Found Deceased VA - Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, Charlottesville, 17 Oct 2009 - #8

[Ghostmaster]

Hello to everyone. The post from Cindy S this evening had a link to an article that stated that the Harrington’s returned to C’ville today to drop off their daughters dental records. Huh?? I have shared with you guys that for a year or so I was a LEO in Virginia. The intricate details being released by LE have made me question the game plan of the various agencies involved but I’ve always been able to see a method to what they’re doing to reach the end objective. i.e. finding Ms. Harrington and it’s been all good. But now, they have thrown a curve into things that I can’t figure out. I thought I’d share it with you folks.

Having been both a LEO and a Paramedic involved in searches for those presumed dead, I can tell you that the first thing the agencies in charge do is request photographs and dental records. The very first thing. Back in the day when I did this sort of thing dental records were about as good as it got for a positive ID on a victim. Sometimes victims were so decomposed or the trauma so horrific that fingerprints weren’t much help. Now of course there is DNA, which is the best method of all for a positive ID.

I’m sorry to be so long here and I apologize if it sounds like I’m being egotistical but I point this out for a reason. The link Cindy S provided did indeed take you to the article saying that the parents took the dental records today. BUT here comes my, Huh?? mentioned above. Let me call your attention to the link below dated 22 October that was in The Roanoke Times newspaper and this statement from Mrs. Harrington;

Here’s the quote;

It has been, admittedly, a harrowing process, one they have endured even as they struggle to help investigators working to find their daughter. "Having to find DNA samples and dental records of your child -- it's not a path or ground you thought you'd have to walk," Gil Harrington said Tuesday in her home on Strathmore Lane. "There's no template for it."

And the link;

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/223391

What?? I would bet that the family got the DNA and dental records together and LE had them that very week. So why this statement from the parents today? I don’t know what to say except that I’m almost certain the LE agencies have had what the need in terms of DNA and dental records for quite some time. Like I said, I can’t for the life of me see the logic in this move on the part of LE and the Harrington’s. To quote a band I used to see quite often back in the day; “What a long strange trip it’s been”. Any of you have any ideas?

 

[MeoW333]

Hmmm..what if that "random drunk woman" had gone missing? we'd all be on here looking for her and think it was another "random woman" that must have kicked the guy!

sorry, couldn't resist

:blowkiss:

And ditto the rest of that post!

If a random drunk woman had gone missing from the same concert, for sure we would have heard about it by now.
It was probably just a random blond girl that looked like Morgan to someone.. =)

 

[Cardinal47]

I would have to agree with you that they would have had them a long time ago. Its been a month and LE is very used to these procedures..having what they need, not upsetting the family unless need be.
When I was reading the post about the dental records being delivered by the Harringtons my first thought was what? This world of ours moves soooo fast. I would think a quick call to Morgans dentist would have had those records flying to LE through superspace. Or at the very least, by currier. Then again I remembered this last year and all that has happened with confidentiality. I just wonder if the Harringtons had a hard time getting dental records of an adult child released to them? Just my thoughts.

 

[LogicalMinds]

It is really horrible when there is so little to "go" on...

it is like Morgan went into thin air

I still feel it is important to find out "why" she left the arena....what her state of mind was

I just have a "feel" that this was a crime of opportunity...or a crime that came out of a situation going bad....hitching a ride???

I hate to say it but I doubt if a "decoy" is going to achieve anything at all. This seems like a one time/random set of circumstance, a situation gone bad, a crime of opportunity...maybe a crime that "surprised" the perp himself???

and the hard part is that the very random/spur of the moment nature of a crime can make it one of the hardest for LE to solve
there is no "history" with the victim...no witness....no common links

Not much to go on at all.

 

[MeoW333]

Hello to everyone. The post from Cindy S this evening had a link to an article that stated that the Harrington’s returned to C’ville today to drop off their daughters dental records. Huh?? I have shared with you guys that for a year or so I was a LEO in Virginia. The intricate details being released by LE have made me question the game plan of the various agencies involved but I’ve always been able to see a method to what they’re doing to reach the end objective. i.e. finding Ms. Harrington and it’s been all good. But now, they have thrown a curve into things that I can’t figure out. I thought I’d share it with you folks.

Having been both a LEO and a Paramedic involved in searches for those presumed dead, I can tell you that the first thing the agencies in charge do is request photographs and dental records. The very first thing. Back in the day when I did this sort of thing dental records were about as good as it got for a positive ID on a victim. Sometimes victims were so decomposed or the trauma so horrific that fingerprints weren’t much help. Now of course there is DNA, which is the best method of all for a positive ID.

I’m sorry to be so long here and I apologize if it sounds like I’m being egotistical but I point this out for a reason. The link Cindy S provided did indeed take you to the article saying that the parents took the dental records today. BUT here comes my, Huh?? mentioned above. Let me call your attention to the link below dated 22 October that was in The Roanoke Times newspaper and this statement from Mrs. Harrington;

Here’s the quote;

It has been, admittedly, a harrowing process, one they have endured even as they struggle to help investigators working to find their daughter. "Having to find DNA samples and dental records of your child -- it's not a path or ground you thought you'd have to walk," Gil Harrington said Tuesday in her home on Strathmore Lane. "There's no template for it."

And the link;

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/223391

What?? I would bet that the family got the DNA and dental records together and LE had them that very week. So why this statement from the parents today? I don’t know what to say except that I’m almost certain the LE agencies have had what the need in terms of DNA and dental records for quite some time. Like I said, I can’t for the life of me see the logic in this move on the part of LE and the Harrington’s. To quote a band I used to see quite often back in the day; “What a long strange trip it’s been”. Any of you have any ideas?

Possibly maybe the timing of the release about the Harringtons' giving Morgan's dental records would be to scare a perp into thinking they have or are possibly about to find a body or certain DNA evidence that would evoke some type of specific action out of the perp.

 

[MeoW333]

I would have to agree with you that they would have had them a long time ago. Its been a month and LE is very used to these procedures..having what they need, not upsetting the family unless need be.
When I was reading the post about the dental records being delivered by the Harringtons my first thought was what? This world of ours moves soooo fast. I would think a quick call to Morgans dentist would have had those records flying to LE through superspace. Or at the very least, by currier. Then again I remembered this last year and all that has happened with confidentiality. I just wonder if the Harringtons had a hard time getting dental records of an adult child released to them? Just my thoughts.

I doubt they would have had any trouble getting the dental records under these circumstances. This case is high profile, her dentist most likely heard about it and was very obliging giving her records to LE.

 

[Cardinal47]

Below are the laws regarding dental records for another state. Cannot find VA. It looks like what I stated above. It all has to do with the new confidentiality laws.


44-2-401. Missing persons -- dental records. (1) Any person who reports a missing person to a police department, sheriff's office, or other law enforcement authority must be given a form, supplied by the department of justice, that authorizes the release of the dental records of the missing person. The form must state that if the person is still missing 30 days after the report was made, the form may be signed by a relative of the missing person and taken to the dentist of the missing person, who shall release the dental records or copies of the records to the relative. The records must be submitted by the relative within the next 10 days to the law enforcement authority to which the missing person report was made

 

[LogicalMinds]

I would have to agree with you that they would have had them a long time ago. Its been a month and LE is very used to these procedures..having what they need, not upsetting the family unless need be.
When I was reading the post about the dental records being delivered by the Harringtons my first thought was what? This world of ours moves soooo fast. I would think a quick call to Morgans dentist would have had those records flying to LE through superspace. Or at the very least, by currier. Then again I remembered this last year and all that has happened with confidentiality. I just wonder if the Harringtons had a hard time getting dental records of an adult child released to them? Just my thoughts.

With the "Hippa" paitent privacy laws out there....who knows??
My guess is that they have established some sort of emergency power of attorney / or "acting in her interests" type of order ???

How sad and how hard for these poor parents

 

[LogicalMinds]

Thanks for that info Honeybun

maybe they are just getting the records since the 30 day mark has passed??

 

[MeoW333]

It is really horrible when there is so little to "go" on...

it is like Morgan went into thin air

I still feel it is important to find out "why" she left the arena....what her state of mind was

I just have a "feel" that this was a crime of opportunity...or a crime that came out of a situation going bad....hitching a ride???

I hate to say it but I doubt if a "decoy" is going to achieve anything at all. This seems like a one time/random set of circumstance, a situation gone bad, a crime of opportunity...maybe a crime that "surprised" the perp himself???

and the hard part is that the very random/spur of the moment nature of a crime can make it one of the hardest for LE to solve
there is no "history" with the victim...no witness....no common links

Not much to go on at all.

Her friends who were there with her need to talk to LE about everything if they haven't already.
The concert should have been ending around 9:20-9:30 and during that time Morgan was last seen around the Copeley Rd bridge area.

Why wouldn't she just head back to her car and meet up with the others?
There has to be a reason she didn't just head back to the arena or at least to where her car was parked.
I am really thinking that there is a lot more than meets the eye with these "friends" of hers. Possibly they were fighting. Still, it's Morgan's car and she's entitled to it, not them.

In the first press conference, LE stressed that Morgan's friends should get involved in the case, yet how involved are they really?
If Morgan and her friends were having a spat, would it hurt the investigation to release that info? I don't think it would..

 

[arielilane]

It's pretty much been exactly 30 days since Morgan has gone missing.

 

[MeoW333]

It is really horrible when there is so little to "go" on...

it is like Morgan went into thin air

I still feel it is important to find out "why" she left the arena....what her state of mind was

I just have a "feel" that this was a crime of opportunity...or a crime that came out of a situation going bad....hitching a ride???

I hate to say it but I doubt if a "decoy" is going to achieve anything at all. This seems like a one time/random set of circumstance, a situation gone bad, a crime of opportunity...maybe a crime that "surprised" the perp himself???

and the hard part is that the very random/spur of the moment nature of a crime can make it one of the hardest for LE to solve
there is no "history" with the victim...no witness....no common links

Not much to go on at all.

Actually, depending on who the perp is, it might not be a bad idea to put a decoy female agent out there.
If he's done this before, most likely he'll do it again.
If it was his first time and he liked it, he may have poor impulse control.
Also, it doesn't hurt to try.
They say "you can never return to the scene of a perfect crime" however there are a lot of stupid perps out there.

If it is an isolated incident by the perp, then it will do no good, however a decoy may find other bad types out there as well..

 

[wanttohelp]

Her friends who were there with her need to talk to LE about everything if they haven't already.
The concert should have been ending around 9:20-9:30 and during that time Morgan was last seen around the Copeley Rd bridge area.

Why wouldn't she just head back to her car and meet up with the others?
There has to be a reason she didn't just head back to the arena or at least to where her car was parked.
I am really thinking that there is a lot more than meets the eye with these "friends" of hers. Possibly they were fighting. Still, it's Morgan's car and she's entitled to it, not them.

In the first press conference, LE stressed that Morgan's friends should get involved in the case, yet how involved are they really?
If Morgan and her friends were having a spat, would it hurt the investigation to release that info? I don't think it would..

what makes u think that? metallica apearantly went on at 9pm sharp. im sure they played longer than that.

 

[Janeumayer]

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

Sorry Hoppyfrog. First time I post an article. Whats the rule on that? Thanks.

 

[weetziebat]

Her friends who were there with her need to talk to LE about everything if they haven't already.
The concert should have been ending around 9:20-9:30 and during that time Morgan was last seen around the Copeley Rd bridge area.

Why wouldn't she just head back to her car and meet up with the others?
There has to be a reason she didn't just head back to the arena or at least to where her car was parked.
I am really thinking that there is a lot more than meets the eye with these "friends" of hers. Possibly they were fighting. Still, it's Morgan's car and she's entitled to it, not them.

In the first press conference, LE stressed that Morgan's friends should get involved in the case, yet how involved are they really?
If Morgan and her friends were having a spat, would it hurt the investigation to release that info? I don't think it would..

Thought I'd read that Metallica did not begin till after 9, and the concert ended ~11:30, then it would have taken a bit for folks to get out of the arena. I can see not wanting to wander around the parking lot for 3 hours. Just out of curiousity, would any of the local restaurants still be open that late?

 

[Ghostmaster]

The info below is from the Delta Dental website located in Virginia. Looks like it is pretty much standard across the nation as they are quoting Federal Regulations.

Legal proceedings and similar processes: We may disclose protected health information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, garnishment, or other lawful proceeding under certain circumstances required by law. We may disclose protected health information to law enforcement officers in response to lawful processes like court orders, warrants, orders, and grand jury subpoenas.

Law enforcement: We may disclose limited protected health information to law enforcement officers about a suspect, fugitive, material witness, crime victim, or missing person. We may disclose protected health information about an inmate or other person in custody to a law enforcement officer or correctional officer under circumstances required by law. We may disclose protected health information when necessary to assist law enforcement officers to capture an individual who has admitted to participation in a crime or has escaped from custody.

Website;
http://www.deltadentalva.com/FederalNoticeOfPrivacyPractices.aspx

 

[future criminologist]

In the video starting at 13:15 minutes into the video:
"Finally in conclusion, i really urge her friends who know her probably better than anyone beyond her parents. You know her habits, you know her friends, take an interest in this case don't let it lay down and go away from your perspective; the police won't. But the information we recieve is about as good as we get when conducting investigations."

am I the only one who read this and thought, WOW that is sad - it implies that her friends have lost interest in her case. what does it say about them that LE has to beg them to stay involved and care about their friend's wellbeing? she's MISSING. I really hope my friends don't forget me after I've been missing for 30 days. Poor Morgan :-(

 

[hoppyfrog]

Sorry Hoppyfrog. First time I post an article. Whats the rule on that? Thanks.

The guideline is to quote only about 10% of an article and provide the link. It's in the TOS.

Thanks for asking!

Hoppy

 

[future criminologist]

ok, respectively snipped from the Roanoke article:

"She always spoke to her dad, every day, and she would never be without her cellphone," said John Reburn, owner of Roanoke Valley Printworks in downtown Roanoke, where Morgan Harrington worked her summer after high school. "I called her my L.A. girl -- super, super out-there friendly. She was a hard worker who still managed to look like a million bucks. She always looked incredible."

not to jump to any conclusions or make any judgments on this guy, but does this strike anyone else as an odd way to describe a missing coworker? I don't know - it kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

 

[SweetVABreeze]

ok, respectively snipped from the Roanoke article:



not to jump to any conclusions or make any judgments on this guy, but does this strike anyone else as an odd way to describe a missing coworker? I don't know - it kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

It may seem odd but his comments kind of fit his personality. He worked in L.A. for a long time before coming to Roanoke and also worked with celebrity-types and theatre. He's probably more focused on looks and things like that than the average person . . . thus making the comments he did. JMO.