WebProNews

Tag: jesse matthew

  • Jesse Matthew: Family Releases Statement After Remains Found

    Jesse Matthew, the man arrested in connection with the disappearance of Hannah Graham, is being held without bond and is awaiting a hearing on charges of abduction. However, he has not been charged with her murder. Graham’s remains were positively identified last week after being found scattered throughout a creek bed on an abandoned property in Virginia over a month after she went missing, and now Matthew’s family has issued a statement.

    “On behalf of the Carr family and speaking for myself as well, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Graham family in their time of bereavement. The Carrs asked me to convey that they will continue to pray for the Grahams and the Harringtons throughout this ordeal,” reads the statement.

    Graham went missing on September 13 after visiting a bar with some friends. The UVA student was later seen on surveillance footage walking, then running, and Matthew was the last person seen with her. Since her disappearance, he has been linked forensically to the body of another young student who disappeared in 2009–Morgan Harrington–and has been charged in connection with a rape case from 2005.

    An investigation is ongoing into whether or not Matthew should be charged for her murder. According to Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney Denise Lunsford, “The focus of the investigation now is to determine what charges will be brought and the appropriate time to make those charges. We are working diligently with local law enforcement on the investigation to ensure that we make the best determination for our community and the Grahams in the pursuit of justice.”

    Graham’s parents issued a statement after her remains were found, as well, saying, “We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter, Hannah. Put simply, Hannah lit up our lives, the lives of our family and the lives of her friends and others who knew her. Although we have lost our precious Hannah, the light she radiated can never be extinguished.”

  • Hannah Graham Suspect Linked To Murder Of Virginia Woman In 2009

    Hannah Graham, the University of Virginia student who has been missing since September 13, has loved ones who want answers as to her whereabouts. Now, new information linking a suspect in her disappearance to the death of a woman in 2009 has shed tragic light on the case, but is bringing hope for closure to another family.

    According to sources close to the investigation, suspect Jesse Matthew has now been forensically linked to Morgan Harrington, a 20-year old Virginia Tech student who went missing in 2009 after a concert. Her remains were later found on a farm. Though it’s not clear at this time what forensic evidence police may have, officials say it’s a big break in a case that has kept Harrington’s family frustrated for five years.

    “We worked five years to get to this point, so we are relieved,” Morgan’s mother Gil told WTVR.

    Now, as the investigation continues into Hannah Graham’s disappearance, more questions are arising regarding Matthew, who fled to Texas after police named him as a person of interest and requested a search of his home and car. He was found and subsequently arrested for leading them on a dangerous chase, and has now been charged with abduction with intent to defile. Graham, meanwhile, still has not been found.

    “We are heartbroken for her family. We know what they’re going through. Police need information. They need to process tips. Please reach out to police and do not be the filter. Even if you think it does not make sense, let police be the filter,” Gil Harrington said.

    Matthew’s father, Jesse Matthew Sr., says his son would never hurt anyone.

    “For a big man, he’s as gentle as they come. The only thing I could see, him, maybe trying to give the girl a ride or help her out. To kill or hurt somebody, that’s not my son,” he said.

  • Hannah Graham Suspect Taken Into Custody

    The suspect in the Hannah Graham disappearance–Jesse Matthew–was taken into custody around 3:30 Wednesday afternoon in Galveston, Texas. He is suspected of abducting the University of Virginia sophomore, who was last seen on September 13th in Charlottesville, Virginia.

    CNN reports that Jesse Matthew was sought by authorities ‘on suspicion of abduction with the intent to defile.’

    “This case is nowhere near over,” Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo told reporters following Matthew’s capture on Wednesday afternoon. “We have a person in custody, but there’s a long road ahead of us, and that long road includes finding Hannah Graham.”

    An attorney for Jesse Matthew–James Camblos–spoke on his client’s behalf, prior to his capture.

    “I am Mr. Matthew’s attorney,” Camblos said from outside his office in Charlottesville, Virginia. “I was hired on Saturday. That’s the only thing that I’m going to confirm at this point. The family and I–nobody is making any statements at this point in time. We might later on, but right now we are not.”

    “We’re asking for a broader community search with property owners,” Chief Longo told CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, in an interview to air Wednesday night.

    He is asking property owners of large parcels in surrounding counties to search their land and report back to the police department.

    Authorities have previously searched Jesse Matthew’s apartment and car in the hunt for Hannah Graham. Although they have declined to discuss the specifics of what might have been found, potential evidence was sent to a lab for analysis. Investigators were seen leaving his apartment with bags of what one can only assume was potential evidence against him.

    Perhaps some by some miracle, Hannah Graham will be found somewhere alive. One can hope and pray that Jesse Matthew only abducted–and didn’t harm–the college student. Undoubtedly once Matthew is extradited to Virginia, the questioning in the Hannah Graham case will significantly heat up. Prayers are no doubt going out from all around the country for Hannah Graham’s safe return.