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Missing U-Va. student’s father: ‘This is every parent’s worst nightmare’ Missing U-Va. student’s father: ‘This is every parent’s worst nightmare’
(about 2 hours later)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Charlottesville Police chief Timothy J. Longo said Sunday that an arrest warrant for reckless driving has been issued for a man who police believe was the last person with University of Virginia student Hannah Graham before she disappeared more than a week ago. CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. —The parents of missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham said Sunday that they are holding out hope for their daughter’s safe return but fear that her disappearance was the result of “foul play.”
Longo said Sunday that the man, Jesse L. “LJ” Matthew, came to the Charlottesville police department voluntarily on Saturday and requested a lawyer. After speaking with the lawyer, Matthew and a second person were seen by police leaving the Charlottesville area at a “high rate of speed,” Longo said. The vehicle was traveling so dangerously that authorities tailing the car had to discontinue the chase. In an interview in this college town, John and Sue Graham said they believe their daughter, an 18-year-old sophomore from Fairfax County, may still be alive.
Virginia State Police have issued an arrest warrant on charges of reckless driving for Matthew, 32. Longo said that Charlottesville detectives did not speak further with Matthew, who has not been charged with a crime in connection to Graham’s disappearance. Police said Matthew is a black man who stands 6’2” and weighs 270 pounds. “Our focus is in getting Hannah home,” John Graham said. “It’s still not impossible that Hannah had an accident and she’s waiting for us to come help her. But I suspect that’s unlikely. If she’s a victim of foul play, then someone perpetrated it, and we want to prevent that person or persons from doing it again.”
“I think he can help us find Hannah Graham. Because that’s what we want,” Longo said. The Grahams spoke to The Washington Post shortly after appearing at a news conference with Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy J. Longo, who made an emotional plea for information about the man believed by investigators to be the last person seen with Hannah Graham before she disappeared.
Despite days of investigation and massive searches by volunteers from Virginia, Maryland and elsewhere, police do not currently know if Graham’s disappearance is connected to a crime. Graham spent the night of Friday, Sept. 12 socializing and drinking with friends. At around 1 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, authorities say, Graham was seen with Charlottesville resident Jesse L. “LJ” Matthew inside the Tempo restaurant and bar.
At the news conference Graham’s parents came forward to speak to reporters about their daughter, who is an 18-year-old sophomore at the university. Shortly after, witnesses saw Matthew, 32, leaveTempo with Graham, police said.
“This is every parent’s worst nightmare,” said her father, John Graham. “I’m certain that everyone in this room and those watching know that what happened to Hannah could happen to their child. We need to find out what happened to Hannah, and make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.” Matthew has not been charged with a crime in connection with Graham’s disappearance, and police are not describing him as a suspect in the case.
A Fairfax County resident, Graham is a sophomore on the university’s Charlottesville campus. She spent the night of Sept. 12 socializing and drinking with friends. At around 1 a.m. Saturday, authorities say, Graham was seen with Matthew, 32, inside the Tempo restaurant and bar near the downtown mall in Charlottesville. Shortly after, Graham vanished. “I believe that Jesse Matthew was the last person she was seen with before she vanished off the face of the earth,” Longo said Sunday. “It’s been a week, and we can’t find her.”
On Friday, police searched Matthew’s vehicle, a 1998 burnt orange Chrysler coupe. After obtaining evidence inside the vehicle, police entered the man’s residence at 164 Hessian Hills Way in Charlottesville. Longo said Sunday that investigators believe that Matthew and Graham left the area of the restaurant in Matthew’s 1998 burnt-orange Chrysler coupe. Police searched the vehicle on Friday, removed potential evidence, and then entered Matthew’s residence, in the 100 block of Hessian Hills Way.
Charlottesville police Capt. Gary Pleasants said Sunday that investigators did not locate Graham’s mobile phone inside the car. Tests so far have not identified Graham’s DNA inside the vehicle either, he said. Pleasants did not indicate what evidence detectives found inside the vehicle that enabled them to obtain a search warrant to enter the man’s home. On Saturday, Longo said, Matthews came to the Charlottesville police department voluntarily and requested a lawyer. After speaking with the lawyer, Matthew and a second person were seen by police leaving the Charlottesville area at a “high rate of speed,” Longo said.
On Sunday, hundreds of volunteers combed neighborhoods around Charlottesville searching for clues that could help investigators find Graham. The massive search is scheduled to end Sunday evening. The vehicle was traveling so dangerously, Longo said, that authorities tailing the car had to discontinue the chase.
Virginia State Police have issued an arrest warrant on charges of reckless driving for Matthew.
Police describe Matthew as a black man with dreadlocks who stands 6’2” and weighs 270 pounds. A neighbor said he worked at the University of Virginia hospital.
Longo asked anyone who may have seen Matthew’s car around the time that Graham disappeared to call police.
“This is a critical piece of a puzzle where there are lots of pieces missing,” Longo said. “I think he can help us find Hannah Graham. Because that’s what we want.”
The Post has made multiple attempts to seek comment from Matthew and his family. In an interview, a man who identified himself as a relative of Matthew said that police “are trying to frame [him].” The relative, who did not give his name, declined to comment further.
John Graham read a prepared statement at Sunday’s news conference, urging members of the Charlottesville community to come forward with any tips that may help investigators find Hannah.
“This is every parent’s worst nightmare,” Graham said. “I am certain that everybody in the room and those watching who is a parent knows that what happened to Hannah could happen to their child. We need to find out what happened to Hannah and make sure that it doesn’t happen to anybody else.”
Charlottesville police Capt. Gary Pleasants said Sunday that investigators did not locate Graham’s mobile phone inside Matthew’s car when they searched it. Tests so far have not identified Graham’s DNA inside the vehicle either, he said.
Pleasants did not indicate what evidence detectives found inside the vehicle that enabled them to obtain a search warrant to enter Matthew’s home.
On Sunday, hundreds of volunteers combed neighborhoods around Charlottesville searching for clues that could help investigators find Graham. The massive search was scheduled to conclude Sunday evening.