Hunt for missing student turns into crime case
Morgan Dana Harrington
Police are now treating the investigation into a missing Metallica fan as a criminal matter, though they say there’s still no evidence any crime has been committed.
Officials have Morgan Dana Harrington’s purse and her cell phone, but no idea where she is, though they’ve received more than 100 tips of varying quality.
Soon, they plan to offer a reward of at least $50,000 for information leading to the location of the Virginia Tech student.
Lt. Joe Rader of the Virginia State Police said that a ground search of the area around the John Paul Jones Arena, the site of Saturday’s concert, didn’t turn up any sign of the missing Roanoke woman.
The last anyone heard from her, she had left the show looking for a restroom and ended up leaving the arena entirely, Rader said at a news conference Wednesday outside the University of Virginia police headquarters.
She called her friends from outside the arena to tell them not to worry and that she would try to find a way to get home, Rader said. The arena, like many venues, doesn’t allow re-entry during concerts.
The next day, a passerby found Harrington’s purse and cell phone, without its battery, in a parking lot, and her parents reported her missing.
“We have a purse, and we have a cell phone, and we have a missing girl,” he said.
Rader said it wasn’t unusual that her phone would be without a battery but didn’t elaborate.
Police have scoured surveillance footage and interviewed Harrington’s friends, but neither has yielded significant progress in the case.
Authorities are also asking concertgoers to review photographs and video footage they shot to see if anyone resembling Harrington is visible.
The 20-year-old, who stands about 5 feet 6 inches and weighs about 120 pounds, was wearing a black T-shirt with “Pantera” across it in tan letters, a black mini skirt, black tights and black knee-high boots. She has long blonde hair and blue eyes.
Metallica has posted a statement on its Web site asking anyone with information to contact police.
The statement says the band is “deeply concerned.”
“Our thoughts are with Morgan and her family for her safe return,” it reads, in part.
The case has garnered attention from a variety of national outlets. CNN has been heavily promoting the Nancy Grace show’s coverage in its news stories online.
Callers have reported seeing the missing woman in vastly different parts of the country at nearly the same time, Rader said.
State police are starting a new, 24-hour-a-day tip line at (434)352-3467. Tips can be e-mailed to . UVa police are at 924-7166.
“I would never say it’s a hindrance,” Rader said of the national attention.
But he did say that the most valuable tips have come from people who were at the concert. Many of the calls from far-flung corners of the country have been from people who have theories about the crime, rather than facts.
The reward will be offered through the Crime-stoppers program, and there will be conditions attached, though they haven’t yet been set, Rader said.
“Right now the time frame is very critical,” Rader said. “Unfortunately, I don’t know how to stop time.”
This story was edited to correct the tip reporting contacts.
Reader Reactions
The idea that this young lady “would try to find a way home” just doesn’t fly any more than the thought that a 20 year old would leave the arena looking for an outhouse. Her friends, IMO, are not coming clean as to what really happened. Was there a disagreement? Was Morgan hooking up with someone? Why would they just leave to return home without searching for her first….just in case she didn’t find a way home? Why did these “friends” not call to check that she returned home safely?
As to the policy of not allowing readmission, that makes sense in most cases. But, some common sense is necessary. Forcing a young woman to remain outside alone is not common sense. A lawsuit should follow if this proves to be the case.
KF - You are way off base. She didn’t intentionally vanish off the face of the Earth and would never place her parents or her best friends through this horrific process. If you’ve read Friday’s stories, she was familiar with Charlottesville and her brother graduated from UVa earlier this year. The fact her purse and cell phone were found in a parking lot is unsettling and indicate she may have encountered trouble while she was trying to find a way to meet up with friends, etc.
Here are some things to ponder:
Facts:
1. Harrington left the arena sometime after 8:40pm.
2. Harrington called her friends sometime before 9:30pm to say that she could not re-enter the arena. (She indicated she would either catch up with them later or get a ride home. With whom? Who else would she get a ride home with? Some random person she hoped to encounter at the end of the concert? Doubtful.)
Question:
Is there any evidence to indicate that Harrington did, in fact, attempt to return to the arena? That is, is there either: a) video evidence of her trying to re-enter; and/or b) did any of the gate attendants recall her ever attempting to re-enter?
If the answer to the above questions is “no”, that may indicate that Harrington left w/o intention of ever returning. That would also mean that the call to her friend indicating she was unable to come back in was part of a intended ruse so her friends would not worry, not come looking for her, and not contact the police or her parents.
Ironically, the best case scenario here is that Harrington intentionally disappeared.
KF there are flaws in your own writings. The purse and cell phone were found on Sunday and the father reported her missing on Sunday. Forget the friends not saying anything, cause the father already notified the police.
Right away her picture was in the news and it said no foul play is thought to have happened. The cell phone battery is gone. Even if the purse were lost, why isn’t the battery gone, not the clue to foul play?
If you were an investigator, you know the first 72-96 hours are important, yet the ploice wait till Wednesday to hold a news conference.
They blew it, when they failed to have the public more involved seriously.
Oh, they don’t want to spend the money too soon?
I pray that she is found safe.
i have to join the sceptical crowd here.. the missing battery is either a clue or not.. it’s not immeterial. Removing it can be part of an attempt to evade gps detection.
also, i have been to hundreds of concerts and never once left to go to the bathroom. Is that a euphemism for something else? I have seen plenty of folks “too lit” to stay, sure. And JPJ has nice easy to deal with bathrooms. I don’t understand such easily poked notions as the battery loss being no big deal, they tell when the last time they pinged a tower and where it was. And as for the left for a bathroom story, I say no way. And on premises cameras? what do they say? and i can NOT be convinced that a virginia athletic location is camera free after all the crazy college stuff of the past few years.. so why the blanket on info that might be helpful in finding her…?
Dear rmpii - The people who know her and her family have even stronger feelings and know with full certainty Morgan would’ve called someone a LONG time ago. She is very close to her parents, and she did not runaway from her life as you suspect. If she was able, she would’ve called home Sunday to let her parents know she was going to be late getting there or couldn’t get there (her Dad was expecting to see her that afternoon).
While reading this article I got strong feelings about this case. My feelings tell me that she’s still alive and has not been abducted.
I hope that the authorities investigate the following things: Was there some conflict going on in her life? Was she involved with someone her family did not approve of? Was she having problems at school? Have they checked to see what social networking websites she frequents?
My thoughts are that she met someone through one of these sites and she has simply run away. She’s obviously a very intelligent young woman and would not have gone outside unintentionally. The message she left for her friends sounds to me like she was meeting someone that she didn’t want anyone to know about. I could be wrong but I hope that I’m not.
My sympathy goes out to her family and friends. I hope that they find Morgan soon.
I posted this earlier, it didn’t go through… hmmm..
As an avid concertgoer and Metallica fan, I’d like to add some clarity to some comments I’ve read.
Tickets have printed on them “No cameras” and “No Re-Admittance” in just about all cases; sporting events too. As was alluded to before, if you could leave and come back, you’d have 100 paying customers at a 13,000 person venue, and wouldn’t sell any food or beer via concessions.
JPJ has lots of bathrooms, and nice ones too! And when a band is playing, they are mostly empty.
Metallica takes the stage at 9pm, and they are mostly prompt.
Reportedly, she left the arena at 9:30ish. So, for her to drive all that way (from Virginia Tech, or Roanoke), and leave right when the band is hitting their fan favorites, to go “look for a bathroom”, something was most definitely wrong.
Fingers crossed and prayers for her safe return.
BTW: I am not on the inside of this investigation, nor do I know anyone who is currently involved in this investigation. The facts I posted earlier were all taken from media reports.
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