Investigators now believe missing Virginia Tech student Morgan Dana Harrington was hitchhiking while on the Copeley Road bridge the night she disappeared after leaving a Metallica concert Oct. 17, according to a Friday press release from Virginia State Police.
After leaving the arena at about 8:30 p.m., Harrington talked to her friends on her cell phone and then walked through the parking lot of University Hall. She was also seen in the Lannigan Field athlete parking lot. At about 9:30 p.m., she was seen walking on the Copeley Road bridge near Ivy Road. “Independent witness accounts” have made the police “confident” that Harrington was hitchhiking for a ride, the press release stated.
Police have also released a photo of the type of necklace Harrington was wearing the night of her disappearance. It is a Swarovski Crystal necklace made up of large crystal chain links. Anyone with additional information about Harrington’s case is encouraged to contact Virginia State Police at (434) 352-3467. Tips can also be e-mailed to bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov.
—compiled by Laura Hoffman
There have been reports about Jamil Tucker’s leave from the the UVA program is now an indefinite one. I am shocked by the lack of coverage of this situation by this paper. If you read any blog space regarding the disappearance of Morgan Harrington, it’s filled with theories of what happened, many of which are rooted in the fact that she spoke with some UVA basketball players- and ‘the university’ is covering it up- just before any last known sighting of her. As journalism students, you should do your part to dig and include your findings in the Cavalier Daily. Hopefully, your findings will dispel some of the crackpot theories that are being thrown around and clear Mr. Tucker’s as well as the other players’ (and UVA’s for that matter) names. Otherwise, you’ll have one hell of a story on your hands.
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Stop reading crackpot blogs then? There has been no serious suggestion of anything of this nature. Jamil Tucker’s situation is Jamil Tucker’s business and the University can not comment on the reasons for his absence (other than the obvious: it’s not related to this Morgan Harrington disappearance).
Whether it’s grade trouble, or trouble adjusting to a new defensive system or coach, it’s not your business nor mine, and certainly not the business of the Cavalier Daily.
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“Ben”, I agree with you on the point of confidentiality regarding Jamil Tucker’s particular situation with the UVA basketball team; I hope that he sorts out his issues (playing defense included) and contribute this season. However, the Cavalier Daily should not be in the business of public relations for the University of Virginia; that’s the role of the athletic department and its website administrators, whereas a higher learning environment’s primary news vehicle should focus on journalistic endeavors, even if it includes the possibility of bruising the image of the university.
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John, who said the CD is performing “public relations”? If you know of something credible that has the possibility of “bruising the image” of the University, come out with it.
Otherwise, you’re no better than the “crackpot” blogs you mentioned. The CD is not in the business of gossip or rumor-mongering, unlike your average blog.
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Ben,
I was addressing the comment you made: “Tucker’s situation is Jamil Tucker’s business and the University can not comment”. Based on your reaction, it’s not what you meant?
I’m sure that the CD walks a fine line when reporting on university affairs; I’ll leave it that.
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No, I didn’t meant that the CD is engaging in “public relations”. I was mainly referring to the new stricter NCAA privacy rules when it comes to commenting on why athletes are not practicing or take leaves of absence. Even if the CD dug deeper, they wouldn’t be able to publish the results without breaking NCAA rules.
The NCAA won’t even allow disclosure of the extent of injuries anymore without their full consent. Has nothing to do with the CD or “public relations”.
I think it’s a step in the right direction for the NCAA, too. We shouldn’t know more about the personal situations of athletes anymore than we know the personal situations of CD editors, for instance.
As for the Morgan Harrington situation, I have faith that all witnesses here have given everything they have to the police, and that the police are alerting us to anything that is credible in their eyes.
Ben
CLAS 1999
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I agree that Mr. Tucker’s reasons for taking a leave of absence are entirely his business. Rumors, which are numerous and mostly unfounded, could be stopped if the police would simply issue a statement that Mr. Tucker was not one of the basketball players with whom Morgan Harrington spoke prior to her disappearance.
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>>>We shouldn’t know more about the personal situations of athletes anymore than we know the personal situations of CD editors, for instance.<<<
I agree. However an argument may made that in many instances athletes on scholarships are funded with public (taxpayer) money (regardless of how one slices it), ergo their activities should be a matter of public record. Just sayin`.
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Here is the official Statement from UVA issued yesterday:
“Because of the number of rumors that have been circulating about members of the University’s men¹s basketball team in regard to the Morgan Harrington case, we felt it was important to make a statement to set the record straight. As police worked to establish a time line of October 17 in hopes of locating Ms. Harrington, they interviewed a number of witnesses, including some members of the men¹s basketball team.
After a practice, team members had been approached by a female consistent with Ms. Harrington’s description. They cooperated fully with law enforcement investigators and, like other witnesses interviewed by the police, they provided information that is important to police efforts to establish Ms. Harrington¹s movements.”
This is not new information. That she “interacted” (whatever that means) with “several” UVA basketball players, who may have been the last persons to have seen Ms. Harrington has been known for some time. The statement by UVA doesn’t quash the rumors regarding Mr. Tucker or others. The only way to do that is by making a statement that he wasn’t there the night of October 17th.
It seems irresponsible of UVA to allow such rumors to continue.
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Did anyone see the story about the lady who recognized the girl at a gas station in Orange on the following morning? She remembers “Pantera” being on the woman’s shirt, so it’s probably a good sighting.
Just from experience in following similar cases in the news, I think regular sexual predators who took her out of the city. Otherwise they would have found a trace of her in Charlottesville. It’s not easy for amateurs to keep the evidence down to nothing like this, probably someone who has done it before.
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