just wanted to clarify why I specified "not of an illegal nature" in my above comments. No law enforcement agency should ever review their own officers if there's any indication of illegal activity. I think that's SOP, to pass such investigations on to VSP or another jurisdiction or have a review by the CA.
The bracelet being returned to Mrs Harrington can only mean there was absolutely NO useable evidence of any kind on it. If there was dna, or blood evidence, or even fingerprints, LE would have been required to keep it sequestered and secured as evidence for trial. They couldn't go to court and say "we found Bobby's dna at the crime scene" and when asked where, reply "on her bracelet", and then asked where's the bracelet reply "oh we gave it back to the family". Just doesn't work that way.
I meant Cassandra Morton's killer. Cassandra Lee Haley was one of the many long-ago unsolved VA murders. When is Cassandra Morton's killers trial coming up?? Virginia, what a great place to visit. Go wahoos.
Details of Disappearance of Rachel Good
Good was last seen with friends in the parking lot behind the Elkton Volunteer Fire Department, near the Coin Laundry, off Spotswood Trail in Elkton, Virginia at approximately 6:00 p.m. on October 18, 2003. Her friends saw her get into her Dodge Neon and drive away as it got dark. She has never been heard from again. Her car was found parked at her home in the 100 block of Virginia Avenue in Elkton.
Good was romantically involved with a married Elkton police officer, Adam W. Williams, at the time of her disappearance, and he is reportedly the father of her unborn child. He originally headed the investigation into her case. The Elkton police placed Williams on paid administrative leave after her disappearance and executed a search warrant on his home in connection with Good's case. He resigned from the force in January 2004.
Police are also interested in speaking to the driver of a red truck seen near Good's home at about noon on October 19, the day after her disappearance. The driver has not been identified and is not being called a suspect in her case.
Prosecutors assembled a special grand jury to investigate Good's case in September 2004, but no indictments were handed down. Authorities do not believe Good left Elkton of her own volition. They believe she was murdered, but little evidence is available in her case and investigators do not believe they can prosecute anyone until Good's body is found. She is a graduate of Fort Defiance High School and left behind three children when she vanished. Her case remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Virginia State Police
800-572-2260
There are nuts everywhere.
Her married lover was not the lead investigator on her disappearance, as far as I know.
And any female out jogging or walking at night (and during the day, look at just what happenend in San Diego) by themselves needs to be extrememly aware of their surroundings, I hate to say, but there are nuts everywhere.
Correct me if I am wrong, Rachel Good has never been found, right?
Harry wrote- Lannie- FYI- Cell phones- coverage is determined by the service provider not the cell phone......
Oh Harry, do tell, I had no idea (sarcasm intended.)
Since Morgan's phone was found without its battery, at the time of loss or removal either by her hand or the perpetrator, her phone became non-functioning.
For all the crime solvers glued to this case, this-- may be the next best read to stimulate your imagination. Art Taylor writes in today's Washington Post, of the "Prisoner's Handbook--Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York", that this book is, " as thrilling as any "CSI" episode, but it also offers something even better: an education in how forensics really works.
How come so many people "love" Morgan Harrington?
They don't even know her!
What if she had been a missing black male, like Abraham Shakespeare?
Could the fact that they want the $150,000 reward be a reason for their claims to "love" her?
If there was a Facebook page about finding Abraham Shakespeare's killer, would tens of thousands of people have signed up for it!
I hope they find Morgan Harrington's killer: I hope they find whoever killed anyone who has been murdred in America.
(Abraham Shakespeare is a black man who won $30 million in a lottery, and then went missing. His remains may just have been found. The crime has not been solved!)
http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/abraham-shakespeare-missing-lottery-winner-feared-killed/19304958?icid=main|search4|dl1|link6|http%253A%252F%252Fwww.sphere.com%252Fnation%252Farticle%252Fabraham-shakespeare-missing-lottery-winner-feared-killed%252F19304958
q uote: "(Abraham Shakespeare is a black man who won $30 million in a lottery, and then went missing. His remains may just have been found. The crime has not been solved!)"
False.
Dee Dee Moore, his so-called financial advisor, has been arressted and chaarged with murder.
Cat, I've lived in Charlottesville all my life and I just am not familiar with all of the bodies littering the grounds of UVa (re your comment,if "you're lucky enough to live to graduate.") There's crime here as there is in any city where humans walk the street. That's why I'm realistic enough to know that I have to take some responsibility for my own safety. If you are female and think it's safe to go out after dark, whether it be CT or VA, you're living in a dream world. I've preached over and over on different forums and here, unless absolutely necessary, never walk alone after dark, keep your doors and windows locked at home, lock the doors in your car. Always be aware of your surroundings, never get so complacent that you think evil does not exist in your own state, city or neighborhood. If it's not there today, there's no guarantee it won't be there tomorrow or the next day. How many young women have walked over the years in complete safety on the Copeley Road bridge, how many women have walked on that bridge since Morgan's disappearance in safety, yet on that night she wasn't safe. Evil was there that night, it might be in your neighborhood tonight.
Authorities have already confirmed that some mark or break in regards to her bones indicates she was murdered. They just won't say what exactly it is. So, I think we can rule out the religious nuts, and an innocent pull over and let me out thing.
What about the most recent case, Christopher Davis, who was involved in a recent cop chase? Radical behavior for just a busted light. Check that guys house out for any of Morgan's belongings.
Wait, WHAT IF she went into one of those peripheral vision fits that l tucker was going on about, then met up with weirdo cult that kevin is talking about in the comments on this article:http://readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2010/02/18/hes-here-harringtons-warn-killer-hell-be-caught/. Now that's some objective observatin, dad-gummit
Concerned Dunce in Ivy, you clearly have no understanding of the law, best to keep quiet, it is what is best for everyone concerned.
Whiterox...when you throw in the fact that it was confirmed by LE that Morgan was in fact hitching from Copeley bridge, those probabilities fly right out the window.
I believe the person who murdered Morgan has a record and murdered her in hopes of covering his tracks to avoid going back to jail.
To I'm Just sayin
Morgan's death has been ruled a homicide by the medical examiner. That is NOT an accidental alcohol overdose. It is definately homicide.
That determination was made by examining the body.
to S Jones
I never attended the University of Virginia but I did go to parties there many years ago. I personally know two women who were assulted there. Noone did anything nor was there any investigation. Kind of rough to see how a University protects its own --unless they are female. Remind you of anyplace?? Afganistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemin, Somalia??? Maybe the families of female students should think carefully about sending their girls to a place that doesnt value female safety as much as they care about the reps of the male students.
Too bad for Morgan and the others.
I meant to write...referred to the North Garden area, I believe, not in the vicinity of the arena...... Perhaps some have written of phone access difficulties near the arena, but the comments I have read referred to the North Garden area.
There is a low statistical probability ( 50%) a rapist knows the victim. There is a very high probability (> 80%) that an adult female murder victim knows her assailant.
that last post garbled. There is a high probability a rape victim knows her attacker. There is a low probability a rapist will kill his victim 5% or less.
Everyone including the killer, dunce.
All the blaming and criticism saddens me. LE is all over this, like a fly on honey, and I am sure they are exhausted, and are losing sleep in solving Morgan's murder. Let them be. Let them do their jobs. Quit putting them down. They know what they are doing. I so have faith in VSP and other LE involved.
Morgan's friends cannot be blamed!!!! For goodness sakes, do you not think they are experiencing their own torment of themselves (whom are not to blame) without having outsiders telling them they are to blame. JPJ arena cannot be blamed. They were following well-established rules, that are in place in most venues such as JPJ. And to suggest that they are hiding security tapes is so outlandishly ridiculous, that I immediately dismiss that.
Morgan's death was a chain of events that the Perp saw as the perfect opportunity for his gratification. Morgan's night went wrong when she went to the bathroom, and was denied entry at least 3 times, back to the concert. She so wanted to get back in, she was rather out of character, (as I would have been.)
The food chain picked up on her desperation, an opportunist...he is a sick person, most likely severely abused himself, and never was presented with or chose to deal with his abuse, and so he repeats the cycle, maybe in the same way, maybe in his own way...who knows. He is a person who needs help, and he can be saved with the right intervention, and I think Gil may echo my sentiments.
This is a chance for us, family, victims, friends, neighbors, parents, to recognize red flags flapping all around you, and get that person help before it is too late. If we ignore it, and keep it a secret, then we enable whatever crime he/she commits.
What is the big picture here. Your being ashamed and/or embarrassed by being associated with this person, or getting him help and prevention of another inappropriate touching, viewing, rape, and/or murder.
People need to step up to the plate and do the RIGHT THING!!!
R.I.P Morgan Dana Harrington, and may God rest your soul. I know you are on a bed of fluffy clouds right now, and I know that your mother and father go to sleep each night with an equally comforting version of you. Morgan, your following has reached near cult level, and your killer will be found.
We all love you in our own way, Morgan.
God bless the Harrington,the killer will be found!
Hungry Eyes
New York
Young beauty everywhere
Birdflash of blonde hair
Eyes aslant, sharp cheeks
I see Morgan everywhere
In the mothers hoarding their beautiful children
In the gazelle girls drifting towards their destinies
In the staccato beauties
Zig zagging across every block of this most beauty-filled of cities
For a strobe-shot she IS Morgan
Then I remember,
And understand her mother's hungry eyes
Concerned In Ivy wrote "instead of LE trying to get people to come forward from that area, they need to go out and do a door to door themselves."
What makes you so sure they haven't done that?
I think Sjones is reaching aat straws.. There is a killer out there and it is imperative for everyones safety to find the perp/s responsible. It may take awhile to bring justice to the victims.. but Justice will be done.
It would be an injustice to dismiss it as you do in that theory " What if" Of yours. The perp/s will slip up ... they always do .. and those who were around and saw unusual happenings that will lead LE to those responsible will COME FORWARD. Justice will be done. The Victims will lead LE to the perp/s. It's just a matter of time and the weather will clear soon and people will remember. I continue to have Faith and believe LE are the best today and have the best equipment and knowledge to bring Justice.
Chelsa Kings killer was arrested and Justice will finally be done for his victims. Keep the Faith! LE is hard at work!
Mustang you are correct I am wrong Rachel Good has never been found. I apologise. I do get concerned however when I hear that the suspect, her married lover was the lead investigator on the case and that he went on and moved out of state with it sounds like no penalties or no follow up. At least that's what her mother says. She certainly seems to feel that this wasnt nvestigated properly. Rachel Good's mother wasnt as outgoing as the Harringtons. Now we fast forward several years where there are reports of hunters, UVA students, and law officers on a farm where a body is found and there is no action. Nothing about Cassandra Morton either. And no concern expressed by law enforcement about them.
But everyone gets busy when deer season starts. Go whaoo. I'll stay in my dream world up North where women dont have to go outside after dark in pairs. Go wahoo Dont forget to keep blaming the victim and her friends. The real problem Morgan has was in setting foot in Cville to go to that concert. She went to a number of other concerts in her short life in Va and in other states and lived through them. Not in C'ville. Go wahoo.
Guess I meant to say it has nothing to do with a phones reception, but with whether or not a service provider has made their signal available. There are many JPS's which have decided not to accept a certain provider to bring in the signal.
Sorry if you knew that.
Morgan could have used that bracelet as a weapon. I wish she would have. She was probably taken by surprise. Just guessing.
Sure, S. Jones, a deer could break a bone, but a bullet would leave a significantly different type of bone fracture or mark. I'm not saying a gun was used, because no one in the public knows how Morgan passed away. Also, I used the word "nuts" and you used the word "freaks". What's the difference? I consider myself a Christian, so I am not making fun of those who believe, but you are the one who spoke of this "freakish" christian scenario. Yes, I do believe there are Christians who go too far. For example IMO, a parent whose beliefs tell them not to seek medical attention when there is an urgency to do so, and they know they cannot help the child.
I agree with the earlier post. The police DO NOT nor SHOULD NOT hold press conferences during an open investigation. Why do you need someone to tell you to keep your doors locked? Can you figure that out on your own. I personally believe it wouldn't matter what they did, they'd still be damned by the public for it. Just because they're not blabbing off about the investigation, doesn't mean they're not working it.
The Bonemaker
Bones and rags in a field
That’s what we have come to
The bonemaker did this
He took a living breathing person and made bones
And rags
No breath, no life, no future, no love
And he is out there
Ready to make new bones
In a new field
Go wahoo