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

[Javabean]

picking up on that thought, I'd like to know a bit more about the guy she supposedly kicked - maybe she had reason to kick him and maybe it pissed him off a bunch. It was reported he called his girlfriend (or wife) telling her about this girl kicking him... so it must have really bothered him??? Just seems out of her character, unless she was drunk and maybe he put his hands on her and she pushed him away or kicked him away, and following this line of thought.. could be why she headed away from there rather than waiting right there in front of the arena.

I'd be interested in their conversation as well. To my knowledge, we haven't heard anything else from this man. From what we know of Morgan, I can't imagine her just kicking someone for no reason... it's odd to say the least.

 

[debirlfan]

Morgan texts a young man in a different city. Why not keep texting or calling her friends inside the concert, as she went there with them, they took her car, and they are the closest physically to her right then?

My guess would be that shortly after texting the out of town guy, she lost the battery out of the phone. Probably she dropped it, and found the cover but not the battery (in a dark area, maybe in grass, it would have been easy to lose. It's also possible the battery might have been accidentally kicked under a bush, or a car or whatever.) No more battery = no more calls.

 

[part time prof]

My guess would be that shortly after texting the out of town guy, she lost the battery out of the phone. Probably she dropped it, and found the cover but not the battery (in a dark area, maybe in grass, it would have been easy to lose. It's also possible the battery might have been accidentally kicked under a bush, or a car or whatever.) No more battery = no more calls.

I think we know the text(s?) were after 8:48, the time SS called MH, according to LE, and LE says they were to a male 60 miles away.

Obviously, MH still had a working cell phone when she was texting (though there's no word if she got a reply, that I have seen). Depending on when that was, there could have been up to 42 minutes from the time of the text to when she was last seen...not enough to come from Harrisonburg, certainly, but how does LE know he was 60 miles away? Pings?

And it may have been "hey can I crash at your place when I get back to JMU?" and she was really hitchhiking to get there.

 

[Walker]

MeoW333, you are reminding me of some thoughts I had earlier on.. that perhaps the perp was inside the show at first.

To me, the most baffling thing about this entire case is Morgan supposedly saying
"Don't worry about me, I'll find a ride home."

The best explanation is that there was tension between her and her friends. It could have contributed to the crying. I agree, SS appears smug in that video. And perhaps slightly enjoying her 15 minutes, if you watch it carefully she smiles a few times. Weird.

Just get the feeling that maybe she was searching for someone in particular. Maybe MH had plans to meet some guy for the event; she may have felt humiliated when he stood her up esp. in front of her "friends." She could have been in denial at first, making the excuse that he wasn't interested in the warm-up bands. But, later, just before Metallica came on, she may have been hoping that maybe he just didn't know where their seats were located. So she leaves to try to find him. Then, she thinks maybe he would be outside the arena ... She is familiar with UVa; so she knows the BB players are practicing that night. Maybe "he" knows some of the BB players. She goes & asks them if they have seen him. Could there be a dorm or student housing near the bridge where she thought that he might be?

BTW: We assume that LE showed at least three of the BB players many pictures of MH. With three men affirming that the woman whom they met that night met the description of MH seems unlikely that it was just a look-alike.

 

[LogicalMinds]

About the "fall">>> it seems to me that a fit 20 year old would throw their hands out and "break" the fall rather than falling flat on their face...UNLESS they were under the "influence" of booze/drugs JMO

I just don't think that we can "guess" that much as to who/how/why/where ..we just don't know..

I simply have the feeling that she did meetup with a guy she FELT would be ok, and sadly was not

the 20 year old gal in Chicago area thankfully has been found ok...they aren't saying much and I am sure her dad will be "mad" once but right how he is probably just OOOOHH so happy and grateful she is alive Katie is alive and well....sad to say it does not seem that likely we will have the same happy ending for Morgan

It reminds me again that these kids are just very trusting, very "open" to adventure and parties and even yes "hooking up"...especially when alcohol and/or drugs involved

 

[Shutterfly]

Maybe Morgan was taking pictures when she left the arena to go use the restroom? Perhaps she stumbled on something and smacked herself up on some object or smacked up her face with the camera when/if she stumbled? I've done it, and it hurts like a woo~hoo.

If I'd done that at Morgan's age, I wouldn't show my face in public. No way would I want people to see me with a smacked up face. And of course there would be tears initially, standing in line at the bathroom. If that had been me, no band in this world would have gotten me back in that arena with my face messed up. Back in my day, we wouldn't go to school if we had a pimple we couldn't cover with make-up and I know these girls haven't changed THAT much.

Just a thought on what basic set of circumstances could have led her outside instead of returning to the arena. Perhaps her make-up was in the car...or a band-aid? Maybe she forgot she didn't have the keys in all the confusion and excitement?

 

[Curious Me]

I fell down the arena stairs at a concert once. (I had these cool high heel boots on) You know how embarrassing it is to fall in front of a bunch of people. I popped myself back up on my feet faster than the speed of light. My friends barely noticed, but I remember hiding the initial pain and acting fine, but ow it hurt.

If Morgan had a bruise from falling, you would think Security and Mgmt would assist her in either getting back into the arena or having someone bring her car keys to her...but she wasn't acting right...maybe she knew she was in no condition to drive because she was tripping on something, or what? She sounded aggressive with the man who reported a kicking incident. She was able to text though, and a short while later after the BB players see her, she just disappears on the bridge. There's so much missing information to this case.

 

[Mountain Mama]

Walker, I agree, if a young woman is going to make a statement such as "I'll try and find a ride.." the chances are very high that she had a specific person in mind.

 

[racingwild]

Has anyone heard anything more?

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/northampton-body-found

Officials seek to identify body found

Updated: Wednesday, 23 Dec 2009, 1:59 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 23 Dec 2009, 1:59 PM EST

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, Va. - The body of an unidentified white female was found washed up on a beach on the Eastern Shore Wednesday at around 4 p.m., according to the Northampton County Sheriff's Office.
The body was discovered near the mouth of Westerhouse Creek in Northampton County. Officials say fish fighting chair was discovered in the water near where the body was found.
Anyone who may be able to help identify the female is asked to call the Northampton County Sheriff's Office at (757)678-0458.
Stay with WAVY.com and WAVY News 10 for more on this developing story.

 

[jegoslee]

This article states that the body appears to be that of a woman over the age of 40: http://www.wvec.com/news/local/Womans-body-found-on-Chesapeake-Bay-shoreline-79999752.html

Based on that, it doesn't sound like they've found Morgan.

 

[Curious Me]

What is a fish fighting chair? Please, somebody clue me in.

The article does specifically say the woman found looks to be about 40 yrs old with pierced ears. I don't think it's Morgan either.

 

[jegoslee]

A fighting chair is a chair which is designed to provide support to an angler while he or she lands a large fish. Read here for more information: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-fighting-chair.htm

 

[Cardinal47]

Lynchburg is 60 miles away, Richmond is 70, Blacksburg (Va Tech), and Roanoke (parents' home) are farther than that.

Harrisonburg (JMU) is 54.7 or 61.5 miles away by car, depending on route, but only about 38 as the crow flies.

Up 29 North, Culpeper is 45 miles, Warrenton 70, with nothing much in between. Toward Richmond, Short Pump is just about 60 miles. Straight west 60 miles would put you almost into West Virginia, or west on 64 would be the part where it overlaps with south 81, and would still be a ways from Roanoke and Blacksburg.

So Lynchburg or Harrisonburg seem most likely. I recall somewhere a question of whether MH attended JMU for her first two years of college?

Regardless, someone at JMU whom MH either knew previously or met that day (in the time between 3:30 arrival in/call from Harrisonburg and 4:45-5:00 or so departure to arrive in Charlottesville by 6:00?) seems more likely to me than someone in Lynchburg, but you never know.

Also, what did they do in the time between arriving in Charlottesville and getting to JPJ (presumably later than 6:00)? Did boyfriend attend the show, or did they drop him somewhere first (thus the witness's report not mentioning a male upon MH's arrival). And if bf was the designated driver, why did one of the friends have the keys? Still so much unknown...

It was me that questioned if she had attended JMU her first two years of college and transferred to Virginia Tech this junior year. You know I have asked many times but have never received verification of that. I know I read it somewhere and have spent a lot of time trying to find the article or something showing she did or did not.

 

[Cardinal47]

As reformed Forensic Files addict, I can not tell you how many times a case was solved after reevaluating a person's alibi.

I am curious as to whose alibi you would reevaluate?

 

[part time prof]

I am curious as to whose alibi you would reevaluate?

All of 'em (sorry, couldn't resist).

And I know you weren't asking me, but seriously, in no particular order, guy who she was texting with, bb players, 4 guys she walked with in parking lot, guy she supposedly kicked at, people who have posted weird things on FB, any RSO's in the area, anyone who has taken too much interest in the case (WS community excepted, of course), and her friends, family, and any known acquaintances in Charlottesville, residentially or in the vicinity on Oct. 17th.

 

[Walker]

DH confirmed that one guy traveled with MH, SS & AM to Charlottesville. Usually a guy escorting a group of girls (esp. his GF's bffs) would have at least a small sense of responsibility for their safety; why didn't this guy make an effort to find out what happened to MH?

Perhaps, as earlier speculation had it, he separated from the girls to attend some other event, and perhaps borrowed MH's car?

Also, there has been speculation that the girls were conflict as a result of cattiness & jealousy; but who knows? Maybe quite the contrary; maybe the other girls were warning MH not to trust someone that night.

 

[part time prof]

DH confirmed that one guy traveled with MH, SS & AM to Charlottesville. Usually a guy escorting a group of girls (esp. his GF's bffs) would have at least a small sense of responsibility for their safety; why didn't this guy make an effort to find out what happened to MH?

Perhaps, as earlier speculation had it, he separated from the girls to attend some other event, and perhaps borrowed MH's car?

Also, there has been speculation that the girls were conflict as a result of cattiness & jealousy; but who knows? Maybe quite the contrary; maybe the other girls were warning MH not to trust someone that night.

Good questions about the guy. The word is he drove and they got to Charlottesville about 6:00 (about an hour and a half before the first opening act?).

The witness who reports MH arriving doesn't mention a guy, nor is it mentioned that the bf attended the concert. But the witness does say a car pulled up with MH in it, so presumably they dropped/left bf somewhere beforehand. But if this is wrong, and bf dropped them at the concert (keeping the keys), then that would certainly absolve SS and other friends of not returning MH's keys (as they didn't have them).

And if he didn't attend the concert, did he drive back to Harrisonburg with them that night? Did he get back to JPJ by the time the show ended, or did they meet up with him somewhere?

 

[wadahoot]

All of 'em (sorry, couldn't resist).
, 4 guys she walked with in parking lot,

For my sanity, please tell me if these are the same young men that the newspaper delivery lady saw "Morgan" with on campus late at night?

And there's also the Grandma that was picking up her son and grandson after the concert that felt she saw MH with a (possibly) Latino man.

 

[Spacemonkey1975]

I finally figured out what a RSO is! In my world it is a radiation safety officer, oh these discussions make much more sense now.

 

[rossva]

As far as I know it hasn't been determined if Morgan said "Don't worry about me, I'll find a ride HOME." OR "Don't worry about me, I'll find a ride." I think there is a big difference between the two.

To me, the most baffling thing about this entire case is Morgan supposedly saying
"Don't worry about me, I'll find a ride home."