Sketch of suspect in Morgan Harrington's murder case |
Police say they've gotten hundreds of new tips but nothing that's led them to the person who killed a Virginia Tech student.
It was a year ago Friday Virginia State Police put out a sketch of the suspect.
The man in it is believed to be involved with two crimes.
The first, a sexual assault in 2005, in Northern Virginia.
The suspect's DNA has also been linked to Morgan Harrington murder.
She went missing during the fall of 2009.
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Here is the full press release:
VIRGINIA STATE POLICE & FAIRFAX CITY POLICE STILL SEARCHING FOR SUSPECT ID
RICHMOND – It was one year ago Friday (July 1, 2011) that Virginia State Police went public with a composite sketch of a man forensically linked to the disappearance and death of Virginia Tech student, Morgan Harrington. The composite sketch resulted from an unsolved 2005 abduction and sexual assault in the City of Fairfax. The Virginia Department of Forensic Science was able to confirm a DNA forensic match connecting the two separate crimes.
“Since this composite sketch was released last year, state police investigators and Fairfax City investigators have received several hundred new tips on this individual,” said Lt. Joe Rader, Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Appomattox Field Office. “This is extremely encouraging as the information we get from local citizens is important because they are the most familiar with the surroundings and habits of their neighbors and associates. We still get information on a daily basis and prioritize that information for follow-up based on what appears to be most relevant to solving the case.”
In September 2005, a Fairfax woman was abducted and sexually assaulted. City of Fairfax Police detectives were able to create a composite sketch based on the victim’s description of the suspect.
Harrington, 20, of Roanoke, Va., went missing from the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville during a Metallica concert on the night of Oct. 17, 2009. Her remains were discovered Jan. 26, 2010, by the landowner of Anchorage Farm in southern Albemarle County. The skeletal remains were located in a field on the 700-acre property. Morgan Harrington’s death is being investigated as a homicide.
The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Appomattox Field Office, University of Virginia Police, Albemarle County Police, and the Charlottesville Police continue to work closely with the City of Fairfax Police in regards to both criminal incidents.
The public is still encouraged to contact either agency with information related to these two active cases. Those with information about the man featured in the “Wanted Poster” may contact City of Fairfax Police Detective Mike Boone at (703) 385-7959. Anyone wishing to provide information in the Morgan Harrington case is encouraged to call the Jefferson Area Crime Stoppers at (434) 977-4000 or Virginia State Police at (434) 352-3467 or email State Police at bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov. A reward of $150,041 is still available for anyone with information that leads to a successful resolution of the Harrington crime.
