UPDATE 2:45 p.m.
Charlottesville Police have confirmed video footage of Graham running in front of a Shell gas station on Preston Avenue at 12:55 a.m Saturday. Police say there was no indication she was being followed. An eyewitness also reported seeing Graham turning off Market Street onto the Downtown Mall around 1 a.m., police confirmed.
A press conference will be held at 4 p.m. and additional details will be released at that time. The aforementioned footage will also be made available later today.
—————————————————
As the search for second-year College student Hannah Graham continues into its fourth day Wednesday, new information has shed light on Graham's whereabouts on the night of her disappearance.
More than 60 tips came in to the police tip line Monday, including camera footage which showed Graham walking past McGrady's Irish Pub at 12:46 a.m. Saturday morning. The tape, Charlottesville Police spokesperson Lt. Ronnie Roberts said, shows Graham headed east toward Preston Avenue.
This is approximately 30 minutes past the last reported sighting of Graham the night she disappeared, according to a Charlottesville Police Department press release.
Investigators have altered their search area in light of this footage. Charlottesville Police Captain Gary Pleasants said police are now searching “anywhere in the area of Preston,” including down the avenue and train tracks in that area.
State police helicopters and investigators on the ground searched until dark Tuesday.
Police confirmed Graham sent a text message as late as 1:20 a.m. Saturday morning.
“One [message] indicated that she was at one point lost in the area of 14th [street] and Wertland, which was confusing because she was familiar there,” Pleasants said. “We now know when she sent that text she was not in that area, she was [near] Preston.”
In photos released Monday by Charlottesville Police, Graham is seen in what appears to be the GrandMarc apartment complex, located on 15th Street. The photos are time stamped 9:33 p.m. Friday.
Graham’s family released a statement Monday, thanking the University community and Charlottesville Police Department for their help and support.
“Since learning of Hannah’s disappearance, we have been heartbroken and at the same time heartened by the outpouring of support and help we have received,” the family said. “We remain hopeful that Hannah will be found soon.”
The family said Graham is highly responsible and organized, and would not have left the area without contacting family or friends.
In a statement to University staff and faculty, University President Teresa Sullivan called for "calm and wisdom" as the search process continues.
“We are encouraging our students to maintain their daily schedules,” Sullivan said. “Having structure in their day will help them in coping with uncertainty, and I hope that those of you who teach and support our students will help them stay on track.”
Sullivan encouraged faculty to refer distressed students to on-Grounds counseling services or professional counseling.
In an email to students, Dean of Students Allen Groves outlined safe transit options in the area surrounding the University and expressed sympathy for the Grahams.
“Our thoughts remain with her family at this difficult time," he said. "Please know that the University is supporting them. The U.Va. community is a tight-knit family, and an event like this touches a great many of us quite deeply.”
Groves also addressed the case at a Student Council meeting Tuesday evening.
“We have a lot of people focused on this,” he said. “It’s a very challenging time [and] a very concerning set of facts. There’s no easy way around that. [We] hope it will take a positive turn.”
The case remains a missing persons case at this time.
“Detectives are running full steam ahead,” Roberts said. “We are checking on each tip we get on the case.”
Read More
Student Council debates resolution for increased allergen transparency, reviews summer budget
By Arshiya Pant | YesterdayThe resolution aimed to support students by requiring U.Va. Dine locations to provide a comprehensive list of allergens for food items on GrubHub.
Honor Committee brainstorms sanction diversification, considers future steps for AI
By Lexie Stadler | 2 days agoHancock and Carson Breus, vice chair for sanctions and third-year Commerce student, said they are collaborating to explore fresh sanctioning avenues.
Gaston and Ramazani Houses — the University’s newest upperclassmen residences
By Zackary Holt and Vyshnavi Tatta | 3 days agoDining options will include a Peet's Coffee, The Den by Denny's, a Bodega deli and space for an additional restaurant that will change on a rotating basis.
