The Lexington Police Department released a statement Monday saying it received a tip during the weekend about the possible sighting of a suspect in the murder of Morgan Harrington.
Harrington was a Virginia Tech student who disappeared outside of John Paul Jones Arena Oct. 17, 2009. Her remains were found at Anchorage Farm, a remote Albemarle County farm, three months following her disappearance.
Students at Washington and Lee University received an email from the university’s public safety services in response to the sighting. The email outlined precautions the student body should take to ensure their safety, recommending students within the area avoid walking alone at night, stay in well-lit areas and remain aware of their surroundings.
“According to the information received from Lexington PD, the report they received came several days after the sighting of the individual had occurred and they have not been in contact with any individuals matching that description or sketch,” the email said.
Harrington was visiting Charlottesville to attend a Metallica concert at JPJ. After being refused re-entry to the venue after leaving the arena, investigators believe she decided to hitchhike to return home. The last sighting of Harrington was 9:30 p.m. at Copeley Road Bridge. Investigators also said they later recovered the shirt Harrington wore to the concert on the outskirts of an apartment complex on Grady Avenue.
Harrington’s parents, Gil and Daniel Harrington, confirmed in a 2010 press release her body — discovered in a rural area 10 miles from JPJ — showed “brutal damage.” Several bones were broken or shattered when the police department released her body to them, the release said.
The last development in the case was in 2013, when a witness informed police that Harrington had suffered a two-to-three inch laceration on her chin and had become disoriented after leaving her seat at the Metallica concert.
The Harringtons subsequently filed a civil lawsuit against Regional Marketing Concepts, Inc., also known as R.M.C. Events, Inc., demanding $3.9 million for negligence and breach of contract. The Harringtons claimed security officials, who they say saw the injuries Harrington obtained in the arena and recognized she was incapacitated, did not properly assist her.
In July, a Charlottesville judge decided to continue portions of the lawsuit, which has not yet been settled.
The Harringtons are offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of the party or parties responsible for Morgan Harrington's death. The band Metallica has also pledged an additional $50,000 in the effort, according to a website set up in Harrington's honor.
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