Victim: Morgan Harrington, murdered in Charlottesville VA, Oct 2009 -- Link??

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bessie

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UPDATED: Alexis Murphy abduction revives interest in unsolved cases
Posted: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 4:30 pm | Updated: 6:06 pm, Tue Aug 13, 2013.
Kari Pugh

The Alexis Murphy case also echoes that of Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student who vanished after a Metallica concert in Charlottesville in October 2009. Her body was found three months later in a field in Albemarle County, near Charlottesville. No one has ever been charged in her killing.
DNA in the Morgan Harrington case matches a 2005 unsolved sexual assault in Fairfax City. In that case, the attacker was scared off by a passerby. Based on the witness descriptions in the 2005 case, a composite sketch of the suspect showed an African American male, but police have never said if they know his race.
 
Regardless of whether these crimes are connected, it gave me chills to see that the farm where Morgan's body was found is only a mere 24 mi away from RT's house...straight shot on 29 and between his house and the movie theater. Chills.
 
I do not believe Morgan and RAT are connected. The sketch of the suspect in Morgan's and the other girls case from 2005 appears to be black. I know it's not confirmed but our guy and this suspect look nothing alike.

It would be great if we found her killer but I don't think RAT is the answer.
 
Do we have enough evidence from the Fairfax female to rule RAT out of this one? I kept up with this case in the beginning but dont remember how the sketch guy was connected.
 
If there was another person involved with Alexis' abduction, then by all means we could concur the possibility that RAT and his accomplice could have been involved in Morgan's murder. But only if the accomplice was our serial rapist guy proven by the DNA in the case. Time will tell. Remote possibility at this point.
 
Do we have enough evidence from the Fairfax female to rule RAT out of this one? I kept up with this case in the beginning but dont remember how the sketch guy was connected.

The Fairfax rape and Morgan's murderer are connected by DNA.

As for the accuracy of the sketch: uncertain. LE in Morgan's case was not ready to release the sketch; they were forced into it because one of the "other" crime sites leaked it prematurely with false information, pretty similarly to the way our suspect's name was leaked wrong, and it's pretty clear from their wording that they have reservations about the Fairfax sketch.

It was late at night in a poorly lit area. He grabbed her from behind. Eyewitness accounts under duress are iffy at best. LE has been known to steer witnesses by accident to a view that fits their stereotypes. So I would guess it's not the most accurate thing in the world. The FBI seems to have more confidence in it than local LE does.

We have at least one photo that shows RAT with a very dark tan. How dark would he seem at night? Dunno.

Two things that do catch my eye are the ears and the nose. That fold at the bridge of the nose is unusual. RAT and the sketch both have it. Also the ears are rather distinctive and rather similar.

The geographic proximity is startling.

All in all, I don't think it's very likely. LE probably already knows, or will know very soon, since they have the DNA. Whether they'll tell us is another question.
 
What I never understood was what DNA evidence they could possibly have of the Perp from where they found Morgan's body.

The proximity and modes operadi are startiling in these two cases.. but I agree, the black sketch guy and Taylor picture are NOT the same dude.
 
What I never understood was what DNA evidence they could possibly have of the Perp from where they found Morgan's body.

The proximity and modes operadi are startiling in these two cases.. but I agree, the black sketch guy and Taylor picture are NOT the same dude.

Apparently -- I don't know whether LE ever confirmed this -- they got it off the t-shirt that was found later, that also had Morgan's DNA on it.
 
That DNA; the fact there have been no hits on this main POI in her case is startling. I'd be checking all military dna as well. Maybe that would help produce a hit. And I sure hope that backed up or not; they have done state wide DNA research for hits. I still think of the Harringtons.
 
BBM Way off topic but what classifies the person in the composite sketch as an "African American" rather than just an "African"?


UPDATED: Alexis Murphy abduction revives interest in unsolved cases
Posted: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 4:30 pm | Updated: 6:06 pm, Tue Aug 13, 2013.
Kari Pugh

The Alexis Murphy case also echoes that of Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student who vanished after a Metallica concert in Charlottesville in October 2009. Her body was found three months later in a field in Albemarle County, near Charlottesville. No one has ever been charged in her killing.
DNA in the Morgan Harrington case matches a 2005 unsolved sexual assault in Fairfax City. In that case, the attacker was scared off by a passerby. Based on the witness descriptions in the 2005 case, a composite sketch of the suspect showed an African American male, but police have never said if they know his race.
 
With RAT's criminal record, it's almost 100% certain his dna is and has been in the system.



Do we have enough evidence from the Fairfax female to rule RAT out of this one? I kept up with this case in the beginning but dont remember how the sketch guy was connected.
 
I am pretty sure military dna records can not be accessed like those in criminal databases. I think they would need a warrant to compare dna in military records.



That DNA; the fact there have been no hits on this main POI in her case is startling. I'd be checking all military dna as well. Maybe that would help produce a hit. And I sure hope that backed up or not; they have done state wide DNA research for hits. I still think of the Harringtons.
 
The Fairfax rape and Morgan's murderer are connected by DNA.

As for the accuracy of the sketch: uncertain. LE in Morgan's case was not ready to release the sketch; they were forced into it because one of the "other" crime sites leaked it prematurely with false information, pretty similarly to the way our suspect's name was leaked wrong, and it's pretty clear from their wording that they have reservations about the Fairfax sketch.

It was late at night in a poorly lit area. He grabbed her from behind. Eyewitness accounts under duress are iffy at best. LE has been known to steer witnesses by accident to a view that fits their stereotypes. So I would guess it's not the most accurate thing in the world. The FBI seems to have more confidence in it than local LE does.

We have at least one photo that shows RAT with a very dark tan. How dark would he seem at night? Dunno.

Two things that do catch my eye are the ears and the nose. That fold at the bridge of the nose is unusual. RAT and the sketch both have it. Also the ears are rather distinctive and rather similar.

The geographic proximity is startling.

All in all, I don't think it's very likely. LE probably already knows, or will know very soon, since they have the DNA. Whether they'll tell us is another question.

:goodpost:

I totally co-sign everything you wrote here.
 
Someone should make sure this woman in Cannary Loop takes a good look at the composite of Sketch:

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9757747&postcount=680"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Victim: Alexis Murphy, 17, missing from Shipman, VA, 03 August 2013 - #4[/ame]
 
Well they're searching Anchorage Farm, where Morgan was found. Cover all bases, I say.
 
Here is a map, I made in collaboration with a friend, on the Morgan Harrington case. I am posting it here so that it can be viewed for any possible connections to R.A. Taylor.

http://goo.gl/maps/BvCY
 
I mentioned in the other Thread that maybe RAT's African American friend might be involved? Maybe there are two or more people involved in these missing cases? MOO
 
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