Found Deceased VA - Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, Charlottesville, 17 Oct 2009 - #10

[Walker]

part time prof
Registered User

Snipped by me…

Since Metallica was playing when MH was last seen, it would have had to be a concert-goer who left early (perhaps following her out and stalking her), or it would have had to happen awhile after the official time line ends with MH hitchhiking on the bridge.

Part time prof; Metallica was not playing when she was last seen. It has been confirmed that MH left the arena prior to the band taking the stage.

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache...ore+metallica+played&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

MH was supposedly seen on the bridge hitching a ride at 9:30 pm. Metallica would have been on stage at that point.

 

[LLLindsayy]

Not sure how much this is being discussed anymore, but I mentioned I'd ask my friends at UVA about the usage of their tunnels. Here is what I got:

"well, they're frequented illegally. it's one of the UVA traditions to go steam-tunneling."

 

[MeoW333]

The perp seems to have had one thing on his mind which was Morgan, so IMO it wouldn't matter who was on stage if his target was Morgan.
There are a lot of surrounding colleges around the area, i'm sure many kids went to the concert as something to do, aside from the ones that are fans of any of the 3 bands that played.
A big event like that would bring in a lot of people from the surrounding areas.
Morgan posted about the Metallica concert online prior to it, if she had a stalker or someone from class, acquaintance of friends, etc, it's easy to look someone up online.
If there is a chance the perp was obsessed with Morgan and this wasn't just a incidence of Morgan being a victim of opportunity. The perp could have been stalking her and saw the concert as a chance for him to get near her. Morgan is an attractive girl and i'm sure many guys had crushes on her. With a stalker though, the person would have become obsessed with her, very unhealthy, and took it extremely too far to maybe get her attention.
Morgan, from what her parents and friends and has been said about her seems like she was a sweetheart to everyone.
The perp could have been anyone from the quiet shy guy in one of her classes, to a popular friend of friends'.
IMO, i think the perp is someone who knew Morgan, yet she didn't know him or wasn't really aware of him.

 

[MeoW333]

Not sure how much this is being discussed anymore, but I mentioned I'd ask my friends at UVA about the usage of their tunnels. Here is what I got:

"well, they're frequented illegally. it's one of the UVA traditions to go steam-tunneling."

Thank you for this info, hopefully LE will check all these different tunnels at least to rule them out that there is no evidence there.

 

[MeoW333]

part time prof
Registered User

Snipped by me…

Since Metallica was playing when MH was last seen, it would have had to be a concert-goer who left early (perhaps following her out and stalking her), or it would have had to happen awhile after the official time line ends with MH hitchhiking on the bridge.

Part time prof; Metallica was not playing when she was last seen. It has been confirmed that MH left the arena prior to the band taking the stage.

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache...ore+metallica+played&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Hopefully the concert goer would have met up with friends there, and his friends noticed that he went missing during the concert and didn't come back. Most likely he'll use an excuse to tell them that he left and went somewhere else to hook up with someone, go take of some excuse etc.

This person who would have went missing, hopefully having friends that noticed.. the friends need to jog their memories and even if he gave what seems like a reasonable excuse for leaving early, they need to let LE know.

Also his actions in the days following the concert, was he on edge, did he have any bruises or booboos?
How did he react to the news of Morgan being missing?
All this taken into account is important, imo.

 

[arielilane]

Oh I definitely agree. The idea of creeping around such "unofficial" places has always given me the creeps...and after frequenting this message board for a few months the idea really gives me the creeps!

On a more hope filled note, I noticed on the FindMorgan website that there is going to be a benefit concert in Richmond this Saturday. Proceeds will go to the Find Morgan Fund. I hope they have a great turn out!

Jan-16th @ The Hat Factory
The following information is regrading the re-scheduled benefit concert for Morgan Harrington.

Dvs Artist Management Presents:
A Benefit For Missing Metallica Fan "Morgan Harrington"

Jan 16th @ The Hat Factory Richmond ,VA

Participating bands include:
Dangerous New Machine featuring ex-Stereomud, Fozzy, Stuck MoJo members (GA)
Memory Fade (VA)
Saint Diablo (VA)
Whiplash (NJ)
At War (VA)

Tickets will be made available the day of the show at the door.
$15.00 all ages, all day event. All proceeds will go to the (Find Morgan Fund)

Doors open 8pm, by a candlelight vigil.
So come out and show your support.

The Hat Factory is located @ 140 Virginia Street,Richmond, VA
804-788-4281,[email protected]
http://findmorgan.com/

 

[MBLover]

Bumping for Morgan

 

[Walker]

Let's say she was really hitchhiking (looking for a random ride, which would mean she didn't need to borrow a cell phone...thus no reports of that), on the bridge. A car pulls past, touches the brakes, and then goes another 20 yards or so (okay, I said 50 above, but it depends where she was on the bridge and which direction she was moving, if she was) to turn left into the Lannigan Field lot. MH, thinking it's a safe situation, follows (maybe they even spoke briefly through the car window on the bridge..."where you going?" "JMU" "Me, too" or whatever, and maybe the driver even said "I can't pull over here, I'll pull in up there"). That nobody saw any of whatever happened is kind of surprising, but it was a dark, cold, lightly raining night, and the area isn't really central UVa grounds. Regardless, something happening in the Lannigan Field lot would be a lot less observable than on the bridge.

And that applies even if whoever it was was someone known to MH, though I was exploring a more random thread here.

But likely she would have wanted to travel westward from the bridge (towards the central part of the UVA campus, JMU or Roanoke); to turn around and go back into Lannigan Field would be eastward. If she knew & trusted the driver; however, she might have jumped into the vehicle.

 

[MeoW333]

But likely she would have wanted to travel westward from the bridge (towards the central part of the UVA campus, JMU or Roanoke); to turn around and go back into Lannigan Field would be eastward. If she knew & trusted the driver; however, she might have jumped into the vehicle.

Walker, i agree with the part of your post; that if Morgan knew or at least trusted the driver enough to get in the vehicle.. then god knows..

 

[Walker]

Here is the article that was in the local Charlottesville paper today covering the meeting the Harrington’s had yesterday.

http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/n...le/family_area_not_as_safe_as_you_think/50880

Quote from the link:

Police ask that anyone who might know what happened to Morgan but might be holding back because of fear of prosecution to contact them.

Good idea. MH may have become injured accidently as a result of a minor altercation inside the arena possibly involving a BF and probably occurring during the Lamb of God performance. The people involved may be afraid of being charged with committing some crime or breaking conditions of parole or some similar restriction.

 

[Walker]

Hopefully the concert goer would have met up with friends there, and his friends noticed that he went missing during the concert and didn't come back. Most likely he'll use an excuse to tell them that he left and went somewhere else to hook up with someone, go take of some excuse etc.

This person who would have went missing, hopefully having friends that noticed.. the friends need to jog their memories and even if he gave what seems like a reasonable excuse for leaving early, they need to let LE know.

Also his actions in the days following the concert, was he on edge, did he have any bruises or booboos?
How did he react to the news of Morgan being missing?
All this taken into account is important, imo.

Did someone notice any guy at all leaving before Metallica took the stage? Someone who seemed very angry or scared or perhaps slightly injured, perhaps rushing out from the arena rapidly, seemingly with no intention of returning for the rest of the show, and who maybe had been in some minor fight with someone or some group inside the arena? Maybe security cameras picked up his image as he left at approximately 8:15 - 8:30 pm that evening.

Say that MH considered this individual to be a friend; she may have been concerned about him and left to try to meet up with him. When she found that he wasn't waiting for her outside JPJ, she tried to get back in the arena. Realizing then that she could not be readmitted, she decided to search for him. She didn't know exactly where he was parked. If he were a UVA student (or someone highly familiar with the area), he may have known that he could park at the RV lot. MH went there looking for his vehicle. Her next destination may have been the Emmet/Ivy parking garage; but something happened on her way over the Copeley St. bridge. Perhaps he picked her up as he was driving eastward toward Lannigan Field.

Problem with this theory: If MH went to the RV lot specifically to search for someone, she would probably have asked the BB players if they had seen him. She would likely mention his name (esp. if he were a UVA student) and/or described his appearance and possibly his vehicle. If the BB players had told LE that MH had been seeking some particular individual, he would probably have been named at least a person of interest in this case.

OTOH say that the BB players had already talked to him, and they knew that there had been some type of trouble at JPJ. Not wanting to get involved maybe they would have avoided MH & not even given her a chance to ask any questions.

From the VSP timeline:

9:10 - 9:20 PM: Someone matching Morgan's description was seen in the Lannigan Field parking area near the track. This parking lot is used for overflow parking for arena events. The person matching Morgan's description had limited interaction with people who were at the parking area.

 

[Walker]

Comment following Hook article re Injury:

Hook link: http://www.readthehook.com/blog/ind...tips-flood-in-but-still-no-morgan-harrington/

Text of comment:
mom_of_Kelli November 1st, 2009 | 5:13 pm

well said Dakota!!!
the girl that saw Morgan bleeding called that tip in to LE
on Oct 21st
here’s the link to the screen shot i captured when i first saw her post
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f40/kellilainedoa/the missing/ScreenHunter_05Oct211542.gif
i am outraged they did not tell Morgans parents about this until recently– down playing the importance of it all.
when a child goes missing- EVERYTHING is important! ugh.
LE needs to at least show photo’s of Morgan from that night & then either make an arrest or give up some information to the public or this case will fade for the masses as just another unsolved missing person. i’ve seen this happen over and over again.

In the above photobucket link, a witness states that MH was crying & seemed as though she had been hit in the face. She was in a smoking area while Lamb of God was playing.

Was there surveillance tape in the smoking area?

 

[Walker]

Source:
http://www.virginia.edu/uvapolice/reports.html

DAILY REPORT #2009-289
10/17/2009

LARCENY FROM VEHICLE – The Park 200901369/22
Reported purse and contents stolen from vehicle
RPT: 2130 10-17-09 OCC: 1738 10-17-09 to 1755 10-17-09
CASE STATUS: Suspended

TRESPASSING/SHOPLIFTING –UVA Hospital 200901370/63
Arrest made
RPT: 1858 10-17-09 OCC: 1858 10-17-09
CASE STATUS: Cleared by arrest


[5 Drunk in Public Arrests]
DIP – John Paul Jones Arena 200901371/32
Arrest made
RPT: 2023 10-17-09 OCC: 1950 10-17-09 to 2000 10-17-09
CASE STATUS: Cleared by arrest


DIP – John Paul Jones Arena 200901372/57
Arrest made
RPT: 2150 10-17-09 OCC: 2102 10-17-09
CASE STATUS: Cleared by arrest

DIP – John Paul Jones Arena 200901373/32
Arrest made
RPT: 2155 10-17-09 OCC: 2141 10-17-09 to 2200 10-17-09
CASE STATUS: Cleared by arrest

DIP – John Paul Jones Arena 200901374/57
Arrest made
RPT: 2310 10-17-09 OCC: 2246 10-17-09
CASE STATUS: Cleared by arrest

DIP – John Paul Jones Arena 200901375/57
Arrest made
RPT: 2315 10-17-09 OCC: 2256 10-17-09
CASE STATUS: Cleared by arrest


DAILY REPORT #2009-290
10/18/2009

SIMPLE ASSAULT – JPJ 200901376/33
Reported simple assault
RPT: 0018 10-18-09 OCC: 2143 10-18-09
CASE STATUS: Active

ASSIST CITIZEN – West Lawn 200901377/42
Reported citizen in need of medical assistance
RPT: 0211 10-18-09 OCC: 0152 10-18-09 to 0155 10-18-09
CASE STATUS: Active

SIMPLE ASSAULT-UVA Hospital 20091378/46
Reported simple assault
RPT: 0640 10-18-09 OCC: 0600 10-18-09 to 0610 10-18-09
CASE STATUS: Suspended

PROPERTY FOUND – Cage Parking Lot 200901379/45
Reported purse found
RPT: 0819 10-18-09 OCC: 0800 10-18-09
CASE STATUS: Active

SIMPLE ASSAULT – 1215 Lee Street 200901380/28
Reported simple assault
RPT: 1306 10-18-09 OCC: 1200 10-18-09
CASE STATUS: Suspended

MISSING PERSON – John Paul Jones Arena 200901381/45
Report of missing Virginia Tech student
RPT: 1340 10-18-09 OCC: 2048 10-18-09
CASE STATUS: Transferred

B & E– 163 Rugby Road 200901382/22
Reported breaking and entering
RPT: 1901 10-18-09 OCC: 2200 10-17-09 to 0430 10-18-09
CASE STATUS: Suspended

Note: "OCC" may mean the time that the incident is believed to have occurred. In this case, the dates of the occurrence of both the simple assault at JPJ & MH's disappearance are typos; that is, the JPJ assault would have occurred at 9:43 pm on 10/17 & MH (was originally thought to have disappeared) at 8:48 pm on 10/17.

 

[quiqui]

Was there surveillance tape in the smoking area?

It is my understanding that the John Paul Jones arena does not have surveillance tape anywhere - not inside and not outside. I'll go look for a source...


Edit - Hmm, there was video in the area, but I'm not sure if this means the cameras were AT the arena or just NEAR it.

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/223693

"Investigators trying to find Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington said their scrutiny of surveillance video from the area around the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville -- where the 20-year-old disappeared -- has ended in frustration.

The footage has not yielded any clues to the Roanoke County woman's disappearance, said Corinne Geller, spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police.

"We've looked at all the surveillance video -- gas stations, convenience stores, ATMs -- any camera in that immediate area has been looked at," Geller said. "Nothing in the videos is relevant to the case."

Edit x2...see post 296. Ghostmaster helped clear this up.

 

[Ghostmaster]

Walker’s post regarding injury reminded me of just how very little we, “the public”, really know. I re-read the hook article and VSP spokesperson Geller’s statement about the injury and that it was minor and “consistent with what someone would suffer from slipping and falling.” Notice how she doesn’t confirm that she fell? All the talk about the fall Morgan had comes from people who thought they may have seen her fall. The same thing is true with hitchhiking. The VSP will not confirm to the press in Roanoke, VA. that she was hitchhiking. All they will do is say that; “according to witness accounts” she was seen hitchhiking. The same holds true with reports of Morgan crying in the bathroom. The VSP have never said that was a fact. All we know for certain is she went to the concert. She was drinking. She left the concert, she used her cell phone, she became separated from her purse somehow, she spoke to a couple of BB players and now she’s missing. That’s it. EVERYTHING is speculation, hearsay and rumors. Dropping her purse over and over, stumbling around, hitchhiking, crying in the bathroom, walking around taking pictures, being injured when she fell; none of this has been confirmed by LE. They know what the real story is but we don’t. And we don’t have to know. But why hasn’t LE acted on something by now?

Today marks the third month Morgan has been missing. There is virtually no mention of that fact in the media or on the forums like there was for the second month anniversary. There is nothing in The Roanoke Times newspaper or on the web sites of Roanoke’s two TV stations, WDBJ and WSLS that I can see via the computer. And that’s a bad thing. It means, quite frankly, that interest in Morgan being gone is fading. After the second month, all the media outlets ran a follow up story. But not this month. Like my reporter friend in Roanoke told me after she was missing just six weeks, Morgan is yesterday’s news. It would seem now, more so than ever, Morgan is indeed yesterday’s news.

I have for the longest time thought that LE was working on something. That they had at least a POI in their sights. All they were doing was taking their time and building an air tight case against that person and were going to lower the boom on them any day now. But now, I don’t know. Ninety days is an eternity when your child is missing. Just ask the Harrington’s. I know LE has been working on this case steady. That they have had at least two investigators assigned to it since day one. That they have followed up on hundreds of leads. That they are under the microscope on producing a suspect. But all anyone has from LE is silence. I also know LE reads this and other forums as well as the social networks. So if they happen to read my post today let me ask them this; Why is that?

Let’s all keep the Harrington’s in our prayers.

 

[Ghostmaster]

It is my understanding that the John Paul Jones arena does not have surveillance tape anywhere - not inside and not outside. I'll go look for a source...


Edit - Hmm, there was video in the area, but I'm not sure if this means the cameras were AT the arena or just NEAR it.

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/223693

"Investigators trying to find Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington said their scrutiny of surveillance video from the area around the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville -- where the 20-year-old disappeared -- has ended in frustration.

The footage has not yielded any clues to the Roanoke County woman's disappearance, said Corinne Geller, spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police.

"We've looked at all the surveillance video -- gas stations, convenience stores, ATMs -- any camera in that immediate area has been looked at," Geller said. "Nothing in the videos is relevant to the case."

This arena is fairly new and was hailed as state of the art when it opened. Somewhere I read an article that I will try to find and post which held my attention because it was describing the security measures in place. The cornerstone of that security was a new video camera system that was so precise it could focus in on newspaper print well enough to read it if the paper was placed on the floor at center court.

They do have cameras everywhere there, inside and out. Here’s a link to back that up where the VSP in paragraph six mention the cameras.

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache...ena+security+cameras&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

 

[quiqui]

This arena is fairly new and was hailed as state of the art when it opened. Somewhere I read an article that I will try to find and post which held my attention because it was describing the security measures in place. The cornerstone of that security was a new video camera system that was so precise it could focus in on newspaper print well enough to read it if the paper was placed on the floor at center court.

They do have cameras everywhere there, inside and out. Here’s a link to back that up where the VSP in paragraph six mention the cameras.

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache...ena+security+cameras&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Thank you for this! I'm not sure why I was thinking they didn't have cameras at all...maybe I was thinking they didn't have video of Morgan at all.

Thanks for clearing this up

 

[part time prof]

But likely she would have wanted to travel westward from the bridge (towards the central part of the UVA campus, JMU or Roanoke); to turn around and go back into Lannigan Field would be eastward. If she knew & trusted the driver; however, she might have jumped into the vehicle.

I think that from the Copeley Road bridge, the central part of UVa grounds would be east and a bit south, JMU would be north and west, and Roanoke would be south and west, but I also think we are in agreement here, and in fact a few points about this have confused me since the first hitchhiking reports.

If MH was hitchhiking on Copeley Road Bridge, I assume, though it has never been stated, that she was doing so from the side of the bridge that has a sidewalk (only one side does). That would have meant that she had crossed Copeley Road from Lannigan, back to the UHall side of Copeley, and then anyone driving by in the right hand lane would have been heading back toward JPJ and away from Ivy Road, I-64, Crozet, Blacksburg, or Roanoke, and only circuitously toward downtown Charlottesville or central UVa grounds (but conceivably toward Harrisonburg or up 29-N, albeit cutting through UVa grounds to do so...which, admittedly, there are reasons to do.) If a car picked her up going in this direction, the Lannigan field lot either would have been immediately or shortly ahead on the left, for purse tossing possibilities.

If, on the other hand, she left Lannigan, and tried to hitchhike from that side of Copeley Road (i.e., the one without the sidewalk), then someone coming past in the right lane would have quickly reached Ivy Road, with a right turn taking one out of town toward I-64, and 29-S fairly easily, which would be consistent with getting to Roanoke, Blacksburg, Crozet, and one way to get to Harrisonburg.

Turning left at the Copeley/Ivy intersection would send one along the north border of main UVa grounds, past the "corner district," the train station, and the bus station, to downtown Charlottesville (and the downtown mall and the Omni hotel).

Same thing if she made it all the way to the Copeley/Ivy Road intersection before getting in a vehicle, though there are no confirmed reports of that. How her purse ended up in Lannigan is tougher in this scenario, unless she just dropped/forgot/left it before hitchhiking.

So if it was someone MH knew or kind of knew or wanted to meet (i.e., a known commodity as opposed to completely random), it makes sense that they would be driving on Copeley where the sidewalk is (perhaps from the Emmet/Ivy Parking Garage, but possibly many other places), and that MH stuck out her thumb only after seeing her ride.

But...while there are apparently reports of MH hitchhiking, there are apparently no reports that she got into a car. So, if she was only holding out her thumb once she saw a ride she recognized, wouldn't the witness(es) who reported her hitching have seen her getting into the recognized-by-MH car? Since they didn't, it could be that she was really and truly hitchhiking in the "looking for a random ride going my way" sense of the word.

 

[MeoW333]

Walker’s post regarding injury reminded me of just how very little we, “the public”, really know. I re-read the hook article and VSP spokesperson Geller’s statement about the injury and that it was minor and “consistent with what someone would suffer from slipping and falling.” Notice how she doesn’t confirm that she fell? All the talk about the fall Morgan had comes from people who thought they may have seen her fall. The same thing is true with hitchhiking. The VSP will not confirm to the press in Roanoke, VA. that she was hitchhiking. All they will do is say that; “according to witness accounts” she was seen hitchhiking. The same holds true with reports of Morgan crying in the bathroom. The VSP have never said that was a fact. All we know for certain is she went to the concert. She was drinking. She left the concert, she used her cell phone, she became separated from her purse somehow, she spoke to a couple of BB players and now she’s missing. That’s it. EVERYTHING is speculation, hearsay and rumors. Dropping her purse over and over, stumbling around, hitchhiking, crying in the bathroom, walking around taking pictures, being injured when she fell; none of this has been confirmed by LE. They know what the real story is but we don’t. And we don’t have to know. But why hasn’t LE acted on something by now?

Today marks the third month Morgan has been missing. There is virtually no mention of that fact in the media or on the forums like there was for the second month anniversary. There is nothing in The Roanoke Times newspaper or on the web sites of Roanoke’s two TV stations, WDBJ and WSLS that I can see via the computer. And that’s a bad thing. It means, quite frankly, that interest in Morgan being gone is fading. After the second month, all the media outlets ran a follow up story. But not this month. Like my reporter friend in Roanoke told me after she was missing just six weeks, Morgan is yesterday’s news. It would seem now, more so than ever, Morgan is indeed yesterday’s news.

I have for the longest time thought that LE was working on something. That they had at least a POI in their sights. All they were doing was taking their time and building an air tight case against that person and were going to lower the boom on them any day now. But now, I don’t know. Ninety days is an eternity when your child is missing. Just ask the Harrington’s. I know LE has been working on this case steady. That they have had at least two investigators assigned to it since day one. That they have followed up on hundreds of leads. That they are under the microscope on producing a suspect. But all anyone has from LE is silence. I also know LE reads this and other forums as well as the social networks. So if they happen to read my post today let me ask them this; Why is that?

Let’s all keep the Harrington’s in our prayers.

Since the beginning when VSP stated Morgan's injury was minor, slip and fall, (not a pattern of abuse and no one hit her or anything like that) yet not confirming that she fell, all the talk about it coming from witnesses who claim that they saw her fall.
Witness testimony is usually wrong. People think they saw someone that was her yet it may not have been her at all.
Morgan may have never fell, she may have never been on the bridge, she may never have been crying in the bathroom.
People's memories get jumbled, witnesses are horrible on the witness stand.

Witnesses are a far cry from good reliable security camera system that will not mistake someone for doing something somewhere. If it's on tape, then it's solid. Good to know the arena has one installed, especially such a good one that could read newspaper print if zoomed in.
Rumors created by witnesses cause tons of speculation when it's possible some of the rumors never happened at all.

LE doesn't release much info on this case at all, when they do release things it seems strategic as in chess. They always know more info than we do, and within good reason. I wish they would at least let us know if they have a poi or not.

With the arena having a state of the art security video system, i'm putting my faith in LE and that they have something.

The sad thing about the media is that they are always going after whatever will sell, the next "big thing", etc.

Even though many of us don't forget Morgan, without LE releasing little tidbits here and there, there is no new news that we are aware of, it would still be nice for a reporter or a few to come up with a piece on What Happened to Morgan Harrington?
Lack of news also shows how tightly LE is keeping a lid on what they may know yet haven't told us.

 

[MeoW333]

The location(s) of MH's car during the relevant time period remains a major unresolved issue.

MH was most probably actually in C'ville as stated by LE, since we have eye witness testimony from both her three companions and at least three BB players later that night. That six (or more) college students would conspire on a very elaborate cover story would seem unlikely.

Why would MH leave her keys behind in Harrisonburg?

Total Speculation:

Since MH was not a current student at JMU, she probably could not park on campus. Maybe she had planned to park at the home of a family friend. In this case, one might give a friend one's keys just in case he (or she) needed to move the car. Is there any other possible reason why one would plan to park one's car and also leave the keys behind?

If MH had followed through on this possible plan, then some other person or persons may have had access to her vehicle. What if the (perhaps naive or elderly) person to whom MH gave the keys had family members, housemates or visitors who were not trustworthy? (Possibly she parked her car on church property, and the keys were placed in some common room). In this case, the car could possibly have been "borrowed" later that night by some unknown party.

If MH and her three companions actually arrived in DC's car that might explain why we have not been informed where MH's car was parked -- no one knows. Maybe DC was both the designated driver & he actually drove his own car; while some other party arrived separately at the concert with her keys in his possession.

Walker in the beginning of the case, i believe that there was confusion about the whereabouts of Morgans car.

Morgan and her friends took her car to the concert, DC was the one driving it. Morgan trusted him enough to drive there, and being that her friends had the keys, perhaps she had plans to go outside (kiss friends goodbye pitstop at bathroom) and meet up with someone else to get a ride to see her friends later. They would be taking her car to whereever after the concert.
DC, SS, Amy & Morgan all rode in Morgan's car to the concert.

If the location of where the car was parked that night wasn't released, maybe its because its not relevant? Her friends were cleared by LE. They were had the keys to Morgan's car. A crime didn't happen in her car.