Found Deceased VA - Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, Charlottesville, 17 Oct 2009 - #13

[Calliope]

Remember Morgan Harrington - View Single Post - We need Facts - What were Morgan's steps before the concert?

Dead on. Nothing I can add to that.

 

[rickh]

I understand. Like I said, I'm on drugs right now for a back injury, and I'm not sure I'm making myself as clear as I hope

Whether or not it was someone who knew she was going to be there, the whole idea that it's possible is scary, and that so many could have known is scarier still. I've ranted to my own daughter about being careful what she posts online, that her FB and myspace isn't just being read by people she knows and trusts. I think she finally got it when her ex's ex wife (yeah i know lol) snagged pics of my grandson off her myspace page and posted them online. She then made all her pages private.



Yep.

That's also why the reports of her hitch-hiking doesn't make sense to me either. Unless she was trying to flag someone down for help. I wonder too if the person who took her forced her to make that call. Especially given what you say below (that Morgan wouldn't abandon her friends).



Thanks. I hadn't seen those comments before.

reading these two links if they are accuratein first it appears they knew Morgan was going outside but they didnt know why?.in the second one they assumed she would be coming back but if not they would meet her after the concert?just another twist on words?

 

[Roselvr]

Remember Morgan Harrington - View Single Post - We need Facts - What were Morgan's steps before the concert?

Dead on. Nothing I can add to that.

I can..

After reading it; my question is why didn't they call the Harringtons when they couldn't get a hold of Morgan after the concert.. assuming they tried to call her phone to see if she was safe & did find a ride. That's what bothers me.

I was their age once & we all used to call one another that we each made it home safe when we went out.

I hope that the friends have learned this much from her death.. that they should take care of each other with a buddy system & checking in.

I do not think the friends are directly involved in this & I'm sure they all feel bad

.

 

[pittsburghgirl]

Well, there's "directly involved" on one hand and "morally and ethically responsible" on the other.


1. Why let a friend go to the restroom alone in a crowded arena, especially if the person was impaired in some way?
2. When they got the call, why wouldn't at least one of them say, "Someone has to go be with Morgan. I don't mind. The concert isn't that important. We can't leave her outside without a ride or her keys."
3. Why then take her car home without calling the parents to say what had happened?

These weren't young children. They were college-age students, old enough to drive and vote and serve in the military. We've been over this ground before, but if I were their parents, I'd be terribly disappointed.

 

[MBLover]

Well, there's "directly involved" on one hand and "morally and ethically responsible" on the other.


1. Why let a friend go to the restroom alone in a crowded arena, especially if the person was impaired in some way?
2. When they got the call, why wouldn't at least one of them say, "Someone has to go be with Morgan. I don't mind. The concert isn't that important. We can't leave her outside without a ride or her keys."
3. Why then take her car home without calling the parents to say what had happened?

These weren't young children. They were college-age students, old enough to drive and vote and serve in the military. We've been over this ground before, but if I were their parents, I'd be terribly disappointed.

Exactly!

Hindsight and all of that aside. These friends were not high school kids - they were people who had been in the adult world for a while. They were not stupid people - obviously since they are in college.

So yeah...it bothers me that they didn't act like the adults they are and do the right thing.

Especially in calling the Harrington's and saying (whether it got Morgan in trouble or not)..."hey we don't know where Morgan is, she left us during the concert...we have waited for her to show up...we don't know where she is and she is not answering her phone. Do we have permission to drive her car back to JMU?"

Any of the above you stated would have been the very least they could have done.

 

[LogicalMinds]

So much good "hindsight"...

the saddest words in the English language are "if only"

Kids that age take off, "hook up"...who among them wants to be a rat?

Imagine how angry Morgan might have been if her beloved parents were upset for nothing??

 

[MBLover]

Then that would have been Morgan's tough luck... I would have rather seen her in trouble with her parents than to have wound up the way she did.

ETA: or I would have rather her friends been royally p***ed off at her and one of them to have "babysat" than for what happened.

Yep, shoulda, woulda, coulda... Can't go back that's for sure.

 

[Ghostmaster]

Remember Morgan Harrington - View Single Post - We need Facts - What were Morgan's steps before the concert?

Dead on. Nothing I can add to that.

This is in regard to a post made by pippi that can be linked from above. She is certainly entitled to her opinion but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that much of her post is based on her feelings, not actual facts. In any investigation you build a case with your head, not with your heart.

But I knew immediately what they did wrong.

Just how is it that you know this given the fact that you were not there that night?

If she was too far gone to give her the car keys to her own car then how could they ever let her wander in darkness

Please direct me to a link that states that Morgan was “to far gone to drive” based on her consumption of alcohol other than the one where it is specified she had been drinking. In that one, no one says she was drunk.


They knew Morgan had been drinking. They had her keys.

The keys were in the possession of Dan, a friend who drove that night and was the designated driver from the start of the evening. That is why he had the keys. Yes, she was said to have been drinking; but how much had she consumed?

"Lets call the Harringtons and tell them their Morgan is out of control and has been drinking and somebody should come and get her".

Again, who said she was out of control? Show me a link. And her parents live over an hour away from the JPJ. What were they supposed to do if the parents did come to get her? Tie her up until they arrived? And do you know any 20 yo’s that would do this?

They let her wander into the darkness.

See my explanation below about the lights and this statement, even if that is a figure of speech.

Then they took Morgans car and drove themselves to their safe harbor and not until Dan Harrington called did they give Morgan another thought.

Not true.

“After the concert, Morgan’s friends waited for a significant amount of time – they never saw Morgan and left the venue returning back to JMU in Morgan’s car”. Link here;

http://www.examiner.com/x-30376-Pri...organ-Harrington-missing-young-Virginia-woman

..not until Dan Harrington called did they give Morgan another thought

Maybe they didn’t give her another thought because they thought they knew where she was and who she was with; only to find out differently. They didn’t contact the Harrington’s because they didn’t know anything was wrong. What occurred that night may not have been the original plan but perhaps they had a plan “B” and no one was concerned.

I am sorry but friends just don't treat friends like that. They just don't.

Have you spoken with the friends to know that their actions were out of line? Again, where are you getting your facts that the friends are cold, selfish and heartless as you portray them to be in your post? Your comments are based on emotions and not facts.


I would hate to be in a courtroom where you are part of the jury. You seem to be judge, and jury in your post as it relates to what occurred; you have it all figured out apparently. There is not one fact to back up your assumptions. They are all based on posts and comments from forums, blogs or social web sites. Not facts. If you are following this case closely you would know;

Morgan and her friends had a long history of going to concerts. Both indoor and outdoor events, some which involved overnight stays. This was not their first concert together and this was not the first time Morgan went out on her own once they got to a concert. Given that fact perhaps they didn’t see anything wrong with what Morgan did once she found herself outside of the arena.

The JPJ parking lot that night was lit up like a football game. UVA had brought in very large lights to light all the parking lots for the concert given it was Metallica. I know your, “wander in the darkness” was a figure of speech but the parking lot was very active throughout the show. She would have been seen. There was a very heavy presence of police officers, both plain clothed and uniform in the lot that night from before the concert until after it ended. Arrest records show several arrests made during the 9pm to 9:45pm time period. If Morgan had been out of control and in the parking lot, stumbling around or dropping her purse, someone would have seen her from LE. That’s why they were in the parking lot, to look for people just like her. People “to far gone to drive” as you put it.

It has been verified that Morgan spoke to JPJ security personnel that night to try and get in again a little before 9pm. Security people who are hired to alert LE to people who are drunk or out of control. People who are trained to recognize people who are drunk or stoned. No such observation was made by security that night when she tried to get in again. And LE wasn’t alerted to that fact.

So much was made of the friends that went with Morgan that night and their possible involvement when this all began. When LE finally vetted them from having any involvement the scenarios regarding the friends changed from a “they know something and they were involved” mentality to a “they should have never let this happened, mentality”.

You may just find that when all is said and done that the friends did absolutely nothing wrong that night. They may have been doing nothing more than what they had done together as a group before. But this night, something went very wrong. This time they may have thought Morgan was someplace, doing something with someone like she had before, only to find out after the fact that wasn’t the case.

Their silence is not a reflection of their guilt nor is it a reflection of their negligence; it may well be a reflection of their logic as LE works to apprehend the individual(s) involved. What possible good come out of them talking about what happened that night except to satisfy the curiosity of people who frequent forums and social networks? I include myself in that group and as much as I would be interested in hearing what they have to say, if their silence helps LE in bringing someone to justice over this, I can wait. It’s time for everyone to quit judging the friends and their not talking. In the end I’m certain their reasons for not doing so will be made clear. And they may just surprise us all.

 

[MBLover]

Yes, I'm a rat and I'm proud to admit that. I stepped up in the 10th grade and did the right thing one time and I'm glad I did. It made all the difference in the life of my friend. At lunch one day one of my best friends fell to the floor and began having a horrible seizure.

When the ambulance was called the people around her were rushed off to the principals office and asked about what had happened. We were also asked if she had ingested anything. I knew she had. My friend had taken what we called "Christmas trees"...some form of speed.

Was my friend mad for telling on her. Well...no she wasn't because as she put it, if I hadn't told they could have given her something in the hospital that could have killed her.

So even though I was a rat - we remained best friends.

Of course that's on a different level of what happened to Morgan - but if just one of her friends had done something immediately when Morgan became locked out...we wouldn't be on this forum today...

Just as Pittsburghgirl said - there comes a time when you have to do what is morally and ethically responsible. And it's sad to know that no one friend felt the need to do that for Morgan.

 

[beachlvr0810]

Thanks! Those photos are great, much more helpful than google map shots, etc.

The caption says the photos have been removed.

 

[beachlvr0810]

Yes, I'm a rat and I'm proud to admit that. I stepped up in the 10th grade and did the right thing one time and I'm glad I did. It made all the difference in the life of my friend. At lunch one day one of my best friends fell to the floor and began having a horrible seizure.

When the ambulance was called the people around her were rushed off to the principals office and asked about what had happened. We were also asked if she had ingested anything. I knew she had. My friend had taken what we called "Christmas trees"...some form of speed.

Was my friend mad for telling on her. Well...no she wasn't because as she put it, if I hadn't told they could have given her something in the hospital that could have killed her.

So even though I was a rat - we remained best friends.

Of course that's on a different level of what happened to Morgan - but if just one of her friends had done something immediately when Morgan became locked out...we wouldn't be on this forum today...

Just as Pittsburghgirl said - there comes a time when you have to do what is morally and ethically responsible. And it's sad to know that no one friend felt the need to do that for Morgan.

MB, sometimes we have to be a rat...I had to be in a previous relationship. He was on cocaine and crack. Long story short he went to jail for 10 months and turned his life around from what I heard. It's not always being a rat, sometimes it's tough love.

 

[Walker]

Morgan and her friends had a long history of going to concerts. Both indoor and outdoor events, some which involved overnight stays. This was not their first concert together and this was not the first time Morgan went out on her own once they got to a concert. Given that fact perhaps they didn’t see anything wrong with what Morgan did once she found herself outside of the arena.

Do you have any links?

 

[Dallasdon]

The caption says the photos have been removed.

Just tried it- they are still there.

 

[Calliope]

Then that would have been Morgan's tough luck... I would have rather seen her in trouble with her parents than to have wound up the way she did.

ETA: or I would have rather her friends been royally p***ed off at her and one of them to have "babysat" than for what happened.

Yep, shoulda, woulda, coulda... Can't go back that's for sure.

Yes.

And like that poster said... they knew she was drunk. The knew it was cold and damp. They knew she couldn't get into her car. They knew she was 2-3 hours from home. They took her damned car and didn't even bother to see if she made it home ok. What. The. Hell.

I'm sorry. I'm sure they're are upset about what happened. But dear God, their actions are inexcusable.

 

[Calliope]

This is in regard to a post made by pippi that can be linked from above. She is certainly entitled to her opinion but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that much of her post is based on her feelings, not actual facts. In any investigation you build a case with your head, not with your heart.

But I knew immediately what they did wrong.

Just how is it that you know this given the fact that you were not there that night?

If she was too far gone to give her the car keys to her own car then how could they ever let her wander in darkness

Please direct me to a link that states that Morgan was “to far gone to drive” based on her consumption of alcohol other than the one where it is specified she had been drinking. In that one, no one says she was drunk.


They knew Morgan had been drinking. They had her keys.

The keys were in the possession of Dan, a friend who drove that night and was the designated driver from the start of the evening. That is why he had the keys. Yes, she was said to have been drinking; but how much had she consumed?

"Lets call the Harringtons and tell them their Morgan is out of control and has been drinking and somebody should come and get her".

Again, who said she was out of control? Show me a link. And her parents live over an hour away from the JPJ. What were they supposed to do if the parents did come to get her? Tie her up until they arrived? And do you know any 20 yo’s that would do this?

They let her wander into the darkness.

See my explanation below about the lights and this statement, even if that is a figure of speech.

Then they took Morgans car and drove themselves to their safe harbor and not until Dan Harrington called did they give Morgan another thought.

Not true.

“After the concert, Morgan’s friends waited for a significant amount of time – they never saw Morgan and left the venue returning back to JMU in Morgan’s car”. Link here;

http://www.examiner.com/x-30376-Pri...organ-Harrington-missing-young-Virginia-woman

..not until Dan Harrington called did they give Morgan another thought

Maybe they didn’t give her another thought because they thought they knew where she was and who she was with; only to find out differently. They didn’t contact the Harrington’s because they didn’t know anything was wrong. What occurred that night may not have been the original plan but perhaps they had a plan “B” and no one was concerned.

I am sorry but friends just don't treat friends like that. They just don't.

Have you spoken with the friends to know that their actions were out of line? Again, where are you getting your facts that the friends are cold, selfish and heartless as you portray them to be in your post? Your comments are based on emotions and not facts.


I would hate to be in a courtroom where you are part of the jury. You seem to be judge, and jury in your post as it relates to what occurred; you have it all figured out apparently. There is not one fact to back up your assumptions. They are all based on posts and comments from forums, blogs or social web sites. Not facts. If you are following this case closely you would know;

Morgan and her friends had a long history of going to concerts. Both indoor and outdoor events, some which involved overnight stays. This was not their first concert together and this was not the first time Morgan went out on her own once they got to a concert. Given that fact perhaps they didn’t see anything wrong with what Morgan did once she found herself outside of the arena.

The JPJ parking lot that night was lit up like a football game. UVA had brought in very large lights to light all the parking lots for the concert given it was Metallica. I know your, “wander in the darkness” was a figure of speech but the parking lot was very active throughout the show. She would have been seen. There was a very heavy presence of police officers, both plain clothed and uniform in the lot that night from before the concert until after it ended. Arrest records show several arrests made during the 9pm to 9:45pm time period. If Morgan had been out of control and in the parking lot, stumbling around or dropping her purse, someone would have seen her from LE. That’s why they were in the parking lot, to look for people just like her. People “to far gone to drive” as you put it.

It has been verified that Morgan spoke to JPJ security personnel that night to try and get in again a little before 9pm. Security people who are hired to alert LE to people who are drunk or out of control. People who are trained to recognize people who are drunk or stoned. No such observation was made by security that night when she tried to get in again. And LE wasn’t alerted to that fact.

So much was made of the friends that went with Morgan that night and their possible involvement when this all began. When LE finally vetted them from having any involvement the scenarios regarding the friends changed from a “they know something and they were involved” mentality to a “they should have never let this happened, mentality”.

You may just find that when all is said and done that the friends did absolutely nothing wrong that night. They may have been doing nothing more than what they had done together as a group before. But this night, something went very wrong. This time they may have thought Morgan was someplace, doing something with someone like she had before, only to find out after the fact that wasn’t the case.

Their silence is not a reflection of their guilt nor is it a reflection of their negligence; it may well be a reflection of their logic as LE works to apprehend the individual(s) involved. What possible good come out of them talking about what happened that night except to satisfy the curiosity of people who frequent forums and social networks? I include myself in that group and as much as I would be interested in hearing what they have to say, if their silence helps LE in bringing someone to justice over this, I can wait. It’s time for everyone to quit judging the friends and their not talking. In the end I’m certain their reasons for not doing so will be made clear. And they may just surprise us all.

I'm not sure who you're responding to in your post. I am not pippi. I don't give a damn about the friends not talking and that is not what pippi was addressing. This has nothing to do with the friends not talking. This has to do with their actions (and inaction), and yes ... I do judge them on this. Pippi and pittsburghgirl said it very well. There is no excuse.

 

[LogicalMinds]

Yes.

And like that poster said... they knew she was drunk. The knew it was cold and damp. They knew she couldn't get into her car. They knew she was 2-3 hours from home. They took her damned car and didn't even bother to see if she made it home ok. What. The. Hell.

I'm sorry. I'm sure they're are upset about what happened. But dear God, their actions are inexcusable.

She was 20 years old not 5, legally none of them should have been drinking but they probably all were..except the driver who was NOT even close to them apparently

they "knew" she couldn't get into her car...but what could they do?? nothing...she made ONE call to them and after than her phone was not "on" (battery presumably lost)

so that simply lets out all the ideas of "meet her with the keys, throw her the keys"...they had no idea where she was and no way to find out

they went to the concert in her car....they drove back home in it...they were trying to call her and waited around (time varies according to which article one reads but they did wait)

what else could they do in a crowded loud music arena??

so easy to cast blame...really there were a LOT of things to blame that night but one needs to remember there is a murderer out there...

maybe he is just waiting for some other young woman to be vulnerable, make mistakes...he is the one who murdered Morgan, not her friennds

 

[Javabean]

Well, there's "directly involved" on one hand and "morally and ethically responsible" on the other.


1. Why let a friend go to the restroom alone in a crowded arena, especially if the person was impaired in some way?
2. When they got the call, why wouldn't at least one of them say, "Someone has to go be with Morgan. I don't mind. The concert isn't that important. We can't leave her outside without a ride or her keys."
3. Why then take her car home without calling the parents to say what had happened?

These weren't young children. They were college-age students, old enough to drive and vote and serve in the military. We've been over this ground before, but if I were their parents, I'd be terribly disappointed.

Well said. I think too, as well as the actual night of the concert, it's the friends' behaviour afterwards. I don't care how you are trying to "cope" - having a drunken Halloween party two weeks after your friend goes missing complete with zombie-like costumes borders on insane.

As mentioned, they aren't that young. I remember being that age and although I made my fair share of mistakes, I wasn't heartless. I can only imagine what my parents would have done to me if they saw me in those Halloween "partying" photos. Sigh.

Regardless, I don't believe the friends were involved in hurting Morgan at all. But they sure didn't help.

 

[Javabean]

She was 20 years old not 5, legally none of them should have been drinking but they probably all were..except the driver who was NOT even close to them apparently

they "knew" she couldn't get into her car...but what could they do?? nothing...she made ONE call to them and after than her phone was not "on" (battery presumably lost)

so that simply lets out all the ideas of "meet her with the keys, throw her the keys"...they had no idea where she was and no way to find out

they went to the concert in her car....they drove back home in it...they were trying to call her and waited around (time varies according to which article one reads but they did wait)

what else could they do in a crowded loud music arena??

so easy to cast blame...really there were a LOT of things to blame that night but one needs to remember there is a murderer out there...

maybe he is just waiting for some other young woman to be vulnerable, make mistakes...he is the one who murdered Morgan, not her friennds

I've thought about this too quite abit. If I had been Morgan, I would not have wanted my friends to leave the show. I'd want them to stay and enjoy it.

As for the friends, there may not have been much they could do from the concert, but after the show, I personally would not have left without getting in touch with my friend somehow. I would have felt really bad for her.

You are right. There is a murderer out there who is ultimately responsible and he/she/they need to be caught.

 

[beachlvr0810]

Just tried it- they are still there.

Are we talking about the same thing? On the websleuth link I'm looking at thread #709 and #711 where the pictures from photobucket have been removed or deleted. I'm not seeing them from my end.

 

[LogicalMinds]

I've thought about this too quite abit. If I had been Morgan, I would not have wanted my friends to leave the show. I'd want them to stay and enjoy it.

As for the friends, there may not have been much they could do from the concert, but after the show, I personally would not have left without getting in touch with my friend somehow. I would have felt really bad for her.

You are right. There is a murderer out there who is ultimately responsible and he/she/they need to be caught.

I don't think there is much they could have done after the concert either..they waited around....they were trying to call her..maybe they called other friends or ? but what could they do??

IF they called the cops there is not much they would do for "friends" after a heavy metal concert especially if some of the friends were drunk/drinking

I am just not sure what they could have done. It is not as if they kept this secret from Dr and Mrs Harrington for days or anything...they probably were hoping that Morgan was already home sleeping it off, or hoping she was out having fun

I am sorry but if you look at this realistically, they were all partying and having a friend take off for a night when you are in college is no "big deal" IMHO

I don't understand why her peers were responsible for her, no more than she was responsible for them...what if they "needed" her at the concert, got sick or wanted to leave early and couldn't find her....she wasn't responsible for them and they weren't responsible for her

Yes, it is a "good idea" to have a buddy system...but in real life it doesn't work out that way sometimes. I also think that people tend to forget the crowds, the noise, the sheer size of the arena.

It was a series of unfortunate events. I have stated a logical "presentation" of my own belief that the one thing that MIGHT have made the most difference that fateful night was a good, working cell phone.

Her battery was the type prone to fall out...it fell out before......I think the lack of a phone cut her off from her friends...cut her off from calling/texting for a ride/plan/help...may have frustrated her even more combined with the frustration of being denied re-entry

And in that frustration she let her guard down....and accepted that ride

And the scary part is that this murderer is out there. Her friends are not dangerous to others, this murderer is IMHO