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

[part time prof]

I was just having a look at the path she seemed to travel. By the time she reached the place her purse was found she had traveled about 7 blocks. I believe she was not dressed for nighttime and wasn't the temp kind of low that night. If for some reason she became scared it looks like it was closer to cross over the bridge than to return to the JpJ. I was trying to place myself in her clothing, weather conditions and how far she had come. Plus hadn't she fallen inside and was probably not in the best of shape considering Fall, no reentry, no car keys, not dressed for the weather, cold night and it looks like out in the middle of nowhere. I have always been confused if she wore a jacket that night or just that Pantera shirt. Any ideas on any of this?

I don't think it's close to seven blocks of walking unless she took a very circuitous route, as from Lannigan Field/R.V. parking (where the interaction with the athletes occurred/concluded/? and her purse was found) you can clearly see JPJ Arena. I'm thinking it's about 1000 yards away from the main JPJ entrance, imoo.

Just checked on google maps, and it's .4 miles from JPJ Arena to the intersection of Copeley Road/Ivy Road less than 10 yards from the end of the Copeley Road Bridge, so while it wasn't nothing, I don't think it was seven blocks. Everything else you said, about confusion, cold, rain, darkness still makes sense.

 

[KAE]

I was just having a look at the path she seemed to travel. By the time she reached the place her purse was found she had traveled about 7 blocks. I believe she was not dressed for nighttime and wasn't the temp kind of low that night. If for some reason she became scared it looks like it was closer to cross over the bridge than to return to the JpJ. I was trying to place myself in her clothing, weather conditions and how far she had come. Plus hadn't she fallen inside and was probably not in the best of shape considering Fall, no reentry, no car keys, not dressed for the weather, cold night and it looks like out in the middle of nowhere. I have always been confused if she wore a jacket that night or just that Pantera shirt. Any ideas on any of this?

If she had a jacket I think it was left in the car. They chose a backpack type purse so she wouldn't have to leave it in her seat when dancing. I'm thinking she wouldn't want to leave a jacket there as well.

 

[Cardinal47]

I don't think it's close to seven blocks of walking unless she took a very circuitous route, as from Lannigan Field/R.V. parking (where the interaction with the athletes occurred/concluded/? and her purse was found) you can clearly see JPJ Arena. I'm thinking it's about 1000 yards away from the main JPJ entrance, imoo.

Just checked on google maps, and it's .4 miles from JPJ Arena to the intersection of Copeley Road/Ivy Road less than 10 yards from the end of the Copeley Road Bridge, so while it wasn't nothing, I don't think it was seven blocks. Everything else you said, about confusion, cold, rain, darkness still makes sense.

The way I came to that distance was if she started at 1 and went to 4 that was about four blocks. Then from 4-5 is another three or four blocks. At five you can look right over the tracks and see the lights of that little shopping center. All she had to do was cross over the bridge which looks like maybe 2 - 3 blocks from 5 to the shopping center. Closer than going all the way back to number 1.

This is just rough calculating.

 

[Cardinal47]

It is a bit farther over that bridge. I was counting to the shopping center but you had to go way over the bridge and then around. So it looks almost like she was in neverland. To far to go back and too far to go forward. Perhaps the bright lights of the shopping center gave her courage to head that way..

 

[Janeumayer]

From UVA basketball forum:

http://www.thesabre.com/message_board/basketball/2009/November/12/1142031.php

...I can confirm this much. I have an employee that was parked
outside the JPJ all evening waiting for passengers. He saw a girl that
matched the description of Morgan, down to what she was wearing. He
also saw her interact outside the arena with 3 "very tall" black men, and
saw them walking together towards U-Hall. They passed right in front of
his vehicle. My employee has spoken to the police 3 times since that
evening about what he saw. This certainly doesn't prove anything at all
relative to any UVA basketball players, but unfortunately it does give the
story some credibility. When my emplouee told me the story, my fisrt
thought was please,please,please, don't let any basketball players be
involved in this.

This rings to be true. Think about the most reasonable scenario. The purse was found at the RV lot. She was with what seems like three basketball players. Were there 3 men with her at the 3 am sighting? Did the lady say if they were african american? LE should be checking this lead.

 

[Janeumayer]

I wonder if the person MH was texting was her brother? Do we know where he was the nite of the concert? Was he in NYC? The reason Im wondering is maybe she asked him for a ride?

 

[Ghostmaster]

I am a long time follower of his forum and have been very impressed by the commitment and dedication of each of you that post here. In a not so small way, each of you serves as an example of all things good in this world. I grew up in a time when people didn’t go missing. When folks left their doors unlocked. When women were treated with the utmost respect and children were loved unconditionally. It was a time when truth, honor and character were the norm, not the exception. When people cared about their fellow human beings, much like all of you do which is so evident in your postings.

I'm a native of Virginia and graduated from a college not too far from UVA called Roanoke College. While in Virginia I was a paramedic for about eight years and a law enforcement officer for about a year before going into the “business world” and moving out of state. I don’t know any more than the rest of you guys about this case but I do know that Virginia Law Enforcement is very, very capable. There is no question in my mind that they aren’t working this case night and day. Even if things might seem different on the surface. I am a dad to a fourteen year old son. If he were missing I could think of no better scenario to expedite his being found than VLE looking for him and you folks posting and praying about it.

With all I’ve read about Ms. Harrington’s disappearance, the one thing I have not read is whether or not she wore glasses or contact lenses. The reason I ask is this; I do. My vision is terrible without one or the other. If she did wear contacts, like most folks she probably had contact wetting solution, a case and glasses with her in her purse if she was planning on staying overnight with friends and not returning home. You can’t keep contacts in but for so long and most of us rely on glasses when they are out. If she did wear contacts and the purse was found to have the solution and glasses in it, then I would think that she didn’t disappear on her own. No one runs away without taking their glasses. If you wear contacts and glasses, you know what I mean.
It’s been a while since I was in LE but I remember this very thing playing out in what at first we thought was a runaway but found out later than the young lady had been forced to leave with a violent boyfriend. If she had disappeared on her own, she would have taken her glasses/contact solution/case but they were left behind. The boyfriend took her clothes, credit cards, purse, etc. to make it look like she left. But not the glasses. That’s how we knew she had been taken. In that case everything ended well. I pray it will with this one too.

I probably won’t be much of a poster; I’m kind of the shy type but this is one thing I can’t find any info on. I will watch and wait to see if anyone has any info on my question. In almost every case, it is never the big things that break it open but instead the very small ones. Like the glasses. I am sorry to be so long winded.

Each of you keep up the excellent work. Remember, one life can indeed make a difference in this world.

 

[wanttohelp]

does anyone have a reference of where they parked? there are multiple lots, all of which seemed tohave required advanced purchase tickets. also i think her brother is like 2yrs older than her and recently graduated from uva. dont you think she probally went and visited him while he was there? that could mean she knows people in the area. but what please anyone about where they parked????

 

[wanttohelp]

also i wanted to give WES
:clap::clap::clap::clap:

that is the kind of sleuthing i like to see going on.
:detective::detective::detective::detective:

on finding info at the basketball forum

 

[evelyn24]

It is old info, but now it puts things in a little better perspective. Initially we heard she interacted with some people outside JPJ and then in the RV lot. Early on I thought it was other concert-goers or tailgaters who were outside the arena partying in the RV lot. For some reason, even after it was reported the RV lot had reserved parking for athletes, I was still under the impression it also had RV's that came to the concert. But apparently it was reserved totally for athletes and that the people she interacted with their wasn't "partiers" but rather basketball players. That would explain why the report said they ended up leaving, since they never were there for the concert.

And, I don't think the players had anything to do with it since it was reported they left and she was seen minutes later at the bridge. But it does clear up, for me at least, that there wasn't some partying concert goers in that lot in RV's.

Just because they left and she was spotted walking after they left in cars, doesn't mean they didn't wait for her across the bridge and offer her a ride or something.

Food for thought. I hope LE can find out who they are and question them and check their car(s).

 

[evelyn24]

Link to newspaper lady sighting:
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/n..._morgan_wont_take_anything_for_granted/48658/

“I was doing my papers at 3:45 in the morning [Oct. 18] and I was making a decision as to how I wanted to put the papers out,” Mrs. Parson recalled. “I noticed all of this noise going on to the right of me and I see this young lady, all in black with long blonde hair, and she was leaning against the wall with this tall boy with curly hair and two shorter boys nearby.”
It wasn’t the first time Mrs. Parson has seen a bunch of kids somewhat intoxicated and hanging out at too-dang-early on the Lawn. In fact, it’s a common occurrence, so she thought little about it.
“I turned to go up the steps to Pavilion V and I noticed as I put the papers in the mailbox that they were coming toward me,” Mrs. Parson recalled. “She was near me, not on the other side or in the middle, but she was next to me. I saw her face and I’m a painter and I draw faces when I can’t even see them, so I remember faces. It was hers.”

Her saying she can draw faces when she can't see them? I don't understand what she means by that..
There are a ton of blonde girls that look similiar to Morgan..

Unfortunately as of now LE has discounted this sighting.

 

[truthsleuth]

I am a long time follower of his forum and have been very impressed by the commitment and dedication of each of you that post here. In a not so small way, each of you serves as an example of all things good in this world. I grew up in a time when people didn’t go missing. When folks left their doors unlocked. When women were treated with the utmost respect and children were loved unconditionally. It was a time when truth, honor and character were the norm, not the exception. When people cared about their fellow human beings, much like all of you do which is so evident in your postings.

I'm a native of Virginia and graduated from a college not too far from UVA called Roanoke College. While in Virginia I was a paramedic for about eight years and a law enforcement officer for about a year before going into the “business world” and moving out of state. I don’t know any more than the rest of you guys about this case but I do know that Virginia Law Enforcement is very, very capable. There is no question in my mind that they aren’t working this case night and day. Even if things might seem different on the surface. I am a dad to a fourteen year old son. If he were missing I could think of no better scenario to expedite his being found than VLE looking for him and you folks posting and praying about it.

With all I’ve read about Ms. Harrington’s disappearance, the one thing I have not read is whether or not she wore glasses or contact lenses. The reason I ask is this; I do. My vision is terrible without one or the other. If she did wear contacts, like most folks she probably had contact wetting solution, a case and glasses with her in her purse if she was planning on staying overnight with friends and not returning home. You can’t keep contacts in but for so long and most of us rely on glasses when they are out. If she did wear contacts and the purse was found to have the solution and glasses in it, then I would think that she didn’t disappear on her own. No one runs away without taking their glasses. If you wear contacts and glasses, you know what I mean.
It’s been a while since I was in LE but I remember this very thing playing out in what at first we thought was a runaway but found out later than the young lady had been forced to leave with a violent boyfriend. If she had disappeared on her own, she would have taken her glasses/contact solution/case but they were left behind. The boyfriend took her clothes, credit cards, purse, etc. to make it look like she left. But not the glasses. That’s how we knew she had been taken. In that case everything ended well. I pray it will with this one too.

I probably won’t be much of a poster; I’m kind of the shy type but this is one thing I can’t find any info on. I will watch and wait to see if anyone has any info on my question. In almost every case, it is never the big things that break it open but instead the very small ones. Like the glasses. I am sorry to be so long winded.

Each of you keep up the excellent work. Remember, one life can indeed make a difference in this world.

Hi Ghost, and welcome to posting at Websleuths. Thank you for your input, and I hope in this setting you will feel comfortable enough to post at will. Shyness, out the window!

I believe you have a great deal you can contribute to this forum. I appreciate your comments regarding sunglasses/contacts/glasses as well as the account of the young woman with the violent boyfriend. I don't have answers for you, but I'm sure someone here will either bring the answers to you or point you in the right direction.

Don't forget; don't be shy--post! We almost never bite hard enough to leave scars! lol

 

[wanttohelp]

yes he graduated just last spring

"Upstairs, the Harringtons' other child, 22-year-old Alex, who graduated last spring from UVA and now lives and works in New York, is asleep in his only sibling's bed. He's trying– his mother explains– to feel his sister's presence."

 

[wanttohelp]

Unfortunately as of now LE has discounted this sighting.

thanks, do you have a link to this? that it has been discounted?

 

[evelyn24]

thanks, do you have a link to this? that it has been discounted?

There is a link to the presser LE gave about MH's movements outside the arena and the times she was spotted back on an earlier thread.
There is a map of her movements created and posted in this thread somewhere too. The times and sightings on that map stem from the LE presser.

LE held a press conference where they specifically laid out all sightings of MH outside the arena after interviewing witnesses and doing their own investigation, and the last sighting of MH, according to LE, was 9:20PM on the bridge.
They didn't come out and specifically say the sighting at 3am was discounted, but I think you get the hint they didn't really believe it by it's omission at the presser.

 

[evelyn24]

PS. In my initial post I did say "as of now" it appears they have discounted the 3AM sighting.

Of course that could change.

 

[MeoW333]

yes he graduated just last spring

"Upstairs, the Harringtons' other child, 22-year-old Alex, who graduated last spring from UVA and now lives and works in New York, is asleep in his only sibling's bed. He's trying– his mother explains– to feel his sister's presence."

It sounds like Alex may be trying to do his own "psychic" thing, intuition as well as possibly comforting himself in her bed over their loss. Our beds are supposed to some of the safest places..

 

[crystalgenie]

I haven't posted in here in awhile. I am sad to see that no more information has come out in Morgan's case. We are still rehashing the same info. I doubt she quit smoking. I'm sad to say I smoke and when I was Morgan's age I was forever telling my parents I had quit. (Wish I had...)

Now, about the 3 basketball players or men... If she was walking with the basketball players towards their dorm, I doubt she would have been seen walking later on the bridge. If she was going to get a ride from them she probably would have left from the dorm. I am also sure the LE talked to the basketball players...

Morgan's poor brother, escaped from Virginia. He has the "club kid" look in the magazine pic. He fled and anyone from the southeastern, bible belt, part of the country knows he fled. If you have an alternative lifestyle in the southeast and you are not living in Atlanta or one of the other major metropolitan cities it is awful. I have friends that have alternative lifestyles and they fled out of there. It doesn't matter if his parents were supportive... He is probably devastated that his sister didn't make it out of there. I doubt he wants to show his face on TV because of all the bigots that would do nothing but make fun of him. My friend and I have a sneaking suspicion that he had an awful time where he grew up and found freedom when he went to college and then he fled (just like my friend) It is not an area of the country where someone wants to be different.

Still no new info... Still the silent friends... Still no Morgan Harrington...

 

[part time prof]

respectfully snipped

Now, about the 3 basketball players or men... If she was walking with the basketball players towards their dorm, I doubt she would have been seen walking later on the bridge. If she was going to get a ride from them she probably would have left from the dorm. I am also sure the LE talked to the basketball players...

respectfully snipped

To me the biggest significance of all this is that MH was reportedly seen walking with the basketball players from UHall to the R.V. lot, rather than just meeting up with them after she meandered to the R.V. lot. alone. Not knowing where they live, but assuming they were parked there as displaced athletes, I think they were heading to their cars (LE says plural) and MH was going along for some reason, but if one of them lives in a nearby dorm or apartment complex, who knows?

From there, did she actually leave the Lannigan Field lot with one or more of them, as a passenger in one of their cars or walking, either forcibly or by choice? LE says there is no evidence of this, but based on whose statements?

If the sightings of her alone on both sides of the bridge are to be believed (at a minimum being from people other than the basketball players), then this doesn't seem likely unless both MH and one or more players came back to the lot after wherever she was going (bank, 7-11) or they didn't leave when we are told they did. That would perhaps better explain the purse being found there, at least.

Or they, or someone else, could have picked her up, forcibly or with the offer of a ride, on the other side of the bridge or elsewhere, though nobody is reporting seeing anything like that. I don't remember if the sightings on the bridge say she had her purse or not then, but if she did, then how the purse got back to the lot remains a mystery. If she had in fact dropped or forgotten her purse before heading over the bridge, then that would explain the purse being there as well.

If the sightings on the bridge aren't true, then all bets are off on what happened at the R.V. lot and who was involved.

Close-by student housing: There are apartments directly east of Copeley Bridge on the slope down toward Ivy Road, very popular with students. Across Ivy Road and east are others including the complex that is the International Students House (I'm getting the name slightly wrong, I know). Back in the direction of the arena (on Copeley Road) is university student housing for students with families (so mostly grad school). Away from the arena west on Massey Road are some other dorm-type places, but again, that's in the direction away from where MH was reported walking.

Suspended/on leave basketball players: There is not much information on why the two troubled players, who have not been confirmed as two of the three reported to have had the brief interaction with MH, are off the team. The team's announcement about the 7'0" sophomore came on 11/9, that he was suspended the first three games of the season (as well as the last closed scrimmage) for conduct unbecoming to the team, and the team stated on 11/11 that the senior forward is essentially on indefinite leave to deal with (unspecified) personal issues.

 

[Bobbisangel]

There is a link to the presser LE gave about MH's movements outside the arena and the times she was spotted back on an earlier thread.
There is a map of her movements created and posted in this thread somewhere too. The times and sightings on that map stem from the LE presser.

LE held a press conference where they specifically laid out all sightings of MH outside the arena after interviewing witnesses and doing their own investigation, and the last sighting of MH, according to LE, was 9:20PM on the bridge.
They didn't come out and specifically say the sighting at 3am was discounted, but I think you get the hint they didn't really believe it by it's omission at the presser.

The lady said that she had seen that particuliar bunch of kids before and so it couldn't have been the missing girl. That may be why LE discounted the story.