The Virginia State Police are seeking a suspect in connection with the murder of Morgan Harrington.
The suspect, announced Thursday, July 1, was identified in connection with the case through “a forensic connection,” according to a press release from the state police.
Harrington, 20, was a student at Virginia Tech. She disappeared from a Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones arena in Charlottesville on Oct. 17, 2009. After a four-month search, her body was discovered on Anchorage Farm, about 10 minutes from the University of Virginia in Albemarle County.
Forensic evidence found during the investigation has linked Harrington’s case with an unsolved 2005 abduction and sexual assault in Northern Virginia.
In 2005, a woman was abducted and sexually assaulted in the city of Fairfax. A composite sketch of the assaulter was established after the assault. However, police said the suspect may have changed his appearance in the past five years.
The Virginia State Police, UVa Police, Albemarle County Police and the Charlottesville Police are working with the Fairfax Police in regards to both criminal incidents.
Those with information about the man featured in the attached “Wanted Poster” may contact City of Fairfax Police Detective Mike Boone at 703-385-7959. Anyone wishing to provide information in the Harrington case is encouraged to call the Jefferson Area Crime Stoppers at 434-977-4000 or Virginia State Police at 434-352-3467, or e-mail State Police at bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov. A reward of $150,041 is still available for anyone with information that leads to a resolution of the Harrington crime.