Found Deceased VA - Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, Charlottesville, 17 Oct 2009 - #13

[Walker]

Why I don't think the murderer was a student

Honestly, it comes down to where the body was located. When I was a student, I was familiar with the Grounds of course; the Corner which is where most of the shops and bars frequented by students were; the various neighborhoods immediately around campus where students rented apartments/houses; Rugby Road (where the fraternities were.) To a lesser extent, Downtown (which is a long walk) and 29 North, which is where most of the shopping and restaurants are.

There's not much south of town. Even the dorms on the south end of Campus were kind of looked down upon, because it was a long way to main campus and there wasn't much there. I don't see much reason for most students to be heading on 29 S unless they are heading somewhere (like Lynchburg, or VA Tech.)

The police think that the killer knew the area well, and I tend to agree with their reasoning. So I don't think it was a student.

Now, it could have been a townie who later became a student, but most college kids I know want to get away from their parents. I think I knew a few students whose parents lived in town, but not many. Most students came from Northern Virginia, near DC, about 2+ hours away on 29 N.

Why the Killer Might Be a Student

The bracelet which MH was wearing was quite distinctive. Her mother said that it had been hers when she was young. That piece of jewelry must have had great sentimental value to MH. Also, the necklace (described by LE) was a gift from her brother & very expensive. The boots have been described as "distinctive" as well. Seems as if she was trying to impress someone whom she expected to meet up with that night.


http://www.readthehook.com/blog/ind...fore-hitching-morgan-harrington-caused-worry/

Quote from above:

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.
In addition to a black miniskirt, tights, and a black shirt, the young blonde was wearing distinctive high-heeled boots, says the witness, a mother of two who spoke on condition of anonymity over concern for getting “pulled into the fray.”

If she were with these four White guys, then did she separate from them to talk to the BB players, or were they the BB players?

Same link:

According to several sources, members of UVA’s men’s basketball team were among the last to see Harrington in the grassy, tree-shrouded parking area before she was seen with her thumb out, hitching a ride on the bridge.

It wasn’t the last time the Richmond woman saw the young blonde. After she, her husband, and friend parked near U-Hall, she says, she saw the same group of five gathered around a vehicle in the RV Lot, or Lannigan Field overflow parking lot— the spot where Morgan’s purse and phone were found and one of the last places police have officially placed her.
“I figured, ‘They’re going to party before they go into JPJ,” says the woman, who estimates the RV Lot sighting as 9:15pm. When she learned about the disappearance on Monday, October 19, she says, she immediately relayed her information to police, who have interviewed her as many as five times in the past three weeks.

 

[PaulR]

Why the Killer Might Be a Student

The bracelet which MH was wearing was quite distinctive. Her mother said that it had been hers when she was young. That piece of jewelry must have had great sentimental value to MH. Also, the necklace (described by LE) was a gift from her brother & very expensive. The boots have been described as "distinctive" as well. Seems as if she was trying to impress someone whom she expected to meet up with that night.

Walker, the boots were described as "distinctive" not by friends/family but by the witness.

Anyway - if the boots seen by that woman were "distinctive", why wouldn't the police and the Harringtons describe it themselves as such? It couldn't hurt. Something like that would trigger in someone's mind - you may not remember her face, but you'd remember those weird boots.

Also note...

Until now, the missing woman’s boots have been described as “knee high,” but this witness insists they were “over the knee.” (Through a spokesperson with the Harrington’s recently hired PR firm, Gil Harrington says the boots she saw Morgan try on prior to the concert were not above the knee.)

So the boots don't match the description of what MH was wearing.

Do we know if she always wore that bracelet? My GF almost never takes hers off...

But...
If she was planning on meeting someone, I think we'd hear about it. Her friends would know. I mean, when was she planning on meeting him? She wouldn't have time after the concert, her friends drove home that night. She didn't meet him before the concert or we would have heard. She obviously couldn't meet him during the concert, unless he also left, but we'd have records of a cell phone call to or from her phone to the person she was going to meet, to say that she was outside.

If she were with these four White guys, then did she separate from them to talk to the BB players, or were they the BB players?

The police talked to the basketball players (the article mentions that in passing.) I'm assuming they were cleared.

According to the UVa basketball web site, only four (of fifteen) players on the basketball team are white. So it's possible that she happened to talk to the only white players on the team, and then went with them...

But they couldn't be the same guys that the newspaper woman allegedly saw with her. She specifically said that two of the guys were shorter. Even with heels, Morgan wouldn't be taller than even a short basketball player.

 

[part time prof]

I'm gonna post more

[respectfully snipped throughout, BBM]

Why I think she didn't know another UVa student (or a townie):

She would have called them. Why not?

At some point (we don't know when) her battery got separated from her cell, so she simply may not have been able to. But, I am not disagreeing with your main point, especially since the family moved away from Charlottesville when she was 10, and though she had been to events at the Pavilion (near the downtown Mall, for those not from the area), it was never mentioned that she had been to JPJ before.

Why I think she wasn't too familiar with Charlottesville:

OK, so she doesn't know anyone, but JPJ isn't that far from the Barracks Road shopping center; granted, there's probably not much happening at night, but there's a Buffalo Wild Wings that may be open late. Or just head on down to The Corner - there are bars that are open late, and the White Spot is open after the bars close, well past 2am. Same thing. If she was heading towards any of these places, I think she'd let her friends know before she lost her purse and phone in Lannigan, but who is to say.

(For reference, the Corner is actually not that far from the Lawn.)

Yes, if she just wanted to wait it out, Barracks with Buffalo Wild Wings, or the Italian Villa would have been good options. I'm thinking she really was hitchhiking, really intending to find a ride "home," inexplicable as that may seem...

Why I don't think the murderer was a student

Honestly, it comes down to where the body was located...

There's not much south of town.

The only wrinkle would be if the farm was actually used in the recent past for parties, concerts, or something UVA student-y, but imho it's someone who lives (lived) around there, hunted around there, rode a bicycle (or four-wheeler/ATV there), or partied there previously.


On the call for bicyclists:

(I'm assuming she was killed pretty quickly.)

Obviously, if this is true, then other sightings that prompted this dialogue couldn't be valid, and it's the assumption I think is most likely, but again, I hope every possibility is explored.

Thanks for this...everyone keep it coming.

My comments in bold, and your original message respectfully snipped throughout. Not trying to be confrontational with any of this, just throwing in a few points as we all continue to puzzle.

 

[rickh]

Why the Killer Might Be a Student

The bracelet which MH was wearing was quite distinctive. Her mother said that it had been hers when she was young. That piece of jewelry must have had great sentimental value to MH. Also, the necklace (described by LE) was a gift from her brother & very expensive. The boots have been described as "distinctive" as well. Seems as if she was trying to impress someone whom she expected to meet up with that night.


http://www.readthehook.com/blog/ind...fore-hitching-morgan-harrington-caused-worry/

Quote from above:


If she were with these four White guys, then did she separate from them to talk to the BB players, or were they the BB players?

Same link:

i believe a lot of people have felt it could possibly be a student or ex student because of the fact anchorage farm was rented to uva students until i believe june of 09.seems like a distance from campus to me but they probably got a good deal.i think the bicyclist were questioned because the FBI felt they might have seen something unusual like a car,truck,etc.maybe parked somewhere that they normally didnt see.jmo

 

[Calliope]

I'm gonna post more

Imagine you are Morgan. You just got locked out of the concert where your friends are. It's cold (46 degrees average, low of 38) and it even rained a bit. Your friends aren't going to be leaving town for a few hours. You still have your purse and cell phone.

Why I think she didn't know another UVa student (or a townie):

She would have called them. Why not? Hang out with a friend for a few hours, then catch a ride home along with the friends you came to the concert with. Call them and ask them to pick you up later.

I also think this would have come out. If she called the friend, the police would have records. We'd probably have heard about some students that she knew being questioned. Maybe not, but it sounds like something that would have started on the rumor mill and filtered to the press by now.

Morgan's parents have said she had problems with her cell battery falling out. It was found without the battery. What if, in her wanderings about the arena, it fell out before she was abducted? My brain is rather foggy right now --- weren't one of the witness sightings of her at a convenience store? Did they see her using a pay phone? I know there was a question of her using her ATM card (her father didn't deny it, just stated that LE had asked him not to talk about it).

Why I think she wasn't too familiar with Charlottesville:

OK, so she doesn't know anyone, but JPJ isn't that far from the Barracks Road shopping center; granted, there's probably not much happening at night, but there's a Buffalo Wild Wings that may be open late. Or just head on down to The Corner - there are bars that are open late, and the White Spot is open after the bars close, well past 2am. Same thing. If she was heading towards any of these places, I think she'd let her friends know before she lost her purse and phone in Lannigan, but who is to say.

(For reference, the Corner is actually not that far from the Lawn.)

If I was young and female, the last thing I'd want to do was to try to hitch a ride with a stranger. I'm not young, and I'm a guy, and no way would I hitchhike unless I had no other choice, like if I was literally in the middle of nowhere. She wasn't, she could have asked someone "hey, where can I hang out for two hours until my friends are ready to leave?" and I would have told her about the Italian Villa, or someplace where there were other students so she wouldn't be completely bored; at least she'd be warm.

Reports are that she was intoxicated. I doubt she was using good judgement.

Why I don't think the murderer was a student

Honestly, it comes down to where the body was located. When I was a student, I was familiar with the Grounds of course; the Corner which is where most of the shops and bars frequented by students were; the various neighborhoods immediately around campus where students rented apartments/houses; Rugby Road (where the fraternities were.) To a lesser extent, Downtown (which is a long walk) and 29 North, which is where most of the shopping and restaurants are.

There's not much south of town. Even the dorms on the south end of Campus were kind of looked down upon, because it was a long way to main campus and there wasn't much there. I don't see much reason for most students to be heading on 29 S unless they are heading somewhere (like Lynchburg, or VA Tech.)

The police think that the killer knew the area well, and I tend to agree with their reasoning. So I don't think it was a student.

Now, it could have been a townie who later became a student, but most college kids I know want to get away from their parents. I think I knew a few students whose parents lived in town, but not many. Most students came from Northern Virginia, near DC, about 2+ hours away on 29 N.

Bass rented his house out to students. Wasn't the one that burned down also rented by students? I'm not saying these people were responsible, just saying that students will live wherever they can afford. I also don't buy your claim that most of UVa students come from NoVa.

On the call for bicyclists:
Maybe this has been discussed already, but I know the FBI were asking bicyclists if they had seen anything, since there are apparently some biking areas nearby. I wonder if the police have a reason to think a bicyclist was involved?

I'm not sure I buy the reason for the FBI asking - if Morgan's body was dumped at night, no bicyclist would be around to see her or her killer.

<respectfully snipped>

There was at least one night bike event just north of AF on the 17th. If any of the participants didn't camp out after the race, they well could have traveled down 29 on their way home.

IMHO I think they have reason to believe that it was a bicyclist who had been in that area regularly and was comfortable enough with it to dump the body.

That's possible. I asked if anyone knew of cyclists training in that area.

 

[Calliope]

Previous posts about the bike race that night:

http://www.crcparanormal.com/race

Paranormal 2009

October 17th, 2009

The Events

The Paranormal is an annual 6 hour mountain bike endurance race.

Start Time for the Main race is at 4pm.

Entertainment

As if racing were not enough, there will be a bonfire, movies, and food.

Camping

There is onsite Camping for Saturday night. To reserve a space, click the contact link.

_________

Paranormal Mountain Bike Race

Charlottesville, Va. • October 17

This six-hour endurance race, which starts in the late afternoon and moves into the dark autumn evening, has become a must-do in the Central Virginia MTB scene. After the closing of the popular Panorama Farm trails, the event moved to Tevendale Farm, which is filled with much of the same pastoral open field riding mixed with wooded twisty singletrack. Riders also get a great blend of short steep climbs and surprise descents. Five-minute time bonuses are awarded to bikers in costume.

http://www.virginiasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17800&ATCLID=1134421

http://www.panoramapaydirt.com/about-the-farm.html

I wonder if any 'trained' on Anchorage property (or nearby)?

 

[Calliope]

Email sent out by a local bike shop owner:

http://groups.google.com/group/cvillebikeclub/browse_thread/thread/9f0e1b67bf5e60d5

>Date: January 28, 2010 01:31:37 PM EST
>Subject: Morgan Harrington
>Ladies & Gentlemen
>Lynne Stopford of the FBI is trying to identify a group of cyclists who
>ride south of town and sometimes park alongside Red Hill Road just east
>of 29S...to see if maybe they remember seeing anything unusual about the
>time of Morgan Harrington's disappearance. Please put the word out to
>anyone who might know who these cyclists are.
>Contact Information for Lynne Stopford:
> * 434-972-6140 - Phone
> * 434-293-9744 - Fax
> * lynne.stopf...@ic.fbi.gov

For reference, Morgan was abducted on October 17th. CBC ride
schedules for the intervening months are accessible on http://cvillebikeclub.org.

http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-morgan-harrington-cyclists-100212,0,5212080.htmlstory

Thanks to a tip, investigators say bicyclists could help uncover information about the rural area of Albemarle County where a farmer found the 20-year-old's body.

 

[Houston Homer]

Just throwing this out there about the possible removal of hose. Personally, when I have been drinking, I have to frequent the restroom often. Maybe Morgan just got tired of pulling them up & down -- especially stuck in a parking lot where only probably portapotty or a tree on the side to use. I have been @ wedding receptions & ditched mine throwing them in the trash.

My thoughts on the hose....I've thrown away hose/tights that got ripped, and I've thrown away hose during a drinking night because of the "bathroom" factor.

But my first thought when reading about the hose/tights missing took me back to my own campus/party days(MANY years ago :blushing...leaving somebody's dorm room/frat house after re-dressing and just sticking the tights in a jacket pocket/purse/etc...cause sometimes it's hard to wiggle back into them after certain situations. :blushing:
I'm NOT saying this is what happened with Morgan, or that this eyewitness is correct that she saw Morgan....just that this is what has stuck in my head since reading about the "missing tights".

YEARS later, I am a very respectable grandma. :angel:

 

[carbuff]

Yeah, Houston Homer, I've been thinking the same thing...

Respectable. Yeah. That's me.

 

[PaulR]

Morgan's parents have said she had problems with her cell battery falling out. It was found without the battery. What if, in her wanderings about the arena, it fell out before she was abducted? My brain is rather foggy right now --- weren't one of the witness sightings of her at a convenience store? Did they see her using a pay phone? I know there was a question of her using her ATM card (her father didn't deny it, just stated that LE had asked him not to talk about it).

Agreed, but in both the scenarios I described above, her only phone call would have been to say that either she was going to hang out with friends, or be at a local hangout.

Reports are that she was intoxicated. I doubt she was using good judgement.

True, she was, but this seems to fall beyond good judgment. This was really bad judgment. Hitchhiking with a stranger?

Bass rented his house out to students. Wasn't the one that burned down also rented by students? I'm not saying these people were responsible, just saying that students will live wherever they can afford.

So here is the bit about his renting to students:
http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2010/01/27/black-ribbon-harringtons-parents-express-emotions/

He says there are two houses on his 742-acre farm, a newer one toward the back of the property in which he and his artist wife dwell, and the landmark historic farmhouse which was long rented to UVA graduate students but now occupied by a member of his family.

Grad students I can buy, they tended to live farther from the grounds. (I'm rather surprised they'd live this far out...) But I did read in another article (that I sadly can't find) that Bass was fairly comprehensive about having records of all the renters for the past 20 years, and had given that list to police.

I'm not sure how long the house has been rented to his family instead of students. It's possible it could have been an older grad student (working on his PhD) or someone who graduated and moved back.

(As an aside, grad student renters are generally preferred because they tend to be too busy studying/researching/working on their dissertation than partying, and tend to leave the place in better condition. Not always but in general.)

I also don't buy your claim that most of UVa students come from NoVa.

http://www.virginia.edu/uvapodcast/

he president welcomed the largest first-year class in the University's history, 3,260 students from 46 states, the District of Columbia and 76 countries. Sixty-eight percent are Virginians; half of those hail from Northern Virginia...

Plurality may the best word? (As opposed to groups coming from other areas.)

There was at least one night bike event just north of AF on the 17th. If any of the participants didn't camp out after the race, they well could have traveled down 29 on their way home.

True, but if the body was brought there via the Estates instead of 29, the bicyclists would have been too far from the site to see anything.

This six-hour endurance race, which starts in the late afternoon and moves into the dark autumn evening, has become a must-do in the Central Virginia MTB scene. After the closing of the popular Panorama Farm trails, the event moved to Tevendale Farm, which is filled with much of the same pastoral open field riding mixed with wooded twisty singletrack. Riders also get a great blend of short steep climbs and surprise descents. Five-minute time bonuses are awarded to bikers in costume.

Thanks for that. Panorama farms is north of Charlottesville, not south. As is Tevendale. Both are in/near Earlysville.

Panorama Farm
Tevendale Farm

Someone coming home after the race and going by the area would have had to live (or be heading) south of town. I'd think they'd be much more likely to camp out, or drive home, if they were going that far, that late at night. The race didn't end until 10pm, plus there were activities afterwards. So figure it's now 11pm, pitch dark. I'm not saying people didn't bike home and they live south of town.

That's possible. I asked if anyone knew of cyclists training in that area.

Exactly what I am thinking.

http://cvillebikeclub.org/schedule.htm has the maps for those previous races.

 

[Walker]

Walker, the boots were described as "distinctive" not by friends/family but by the witness.

Anyway - if the boots seen by that woman were "distinctive", why wouldn't the police and the Harringtons describe it themselves as such? It couldn't hurt. Something like that would trigger in someone's mind - you may not remember her face, but you'd remember those weird boots.

To weed out false sightings.

Also note... [mother's description]
So the boots don't match the description of what MH was wearing.

Her mother did not see her leaving that arena that night. MH may have switched to a different outfit.

Do we know if she always wore that bracelet? My GF almost never takes hers off...

Doesn't show in other pictures of her. & it's very unusual.

But...
If she was planning on meeting someone, I think we'd hear about it. Her friends would know. I mean, when was she planning on meeting him?

There is a feeling that maybe they knew something.

She wouldn't have time after the concert,

She left during the middle of the concert. She wasn't really interested in the concert.

her friends drove home that night.

They drove to H'burg.

She didn't meet him before the concert or we would have heard. She obviously couldn't meet him during the concert, unless he also left, but we'd have records of a cell phone call to or from her phone to the person she was going to meet, to say that she was outside.

Not necessarily.

The police talked to the basketball players (the article mentions that in passing.) I'm assuming they were cleared.

Can you be "cleared" when you weren't charged?

According to the UVa basketball web site, only four (of fifteen) players on the basketball team are white. So it's possible that she happened to talk to the only white players on the team, and then went with them...

Yes, I noticed that fact.

But they couldn't be the same guys that the newspaper woman allegedly saw with her. She specifically said that two of the guys were shorter. Even with heels, Morgan wouldn't be taller than even a short basketball player.

Don't think that she meant shorter than MH. She said that one was tall, and two shorter than him.

 

[Calliope]

Thanks for that. Panorama farms is north of Charlottesville, not south. As is Tevendale. Both are in/near Earlysville.

Panorama Farm
Tevendale Farm

Someone coming home after the race and going by the area would have had to live (or be heading) south of town. I'd think they'd be much more likely to camp out, or drive home, if they were going that far, that late at night. The race didn't end until 10pm, plus there were activities afterwards. So figure it's now 11pm, pitch dark. I'm not saying people didn't bike home and they live south of town.

I wasn't clear. AF is south of the bike race.

I'm not saying people biked home that night.

 

[PaulR]

I wasn't clear. AF is south of the bike race.

I'm not saying people biked home that night.

You are thinking they drove? Or just that they'd know someone who trained in the area?

 

[PaulR]

To weed out false sightings.

Oh, I wouldn't describe the boots. One could say they were distinctive, and not say how.

I don't believe the woman who allegedly saw MH on the lawn said that the boots were in any way distinctive.

Her mother did not see her leaving that arena that night. MH may have switched to a different outfit.

Possibly... but wouldn't she have to bring the outfit with her?

Doesn't show in other pictures of her. & it's very unusual.

It is nice, and I'm not sure why she'd be wearing it to a concert.

There is a feeling that maybe they [her friends] knew something.

By? I haven't read that, maybe I missed it.

She left during the middle of the concert. She wasn't really interested in the concert.

She made a big spat about trying to get back in. Even if she wasn't into the concert, she clearly wanted to be with her friends. Otherwise she wouldn't have made such a big deal about not being allowed back into the Arena.

They drove to H'burg.

Sorry, I meant "home" in the sense of not staying in C'ville. I don't see how she could have made plans to see someone and still travel with her friends.

She didn't meet him before the concert or we would have heard. She obviously couldn't meet him during the concert, unless he also left, but we'd have records of a cell phone call to or from her phone to the person she was going to meet, to say that she was outside.

Not necessarily.

OK, so what's an alternate way of it happening?

Can you be "cleared" when you weren't charged?

Sure. Police talk to you, are convinced you had nothing to do with it.

Don't think that she meant shorter than MH. She said that one was tall, and two shorter than him.

So here is what the Hook article says:

“She was tall and thin,” says Parson, who says the woman’s high black boots had heels making her appear taller than Morgan’s reported height of 5&#8242;6&#8243;
...
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...

In context, the "witness" is saying that she was tall. Then when describing the men with her, she says "two shorter, one taller"; maybe she meant in a relative sense, but it looks to me like she is comparing the heights of the guys to MH's height, not each others.

According to the UVa site, the heights of the players were:

• 6'9"
• 6'0"
• 6'3"
• 6'0"

I would think that if the 6'9" player was in the group, that would make a strong impression upon the lawn "witness." But none of the 6'0" players are going to appear shorter than MH, even if she was in heels.

I'm thinking that if this woman did appear taller than the guys, this woman was indeed tall (5'10" or something) and thus not MH.

 

[MBLover]

http://www.roanoke.com/politics/wb/238962

RICHMOND -- The House of Delegates approved a memorial resolution Friday honoring the memory of Morgan Harrington, the Roanoke County resident and Virginia Tech student whose remains were found Jan. 26, more than three months after she vanished from a concert in Charlottesville.

House Joint Resolution 357 pays tribute to "the lovely and spirited daughter of Dr. Dan Harrington and Gil Harrington and the adored sister of her older brother, Alex Harrington." It lauds Morgan Harrington as a "champion of children's rights" and adds that "she will be fondly remembered for her spontaneous displays of affection and big hugs, her love of life and adventure, and her sparkling blue eyes and brilliant smile that would light up a room."

(More at link)

 

[Calliope]

You are thinking they drove? Or just that they'd know someone who trained in the area?

Again, I wasn't clear. Sorry

Two things actually. That after the race some who did not choose to camp the night may have gone home past the farm, and then wondering (in general) if there were any cyclists who rode or trained in the area of the farm or knew people who did.

 

[Calliope]

<snip>
Possibly... but wouldn't she have to bring the outfit with her?

Her mother said it was possible she didn't wear the outfit/boots that she saw her trying on... but as far as I know, her account wasn't disputed by the friends (well... friends haven't said anything; I assume if they had, LE wouldn't have released the description they did).

BTW, I too took the woman on the lawn to be comparing the heights of the men rather than to the girl she saw, but who knows? It could be interpreted either way.

 

[PaulR]

Again, I wasn't clear. Sorry

Two things actually. That after the race some who did not choose to camp the night may have gone home past the farm, and then wondering (in general) if there were any cyclists who rode or trained in the area of the farm or knew people who did.

Got it, thanks.

So here is my question about the people who didn't camp: it's at least 10pm when the race is over, later if they stay a bit to socialize.

Directions from Panorama to Anchorage

That's a bit over 16 miles. Keep in mind the people at Panorama were in a "six hour endurance race" so not only are they going to be kinda tired due to the racing, but they're also going to be tired because it's late at night, and they get to ride their bikes when it's dark. Drivers are bad enough at seeing bicyclists when it's light outside.

I don't think there could have been many people who were biking in that direction. Of course, the next day would have been an entirely different matter, so if the police think the body wasn't there until the next day, sure.

I think your theory that they are looking for people who practice in that area (which they apparently do) is dead on.

 

[Calliope]

OK, so what's an alternate way of it happening?

By all reports she was psyched to see the concert. (recall her behaviour and statements made to the people who parked next to Morgan & friends) But I've been wondering why. Was she really that into Metallica? If so, why wander out just prior to them taking the stage? Recall also (from what was posted on this thread) that she posted her plans to attend the concert, in detail.

Did those details include what she'd be wearing? Who she'd be with? What they'd be driving? Where they'd be seated? Is it possible she had already planned to hook up with someone in Charlottesville? Perhaps with someone else who was attending (or said they were attending) the concert? Maybe her wanderings inside and then to exit the arena weren't random. Maybe she was looking for someone in particular. When they weren't inside, she looked outside and found herself not able to re-enter. That could explain the level of anger witnessed by others, and that anger combined with the alcohol could have led to her hitchhiking (if that is what she was doing). And I'm not saying that person was necessarily the one who killed her. She may simply have been 'stood up'.

Aside from all that, I still wonder if the tone of the last conversation with the friends inside the arena wasn't so much, "I'll be fine, I'll find a way home." but rather, "FINE! I'll find a way home!"

 

[PaulR]

Her mother said it was possible she didn't wear the outfit/boots that she saw her trying on... but as far as I know, her account wasn't disputed by the friends (well... friends haven't said anything; I assume if they had, LE wouldn't have released the description they did).

BTW, I too took the woman on the lawn to be comparing the heights of the men rather than to the girl she saw, but who knows? It could be interpreted either way.

True - but if they were the basketball players, Parsons wouldn't need to ask the police to identify them. Their faces are on the website, and the local paper does cover the basketball team. She works for the paper, presumably reads it, and would have seen their photos by now, if not before the sighting.