Found Deceased VA - Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, Charlottesville, 17 Oct 2009 - #10

[RubyRed]

I agree, it does seem like the logical way to get back would have been on the tractor. Though he may have been in shock. When I was 11 my brother wrecked his bike and sliced his leg open really badly. Instead of riding my bike back to the house (much faster!) I ran through the neighborhood on foot without thinking.

I suppose a tractor in a super muddy field might have actually been slower than walking too. Interesting question.

Edit: I see that Indiana at Heart suggested he might have left the tractor so he could find the spot again. I think that's a very good possibility!

Yes, I agree. probably in shock. Scary to think someone is creeping around their house and they are so isolated.

 

[KeenEyes]

I agree, it does seem like the logical way to get back would have been on the tractor. Though he may have been in shock. When I was 11 my brother wrecked his bike and sliced his leg open really badly. Instead of riding my bike back to the house (much faster!) I ran through the neighborhood on foot without thinking.

I suppose a tractor in a super muddy field might have actually been slower than walking too. Interesting question.

With criminals seemingly around every corner these days and the possibility of accidents (especially around farm equipment), he might consider packing a cell phone.

 

[raeann]

Yes, I agree. probably in shock. Scary to think someone is creeping around their house and they are so isolated.

He probably realized by then that any movement of the tractor, which most likely was pulling a trailer of some sort that contained the feed for the cattle, could potentially run over and destroy any items or evidence that had been spread around the area. It would also tend to keep the cattle in one place near the trailer as opposed to moving the tractor and scattering them around the pasture again.

jmoo

 

[pittsburghgirl]

Whatever his reasons were, he was smart to leave the tractor where it was, since he had no way of knowing what other evidence might be in the area.

Now let's hope we find the killer, as, unlike the nitwit on NG tonight, I am pretty sure she didn't walk to the site and OD by herself. (AAARRRGGHH.)

 

[Kimster]

I'm not up to date on the latest drugs, but isn't there a "date rape" drug that someone could have given her? They may have picked her up and offered her a beer with the drug in it. My real question is - can a person still walk on a drug like that?

 

[Natal]

Am I looking at this right...is the red pin showing where she was found in relation to the house?

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/12114873

I would guess not since that pin is right on the edge of a road and she was found hundreds of feet from the nearest road.

 

[Natal]

Try this:

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Found Deceased VA-Morgan Dana Harrington, 20 Charlottesville #10

I think the cross marks the place Nancy Grace identified; it fits with the description that was being given on the live news this afternoon.

That seems like a really odd place to leave a body.

 

[yosande]

Private property and mile and half from the road? I would be checking to see who knows that property and who has ties to there. Many cases like this have resulted in an arrest of a family member. This reminds me of the case from VA. a few years ago. College coed dating freaky older guy and Johnny Depp look alike. IIRC, he left her body basically out in the open behind a building on a family members farm. Does anyone remember that case? ETA: Maybe it was NC. It was somewhere on the East coast.

Sending prayers to Morgan's family.

This reminds me of the beauty queen's sister who was abducted while checking the mail. Her body was found in a field. She was a young blond woman but I don't remember her name. There was a movie made about it.
moo

 

[Natal]

Whatever his reasons were, he was smart to leave the tractor where it was, since he had no way of knowing what other evidence might be in the area.

Now let's hope we find the killer, as, unlike the nitwit on NG tonight, I am pretty sure she didn't walk to the site and OD by herself. (AAARRRGGHH.)

It seems unlikely that some random person would have taken her so far out as well. And if they did, it would have made more sense to have left the body in the woods close by, where no one would have found it. Killers either leave a body well concealed in an area they are very familiar with, or they dump them in some random location that can be easily accessed but at the same time is remote enough that the body won't be immediately found.

If someone did take her out there, I would think that it would be someone very familiar with the area. Alternatively, someone might have dropped her off in the middle of nowhere (for whatever reason) and she wandered off into the night in a drunken or drugged state and perhaps passed out and died (OD, exposure, something like that). Another possibility is that someone took her to random spot to assault her, she was wounded and managed to escape into the darkness, and subsequently died from her injuries "somewhere out there".

Given the location it seems more likely that she was staggering about out there by herself (for whatever reason) lost and then died.

 

[evelyn24]

“It was right about 9pm when we were driving down Massie Road with JPJ to left,” says a Richmond bookkeeper/musician whose late arrival prevented her from hearing opening acts Gojira and Lamb of God— but got her there in time to spot a “wobbly” blonde woman step in front of the car.
With the blonde were four young, white men— a conspicuous group, says the witness, because of the direction they were headed: away from the Arena.

But as the blond woman— accompanied by three young men, two shorter, one taller— passed by her in the well-lit brick walkway along the Lawn, she says, she got a clear look at her face, and her heavily made-up eyes, in particular. She says the woman’s presence in the wee hours of a chilly night— and her bare legs— seized her attention. —http://www.readthehook.com/blog/inde...-caused-worry/

Morgan was wearing black leggings with knee high black boots. Her legs would have been completely covered.

 

[mahoneys07]

I did some looking around for the fraky poster from facebook///oddly enough theres a person by that name in richmond 2.22 miles from VA Tech.I am not real sure about what I am aloud to post...please advise

 

[eyes4crime]

I'm not up to date on the latest drugs, but isn't there a "date rape" drug that someone could have given her? They may have picked her up and offered her a beer with the drug in it. My real question is - can a person still walk on a drug like that?

Sure sounds like it could be Kimster - Here is some info on date rape drug - I've snipped some info. and you can find all of it in the link.

Rohypnol : The Date Rape Drug

By Tracee Cornforth, About.com Guide

Updated November 14, 2009 ***snipped

* rohypnol
* rape

Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) -- more casually known as the "date rape" drug -- has become well-known. Though the drug has medicinal purposes, its powerful effects have scarily been used to incapacitate women during sexual assault -- namely, rape.

Besides "date rape" drug, you may have heard Rohypnol referred to by these other names:

* rophies; roofies
* R2
* roofenol
* Roche
* roach-2; roachies; la rocha
* rope; roopies; ropies
* rib
* circles
* Mexican valium
* the forget Pill
* trip-and-fall
* mind-erasers

Rohypnol is not manufactured or sold legally in the United States. However, it is produced (by Hoffman-La Roche) and sold legally with a prescription in Europe and Latin America, where it is used as a short-term treatment for insomnia, a sedative hypnotic and a pre-anesthetic.

The drug is often smuggled into the United States by mail or delivery services.

What Happens When Someone Takes Rohypnol?
Rohypnol has physiological effects similar to Valium (diazepam), but is approximately ten times more potent.

Intoxication is generally associated with impaired judgment and motor skills. The drug has no taste or odor, so those given it don't realize what is happening. About ten minutes after ingesting the drug, a woman may feel dizzy and disoriented, simultaneously too hot and too cold, and/or nauseated. She may experience difficulty speaking and moving, and then pass out. Effects peak within two hours, and can persist for up to eight hours. Such victims have no memories of what happened while under the drug's influence.

The combination of alcohol and Rohypnol is particularly hazardous; together, their effects on memory and judgment are greater than those experienced when taking one alone. It is commonly reported that people who become intoxicated on a combination of alcohol and Rohypnol have "blackouts" lasting 8 to 24 hours following ingestion. Losing social inhibitions is another widely reported effect of Rohypnol, when taken alone or in combination with alcohol.
What Does the "Date Rape" Drug Look Like?
Rohypnol tablets are white with a score on one side and the word "ROCHE," paired with an encircled one or two (depending on the dosage), on the other. They are sold in pre-sealed bubble packs. Rohypnol can be dissolved in a drink and is undetectable, which makes is a big part of what makes it appealing to criminals looking to drug unsuspecting victims.
What Are the Side Effects?

Adverse effects of Rohypnol use include decreased blood pressure, memory impairment, drowsiness, visual disturbances, dizziness, confusion, gastrointestinal disturbances and urinary retention.
Who Uses Rohypnol and How?

Rohypnol use has been reported on every inhabited continent. It is often used in conjunction with other drugs and is usually ingested orally, though it can be snorted.

It is largely used by adults, although teen use of Rohypnol is increasing. The most common use among teenagers and young adults is as an alcohol extender -- an attempt to create a dramatic "high," most often in combination with beer -- or as a drug to incapacitate a victim before a sexual assault. The drug's low cost (sold for less than $5 per tablet on the black market) makes it more accessible. But the rise in usage in this age group can also be tied to common misconceptions about the drug, erroneous belief that the drug's pre-sealed packaging means that their supply could not have been adulterated, and a misbelief that the drug cannot be detected by a urine test.
Protecting Yourself From the "Date Rape" Drug
Rohypnol is not the only drug used in cases of violence against women. GHB (gamma-hydroxybutrate) has also been associated with sexual assault in cites throughout the country. Common names include, "liquid ecstasy," "somatomax," "scoop," or "grievous bodily harm."

http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/azhealthtopics/a/daterapedrgfaq.htm

 

[evelyn24]

I've been following this case every thread since day one and it's a relief that there can be some answers (hopefully) now. It's a sad ending, but at least she was found.
I always thought, and still do, it was a stranger abduction/murder by a local sex offender.
I never thought her leaving school in her senior year, her friends attitude, her parent's church, or any of that mattered when it came to what happened to Morgan.

The 20 year old sex offender someone posted about earlier is very interesting to me. I bet LE is on it like flies on poo.
He's her age so he wouldn't be seen as threatening, he worked close to the arena and lived close by the farm. Right there in that area...damn, she didn't get very far did she?
It's a local no doubt in my mind.

It'll be interesting to see if they ID a POI within the next few weeks.

 

[mahoneys07]

I did some looking around for the fraky poster from facebook///oddly enough theres a person by that name in richmond 2.22 miles from VA Tech.I am not real sure about what I am aloud to post...please advise

Won't let me edit but I meant freaky

 

[Dum-Dum Sucker]

With criminals seemingly around every corner these days and the possibility of accidents (especially around farm equipment), he might consider packing a cell phone.

My very first thought, KeenEyes. Most people bring their cell phones everywhere. My hubby even brings his into the bathroom, where the only possibility of an accident is.......err, never mind. :blushing:

 

[LLLindsayy]

I did some looking around for the fraky poster from facebook///oddly enough theres a person by that name in richmond 2.22 miles from VA Tech.I am not real sure about what I am aloud to post...please advise

VA Tech is a several hour drive from any part of Richmond. Do you perhaps mean 222?

 

[butterfly1978]

I personally feel this is someone that Morgan knew, maybe just someone she knew from school. Here is my theory. Morgan is not allowed back in the concert she goes to the bridge and someone she knows sees her they stop and ask her whats up. She explains the situation and they say well I know this party at this old farm house, or some friends of mine are hanging out at this farm just right up the street why dont you go with me there and I'll bring you back when the concerts over and you can catch a ride home with your friends, and Morgan goes willingly not wanting to stand outside the concert all night or thinking that she may see someone from school and can catch a ride from this party. They park the car on drive way or the main road and walk, when perp sees they are far enough away from earshot, or far enough for her to be able to get away, he rapes and kills her, I am thinking she had to have willingly gone to this place which means that she had to at least be acquainted with the person.

When I was a teenager which was only a few years ago, we use to go to these type fields late at night take some blankets, beer and a radio and just hang out, til about day break, so I know kids do it because me and my friends did.

 

[quiqui]

I did some looking around for the fraky poster from facebook///oddly enough theres a person by that name in richmond 2.22 miles from VA Tech.I am not real sure about what I am aloud to post...please advise

I'm not sure what you are allowed to post.

Just as a bit of info for those not familiar with the area...Richmond is not 2.22 miles from VA Tech. Tech is in Blacksburg which is 3+ hours from Richmond.

 

[Gypsy Road]

I'm hours behind and there's too much reading to catch up - so I wanted to ask...Has the body officially been confirmed by the medical examiner to be that of Morgan's? I've been gone most of the evening but caught a bit of the news before I left. I didn't have much hope left that Morgan was alive and okay, and hearing the news that a female body with long blonde hair had been found earlier today really shook me up. This is so sad for her family - I can't even fathom their pain.

 

[quiqui]

I'm hours behind and there's too much reading to catch up - so I wanted to ask...Has the body officially been confirmed by the medical examiner to be that of Morgan's? I've been gone most of the evening but caught a bit of the news before I left. I didn't have much hope left that Morgan was alive and okay, and hearing the news that a female body with long blonde hair had been found earlier today really shook me up. This is so sad for her family - I can't even fathom their pain.

As far as I know the body has not been officially confirmed by the ME.