<p>TatinG, The police see the most potential similarity between Hannah and Morgan Harrington, who was a Virginia Tech student, not a UVa student, when she disappeared in Charlottesville in 2009 (while attending a concert).</p>
<p>They are not saying this is tragically over, which seems to be what people are thinking. They are testing a car for forensic evidence and searching an apt that’s connected to someone who is connected to the case. She is not there, but there were people in the apt and they spent hours waiting for a warrant. A cop who was interviewed says he hopes it’s a big break in the case. But he stopped short of answering that question with a yes.</p>
<p>It was the NBC Today Show report that I saw yesterday morning. That report said that the footage clearly showed a second man following the missing woman and the first fellow said he saw them together, according to NBC TV. </p>
<p>Made me think of Lauren Spierer, who has been missing from IU for over 3 years. So sad.</p>
<p>This is the second man…</p>
<p>“Charlottesville police released the description of a man identified as having contact with Graham the night she disappeared. Police are seeking the individual for questioning and described him as a black man, 5-foot-10 to 5-foot-11, between 250 and 285 pounds, with a close-shaved head, goatee, and a slight “beer belly,” police said. The man is in his late 20s or early 30s and was seen wearing black jeans and a white T-shirt, police said. The man was seen with Graham in the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville between 1 a.m. and 1:15 a.m. Saturday, police said. Investigators are offering a $50,000 reward for “information leading to the cause” of her disappearance, police said.”</p>
<p>If the police have actual footage of the second man following Hannah and having contact with her (rather than just a description provided by the first man), that would be important. In terms of the car and apartment, I have seen conflicting info-that it is related to the second male , and that it is related to a new, different person of interest, based on new tips. The 3pm press conference may answer some questions but unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll get any good news about Hannah. </p>
<p>No, I don’t think we get good news about Hannah either. I just don’t necessarily think we get anything definitive. They found probable cause in the car to search the apartment and have taken out three brown bags of something they call evidence.</p>
<p>Did they hold the press conference?</p>
<p>I think it has been rescheduled until 5pm (that was in a tweet from NBC29 in Charlottesville). It is going to be live streamed.</p>
<p>Chief Longo now reports that the video LW reported does in fact contain an image of a individual with dreadlocks who was in fact with her. Hannah was evidently in a bar downtown with this individual and was seen getting into a vehicle with this “person of interest”. </p>
<p>From NBC29: </p>
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<p>That’s a different guy than the heavy 5’10" guy described earlier, it seems?</p>
<p>That’s what I was thinking too,OHMomof2. The dreadlocks thing is a different description too.CNN said the police had re reviewed the tapes within the last twenty four hours and that they could then see the suspicious activity of the guy with dreadlocks. Maybe they were first focusing on the description from the first guy who said he saw her with a guy with a close shaven head and consequently missed the possibility of the 3rd guy, with dreadlocks, until they looked at the tapes more closely?</p>
<p>I imagine that until the car is combed carefully for fiber, hair, etc evidence or until something turns up in the things they took from his apartment, they have no evidence to arrest the dreadlock guy. </p>
<p>My D goes to UVa. I perhaps foolishly thought that Charlottesville was a safe town. So I am very concerned about this and about the report of two rapes near campus over the weekend. </p>
<p>The black guy who is 5’11 is a well known student according to numerous UVA forums. The officers know him and he apparently did go to the police voluntarily. He is said to have had nothing to do with the case, white guy who follows her( who I thought was their man) went twice to the station questioned and released. Still is a person of interest. This guy is a new player- diffrent from the other two. It should be noted that Morgan Harrington’s shirt was found right across the street where Hannah was seen and both girls are very similar in stature. The description is almost identical to Morgan’s killer. I feel like this is the same guy :(. </p>
<p>D is a recent grad, TatinG and sevmom’s son graduated a few years ago from there as well. I think everyone on Grounds is taking this very seriously, from what I have heard. Charlottesville is generally safe, but on the weekends caution is definitely needed. Travel in a group. Use Saferide. </p>
<p>They want more information on the whereabouts of the dreadlock guy, but they don’t post a photo of him. Maybe he’s the only dreadlock guy in C’Ville? </p>
<p>Yes, everyone is taking this very seriously. I read that Larry Sabato, a well known professor, had his assistant make sure everyone had a buddy to walk with after an evening class. I 'm very surprised that they didn’t have info about the Tempo Bar sighting earlier. This case has been all over the news. Hannah is 5’11", this dreadlock guy is 32 years old, 270 pounds. This pair would have had to stand out.</p>
<p>TatinG, I know you’re anxious about this but in general, as sabaray said, most problems can be avoided by traveling in a group and using Saferide, Charlottesville is a city though and certainly not totally immune to crime.</p>
<p>^^This, I don’t care where you live or if you are a guy or a girl it is never a good idea to be walking around at 1 in the morning by yourself and even worse if you’ve been drinking. Hoping for the best, but like IU, I suspect it’s not going to be a good outcome. </p>
<p>Charlottesville is safe. But you still need to be smart. Just like anywhere else.</p>
<p>Even Hannah’s parents put out a statement urging students to be vigilant and walk with a buddy. They don’t want to see this happen to anyone else’ s child.How sad that they have to see these probable last images of their daughter like this. </p>