Following an argument near the Corner Saturday morning, 22-year-old Walter Sisk of Free Union is dead, and 21-year-old UVa student Andrew Alston is being held on charges of second degree murder. Alston, a third year, is accused of stabbing Sisk. Although the first murder in Charlottesville in 2003, Sisk, if found guilty, would be the third UVa student to have killed someone, the first being the guy who famously shot John Davis in 1940, and Jens Soering, who nearly as famously killed his girlfriend’s parents in 1985. Liesel Nowak has the story in today’s Progress.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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ouch, i just hope this doesn’t start a good old boy hunting for some frat boys.
Something like this NEVER happens in Cville and no one has anything to say.
I worry no I SERIOUSLY worry about this. This could cause tension between the rich kids at UVa and the good ole boys in Albemarle and surrounding areas. Think about it. A UVa brat killed a well like good ole boy. I wouldn’t be surpise if we see more assaults againist the student bodies from locals.
If you were actually reading the papers and keeping up with the details, you would know that this was an assult against one of the locals. It isn’t common for the young adult locals to pick fights with the UVa students and I don’t think that is going to change. It seems as though, in the recent news, it is the students that are out of control, not the locals.
I’m a UVA grad (’03) and I talked to some people I know who are still there who know the kid, and they said he’s a whack job. I wouldn’t say "the students are out of control" because of this, just one student was out of control, and he’ll be paying for it…for a long time.
yes, i am aware about the fights between locals and UVa kids. What I am saying is that this might lead to more fights from locals againist UVa.
link to story
i love this line…
“Second-year College student Brian Siebenburgen and second-year Architecture student Ryan Hickox live immediately across the hall from Alston’s apartment. Both said they never had a problem with their neighbors.
“They seem like generally low key kind of guys,” Siebenburgen said.
Hickox confessed he could not even identify which of his neighbors was Alston, but said generally he has never had trouble with any of them.”
yeah, he seemed like an ok guy…wait, which one was he again?
i’m sorry, but anybody, drunk or not, who could pull a knife and attack this firefighter like alston did is not “normal”. unfortuantely, you don’t typically find out about people like this til it’s too late.
Unfortunately for Alston, UVa suspended him before it could get to the Judiciary folks….they would probably just give him a few hours of comm service
Didn’t he beat up his ex-girlfriend or something like that before this happened? Sounds like a guy with serious violent tendencies.
I also heard that some dude got jumped on 15th Street (right behind The Corner) at approximately the same time as the murder. He accidentally brushed his cigarette into someone’s hair and then received a beatdown courtesy of 5 guys. Sounds like fun.
I’m gonna stay away from The Corner after the bars let out from now on. Wait, I already do that.