Police in Albemarle County are waiting for results from the state’s crime lab – hoping to learn whether remains found over the weekend are those of missing UVA student Hannah Graham.
Search teams were working in an area near Walnut Creek – less than ten miles from where the remains of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington was found, when they made a grim discovery Saturday. Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo told reporters:
“Sometime before noon today a search team from the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Department was searching an abandoned property along Old Lynchburg Road in southern Albemarle County when they discovered what appears to be human remains.”
Soon after, he said, Hannah Graham’s family was notified.
“Detective Sgt James Mooney made a very difficult phone call and reached out to John and Susan Graham to share with them this preliminary discovery. Forensic tests need to be conducted to determine the identification of those remains, but nonetheless we wanted to be quick to share that information with the Graham family.”
Because the body was found outside city limits, Albemarle County Police Chief Steve Sellers took charge of the death investigation – ordering a search of the area for additional clues and asking the public for help.
“We would ask anyone who lives in the area of Old Lynchburg Road or is familiar with that area and recalls seeing any suspicious activity or vehicles following Hannah’s disappearance on September 13th or seeing an individual fitting Jesse Matthew’s description in that area about that time, please contact the Albemarle County Police Department.”
Reporter Hawes Spencer found one man who lives near Walnut Creek Park. James Gibson said he’d seen Matthew many times, driving his taxi through the neighborhood.
“He used to speed down through here. He would run on top of you. Every time he’d come through here he would speed.”
His daughter-in-law, Tiffany Gibson, was also familiar with Jesse Matthew Jr., who is now in prison – charged with kidnapping Graham and linked, by forensic evidence, to the Morgan Harrington case.
“When we seen him, he’d wave and say hello. There wasn’t a person that, y’know when we found out he was in jail for murder or kidnapping, we wouldn’t think a person like that would do such a thing.”
And James Gibson told Spencer that some years ago Matthew lived nearby with his mother and step-father.
“He stayed out here behind me a long time ago – might be four or five years. He knew everything around here – where to go and what to do. He knew where to go! How do you feel about the news today that they discovered a woman’s body in Walnut Creek Park. I feel bad, because I was hoping she wouldn’t be gone, but I know the good Lord’s got her and the good Lord is going to take care of her.”
Police expressed thanks to all of those who had helped in the search for Hannah Graham and canceled any further plans to look for her until results from the crime lab come in.
Charlottesville journalist created this map, pertaining to the investigation.
