UPDATE: 1:30pm
Reached at her family home in Roanoke, Gil Harrington spoke briefly with C-VILLE about the link between her daughter’s death and an unsolved abduction and sexual assault that took place in Fairfax in 2005.
"It seems strange to say we are thrilled—I mean, how can you be thrilled about such an obscene thing?" said Harrington. "But the likelihood of arrest and conviction has increased exponentially. We’re very thrilled about that." She added that the family has been aware of the investigation’s link to the Fairfax case for a few weeks, but state police were not ready to release the new information until today.
The time between the January discovery of her daughter’s remains and today’s announcement from the Virginia State Police has been "hellish," said Harrington. But she said she was happy that Charlottesville-area residents now have a description (see below) for a suspect in the case.
"It’s a lot easier to be careful of this guy than being careful in general," said Harrington.
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The Virginia State Police has connected its homicide investigation in the death of 20-year-old Morgan Harrington with an unsolved abduction and sexual assault which occurred more than four years prior and roughly 100 miles from Anchorage Farm, where the Virginia Tech student’s remains were found in January. Harrington went missing last year during an October 17 Metallica concert at John Paul Jones Arena. [Click here for all previous coverage.]
"Forensic evidence recovered during the course of the Harrington investigation has confirmed the link to the City of Fairfax assault," according to a press release from the VSP. "In September 2005, a Fairfax woman was abducted and sexually assaulted and City of Fairfax Police detectives were able to create a composite sketch based on the victim’s description of the subject."
VSP spokesperson Corinne Geller told C-VILLE that police are unable to release specific details about forensic evidence at this time. She also said that no additional cases have been linked via evidence.
Police note that the suspect’s physical appearance may have changed since the drawing was completed. The suspect is described as a black male between 25 and 35 years of age, roughly 6′ tall and with a medium build. He has black hair with a beard and mustache, and was described wearing a "black colored pullover sweater with a zipper, white t-shirt underneath and light colored pants." The 2005 wanted poster is below:
VSP asks that anyone with information about the man in the poster contact Fairfax police officer Mike Boone at (703) 385-7959. Anyone with information concerning the Harrington investigation should call the Jefferson Area Crimestoppers at (434) 977-4000 or the VSP at (434) 352-3467. There is a $150,041 reward for information that helps lead to the resolution of the Harrington investigation.