Found Deceased VA - Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, Charlottesville, 17 Oct 2009 - #7

[sarah7855]

Here's the full press release:

http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=11499793

and here too:

http://findmorgan.com/category/current-news

snipped from article:

During the course of the investigation, police have been able to establish a timeline of Miss Harrington’s movements once she ended up outside of the arena at approximately 8:30 p.m. After talking to her friends on her cell phone, she then walked through the parking lot of University Hall and was also seen in the Lannigan Field athlete parking lot, which is also used for RV parking. At around 9:30 p.m., she was seen walking on the Copeley Road bridge near Ivy Road.

Based on independent witness accounts, investigators are confident that Miss Harrington was hitchhiking for a ride while on the Copeley Road bridge. If anyone recalls seeing a young woman hitchhiking that night on or near the Copeley Road bridge, then they are asked to please contact police by phone or email. Anyone who might remember seeing a vehicle randomly stopped in the roadway on Copeley Road bridge that night is also asked to contact investigators. Investigators are also hoping to hear from anyone who might have loaned their cell phone to a young woman fitting Miss Harrington’s description to make a call that night.

 

[sarah7855]

It wasn't her car. It's been established in several sources (the hook is one of them) that Morgan's car was left in Harrisonburg and the friends took another car from there to the arena. Morgan's dad confirmed this and I think he would know for certain.

I find it interesting that the same agency who gave mistaken info about the car is also the agency "confirming" Morgan was hitchhiking.

Confirmed by whom? Did any of these witness stop and ask her what she was doing on the bridge? Do we even know for certain it was Morgan they saw?

BBM, ok, sorry, but regardless, she had a ride. Why not stay and wait for it? why hitchhike?

 

[tamfish]

Snipped from http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2009/10/29/cover-findMorgan-E.aspx

According to State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller, the four rode from Harrisonburg to Charlottesville in Morgan's car. Morgan, Geller says, allowed a friend to drive, so she didn't have her car keys with her during the show

Then further down in the comments section:

J10/29/2009 10:46:06 AM
I thought it had been established that it was not Morgan's car, but a friend's, that had been driven from Harrisonburg to JPJ.





Hawes Spencer, Hook Editor10/29/2009 10:54:51 AM
@J Hey, this is the Hook editor here. Morgan's dad originally told us that Morgan's car and keys stayed in Harrisonburg. In preparing this cover story, State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller-- asserting a change in info-- told us the contrary scenario we put in this story above. So we spoke again this morning to Dr. Harrington, and he stands by his statement: that Morgan's car was never in Charlottesville. Messages left this morning with Ms. Geller have not been immediately returned, but we'll update as soon as she clarifies....

This is making me question their "confirmed" info A LOT. If they know for certain she was hitchhiking, then tell us how they know that. Just seeing Morgan walking on the bridge means NOTHING.

Edited to add: "tell us how they know" meaning LE tell us how they know -- not anyone here in particular. Ugh this whole case is wonky..... I have this feeling LE is mistaken about their information or they are just holding things back.....

 

[sarah7855]

Also, wonder if she dropped her phone, the battery flew out and she couldn't find it, and that's the reason for the missing battery?

 

[sarah7855]

Snipped from http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2009/10/29/cover-findMorgan-E.aspx


Then further down in the comments section:

This is making me question their "confirmed" info A LOT. If they know for certain she was hitchhiking, then tell us how they know that. Just seeing Morgan walking on the bridge means NOTHING.

Edited to add: "tell us how they know" meaning LE tell us how they know -- not anyone here in particular. Ugh this whole case is wonky..... I have this feeling LE is mistaken about their information or they are just holding things back.....

I definitely agree with you on that one.

ETA: They said that they think she was hitching based on eyewitness accounts. They also ask for anyone who may have seen a vehicle stopped in the roadway randomly to contact LE. Same with anyone lending a phone to someone fitting her description. I'm wondering if there were eyewitness accounts of a vehicle(s) stopped, and they are trying to corroborate stories here? Obviously they have something that is leading them to think this. In a case that has had such a lack of info released, this release of info says a lot, IMO.

 

[Garden Variety]

According to the transcript from the 11/12 airing of the Dr. Phil show Morgan's friends inside the arena have said that they were holding the car keys. There is no mention as to whether or not they were Morgan's car keys, or the keys to a friend's vehicle.

Regardless, it is clear that Morgan likely had no access to the vehicle that took her to the concert. It also seems likely that she was or became intoxicated or high while inside the arena. It would explain the reported cut on her face, her inexplicable exit from the arena, and her subsequent wanderings outside the arena.

I pray for her safe return. I hope Ed Smart was able to help her parents.

 

[newshound6]

Does anyone besides me remember some witness saying they saw a blonde woman beside a stopped car(S U V??) on the shoulder of the road near the bridge? This witness stated the car had their lights off.

 

[part time prof]

According to the transcript from the 11/12 airing of the Dr. Phil show Morgan's friends inside the arena have said that they were holding the car keys. There is no mention as to whether or not they were Morgan's car keys, or the keys to a friend's vehicle.

Regardless, it is clear that Morgan likely had no access to the vehicle that took her to the concert. It also seems likely that she was or became intoxicated or high while inside the arena. It would explain the reported cut on her face, her inexplicable exit from the arena, and her subsequent wanderings outside the arena.

I pray for her safe return. I hope Ed Smart was able to help her parents.

Despite early statements to the contrary by DH and the Hook, LE has been adamant that it believes it was MH's car driven to JPJ from Harrisonburg/JMU by a friend who kept the keys. Pretty sure Nov. 4th presser had that.

Who do they know this from? Just the friends?

Could friends have passed out keys without themselves having to exit? Don't know, but seems they didn't do much and were pretty nonchalant about her getting a ride.

Here's what I don't get. If she's willing to hitch a ride on the bridge, why wouldn't she have just asked the basketball players she was just talking to for one. Presumably she had at least an okay intuition for them if she was walking (distress-free) with them, and not that it would have been a good idea, but if the alternative is hitching? Thought process just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Wes]

Does anyone besides me remember some witness saying they saw a blonde woman beside a stopped car(S U V??) on the shoulder of the road near the bridge? This witness stated the car had their lights off.

I remember a report about seeing her next to a black SUV, but not sure if it was near the bridge or not.

ETA: Found the info I recalled reading awhile back about the SUV. Wasn't on campus and not sure how reliable it is, but here it is:

"I've actually heard reports of people seeing someone that matched her description between Madison and Culpepper on 29n. From what I understand they said they saw a girl who fitted Morgan's description next to a black SUV/truck on the side of the road. What struck the women as odd was that the SUV/truck was just sitting there in complete darkness with no lights. The women claims if it had not been for her headlights she wouldn't have seen anyone."

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - VA-Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, Charlottesville

 

[kikid]

If Morgan's car was NOT there at the arena - then I could see her getting pissed off about being locked out of the concert, the friends not bringing car keys to her, or offering to leave with her, then MAYBE trying to hitch a ride.

LE states Morgan's vehicle was there, and if that is the truth, I doubt she was trying to hitch a ride out of Charlottesville.

 

[Wes]

If Morgan's car was NOT there at the arena - then I could see her getting pissed off about being locked out of the concert, the friends not bringing car keys to her, or offering to leave with her, then MAYBE trying to hitch a ride.

LE states Morgan's vehicle was there, and if that is the truth, I doubt she was trying to hitch a ride out of Charlottesville.

It could be the friends had the keys, didn't want to leave and Morgan was upset and just decided to go on her own.

 

[KAE]

I found this on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/130-Daniel-Swar...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item53dd95c7e6

Looks like this is where they found the photos of the necklace.

 

[Garden Variety]

It strikes me that the only way to explain any sort of hitchhiking or asking strangers for a ride is

diminished capacity

 

[part time prof]

I remember a report about seeing her next to a black SUV, but not sure if it was near the bridge or not.

ETA: Found the info I recalled reading awhile back about the SUV. Wasn't on campus and not sure how reliable it is, but here it is:

"I've actually heard reports of people seeing someone that matched her description between Madison and Culpepper on 29n. From what I understand they said they saw a girl who fitted Morgan's description next to a black SUV/truck on the side of the road. What struck the women as odd was that the SUV/truck was just sitting there in complete darkness with no lights. The women claims if it had not been for her headlights she wouldn't have seen anyone."

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - VA-Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, Charlottesville

No original source on this sighting, though, right? For what it's worth, Madison and Culpeper are both north of Charlottesville, up 29-N, and Madison is roughly 14 miles due west of Orange (with the now apparently discredited Sheetz sighting). Was there a day/time given for this (these?) sightings?

 

[CindyS]

How do they know she was hitchhiking, and do they mean it the way I think about it, literally "thumbing a ride?"

Hard to believe. Here's why - she was seen on both sides of the Copeley Road Bridge, and I think it has been stated that she was heading south toward Ivy Road, away from Lannigan Field Parking/R.V. lot. But she'd be hitching a ride back toward where she had just been (from the oncoming traffic lane, since the sidewalk is only on the east side of the bridge)...doesn't make sense to me.

Do you mean she would have been headed back in the direction of the arena?

Does anyone know how far the Copeley Road Bridge is from the arena? Maybe Morgan couldn't remember how to get back to JPJ Arena or was too tired and was hoping to get a ride to rejoin her friends when the concert ended rather than looking for a hitch home.

 

[CindyS]

http://www.readthehook.com/blog/ind...organ-harrington-still-missing-sought-a-ride/

"Geller says police also want to hear from anyone who may have allowed a young woman to borrow their cell phone to make a call the night of the concert.

'We don’t have any evidence she made other calls,” Geller says, “but we’d like to know.' ”

It's troubling that LE is just now asking the public to recall this information.

 

[part time prof]

Do you mean she would have been headed back in the direction of the arena?

Does anyone know how far the Copeley Road Bridge is from the arena? Maybe Morgan couldn't remember how to get back to JPJ Arena or was too tired and was hoping to get a ride to rejoin her friends when the concert ended rather than looking for a hitch home.

From memory when I looked it up, it's about 1000 feet from JPJ to UHall, and probably 600 more to the bridge. At the other side of the bridge there's about 20 feet to the intersection at Ivy Road, and from JPJ to Ivy Road/Copeley intersection is .4 miles (1320 feet). Unless impaired, I don't think even if she had decided to hitchhike that she would have wanted to go back to JPJ (which was at most .4 miles away) where her car was parked, so what other destination going in that direction? Barracks Road shopping center? I guess Harrisonburg is generally that way. Maybe I just can't get over that she was hitchhiking...

Or, as you propose, maybe even the .4 miles in the cold, wind, and rain was more than she wanted to do and she figured, hey, what can happen on UVA grounds in a couple of blocks?

 

[Angel Who Cares]

I apologize if this article was posted already! I am behind on reading the threads today. I've been busy with my brother who is in town visiting from San Diego!!!

Investigators believe Morgan Harrington was hitchhiking on the night she disappeared
November 13, 2009
<snipped>
Investigators now believe Morgan Harrington was hitchhiking in the area of Copeley Road Bridge in Charlottesville the night she disappeared.

Harrington went missing during a Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones Arena on the University of Virginia campus on October 17th.

Authorities are asking if anyone recalls seeing a young woman hitchhiking that night on or near the bridge to call or email police.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is the full news release:
STATE AND LOCAL POLICE STILL SEEK PUBLIC&#8217;S AID IN LOCATING MORGAN HARRINGTONRICHMOND &#8211; As the search and investigative efforts continue for missing college student Morgan Harrington, state and local investigators are now able to release additional details concerning the night of her disappearance. Miss Harrington disappeared Oct. 17, 2009, during a Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones Arena on the University of Virginia (UVA) campus in Charlottesville, Va.

During the course of the investigation, police have been able to establish a timeline of Miss Harrington&#8217;s movements once she ended up outside of the arena at approximately 8:30 p.m. After talking to her friends on her cell phone, she then walked through the parking lot of University Hall and was also seen in the Lannigan Field athlete parking lot, which is also used for RV parking. At around 9:30 p.m., she was seen walking on the Copeley Road bridge near Ivy Road.

Based on independent witness accounts, investigators are confident that Miss Harrington was hitchhiking for a ride while on the Copeley Road bridge. If anyone recalls seeing a young woman hitchhiking that night on or near the Copeley Road bridge, then they are asked to please contact police by phone or email. Anyone who might remember seeing a vehicle randomly stopped in the roadway on Copeley Road bridge that night is also asked to contact investigators. Investigators are also hoping to hear from anyone who might have loaned their cell phone to a young woman fitting Miss Harrington&#8217;s description to make a call that night.

In addition to Miss Harrington&#8217;s black T-shirt with the word &#8220;Pantera&#8221; spelled out in tan letters, black mini-skirt, black tights, and knee-high black boots, she was wearing a distinctive necklace. It is a Swarovski Crystal necklace made up of large crystal chain links. She is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs approximately 120 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes.

The search and investigation are still being actively pursued by Virginia State Police, University of Virginia Police, Charlottesville Police, Albemarle County Police and the FBI. The public has generated close to 400 leads in the case. Anyone can call the Virginia State Police Tip Line at (434) 352-3467 or email State Police at bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov. UVA Police can be reached at (434) 924-7166. Anonymous tips are welcome.

Also accepting tips is the Jefferson Area Crime Stoppers at 434-977-4000. A reward of $150,041 is available for information that leads to the location and recovery of Miss Harrington.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morgan Harrington was wearing a distinctive necklace. It is a Swarovski Crystal necklace made up of large crystal chain links.

Article:
http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=11499793
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Missing Metallica Fan Morgan Harrington Story Featured on 'Dr. Phil'
Posted on Nov 13th 2009 10:30AM
<snipped>
"We don't know if she met someone in the bathroom, if she took a wrong door, if she went out to smoke," Gil told the good doctor; Morgan had quit smoking six months ago, so that would be out of character for her. "That's why we're trying to get information, because someone saw something or has a piece that will make things click into focus for us and give the investigation new force."

Meanwhile, Morgan Harrington appears on this week's cover of People magazine. The magazine will retell her story, and hopefully bring more awareness to the case.

Article:
http://www.noisecreep.com/2009/11/13/missing-metallica-fan-morgan-harrington-story-featured-on-dr-p/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hitchhiking: Missing Morgan Harrington sought a ride
published 11:52am Friday Nov 13, 2009
<snipped>
&#8220;We now can confirm that she was hitchhiking,&#8221; says Geller, noting that Harrington, who had been stuck outside the John Paul Jones Arena after she was denied reentry and had told friends by cellphone that she&#8217;d find her own way home, was allegedly seen by multiple witnesses on both sides of the bridge.

Harrington&#8217;s purse and battery-less cell phone were found Sunday morning, October 18 in the Lannigan Field overflow parking lot, also known as the RV Lot, which is used by athletes when large events are held in the Arena.

According to several sources, members of UVA&#8217;s men&#8217;s basketball team were among the last to see Harrington in the grassy, tree-shrouded parking area. Emails sent to numerous team members were forwarded to UVA spokesperson Carol Wood, who directed the inquiry to State Police, but Geller declines comment on the identity of any witnesses.

Article:
http://www.readthehook.com/blog/ind...organ-harrington-still-missing-sought-a-ride/

:angel:

 

[newshound6]

Geez-I hate to sound pessimistic but this is just bad all the way around- she was really hitchhiking? Does LE really not know a thing?I know we keep waiting for some big break but each new day makes it seem like nobody really can agree on any fact of this entire situation.

 

[evelyn24]

I agree. Of course, I've never necessarily believed Morgan said, "I'll find a ride home," anyhow. Her friends may have thought she said that since they were in a loud auditorium and probably couldn't hear all that well - or they may have even want to believe she said it to absolve them of any guilt in her disappearance.

I'm of the mind that since a) her car was right there b) her friends were inside JPJ arena and c) she was an hour and half away from home in unfamiliar surroundings, that she may have been looking for a warm place nearby to hangout until the concert ended - she may have even been looking for some cute college guys to party with to kill the time, but I do not nor will I ever believe she was trying to hitchhike or snag a ride home.

ITA

I think that is where all the confusion comes in for most people. "Why would she go look for a ride home when she's out of town and her car is right there"
Her dad isn't buying it either. On Dr.Phil he said it makes no sense she would say that because for one she wasn't even close to home.

I think she just decided to walk to get something to eat or drink and find a place to get warm for a couple of hours until the show was over and went in the direction of the little shopping center.