Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story reported that police interviewed Jesse Matthew as part of the Morgan Harrington investigation in 2009. The Virginia State Police say in a statement, “Jesse L. Matthew Jr. was never interviewed in 2009 by state police in connection with the Morgan Harrington investigation.” Charlottesville police say Matthew was interviewed earlier that year about a separate case, but was never questioned in connection with the Harrington case.
WASHINGTON — Police have said the arrest of Jesse Matthew in the disappearance last month of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham “provides a forensic link” to the abduction and death of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington in 2009.
A report now says that Matthew was working as a cab driver the night Harrington was last seen, following a Metallica concert in Charlottesville on Oct. 17, 2009.
Matthew has been charged in the disappearance of a University of Virginia sophomore, Hannah Graham. The Charlottesville man was working as a cab driver the night Morgan Harrington went missing in the college town five years ago, NBC29 reports.
There are multiple reports that two of Matthew’s former taxi co-workers have told federal and state authorities Matthew was working the night Harrington disappeared. NBC 29 also reports police have the cab Matthew was driving; it was found two weeks ago on a farm.
A spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police says that the department did not interview Matthew about the Harrington disappearance.
Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller released this statement about the case:
“Right now the disappearance and death of Morgan are the core focus of the Virginia State Police investigation. Release of information from anyone other than the Virginia State Police concerning this case is not official nor factually confirmed. The Harrington family and public deserve accurate representation of the facts of this case. State police will release new information at a time and in a manner that does not jeopardize the integrity of this ongoing, complex criminal investigation.”