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| Police search for man last seen talking to missing University of Virginia sophomore | Police search for man last seen talking to missing University of Virginia sophomore |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Police have released a description of an unidentified man who a witness said was speaking with a University of Virginia student who disappeared from Charlottesville in the early morning hours of Saturday. | |
| The witness told police that he saw Hannah Graham, 18, chatting with the man as she walked downtown hours before she was reported missing, said Capt. Gary Pleasants of the Charlottesville Police Department. The man, who police say is a “person of interest” in the case, reportedly walked with Graham for as long as two blocks in an open-air, off-campus mall in Charlottesville at about 1 a.m. to 1:15 a.m. | |
| Police said the witness described the man as a black male, 5-foot-10 to 5-foot-11, 250 to 285 pounds, with a close-shaved head, goatee and a slight “beer belly.” He is described as being in his late 20s to early 30s and was wearing black jeans and a white t-shirt, police said. | |
| The description came after police released surveillance footage showing a man following Graham along East Main Street, and the witness came forward to report that he was the man seen in some of the footage. The witness told authorities Graham was walking alone shortly after 1 a.m. and looked like she was in distress, so he began following Graham until another man approached her. | |
| “He said the man came up and put his arm around her and they were interacting,” Pleasants said, describing the witness’s account. “He said it looked like someone she knew, so he walked away.” | “He said the man came up and put his arm around her and they were interacting,” Pleasants said, describing the witness’s account. “He said it looked like someone she knew, so he walked away.” |
| Graham, who went to West Potomac High School in Fairfax County, was reported missing Sunday after friends said they had not heard from her since midnight. | Graham, who went to West Potomac High School in Fairfax County, was reported missing Sunday after friends said they had not heard from her since midnight. |
| Pleasants said the surveillance videos released by police do not show the unidentified man. He said the witness contacted police through a hotline, where police received 100 tips. He did not release the name of the witness, who he said played phone tag with investigators before voluntarily coming to the police department around 10 p.m. Wednesday. | Pleasants said the surveillance videos released by police do not show the unidentified man. He said the witness contacted police through a hotline, where police received 100 tips. He did not release the name of the witness, who he said played phone tag with investigators before voluntarily coming to the police department around 10 p.m. Wednesday. |
| Police shared other surveillance videos of Graham walking in downtown Charlottesville after drinking and socializing with friends Friday night into Saturday. | Police shared other surveillance videos of Graham walking in downtown Charlottesville after drinking and socializing with friends Friday night into Saturday. |
| Pleasants said at first investigators thought one of the surveillance videos showed Graham walking with a woman. But after questioning the witness and reexamining the footage, he said, authorities believe what they thought was another woman was actually images of Graham’s hair and figure reflected in nearby store windows. | Pleasants said at first investigators thought one of the surveillance videos showed Graham walking with a woman. But after questioning the witness and reexamining the footage, he said, authorities believe what they thought was another woman was actually images of Graham’s hair and figure reflected in nearby store windows. |
| The disappearance of Graham, a sophomore at U-Va., has perplexed her friends and family. | The disappearance of Graham, a sophomore at U-Va., has perplexed her friends and family. |
| In other surveillance videos, Graham is seen walking near a busy outdoor seating area at McGrady’s Irish Pub in Charlottesville, east of the main U-Va. campus. Another video shows her running before slowing to a walk near a Shell gas station four blocks from McGrady’s. Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo said he did not think Graham was being followed in that footage. | In other surveillance videos, Graham is seen walking near a busy outdoor seating area at McGrady’s Irish Pub in Charlottesville, east of the main U-Va. campus. Another video shows her running before slowing to a walk near a Shell gas station four blocks from McGrady’s. Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo said he did not think Graham was being followed in that footage. |
| After the gas station, authorities said there is surveillance video of Graham at an outdoor mall, where the witness told police he saw her with the unknown man. | After the gas station, authorities said there is surveillance video of Graham at an outdoor mall, where the witness told police he saw her with the unknown man. |
| Longo said Graham had been drinking alcohol with her friends Friday night. She ate dinner with them, and the group made plans to meet up again later. | Longo said Graham had been drinking alcohol with her friends Friday night. She ate dinner with them, and the group made plans to meet up again later. |
| Police said Graham left and that was the last time her friends saw her. Her last text message to friends was after 1 a.m., authorities said, saying she was lost in an unfamiliar place. | Police said Graham left and that was the last time her friends saw her. Her last text message to friends was after 1 a.m., authorities said, saying she was lost in an unfamiliar place. |
| Police also announced that rewards totalling $50,000 are now being offered for information leading to the cause of her disappearance. Police urge anyone with information about Graham to contact a tip line at (434) 295-3851. | |
| Julie Zauzmer contributed to this report. |