The FBI, the Virginia State Police, the Charlottesville Police and Albemarle Sheriff's Departments and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management are all involved in the investigation of missing University of Virginia student Hannah Elizabeth Graham.
The 18-year-old was last seen at about 1:00 this past Saturday morning.
Authorities have information that Graham was seen in front of McGrady’s Irish Pub on Grady Avenue, at 12:40, early this Saturday morning. Police are also now confirming surveillance video which places Graham outside of the Shell Gas Station on Preston Avenue at 12:55 Saturday morning. She is seen walking, and then running, though no one is behind her on the tape. Police also confirm she made it to the downtown mall around 1 a.m., and investigators are now looking for more surveillance video from businesses there. The last contact she had with friends was a text message saying she was lost.
Officials say they’ve received more than 60 tips about Graham’s whereabouts.
Graham is a native of the U.K., but is most recently from Fairfax County where she attended high school.
Graham is white, with blue eyes, light brown hair and freckles. She’s about 5'11" and thin.
A search using a bloodhound was conducted Sunday, with no useful results.
Anyone with information about Graham is asked to call the Charlottesville Police Department at 434-970-3280.
Click here for more information from the University of Virginia.
The news has sparked worry on campus and brought a new round of grief for a Roanoke couple whose daughter disappeared five years ago.
Gil Harrington was distraught to hear that another college student had gone missing near the University of Virginia campus. Months after he daughter, Morgan, disappeared, her remains were found in a farm field along Route 29, south of Charlottesville.
“I was told from the very beginning that it’s most likely that Morgan’s killer would be found from DNA on another body or in another crime.”
And she has watched with alarm as many other cases of missing women were reported.
“There’s a map with like 18 women murdered or missing in kind of this swath down 29. Those are just cases since 2009 when Morgan was abducted and murdered.”
One man linked to several of the missing women is now behind bars, but Harrington fears others may be out there, and she wants public officials to keep warning those who could fall victim to violent criminals.
“It’s not something that you can do once, because every year there’s a whole new flock of first year students that don’t know crimes or situations that have happened previously there. They’re naive. They’re focusing on themselves, and for that reason we do continue to beat the drums.”
Harrington said she had reached out to Graham’s parents, a couple from England, to offer whatever support she and her husband could provide.
Here is a statement on the investigation from the University of Virginia:
To the University Community:
The Charlottesville Police Department is investigating a missing person incident involving a University of Virginia student, Hannah Elizabeth Graham.
Hannah is a white female and 18 years old. She is approximately 5'11" tall with a skinny build. She has blue eyes, light brown hair and has freckles. She was last seen wearing a black crop top with mesh cut outs. The last contact she had with friends was via text message at 1:20 a.m. on September 13, 2014.
Anyone with information regarding Hannah is asked to contact the Charlottesville Police Department at 434-970-3280 or Crimestoppers at 434-977-4000.
Statement From Family of Hannah Graham
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Sept. 16, 2014 — Hannah Graham’s family issued the following statement today regarding the disappearance of their daughter, a second-year student at the University of Virginia. Hannah has been missing since early Saturday morning, and law enforcement officials are actively searching for her. The family asks that the public and news media respect its privacy at this time.
“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. We remain hopeful that Hannah will be found soon. We urge anyone with any information, however insignificant it may seem, to call a newly dedicated tip line at 434-295-3851 at the Charlottesville Police Department.
“Those of us who know and love Hannah know that she would not disappear without contacting family or friends. She is highly responsible and organized. She embraces life with energy and enthusiasm and has enriched the lives of many. Her empathy is evident in her daily interactions with us and her friends. She loves the University of Virginia, and all summer she was looking forward to the start of the new school year. U.Va. is her intellectual home, a place that stimulates her thinking on a broad variety of topics. Socially, she has found kinship and passion with her fellow members of the Ski Team.
“We express our sincere gratitude to law enforcement and everyone who is involved in the search for Hannah. We also thank the University for the full attention they are devoting to the situation. The kindness and support of so many – her friends at U.Va., particularly her friends on the Ski Team, her friends from high school, our neighbors, and the larger community – mean so much to us at this difficult time.
“Please join us in our fervent wish for Hannah’s safe return home. Once again, if you have any information at all, however insignificant it may seem, please call 434-295-3851.”
John, Susan, and James Graham
