Tempo Restaurant: What Happened There?

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Restaurant says U-Va. student never entered but left with alleged abductor
By T. Rees Shapiro, Matt Zapotosky and Justin Jouvenal September 25 at 12:25 PM

The owner of the restaurant where missing U-Va. sophomore Hannah Graham was last seen before she disappeared said Thursday that Graham never entered the establishment with her alleged abductor, instead waiting outside for him while he had a drink there.

Brice Cunningham, owner of the upscale Tempo Restaurant in Charlottesville, said he saw Jesse L. “LJ” Matthew Jr., 32, at the restaurant late on Friday, Sept. 12 and then again during the early morning hours of Sept. 13. Cunningham said that Matthew drank shots of bourbon with two other customers at about 11:45 p.m. and then saw him enjoying music on the restaurant’s dance floor.


Cunningham said that Matthew left the bar briefly and returned just after 1 a.m., closed a tab for two beers at 1:10 a.m. and then left. He said that Tempo staffers, who were checking identification to ensure patrons were 21, saw Graham outside the bar. He said staffers noticed she was intoxicated and saw her leave with Matthew, walking toward the nearby Downtown Mall.


Tempo Restaurant Releases Statement About Hannah Graham
Posted: Sep 25, 2014 9:47 AM CST Updated: Sep 25, 2014 10:10 AM CST
By WRIC Newsroom

[...]
The full statement from Brice Cunninghamm, owner of Tempo Restaurant, reads:

"The Tempo Restaurant family joins the entire Charlottesville community as it continues its search to find Hannah Graham and return her to her family. As longtime members of this unique city, we share the resolve to ensure that Charlottesville remains a safe and special place, and will continue to do absolutely everything we can possibly do to help uncover any facts that will bring Hannah home.

On Wednesday, September 17, when the Charlottesville Police Department first released video that showed Hannah walking along the downtown mall at around 1 am, Tempo was able to immediately provide authorities with information that pinpointed the location of the Person of Interest, Mr. Matthew. Details of credit card receipts showed that he had made purchases at the bar shortly after midnight while Hannah was still making her way towards the downtown mall from Preston Avenue. Those records also confirm that he returned to Tempo at 1:10 am and left shortly after, although Ms. Graham was not seen inside the restaurant and was never served. She was, however, noticed by the door-person outside the restaurant at that time, and seen leaving with Matthew shortly thereafter. These details helped police reconstruct Ms. Graham's movements and last known whereabouts.

Tempo will continue to assist and cooperate with law enforcement authorities in the ongoing investigation, and we urge anyone that might have information about these events, no matter how inconsequential it may seem, to please call the tip line at 434- 295-3851. Our focus remains on finding Hannah and returning her to her family, and neither the Tempo staff nor our friends and neighbors in this community will rest until that goal has been achieved."
 
That makes no sense that she would wait outside for him while he went inside and had some drinks!!!! .why would she do that??? (Million dollar question).
 
Unclear to me if the two beer were consumed after one or if this was from the previous visit?
 
That makes no sense that she would wait outside for him while he went inside and had some drinks!!!! .why would she do that??? (Million dollar question).

and they walked towards the downtown mall? wouldn't that be away from his car or is it towards his car.
 
According to Tempo, there is about an hour gap from midnightish to one-ish for Jesse. My guess is that he closed out his first tab (cc receipt) and left with his id, credit card, whatever. I don't think it was an excuse of going back to close out that would have brought him back. So, with the purchase of two beers while Hannah allegedly waits outside, my guess is that he snuck them outside. If they were draft beers that might shoot that theory down, but if bottles, then maybe?
 
I just don't get why she would stand outside waiting for a man she just met a couple of minutes before. It will be interesting to see if there are independent eyewitnesses who place Hannah inside the bar. If she was stood outside waiting for JM then there must have been people who saw her there. She was hardly inconspicuous.
 
OT - When I was in college, I had a roommate who would go to an "all you can drink" event. At the last call, he would order 2 drinks, and drink one down to about 25% full. He'd hold it up in front of him the way one does when holding a drink, but had the FULL cup either under his trenchcoat, or in his hand with his arm down at his side (the side away from the doorman). He KNEW they would take away the "almost done" drink at the door, but they never realized he was walking out with a full one.
 
So does anyone have any speculation about the upcoming pc? It starts in 1 hour - usually here on WS we speculate before - then listen (with baited breath) and transcribe if possible , then we all return and analyze every word and the tone....

I speculate that they *may* share some forensic results (selectively) and that they want to ask the public to widen the search - plead again for land owners to search, etc. Now that he is in custody - really zero the focus on finding Hannah. I predict no answering of questions from the press - Other ideas?
 
I suspect the PC may be about leads/ties to other cases? I don't know. They may ask anyone who had negative interactions with him in the past to come forward? They may be trying to get a complete picture of what he could be capable of, which seems to possibly be much much larger than anyone first thought?
 
Although I'm not familiar with the place myself, just by looking at the menu and prices, it doesn't seem like the place someone like JM would go to. Are there other less expensive options in that area open during that time of night? I've read reviews from some local bloggers I follow who have eaten at Tempo and it seems a little snooty. Definitely more expensive than I'd assume JM would be into. Unless its the only possible option in that particular area open that late, I feel like there has to be some connection with Tempo staff or something to make JM want to go there twice in one night.
 
Based on what I've heard so far, I think he acted alone, I think he may have drugged her drink, I think he killed her after a sexual assault that same night and disposed of her body right away. I don't think he took her along for the ride to Texas.
 
Although I'm not familiar with the place myself, just by looking at the menu and prices, it doesn't seem like the place someone like JM would go to. Are there other less expensive options in that area open during that time of night? I've read reviews from some local bloggers I follow who have eaten at Tempo and it seems a little snooty. Definitely more expensive than I'd assume JM would be into. Unless its the only possible option in that particular area open that late, I feel like there has to be some connection with Tempo staff or something to make JM want to go there twice in one night.
Why not? JLM must have plenty of money if he doesn't pay his rent or his bills. :giggle:
Apologies if people find joking inappropriate here, but I couldn't resist.

And as to the confusion over were they or weren't they IN Tempo, it seems likely that with all of the "grapevine" info passed on, the confusion of what preposition was used could be to blame. If a witness says they were spotted together AT Tempo, then later somebody says a witness saw them IN Tempo, it would seem like an understandable error.

One theory I had, which was posted in the previous, now-closed thread, is that Hannah was probably breathing heavily and perhaps even somewhat flushed from running/walking quickly from McGrady's to the downtown mall. If she was visibly hot and winded, I could see her agreeing to wait outside of Tempo while JLM, the big friendly giant, offers to go in and get her something cold to drink, then help her find whatever/wherever it is she's looking for. We have no idea if he slipped anything in her drink or not, but buying her a beverage and carrying it out to her would give him time to slip some sort of sedative into her drink (heck, even over-the-counter sleeping pills, although I admit it sounds very unlikely he'd just happen to have those on him). By the time they leave together and he gets her into the car, she could have been on the point of passing out. :(

Just my wild theory, no facts to support it. I hope that's okay. :newhere:
 
Why not? JLM must have plenty of money if he doesn't pay his rent or his bills. :giggle:
Apologies if people find joking inappropriate here, but I couldn't resist.

And as to the confusion over were they or weren't they IN Tempo, it seems likely that with all of the "grapevine" info passed on, the confusion of what preposition was used could be to blame. If a witness says they were spotted together AT Tempo, then later somebody says a witness saw them IN Tempo, it would seem like an understandable error.

One theory I had, which was posted in the previous, now-closed thread, is that Hannah was probably breathing heavily and perhaps even somewhat flushed from running/walking quickly from McGrady's to the downtown mall. If she was visibly hot and winded, I could see her agreeing to wait outside of Tempo while JLM, the big friendly giant, offers to go in and get her something cold to drink, then help her find whatever/wherever it is she's looking for. We have no idea if he slipped anything in her drink or not, but buying her a beverage and carrying it out to her would give him time to slip some sort of sedative into her drink (heck, even over-the-counter sleeping pills, although I admit it sounds very unlikely he'd just happen to have those on him). By the time they leave together and he gets her into the car, she could have been on the point of passing out. :(

Just my wild theory, no facts to support it. I hope that's okay. :newhere:

Tim Longo said that there is at least one witness that places Hannah IN Tempo. Interesting.
 
From today's presser thread:
Witness says she was inside the restaurant, 'they were seen leaving together with his arm around her waist.'

LE ie Longo said witnesses placed Hannah inside the resturant.
Sounds like to me anyway, that Tempo's CYA statement may need to be readjusted IF it still states Hannah was not in Tempo.

LE says she was.
 

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