University of Virginia Student Missing, Suspect Charged with Felony Abduction

No one yet knows what happened to missing University of Virginia sophomore, Hannah Graham, 18. She was last seen early Saturday, September 13, 2014.

Previously on Friday evening she went to dinner with some friends and then attended two off campus college parties. She left the second party alone. Soon after Graham sent a friend a text saying she was lost. There are surveillance videos showing Graham walking and then running, although no one is seen chasing her in the videos. Graham is then thought to have been in an area called the Downtown Mall, a well-developed commercial area of restaurants and bars. At some point she went into a bar with a man. The police believe this man to be Jesse Leroy Matthew, Jr., 32. The police also believe Matthew to be the last person to have seen Graham before she disappeared.

Wait staff at the bar said Matthew did order drinks and Graham was most likely under the influence of alcohol throughout the night. Police in this case have now identified Matthew as a main suspect. Matthew went to the police station on Saturday, but was soon after provided with an attorney and did not provide the police with any information regarding Graham. Later while Matthew was under police surveillance, Matthew sped away. Police then put out two arrest warrants for charges of reckless driving. They also released a wanted poster with Matthew’s picture and a statement at the bottom saying the authorities would like to speak to Matthew regarding Graham’s disappearance. The police have since searched Matthew’s car once and his apartment twice. On Tuesday, September 23, 2014, Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo announced Matthew has been charged with felony abduction with intent to defile Graham.

Graham is one of five young women, all between the ages of 17-20, to have gone missing from the Charlottesville area in the last five years. Graham and three other girls are still missing. Morgan Harrington, who went missing from a Metallica concert held on the University of Virginia in October 2009, was found dead three months later.

The disappearance of Graham not only has an impact directly on the University of Virginia campus, but on all college campuses throughout the country. College age individuals must realize the importance of safety. Students should be aware of all possible dangers, including the possibility of abduction. Before going out, let a friend know where you will be going and who you will be going with. Before leaving a party, let someone there know that you are leaving and whom you are leaving with. If possible, walk in pairs or groups of threes, especially if it is late at night. If you are walking alone, put down your cell phone and pay attention to your surroundings.