In a press conference this evening, Virginia State Police announced the discovery of remains presumed to be those of Morgan Harrington, missing since October. A farmer out inspecting his fences near Red Hill (just off 29S) discovered her remains this morning, which were identified by clothing and hair. An autopsy is necessary to authenticate the identity and to determine the cause of death. Because of the circumstances of her disappearance and the odd location where her remains were found, police are treating this as a likely homicide.
This will inevitably draw comparisons to the 1996 murder of Alicia Showalter Reynolds, the 25-year-old who disappeared while driving to Charlottesville from Culpeper on 29. Her body was found in a field in Culpeper County nine weeks later; the elapsed time and the heavy rain had rendered the crime scene devoid of clues, perhaps as in the current case. Nobody was ever convicted of Reynolds’ murder, although a 2007 investigation by the Frederickburg Free Lance-Star makes a compelling case that the now-deceased Richard Evonitz did it; he’s also believed to have killed Sofia Silva and the Lisk sisters.
Hmm. Do you think so? :)
Anchorage Farm (according to the NBC29 graphic) is an odd shaped parcel. I am curious as to how far from 29S the body was found? If it was the part of the property closest to Chopin Road (I did a google map search to find other nearby roads)- that might suggest someone who knew the area well.
Or someone who didn’t mind a long hike with a few hundred pounds of extra weight.
From the Hook’s story — they say the property owner found the body “in an area he describes as far from Route 29 South.”
The Hook has the most complete story of the details known to date and broke the news, this morning, that the remains were most likely those of Ms.Harrington.
http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2010/01/26/tragic-tale-body-of-woman-found-at-farm/
According to a new report I saw somewhere (CBS 19 maybe?), the farm’s owner indicated the area in question was about a mile and half back from Rt. 29.
The Hook’s online coverage is very well done, but let’s not pretend they broke the story. NBC29 and Henry Graff get the credit for that.