Hannah Graham Case: Family of Suspect Jesse Matthew 'Praying' for Victim's Family After Remains Identified
The family of abduction suspect Jesse Matthew Jr., is said to be praying for the family of Hannah Graham following confirmation that remains of the missing UVA student have been identified.
On Friday, five weeks after 18-year-old Graham went missing, human remains recently found in Albemarle County, Virginia were identified as that of the University of Virginia student. The remains were found not far from where Matthew, 32, grew up and he is charged with abduction with the intent to defile, which means sexually molest. His family issued a statement over the weekend.
"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," Matthew's lawyer, James Camblos III, said on behalf of the nursing assistant's relatives, the Carr family. "The Carrs asked me to convey that they will continue to pray for the Grahams and the Harringtons throughout this ordeal."
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Matthew is being held in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail as police work to uncover what exactly happened to Graham. A preliminary hearing will take place on Dec. 4 on the abduction charge.
Last week Sgt. Dale Terry of the Chesterfield Sheriff's Department discovered the remains scattered in a shallow grave on an abandoned property, just eight miles from where Graham was last seen. She went missing on Sept. 13 and was last seen on that day with Matthew in an area of Charlottesville known as the Downtown Mall.
Matthew, who was reportedly drinking at the bar before his encounter with the teen, was seen with his arm around her helping her walk, Tempo Restaurant owner Brice Cunningham told The Associated Press.
"The focus of the investigation now is to determine what charges will be brought and the appropriate time to make those charges," Albemarle County Commonwealth's Attorney Denise Lunsford said on Friday. "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, John and Sue Graham, are understandably "devastated" during this difficult time. They requested prayers for other families whose loved ones have disappeared.
"Although we have lost our precious Hannah, the light she radiated can never be extinguished," the said in a statement obtained by People.com. "Although the waiting has ended for us, there are other families both in Virginia and beyond who have not been as fortunate in that their loved ones are still missing. Please continue to hold these families in your thoughts and prayers."
Last month reports revealed that Matthew was forced to leave Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in 2002 after a claim that he sexually assaulted a female student. No criminal charges were ever filed. He reportedly won a sports scholarship to the Christian university after he was named Charlottesville's "Athlete of the Year" in 1999.
He was recently forensically linked to the 2009 disappearance of 20-year-old Virginia Tech student, Morgan Harrington.
