JLM Charged in Morgan Harrington murder

[Evie Ivy Over]

Based on what's now being released, I think LE could have nailed him long before they did for this murder.

 

[MamaJoJo]

Based on what's now being released, I think LE could have nailed him long before they did for this murder.

Really? I'm not trying to be confrontational, at all, but I don't see it that way. God, if there was anyway they could have caught this sooner, I wish they had! What is it that you think was an obvious sign that JLM murdered Morgan before the testing of his DNA against the t-shirt? I see it as that they had a lot of information but couldn't tie it all together.

 

[newshound6]

Really? I'm not trying to be confrontational, at all, but I don't see it that way. God, if there was anyway they could have caught this sooner, I wish they had! What is it that you think was an obvious sign that JLM murdered Morgan before the testing of his DNA against the t-shirt? I see it as that they had a lot of information but couldn't tie it all together.

I agree -they did not know the identity of the suspect until the Hannah Graham disappearance

 

[Sophieandme]

Based on what's now being released, I think LE could have nailed him long before they did for this murder.

I'm leaning this way also. Taxi companies keep pretty good records on each driver, their fares as well as the dispatch logs. If this witness that saw Morgan when she exited the cab came forward to LE in a timely manner, I believe the big red flag would have been Matthews extended radio silence at the significant time period that night. That would have led LE to the lady that had the scary encounter with him the night before, interrogations, learning of past sexual assault allegations at the colleges, etc. They could have then asked for his DNA or surreptiously gotten it. Then LE would have had a match to the unknown perp of the Fairfax rape as well as a match to Morgan's tshirt.

IMO, the witness did not come forward years ago, or LE dropped the ball somehow.

 

[newshound6]

I think we are looking at all the assembled facts with perfect 20/20 hindsight. My impression from what I've read is the witness exiting the cab only saw the blonde woman with the Pantera t shirt,not that she actually saw her getting into the cab-the story always was that MH was last seen on the bridge, not getting into a cab.I don't think LE was onto JLM until Hannah Graham. When they found MH's remains we were told there was the "cold hit" on the DNA from the Fairfax case-it now seems like that DNA was actually from the tshirt not the remains. JLM was finally identified after Hannah Graham when he was on that security cam from "the mall", then things fell into place.

 

[CoolJ]

I think we are looking at all the assembled facts with perfect 20/20 hindsight. My impression from what I've read is the witness exiting the cab only saw the blonde woman with the Pantera t shirt,not that she actually saw her getting into the cab-the story always was that MH was last seen on the bridge, not getting into a cab.I don't think LE was onto JLM until Hannah Graham. When they found MH's remains we were told there was the "cold hit" on the DNA from the Fairfax case-it now seems like that DNA was actually from the tshirt not the remains. JLM was finally identified after Hannah Graham when he was on that security cam from "the mall", then things fell into place.

Regardless, wouldn't good police work in the case of MH involve the canvassing of all the taxi drivers that were out the night of the Metallica concert. They should have been onto him. JMO
Seems like there was a bigger sense of urgency with regards to the HG investigation. Too bad Chief L wasn't in charge of the MH investigation

 

[waltzingmatilda]

I am a longtime lurker and def remember the discussion of taxis here, but I'm just thinking ... This means the people who saw her and claim they remember the shirt, never saw a Missing Morgan poster and reported what they saw?

I get that knowing JM is a predator caused them to look for a more specific connection, but the statement of facts make it seem like the witnesses to Morgan getting into the taxi we're 100% sure it was her and with all the press that MH got and the shirt specifically, I am just still left wondering what happened here.

IIRC the discussion of taxis was because Morgan's phone & purse & one other belonging which escapes my memory (maybe a camera?) were found in the area of the taxi staging area. But the last sighting of Morgan was her hitch hiking on Copeley bridge so we moved on from the subject of her getting in the taxi at the staging area. One other thing, LE will lie and mislead the public in press conferences and msm to preserve the integregrity of the case or to confuse a potential suspect.

someone please correct me if I'm misremembering, a lot of time has passed since I followed the cases closely.

MOO

 

[newshound6]

IIRC the discussion of taxis was because Morgan's phone & purse & one other belonging which escapes my memory (maybe a camera?) were found in the area of the taxi staging area. But the last sighting of Morgan was her hitch hiking on Copeley bridge so we moved on from the subject of her getting in the taxi at the staging area. One other thing, LE will lie and mislead the public in press conferences and msm to preserve the integregrity of the case or to confuse a potential suspect.

someone please correct me if I'm misremembering, a lot of time has passed since I followed the cases closely.

MOO

I remember it that way also-the Harrington family put that memorial up on the Copley Bridge.At the time weren't we also focusing on college basketball team members that were also doing some "staging" in that same parking lot?

 

[waltzingmatilda]

I remember it that way also-the Harrington family put that memorial up on the Copley Bridge.At the time weren't we also focusing on college basketball team members that were also doing some "staging" in that same parking lot?

Yes Yes! Thank you. We were indeed discussing the basketball team also being staged in that area. And IIRC we were also distracted by the newspaper delivery lady who claimed to have seen Morgan in the early morning hours while delivering papers?. Didn't some B'ball players live in/near said residence? Now we know that couldn't have been Morgan because of the timeline.

 

[newshound6]

Yes Yes! Thank you. We were indeed discussing the basketball team also being staged in that area. And IIRC we were also distracted by the newspaper delivery lady who claimed to have seen Morgan in the early morning hours while delivering papers?. Didn't some B'ball players live in/near said residence? Now we know that couldn't have been Morgan because of the timeline.

Ah yes...the newspaper lady! Don't forget the guy Morgan allegedly kicked (do you remember that one?)About JLM- if I understand correctly did JLM confess to everything BEFORE they even found Hannah Grahams remains?

 

[Evie Ivy Over]

Really? I'm not trying to be confrontational, at all, but I don't see it that way. God, if there was anyway they could have caught this sooner, I wish they had! What is it that you think was an obvious sign that JLM murdered Morgan before the testing of his DNA against the t-shirt? I see it as that they had a lot of information but couldn't tie it all together.

I think if they would have pursued that taxi angle to the fullest extent, they would have had no choice but to name JM as a suspect. Then, when the shirt was found, they had JM's DNA along with a hair from his dog. For such a high profile case, I think the police work might be considered a bit shoddy?

 

[MamaJoJo]

I think if they would have pursued that taxi angle to the fullest extent, they would have had no choice but to name JM as a suspect. Then, when the shirt was found, they had JM's DNA along with a hair from his dog. For such a high profile case, I think the police work might be considered a bit shoddy?

I just don't think there was enough evidence to have suggested that Morgan got in a taxi cab that morning. Yes, some of her stuff was found near the staging area but how does that turn into nailing JLM for MH's disappearance? There are many leaps in logic, IMO.

There is no doubt of how important it was for LE to have found JLM sooner. So many victims of his vulgar groping, raping, murdering, disgusting person could have been saved.

Could LE have looked at all of the taxi logs? Did they? Did any of the trips look suspicious? Did they overlook anything? Did they have JLM in their sights from the jump but couldn't tie him to it because they didn't have probable cause to get his DNA to test the shirt against? They didn't get his direct DNA until 2015.

For me, I don't get the sense that LE dropped the ball on MH case. I certainly wouldn't want to have been on the team because I would be questioning every single thing I did to find MH's killer for the rest of my life. Not a sentence to be wished on anyone, IMO.

 

[IDK]

I think if they would have pursued that taxi angle to the fullest extent, they would have had no choice but to name JM as a suspect. Then, when the shirt was found, they had JM's DNA along with a hair from his dog. For such a high profile case, I think the police work might be considered a bit shoddy?

I have to agree with this. Based on the Statement of evidence, if the taxi angle had been pursued, LE would have found out about JLM disappearing that night during the hours in question, perhaps they would have been able to obtain his phone records and discover the connection with a tower near Anchorage Farm. Of course hind sight is 20/20 as others have said, I just can't help feeling the ball was dropped a bit.
When Gil spoke at the news conference after the plea agreement, she did thank LE, but she included the statement that "mistakes were made". I think she is a very fair minded person and would not make that statement lightly. JMO.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

Ah yes...the newspaper lady! Don't forget the guy Morgan allegedly kicked (do you remember that one?)About JLM- if I understand correctly did JLM confess to everything BEFORE they even found Hannah Grahams remains?

That's how I understand it, newshound6. JLM had confessed and was trying to cop a plea deal of 25 years in exchange for giving Hannah's location. Before a deal was reached, Hannah was found and the deal was off. I don't know if he confessed to killing Morgan at that time but both families were involved in the plea negotiations, IIRC.

The man that Morgan allegedly kicked is the one she grabbed by the arm and said 'let's go', is that right? It makes me wonder if JLM had already honed in on Morgan and made her uncomfortable so she pretended that she was with the guy. He prolly didn't know what the heck was going on and pulled away so she kicked him in hopes to make a scene. Wasn't a female with him also? I don't recall where she ran into him but wonder if it was in the staging area. I also wonder if JLM seperated her from her belongings in the staging area or went back and dumped them after he murdered her.

So many questions and 'what ifs'......

 

[Sophieandme]

I just don't think there was enough evidence to have suggested that Morgan got in a taxi cab that morning. Yes, some of her stuff was found near the staging area but how does that turn into nailing JLM for MH's disappearance? There are many leaps in logic, IMO.

There is no doubt of how important it was for LE to have found JLM sooner. So many victims of his vulgar groping, raping, murdering, disgusting person could have been saved.

Could LE have looked at all of the taxi logs? Did they? Did any of the trips look suspicious? Did they overlook anything? Did they have JLM in their sights from the jump but couldn't tie him to it because they didn't have probable cause to get his DNA to test the shirt against? They didn't get his direct DNA until 2015.

For me, I don't get the sense that LE dropped the ball on MH case. I certainly wouldn't want to have been on the team because I would be questioning every single thing I did to find MH's killer for the rest of my life. Not a sentence to be wished on anyone, IMO.

LE had the newspaper witness as well as other witnesses putting her on Copley Bridge. So they investigated both leads. However, to not also thoroughly investigate the taxi service working the concert that night would be irresponsible. After all, one of her last statements to her friend was that she was "going to get a ride".

I can't say that LE didn't thoroughly investigate Matthews and the other taxi drivers that night. But I doubt it. This arm chair detective would have considered it a big red flag when he went to radio silence with his dispatcher only during the critical time when Morgan was abducted. That red flag would have led me to check his background where his sexual assault allegations would have come to light. I would think that would lead to being a person of interest, interrogation, and getting his DNA voluntarily or surreptiously. (It's also likely they would have had a match in Codis to the Fairfax victim before Morgan's t-shirt was even found.)

Frankly, the taxi drivers should have been "checked out" irregardless of when the witness (exited his cab and saw Morgan) reported it to LE, IMO.

Yes, hindsight is 20/20 and it's not going to bring back Hannah. But I just don't understand.

 

[jrporter]

Having read and re-read the "Statement of Facts, the thing that shocks and saddens me is that JLM on the night of 9/12-9/13/2014 exhibited a pattern of inappropriate, sexually aggressive behavior toward any number of women in at least four commercial establishments as well as the open section of the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville and yet seemingly not a single victim nor spectator of his behavior reported him to law enforcement. I'm not a bar goer so I have no idea what passes for "normal" behavior these days but it frightens me to think of his actions that night and everyone gave him a pass. I can't help but wonder if this is indicative of some form of reverse discrimination that allowed his behavior to escalate way past the limits of criminality....

 

[Meemaw12]

New info on convicted killer Jesse Matthew. fb.me/6XWmYww6Z


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DetroitLives]

I would like to know when the witnesses who saw Morgan at the cab came forward. To me it seems to make sense that they would have back then, based on how adamant they are about the shirt. If so, that leads me to think JM could have been found much sooner. He has a unique look and would have been easy to spot. It is baffling to me.

 

[leafygreens]

That Tshirt placement on the bushes was JM's real undoing here-why do you think he did that? At the time it seemed like a diversion,throwing suspicion onto people living near that building-he didn't realize the DNA on the shirt would incriminate him eventually.If he had destroyed that Pantera shirt the case would have been much weaker.

Just now catching up on this case. Pretty much everything BUT this was explained in the Statement of Facts. I am really curious as well. I would guess that JLM wanted to boast about what he did, and he didn't realize that DNA could be obtained from a visually clean shirt. This is a guy who had gotten away with alleged rapes at his college, and another rape in 2005. He must have thought he would never be caught. He didn't even start turning off his cell phone until Hannah's murder. There is no telling how many other victims are out there, considering his taxi passenger and bar witnesses have all come forward with stories of harassment.

What makes me cringe is how did he get the shirt off of Morgan without any rips or blood stains? I don't want to even mention the possibilities.

Also of note is that other items from Morgan and Hannah were never recovered. The Swarovski necklace, shoes, etc. We know that JLM dumped Morgan's purse in the parking lot so he must have dumped these other items in an undiscovered location. If they were in his house they would have been found.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Jesse Matthew, convicted of killing two Virginia college students, has stage 4 cancer

News of Matthew’s transfer came as a surprise to Gil Harrington, whose daughter was abducted and murdered by Matthew in October 2009.

She was alerted Tuesday morning of his illness and transfer.

“He doesn’t loom big in my mind,” Harrington said. “He is contained and our mission is to help save the next girl, so I take comfort however this plays out. This is justice and perhaps karma.”