Michael Stuart Pritchett has confessed his role in the murder of Jayne Warren McGowan, Kate Harmon and Rob Seal report in today’s Daily Progress. The eighteen year old says that he and his cousin, William Douglas Gentry, intended to rob somebody. They selected her house (for reasons not yet disclosed), knocked on her door, and entered when she opened the door. Based on the Progress’ depiction, it sounds like they immediately killed her, with each of the two men using a handgun of their own. They then robbed the home and stole her car. The two were arrested just a week ago, and McGowan was killed just ten days ago, so there’s a great deal more information yet to come out.
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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It takes an adept detective to intice someone to confess to capital murder. Good job! We tend, including myself, to go off when the cops err, but we DO have quite a few that actually know what to do, the badge happy little whippersnappers not withstanding.
BTW,we need to keep some of these good ones also. Some of late have gone to fed jobs such as the DEA, etc. The City really does need to keep the young and talented, or else they will all be of less than acceptable quality. Charlottesville elitists tend to think a lot of themselves, but also tend to take it’s teachers AND emergency workers for granted…and they are bleeding those folks to better jobs every year.
If the policemen, teachers and emt’s don’t like their jobs then let them go for whatever reason they may choose to leave.
Jogger, I agree.
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Jeeperman, you really are pro-cop, aren’t you? Up one side and down the other! Ninth grade kids could have gotten a confession out of these morons. Just like somebody said on The Hook, all you have to do is put them in seperate rooms and tell each that the other just confessed. Both will spill their guts trying to find out how much blame one put on the other.