On the bridge: Morgan Harrington last seen over train tracks
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Hastily stitched-together photo from the bridge which carries Copeley Road over the CSX/Buckingham Branch train tracks.PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER
The young woman whose disappearance during an October 17 Metallica concert touched off a national search was last seen on a bridge around 9:30 that night near busy Ivy Road. The information came in a Wednesday morning press conference in Charlottesville in which State Police Lieutenant Joe Rader expressed hope that a newly detailed timeline would provoke additional clues from concert-goers and other witnesses.
“Perhaps you saw someone stop a vehicle,” said Rader. “Perhaps you saw this young lady get into a vehicle. Somewhere out there lie the answers or lies the vital link.”
Rader described the timeline, pieced together from witness interviews, as fairly accurate, but he noted that it changed within the 30 minutes before the press conference began— and that it remains subject to further refinement, particularly since some witnesses were not wearing watches.
“We believe that what happened from 8:30 to 9:30 is very relevant,” Rader said, adding that subsequent info is also important. “Nothing is too trivial. If you think you saw something, let us determine after interviewing you the relevancy of that.”
Rader said that Harrington was last seen walking on the bridge that carries Copeley Road over the CSX/Buckingham Branch railroad tracks, a site adjacent to the RV Lot. The Lot is where Harrington’s black purse with two long straps was found, and Rader indicated there were other people nearby who must have seen Morgan.
“We need those people to contact us,” said Rader. “We don’t have all the information we need from the Charlottesville area. We believe those answers are around here.”
The dominant use of the rail line running under the bridge is the slow— at least in that stretch— westbound return of empty coal and grain cars returning from Tidewater ports, although the line is also used for the three-days-a-week run of the Cardinal passenger train.
Declining to answer questions, Rader also qualified the following timeline as based on interviews with people who saw someone matching Harrington’s description near the John Paul Jones Arena, which reportedly adhered to its no-reentry policy by barring Harrington after she left, ostensibly in search of a bathroom.
UVA spokesperson Carol Wood confirms that a mobile light, like this one installed for the October 31 football game against Duke, was operating in the RV Lot during the Metallica concert.PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER
He urges tipsters, who may remain anonymous, to call at 434-352-3467 or State Police.
8:20 - 8:30 - Harrington outside Arena at front and the side facing U-Hall
8:30-8:48 -Harrington at various locations outside arena
8:48 - friend calls and offers other entry door suggestions, but Harrington says she’ll try to get a ride home from “friends around Charlottesville”
8:48 - 9:00 - Harrington still in the Arena area
9:00 - 9:10 - Harrington walking with purse through U-Hall parking lot “around” and “walking in the same direction”— but not necessarily “with”— other people
9:10 - 9:20 - Harrington in the RV Lot with “limited interaction” with witnesses
9:20 - some witnesses leave in vehicles
9:20 - 9:30 - Harrington walks on the Copeley Road bridge near Ivy Road
—>Audio of October 28 press conference
–updated 3:14pm same day (with a few minor word changes, rail, and tipster contact info)
–updated 5:05pm November 2 (with photo of RV lot lighting unit and simpler map)
This is enlightening. It provides confirmation that she left the arena and wanted to get back in. I can’t for the life of me figure out why she would leave the arena. Being extremely altered would explain it, but nothing at all suggests that.
If she was walking on the bridge away from U-Hall and the RV lot, by herself, then whatever happened to her could have happened near that site or, conceivably, could have happened ANYWHERE. If she made it over the bridge and technically off the property of the venue–we don’t really know where she could have gone next. Based on this information, she may have even been able to make it to the home of a friend or aquaintance–though that seems unlikely, as Police would have checked out any of those leads.
This seems only to expand the list of possibilities and even open the door to the notion that whatever happened to her MAY have nothing to do with the concert or anyone at the concert site.
One thing that counters what I just wrote relates to her purse and phone. If she was walking away from the arena after she left the rv lot, she would have her purse. HOW did the purse end up on the tracks or near the RV lot? The purse location and this timeline suggest that something may have occurred in the RV lot. It is possible that the purse was dumped there later–but her proximity to the lot suggests that something happened there and the purse was dumped. Anybody who was near that lot at that time may hold further keys to the mystery.
Is there a population that hangs out under that bridge, as there are at some other bridges in C-ville in the past(notably the Belmont Bridge and the 250/Barracks Road bridge. There used to be a contingent of people who hung out near the Barracks Road/250 bridge and in the woods behind the University owned house there(Sunnybank or Sunnylands, I think). They even clear cut that area between the bridge and the exit ramp, possibly to remove that as a loitering spot. Is it possible that someone near the bridge could have tried to rob her and things went bad?
Again–more idle speculation–but it fits the timeline and placement.
I would think the authorities have considered whether loiterers (including homeless) have been living or hanging out in that patch of woods near the dumpsters behind Food of All Nations at the railroad tracks. It’s telling that her belongings were found near to where she was last seen. What is this “limited interaction in the RV lot (where her pruse was later found). Why would she get off the road to walk into a grassy lot bounded by trees and shrubs?
One possibility would be Trainhoppers. For a number of years there has been a small community of folks who came through town via the rails(allegedly) and hang out on the Downtown Mall, at a local diner, and possibly other places. Staff at Foods have remarked about vagrants(for lack of a better word) hanging out in the woods back there. These folks would not look all that out of place at a Metallica show, and might even be attracted to a large concert as a place to do business of all sorts(speculation).
Could she have been abducted near the tracks? There are tons of out of the way woods back there. Not to get too morbid, there are a half dozen or so dumpsters near there as well that are hidden from view. Police are likely trying to find out what they can about that community, and even possibly investigating where and when the dumpsters were emptied. These folks likely would have not acted solo, would have gotten out of town quick, and would likely never return.
I hate to think about that kind of thing happening here or anywhere, but abduction by these types–possibly to rob, fits some of the narrative we have so far–too many missing pieces to fill in.
Also–the progress says she was last seen at the intersection, while most other accounts have a last sighting on the bridge. News crews were all over that bridge at 12:30 or so today–after the press conference.
Well, to play armchair investigator…. this timeline tells me that one of the people that she was talking to in the RV lot took off after her once the “witnesses” left.
So the scenario would be that she chatted with RV lot tenant A, talked to RV lot tenant B, continued walking over the bridge as RV lot tenant B left the lot, RV lot tenant A left to go searching for her and found her walking on the bridge, perhaps offered her a ride, she got in the vehicle because she had just chatted with them, they did whatever they did with her back at the lot, dumped her purse, and left the lot.
I’m unfamiliar with that area or that lot… is there a way to determine the tenants of the RV lot on that night? (It would seem to me that she wouldn’t have gone back to the RV lot with.. or gotten in a vehicle with… someone who was obviously homeless. RV Lot Tenant A would have to be a step up from that to gain even a little trust from her.)
Well, my thoughts anyway.
the sad thing is she had 4 directions to go if she left concert. if she went north, she would of ended up at barracks road center, and sat down with a coffee. go east and end up near the corner or student housing (might of hit some parties, but doubt anything more than that. could of sat at starbucks on corner). go west and end up in the grad school area which would have been empty. instead just horrible luck she goes south, past the sketchy RV lot, the train tracks and some shaddy shopping centers. the absolute worst of the 4 ways to go. sad sad sad.
Chouva–yeah–look what is back there. A BB&T branch that may not be open anymore, an abandoned restaurant(Cavalier Diner), a marginally sketchy 7-11, an office building that is closed at night(the tower across from the camera shop). About the only thing on that block that is even open at night is the 7-11–AND there are woods and train tracks back there. Alot of empty spaces(at least after dark)near that bridge and those tracks
There is also an apartment complex there–wonder if anyone there saw anything?
it’s great they are doing everything possible to find Morgan.
But why didn’t we see this level of attention when these guys recently went missing?
William Hurley
Dan Zamlen
Jelani Brinson
Ezra Milan
Chris Jenkins
Josh Guimond
Jesse Archer
Josh Szostak
I could name a hundred others.
I suspect you know why, anonymous.
I hope they find her soon. My heart goes out to her family,
She know the area, though, right? Since her brother had recently graduated from the University, I thought it had been well established that she wasn’t some clueless waif wandering the streets. Why then did she go off in the least of the desirable four directions. Makes me think she was not of full sound mind or was walking with a purpose, going to meet someone at a specific place
What makes no sense at all is that she left the venue area. It seems that whatever drew her away from the concert was more important to her than watching Metallica. In the case that she accidently ended up outside the arena (and could not re-enter) I would think that she would at least hang around to listen to the performance from outside.
Anonymous- it’s strange that you listed a group of men who’s bodies were found in rivers. Was this a coincedence?
I wish every missing person was given the same amount of press as others. That said, I hope Morgan is found soon. And safe.
I think her dad is right, maybe a local person did it and she will be found in the woods. I wonder if there is a link with the unsolved slain of a young couple from Virginia Tech last August. A serial killer at large?
WHY DIDN’T THEY LET HER BACK IN?
i am sick and tired of hearing excuses.
our children are drawn to these events, and the least they could do is THINK! THINK FOR GOD’S SAKE!
you turned AWAY a young girl at NIGHT in the middle of a drug infested parking lot!
WHY DIDN’T THE GUARDS CALL A SUPERVISDOR?
WHY DIDN’T THEY MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR A GIRL ALONE?
WHY WEREN’T THERE POLICE OUTSIDE?
WHY COULDN’T THE GUARDS ALLOW HER FRIENDS TO COME AND GET HER?
THIS IS INEXCUSABLE AND I AM TIRED OF OUR KIDS BEING OFERED AT THE ALTER OF “RULES!” SCREW THE RULES! YOU DON’T TURN AWAY A YOUNG GIRL FROM SAFETY!
quote: “SCREW THE RULES! YOU DON’T TURN AWAY A YOUNG GIRL FROM SAFETY!”
Well, obviously they do!
I blame John Paul Jones. Period!
you folks blaming the JPJ are nuts. if JPJ let a kid go out, get high, come back in and push a random fan down a flight of steps and break his neck, you’d blame the JPJ for letting a crazy high person back in the arena.
I hope this event will make every person reading these posts, especially young women, follow a few basic precautions when attending concerts and sporting events at large venues. Be aware of rules for specific concerts. If you don’t know, ask as you go through security what the policy is if you leave the facility. If you’re told no re-entry, then take that to mean NO RE-ENTRY under any circumstance. Stay within the confines of the arena. If you must leave or feel ill and need fresh air, check with security before exiting. Perhaps if there is a legitimate reason for exiting, they will make an exception to their policy if you return through the same door. I honestly do not understand how anyone would accidentally wander outside of an enclosed arena such as JPJ, but if it should happen and you are denied re-entry, stay near the main doors where it is well lit and security can see you. If they should say you can’t stay near the doors, create such a disturbance that they will have to call their superiors or the police. It would be better to be taken to the security office for the duration of the event or even arrested than to wander off into less than well lit parking lots where it’s hard to tell what types are just waiting for such an opportunity. It’s sad to say, but we live in a dangerous world populated with an ever increasing number of dangerous people. I’ve hoped otherwise, but it does seem more and more likely that this young lady met one of these dangerous people.
I’m not buying the lead regarding her being seen walking along Copeley and Ivy Rd. Why would she leave her cell phone and purse near the arena? If she were robbed and the thief left her purse and phone near the arena afterward, wouldn’t she try to get help instead of just walking away? People don’t just disappear! Let’s face it, she’s been abducted and murdered. Hmmm, purse = scent, scent = trail = search dogs. No trail = vehicle, not walking.
Nothing you say about what should have been done will fix this. The best thing for all to do with their time is to hope and pray for her safe return. Stop speculating; imagine if you were her parents and had to read what you all are writing. Cut it out, grow up. A young woman is missing for God’s sake.
Which SIDE of the bridge was she seen on? If she was on the side with the R/V lot, someone could have been near or under the bridge, abducted her, and left her purse in the r/v lot area. It is dark, surrounded by woods and train tracks with only closed shopping centers and what would be a mostly empty parking lot–plenty of cover for criminal activity.
I would be looking for evidence of activity under that bridge, trying to talk to members of the local unsheltered homeless community to see if anyone in that group has been acting unusually lately or has noticed anything, and to try to get a sense if there have been visits recently by the traveling homeless(I am sure there is a better word for that) that often visit our area. It also makes sense to use dogs to carefully search that entire wooded area behind the baseball field. They could also track where the trash in the dumpsters that serve those shopping centers went and use dogs to search through that(does it all go to Ivy before moving to a final destination?)
Just find her. The parents need to know what happened.
Where was her ticket stub?????? Was it in her purse??? Makes sense to me that her stub was in her purse and she had her purse..if not, maybe her friends had it and seems they could have met her at the door and talked the JPJ security into letting her back in..that is a big question..where is/was that stub..if it is in her purse, then, maybe she did not really want to get back in like maybe she was meeting someone..I am with you..If I got shut out, I would have hung out at the front door until my friends came out????
Here’s a missing link for me… a kid gets denied re-entry from a concert they couldn’t wait to see - for whatever reason she went out in the first place. What’s the first thing these kids do? Text, text, text. These kids live on the cell phone. If there was no way for re-entry, then after texting friends in the building, wouldn’t she have sent text messages to friends in C’Ville to pick her up? Text messages to friends saying how pissed off she was? Ask for a place to spend the night and line things up? etc. etc. Everyone is so connected these days there has to be a bigger trail on this. There are definitely too many missing details about this to make much sense from the outside looking in. Prayers for her safe return & peace to her parents and friends.
I agree, if I had accidently gotten outside from a concert I had been waiting to see forever, I would have raised enough ruckus for somebody to let me back in or like you say, had more contact with the friends to help me?? I am praying too. HOpe they find her safe soon.
To many unanswered questions about this. I have to agree with the texting comments. If she got locked out she would be texting and calling friends to help her out. I wouldn’t have left the building. I would have parked myself in front of the building and not left. There is more to this story. We may never know what happend.
If I some how got outside and I have waited months to listen to that band I don’t think I would have left to go use a bathroom as they were just starting. How many girls do you know that go to the bathroom alone????? If I did and somehow got outside by mistake, I would maybe of bought another ticket to get back in (they were not sold out) and I would of been pissed. I would not have left that easy. When they found the purse her ID was not in her purse and her cell phone battery was gone…ummm. Maybe she needed her ID for what ever plan she has made and took her cell battery so that any text’s she does can’t be traced. As seen in her pics the opening band was her fav. she has posters of them hanging on her walls. Did they talk to those band members….maybe her plan was to go outside and meet them after they performed..To many things sound like a plan, oh and supposedly the friends that were with her that night would not even talk to police or anyone about it until 3 days later, I guess they all had to get the story straight…..
the friends hold the clue to this thing, particularly the JMU group.
I don’t understand why the battery would be gone from her cell phone, but if the CHIP was removed, that would destroy some records on the phone itself. It’s easy to be cynical in a world where parents claim their 6 year old went up in a balloon, etc. Still, I hope we can learn lessons from this to tighten up security as it relates to our own families, and I pray that the Harrington family will find peace (and that Morgan will be found unharmed - I’m still hopeful).
A thought.
I was thinking the very same thing. I think this girl had this planned for months to meet someone and yes from the opening band that was there that night. It all is very very strange and i think her friends know very well where she is and now are very well in over their heads in this. I think they need to look in this direction and they will find their answers
I think that if at any point her friends were in on some sort of conspiracy–that would have unraveled by now. There is too much at stake, too much pressure and attention–from police, their families and friends, and the media, to keep any sort of plot together. At this point, if they were lying, the police would have let them know that withholding information or outright lying could possibly be construed as obstruction of justice, conspiracy of some sort, and any host of other consequences.
My guess is that her friends are as freaked out and puzzled about this as anyone. I would bet they are telling the truth–though we may not know all of the story yet. The part I don’t get is why she left the arena in the first place–but it appears it was a mistake and she tried to get back in–as implausible as that sounds.
Also–if it is true that she did not have her ticket stub, we can put to rest any hypothetical “She would have been ok if the arena had a re-entry policy” Under any re-entry policy anywhere in the world–she would have needed her ticket stub. You can debate the relevant merits of the policy in general and which policy is more or less secure–but it wouldn’t have factored in to this situation–especially if the stub was lost. And to pre-empt–no policy could allow a friend to bring you your ticket stub from inside the arena while you were outside–there would be no way to monitor who was trying to pass out stubs–a practice now often prevented by ticket scanning.
At least glad the State Police are on the case, instead of the Keystone UVA Koppers. Don’t get me wrong, they can write a mean ticket for doing the California Roll through a Stop sign on campus. Maybe the perp will slip up and run a Stop sign and get caught that way.
Morgan, if you are reading this, just please call your parents or brother and let them know you are ok. Whatever you chose to do that night is not worth putting your loving family thru so much worry, fear and dispair. They love you,it’s obvious and would not care what you chose to do as long as your are safe and ok. Please contact them , if you are able to.
If there is anyone else out there who knows where she is.. you owe it to Morgan to call her family and tell them. They desrves that and so does Morgan. Please end this hurting now and phone the Harringtons and tell them where their daughter is.
girls dont go the restroom by themselves! Never happens. Either they got into an argument with one another (doubtful) or the 2 other girls knew Morgan was going to meet someone or do something they didnt approve of.
if girls dont go the restroom alone, they sure dont allow their friends to be alone outside at her dream concert. the friends know why she went outside, and I assume that the detectives now know why she left. Finally, assume she really did “accidentily” leave, would she have walked off in the darkest, scariest direction. THis place is not in the middle of no where. very suspicious. Others need to be forthcoming.
I am a Brazilian forensic astrologer and I guess Morgan entered into the car that took her away by her free will. I think she was killed and raped. The police must look in the bushes near the Rivanna Reservoir or the Charlottesville Reservoir, even into the waters
Who seen her on the bridge? Are they sure it was her there? If it was not her then maybe she did disappear in the parking lot? I just wish something would come to light of this situation.
I hope that the cops are checking not only the regular “roadies” for all three bands but also checking the local Union Halls as often times when a band comes in to a town ther is often times help summoned from local Unions, pipefitters, carpenters, electricians to help with the “set up”. Have police checked theese local Union Halls to find out if any workers were helping with the set up? Also note that EVERY member of the road crews for all three bands should be checked out and interviewed, as they would be the ones by any “alternate door” that Morgan would have undoubtedly tried on a chilly night with no coat on.”Roadies” also party in their semi trucks and or RVs etc. DURING the shows if their job was only “set up” and “tear down”.
Why don’t the police interview all 42,000 citizens of the city of Charlottesville, one-by-one? Danm it!!!………..Sorry. Got carried away there. :)
“We believe that what happened from 8:30 to 9:30 is very relevant,” Rader said, adding that subsequent info is also important. “Nothing is too trivial.
The police say that nothing is too trivial, yet the public has been told almost nothing about her! The police are not trying very hard to help the public find her. If we knew more about her, it would help us find her, I believe!
It would help us know things like:
Was she taking any psychiatric medications?
What psychiatric medications was she taking?
Had she ever attempted suicide?
Had she ever been convicted of a felony?
Had she ever dated anyone who had been convicted of a felony?
Had anyone ever stalked her?
What is her GPA?
Have her grades been going well? Getting better? Getting worse?
You can’t blame the public for wanting to know: anything might help people in their search!
I was at the concert, and while I didn’t know Morgan but there is not a minute that goes by that I’m not thinking about her. I pray to God that they find her soon. There are so many questions that remain and yes it is frustrating with the lack of information being given. Hopefully in the end Lt. Joe Rader will be able to explain why they had to give the impression they are not doing all we feel they should be doing, I hope so anyway……and (helen) while I agree they should have let her back in, the question still remains, why did she go outside? Why did she walk away from the arena area? Why didn’t she call her parents, why didn’t she go buy another ticket? Why didn’t she have her friends come and help her get back in? None of it makes sense, that’s what is driving everyone crazy. One more thing Helen, I take exception to your “drug infested parking lot” comment. Not everyone that goes to a rock concert is on drugs.
As long as we stay united on this and keep asking questions, law enforcement will have to answer. Doing this will make sure that Morgan is not forgotten.
I AGREE THE FRIENDS NIGHT KNOW MORE THEN THEY SAY THEY DO You notice you dont see them on tv crying for a missing friend you havent seen or heard anything from them then the mom gives a lame excuse that they need ro focus on their classes something is amiss here
There is absolutely no reason the public needs to know answers to questions Nelson posed. The authorities, certainly, but the public, no. If I were her parents and even thought such information would be released, I would be talking to my attorney right away. Just because Morgan is missing does not mean that she is no longer entitled to privacy. What possible reason other than the need for sensationalism would anyone think this information should be made public?
Was there a train going under that bridge at roughly that hour? Could she have fallen into a coal bin? I know that must sound crazy, but oddball accidents do happen, and if she was sen on that bridge, and then gone–could a freak incident have occurred? Have the trains been checked?
How did she get the abrasion on her face? Was she drinking at the concert? It would help to know if this is a completely sober person walking about or someone maybe a bit tipsy.
Why did she not have a ticket stub? Who had her stub?
What was in the purse? Was there any money or anything of value in it?
I am really bothered by the fact that she did not have her ticket stub. If I have waited months to see a fav band then I am going to save my ticket stub. I am going to put it somewhere where it won’t get bent, wet, lost, etc. so that I have my concert rememberance.
The hook article published in the paper says that when Morgan and friends parked, she got out and asked the people parking next to them who the opening act was, and expressed some irrelevance about the group(s). Someone, thought they were named “opening act” commenting above, says that they think due to “her pics” that Morgan knew one of the opening acts, had posters of them on her wall. If true seems like a contradiction.
Other strange thing - why was the battery not in her cell phone and why was her ID missing. I have no idea what the stats are, but somehow I doubt that the average stolen purse is missing ID and the cell phone’s battery when recovered. No doubt the investigators have put a trace on any calls or texts made from her phone prior to the loss of battery. Speculation but, only reasons I can think of for removing battery are phone needs to be reset due to malfunction, or someone does not want the phone to be tracked down by the signal. Seems like a pretty bad bit of info.
maybe if the po po would release more info then people could help out more.
I mean I understand if there are clues that only the perp would know but for goodness sake, let a little bit more info go so we can find this girl!
Were her friends given drug tests? was drugs a cause of her maybe not having all cognitions available to use that night?
Please indulge me, I am compeeled to throw this out there for consideration. First and foremost, I hope this girl is O.K. and I imagine her family is living in torment.
many questions have been raised here. Where are the reporters, asking these questions? At this late date, are they still waiting for the authorities to cough up what details they (the authorities) believe won’t compromise the investigation? Time goes so slowly out here, for those watching this case from the sidelines. It is more than morbid curiosity that holds us.
It is scary to think someone may have had her in a car in the next lane of traffic from us, or that someone may still be out there, among us. Perhaps it is something more sinister - bigger and organized? In any case, and at some point, we (the public) deserve to know more, so that whatever needs to change - and so we can hold the authorities accountable to do so. Hey, those video cameras proposed for downtown are starting to sound like a better idea all of sudden, aren’t they?
What changes? From the scant info we have now, it might be that we should clean up the woods behind Foods of All Nations - and I mention the business name because I understand that the homeless lving in tents behind the old Terrace Theatre near KMart couldn’t be charged with tresspass unless the property owner filed a complaint - could that be true?, start documenting who these transients are that move with impunity through our town (read the interview with a few of the “trainspotters” in a Hook article from a couple of years ago - it is chilling! remember the recent story of the tryst on a rooftop in downtown - and they got off, unidentified, and scot free?), tighter watch on convicted sex offenders living among us (the news from Cleveland is just horrific, and the recent story of offenders here, hanging out near the carousel so we need to declare it a park to legally keep them from congregating there - is this actually true? wth?).
Not talking about infringing on other people’s rights so much as protecting our own rights - touchy subject, to be sure, but apropos considering we hope this girl is found BUT we also want to be sure it can’t happen to US and our families.
This couple who were shot just blocks from downtown a few nights ago - when “further details” were published, it didn’t provide much substantive info, imo. Is it really that unsafe? Are we supposed to let them have everything south of Water Street if we can’t hold it anyway? I insist that this is not off the topic - I’m talking about taking back the night - shouldn’t we have some expectation of personal safety? Did this girl do anything so terrible that she only got more than she bargained for?
I have my own conclusions about what happened. Check this link:http://trialimagestore.com/article_traumatic_brain_injury.html
If you take the time to study this article and everything that has been released to the general public in regard to the timeline, her actions and the apparent “slip or fall” that is consistent with the blood on her chin that was reported by witnesses you will surmise that Morgan suffered some kind of cognitive problem and became confused and disoriented.
Prior to reading this article I thought that only persons with severe blunt trauma can be affected but here it states “Many patients with mild to moderate head injuries who experience cognitive deficits become easily confused or distracted and have problems with concentration and attention. They also have problems with higher level, so-called executive functions, such as planning, organizing, abstract reasoning, problem solving, and making judgments”
Again, if you take the time to study the article and the facts surrounding her disappearance, you will note that “More severe forms of TBI occur in situations where the human head undergoes sudden changes in velocity, resulting in Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)” This means and it is the most common kind of TBI, that your head does not need to be split wide open or even show any kind of wound or bleeding, but that the actual deceleration/acceleration of your head when you fall can cause trauma and symptoms. And again there are numerous cases of how the injury symptoms manifest and how sudden or severe the onset begins.
This to me is the most plausible explanation as to why:
1.Morgan would leave the concert hall minutes before Metallica was scheduled to go play when it was reported she had purchased the tickets months in advance and had been very excited to see them.
2.Why she was sighted in and around the stadium and parking lots and bridge kind of wandering around aimlessly.
3.Why she would be so vague and nebulous about how she would get home?
4. Why she was sighted on the bridge even though her purse was found with “no visible signs of struggle” in a field a some distance from the bridge. If the sighting is correct, she would have(or her abductor)would have had to backtrack to the field and leave her purse after picking her up on the bridge?
5.And just in general her behavior seems odd and inconsistent with what her parents reported she was like.
This does not explain what happened to her after the bridge? Was she picked up? abducted or just wandered somewhere absent mindedly? But I do think it sheds some light on her behavior prior to he last sighting.
The one question that continually nags at me is why didn’t her friends just leave the stage and open the door for Morgan or show the attendant at the door her ticket? Something! I know they keep asking themselves that too. If you are under the influence of any drugs or alcohol, you would not have the where-with-all to rationalize if something seemed wrong. I’ve been there before.
Which leads to my next question…if Morgan had been so excited about the concert why would she have just left? This does not make since. I believe, if anything, she was forced to call her friends and say she was leaving. Probably had a gun to her head. Phone battery was taken to disarm any cell phone pings and to prevent Morgan from using her phone secretly. Seen at U-Haul lot, but not necessarily “with” others means that there were people near her. Spotted in the RV lot with “limited interaction”, at this point, under the control of her attacker who is threatening her life again. She may have acted suspicious to the witnesses she somewhat interacted with. I wonder if the witness said she acted suspicious? Didn’t say anything? Had a worried look on her face? Looked upset?
Any of these areas would also be a great dark, secluded area to park any vehicle they may have been in. Possibly she made it to the bridge because she was let go (her attackers did not want to cause a scene in front of those who she had limited interaction with), or she broke away, and then her attackers found her again or decided they should not have let her go. Sadly, they find her again on the bridge, and this is where the mystery goes cold.
My Scooby Doo best guess. I hope she is found alive and well enough to get some help and continue on. I pray for Morgan Harrington and family, and ALL of the others who are missing.
i don’t understand how her friends could have just left her there, in 42 degree weather, when her friends went out side and got in there car did they try to text her, were u at, she not responding, let me try her, they all try, then call her parents and ask if they her from her. you know,
The gun-to-her-head theory that she was forced to call her friends seem unlikely to me. She was outside, many, many minutes away from her friends, in a location unknown to her friends (they thought she was in the bathroom) Pulling out a gun and holding it to someone’s head in the middle of a parking lot while they make a phone call lasting up to a minute or more seems like an unnecessary risk given the circumstances. To me it would seem that there was no need to have her make any phone call.
In terms of her going outside when she was so excited about this particular show, she may have wanted to go outside for a drink (she was not 21 therefore could not drink inside) or smoke (yes, I know there is a smoking section inside but she may have wanted a little space for whatever reason). As she was leaving she was probably warned that there was a no re-entry policy. Being young, good-looking and self-assured she could have thought “ok, whatever, I’ll find a way back in” not taking the policy seriously and with a youth-induced inflated sense of confidence thought she could sweet-talk or flirt her way back in.
I think it is right to question why she went outside, however, I do think it is a possibility that she willingly went outside and had every intention of getting back in- policy or no policy. Only once she was out did she discover that JPJ sticks to the rules and found out she was stuck. The entire investigation shouldn’t focus on this one detail.
The reason for the forced call to her friends is because she knew her attacker. The attacker knew her friends would wonder where she is, and they would come looking for her. He/she wanted to make sure there was enough time for them to do what they wanted to do with Morgan so they made her call her friends. Remember, there was a witness who thinks she saw Morgan. There was physical contact with the two she saw. A struggle. Of course the phone call lasted up to a minute or more. I know her friends at least tried to figure out why she wasn’t coming back inside. Also, the time of her call and the place where her purse was dropped did not necessarily happen at the same time. Obviously she was able to call before the battery was tossed. Which raises another question…has the cell phone battery been found, and if so, where?
&S E&W, with 1/2 she could be 50 miles a way, and they search all around that area, morgan went from a good time, to bad to worse, fast, the time is short and tight and now its in the 3rd week. my heart feels for the family and for her,
shempdaddy, really enjoy your posts. KEEP THINKING. KEEP POSTING.
amateursleuth- I would also add a TMJ injury can disorient someone. If the injury was her chin/jaw, maybe slipped as she was climbing stairs and hit her chin, I could see how she could appear off balance, have a raging headache where the noise of the concert suddenly bothered her, and she headed for the restroom. She would still be able to speak with folks. I speak from FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE!
Here is what is really BUGGING me. THE UVA connection to it all. I don’t mean any disrespect. But really, campus police have ZERO business as lead in any missing person case! WHO OWNS John Paul Jones Arena? And doesn’t Morgan’s dad work for UVA? What a HORRIBLE position to find oneself! When Taylor Behl disappeared her mom hired an attorney and forced the hand of VCU. What are the Harringtons to do?
This case has been botched from the start - the horrible first press release done by UVA campus police. Then instead of handing it off to Charlottesville or County Sheriff who should be best law enforcement in that specific town, who comes in the STATE POLICE, Lt. Rader. And his work so far leaves MUCH that I hope many Criminal Justice scholars will examine and publish in the furture! No actual complete description (how was she wearing her hair, t-shirt long sleeved or short, heels or flats), CAR…, her car KEYS, WHAT TYPE OF PHONE (battery was missing right?), when did they arrive? where did they park? where was her seats? and CAMERAS inside and out - does anyone buy she is not on camera at all after the release, finally, of the timeline. ANYONE ELSE have a icky feeling about how the first release stated Morgan was last seen NEAR JPJ Center and the timeline made the last known sighting on that bridge - even though her purse was found in the RV lot? One press conference she called her friend, next her friend called her. Don’t they have the phone records by now?
I have waited since Oct 18th to see evidence LE have done a grid search. Still see no evidence it was done. No fund is needed for LE to do their job! No peep either of sexual offenders being cleared. No sign of FBI or local LE during any of the news conferences. Lt. Rader even made a point of saying the FBI was helping with out of state matters. Begs the question, have the lead investigators hamstrung the FBI? It appears to me as if the State Police and UVA are tightly holding the reins of this case. And considering Morgan is still missing, it is time to turn the reins over imo. Somer Thompson,Olamide Adeyooye, and Taylor Behl and others were found because TASK FORCES were set up right away with experienced missing person trained officers in control.
I don’t understand the purpose of the fund. I keep hoping a big deal attorney with ability to practice in VA steps and/or some really heavy hitting investigative media turns up the heat to help this family and help find Morgan. I believe the Harringtons are in such a horrible position. This is the first case I can recall (and I have followed missing person cases for over twenty years) where the missing person’s family has direct relationships with those leading the investigation and who owns the facility where the missing was last seen (and apparently suffered an injury).
Well put Veracity. There is FBI available for most situations. I mean, ALL agents are unavailable for three weeks now, get real?! They either know something, or they are selfish police officers wanting to find her themselves for the glory. This is not about glory. This is about a life. I would not want this case to turn into a media frenzy like the Caylee Anthony, or Haleigh Cummings case in Florida did, but give the public something to go on so they can help. There have been many situations where the “public” have had the missing puzzle piece in a crime.
One more thing…Does Mr. Harrington see patients? Would he have pictures of Morgan in his office? Have any of those patients noted to Mr. Harrington how pretty she is or something similar? I’m sure the police have asked these questions, or at least I hope so.
I feel odd posting this but I have often had intuitions about people before or after they have died. I have flashed to a picture of her lying on the ground in a woodsy area a couple of times. I feel a strong resonance with Antonio’s comments–I think he may be correct and I hope that these areas have been searched.
I know this sounds “hokie” — no pun intended — but sometimes I get “feelings.” I am a parent and brought my teenager and their friend to the concert from outside the Richmond area. I got a strange feeling at the Lewis & Clark statue when I drove by it around 9:00 PM that night. Since Morgan’s disappearance, I keep hearing the word “portage” — in fact, I even spoke with someone today who lives in “Portage” in another state. After reading the post about the Rivanna Reservoir, I googled it. I’m not familiar with the area. When I read about the Woolen Mills Dam, I got a bad feeling, especially when I read that you have to “portage” around the dam if you’re canoeing on the river. I hope someone will search that area. I’ve never felt she was still around the arena, and that the “friends” absolutely know more than is being released, especially that one of the “nine” makes the statement to the media “this is just the worst experience EVER” — best friends do NOT just let another one of their group find their own way home from Charlottesville, and then drive her car home — My prayers go with Morgan and her family.
1. It doesn’t make sense that Morgan went to the bathroom by herself, left the arena, didn’t have her stub or ask her friends to meet her at the door with it (not that JPJ should have let her back in either way), try to get back in for longer than fifteen minutes, or left the area and her car with her friends when all she had to do was find a warm place to wait out the concert.
2. She was cold. Reports say that she had short sleeves and the weather was 40-something degrees and misty.
3. She was not thinking clearly for whatever reason, and she was possibly not in 100% control of her faculties hence the fall that caused the cut on her chin. This may also have been the reason that she let someone else drive her car to the concert and retain her keys. Maybe her friends were in a similar state and that’s why they’re not talking or didn’t really come to her aid as they might have done if they were in complete control.
4. Therefore, I think the train coal car theory has merit, especially if she were cold and looking for a way back to VT. Maybe, if her reasoning ability was compromised, she thought, “I should jump on this train since it’ll take me somewhere.” I don’t really know either area, but are there train tracks on/near the VT campus that might lead her to reason that jumping a train would be a good choice? Call me crazy, but I’d rather attribute her disappearance to bad judgment on her part than believe that there are bad people everywhere looking for prey.
I hope she’s found soon.
AmateurSleuth #2,
the train idea is an interesting theory, but I have to tell you that boarding even a slow moving train is quite a difficult task.
Then again I think anything is possible right about now.
Signed,
Amateur Sleuth #1
She was last seen hitchiking on the bridge over the railroad tracks.. Those same railroad tracks lead into Roanoak where she lives, and where a female body (suspected suicide) was found at the railroad tracks. It seems logical to me that she was drunk and/or high, leaned over the bridge to look at the train or vomit, and fell. It’s possible the train carried or dragged her several miles. It could even be possible that without a ride she decided to hop the train, rode it into Roanoak, and killed herself jumping off. It’s NOT that difficult to board a slow moving train Amateur! A girl in her physical condition could have easily hopped it. I’m willing to bet that this female is identified as Morgan. Really, really sad!
HAHA.. I just read that they’ve confirmed it isn’t her! I’m delighted it’s not.. Guess that proves I’m not psychic! LMAO
This is morbid, but could it be possible that she somehow managed to get down to the train tracks? I’ve known plenty of friends who like to walk along them, hang out, etc. Could she have gone there with the two or three guys she was seen with- maybe she was struck?
My thoughts and prayers are with the Harrington family. I really hope in my heart of hearts that she is safe.
a young woman is worth up to 10,000 on the black market. popular stereotype is a foreign girl comes here illegally for work and finds herself sold as a slave. but fact is more american citizens, women and children and adolescents mostly, are trafficked into sexual slavery in this country than foreigners. often runaways or homeless are targeted but sometimes victims are just snatched off the street. their id and phones are taken away and they are “broken” and kept under constant guard, and no longer are able to try to escape. i’m not blaming the victim. just saying, this is one of the fastest growing criminal activities in the world. youngsters are hunted and sold like livestock. think hard and carefully about where, when and how you or your loved ones travel alone. would you walk anywhere alone if you had a 10,000 bounty on your head? i wouldn’t, if i could help it. if this info keeps one person safe then that’s all i want.
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