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

[wvagirl]

On another note, there was no visible searching going on today when I was there. It was pretty much business as usual. The parking lot was full because of a business conference going on there, but there weren't any people wandering around the lot. I am going to drive behind the arena and through the parking garage when I pick up my oldest from school. Don't know if it will help, but this is making me crazy that we can't get straight answers and no one seems to have any new info at all.

 

[wvagirl]

Opening act bands for this were Gojira and Lamb of God BTW.

 

[K.Scarpetta]

FYI,
Parents plead for return of daughter
The case of missing Tech student Morgan Harrington has drawn nationwide attention.
By Mike Gangloff

The search for Morgan Dana Harrington stretched into its second full day Tuesday, drawing national attention to the disappearance of the Virginia Tech junior during a weekend Metallica concert in Charlottesville.

Harrington's parents took to the television, appearing on HLN's Nancy Grace show and other broadcasts to ask for Harrington's return and bringing camera crews to their Roanoke County home.

Postings about the missing 20-year-old spread across online forums, and a Facebook group dedicated to her had more than 2,100 members by Tuesday evening. On the official Metallica Web site, the band posted an article titled "One of our fans is missing."

Dr. Dan Harrington, who is Carilion Clinic's vice president for academic affairs, and Gil Harrington, a nurse who is active with the Roanoke-based Orphan Medical Network International, were encouraged by the energy that seemed to be pouring into the search, said the Rev. Diane Scribner Clevenger of Unity Church of Roanoke Valley, who was acting as the family's spokeswoman.

Virginia State Police asked concertgoers to check videos or pictures from Saturday's Metallica show and to contact authorities if they thought they had captured images of Harrington. Blond, 5-foot-6 and about 120 pounds, Harrington was wearing a black T-shirt bearing the name of the metal band Pantera in tan letters across the front, a black miniskirt, black tights and black knee-high boots.

Friends said that Harrington, an education major who lived in an apartment in Blacksburg, left the University of Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena before Metallica came onstage. They were not sure why.

Her purse and cellphone were later found outside, said Amanda Melvin, a friend of Harrington's. Melvin's younger sister is Harrington's roommate and had attended the concert with her. Harrington's car, in which they traveled to the concert, was still in the parking lot, Melvin said.
Gil Harrington said on the Nancy Grace show that she thought her daughter's friends waited a long time before leaving the concert without her.

Dan Harrington told The Associated Press that his daughter planned to come to her parents' house Sunday to study, and when she didn't, he checked with some of her friends, then reported her missing.

Clevenger said that Morgan Harrington keeps in close contact with her parents, traveling from Blacksburg to do laundry and calling frequently.

Clevenger described Harrington, a 2007 graduate of Lord Botetourt High School, as someone who loves music, and who keeps a wall of her apartment's bedroom decorated with music-related items. She also enjoys visual art and has been a painter since childhood, Clevenger said.

She had been recognized in 2007 for volunteer work with the Mental Health Association of Roanoke Valley.

And Harrington had kept Metallica tickets on her refrigerator for weeks, Grace said during her Tuesday broadcast.

State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said in an e-mail Tuesday that investigators were following up on dozens of tips and canvassing the area around the arena.

Staff writer Jorge Valencia contributed to this report.

 

[elle1919]

Well, from what I've seen being reported now..before Metallica took the stage (after Morgan went outside) either Morgan called her friends or they called her (conflicting reports) and she told them not to wait for her and she would find a ride home. So, that to me would assume that her friends knew she wasn't coming back into the show since the arena has a no re-entry policy.

Thankyou,

however, that just doesn't sound like what a young person who clipped her tickets to the fridge for 6 months in anticipation would have done. Perhaps that is what happened and her friends might have received a call from Morgan along those lines but as a mother I would know whether or not my daughter would abandon her friends and the much anticipated concert. I just find the whole situation questionable and I am fearful that it was not Morgans intention to miss the concert. My prayers are with her and her loved ones.

 

[MBLover]

Call me nosy too but the family's minister lives with them in their Roanoke County home? What church do they belong to? She said that the first the family heard from LE was a call which again confuses me. I thought the dad had called the friends around 12:30 when she didn't come back to study for her math exam and he reported her missing.

Unity Church of the Roanoke Valley - it's basically a non-denominational type of church. Nothing holy roller or hellfire/damnation type of church.

Rev. Diane is really a very nice person. I do not know her personally but have met her briefly on a couple of occassions.

If the concert was not sold out, then it would have been possible for her to still purchase a ticket. I am sure that money would not have been a problem - as a shot of her parents home has been televised and looks pretty close to being a mansion. Her father has something to do with Carilion Hospital.

There was an earlier posting of a post / comment made by someone who knew Morgan and had parked beside her at the arena. That tells me she at least made it to JPJ and in her vehicle. But out of 16,000 people what are the chances that someone is going to pull into a parking space beside her that knows her...

I do not understand why she would have left her ticket stub inside if she was carrying her purse - that makes absolutely no sense. She could have gone out for a smoke and not realized there were designated smoking areas or thought maybe she was going out the right door to one of these areas - and of course the door would probably lock behind her (as they do at the Roanoke Civic Center) and then realized she was in the wrong area.

 

[marlap]

Morgan's dad was just interviewed by phone on MSNBC and said that police told him that he would receive the information they were going to give during the press conference before it starts, but he hasn't received it yet.

He also said that Morgan called her friends to let them know she was outside the arena and couldn't get back in.

That is so confusing...why wouldn't they go to whatever door, take her her ticket, and let her in?

Unless she said, I can't get back in but it's ok because I'm ....
a)going to a party?
b) going off with some guy?
c) going to the convenience sore acorss the street for smokes?
etc.....

There must be stuff police know that hasn't been released in terms of what her friends knew or didn't know...

 

[kant]

What about a trip to one of the vendors? She was a big fan, right? It makes sense if she were going to buy a t-shirt or some other memorabilia, that she could beat the crowds by going before the warm-up band was finished. I have the feeling she met someone and was lured outside of the venue-- possibly with promises of getting special treatment via a backstage pass or something.

I hope they are interviewing everyone that had open access to that place.

Also what strikes me as odd, a purse and cell phone in the parking lot? And no one picked it up, or stole it? That kind of "litter" doesn't get ignored...I'd venture to say it was placed there after the crowds had dispersed. Again, that points back toward someone who may have been around after the show was over.

I hope she is found soon, and safe.

I agree about the purse. Something seems off. Or OTOH it could be something as simple as the person was an opportunist and just tossed it. But if so, the mechanics of it are still a stumper. by that I mean, unless she knew the person (or didn't know the person, but didn't feel threatened) she would be struggling; so unless there were more than one person,... I mean, let me back up... how could one person deal with the phone/ battery AND hold her? (unless she stood there willingly for whatever reason) and the person had the phone in hand to remove the battery. Was the battery found with the phone and just removed from the phone itself? Or was the battery completely missing ?

So many questions. I m hoping for a happy ending, but this is so distrubing. Also, some people had to recall seeing her. I know I would notice and remember a very attractive blonde with a distinctive T shirt (Pantera) especially a Pantera Tshirt at a Metallica concert. IDK I just think she would stand out. And that one dude said that he spoke with her as he parked beside them and remembered her and that he remembered seeing the friends waiting around the car after the concert. If he's telling the truth (no real reason to doubt him I guess) then that seems to indicate that she is friendly and seems to talk easily to strangers. (which makes me wonder who coudl have been hanging around and chatted with her when she got no re-entry to the concert) (?)

And how long is a "significant amount of time?" that the friends waited outside the car? It was cold right? And we still dont know how the two sisters got home. It was just the three of them right? The roommate, Amy - the roommate's older sister, Amanda, and then Morgan. (?)

 

[kant]

Morgan's dad was just interviewed by phone on MSNBC and said that police told him that he would receive the information they were going to give during the press conference before it starts, but he hasn't received it yet.

He also said that Morgan called her friends to let them know she was outside the arena and couldn't get back in.

That is so confusing...why wouldn't they go to whatever door, take her her ticket, and let her in?

Unless she said, I can't get back in but it's ok because I'm ....
a)going to a party?
b) going off with some guy?
c) going to the convenience sore acorss the street for smokes?
etc.....

There must be stuff police know that hasn't been released in terms of what her friends knew or didn't know...

Some locals and others said that even if the friends had brought her the ticket that once you enter you cannot get back in without purchasing another ticket. Also some locals said that there are typically guards at the exits that make people aware of that poilcy. (fwiw)

 

[MBLover]

I guess whoever took her could have taken her with her purse and then just brought her purse back and dumped in the parking lot.

 

[wvagirl]

There were not a huge amount of people in the parking lot that night tailgating because of the weather. It was one of the first really cold nights that we have had this year, and most people went into the concert when the doors opened according to the box office guy who was working that night.

He could only see the parking lot in front of his window which still leaves a significant amount of parking area that could have been occupied during the concert.

 

[kant]

Unity Church of the Roanoke Valley - it's basically a non-denominational type of church. Nothing holy roller or hellfire/damnation type of church.

Rev. Diane is really a very nice person. I do not know her personally but have met her briefly on a couple of occassions.

If the concert was not sold out, then it would have been possible for her to still purchase a ticket. I am sure that money would not have been a problem - as a shot of her parents home has been televised and looks pretty close to being a mansion. Her father has something to do with Carilion Hospital.

There was an earlier posting of a post / comment made by someone who knew Morgan and had parked beside her at the arena. That tells me she at least made it to JPJ and in her vehicle. But out of 16,000 people what are the chances that someone is going to pull into a parking space beside her that knows her...

I do not understand why she would have left her ticket stub inside if she was carrying her purse - that makes absolutely no sense. She could have gone out for a smoke and not realized there were designated smoking areas or thought maybe she was going out the right door to one of these areas - and of course the door would probably lock behind her (as they do at the Roanoke Civic Center) and then realized she was in the wrong area.

bbm

I saw that post and as I understood it, the dude didn't know her. He just saw her, happened to park beside them, spoke with her/them briefly, and remembered her. He also said that he remembered seeing the friends standing beside the car after the concert.

 

[MBLover]

bbm

I saw that post and as I understood it, the dude didn't know her. He just saw her, happened to park beside them, spoke with her/them briefly, and remembered her. He also said that he remembered seeing the friends standing beside the car after the concert.

Okay Thanks! I must have misread!

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Live Video News Conference~Harrington Presser Beginning at 3pm:
http://www.whsv.com/livestreaming/headlines/65193937.html

:angel:

 

[kant]

The lack of cameras at the arena is appalling; and worse, now it has been broadacast that there are no cameras. Great..... not.

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Metallica seeks help finding co-ed who vanished during concert
Posted on Wed, Oct. 21, 2009 01:04 PM
<snipped>
Metallica has issued a statement on its Web site regarding the disappearance of Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old education major at Virginia Tech who disappeared during the band's concert Saturday night.

Here's the plea that Metallica posted under the heading:

"One of our fans is missing."

"We are deeply concerned about the disappearance of 20 year old Virginia Tech student Morgan Dana Harrington, who was last seen while attending our concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA, on Saturday night.

"Morgan has blonde hair and blue eyes, is 5'6", 120 lbs., and was wearing a black PANTERA T-shirt, black skirt, and black boots. She was not carrying I.D. or a cell phone. Morgan was separated from her friends shortly before 9pm at the venue. Police have been searching the area since Monday.

"We encourage anyone who has any information regarding Morgan's disappearance to please come forward. Additionally, if you or anyone you know shot video footage or took photos of the concert or audience, please check to see if there is anyone in your photos who might resemble Morgan.

"Our thoughts are with Morgan and her family for her safe return."

Article:
http://www.kansascity.com/stargazing/story/1521267.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2009/10/20/ng.coed.vanish.cnn

:angel:

 

[kant]

Okay Thanks! I must have misread!

But you're right; it would have been a freaky coincidence if he had known her and happened to pull up beside her. That would have been hink.

 

[kant]

I hope everyone who was there that night looks carefully at any photos or video they took. You never know...

When we are on vacation we always get the random person wandering into the frame or in the background of the shots. Jus sayin.

 

[marlap]

Some locals and others said that even if the friends had brought her the ticket that once you enter you cannot get back in without purchasing another ticket. Also some locals said that there are typically guards at the exits that make people aware of that poilcy. (fwiw)

ahhhh, thanks Kant...

That makes much more sense, she may have called and said ....

Dang! Can't get back in, can't afford ticket, will meet y'all afterwards by the car.

Then when she doesn't show, they figure she left with a guy or another friend.

I hope we get more details from the conference.

I hope everyone who was there that night looks carefully at any photos or video they took. You never know...

When we are on vacation we always get the random person wandering into the frame or in the background of the shots. Jus sayin.

On Nancy Grace last night, they made a plea for anyone at the conference to "please look though your photos, cell phone video," etc., to see if she is in the background and who she may have been talking to.

 

[Heroine]

If she had a print out of her ticket - why would she have a problem getting back into the stadium? What am I missing?

I've been to many concerts where re-entry is not allowed even with a print out of your ticket or the ticket stub. Some venues just don't allow it for safety purposes.

 

[Chili Fries]

There will be a press conference starting soon, at either 3 or 3:30 eastern time.
Local channel says they will stream it - http://www.wdbj7.com/