HANNAH GRAHAM - 18 yo (2014)/ Charged: Jesse Matthew - Charlottesville, VA

Virginia police search for missing college student

Tue Sep 16, 2014 11:35am EDT

(Reuters) - Police on Tuesday searched for a University of Virginia student missing since the weekend, a police spokesman said.

Hannah Graham, 18, was last heard from in a text message early on Saturday.

About 50 officers and other personnel had looked for Graham on Monday and the search had restarted off the university campus, Charlottesville police spokesman Lieutenant Ronnie Roberts said.

Graham was last seen off the university campus. Asked if there was any sign of foul play, Roberts said: "It's still a missing persons case."

Graham is described as slender, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, with blue eyes, light brown hair and freckles. She was last seen wearing a black crop-top with mesh cut outs.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/16/us-usa-virginia-student-idUSKBN0HB1UB20140916

ByCRIMESIDER STAFFCBS/AP September 17, 2014, 3:28 PM
Cops: Missing UVA student was seen near pedestrian mall

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Acting on an eyewitness' tip and a new video, police searching for a missing University of Virginia student canvassed downtown businesses Wednesday in hopes of retracing her steps when she was last seen early Saturday.

The search for Hannah Graham, 18, shifted after a surveillance video showed her running down a street near a bar where she was last seen late Friday, Charlottesville Police Capt. Gary Pleasants said.

Surveillance video captured Graham running past a gas station, reports CBS affiliate WTVR.

An eyewitness also placed her about 1 a.m. Saturday in the Downtown Mall, a busy, seven-block pedestrian strip with retail stores and restaurants alongside, he said. A team of detectives went door-to-door at businesses in the hope a business owner had surveillance video of Graham, Pleasants said.

Police said Tuesday that another surveillance video showed Graham walking outside an Irish pub. The pub where Graham was last seen is about a half mile from the Downtown Mall, Pleasants said. Graham's friends reported her missing Sunday.

They last heard from her Saturday morning, when she texted a friend after leaving a party to say she was lost in the area of 14th and Wertland Streets.

Now, investigators say they don't believe she was in that area at all, reports the station. They're attempting to access cell phone records to pinpoint the location from which the text was sent, WTVR reported.

The search for the northern Virginia woman has involved local police, the Virginia State Police, University of Virginia police and the FBI, which is processing leads, Pleasants said. The search has also included canine teams and helicopters.

Asked if investigators were fearful Graham was abducted, Pleasants said, "Right now there's nothing that points to anything criminal. However, we're obviously not discounting anything."

In a statement, Graham's family said she "would not disappear without contacting family or friends."

At least three other young women have disappeared in the area in the last five years. Pleasants said there was "no indication" Graham's disappearance was linked to any of the other cases. Graham is 5-foot-11 with blue eyes, light brown hair and freckles.

Police released surveillance photos showing Graham dressed in the black slacks and gold and black crop top she was believed to be wearing when she disappeared. Graham was born in Great Britain and moved to the states with her family 13 years ago, Pleasants said.

Police have established a designated tip line for information on Graham. The number is 434-295-3851.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/missing-u-va-student-was-seen-near-pedestrian-mall/

September 18th, 2014, 10:34 am

Police interview man in missing UVA student case; seek a second male

MIDDAY UPDATE: Vigil Planned
The University of Virginia’s Student Council has scheduled a “Bring Hannah Home” candlelight vigil for tonight at 9 p.m. at the amphitheatre, the group announced.

“Please join our community in coming together to demonstrate support for Hannah Graham, her family, and her friends in this trying time of her disappearance–and celebrate the overwhelming hope we have that she will come back to us safely,” the announcement states.
 THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE:

Hannah Elizabeth Graham

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Police said Thursday they are seeking to talk to a male who was seen by a witness with a University of Virginia student the night she disappeared.

Charlottesville police Capt. Gary Pleasants said the witness came forward Wednesday night after two more grainy surveillance videos were released of Hannah E. Graham from the Downtown Mall.

The 18-year-old freshman was last seen at the mall, a popular row of shops and restaurants, on Friday night.

Pleasants said one video shows Graham outside a pizza shop. The witness was captured on the video as he exited the store and followed Graham. Another video from a jewelry store two minutes later also shows the witness following Graham.

The witness told police that he followed her because she looked like she was in distress.

“It looked like she was at least in some physical distress and he was concerned for her,” Pleasants said.

The witness, whose name wasn’t released, told police that before he could catch up with Graham, another male approached her and put his arm around her.

“From the interaction, he (the witness) thought they knew each other, so he thought she was fine and he left,” Pleasants said.
Pleasants said police want to talk to the second male. He wouldn’t describe what the male was wearing.

“We certainly need to talk to this person and see what his interaction was,” Pleasants said.

The male isn’t seen in either video. The second video appears to show someone next to Graham, but Pleasants said it’s her reflection in the store window.

Two other videos released earlier show Graham walking past a pub and, minutes later, running past a service station.

The university’s student council has scheduled a “Bring Hannah Home” candlelight vigil on the Charlottesville campus Thursday night.

She was last heard from early Saturday morning, when she texted a friend after leaving a party to say she was lost. Her friends reported her missing on Sunday. Police have searched a wide area northeast and east of the campus without success.

Her parents, John and Susan Graham, have said that they fear foul play, but Police Chief Timothy Longo said police have no substantial evidence to support that.

Longo said Graham met friends for dinner at a restaurant Friday night, dropped by parties at two off-campus housing units, and left the second one alone. Longo said Graham had been drinking.

Graham is 5-foot-11 with blue eyes, light brown hair and freckles. The search has involved local police, the Virginia State Police, University of Virginia police and the FBI, which is processing leads, Pleasants said. The search has also included canine teams and helicopters.

Police have interviewed about 50 people and have established a designated tip line for information on Graham. The number is (434) 295-3851.
___
Information from The Daily Progress
TIP LINE: 

Police established a designated tip line for information on missing University of Virginia student Hannah Elizabeth Graham.
The number is 434-295-3851.

HERE IS A REVIEW OF THE CASE:
In the last story:
Hannah Graham’s parents issued a statement saying they feared “foul play.”

Charlottesville police released two new surveillance videos showing the 18-year-old walking past a pub and, minutes later, running past a service station.

Police Chief Timothy Longo said police “don’t have any substantial evidence” supporting fears of foul play, despite the video showing Graham running. She slowed to a walk toward the end of the video, which Longo said indicates she was not being pursued.

Graham was born in England but has lived in Virginia since she was 5.

The search has involved local police, the Virginia State Police, University of Virginia police and the FBI, which is processing leads, according to Charlottesville Police Capt. Gary Pleasants said. The search has also included canine teams and helicopters.

Police still haven’t suggested a link to Graham’s disappearance and other cases of young women missing from the same area. However, they shifted from a statement from spokesman Lt. Robbie Roberts who had told The Daily Progress that  he was not familiar with all the cases of missing women in the area, but he did not believe there was a connection.


On Wednesday, however, Detective Jim Mooney, the lead investigator, said police searched the rural area where Morgan Harrington’s remains were found.


OTHER UNSOLVED CASES OF MISSING YOUNG WOMEN:
At least three other young women have disappeared in the area in the last five years.

Morgan Harrington
October 2009: Morgan Harrington, 20, disappeared after stepping outside John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, where she had been attending a Metallica concert. The Virginia Tech student’s remains were found about three months later near U.S. 29 in a remote field of a 700-acre farm in southern Albemarle County.

In July 2010, state police announced that evidence in Harrington’s case was linked forensically to the September 2005 abduction and sexual assault of a 26-year-old woman in the city of Fairfax.

Harrington suspect composite
That victim was attacked as she walked home from a grocery store. She survived.

A suspect has not been identified, but police released a composite sketch of the man who was described as black, between 25 and 35 years old, about 6 feet tall and, in 2005, sporting a mustache and beard.

The tip line for the Morgan Harrington case is 434/352-3467.

September 2010: Samantha Ann Clarke, 19, of Orange disappeared from the town of Orange after leaving her home.

Samantha Ann Clarke

Last week, divers from about 70 agencies searched a lake in Greene County for her, The Daily Progress reported. That lake had previously been searched.

Police have questioned a man in that case but have not charged anyone. Her whereabouts remain unknown.
 
November 2012: DaShad Laquinn “Sage” Smith, 19, left to meet a friend on West Main Street in Charlottesville but never came home. She remains missing despite searches. (Photo not yet available.)

Sept. 13, 2014: Hannah Elizabeth Graham, 18, is last heard from shortly after 1 a.m. in downtown Charlottesville.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:


Hannah Graham is 5-foot-11 with blue eyes, light brown hair and freckles. Police released surveillance photos showing Graham dressed in the black slacks and gold and black crop top she was believed to be wearing when she disappeared.

A “Help Find Hannah Graham” page was established on Facebook.

Police have established a designated tip line for information on Graham. The number is 434-295-3851.



http://news.fredericksburg.com/justiceforum/2014/09/18/police-interview-man-in-missing-uva-student-case-seek-a-second-male/

IMO this will end badly and I fear we will be moving this soon.

Suspect Captured in Case of Missing UVa Student

RICHMOND, Va. — Sep 24, 2014, 9:04 PM ET
By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM Associated Press


Hannah Elizabeth Graham en una foto sin fecha proporcionada por la policía de Virginia. La joven universitaria está extraviada desde el 13 de septiembre de 2014. (Foto AP/Charlottesville, Va., Police Department, File)
AP


A man charged in the disappearance of a University of Virginia student was captured in Texas on Wednesday, a day after police announced they had probable cause to arrest him.

Police believe Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr. was the last person seen with Hannah Graham, an 18-year-old sophomore who went missing on Sept. 13. Authorities obtained a felony warrant for his arrest late Tuesday. He has been charged with abduction with intent to defile.

Matthew had sped away from a police station Saturday after coming with family members to ask for a lawyer. It's not clear whether the longtime area resident knew Graham, who was last seen in an area lined with shops and restaurants where police believe she went into a bar with him.

Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo announced Matthew's capture at a news conference Wednesday night. He said Matthew was in custody in Galveston, Texas, and would be extradited to Virginia.

Longo added that police were still searching for Graham.

"This case is nowhere near over," said the police chief, who did not take questions from reporters. "We have a person in custody but there's a long road ahead of us."

A dispatcher at the sheriff's office in Galveston referred questions about the arrest and timing of Matthew's extradition to Charlottesville police, who did not provide details at the news conference and did not immediately respond to telephone messages afterward.

Adam S. Lee, special agent in charge of the FBI office in Richmond, said at the news conference that "the real hero of today is an employee, a deputy with the Galveston County Sheriff's Office."

"So we'd like to, on behalf of the FBI, thank them for their very effective police work today."

The case has spread fear through the quiet community about 70 miles west of Richmond. Authorities have increased patrols and a late-night transportation program for students, who also have begun walking in pairs at night and are paying closer attention to their surroundings.

While police continued searching for Graham and struggled to make sense of what led to her disappearance, a vigil was scheduled Wednesday evening at her alma mater, West Potomac High School in northern Virginia. Graham was an alpine skier and alto saxophone player who had earned straight A's six years in a row, according to family members and police.

According to police, Graham met friends at a restaurant for dinner on Sept. 12 before stopping by two parties at off-campus housing units. She left the second party alone, police have said, and sent a text message to a friend saying she was lost.

Surveillance videos showed her walking, and at some points running, past a pub and a service station and then onto the Downtown Mall, a seven-block pedestrian strip where police believe she entered a bar with Matthew.

The university said he's been employed at the University of Virginia Medical Center since Aug. 12, 2012, as a patient technician in the operating room.

The charges against the 6-foot-2, 270-pound Matthew surprised Dave Hansen, who first met him about 11 years ago when Hansen served as an assistant pastor at an area church.

"I always thought he was a gentle giant, just a nice guy," Hansen said. "He seemed genuine with his faith and spirituality. ... I don't see him doing this at all, but that's usually the case, I guess."

Hansen said he's only kept up with Matthew through Facebook, but ran into him at the university's medical center within the last year. He said the soft-spoken Matthew greeted him in an elevator with a high-five.

Matthew attended Liberty University from 2000 to 2002, said officials with the Lynchburg school founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. The school's athletics website listed him as a defensive lineman on the football team.

More recently he also served as a part-time volunteer for the football team at The Covenant School, a private Christian pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade school in Charlottesville. Officials said his involvement with the school began last month following interviews with the athletic director and head football coach, as well as normal background and reference checks.

After Matthew was named a person of interest in Graham's disappearance, school officials said in a letter that he will "no longer be working with our football program while this matter is being clarified and resolved."

While Matthew has had past brushes with the law, the details of those cases are not clear.

Online court records show Matthew was convicted of trespassing in 2010 but provide no details about the incident. Details also were unavailable for two other charges of assault and attempted grand larceny relating to a 2009 incident that were not prosecuted.

Matthew, who had a taxi permit from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles from 2007 through 2010, also has several traffic infractions, records show.

The latest revelations came late Tuesday, when police, who have searched Matthew's car once and his apartment twice, decided they had probable cause to charge him in the disappearance. Longo declined to say what new information police had, but authorities sent several items, including clothing, to a state forensics lab for testing.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/suspect-charged-case-missing-uva-student-25721879?singlePage=true

Police recover clothes from Jesse Matthew's apartment in search for Hannah Graham, missing UVA student

By The Associated Press, Jeff Goldberg, ABC 7 News
September 23, 2014 - 10:34 am
Updated: September 23, 2014 - 06:18 pm

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP/ABC News) - Bags of clothing were being tested by police after authorities removed them from the apartment that belongs to the person of interest in the search for missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, police said Tuesday.

The items were taken from Jesse Matthew's apartment on Monday as part of the second search warrant issued for the property, though police would not elaborate on who the clothing belonged to or how it was connected to the case.

Authorities first searched the 32-year-old's car and apartment Friday, and Charlottesville police Capt. Gary Pleasants said information that came up during the investigation led to a second search of the apartment. He would not give further details about the clothing or the search.

Police have said they hoped to receive lab results late Tuesday from items recovered during the first search, and authorities are still trying to locate the campus employee to arrest him on reckless driving charges.

But the state lab said it was still analyzing the evidence it has received, which included nearly two dozen items and eight "known samples that we would use for comparison purposes," said Jeffrey Ban, director of the Department of Forensic Science's Central Laboratory in Richmond.

Ban said that the lab has expedited the case and hoped to provide authorities with results in the "very near future" but noted that the lab could spend hours or even a whole day on a single piece of evidence that may have multiple stains or hairs on it. He also said it is standard procedure to test any samples against those in their database, including those from other missing persons cases in the central Virginia area.

Matthew, a patient technician in the operating room at the university's medical center, hasn't been charged in the disappearance, but authorities say they want to talk to him about the 18-year-old Graham, a sophomore from Alexandria who has been missing since Sept. 13. Police have not offered any details about how the two may be connected other than to say Matthew was the last person seen with Graham.

Pleasants said authorities have not had contact with Matthew since Saturday, when he stopped by the Charlottesville police station with several family members for about an hour and asked for a lawyer. He was provided with one but left in a vehicle at a high rate of speed that endangered other drivers and led to the reckless driving charges, Charlottesville police Chief Timothy Longo has said.

Virginia State Police officers were conducting surveillance of the vehicle at the time but did not pursue Matthew, a spokeswoman said.

Pleasants said investigators have questioned Matthew's mother and uncle, who accompanied him to the police station. He added that search crews on Monday covered areas in the southern part of the city that had not previously been searched.

Authorities on Monday also released a wanted poster on Matthew. It says the 6-foot-2, 270-pound man was last reported on Sunday as driving his sister's 1997 light blue Nissan Sentra, and notes that he is said to have contacts in Virginia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

Police said they have focused on Graham's movements the night of Sept. 12 and into the early morning hours of Sept. 13. Graham, a sophomore from northern Virginia, met friends at a restaurant for dinner, stopped by two parties at off-campus housing units and left the second party alone, police have said.

Surveillance videos showed her walking, and at some points running, past a pub and a service station and then onto the Downtown Mall, a seven-block pedestrian strip lined with shops and restaurants.

According to family members and police, Graham is an alpine skier and plays the alto saxophone. Organizers of a candlelight vigil last week at the university handed out her favorite candy, Starburst. Longo said he learned from visiting with Graham's parents that the graduate of West Potomac High School earned straight A's six years in a row.

Graham's disappearance has sent a ripple of fear through the quiet college town of Charlottesville. Students have said they've begun walking in pairs at night and are paying closer attention to their surroundings. More than 1,000 volunteers also participated in a weekend search for Hannah Graham, according to authorities.

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/09/police-recover-clothes-from-jesse-matthew-s-apartment-in-search-for-hannah-graham-missing-uva-studen.html#ixzz3FO9L5UbT

Crews Search for Hannah Graham on Carter Mountain

Posted: Sep 25, 2014 5:19 PM CDT
Updated: Sep 25, 2014 8:25 PM CDT

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va (WVIR) -
Charlottesville Police Chief Longo says there is still hope that missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham will be found. Graham disappeared on Sept 13. Jesse Matthew, the man police believe was last seen with Graham, has been charged with abduction with intent to defile in connection to the case.

Searches for Graham are still ongoing, as the search enters its twelfth day.

Four teams of trained search crews fanned down Carter Mountain in Albemarle County Thursday. Carter Mountain is the same area crews searched about two months ago for another woman who went missing. Bonnie Santiago, 56, was last seen on Carters Mountain July 12.

Billy Chrimes with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management denies any correlation between Thursday's search and the search for Santiago.

He says the search for Graham will continue into Albemarle and other counties as new tips and clues come in.

“We are operating with a small crew of personnel right now and we will look at ramping back up through the weekend of search and rescue teams,” said Chrimes.

In the meantime, the Virginia Department of Search and Rescue is following up on all leads and expects to continue combing through dense woods.

Chrimes does not discount the possibility of another community search, possibly in Albemarle County, but he also says that large scale effort is not yet in the works.

http://www.nbc29.com/story/26630951/crews-search-for-hannah-graham-on-carter-mountain

Hannah Graham disappearance suspect questioned in 2002 alleged rape case

POSTED 8:15 PM, SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
UPDATED AT 09:10PM, SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
BY CNN WIRE

GALVESTON, Texas — Jesse Matthew, a suspect in the disappearance of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, was questioned in connection with an alleged sexual assault nearly 12 years ago, authorities said Thursday.

However, no charges were filed because the woman didn’t want to go forward with the case and investigators determined there wasn’t enough evidence to arrest Matthew, said Michael Doucette, the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Lynchburg, Virginia.

According to a statement from Lynchburg police, a woman reported she was raped on the campus of Liberty University on October 17, 2002.

Matthew told authorities that the woman consented, Doucette said, adding that there were no witnesses.

On Thursday, Matthew was sitting in a Texas jail cell, waiting for Virginia authorities to pick him up and take him back to Charlottesville, where he has been sought in the Graham case on suspicion of abduction with the intent to defile.

He was in a Texas court twice Thursday. The second time, Judge Michelle Slaughter in Galveston asked whether he wanted to fight extradition or would agree to be sent to back to Virginia.

Matthew agreed to the extradition.

Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo told reporters that he thought Matthew would be moved Friday. He had no comment when asked about the 2002 case.

Earlier, Matthew appeared before Galveston County Judge Mark Henry on a charge of giving false information to a Texas peace officer.

Authorities found Matthew on a Galveston County beach some 1,300 miles from where he’s wanted in the disappearance.

Deputies were tipped off to Matthew’s whereabouts when they got a call about a suspicious person camping on the beach. One responded and ran the license plate of that person’s vehicle. It came back as wanted, CNN affiliate KPRC reported.

Matthew did not resist arrest, Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset told reporters Thursday. The sheriff added that investigators from Virginia were examining a car and a tent found at Matthew’s campsite and hoped to speak to Matthew later.

Matthew’s Virginia-based lawyer had little to say about his client when approached earlier outside his Charlottesville office.

“I am Mr. Matthew’s attorney,” James Camblos said. “I was hired on Saturday. That’s the only thing that I’m going to confirm at this point. The family and I — nobody is making any statements at this point in time. We might later on, but right now we are not.”

His comments came a day after authorities obtained an arrest warrant for his client, who police believe was the last person with Graham.

Matthew willingly went to a police station over the weekend, when there was no warrant for his arrest, Longo said. He asked for a lawyer. They spoke and then left, the police chief said.

Authorities are now offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of Graham, 18, a second-year student at the University of Virginia.

The Northern Virginia native is 5 feet 11 inches tall with a slender build and has light brown hair, blue eyes and freckles. She was last seen September 13 wearing a black crop top and capri pants. She had an iPhone in a pink case.

“We have no idea whatsoever where she is,” Longo said Thursday.

They have received 1,500 tips so far in the case and are urging anyone with information to call the police tip line at 434-295-3851.

Graham was last seen in an area of Charlottesville known as the Downtown Mall. Investigators have been looking for her since, and over an increasingly large area.

“We’re asking for a broader community search with property owners,” Longo told CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360″ on Wednesday night.

Specifically, he said he wants owners of large parcels of property in surrounding counties to search their land and report back.

Authorities have previously searched Matthew’s apartment and car. Although they have declined to discuss the specifics of what might have been found, potential evidence was sent to a lab for analysis.

http://myfox8.com/2014/09/25/hannah-graham-disappearance-suspect-questioned-in-2002-alleged-rape-case/

Charlottesville police ask property owners to search for signs of U-Va. student

By T. Rees Shapiro, Mary Pat Flaherty and Justin Jouvenal
September 25

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Police are asking property owners in this city and throughout nearby rural Albemarle County to look for any signs of missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, hoping that they can locate her after nearly two weeks of searching.

Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy J. Longo said during a news conference Thursday that searchers have combed through most of this college town and are now moving south into surrounding farms and woodland. He also urged real estate agents and others to look in and around vacant homes and buildings in an effort to find the 18-year-old, who has been missing since Sept. 13.

Longo said Graham had an iPhone 5S with a pink case that has not been found, and he said people should report anything they see that seems out of the ordinary on their properties, including unexpected tire tracks, clothing or other evidence that might help police find her.

“We have no idea where she is, despite our best efforts,” Longo said. “Everyone realizes the more time that goes by, the more difficult this is going to come for everyone. I can’t lose hope until I have to, until I need to, until it’s appropriate to transition this into some other type of operation. I have hope, and I think Hannah’s mom and dad have hope.”

Longo said in an interview Thursday that he wants anyone who knows Jesse L. “LJ” Matthew Jr., 32, who is charged with abducting Graham, to help identify spots that Matthew frequented. Police asked for help finding ­places where Matthew likes to fish, for example. A reward of $100,000 is being offered for information leading to the safe return of the 18-year-old U-Va. sophomore from Fairfax County.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/bond-denied-for-man-accused-in-case-of-missing-u-va-student-hannah-graham/2014/09/25/f32b10cc-44b1-11e4-b437-1a7368204804_story.html

Commonwealth Attorney: Graham and Murphy case not related

Posted: Sep 24, 2014 11:14 AM CDT
Updated: Sep 25, 2014 4:46 AM CDT
By WSLS Staff

NELSON COUNTY (WSLS) - The recent Hannah Graham case is in no way directly related to the case of Alexis Murphy, according to Anthony Martin with the Commonwealth's Attorney for Nelson County.

Officials said in recent days, there has been much discussion as to whether or not there is any connection between the case involving Jesse L. Matthew Jr., charged in connection with missing UVa student, Hannah Graham, and Randy Taylor who was convicted in May 2014 for abduction with intent to defile and the first-degree murder of Alexis Murphy.

The discussion focused on whether or not Matthew was the person Taylor tried to implicate in his trial of being with Alexis Murphy when she left Taylor's camper in August 2013.

Court officials said Dameon Bradley was the black male Taylor positively identified as the person he was talking about in the Alexis Murphy case. Taylor also said that Bradley drove a maroon Chevy with big rims. He also described Bradley as having 'corn rows'.

Officials said at no time did the name Jesse L. Matthew Jr. or a vehicle resembling Matthews', come up in the Randy Taylor, Alexis Murphy case. Dameon Bradley, who testified in Taylor's jury trial, denied Taylor's allegations and had an alibi that was confirmed by law enforcement for the time period Alexis Murphy went missing.

Court officials said it's also important to note that Bradley is light-skinned and is of much smaller build than Matthew. Bradley also worked at the McDonald's at the Liberty Gas Station, where Taylor saw him on a regular basis.

Officials said some have questioned whether or not the surveillance video from Liberty Gas Station the night Alexis Murphy disappeared shows her walking behind the back of an object some say looks like Matthews' vehicle.

Authorities from the FBI and Virginia State Police have re-examined that footage in light of these concerns and said they're confident that the orange object is not a vehicle, but a portion of a sign hanging from the window.

Police said at this time, there is not credible evidence that suggests any third party was involved in the Randy Taylor case and no evidence at this time exists that Matthew had anything to do with the disappearance of Alexis Murphy.

Officials said if such evidence is discovered, Nelson County authorities along with the FBI and the Virginia State Police will act immediately.

http://www.wsls.com/story/26616609/commonwealth-attorney-graham-and-murphy-case-not-related

Forensic evidence links Hannah Graham suspect to murdered Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington

POSTED 9:43 AM, SEPTEMBER 29, 2014
UPDATED AT 01:22AM, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014
BY LAURA FRENCH, SCOTT WISE, ALIX BRYAN, NICK DUTTON AND WEB STAFF

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The man suspected of abducting 18-year-old Hannah Graham from the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier this month is forensically linked to the 2009 disappearance of 20-year-old Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, sources close to the investigation confirmed to CBS 6 reporter Laura French.

Those sources indicated that forensic evidence belonging to Graham suspect Jesse Matthew Jr., matched forensic evidence collected during the Harrington investigation.

The sources would not indicate what Matthew may or may not have done with Harrington, however the sources indicated that the forensic evidence match showed Harrington had some sort of contact with Matthew the night she disappeared outside John Paul Jones arena on October 17, 2009. Her remains were found in January 2010 on an Albemarle County farm.

“For the past five years, the Virginia State Police has been aggressively pursuing the investigation into the disappearance and death of 20-year-old Morgan D. Harrington of Roanoke, Va,” Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller wrote in an email following the CBS 6 News report. “Last week, the arrest of Jesse L. Matthew Jr., 32, of Charlottesville, Va., provided a significant break in this case with a new forensic link for state police investigators to pursue. There is a still a great deal of work to be done in regards to this investigation and we appreciate the public’s patience as we move forward.”

“We worked five years to get to this point, so we are relieved,” Morgan Harrington’s mother Gil said. Harrington added it was now time for her to take a step back and let investigators do their job and find Hannah.

“We are heartbroken for her family. We know what they’re going through,” Harrington told WTVR.com in the days after Graham disappeared. “Police need information. They need to process tips. Please reach out to police and do not be the filter. Even if you think it does not make sense, let police be the filter.”

Two years after Morgan Harrington’s remains were found, the FBI released a sketch of the man they said had contact with the Virginia Tech student. The sketch was released after investigators found forensic evidence that linked a 2005 sex assault in Fairfax to Harrington’s disappearance.

“Throughout the past nine years our detectives have worked continually and diligently to positively identify a suspect in this case,” Fairfax Police spokesman Sgt. Natalie Hinesley wrote in a statement about the status of the sexual assault investigation. “Details of the investigation and any related evidentiary information will not be disclosed at this time in order to protect the integrity of the investigation and any possible prosecution.”

Charlottesville community relieved

There was a palpable sense of cautious relief through the Charlottesville community and on grounds of UVa. as news spread of the link between Matthew and Harrington.

“Hearing this connection it’s a start,” said one UVa. student. “We want to make sure everyone around grounds is safe.”

Another student said that since the mystery man has finally been caught she feels less on edge.

“He’s not out there anymore, so it is a great relief,” said one student. “My mom has been really worried about the safety of Charlottesville and it’s really reassuring now to know that the guy who is suspected of Hannah Graham and Morgan Harrington cases — he’s been caught.”

Students at colleges across the state are now coming together to show their support for Graham. In fact, a candlelight vigil will take place at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland on Tuesday at 8 p.m. outside the student center.

In the Alexandria neighborhood where Graham’s family lives, yellow ribbons line the streets where Graham’s parents live as a show of support for the family from the community.

Despite having a suspect behind bars, many people are still searching for the missing 18-year-old.

Where is Hannah?

Hannah Graham was officially reported missing on September 14, though she was last seen the early hours of September 13.

Jesse Matthew’s car and apartment were searched five days later, on September 19, after police reviewed video and spoke with witnesses. The next day Matthew was reported to have sped away from the overt surveillance Virginia State Police had on him.

He was next named a suspect, after police received more forensic evidence.

On September 24, police in Texas were alerted to a suspicious man camping on the beach in Gilchrist on the Bolivar Peninsula, approximately 1,300 miles from Charlottesville. When they ran his license plate number around 3:30 p.m., they found out he was wanted in Virginia.

Matthew was charged with giving false information to a police officer. A federal law enforcement source confirmed a phone call made from a borrowed cell phone in Louisiana, to Virginia, is how police first discovered Jesse Matthew was out of the state and on the run.

Matthew was flown back to Virginia on September 26 and taken to Albemarle County Jail. He is expected to make an initial court appearance on Thursday where he will face an abduction with intent defile charge.

Anyone with information regarding Graham’s whereabouts should call (434) 295-3851 or 1-800-THE-LOST.

http://wtvr.com/2014/09/29/hannah-graham-morgan-harrington-connection/

Update: Hannah Graham: Five missing in Charlottesville in five years

By Susan L. Ruth, Communities Digital News
September 24, 2014

WASHINGTON, September 29, 2014 — UPDATE: The Virginia State Police says the arrest of Jesse L. Matthew Jr. has provided a “significant break” in the investigation into the death and disappearance of Va Tech student Morgan Harrington who went missing during a concert in Charlottesville, VA.

The statement from Virginia police public relations director said, “Last week, the arrest of Jesse L. Matthew Jr., 32, of Charlottesville, Va., provided a significant break in this case with a new forensic link for state police investigators to pursue. There is a still a great deal of work to be done in regards to this investigation and we appreciate the public’s patience as we move forward.”

What this link is, has not been publicly released yet.

Although Harrington’s family had told the press that the connection was found during the search of the suspects home and car.

Update: Jesse Matthew has been detained in Galveston, Texas and is being extradited to Virginia charged in the disappearance of Hannah Graham. Until he is in Virginia, and formally charged, actual charges are not ascertainable.

Police reported during a press conference that evidence taken from Jesse Matthew’s home and car will also be compared to any evidence from the other missing women cases.

Matthew was questioned in 2002 in connection to a sexual assault case at Liberty University but was never charged. Lynchburg police have reported that Matthew said that the encounter was consensual and that there were no witnesses to back up the woman’s claim. The student decided not to pursue charges.

Police are asking for everyone’s help because at this time, they have “no idea” where Hannah Graham is.

Read more at http://www.commdiginews.com/life/hannah-graham-is-one-in-a-long-line-of-victims-in-charlottesville-26555/#6APfVcwF7pwPhQcq.99

Crews Continue to Search Albemarle County for Hannah Graham

Posted: Oct 06, 2014 11:35 AM CDT
Updated: Oct 06, 2014 3:28 PM CDT

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va (WVIR) - Monday marks day 23 of the search for missing University of Virginia second-year student Hannah Graham, and trained searchers are showing no signs of slowing down their efforts as they continue into this week.

Graham was last seen on the Charlottesville downtown mall on September 13. Jesse Matthew, the man shown on surveillance video with Graham the night she disappeared, has been charged with abduction with intent to defile in connection with the case.

Virginia Department of Emergency Management coordinators are determined to have more than 70 percent of Albemarle County searched by the end of this week. Searchers' goal this week is to comb every square inch of woods and neighborhoods in an eight-mile radius around Charlottesville.

Investigators say at the center of that eight-mile radius is the last place Graham was seen on surveillance video and by eyewitnesses on September 13 – the downtown mall.

More than 2,400 search hours went into the effort this weekend and VDEM is hopeful they'll add even more to that total throughout week.

They say the number one thing that's going to help them is tips. Tips about Graham and Matthew are invaluable to police.

"We've had a number of tips that continue to come in from the public and we appreciate those tips. They help direct our search efforts each and every day,” said Colonel Steve Sellers of the Albemarle County Police Department.

Finding out more about Matthew from people who knew him is vital to investigators.

"Regardless of how small the information is, when you add it all up, we're able to develop a better profile of him and it helps aid the investigation and the search,” said Sellers.

Some search crews will continue to clear rural parts of the county throughout the week. Resources like tracking dogs will continue to hit the ground every day.
"It's putting a stress and a load on us, but its still rewarding because every time we go out and search something even if we don't find anything at all, we've eliminated or potentially eliminated an area,” said Sharon Johnson, K-9 handler.

Thirty-five police officers were out searching Monday, but their resolve as a team to bring Graham home is stronger than ever.

Charlottesville police continue to ask property owners, especially those with large parcels of land, to check their property.


http://www.nbc29.com/story/26714878/crews-continue-to-search-albemarle-county-for-hannah-graham

They believe Hannah's body has been found.

I still cannot paste But it's on ABCNEWS2.com

Her parents have been notified.

People need to realize how important it is to testify against violent offenders. Matthews apparently has been charged twice before - had the cases gone to trial these two young women may still be alive. Over and over this happens. Of course it then depends on the state laws and then on if the judge is going to blame the victim during sentencing.

Human remains found in search for UVA student Hannah Graham

By Greg Botelho, CNN
updated 9:29 PM EDT, Sat October 18, 2014

(CNN) -- Authorities looking for Hannah Graham found human remains Saturday on an abandoned property eight miles from where the University of Virginia student was last seen five weeks ago, police said.

Chesterfield County Sheriff's Department members participating in the search made the discovery before noon in southern Albemarle County in central Virginia, according to Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo.

Shortly thereafter, a detective relayed the news to Graham's parents.

"These are human remains and forensic tests need to be conducted to determine the identification...," Longo told reporters. "But nonetheless we wanted to be quick and timely to share that information with the Graham family."

Hannah Graham, 18, was last seen early the morning of September 13 in Charlottesville, Virginia.


Body found just miles from another


What led up to Graham's disappearance?


Graham case: What's next?
The discovery comes 35 days after Graham was last spotted, on several surveillance cameras, in Charlottesville's Downtown Mall area. That footage showed her leaving the Tempo Bar at around 2 a.m. on September 13, as well as a man -- later identified by authorities as Jesse Matthew, 32 -- following her.

On September 24, Matthew was taken into custody while camping on a beach in Galveston, Texas, some 1,300 miles from Charlottesville. He is the only person detained in connection with Graham's disappearance, charged with abduction with the intent to defile.

He has also been linked by forensic evidence to the case of Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student who was last seen hitchhiking along U.S. 29 outside of Charlottesville in October 2009. She was found dead on a nearby farm the following January.

No arrests have been made in Harrington's case, and the cause of her death still is under investigation. Police, though, did recently seize a cab owned by Matthew that he was driving in Charlottesville in 2009, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.
Matthew's next court appearance in relation to Graham's disappearance is scheduled for December 4.

Taken into custody in Texas on September 24, Jesse Matthew is the only person charged in connection with Graham's disappearance.

Officials didn't say whether charges against anyone were imminent in light of Saturday's discovery.

'A great deal of work ahead'
Albemarle County Police Chief Steve Sellers did appeal to anyone who was in or knows the area in which the remains were found to contact authorities if they saw "any suspicious activity" or "an individual fitting Jesse Matthew's description in that area about that time."

"Today's discovery is a significant development, and we have a great deal of work ahead of us," said Sellers, noting Graham's case is now considered a "death investigation." "We cannot and we will not jump to any conclusions."

The 18-year-old Graham was in her second year at the University of Virginia -- a member of the ski team and making straight A's, her parents say -- when she was last seen.

"She was extremely smart, very witty, very athletic," said Craig Maniglia, the coach of the high school softball team that Graham co-captained in Northern Virginia.

Graham's last contact with friends -- telling them she was lost and trying to find a party, according to CNN affiliate WVIR -- came via text message at 1:20 a.m. the morning of September 13.

Her disappearance prompted a massive search involving more than 1,200 volunteers, not to mention emotional appeals from officials like Longo and Graham's parents.

Sunday's scheduled public search of Walnut Creek Park -- not far from where the remains were found -- was canceled, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management said in a statement.

"Authorities are focusing their attention on recent evidence, which limits law enforcement resources necessary to carry out a public search," the agency said.

Social media commenters saddened
Earlier this week, John and Sue Graham pleaded for help finding their daughter, saying, "It is heartbreaking for us that the person or persons who know where Hannah is have not come forward with that information. It is within their power ... to end this nightmare for us all."

Her friends hadn't relented, either.

In a statement released to CNN, they asked 'that everyone in Charlottesville and surrounding areas be on the lookout for new clues. No clue is too small and every search of personal property, even if it does not yield a result, is helpful."

Their efforts continued as recently as Saturday, with the "Help Find Hannah Graham" Facebook page posting pictures of various volunteers handing out ribbons to businesses in downtown Charlottesville.

Later in the day, that page was full of heartfelt reactions from friends and strangers alike. One woman wrote, "Rest in peace beautiful angel."

And a man chimed in, about hearing the news: "I wept as if she were family."

Coy Barefoot, a member of the University of Virginia adjunct faculty and a local media personality, told CNN that Saturday's discovery -- and the prospect it could contribute to breakthroughs in the cases of other missing women, such as Harrington -- stirred "a mix of emotions here in Charlottesville."

"I have seen people crying. I have cried tears myself," said Barefoot. "But you're also, in the same moment, so relieved that there might be some closure for such a wounded family for such a wounded community."


http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/18/us/hannah-graham-disappearance/index.html

ladibug wrote:They believe Hannah's body has been found.

I still cannot paste But it's on ABCNEWS2.com

Her parents have been notified.

I posted the article.  Thank you.

Hannah Graham suspect indicted in 2005 assault


By Saeed Ahmed, Greg Botelho, and Kevin Conlon CNN
updated 10:44 PM EDT, Mon October 20, 2014



STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Jesse Matthew indicted in 2005 Virginia sexual assault
  
• Charges also include abduction, attempted murder
  
• University of Virginia student Hannah Graham missing since September 13
  
• Human remains were found over the weekend near where she was last seen
  

(CNN) -- As investigators are determining whether a skull and bones discovered behind an abandoned Central Virginia home on Saturday are those of Hannah Graham, the lone suspect in her disappearance has been indicted in an assault from almost a decade ago -- a case that police say forensically links him to another female college student who vanished from the same area as Graham.

Jesse Matthew was indicted by a grand jury in Fairfax, Virginia on Monday for the 2005 sexual assault on charges that also included attempted murder and abduction.

According to the indictment, Matthew, 32, "did feloniously, willfully, deliberately, intentionally and with premeditation attempt to kill (the victim) in the commission of or subsequent to an abduction with the intent to defile."

The then-26-year-old victim in that attack was able to provide enough of a detailed description to yield a police sketch, one that years later would link Matthew to the case of Morgan Harrington, the Virginia Tech student who vanished in Charlottesville in October 2009.


Graham suspect indicted in 2005 rape case


Remains found in missing student search


Body found just miles from another

Harrington was found dead the following January. Police at the time said "forensic evidence" linked the two cases.

Fairfax County prosecutor Ray Morrogh said Monday that he could not comment on how this investigation and indictment relates to the Harrington or Graham cases, but said "the facts and details will be revealed in the judicial process."

Jim Camblos, Matthew's Charlottesville attorney in the Graham case, declined to comment when reached by CNN on Monday.

Graham last seen September 13
Graham, a University of Virginia student, was last spotted on several surveillance cameras in Charlottesville's Downtown Mall area on September 13. The footage showed her leaving the Tempo Bar around 2 a.m., followed by a man investigators think to be Matthew.

More than a month later, on October 18, Sgt. Dale Terry of the Chesterfield Sheriff's Department and his small search team were finishing up for the day when behind an abandoned home -- just eight miles from where Hannah Graham was last seen -- they found a skull and bones scattered across a creek bed.

"It was not buried, and its location was not far from the road," he told a local television station. "There was not any crushing of any bones. As far as the skull, everything looked to be intact to me."

Nearby was a pair of black pants, similar to ones Graham was wearing when she was last seen.

"I do believe God wanted us to find what we found," Terry said. "I don't know how else to explain it other than something inside me told me to just continue to look."

After Saturday's discovery, the weekend's remaining public searches were canceled so that authorities could focus their attention "on recent evidence," according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

Furthermore, police now consider the Graham case "a death investigation," said County Police Chief Steve Sellers.

"Today's discovery is a significant development, and we have a great deal of work ahead of us," Sellers said. "We cannot and we will not jump to any conclusions."

Forensic psychologist Mike Banks told CNN affiliate WTVR that forensic work could take some time.

"If it is Hannah Graham, 100%, then at least they have their child home," he said, referring to Graham's parents, John and Susan Graham.

The Albemarle County Police Department said it didn't know how long it will take for the forensic results to come back.


http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/20/us/hannah-graham-disappearance/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Hannah Graham's death ruled homicide

5:28 p.m. EST November 18, 2014

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- The death of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham has been ruled a homicide but the cause remains undetermined, police announced Tuesday.

"The cause of death is homicidal violence of undetermined etiology. The manner of death is homicide," the Albemarle County Police Department said.

A final autopsy report has not been issued.


@BruceLeshan
"Etiology" means "the cause or set of causes." Homicidal violence of undetermined etiology of  #HannahGraham means they don't know. @wusa9


"The Albemarle County Police Department and the Albemarle County Commonwealth's Attorney remain committed to the investigation. To protect the integrity of the case, we will not be answering questions or releasing additional information. We are working hard to ensure that justice is served," officials said in a statement.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Va. determined the cause of death Tuesday.

The man accused in her disappearance, Jesse "LJ" Matthew Jr., remains in jail in Fairfax for charges related to a 2005 sexual assault. He has not been charged with murder.

Jesse Matthew's booking photo from Fairfax County.

In the 2005 case Matthew faces charges of attempted capital murder, abduction and sexual penetration with an object, which are all felonies. He pleaded not guilty last week and has a trial date set for March 9.

Police say forensic evidence ties the 2005 assault to the 2009 disappearance and murder of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington.

http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/2014/11/18/hannah-graham-death-cause-determined-not-shared-due-to-investigation/19222917/

Hannah Graham case: Jesse Matthew charged with capital murder

By Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN
Updated 6:46 PM ET, Tue May 5, 2015

(CNN)The man accused of abducting and killing a University of Virginia student could end up paying for her death with his life.

Jesse Matthew Jr. now faces a capital murder charge in the case of Hannah Graham, who went missing last year after a night out with friends.

In February, prosecutors said Matthew would be charged with first-degree murder. On Tuesday, he was served with a new indictment charging him with capital murder, meaning that Matthew could face the death penalty if convicted.

Albemarle County Commonwealth's Attorney Denise Lunsford said new forensic evidence obtained in late February made her go to a grand jury again and seek an increased charge.

She declined to reveal details about the evidence, but said she plans to seek the death penalty if the case goes to trial.

"These are never easy decisions," Lunsford told reporters Tuesday. "If I didn't believe that this case were worthy of a capital charge, if I didn't believe that Mr. Matthew were someone that would be appropriate for this ultimate penalty, then we wouldn't be standing here having this conversation."

Graham, 18, went missing before dawn on September 13 after she was last spotted on surveillance video in Charlottesville's Downtown Mall area.

In October, authorities found her skull and bones on abandoned property 8 miles from where the college sophomore was last seen.

Surveillance video and other accounts led authorities to identify Matthew as a suspect in Graham's disappearance.

Matthew, a 33-year-old former cab driver, was taken into custody on September 24 on a beach in Galveston County, Texas, about 1,300 miles away from where Graham was last seen.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/05/us/jesse-matthew-hannah-graham-capital-murder/index.html?fb_action_ids=1593396090906973&fb_action_types=og.shares

Virginia will seek death penalty against Jesse Matthew

WUSA 9 Staff, WUSA
12:08 a.m. EDT May 6, 2015

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WUSA9) -- The Commonwealth of Virginia will seek the death penalty against Jesse Matthew for the murder of Hannah Graham.

Matthew was charged Tuesday with capital murder for killing 18-year-old University of Virginia student. The addition of a capital murder charge means Matthew is eligible for the death penalty.

Matthew still faces a first degree murder charge and abduction with intent to defile.

Albemarle County Commonwealth's Attorney Denise Lunsford said they decided to charge Matthew with capital murder after uncovering new forensic evidence.

"These are never easy decisions. If I didn't believe this case worthy of a capital charge, if I didn't believe that Mr. Matthew or someone wouldn't be appropriate for this ultimate penalty, we wouldn't be standing here having this conversation," Lunsford said.

Matthew's family gave no comment about the capital murder charge, and were unhappy about the cameras following them after court.

During the hearing, Judge Cheryl Higgins dismissed Matthew's attorney and appointed two death penalty qualified attorneys to represent him.

The next hearing in the trial will be June 25 to hear a potential motion to recuse Higgins. She had a second year daughter at UVA, but has said her daughter did not know nor had contact with Graham.

Matthew was in court Tuesday awaiting a new trial date. The trial was scheduled to begin June 29th, but the defense asked for more time so a DNA expert could examine evidence in the case.

he new indictment against Matthew was originally scheduled to be unsealed Wednesday, but prosecutors unsealed it a day early because he was already in court.

Graham disappeared in September after a night out with friends in Charlottesville. Her remains were found weeks later in Albemarle County.

Matthew also faces trial on June 8 on charges of attempted murder and sexual assault in an unrelated case in Fairfax County.

http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/virginia/2015/05/05/murder-trial-date-for-jesse-matthew-jr-in-albemarle-county/26911257/