Found Deceased VA - Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, Charlottesville, 17 Oct 2009 - #7

[lilacwine]

If some random person just turned it in he or she might not have been too specific about where it was found or not overly familliar with the names of the locations. The police might be going on where they were told it was found (for initial report).

I doubt someone saw the purse... left it at the location and called police there since it was before anyone was reported missing

 

[KAE]

Maybe the purse was found in the RV lot but was turned in at the Cage Building. They may have only said that they found it in the 'parking lot'. Subsequent investigations may have been able to find the actual location of the purse.
Just a theory - MOO

 

[iluvmua]

Harrington last seen hitchhiking:

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/226284

 

[Truthful Lies]

Does anyone know if Morgan's father did his practice out of their home? A lot of doctors have a home practice, where part of the home is their office to meet up with patients..

Good point, but I haven't seen Dr.'s do that anymore...I've seen docs rent another doc's office for an hour or two or just use it as a favor from that doc friend, (especially when they are in transition of practices), but I can't see him doing that. I could be totally wrong. =P

 

[MBLover]

If she had bought a new ticket to get back in, or was box office closed by then?

Supposedly the box office was not closed - per a comment in an article of where a lady stated her daughter was working the box office and was not questioned by LE.

The box office was open for selling tickets for other events - but apparently the sale of Metallica tickets had stopped?

According to info brought over from the JPJ website by another poster - Apparently they quit selling tickets like 4 hours before a scheduled event... Why? Makes no sense to me...if they still have tickets and someone wants them...then why are they not selling them?

 

[MBLover]

Good point, but I haven't seen Dr.'s do that anymore...I've seen docs rent another doc's office for an hour or two or just use it as a favor from that doc friend, (especially when they are in transition of practices), but I can't see him doing that. I could be totally wrong. =P

In the neighborhood Dr H lives in... I personally cannot see that happening either.

He lives in a residental area - not an area of mixed residental and business. I'm sure his neighborhood association wouldn't allow this.

 

[Hoosll]

A couple of things struck me in the interview this morning ...

1. GH appealing to MH's captor to be a hero and come forward and release MH

2. GH doesn't believe that MH would ever hitchhike

3. She fastened the necklace around MH's neck. Gift from her brother. Expensive and unusual

 

[MBLover]

Respectfully snipped

A couple of things struck me in the interview this morning ...

3. She fastened the necklace around MH's neck. Gift from her brother. Expensive and unusual

Unfortunately that necklace may have been motive enough for someone to do in MH...

And I read somewhere she had on other jewelry...

Some people these days are doing anything for money...and she could have been targeted simply because of her jewelry....and being alone...

 

[Truthful Lies]

oh wow! Oh my goodness...people could have seen her or that car doing something suspicious (pulled over) and it wouldn't have jogged the memory because people weren't thinking about it!! People could have kept an eye out if they knew what direction she was trying to go or whatever....GOD...

 

[Hoosll]

In reading all the comments, I think you may be right about LE knowing what happened to her. It seems LE may have thrown out the "hitchhiking on the bridge" info because the last known persons to see her may have claimed they saw her later hitchhiking. But, LE knows it's unlikely to be confirmed by any eyewitness accounts. So, if they put that info out, asking for confirmation, and after a period of time, no one substantiates her hitchhiking, they can debunk those statements and have more reason to pursue those who were last known to see/talk to her in the RV lot. JMO.

You guys have studied LE methods for longer than I have ... this sounds very credible for the way LE has been rolling out info. I'm no longer sure that MH made to the bridge from either Lannigan or Cage parking lots. LE is phishing for witnesses to corroborate someone's story ...

Yes, it would have been nice to have some of this info earlier but if they are trying to wear someone down ... also the large reward to entice someone to give up a "friend" ...

Let's all hope this is over soon ...

 

[evelyn24]

I have People magazine and there's nothing new, just a couple of paragraphs summing up the events from the night she went missing.

 

[Cardinal47]

I am interested to know if the three basketball players that she was talking too include the two that were suspended. Also if the suspended basketball players have returned home or are still at classes and just not playing???

 

[Suthrnqt]

Let's all hope this is over soon ...

ITA...It's time for this to be over. I do believe that LE knows more than they are releasing, but that seems to be SOP these days.
For the life of me, I cannot understand the so called "friends" actions or lack thereof. Like they say, "with friends like these who needs enemies". And why on earth did MH go outside?? If she wanted to smoke, I thought there was a smoking area provided by the arena. And why didn't one of her "friends" bring the car keys to the arena door so she could have somewhere warm to wait??:banghead: As many sleuthers have already commented, my hinky meter is going off with this story.
As for the necklace, I wonder if LE has checked local pawn shops. Does anyone know if this has been done??

 

[Lindsaym]

OK, so on Facebook, somebody posted that this morning, on the local news (Harrisonburg), LE divulged that Morgan WAS seen getting into a car on the bridge. Has anybody heard/read any confirmation of this? Do you think this is the result of a new witness coming forward, or another piece of info that LE was withholding till now?

If they have a description of the car, I can't think of a single reason to withhold it. Facebook comment didn't mention anything about that, though.

 

[part time prof]

In the neighborhood Dr H lives in... I personally cannot see that happening either.

He lives in a residental area - not an area of mixed residental and business. I'm sure his neighborhood association wouldn't allow this.

What I've read is that Dr. H is a psychiatrist, no longer practicing but now in administration (don't know how long this has been true), and that the family left Charlottesville in 1999 (when MH was 10 or so).

However, there are reports that MH herself volunteered at a mental health agency (in Roanoke? Blacksburg?), at least in 2007, but it's not clear from what I've read what area of specialty if any, and recall it was with kids, not adults. My line of thinking is that a teen/young adult who was known to MH from that experience (esp. if autism, Aspergers?) could have met up with her "randomly" or by design, but admit it's a looong shot.

 

[part time prof]

I am interested to know if the three basketball players that she was talking too include the two that were suspended. Also if the suspended basketball players have returned home or are still at classes and just not playing???

I have been watching closely and haven't seen any confirmation that the two players who are not currently on the team were two of the three (is there official confirmation that there were indeed 3?)

The one suspended for 3 games for conduct unbecoming (essentially) is expected back as soon as he is available. Someone else asked about stats and context, and indeed, at 7' 0" he is a decent shot-blocker, and I think was considered a starter.

The one who is on indefinite leave to deal with personal matters was, I think, one of the keys to this year's team, as a senior with at least some pro potential. So it's got to be a big deal, especially with a first year, relatively unknown previously, head coach (who presumably wants to win now). Don't know if the player is on leave from school as well or just the team.

 

[evelyn24]

OK, so somebody on Facebook says that on a radio station today LE said that Morgan WAS seen getting into a car on the bridge. Has anybody heard/read any confirmation of this?

I don't know, there are too many stories and rumors. It's obvious witnesses are telling LE they saw her asking for a ride on the bridge and LE is trying to back up this information.
I'm not sure if the witnesses are the b'ball players or if they mentioned her getting into a vehicle.

Either way, I hope LE is looking very carefully at the last people who claim they saw her on the bridge, especially if it is the b'ball players.
It's one thing if the sightings are from people independent of one another, but if the information is coming from people who are friends there might be some CYA going on.
You know you get by with a little help from your friends.

 

[Lindsaym]

One more question I realized was puzzling me. LE put out a request asking anyone who lent their cellphone to a person matching Morgan's description to come forward.

My first thought: since they think she borrowed a phone, that means they must think she called someone. Assuming she called a friend, they should also know what number she was calling from -- either through 1) the "calls received" list on the friend's cell phone, or 2) through the records kept by the phone company.

Of course, this assumes that they know who she called.

My second thought: what if they think she called someone, but don't know who she called? How can that be? Surely any of her friends and acquaintances who got a call from her that night would have come forward to talk to LE as soon as it became clear that she was missing.

My third thought: okay, so they think she called someone -- someone who doesn't want to come forward.

My fourth thought: they think that phone call was placed to the person who picked her up from the bridge. Obviously that person is not going to come forward. So somewhere out there, some random stranger has the number of the perp in his "calls dialed" list. Thus, if they find the person who lent her the phone, they find the phone number -- and therefore the identity -- of the person who picked her up.

Could that be it? If so, why are they now releasing the info about hitchhiking?

This line of reasoning now has me back to where I was a week ago -- thinking that LE knows exactly who took her (because Morgan wouldn't call a stranger - it had to be someone in her circle of acquaintances), and is biding their time and trying to build the case.

Part of me feels a little uncomfortable with this post, like maybe I shouldn't be analyzing the possible motives of LE. If someone thinks it's in bad taste, let me know, and I'll gladly edit it.

 

[part time prof]

OK, so on Facebook, somebody posted that this morning, on the local news (Harrisonburg), LE divulged that Morgan WAS seen getting into a car on the bridge. Has anybody heard/read any confirmation of this? Do you think this is the result of a new witness coming forward, or another piece of info that LE was withholding till now?

If they have a description of the car, I can't think of a single reason to withhold it. Facebook comment didn't mention anything about that, though.

Thanks for this.

Okay, couple of things. If she got in a car while on the bridge, it either had to be with a car traveling north from Ivy Road on Copeley (back toward JPJ) or she would have had to cross Copeley to get to the side with no sidewalk. Anyone leaving Lannigan Field/R.V. lot (e.g., the athletes) would have to flip a U or go around the block to pick her up on the sidewalk side of the bridge.

Thinking more about how bb players ultimately could be innocent of foul play but still be in trouble with team and/or with personal issues:

1) one or more bb players actually does give her a ride somewhere and drops her off, then covers up and they cover for each other when MH is reported to have disappeared...one report that a search dog found a scent behind a bar/restaurant at the train station, though no trains ran until the next day (last was at 8:52 p.m.)

2) one or more bb players knew who picked her up and are covering for him/her

3) one or more bb players actually arranged the ride for her (on their cells), and are now covering (a long shot, imho)

4) one or more bb players found the purse but didn't turn it in right away or accurately describe where they found it

5) the players admit to partying or something else that they initially didn't reveal to LE as part of the MH encounter, and are in trouble with the team simply for lying to LE initially

6) none of the above, but 1st year coach freaks about LE questioning of bb players in the MH disappearance, suspending one and recommending leave of absence for another

All speculation and moo, of course, and important to note that the two inactive players have not been identified as being part of the MH timeline...could be completely unrelated (e.g., grades, insubordination, fighting in practice, partying, missing curfew...all of which a first year coach would also care about).

 

[JulieAnne]

This case is so troubling!

Here's what I can't get past:
1) If MY Dad bought tickets for ME and MY NINE friends to a SOLD OUT, much anticipated concert ... and I drove MY car... the odds of me leaving the concert and my car behind are ZIP - NADA.
2) The only one who could possibly know what Morgan said on that phone call would be one of the friends who stayed inside the concert.
3) No one can even be certain that Morgan actually made that call. The call came from that phone but we don't know that Morgan dialed that number.
4)Morgan was seen outside crying.
5)If Morgan had her phone, her mom and dad said it was very surprising that she would not have called them for a ride...
6) Why would she have called them for a ride when she had her own car?

Now the easy questions:
When I was 20, would I have worried about my safety on a cold, dark October evening in a large city I did not live in? Yes.
If I had my own car, would I have just gotten in it and locked the door? Yes.
Would I have left my purse and phone anywhere willingly? NO.
Would I have handed the keys of my own vehicle over to a gf when I had my purse with me? NO.
Do women that age ever get catty and turn on one another? Yes.

If I went to a concert with a friend that was locked outside, would I have assumed she would have just met up with someone none of us had ever heard of and hitched a ride in a different car when HER CAR WAS THERE and would I just GET IN HER CAR and LEAVE not knowing where she was? NOT IN A MILLION YEARS.

Something doesn't smell right.