A suspect in the disappearance of a University of Virginia sophomore was arrested by police Wednesday afternoon on a Texas beach, police announced, and is being sent back to Virginia.
Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr., 32, was charged Tuesday with abduction with intent to defile in connection to the disappearance of Hannah Graham, 18. Police reported that Matthew was the last person seen with Graham on the night she went missing, according to The Associated Press. Matthew was not captured in the widely publicized surveillance footage of Graham walking and running toward Charlottesville's Downtown Mall in the early morning hours of Sept. 13, but witnesses saw the two together at a bar there, according to police.
"This is nowhere near over," Timothy Longo, Charlottesville police chief, told reporters at the press conference Wednesday night. Searches for Graham in and around Charlottesville will continue, he said, and Texas police will search the area around Gilchrist Beach, where Matthew was found camping.
Check back for additional reporting.
Contact reporter Ben Panko at ben.panko@richmond.edu
Support independent student media
You can make a tax-deductible donation by clicking the button below, which takes you to our secure PayPal account. The page is set up to receive contributions in whatever amount you designate. We look forward to using the money we raise to further our mission of providing honest and accurate information to students, faculty, staff, alumni and others in the general public.
Donate NowRead More
Spiders drop second game of Gulf Coast Showcase to Louisiana Tech
By Jimmy James | 19 hours ago
Men’s basketball moves to .500 with win over Florida Tech
By Jimmy James | 2 days ago