Jesse Matthew, the last individual seen with Hannah Graham has now been linked to Morgan Harrington, a college student that was killed in 2009 in the same general area of Charlottesville. Morgan Harrington’s remains were found on a farm 10 miles outside of Charlottesville in 2009. Her family said in 2010 she had been kidnapped, raped and murdered.
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| Jesse Matthew linked to college student killed in 2009 |
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The suspect in the abduction of a University of Virginia student has been linked to another area college student who was killed nearly five years ago, Virginia State Police said.
Forensic evidence links Jesse Matthew Jr., who police believe abducted 18-year-old Hannah Graham from a Charlottesville, Va., mall earlier this month, to the 2009 disappearance of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, CBS affiliate WTVR reported, citing sources close to the investigation.
“Last week, the arrest of Jesse L. Matthew Jr., 32, of Charlottesville, Va., provided a significant break in [the Harrington] case with a new forensic link for state police investigators to pursue,” Virginia State Police said in a statement. “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.”
Harrington, who was 20, was last seen attending a Metallica concert in Charlottesville in Oct. 17, 2009, where she became separated from friends. Her remains were found three months later on a farm 10 miles outside of Charlottesville. While police released few details about Harrington’s death, her family said in 2010 she had been kidnapped, raped and murdered.