Morgan Dana Harrington -- Found Deceased 1/26/10

This sounds so gruesome, my heart goes out to her parents that this has happened to their daughter, their little girl, their baby.

From above:
Today Morgan's parents also revealed the killer severely battered the student before her death. They said the damage to her skeleton was horrifying.

"This Charlottesville man hurt Morgan Harrington enough to break her bones before he murdered her. I cannot get the image of Morgan's shattered bones out of my mind."

‘Take Back the Night’ rally tonight at Virginia Tech to honor Morgan Harrington

By Candice Nelson
WSLS10 Reporter



10 On Your Side’s Ashely Roberts will be covering the rally. She’ll bring you the tributes to Morgan Harrington, tonight on WSLS at 11:00 p.m.

BLACKSBURG - Tonight, Virginia Tech students are holding a Take Back the Night march in support of women who have been sexually assaulted.

People hung T-shirts at the drill field with mesages protesting violence against women.

The rally symbolizes community support so women should not have to fear being alone at night.

This year, the rally is dedicated to Morgan Harrington, the Virginia Tech student found dead after leaving a Metallica concert.

“They just wanted to dedicate it to her. It’s kind of in loving memory and just something special that makes it different than the past years,“ said Emily Hanssen.

http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/new_river_valley/article/take_back_the_night_rally_tonight/89166/

Dan and Gil Harrington Respond to Planned Protest Against Morgan

A Kansas-based religious group plans to protest murdered Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington later this month. Morgan's parents respond to the impending protest with a statement deploring the group as "evil."

Posted: 10:11 PM Apr 1, 2010
Reporter: Jessica Jaglois

The parents of murdered Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington speak out about a planned protest against their daughter. In an email sent out Thursday, Dan and Gil Harrington deplore the Westboro Baptist Church, calling them "evil."

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church, a controversial religious group who is best known for protesting military funerals, plan to protest in Blacksburg against Virginia Teach and Morgan Harrington on April 9th.

The group says on their website, they will picket Virginia Tech because Morgan Harrington's murder was a message from God.

"God sent the killer because of your proud sin!" Reads the Westboro website. "God is cursing you by killing those same children that you have lied to all their lives. VA Tech was just GodSmacked (sic) --another of your students murdered -- and you still refuse to heed and obey the standards of God. Woe unto you! "

Dan and Gil Harrington responded with the following statement:

"As you may know the Westboro Baptist Church, which we do not consider a church at all but a group of domestic terrorists, has chosen to target our murdered daughter Morgan Harrington with a hate rally in Blacksburg on 4/9/10. Yes there is evil in the world and this latest strike from it is painful and disturbing, but nothing compared to the death blow we have just survived. I don't understand how this evil gathering, which clearly appears to be a political entity, can cloak themselves in religiosity and thereby gain constitutional protection and financial indemnity.

I am not courageous enough to be one that seeks out evil in the world to vanquish it, but I am not cowardly enough to turn my back on it and run either. When evil like the WBC presents you must face it and keep your eye on it as you attempt to neutralize its poison.

We will not let this petty evil topple us. We will shine the light and dispel the darkness of intimidation and domestic terrorism. We will continue to work for good, as caregivers, as educators, as advocates, feeding the poor, washing their feet, and binding their wounds. We will not be diverted from these tasks we have taken on in Morgan's honor. We will not allow Morgan's killer to erase her from the world nor these petty thugs to poison her legacy.

Darkness must always give way to the light. We will prevail."

http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/89744282.html

Morgan Harrington's father reacts to controversial group's protest

April 8, 2010

A controversial church group plans to be in Blacksburg Friday to picket Virginia Tech, and a counter demonstration will move onto campus.

Members of Westboro Baptist Church claim God cursed Tech and sent the shooter on April 16th, 2007.

The group informed the town they'll be at three locations: outside the Jewish Community Center, along Main Street and in front of Blacksburg Middle School.

A positive counter demonstration is set for noon at the Graduate Life Center Plaza.

Blacksburg Police say they've done extensive planning to protect everyone. Extra officers will be on duty.

News7's Justin McLeod has learned Morgan Harrington's father plans to be there Friday. The family has heard Westboro Baptist Church plans to be there because of Morgan Harrington's death.

Her father told News7 by phone Thursday he has seen posters on the group's website involving his daughter that he finds appalling and disturbing.

Morgan Harrington is the Virginia Tech student who went missing after a Metallica concert at UVA's John Paul Jones arena in October.

Her remains were found several months later in a field just outside of Charlottesville.

Harrington's family can't believe Westboro Baptist Church plans to make Morgan the focus of its protests.

"Very upsetting to a family that lost their daughter to murder five and half weeks ago. They plan to be at Virginia Tech tomorrow to protest a number of things including the fact Morgan Harrington's death was deserved, and again, how would any family feel when you hear those kinds of comments made?," said Dan Harrington.

He plans to be at the counter protests on campus Friday, but he doesn't plan on engaging the group.

There has been that argument that people should just ignore this group. News7's Justin McLeod asked Dan Harrington about that and will have his response tonight on News7 at 10 & 11.

http://www.wdbj7.com/global/story.asp?s=12279783

More evidence released in Morgan Harrington case

Thursday, April 15, 2010; 6:16 PM
by Liana Bayne, news reporter

As Virginia State Police continue to investigate the death of former Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, more evidence continues to surface.

Information about the clothing Harrington wore the night of her disappearance on Oct. 17, 2009 was confirmed today for the first time.

It had been reported that she was wearing a black t-shirt with the band name “Pantera” written on it in tan lettering.

A Charlottesville resident found that shirt on Nov. 11 near the intersection of 15th Street and Grady Avenue, about eleven mile from the farm where Harrington’s body was found on Jan. 26, and about one mile from the John Paul Jones Arena — the last place she was seen before her disappearance.

State police have pursued almost 1,000 leads in Harrington’s case so far and are still encouraging people to call their tip line at 434-977-4000. A $150,000 reward is available for information leading to Harrington’s murderer.

http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/15387/more-evidence-released-in-morgan-harrington-case

Billboard Asks for Missing Piece in Harrington Murder

Posted: 5:26 PM Jun 1, 2010
Reporter: Liz Palka



The family of Morgan Harrington is putting up a request for tips in the case, and it's hard to miss.

People driving down High Street in Charlottesville will see a new billboard with Morgan's picture, reminding them her murderer is still on the loose.

The billboard went up on Tuesday morning. The billboard space is one that the Charlottesville Newsplex rents, but the Newsplex donated the billboard space to the Harringtons because all other spots were sold out.

"They wanted to get the billboard up there as soon as possible to get the reward information out there again," said Cindy Semer of Lamar Advertising.

"We're most appreciative of this latest kindness in a multitude of blessings that we have had from the community," Gil Harrington, Morgan's mother, said in a phone interview with CBS19 on Tuesday.

Dan and Gil Harrington said they want to accomplish two things with the eye-catching sign.

"We want to instigate awareness of safety in the Charlottesville community," Gil Harrington said. "And we also want to promote that awareness for people to give information on any suspicious behavior or information they have of the night of Morgan's abduction."

In the eight and a half months since Morgan's disappearance and death, her case has been a puzzle. The Harringtons say there's still a missing piece.

"That is what we need. We need one piece to make all of this click together and come into focus and for us to have an arrest," Gil Harrington said.

That missing piece could be key in bringing justice for the Harringtons and finding the person who took her life.

If you have information about Morgan Harrington's case, call the tip line at 434-352-3467.

http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/95355919.html

Petition seeks video from night Morgan Harrington disappeared

WSLS News Staff
June 16, 2010

ROANOKE - An internet petition has been started over surveillance video from the night that Morgan Harrington disappeared.

The website ‘thepetitionsite.com’ lists the FindMorgan.com website, as well as ‘Friends & Concerned Citizens in the case of Morgan Harrington’ as the petition’s sponsors.

The petition calls for UVA and State Police to publicly release all surveillance video from the John Paul Jones Arena area from the night of October 17, 2009. That’s the night of the Metallica concert where Morgan was last seen at.

Previously, investigators have said that the surveillance video did not show Morgan.

As of 5:40 p.m. on Wednesday, 143 people had signed the petition.

You can check out the petition by clicking here.

http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/internet_petition_trying_to_get_surveillance_video_from_night_morgan_harrin/106138/

So did I miss something? Does Morgan's family think the surveillance video will show something they haven't been made aware of? And is the reason for the petition because UVA/State doesn't want the video released?

It looks like Morgan's parents want to verify that LE is correct when they say she is not on any security video from the night she disappeared.
Here is how the petition is worded:

Where is Morgan? Public Demands Answers from JPJ Arena

Morgan Dana Harrington was abducted near or around the John Paul Jones Arena, a facility operated and maintained by The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. She was there that night for a Metallica concert. Months later, poor Morgan was discovered brutally murdered in a field on a farm in Albermale County, Virginia. As of the moment, Law Enforcement, Virginia State Police and the FBI have no suspects of POI's in custody.

By many witness accounts, Morgan was at JPJ arena the night on October 17, 2009, and at some point ended up outside the arena. One would think, with "state of the art" security in place, Ms. Harrington would have been captured on security video. Both the venue and law enforcement have told the public that there is no video of Ms. Harrington from the evening of October 17th.

We seek two outcomes for this petition:
1 - Explain why in such a state of the art facility there alledgedly is no video of Morgan Harrington.
2 - We request they (JPJ/UVA) release all the video from that night to the general public so we can view it and verify there is none of Morgan.

Thank you for your help.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/help-find-morgan

Thanks, J4A.... I understand now.

J4A,
Thanks for keeping this stroy alive...

I think its a great idea.. Too bad parents wishes cant be honored without having to go and fight for things in courts..

I think its a great idea.. Even if she is not on the tape, one person cud see someone, who was not supposed to be there .... I cant see how it cud hurt..yes it cud bring dead end leads but it cud also bring good ones to lead them to her killer.,... MAny ppl will now get to view this where 2 heads are better than one at least in this case..

Morgan Harrington’s parents worry public becoming complacent

By Ted Strong
Media General News Service
Published: June 18, 2010

The parents of Morgan D. Harrington, the woman killed sometime after leaving a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia in October, are worried that people are growing complacent.

“We keep coming to Charlottesville because we’re concerned for the community,“ said her mother, Gil Harrington. “Nothing else can happen to us. Our daughter has already been killed. But there are other young women there.“

The Virginia State Police continue to give the family weekly updates that are cautiously optimistic, Morgan Harrington’s father, Dan, said.

He said the state police have been upfront about the fact that they don’t have much to say during homicide investigations.

“This is not a group that gives much information out,“ he said.

As a result, he and his wife have been largely leading the charge for publicity, he said.

“It’s a dance between pushing attention and exhausting people’s short attention spans and trying to motivate the police and also not wanting to offend ... and also limited resources of time and energy that everyone has,“ Gil Harrington said.

She said that the parents feel a “moral imperative” to keep warning of the danger a killer could pose until there is an arrest.

They’ve also been speaking to groups, particularly about campus violence, and raising funds for a memorial scholarship in honor of their daughter and an educational building in Africa that’s to be named for her.

State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said that tips from the public are still trickling in and that public awareness does help state police in the efforts to unravel what happened.

But she attributed the agency’s relative silence in recent months in part to the shift from a missing persons case to a homicide investigation, which happened after Harrington’s remains were found in an Albemarle County pasture in January. Police fear giving out details will make it harder to convict anyone they arrest, she said.

“Now we have a homicide investigation, so we do have to be more restricted and limited with the information,“ she said.

She added, “Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the beast when it comes to a homicide investigation.“

http://www2.starexponent.com/cse/news/local/article/morgan_harringtons_parents_worry_public_becoming_complacent/59361/

This family continues to amaze me with their class, and undoubtedly unmatched intelligence - the way they word their messages are unsurpassed - their messages are so vivid - the way they express themselves about Morgan makes her live on every day and the way they paint her killer makes me shudder in my inmost being. they have painstakingly pieced together the portrait of a killer - they have single handedly profiled their daughter's murderer - and why have they had to take on this monster themselves?? We have to speak out for victims - if Morgan did not have the parents she does, she would have long been forgotten, even by ppl as we are - seasoned crime bloggers - The Harringtons encourage me to keep bringing attention to cases like Morgan's - thru FB, thru blogging, thru emails, etc. However we can help - let's help. My prayers are will you dear Harrington family - I hope God richly rewards you for your efforts - you have no doubt protected many a life after Morgan's was taken.

Tish,

I so agree.. amazing inspiring ppl..

God Bless them!

Their continuous efforts continue to show what a great life Dana was privy too... They are definitley remarkable ppl!

Police link Virginia student slaying, 2005 sex assault

By the CNN Wire Staff
July 1, 2010 10:01 p.m. EDT







(CNN) -- Forensic evidence links the cases of a Virginia Tech student believed slain in October and the kidnapping and sexual assault of another woman four years earlier, state police announced Thursday.

The surviving victim was able to provide a description of her attacker to police, and detectives have begun circulating anew a sketch developed from her recollection. Investigators have asked the public to help find the suspect in that abduction, which took place in 2005 in Fairfax, Virginia, outside Washington.

The announcement is a new turn in the 2009 killing of Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old student at the Virginia Tech, and her parents told HLN's "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell" that they had mixed emotions about the news.

"It's hard to say that you're happy about an obscenity," her mother, Gil Harrington, said Thursday night. "But in effect, we were happy that we were one step closer to finding and apprehending this vicious predator and getting him off the streets."

Harrington's father, Roanoke psychiatrist Dr. Dan Harrington, said the emergence of a suspect's sketch has made him angry, "maybe for the first time."

"Obviously, we know Morgan was murdered, but it was an abstraction," he said. "There was no one that you could put a face to. But today, there's the concrete picture of this man, and it seems to me that for the first time, anger became way more of a prominent emotion for me."

Harrington disappeared October 17 after a rock concert at the college's Charlottesville campus, and her skeletal remains were found by a nearby farmer in January.

Virginia state police did not disclose details of the forensic evidence that links her case to the attack in Fairfax, about 80 miles away. But the Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, said the cases are linked by a DNA match.

Police warn that because the sketch is five years old, the person it depicts may have changed his appearance.

Gil Harrington, a nurse, said her daughter's case shows that "the social framework that views women as prey" needs to be changed.

"It is something that I think you have to start from young ages with children, that you're training them not to beat up and not to act out," she said. "But you would think in 2010 that we would be working on issues of cherishing and upholding each other in relationships rather than can we just stop hurting each other. But unfortunately, that's where we're stuck. We have to disallow it."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/01/virginia.slain.student/

For a while now, the Harringtons have said they believe their daughter's murder was done by a serial offender - and it looks as if they were spot on - good for them - they have just suprised me with their strength and stability thru this whole process - I pray that they are closer now than ever to justice for their daughter.

The Harringtons have always amazed me by their strength and grace even through the horrific murder of their beautiful and beloved daughter. I can only hope I would conduct myself with such grace given the same circumstances. I pray I never find out.

The A's should take note......

Police investigating 50-plus tips in Morgan Harrington case

By Rex Bowman | The Roanoke Times
Friday, July 02, 2010



State police say the sketch they released Thursday of a man forensically linked to both Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington’s death and the 2005 sexual assault of another woman in Fairfax has elicited more than 50 tips from all over the nation.

State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said the tips have come in the form of e-mails and phone calls, and investigators are now prioritizing them.

Harrington, a 20-year-old Roanoke County resident, disappeared from a Metallica concert in Charlottesville on Oct. 17. Her body was found in a field of an Albemarle County farm in January.

Thursday, police disclosed that forensic evidence found at the farm links her death to the 2005 abduction and sexual assault of a 26-year-old woman in the city of Fairfax. State police released a sketch of the assailant Thursday.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the Jefferson Area Crime Stoppers at (434) 977-4000, Virginia State Police at (434) 352-3467 or Fairfax police at (703) 385-7959.

http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/breaking/wb/252375