Found Deceased VA - Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, Charlottesville, 17 Oct 2009 - #9

[debirlfan]

The simplest explanation for the behavior of her friends that night is that they, too, were under the influence. Not only might that have skewed their judgment, but it would have increased their reluctance to call police or even Morgan's family - assuming that they had no real proof that anything was wrong (Morgan COULD have been safe at a friend's house) - had they called police, been arrested for underage drinking (or drugs), and later found out she was fine, they would have felt like fools. This would be especially true if, as has been rumored, she had something of a habit of abandoning her friends.

 

[part time prof]

Sorry, but I read through quite a lot of articles, and neither Geller nor any other credible party made such a statement as fact.

“She was wearing it that night,” Geller said. “She dropped her purse and her cell phone, so maybe she might have dropped her necklace also.”

http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/14690/new-details-released-in-harrington-investigation

Dan and Gil say they remain mystified by what could have happened to their daughter and by descriptions of her behavior, which reportedly included falling and injuring her face, kicking someone outside the Arena, and— in a new detail that Geller now confirms— repeatedly dropping her purse.

http://www.readthehook.com/blog/ind...he-harringtons-face-christmas-without-morgan/

 

[Mountain Mama]

The following site: http://www.johndouglasmindhunter.com features the writings of a former FBI criminal profiler. He interviewed many of the worst serial killers our country has known. I find what he had to say to be very interesting, even though it was not directly related to Morgan's disappearance. He says that serial killing is on the rise, that there are usually at least 100 SKs in America at any given time, and that they usually start their "career" in their mid 20s to mid 30s. The more complexly orchestrated crimes tend to be committed by seasoned, older killers who have had time to learn from their mistakes.

As I've said before this sure reaks of being pre-meditated. The fact of how little investigators have to go on. The isolated location. This perp knew what they were doing.

We've got a girl missing in Chesapeake Va, we've got Cassandra Morton found dead outside Lynchburg, Va. We've got unsolved murders of 5 different couples (Colonial Parkway murders (8) and Shenandoah National Park (2). There even seems to be a commonality of throat-slashing in some of these...

According to the profiler John Douglas, in general the younger the victim the older the perp. In general these SKs tend to kill others of their own ethnicity. IMHO there is a very good possiblity that as Logical Minds says it was an opportunistic situation.

 

[winterrose]

People on here are discussing that the BB players should have called LE if they thought she was too intoxicated, maybe Morgan wasn't drunk, and was acting sober.
If someone is sloshed wasted piss drunk then it's noticeable, staggering around etc.
She may not even have been drunk at all/
Not to mention the responsibility of Morgan should have been shared by her friends if they are truly friends. They messed that up that night. So instead of "protecting" her they left her alone outside to whatever harm did come.

This is true,but from reading in between the lines on comments of her parents,she's been acting like a teenager,not as an adult until this summer.Her friends obviously knew her behavior and maybe it wasn't unlike her to do things like this before.One friend said how over friendly she was and if she was drinking or doing drugs,kicking at people and having an attitude,they just let her do what she wanted.They were going to have a good time.You can't make people do what you want,if thier personality is to do thier own thing.

If this is the case,why should they have left a concert they had looked forward to going to also,having a good time and leave to be with her outside?I think she was doing drugs or drinking from the get go and why they were driving her car,had the keys and her ticket,so she didn't lose anything.Maybe her nature was when she made up her mind to do something,she went her own way and with years of friendship,they had been down that road before and maybe were tired of it.Just spectulating,but some things in that scenario seem very possible.In hindsight,ofcourse,they're probably upset at thier decision,but when you're in a situation,how could you know the outcome?

 

[kikid]

Nonetheless, at least three young adult athletes should have had both the street smarts & common sense to call Campus Security if MH were obviously incapacitated. Likely, they didn't think that she was in an extreme state of intoxication.

I don't know what college everyone else went to, but my personal experience is that stumbling drunk on a weekend night on campus is about par for the course.

 

[evelyn24]

“She was wearing it that night,” Geller said. “She dropped her purse and her cell phone, so maybe she might have dropped her necklace also.”

http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/14690/new-details-released-in-harrington-investigation

Dan and Gil say they remain mystified by what could have happened to their daughter and by descriptions of her behavior, which reportedly included falling and injuring her face, kicking someone outside the Arena, and— in a new detail that Geller now confirms— repeatedly dropping her purse.

http://www.readthehook.com/blog/ind...he-harringtons-face-christmas-without-morgan/

Sorry imo that quote from Geller doesn't confirm it.
He said she dropped her pocketbook and cell phone so she could have dropped her necklace as well, as if he's referring to the one time she dropped them (pocketbook and cell) in the little field area where they were found. I still don't see where Geller confirmed it was repeatedly dropped.
Maybe I'm just dense. lol Trust me, that's a possibility.

 

[part time prof]

Sorry imo that quote from Geller doesn't confirm it.
He said she dropped her pocketbook and cell phone so she could have dropped her necklace as well, as if he's referring to the one time she dropped them (pocketbook and cell) in the little field area where they were found. I still don't see where Geller confirmed it was repeatedly dropped.
Maybe I'm just dense. lol Trust me, that's a possibility.

See the quote below the one you referenced from the 2nd link in my post. I can only quote your message here, but the Hook says "now confirmed by Geller" about multiple purse drops. I guess I believe that.

 

[LogicalMinds]

Walker...I was ASKING for info about the church, I did NOT state it was responsible for this or anything....I asked for INFO on it

regarding the idea that all are "good"?? Maybe that made Morgan more trusting

IF you read my posts, I personally don't think that her clothes had anything to do with her being gone....

the very lack of clues etc leads ME to think that she met up with the "wrong guy" that night...JMO

as for the idea that most murders are done by people who have relationships...I do agree...which is why in any case of a missing wife/lover etc one looks to the spouse/lover/ex etc....or in the case of a child look to family/friends/neighbors..

however...there seems to be a "gap" in that...in regards to young people...teen to college to under 30...where stranger "danger" is more relevant

there just doesn't seem to be an "intense" relationship in Morgan's life that would result in this....no stalker, no huge breakup/jealous ex etc....

I personally don't feel that spats among friends would result in this...

I think that this is like other sad stories where a young woman is vulnerable...leaves with a guy from a bar or a party....or accepts a ride from some guy when her car breaks down or she is "stranded" or whatever....I "feel" that in Morgan's case the "stranger" may have been a fellow college student, or a "friend of a friend" ..or someone she had "seen" at the library or coffee shop....someone she might feel was "ok" in that optomistic friendly way college kids have, very trusting

maybe "he" is not an established serial killer....this may be his "first">> this may have been a case of rape and then he killed her to silence her...??

I just don't "see" that anyone "hated" Morgan enough to target her and kill her JMO

 

[gaia227]

Morgan was mentioned on AMW last night in connection to the disappearences and murders of several girls around the country, three of their bodies found dumped along interstates leading some investigators to believe there may be a trucker out there who is also a serial killer. They said on AMW Morgan was last seen hitch-hiking which is why they are looking at the possibility she was picked up by a trucker. If there really is a serial killer trucker it will be incrediably difficult to catch him given how mobile they are.

 

[part time prof]

respectfully snipped throughout, responses in red.

regarding the idea that all are "good"?? Maybe that made Morgan more trusting Unity seems pretty normal to me here in Charlottesville, but members do definitely believe in the law of attraction.

the very lack of clues etc leads ME to think that she met up with the "wrong guy" that night...JMO

there just doesn't seem to be an "intense" relationship in Morgan's life that would result in this....no stalker, no huge breakup/jealous ex etc....that we know of

I personally don't feel that spats among friends would result in this...

I think that this is like other sad stories where a young woman is vulnerable...leaves with a guy from a bar or a party....or accepts a ride from some guy when her car breaks down or she is "stranded" or whatever....I "feel" that in Morgan's case the "stranger" may have been a fellow college student, or a "friend of a friend" ..or someone she had "seen" at the library or coffee shop....someone she might feel was "ok" in that optomistic friendly way college kids have, very trusting

This did happen at a college that she wasn't attending, so that narrows the people she would know or casually would have seen locally...they moved away when she was ten, though her brother attended UVa...Harrisonburg (JMU) is 1:15 away, Blacksburgh (VaTech) and Roanoke (parents' home) more like 2:00 plus
maybe "he" is not an established serial killer....this may be his "first">> this may have been a case of rape and then he killed her to silence her...??

I just don't "see" that anyone "hated" Morgan enough to target her and kill her JMO

I inserted my comments above in red. Known or random is the question for me, as I'm pretty sure she didn't run off. Charlottesville is smallish, about 150,000 when you include the city and county, and there are a number of RSO's in the area, one of whom works at the UVa hospital. When you add in that there are many more in Nelson County, Orange County, Madison County, who work in Charlottesville (only an hour away at most) the possibilities increase. But an RSO would have had to either happen by when MH was hitchhiking (9:30 on UVa grounds on a 40 degree rainy night) or have been intentionally prowling (because of the concert?).

A first-timer who she kind of knew makes sense, especially if something accidental happened. One she didn't know would present too many scenarios to fathom, unless he/she slips or evidence surfaces. Sad.

 

[burbqueen]

I don't know what college everyone else went to, but my personal experience is that stumbling drunk on a weekend night on campus is about par for the course.

OMG that is the truest thing ever uttered here. I think a lot of posters are really forgetting or never experienced college life or even being that young.

At Morgan's age I was reckless and so where my friends. We would get rides from people at least twice a month. I'm 33, This was like from 15-25yrs old. Kids are niave and too trusting even these days. Most guys see a cute drunk girl around a campus and think nothing of it. Even if it was something out of the usual most people don't care that much! Sorry to be blunt, but we all know thats the truth.

How many stores out there exist of people beat up, robbed, etc with plenty of witnesses? People tend to be a bit guarded and apathetic. We may do something cause we are websleuthers and follow cases like this, but the average Joe just doesnt want to get involved. It's just a sign of the times. Especially regarding young people. They are too busy doing their own thing. Before I got into true crime I can tell you for a fact that I wasn't that aware of my surroundings nor did I care if something happened to someone I didnt know.

I also dont feel how Morgans religion played into it. No one, would be that careless based on religious beliefs. At of all the cases I've read, that would be a first. Once again the Unity church's beliefs are really not that different than most non mainstream christian sects.

IMO Morgan was a pretty girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. I dont believe an ex killed her or even her friends. No relationship has come to light as of yet. Except the guy she texted, who is a bit suspicious IMO. Woman have been abducted for years and murdered all the time. I dont see how Morgan's case should be any different. What makes her case different? IMO nothing. Just cause she was at a concert doesnt make anyone more safer. She was in a dark area and some guy chatted her up and probably offered to giver her a ride and Morgan's fate was sealed.

Her friends are just douche bags IMO and thats it. I know kids like them. They hang out, they party together, do things together, but its all social or cause they all have mutual friends. No real friendly bonds or anything. You can know someone for years and years and not really be that close of a friend. Like a social clique.

Regardless if they were doing drugs or what. If they werent any part of Morgans death then their behavior is just plain old selfishness of youth and want to move on.

 

[LogicalMinds]

I inserted my comments above in red. Known or random is the question for me, as I'm pretty sure she didn't run off. Charlottesville is smallish, about 150,000 when you include the city and county, and there are a number of RSO's in the area, one of whom works at the UVa hospital. When you add in that there are many more in Nelson County, Orange County, Madison County, who work in Charlottesville (only an hour away at most) the possibilities increase. But an RSO would have had to either happen by when MH was hitchhiking (9:30 on UVa grounds on a 40 degree rainy night) or have been intentionally prowling (because of the concert?).

A first-timer who she kind of knew makes sense, especially if something accidental happened. One she didn't know would present too many scenarios to fathom, unless he/she slips or evidence surfaces. Sad.

In regards to the idea that there was some stalker/ex/or dangerous boyfriend...I do feel certain that would have come up by now...JMO
Morgan seems to have been somewhat "young"...I don't know that she had such a "heavy" relationship (ie, no signs that she was ever engaged or lived with a guy right??)


Yes...good point about the "RSO's"....might be too much of a co-incidence that one would just be driving there and able to "snatch" Morgan

I think a "first timer"...or "first time it went this far" is much more likely

There are "date rapes" or whatever you want to call them....like maybe this "guy" has pushed women before but never been caught, never went this far, maybe women were afraid or ashamed to report him...so there may be no official MO on him..???

A lot of times we see where young people...often college age...people are so trusting...a cute guy who is a "friend of a friend"...or "I went to school with your brother"...or maybe went to her former school....or he is "on the newspaper" or works at the coffee shop or whatever...I just see a scenario like that....where he tries to take advantage of her and it ends up...horrible

Would Morgan just randomly accept a ride from an older guy, a trucker, or?? would they have had the time/ability to "force" her into their vehicle?
maybe..

but I "feel" that a cute guy..with a university sticker on his car...and a sweatshirt with the college logo...someone she might have seen before etc...yeah she would get in a vehicle with him
JMO of course

 

[LogicalMinds]

Burbqueen...well said I feel the very same way

I doubt if Morgan was drunk enough that anyone would "call" authorities...that would be so "uncool" right?

I "feel" that the simplest explanation is the most likely....she met up with the "wrong guy" as I have been stating here

 

[burbqueen]

Burbqueen...well said I feel the very same way

I doubt if Morgan was drunk enough that anyone would "call" authorities...that would be so "uncool" right?

I "feel" that the simplest explanation is the most likely....she met up with the "wrong guy" as I have been stating here

Exactly and no college kid is gonna call the police about a drunk chick cause 90% are underage and drinking too!! Also, yeah, no one wants to be a snitch.

Someone also said that Morgan acted like a teenager instead of an adult. She is 20! My nephew is 19 and him and his friends act the same way. Childish. They are not street smart or raised in the hood. They live in the suburbs. Where they are shielded from everything.

I was street smart at 20. I was living on my own, but I was the EXCEPTION to the rule. Most of my friends either lived at home or at a college dorm or a few in an apartment that mommy and daddy paid for.

I think some of you really need to ask your kids or neighbors that are around that age and see some of the reponses you get. I think most would be shocked at the carefree attitude young people have these days. Most want to party, have fun, drink, graduate and not much else. Jumping into cars with a friend of a friend of a friend is normal and spending the night over "some chick" or "some dudes" house happens frequently.

Also, college is a ripe area for budding rapist and killers. They gotta start somewhere. I've heard horror stories and almost witnessed a rape of a drunk girl. Peer pressure and raging hormones, plus a bit of a nutter all comes into play. Then there is the silence and shame of rape in college. Dont wanna leave school, get embarrased, have to change schools, getting drunk and feel it's your fault, telling your parents, etc. I'm convinced that this happens more than what is reported.

 

[MeoW333]

Exactly and no college kid is gonna call the police about a drunk chick cause 90% are underage and drinking too!! Also, yeah, no one wants to be a snitch.

Someone also said that Morgan acted like a teenager instead of an adult. She is 20! My nephew is 19 and him and his friends act the same way. Childish. They are not street smart or raised in the hood. They live in the suburbs. Where they are shielded from everything.

I was street smart at 20. I was living on my own, but I was the EXCEPTION to the rule. Most of my friends either lived at home or at a college dorm or a few in an apartment that mommy and daddy paid for.

I think some of you really need to ask your kids or neighbors that are around that age and see some of the reponses you get. I think most would be shocked at the carefree attitude young people have these days. Most want to party, have fun, drink, graduate and not much else. Jumping into cars with a friend of a friend of a friend is normal and spending the night over "some chick" or "some dudes" house happens frequently.

Also, college is a ripe area for budding rapist and killers. They gotta start somewhere. I've heard horror stories and almost witnessed a rape of a drunk girl. Peer pressure and raging hormones, plus a bit of a nutter all comes into play. Then there is the silence and shame of rape in college. Dont wanna leave school, get embarrased, have to change schools, getting drunk and feel it's your fault, telling your parents, etc. I'm convinced that this happens more than what is reported.

I hear what your saying and we did the same type of carp in our youth and during college, getting drunk, messed up etc, yet we had eachothers backs.

In Morgan's case it is finding that guy who she may have went off with. Who is he? Was she vaguely acquainted with him and met him outside the concert? Did she get in his car? What happened after that?

 

[burbqueen]

I hear what your saying and we did the same type of carp in our youth and during college, getting drunk, messed up etc, yet we had eachothers backs.

In Morgan's case it is finding that guy who she may have went off with. Who is he? Was she vaguely acquainted with him and met him outside the concert? Did she get in his car? What happened after that?

In my youth only a few really good friends had my back the other party buddies I had wouldnt bat an eyelash if I wanted to go home with some hot stranger. They would just tell me to call them when I got home the next morning. No buddy system with them either. If one of my drinking buddies wanted to stay at a bar and its 3 am and she's dressed in some smoking dress, I would tell her, "you go girl". Call her the next day to see what happened. It would never, ever cross my mind that she might come up missing. No way. Not one of my friends.

I feel in my heart that maybe Morgans body will show up one day. Possibly a few years from now, but still we won't know the truth. The sicko that did this to her is still out there and he might do it again, dont know. Its just sad.

 

[Cardinal47]

Nonetheless, at least three young adult athletes should have had both the street smarts & common sense to call Campus Security if MH were obviously incapacitated. Likely, they didn't think that she was in an extreme state of intoxication.

Maybe they didn't call because they chose to follow her???

 

[SleuthyMama]

In my youth only a few really good friends had my back the other party buddies I had wouldnt bat an eyelash if I wanted to go home with some hot stranger. They would just tell me to call them when I got home the next morning. No buddy system with them either. If one of my drinking buddies wanted to stay at a bar and its 3 am and she's dressed in some smoking dress, I would tell her, "you go girl". Call her the next day to see what happened. It would never, ever cross my mind that she might come up missing. No way. Not one of my friends.

I feel in my heart that maybe Morgans body will show up one day. Possibly a few years from now, but still we won't know the truth. The sicko that did this to her is still out there and he might do it again, dont know. Its just sad.

BBM-I completely agree. That was my college experience as well EXCEPT my closest friends and I always had a code word.

If one of us was talking to a guy that the others did not know one or more of the group would go up to the girl and use the code word in a sentence. If the girl answered yes, we would get her out of the situation. If she said no, then we would leave her be. This helped us get out of some tricky situations but thankfully never one that was life threatening.

But I'll also say that at that age we thought we were invincible. I did things I am ashamed to admit here because looking back they were stupid and I tempted the hands of fate more times than I care to remember.

My circle was just lucky that nothing really bad ever happened to any of us.

 

[Cardinal47]

When we think of "the friends group of nine" that leaves 8 after Morgan but only two were involved, with Morgan that night. Only two aren't talking. Sarah and Amy, Morgans roommate. Isn't Sarah the one who's father is LE.

The more you say the deeper the hole you dig. I think they are receiving counsel to not speak. Is that right..I think for them yes but for Morgan no.

MOO

 

[MeoW333]

In my youth only a few really good friends had my back the other party buddies I had wouldnt bat an eyelash if I wanted to go home with some hot stranger. They would just tell me to call them when I got home the next morning. No buddy system with them either. If one of my drinking buddies wanted to stay at a bar and its 3 am and she's dressed in some smoking dress, I would tell her, "you go girl". Call her the next day to see what happened. It would never, ever cross my mind that she might come up missing. No way. Not one of my friends.

I feel in my heart that maybe Morgans body will show up one day. Possibly a few years from now, but still we won't know the truth. The sicko that did this to her is still out there and he might do it again, dont know. Its just sad.

Those situations do arise, you have to have your own back.
It's the feeling of invincibility and the oh it won't happen to me mentality or something of youth i guess..

In Morgan's case it seemed she was really looking forward to going to the concert to see Metallica, what doesn't make sense is that she would exit the arena before they went on. Not knowing her personally makes it hard to figure out why she would.
If she tried to reenter several different times at different entrances, she obviously wanted to get back inside. As to why she went outside to begin with, it's anyone's guess. Was it by accident, was she going to meet a guy she met at the concert?

If she did meet a guy at the show, why not just hang out with him during the concert inside the arena instead of going outside to meet up with him outside? (supposing that was the scenario).

Why not stay with her friends to begin with? Unless it is as you say, they were just "party" friends, or had become just that over the years.

JPJ arena is huge, a bar is a lot smaller comparison. This is a huge arena that holds a ton of people, i couldn't imagine splitting from friends or them not using the buddy system to go to the bano. We always did at huge events like that. There's thousands of people milling around.
If it is as her father says, many different people's "mistakes" lead up to a lethal outcome (he didn't say exactly that, something to that effect).

Her friends messed up and didn't act like friends for whatever selfish reasons they have.

Whenever and whoever she met up with.. it's a mystery.

Did she meet up with someone around the same around she dropped her purse, it's contents spilled out on the ground?
It's hard to imagine she would drop that type of purse (small backpack style to be worn on back) and not notice she dropped it..
Would someone risk going back there and disposing of it? I'm sure if the area was vacant and it was late after the show, someone could pull it off with no one seeing them toss a purse out of a car..

This case is terribly baffling.