Hannah Graham Suspect Jesse Matthew Linked to Rape, Murder of Another Student
Jesse Matthew, the man charged in the disappearance of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, has reportedly been forensically linked to the 2009 disappearance of 20-year-old Virginia Tech student, Morgan Harrington.
The 32-year-old nursing assistant was arrested on a Texas beach, 1,300 miles away from the town where Graham went missing nearly two weeks ago, on Wednesday, in relation to her disappearance.
On Monday it was revealed that police found evidence showing Harrington had "some sort of contact" with Matthew on the night she vanished outside a Metallica concert in October 2009. Her remains were eventually found in January 2010 on an Albemarle County farm.
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"For the past five years, the Virginia State Police has been aggressively pursuing the investigation into the disappearance and death of 20-year-old Morgan D. Harrington of Roanoke, Va," Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said in a statement obtained by CBS 6.
"Last week, the arrest of Jesse L. Matthew Jr., 32, of Charlottesville, Va., provided a significant break in this case with a new forensic link for state police investigators to pursue," the statement continued. "There is a still a great deal of work to be done in regards to this investigation and we appreciate the public's patience as we move forward."
Gil Harrington, the mother of Morgan Harrington, said that she is "relieved" with police findings. She also reportedly referred to Matthew as a "serial killer."
"We worked five years to get to this point, so we are relieved," Gil told CBS 6.
She previously told WTVR "We are heartbroken for [Hannah's] family. We know what they're going through."
Graham, 18, has been missing since Sept. 13 and police are offering a $100,000 reward for any information leading to her safe return. She 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.
Graham is said to be among five women who have disappeared from the Charlottesville area in the past five years, however, only one body has ever been found.
Last week reports revealed Matthew was forced to leave Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in 2002 after a claim that he sexually assaulted a female student, according to reports. No criminal charges were ever filed.
He reportedly won a sports scholarship to Liberty University after he was named Charlottesville's "Athlete of the Year" in 1999.
"LJ was on the football team. He was a defensive end. He won a sports scholarship for football," former Liberty Flames football captain William Haith said, according to Daily Mail UK. "But he left in 2002. He got into some trouble over sex with a girl. She made a complaint against him. He was put out of the football team because of the complaint. He was kicked out of the university as well."
