I remember the Hannah Graham case when it first started getting national attention. It seemed be the typical kidnapping/murder story we've seen plenty in our lives. But to know that Hannah was just another notch in one mans belt is awful. One person has impacted families for no real reason. There is never a reason to ever do this to another human being. What gets to me the most is that the man is now in prison. And will not give any information on the the girl whose body has yet to be found. As a rationale person I cannot understand why he would not relinquish the information and just give that one last step to closure for that family. I've wondered what it's really like inside these killers minds. What they think about now that they are caught and how they perceive themselves now that they are done. I'm unsure on how people get to this moral less state in their lives where they think this is an okay thing to do. Buckeyes123
I also don't understand why someone would kill another person. If they make you mad, walk away. Nothing is worth killing someone over.
I also don't understand why (like you stated) the man who was convicted of killing Alexis Murphy, Randy, won't just tell where her body is. He's already in there for life, just give it up. Unless he thinks of it like he's not going to get anything out of telling the police where she's at. Gators123
I agree with you guys it is already bad enough that you killed someone and you are going to be in prison for natural life but not telling the family where the body is is just cruel. You have to give them some closure even if it is bad so that they can get through the grieving process; there would be no gain in not telling them versus telling them. In the case Hannah Graham’s case I believe there is enough evidence to convict Matthews for the crimes but it will be interesting what the jury says in a couple months about the case. Birdman123
I agree with you, I would be really upset knowing someone was in prison for killing someone I knew and they wouldn’t say where the body is or give any information at all. But maybe in their mind they are already in jail for life and really don’t care to tell anyone or maybe that seems to give them an advantage knowing there is still people out there hurting. GRUNT123
Yes, taking another innocent life. Especially of someone who you do not even know or who has not done anything to harm or hurt you. Just as these young girls were beginning to chase their dreams, the intruding monsters came in and snatched their dreams up right before their eyes of guidance. How selfish of you to put a limit on the time that I have on earth is my opinion of how they felt. They never got to graduate, get married, raise a family of their own, or even purchase a home. They were two very selfish men to put an ending time on someone else's life, especially these young ladies. Forensics123
In my opinion, I do believe that Jesse Matthew did in fact murder both Hannah Graham and Morgan Harrington, with attempting to murder RG years before. To me, there is too much going against Matthew to say that he did not kill the girls.
The first piece of evidence against Matthew (in the Graham case) is that he was practically following Hannah when she was seen on camera. Her last known whereabouts were at a pedestrian mall shortly after being seen at a Shell gas station and McGrady’s restaurant. At 1:06 am, Hannah sent a text saying, “I’m trying to get to a party and I’m lost.” This happened shortly before she was seen on camera with Matthew. Could it be possible that we see her on camera with him because he offered help getting her to that party, with intentions on harming her instead?
The second piece of evidence that is going against Jesse Matthew is that he has a history of preying on young girls, as he did when he was in college. Leaving two different schools because of sexual assault is a pretty big weight on someone’s shoulders. Didn’t anyone think that him working at the university hospital was a little suspicious when he likes the younger women? Matthew also raping and attempting to kill RG is a pretty big stepping stone in this case as well.
The last piece of evidence that I’ve seen against Matthew is that, when found six days into the investigation, he was being followed by police. Once Matthew discovered this, he floored the car and completely lost the police. Jesse Leroy Matthew went into hiding and did a fantastic job until four days later a woman spotted him on a beach in Galveston, Texas, 1300 miles from Charlottesville, Virginia. There was also a map of Mexico found in his car. If this doesn’t raise a giant red flag in an investigation, I don’t know what does. What better place to go if you’re trying to lose the cops than to Mexico?
As stated before, I firmly believe that Jesse Matthew did kill Morgan Harrington (Matthew making eye contact with the Harrington’s was cruel) and Hannah Graham. Luckily enough, RG was saved and was able to help put such a sad excuse for a human being behind bars. Gators123
I agree with you, there is too much evidence to say that Jesse Matthews did not murder Hannah Graham and Morgan Harrington. They have him on video surveillance following her around by the mall as well as his wrap sheet of having a history of preying on young girls. Like they said in the video the only reason he took the plea was so that he didn't have to look at his mother and say "this is what I did." Along with the previous case of RG linking him to the other cases it shows that he was a violent offender. Sparks123
I agree I think that it is evident that Matthews is responsible for Hannah and the other girls murders. I think there is to many facts that add up and go against him. Matthews requested a lawyer and then went AWOL did not help his cause any. On the outside Matthews seemed like a good guy but he had many secrets in his past the showed he was violent towards women. gabegun123
DNA connected all of the building blocks that the surveillance camera was unable to build. Mr. Mathews should have been prosecutor years prior when he was continued time after time with his attempted sexual assault. Mr. Mathews had all these previous accusations against him during school and no one ever pressed the issue. Which in my opinion caused smaller version of the problem to later on grow fairly larger. Forensics123
The video mentioned DNA science connected the 3 separate cases, which highlights the fact that information and evidence was available in a regional center for law enforcement to compare against current or past cases and criminal patterns. This information would help strengthen a case if a suspect was in those areas at the time of the crime. The prosecutors charged the suspect as more evidence was gathered, indicating that the police had methodically built their case on analysis of the evidence. It was interesting the way the police used the media and to some extent social media. On one hand it is a good way to alert the public to a dangerous situation and get the public’s help in providing information and searches. On the other hand it seems from the Police Chief’s press conferences and twitter responses, the public already identified the culprit. I had a hard time following the timeline with four different stories, so some of the press conferences may have been held after the DNA evidence had been analyzed, but it seems the Chief’s message was we know who did it, now we just have to find him. It is not clear when Jesse went from a person of interest to prime suspect. Humvee123
The video was a grim look into the terrible reality that is out there. These three girls who went missing and a fourth one almost beaten to death is a grim reminder of the terrible people out there that do these heinous acts. The use of social media in the case of Graham could come incredibly handy for law enforcement on that case and on cases in the future because it could potentially give more leads to the officers and communicate to potential witnesses that they did not know were out there. The Chief at the press conference was trying to set the tone for the department but it seemed like he may have been jumping to conclusions with saying that Matthews was definitely guilty. In my opinion he seemed guilty with his prior sexual conduct history and how it looked like he was the man in the security camera with Graham. Even though he was the prime suspect, he disappeared when police followed him, and his past history he is still innocent until proven guilty in a court of law so he needs his day in court before they jump to conclusions like that. For Randy in the Murphy case the DNA evidence definitely came in handy because there was evidence all over his SUV that was the victims but what was confusing is why he wouldn’t just tell law enforcement where the body was, why can’t he just give the grieving family some closure, is that too much to ask for? Birdman123
This video brought my attention to all of the hidden dangers that can happen to some of the most innocent people. Tragic things like this happen every day and it is very sad and almost disgusting to think about in a way. Forensic science can go along way when building a solid case as shown in the video. They used forensic science and DNA to track down the suspect of three different cases and were able to link this male to all of them. Like it was said in the video the suspect did not and would not cooperate with the authorities. When the suspect wouldn’t talk they let the forensic science and the DNA do the talking which built more concrete evidence then a self-incriminating action or statement could have done in a time like this. It was very intriguing to see that a case that had gone cold for nearly a decade had been cracked all due to the help of forensic science, social media, and some hard working and devoted detectives. Hearing about these innocent girls and the sick things done to them was a little stomach binding, but it makes you realize that something like this could, and does happen all the time. Sparks123
This was a really long video, but it was very interesting to watch. It is really cool how much information on how much really goes into a murder case or a missing persons case. I like how the video shows how important video cameras are in these types of cases. They seen Hannah in many different cameras and finally seen her with the guy they thought could have taken her. I think the Hannah case really touched the city because if the massive searches and how the chief really gets upset in his interview like he was yelling into the cameras. I would be really upset as a police officer knowing that the only suspect they had slip away. Even though they didn’t really have any reason to stop him. It was good they made wanted posters of this guy because he was found really fast 1300 miles away. Good thing he didn’t make it to Mexico. Over all this was a great video. GRUNT123
I found this video to be very interesting. This is a great example of how DNA evidence is used to like murder victims to the same suspect. It was kind of weird at times watching the footage of Hannahs surveillance videos and knowing that its the last time she was seen alive. It was also odd to hear how Matthews was a pretty good Samaritan but had a dark side that no one knew about. That just goes to show that you never know whats going on with the people around you. After Mathews went to the Police Department and requested for a lawyer it was clear that he did it. Also him fleeing the state did not help his cause any. I am glad they found him though and were able to bring closure to the families of the victims. It was amazing to see all the people who stepped forward to help find Hannah after she went missing. gabegun123
DNA was very powerful and useful in this video. It actually connected 2 murders and one rape case in 3 different areas of the same state. DNA evidence tells no lie at all it connects the dots that we are not always able to view or connect on our own. When we first began watching the video I would have never expected that DNA would be connected from 10 years previous with RG, to current murders of the college students of Hannah Graham and Morgan Harrington. DNA is built using 4 building blocks the nucleotides, adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine. DNA is present inside each and every cell within the human body. I found it fairly interesting that Mr. Mathews had all these previous accusations against him during school and no one ever pressed the issue. Which in my opinion caused smaller version of the problem to later on grow fairly larger. The chief in the video took the case and actually made every factor within personal as if Hannah was his daughter. He actually looked down on Mr. Mathews without having actual proof or evidence that he was ever involved though he was suspect. Mr. Mathews at that particular time was only labeled a person of interest. Though those in the community were every upset that police let Mathews flee out of their sight, honestly there was nothing that they could do. They had not tested evidence just yet nor did they find anything in his car. The story with Alexis Murphy was devastating also. I don't understand why she followed a complete stranger and got into the car with this unknown man. Sad detectives were unable to recover her body though they were able to prosecute off DNA evidence that they did find. I love the relationship that Trina (Alexis Murphy) and Mrs. Graham gained at such a tragic and horrific time. Forensics123
I agree that with all of the previous allegations against Mr. Mathews it should have been addressed way earlier, but due to them finding out all of that, it did really make him a key person of interest. It was also nice seeing that something positive was able to come out of everything such as the relationship between the victim's mothers. Acquainted123
DNA evidence is in my opinion one of the most powerful pieces of evidence because no two people DNA are the same (unless they are identical twins) and the fact that Matthews forced him self on two females already while in school should have been a dead give away. Elite123
This video showed just how far technology has come in helping solve murder cases. They used everything from surveillance footage to DNA testing. It also showed just how well the system works because they were able to connect foreign DNA from two totally different cases. The only thing that I didn't understand was how they lost their suspect randomly. You would think after how hard they worked on this case and how they finally have someone in their sights they would try a bit harder to maintain eyes on him. Another point about the video footage of Hannah was how well they could interpret her movements and paint a fairly accurate picture of what she was doing with just the few second clips they had of her. Acquainted123
This video just goes to show how valuable DNA evidence is. It could link these cases together that happened miles apart it would be hard to do that other wise. The fact that Leroy was kicked out of school for forcing himself on a female student and then he transferred schools because it wasn't reported and it happened again was just insane. The fact that he was the last person that one of the girls that disappeared was with at the mall would make him a prime suspect in the investigation and the fact that he went to the police station and said he wanted a lawyer before he was even questioned at that time put a lot of suspicion on him. The community all searched for Hannah until a farmer found what he thought was a dear body which turned out to be Hannah her self. DNA evidence was the key to helping solve this investigation. Elite123
I agree with you when you just said that he would of been a prime suspect when he was the last to be seen with the girls and when he walked into the police station and asked for a lawyer. Green123
I found this video to very interesting because as I was watching it I was paying close attention to every detail that they said and this goes to prove that DNA is very important and we need to make sure that we always look close at the DNA. As I watched this I was outing the puzzle together as it went and I knew from shortly in the beginning that this was the same guy. I could tell just by how a lot of the facts were all the same and the purses being found in the same places. It amazes me that when someone is doing such a horrible thing that they will keep doing the same act over and over again. I feel that is how we are able to find them on so many of their cases because then they will end up having a name for themselves. One thing in this film I did not understand and still do not is how the guy was able to attend numerous schools and force himself on females and then he would leave the school and no charges were ever brought up and no questions were asked by the next school. That right there was a huge flag to me when I heard that statement. Green123
I remember the Hannah Graham case when it first started getting national attention. It seemed be the typical kidnapping/murder story we've seen plenty in our lives. But to know that Hannah was just another notch in one mans belt is awful. One person has impacted families for no real reason. There is never a reason to ever do this to another human being. What gets to me the most is that the man is now in prison. And will not give any information on the the girl whose body has yet to be found. As a rationale person I cannot understand why he would not relinquish the information and just give that one last step to closure for that family. I've wondered what it's really like inside these killers minds. What they think about now that they are caught and how they perceive themselves now that they are done. I'm unsure on how people get to this moral less state in their lives where they think this is an okay thing to do.
ReplyDeleteBuckeyes123
I also don't understand why someone would kill another person. If they make you mad, walk away. Nothing is worth killing someone over.
DeleteI also don't understand why (like you stated) the man who was convicted of killing Alexis Murphy, Randy, won't just tell where her body is. He's already in there for life, just give it up. Unless he thinks of it like he's not going to get anything out of telling the police where she's at. Gators123
I agree with you guys it is already bad enough that you killed someone and you are going to be in prison for natural life but not telling the family where the body is is just cruel. You have to give them some closure even if it is bad so that they can get through the grieving process; there would be no gain in not telling them versus telling them. In the case Hannah Graham’s case I believe there is enough evidence to convict Matthews for the crimes but it will be interesting what the jury says in a couple months about the case. Birdman123
DeleteI agree with you, I would be really upset knowing someone was in prison for killing someone I knew and they wouldn’t say where the body is or give any information at all. But maybe in their mind they are already in jail for life and really don’t care to tell anyone or maybe that seems to give them an advantage knowing there is still people out there hurting.
DeleteGRUNT123
Yes, taking another innocent life. Especially of someone who you do not even know or who has not done anything to harm or hurt you. Just as these young girls were beginning to chase their dreams, the intruding monsters came in and snatched their dreams up right before their eyes of guidance. How selfish of you to put a limit on the time that I have on earth is my opinion of how they felt. They never got to graduate, get married, raise a family of their own, or even purchase a home. They were two very selfish men to put an ending time on someone else's life, especially these young ladies. Forensics123
DeleteIn my opinion, I do believe that Jesse Matthew did in fact murder both Hannah Graham and Morgan Harrington, with attempting to murder RG years before. To me, there is too much going against Matthew to say that he did not kill the girls.
ReplyDeleteThe first piece of evidence against Matthew (in the Graham case) is that he was practically following Hannah when she was seen on camera. Her last known whereabouts were at a pedestrian mall shortly after being seen at a Shell gas station and McGrady’s restaurant. At 1:06 am, Hannah sent a text saying, “I’m trying to get to a party and I’m lost.” This happened shortly before she was seen on camera with Matthew. Could it be possible that we see her on camera with him because he offered help getting her to that party, with intentions on harming her instead?
The second piece of evidence that is going against Jesse Matthew is that he has a history of preying on young girls, as he did when he was in college. Leaving two different schools because of sexual assault is a pretty big weight on someone’s shoulders. Didn’t anyone think that him working at the university hospital was a little suspicious when he likes the younger women? Matthew also raping and attempting to kill RG is a pretty big stepping stone in this case as well.
The last piece of evidence that I’ve seen against Matthew is that, when found six days into the investigation, he was being followed by police. Once Matthew discovered this, he floored the car and completely lost the police. Jesse Leroy Matthew went into hiding and did a fantastic job until four days later a woman spotted him on a beach in Galveston, Texas, 1300 miles from Charlottesville, Virginia. There was also a map of Mexico found in his car. If this doesn’t raise a giant red flag in an investigation, I don’t know what does. What better place to go if you’re trying to lose the cops than to Mexico?
As stated before, I firmly believe that Jesse Matthew did kill Morgan Harrington (Matthew making eye contact with the Harrington’s was cruel) and Hannah Graham. Luckily enough, RG was saved and was able to help put such a sad excuse for a human being behind bars. Gators123
I agree with you, there is too much evidence to say that Jesse Matthews did not murder Hannah Graham and Morgan Harrington. They have him on video surveillance following her around by the mall as well as his wrap sheet of having a history of preying on young girls. Like they said in the video the only reason he took the plea was so that he didn't have to look at his mother and say "this is what I did." Along with the previous case of RG linking him to the other cases it shows that he was a violent offender. Sparks123
DeleteI agree I think that it is evident that Matthews is responsible for Hannah and the other girls murders. I think there is to many facts that add up and go against him. Matthews requested a lawyer and then went AWOL did not help his cause any. On the outside Matthews seemed like a good guy but he had many secrets in his past the showed he was violent towards women. gabegun123
DeleteDNA connected all of the building blocks that the surveillance camera was unable to build. Mr. Mathews should have been prosecutor years prior when he was continued time after time with his attempted sexual assault. Mr. Mathews had all these previous accusations against him during school and no one ever pressed the issue. Which in my opinion caused smaller version of the problem to later on grow fairly larger. Forensics123
DeleteThe video mentioned DNA science connected the 3 separate cases, which highlights the fact that information and evidence was available in a regional center for law enforcement to compare against current or past cases and criminal patterns. This information would help strengthen a case if a suspect was in those areas at the time of the crime. The prosecutors charged the suspect as more evidence was gathered, indicating that the police had methodically built their case on analysis of the evidence.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting the way the police used the media and to some extent social media. On one hand it is a good way to alert the public to a dangerous situation and get the public’s help in providing information and searches. On the other hand it seems from the Police Chief’s press conferences and twitter responses, the public already identified the culprit. I had a hard time following the timeline with four different stories, so some of the press conferences may have been held after the DNA evidence had been analyzed, but it seems the Chief’s message was we know who did it, now we just have to find him. It is not clear when Jesse went from a person of interest to prime suspect. Humvee123
The video was a grim look into the terrible reality that is out there. These three girls who went missing and a fourth one almost beaten to death is a grim reminder of the terrible people out there that do these heinous acts. The use of social media in the case of Graham could come incredibly handy for law enforcement on that case and on cases in the future because it could potentially give more leads to the officers and communicate to potential witnesses that they did not know were out there. The Chief at the press conference was trying to set the tone for the department but it seemed like he may have been jumping to conclusions with saying that Matthews was definitely guilty. In my opinion he seemed guilty with his prior sexual conduct history and how it looked like he was the man in the security camera with Graham. Even though he was the prime suspect, he disappeared when police followed him, and his past history he is still innocent until proven guilty in a court of law so he needs his day in court before they jump to conclusions like that. For Randy in the Murphy case the DNA evidence definitely came in handy because there was evidence all over his SUV that was the victims but what was confusing is why he wouldn’t just tell law enforcement where the body was, why can’t he just give the grieving family some closure, is that too much to ask for? Birdman123
ReplyDeleteThis video brought my attention to all of the hidden dangers that can happen to some of the most innocent people. Tragic things like this happen every day and it is very sad and almost disgusting to think about in a way. Forensic science can go along way when building a solid case as shown in the video. They used forensic science and DNA to track down the suspect of three different cases and were able to link this male to all of them. Like it was said in the video the suspect did not and would not cooperate with the authorities. When the suspect wouldn’t talk they let the forensic science and the DNA do the talking which built more concrete evidence then a self-incriminating action or statement could have done in a time like this. It was very intriguing to see that a case that had gone cold for nearly a decade had been cracked all due to the help of forensic science, social media, and some hard working and devoted detectives. Hearing about these innocent girls and the sick things done to them was a little stomach binding, but it makes you realize that something like this could, and does happen all the time. Sparks123
ReplyDeleteThis was a really long video, but it was very interesting to watch. It is really cool how much information on how much really goes into a murder case or a missing persons case. I like how the video shows how important video cameras are in these types of cases. They seen Hannah in many different cameras and finally seen her with the guy they thought could have taken her. I think the Hannah case really touched the city because if the massive searches and how the chief really gets upset in his interview like he was yelling into the cameras. I would be really upset as a police officer knowing that the only suspect they had slip away. Even though they didn’t really have any reason to stop him. It was good they made wanted posters of this guy because he was found really fast 1300 miles away. Good thing he didn’t make it to Mexico. Over all this was a great video.
ReplyDeleteGRUNT123
I found this video to be very interesting. This is a great example of how DNA evidence is used to like murder victims to the same suspect. It was kind of weird at times watching the footage of Hannahs surveillance videos and knowing that its the last time she was seen alive. It was also odd to hear how Matthews was a pretty good Samaritan but had a dark side that no one knew about. That just goes to show that you never know whats going on with the people around you. After Mathews went to the Police Department and requested for a lawyer it was clear that he did it. Also him fleeing the state did not help his cause any. I am glad they found him though and were able to bring closure to the families of the victims. It was amazing to see all the people who stepped forward to help find Hannah after she went missing. gabegun123
ReplyDeleteDNA was very powerful and useful in this video. It actually connected 2 murders and one rape case in 3 different areas of the same state. DNA evidence tells no lie at all it connects the dots that we are not always able to view or connect on our own. When we first began watching the video I would have never expected that DNA would be connected from 10 years previous with RG, to current murders of the college students of Hannah Graham and Morgan Harrington. DNA is built using 4 building blocks the nucleotides, adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine. DNA is present inside each and every cell within the human body. I found it fairly interesting that Mr. Mathews had all these previous accusations against him during school and no one ever pressed the issue. Which in my opinion caused smaller version of the problem to later on grow fairly larger. The chief in the video took the case and actually made every factor within personal as if Hannah was his daughter. He actually looked down on Mr. Mathews without having actual proof or evidence that he was ever involved though he was suspect. Mr. Mathews at that particular time was only labeled a person of interest. Though those in the community were every upset that police let Mathews flee out of their sight, honestly there was nothing that they could do. They had not tested evidence just yet nor did they find anything in his car. The story with Alexis Murphy was devastating also. I don't understand why she followed a complete stranger and got into the car with this unknown man. Sad detectives were unable to recover her body though they were able to prosecute off DNA evidence that they did find. I love the relationship that Trina (Alexis Murphy) and Mrs. Graham gained at such a tragic and horrific time. Forensics123
ReplyDeleteI agree that with all of the previous allegations against Mr. Mathews it should have been addressed way earlier, but due to them finding out all of that, it did really make him a key person of interest. It was also nice seeing that something positive was able to come out of everything such as the relationship between the victim's mothers. Acquainted123
DeleteDNA evidence is in my opinion one of the most powerful pieces of evidence because no two people DNA are the same (unless they are identical twins) and the fact that Matthews forced him self on two females already while in school should have been a dead give away. Elite123
DeleteThis video showed just how far technology has come in helping solve murder cases. They used everything from surveillance footage to DNA testing. It also showed just how well the system works because they were able to connect foreign DNA from two totally different cases. The only thing that I didn't understand was how they lost their suspect randomly. You would think after how hard they worked on this case and how they finally have someone in their sights they would try a bit harder to maintain eyes on him. Another point about the video footage of Hannah was how well they could interpret her movements and paint a fairly accurate picture of what she was doing with just the few second clips they had of her. Acquainted123
ReplyDeleteThis video just goes to show how valuable DNA evidence is. It could link these cases together that happened miles apart it would be hard to do that other wise. The fact that Leroy was kicked out of school for forcing himself on a female student and then he transferred schools because it wasn't reported and it happened again was just insane. The fact that he was the last person that one of the girls that disappeared was with at the mall would make him a prime suspect in the investigation and the fact that he went to the police station and said he wanted a lawyer before he was even questioned at that time put a lot of suspicion on him. The community all searched for Hannah until a farmer found what he thought was a dear body which turned out to be Hannah her self. DNA evidence was the key to helping solve this investigation. Elite123
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you just said that he would of been a prime suspect when he was the last to be seen with the girls and when he walked into the police station and asked for a lawyer. Green123
DeleteI found this video to very interesting because as I was watching it I was paying close attention to every detail that they said and this goes to prove that DNA is very important and we need to make sure that we always look close at the DNA. As I watched this I was outing the puzzle together as it went and I knew from shortly in the beginning that this was the same guy. I could tell just by how a lot of the facts were all the same and the purses being found in the same places. It amazes me that when someone is doing such a horrible thing that they will keep doing the same act over and over again. I feel that is how we are able to find them on so many of their cases because then they will end up having a name for themselves. One thing in this film I did not understand and still do not is how the guy was able to attend numerous schools and force himself on females and then he would leave the school and no charges were ever brought up and no questions were asked by the next school. That right there was a huge flag to me when I heard that statement. Green123
ReplyDelete