Found Deceased VA - Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, Charlottesville, 17 Oct 2009 - #1

[Angel Who Cares]

They have been checking cameras on the grounds & in the surrounding areas.

:angel:

 

[chemcopout]

surveilance camera footage in area not helpful at this time
search not turned up anything useful
$50,000 crime stopper reward

 

[LLLindsayy]

no time frame

 

[Angel Who Cares]

$50,000 reward being set up by crimestoppers!

:angel:

 

[West]

Hey everybody, been checking out the forums recently (lost my job and figured I might do something productive in between sending out resumes!)

Anyway, just some thoughts about the Morgan case...

As I understand it, she was with friends INSIDE the arena and left at some point in the early part of the concert experience to probably go to the bathroom (according to friends)? Now, as a young woman attending a concert at a university center, I probably wouldn't be afraid to head to the bathroom by myself, especially if friends were engaged or otherwise watching the show. That doesn't strike me as odd. What does seem weird to me is that Morgan wound up outside the arena and right now, no one seems to know why. If I was with friends and feeling sick/meeting someone downstairs/wanted a cigarette, I would probably not mind heading out to the lobby or another part of concert venue by myself for a few minutes. However, I definitely would not make plans to leave the arena without informing friends of where I was headed/what was going--especially if I wasn't at my home campus/familiar with the area.

Also, it is interesting to note that at many concerts/sports games/large capacity venues, ticket takers usually inform guests that are leaving, particularly before the main act or event gets underway, that once you leave you cannot be readmitted. I certainly would have asked as well if I was headed outside whether I could be admitted again. If I was meeting someone and knew that info, I probably would have told that person to meet me at the door etc. It seems that if she was meeting someone, that person probably did not have tickets, as they could have met up inside the arena at some point, without her having to leave.

As far as the friends are concerned, I don't necessarily think I personally would have called the police if my friend was missing that night from the prearranged group ride home. I would have tried contacting my friend to see what was up, but if I heard nothing and waiting some time for her, would assume she was with someone else and would then send a text or a message stating to get in touch when she could and leave my own forwarding info (going to a friends house, bar etc.) Had I not heard from her by the next morning (perhaps she spent night at guys house etc., sleeping in after getting drunk at a local bar), I would have then alerted police, probably around the same time the father would have. I'm basing this on my own 25 yr old observations of what I'd do with my own friends.

However, I do think the girls she went with probably have a better idea of why she left her seat than what they are saying on the news. I know that if I was told my friend left to go to the "bathroom" and missed the entirety of a concert, was not answering a cell and wasn't seen again even after the show, I would have most definitely alerted concert authorities at that point to page her to a common location etc. Some news sites are saying that Morgan/friends communicated at some point and Morgan said she was going home with others. As a friend, I would have definitely asked with whom she was leaving, even if it was purely to be nosy and not necessarily out of safety concern ("who are you leaving with? is he hot?" etc.). :crazy:

I also think that a lot of students feel a sense of false safety especially on college campuses...it also wouldn't surprise me if she wound up wondering towards bars or student hangouts once she left the arena and found out she couldnt get back in, with whoever she might have been meeting etc.

I also don't think she has run away or disappeared on her own. I talk to my own parents at least once a day. If I don't talk to them especially for 24 hours after I went out with friends, my parents would definitely assume something was wrong. And it is telling that she has not contacted family either. She seems like a fairly typical college girl...but then again, you never know whats going on in someones head/behind closed doors etc.

VT community has had a rough few years-- the April shooting massacre, the two students found this fall in the camping area, now Morgan. I hope for the school community and for Morgan's family and friends that they have a quick and happy resolution to this case...but as time passes without any real 'clues' or new tips coming in, the worst case scenarios start playing out in my head.

Let me know what you veterans here think...I enjoy reading your theories, ideas and have been very impressed with the involvement and passion many of you exhibit when researching and helping families!

 

[LLLindsayy]

not prepared to discuss her condition at time she left arena, however she was able to move around freely

 

[chemcopout]

she left building to go to restroom somehow got outside no reentry policy.
her condition is not being discussed at this time. she was able to move around arena freely and converse with people.
she called friends once outside cuz of policy and told she'd find a way home or to meet up with them around 8:30-9pm

(thats some hink there imo! was someone making her call the friends to stall for time?)

 

[LLLindsayy]

her and her car are not associated in this investigation

 

[Angel Who Cares]

She left the building to use the restroom...they don't know why she left the builing...will not discuss if she was on drugs or drinking...was able to walk & talk with others...she was not the driver of the car.



:angel:

 

[chemcopout]

le won't talk about any other calls that may have been made after that they aren't jeopardizing potential info or evidence that may help them later on.

i hope they got call records

purse found between arena and atheletic fields.
not sure of relevance
(explains earlier search)

no signs in that area of a struggle.

 

[Angel Who Cares]

A lot of unknowns in the case at this time.
They found her purse in the vicinity between the arena & the sport field!

:angel:

 

[kant]

PRESSER RECAP

-Public relations manager from Virginia State Police speaking first. Wants to thank the public for the many calls and emails related to the search. Every piece of info is being looked at. Police are still working very closely. Also thanks the media. Because they are receiving so many tips new tip line (434)352-3467 asking people to NOT use old tip line because of volume of calls.

-Let. Joe Rader says he confirms her purse and her cell phone were located NOT by the police but by a passerby who turned it into the police. Originally handled as recovered property report. Facts: "We have a purse, a cell phone, and a missing girl. Those are the facts".

-Says this is STILL a missing person investigation but this is being handled as a criminal investigation because they have not located Morgan and do not know if she is alive or met with foul play.

-Says today they have concluded a long period of time on a localized ground search around the arena, athletic fields, and other areas of UVA.

-Says it would not be unusual for this particular incident for the battery to have dropped out of her cell phone.

-Says at this point we have no reliable information that criminal misconduct has occurred. They are only conducting it as a criminal investigation only because no one has heard from her and no one knows if she's ok.

-Says they interviewed Morgans friends, people in the arena, etc. and they can confirm that people have spoke to her at the arena.

-They can confirm she was on the grounds of the arena up through 9:30 Saturday night.

-There has been no contact with Morgan or from Morgan.

Great re-cap.

The battery mention was interesting.

Also she apparently drove to Harrisonburg and left her car there, met the friend, and the 3 took a different car to the arena from there.. if I heard it correctly.

 

[chemcopout]

swat teams in training used as extra people on ground
no evidence recovered in area that was searched

(passerby originally found purse with cell phone in that area, which was turned in as found items, later the search took place back in that area)

within immediate perimeter, they don't think shes there.

 

[Angel Who Cares]

The swat teams were there to use because they were available to be used. LE will use them when they are available to help search...

:angel:

 

[Kimster]

Hello WEST!!!

 

[chemcopout]

between 8:30-9:30pm morgan not in arena, she was in vicinity established an called her friends to let her know.
vicinity would be arena and fields

 

[Angel Who Cares]

They don't want the public to focus on the timeline...they want the public to look at the time as a general fact...in case someone has seen something in between or after any of the times given. She has been accounted for between 8:30 & 9:30PM by her friends through cell calls.

Cell & purse were found very easily...was not hidden in anyway. They were recovered Sunday morning.

:angel:

 

[lucky181]

Purse was found Sunday morning in a small parking area

 

[kant]

Purse was found Sunday morning in a small parking area

They didn't specify (that I heard) whether the purse was found in the parking area in which the friend's car was parked. Anyone?

 

[chemcopout]

i really think someone took the battery out of the phone to try and stall anyone finding out the last calls that came in or went out.
why would morgan rid of her phone battery? she obviously used her cell