Morgan Harrington was last seen at a concert outside the John Paul Jones arena in Charlottesville, VA. It was October 17, 2009. Police say Morgan separated from friends around 8:30 p.m. when she walked out of the front entrance of a Metallic concert. Morgan never returned, and it was the last time she was seen alive. Investigators say Morgan called her friends inside and told them she was finding a ride home.
State police officials report Morgan was last seen by the ticket office on the University Hall side of the building and witnesses report seeing her hitchhiking close to the arena exit road. An intense search of the area yielded no new clues until three months later.
In January 2010, Morgan’s body was found on a farm in Albemarle County, Virginia. Investigators said her decomposed body could have been on the land as many as 100 days.
Investigators say Morgan Harrington was only 20-years-old when she vanished from a concert outside the John Paul Jones arena in Charlottesville, VA on October 17, 2009. She was separated from friends around 8:30 p.m. when she walked out of the front entrance of the Metallica concert. Authorities say Morgan called her friends inside and told them she was finding a ride home, and that they shouldn’t wait for her. State police officials report Morgan was last seen by the ticket office on the University Hall side of the building and witnesses report seeing her hitchhicking close to the arena exit road.
In January 2010, three months after she vanished, Morgan’s body was found on a farm in Albemarle County, Virginia. Investigators told me her body could have been on the farm as many as 100 days.
Investigators say the same man who may have killed Morgan Harrington could be the same suspect that committed a sexual assault against a female in 2005. Virginia State Police officials confirm there is a forensic evidence link between the 2005 assault and the murder. Both cases are unsolved, but at least now authorities have a sketch to release to the public. Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller told me today that the Virginia Department of Forensic Science processes and analyzes all of the evidence and lab work for every department. They notified the Virginia State Police of the link in the cases. The authorities from the state police in turn contacted Fairfax City Police and compared notes. Geller said, “It’s one of those things, you never know what the next phone call is going to bring.” She added, “We know he (the man in the sketch) had contact with her (Morgan) the night of her disappearance, but they don’t know if he is responsible for her death. We are looking to identify and question him, and put the next pieces of the puzzle together.” Within 24 hours of releasing the sketch, the state police had 50 leads. Right now theirtime is spent eliminating duplicates between the departments and prioritizing the tips.
As the world waits to learn more about Morgan Harrington’s official cause of death, the support for the Harrington family keeps growing. On Friday night, many friends from the virtual world gathered in front of the Harrington’s home to honor Morgan with a candlelight vigil on Friday night. Internet tools like Facebook, Twitter, and Morgan’s website were the same some of the places supporters organized an effort for Morgan and her family. Many people who gathered at the Harrington household in the cold say they never met Morgan in person, only to know her by her beautiful pictures and words from her family and friends, but their souls were touched by her spirit.
Last week, police confirm remains found on a Virginia farm are in fact those of Morgan Harrington. I spoke to State Police officials today, and they say they are working to determine Morgan’s cause and time of death. I spoke with the Medical Examiner’s in Richmond last week, and they say in normal cases an autopsy to include toxicology reports normally take 24 hours, but in this case, it could take weeks. State police investigators were at the ME’s office later last week working with the pathologists as they took x-rays and gathered information. Authorities are on the farm for days conducting a grid search, and gathering as much evidence as they could. Police say Morgan’s body could have been on the farm for as many as 100 days.
The CUE Center for Missing Persons announced they are joining the effort to find Morgan Harrington. CUE has assisted in more than 8,700 cases nationwide to help families during their most difficult times. In addition to these efforts, this Saturday, January 16, 2009 at the Hat Factory in Richmond, Virginia, a benefit concert is being held to raise funds to help find Morgan. Tickets are $15.00 a person, and the money will go to directly to the fund. Metallica the band is graciously offering a $50,000 reward in this case.
BACKGROUND:
Investigators say Morgan vanished on October 17, 2009 while attending a Metallica concert outside the John Paul Jones arena in Virginia. State police officials report Morgan was last seen by the ticket office on the University Hall side of the building. On the weekend of November 6, 2009, The Laura Recovery center helped to organized a three day search for Morgan, volunteers from all over assisted with this amazing effort.
Morgan Harrington has been missing since October 17, 2009. Investigators say she vanished while attending a concert outside the John Paul Jones arena in Virginia. State police officials report Morgan was last seen by the ticket office on the University Hall side of the building. Right now, her family and friends need your help. The reward in this case is up to $150,000. The band, Metallica, graciously added $50,000 of their own money to this reward fund.
A search is organized for this weekend, and a planning meeting for those interested in helping will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2009 inside the Jefferson Room of the Charlottesville Cavalier Inn in Charlottesville, VA.
Virginia State Police have set up a tip line. Please call them with any information: (434) 352-3467
This timeline is taken directly fromwww.helpfindmorgan.com, and was given to them by the Virginia State Police:
8:20 – 8:48 PM: Someone matching Morgan Harrington’s description was seen outside John Paul Jones Arena parking lot by the ticket office and on the University Hall side.
Michelle Sigona is a crime fighting, victims advocate extraordinaire, but for Michelle -- the good fight doesn't stop there. In her spare time, she is a volunteer firefighter -- and now, she is tackling the issues and cases that mean the most to her....
