JLM: Morgan Harrington/Fairfax Rape Victim - *Forensic Link* to MH #2

[Foxfire]

Totally agree with be aware. We can't live our lives in fear and in a bubble, but with statistics like "1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. Among all victims, about nine out of ten are female." -- makes me feel the world is very much a dangerous place, indeed

http://www.livesecure.org/college-student-safety-tips/

College Student Safety Tips
On 10.25.09, In Families, By Dr. Clint Van Zandt (Retired FBI BAU Profiler - child abduction victim)
Learn how to protect yourself when you’re away from home at college.

<sniped - read more>

 

[jamicat]

2005 Rape Suspect Sketch> 2009/2010 FBI BAU2 Profile of MH's abductor> 2009 JM employed by a Charlottesville Taxi Cab Service>

JM's dna was entered into CODIS in 2005 and Jesse Mathews was hiding in plain sight behind his evil mask of normalcy, imo. JM was oblivious to law enforcement and was allowed/enabled to continue preying on unsuspecting innocent victims for Nine Years. This is Unacceptable, imo...

"Without public safety for our family, friends, and loved ones, we have nothing"...

BBM If indeed the DNA from the 2005 is JM's, then it took this long for a hit, because JM's DNA was never taken and run through CODIS. He was not booked for anything to warrent it. You are not permitted to take DNA at will from people. It doesn't appear to me that LE had him in enough focus to follow him and get a sample when he drank or handled anything. It's not like there would not have been opportunity. He's careless and sloppy. I don't think he was in their signts. If he was, and LE didn't bother to sneak a sample from him, then shame on them, but I don't think that was the case.

Some interesting info on CODIS on the federal level. Don't know how the state works with this, or if they just send everything to the federal base:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/biometric-analysis/codis/codis-and-ndis-fact-sheet

 

[Foxfire]

BBM If indeed the DNA from the 2005 is JM's, then it took this long for a hit, because JM's DNA was never taken and run through CODIS. He was not booked for anything to warrent it. You are not permitted to take DNA at will from people. It doesn't appear to me that LE had him in enough focus to follow him and get a sample when he drank or handled anything. It's not like there would not have been opportunity. He's careless and sloppy. I don't think he was in their sights. If he was, and LE didn't bother to sneak a sample from him, then shame on them, but I don't think that was the case.

There has been a few predators identified utilizing neighborhood canvassing by investigators. Some will refuse and will go straight to the top of the poi list, especially when they resemble the sketch and fit the behavioral profile like a glove, imo.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24631031/evidence-details-twisted-path-that-led-austin-sigg
Evidence details twisted path that led Austin Sigg to Jessica Ridgeway

 

[I Must Break You]

I'm in the US and do "litre" as well...but I'm also in NH, which is overrun by Canadians in summer when you invade our beaches

Yeah I've seen it spelled both ways.. I'm not sure which is actually the "correct" spelling, if one is more correct than the other.

 

[blefuscu]

Yeah I've seen it spelled both ways.. I'm not sure which is actually the "correct" spelling, if one is more correct than the other.

It's litre in the UK.

 

[Brit]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/30/us/virginia-unsolved-cases/index.html?hpt=us_c1


Cassandra Morton went missing oct 2009
The sheriff noted that Morton was reported missing by her parents the same day as Morgan Harrington, a Virginia Tech student whose body was found in January 2010.

 

[jamicat]

Totally agree with be aware. We can't live our lives in fear and in a bubble, but with statistics like "1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. Among all victims, about nine out of ten are female." -- makes me feel the world is very much a dangerous place, indeed

A few basic rules can cut out some cases. The 2005 rape is a situation that could hardly be avoided, though one could say women should never be out there alone at night. I , for one, say it should be the men that should not be, as they are the aggressors in such cases.

However, in Hannah's case and Morgan's and a number of other cases, it all comes down to those who are under the influence walking around alone at night that is a critical part of making them sitting ducks. Not just women who fall into danger that way. Men have been found dead or hurt in the same scenarios. Don't let a friend go out alone when not in the condition to do so. They can get hit by a car, fall unconscious, trip into a stairwell, wallk into a remote alley, and then not be found for a long time, maybe too late. Not even getiting into the predator situations. A friend of mine got hit by a car, killed--he had been drinking, and his relfexes and judgement were not where they usually were. Had someone been with him to pull him back instead of crossing the street when he did, an instant better in reaction time could have made the difference. They say friends don't let friends drive drunk. Well, the same for walking around inebriated or under the influence.

 

[ktgirl]

I've followed Morgan's case since she disappeared and I am so glad to see that finally the perp who killed Morgan appears to have been caught. I am sorry it didn't happen earlier and that he was able to take Hannah as well.

I just want to say that the rape victim who survived (and gave the -IMO- good sketch info) and the neighbor who interrupted the attack (instead of "minding his own business" as unfortunately, some would do) are heroes. They have helped set into motion justice for not only the victim who survived, but also for Morgan and Hannah.

 

[Ralph]

In order to get a DNA match in CODIS, a LE official must constantly submit the DNA profile and search for a match. It isn't something where they can submit it and automatically be contacted when a match occurs later on. This was shown in the case of Krystal Baker/Kevin Smith in Chambers Cnty., TX.

Actually that's exactly how it works. DNA profiles (crime scene evidence, convicted offenders, and arrestees) are continuously uploaded to the VA DNA data bank where they are searched on a weekly basis. Any profiles that are suitable (including all convicted offenders and arrestees) will automatically be uploaded to the national DNA data bank where they will be searched twice a week. Each time a search is conducted, the person who entered the profile is notified of any possible matches. That person will then follow up on these possible "hits".

 

[karen in New York]

In the college towns close to where I live, college students walk home from dorm parties ALONE in the winter time and are found dead days later from falling and passing out and dying of exposure. St. Bonaventure student in 2014 and Alfred student in 2013. So very sad.

 

[minazoe]

Cannot believe this whole thing...hope this guy knows his life is over... They better keep a good eye on him, ie suicide watch...he's extremely dangerous and absolutely NOT marginal..he's been creepy crawling for years...can't believe JVM said there are more cases of rape accusations etc coming out. How did they not parse him out sooner..?? and they are looking at another student who went missing the same day as Heather, found murdered under some brush on a trail.

This guy is so ugly I cannot even bare to look at him. IMO

 

[otto]

I understand the trafficking angle, but if that was his thing Morgan would not have been found with his DNA in my opinion. Sure it could have been a grab gone bad but, that and the 2005 rape makes me think he was on his own fulfilling his own sadistic needs.

I have never understood the trafficking angle.

 

[otto]

Yeah I've seen it spelled both ways.. I'm not sure which is actually the "correct" spelling, if one is more correct than the other.

US spelling = liter
UK spelling = litre

 

[Aking]

Actually that's exactly how it works. DNA profiles (crime scene evidence, convicted offenders, and arrestees) are continuously uploaded to the VA DNA data bank where they are searched on a weekly basis. Any profiles that are suitable (including all convicted offenders and arrestees) will automatically be uploaded to the national DNA data bank where they will be searched twice a week. Each time a search is conducted, the person who entered the profile is notified of any possible matches. That person will then follow up on these possible "hits".

I had a good friend that's a detective in our state tell me that due to costs, we don't utilize CODIS. It costs money/time to update all the DNA. Therefore most DNA that has been taken isn't entered. Just food for thought just jumping off your post.

 

[wall0214]

Well, if you want to blame someone, then you should blame VA State Police. Charlottesville PD had no jurisdiction over the MH case.

I'm sorry, I must be missing something... JM's DNA was entered as an unknown perp - if you don't have a person to match the DNA to, how is that the fault of LE?

 

[otto]

If there is evidence that Jesse was responsible for the death of Morgan Harrington, why aren't there charges ... or perhaps the question should be, when will there be charges?

 

[cluciano63]

If there is evidence that Jesse was responsible for the death of Morgan Harrington, why aren't there charges ... or perhaps the question should be, when will there be charges?

DNA is only one piece of evidence...they still need to try to place him at crime scene, near the arena, etc, somewhere Morgan was known to be, make sure he was not out of town, check alibi as best as possible. At least one "Cold Case Files" I watched had a DNA match from a coffee cup just the start of putting a case together. First thing they needed to rule out was any chance that the killer knew the victim and could have been in a consensual relationship. They then moved on to determining where he was that night. So it is not just DNA= entire case.

 

[Winnts]

I had a good friend that's a detective in our state tell me that due to costs, we don't utilize CODIS. It costs money/time to update all the DNA. Therefore most DNA that has been taken isn't entered. Just food for thought just jumping off your post.

I just watched a crime show on discovery channel. Even fingerprints for criminals are not always uploaded to the federal database (example car theft). On the show years later a cold case detective found a murderer of a child because of this knowledge. No match for the fingerprints found at the crime scene was on file. But the cold case detective remembered that not every police station is linked, nor all crimes. He contacted every database in us and canada, and found 14 databases that were not linked. He manually sent the fingerprints to each of those jurisdictions and found a match! The criminal had many arrests, but none of his prints were ever uploaded due to the nature of his past crimes.

 

[chickagirl]

There is no statute of limitations for charging him. They have him locked up and as long as he stays locked up, there is no reason to bring charges unless and until the prosecutor believes its to his advantage to join the HG and MH cases. If he thinks he has a weaker case on Hannah, he can always try that and if the verdict is not guilty, he could just have the marshalls arrest him and start over on MH. Prosecutors choice. And the more victims, the more options. Not sure if JM's attorney is willing to sign up for a permanent engagement for the next five years at court reimbursement rates.

 

[brainysthenewsexy]

DNA is only one piece of evidence...they still need to try to place him at crime scene, near the arena, etc, somewhere Morgan was known to be, make sure he was not out of town, check alibi as best as possible. At least one "Cold Case Files" I watched had a DNA match from a coffee cup just the start of putting a case together. First thing they needed to rule out was any chance that the killer knew the victim and could have been in a consensual relationship. They then moved on to determining where he was that night. So it is not just DNA= entire case.

If DNA evidence is enough to exonerate someone, shouldn't the opposite be true, i.e. that is should be enough for a conviction? I thought the chance of a DNA match is 1 to a billion? I'm not a criminal attorney or forensic scientist, so I am really interested in an explanation. I totally get that they want to take their time to get an airtight case before charges are brought.