A new lead has emerged in the search for a missing University of Virginia student, who disappeared after leaving a party early Saturday. Hannah Graham, 18, reportedly sent a text message to a friend saying she had gotten lost while walking home from the off-campus party. Now, new surveillance video shows a man who appears to follow Graham as she walks outside a downtown Charlottesville mall. Police have identified the man, but have not released his name. Authorities say he came forward voluntarily, and told police that he saw a black male approach Graham and put his arm around her. He said that he followed Graham because she appeared to be distressed, but reportedly told police that Graham seemed to know the man. Police are attempting to locate the second man. Police are also looking at other previous videos of Graham captured by businesses' surveillance cameras. One shows Graham walking past a bar, appearing to be intoxicated, and a second video shows her running past a gas station. Police say those two videos don't show anyone following Graham. It's believed she walked at least a mile and a half from the party. There is concern that Graham's disappearance is linked to other cases of missing women in the Charlottesville area. In 2009, Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington disappeared while walking near the UVA campus after leaving a concert. Her body was found in a rural area three months later. The case remains unsolved. Harrington's family has spoken out since learning of Graham's disappearance. More on that below from WSLS-TV: "It's heartbreaking to know that another young woman is missing and another family is going through the anguish of the missing period," mother Gil Harrington said. Gil Harrington knows this pain all too well. She said hearing the news of UVA student Hannah Graham's disappearance on Monday, she can't help but think of her own daughter, Morgan. Morgan was a Virginia Tech student who went missing near UVA's campus in 2009 and was found three months later murdered. "Every new class of first year students at UVA don't know the previous cultural history there and the high incidents of assaults against young women there," Harrington said. Harrington said the circumstances surrounding the UVA softball player vanishing has startling similarities to her daughter's case. Charlottesville Police have searched areas between Rugby Road and Grady Avenue and also here near McGrady's Pub in Charlottesville for Hannah.
9/18/2014
Surveillance Video: Mystery Man Sought in Disappearance of UVA Student
A new lead has emerged in the search for a missing University of Virginia student, who disappeared after leaving a party early Saturday. Hannah Graham, 18, reportedly sent a text message to a friend saying she had gotten lost while walking home from the off-campus party. Now, new surveillance video shows a man who appears to follow Graham as she walks outside a downtown Charlottesville mall. Police have identified the man, but have not released his name. Authorities say he came forward voluntarily, and told police that he saw a black male approach Graham and put his arm around her. He said that he followed Graham because she appeared to be distressed, but reportedly told police that Graham seemed to know the man. Police are attempting to locate the second man. Police are also looking at other previous videos of Graham captured by businesses' surveillance cameras. One shows Graham walking past a bar, appearing to be intoxicated, and a second video shows her running past a gas station. Police say those two videos don't show anyone following Graham. It's believed she walked at least a mile and a half from the party. There is concern that Graham's disappearance is linked to other cases of missing women in the Charlottesville area. In 2009, Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington disappeared while walking near the UVA campus after leaving a concert. Her body was found in a rural area three months later. The case remains unsolved. Harrington's family has spoken out since learning of Graham's disappearance. More on that below from WSLS-TV: "It's heartbreaking to know that another young woman is missing and another family is going through the anguish of the missing period," mother Gil Harrington said. Gil Harrington knows this pain all too well. She said hearing the news of UVA student Hannah Graham's disappearance on Monday, she can't help but think of her own daughter, Morgan. Morgan was a Virginia Tech student who went missing near UVA's campus in 2009 and was found three months later murdered. "Every new class of first year students at UVA don't know the previous cultural history there and the high incidents of assaults against young women there," Harrington said. Harrington said the circumstances surrounding the UVA softball player vanishing has startling similarities to her daughter's case. Charlottesville Police have searched areas between Rugby Road and Grady Avenue and also here near McGrady's Pub in Charlottesville for Hannah.
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