Charlottesville police are still looking for second year University of Virginia student and West Potomac High School alumna Hannah Graham. The 18 year old was last seen and heard from early in the morning on Saturday, Sept. 13 around Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall.
Last week on Wednesday, Sept. 24, nearly 1,000 friends and supporters of Graham met in the West Potomac high school cafeteria for an evening candlelight rally.
Just prior to the rally, Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo announced 32-year-old Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr, the man charged with abducting Graham “with intent to defile,” had been arrested in Galveston, Texas.
Initially, Graham’s case had only resembled the disappearance and death five years ago of 20-year-old Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington.
But in a statement released Monday, Virginia State Police said that Matthew’s arrest “provided a significant break in this case with a new forensic link for state police investigators to pursue.”
Police in Charlottesville have expanded their search for Graham around the region and asked residents to check their own properties for unfamiliar tire tracks, gates that have been tampered with, open sheds, items of clothing or cell phone cases.
They’re continuing to urge anyone with information or who may have seen anything out of the ordinary to call an anonymous tip line at 434-295-3851. The Virginia State Police can be reached at 434-352-3467.