UPDATE: In an e-mail, Dan Harrington writes that Morgan will be honored at the CUE Center for Missing Persons’ national conference in Wilmington, North Carolina, on March 20.
Saint Patrick’s Day marks five months since Morgan Harrington disappeared during a concert by Metallica at John Paul Jones Arena. Nearly two months since their daughter’s remains were found on Anchorage Farm in Albemarle County, Dan and Gil Harrington returned to Charlottesville today to speak with press.
"We come to Charlottesville about every two to three weeks. And we don’t always meet with folks like you," said Dan Harrington, referring to members of the press. The family visits Charlottesville roughly every two or three weeks. "But we will continue to meet. And we are meeting with police on a regular basis."
"It is easy to be complacent," added Dan Harrington. "Five months is a long time, and I think it’s important for us to remember that we need to keep it in the forefront of the public. And we will, as much as we can."
While a cause of death has not been released at this time, Gil Harrington referred to her daughter’s "shattered" bones, and her belief that someone familiar to the area is responsible.
"This Charlottesville man," she said, "hurt Morgan Harrington enough to break her bones before he murdered her." Corinne Geller, spokesperson for the Virginia State Police, told C-VILLE that state police are "still not commenting on the condition of Morgan’s remains." She added: "Despite the aggressive efforts of investigators in the course of this ongoing investigation, no particular ‘person of interest’ or suspect has
been identified to date."
Dan Harrington then distributed a list titled "Missing and/or Murdered in Virginia," featuring the names of 18 individuals, including Morgan, reported missing or dead since August 28, 2009. Gil Harrington also shared her perceptions of the person she deems responsible for her daughter’s death, saying that there is a "man-monster in Charlottesville" who "makes sport out of killing."
Dan and Gil Harrington outside of the John Paul Jones Arena. Both mentioned a lack of video coverage within the arena. "We have video all over WalMart," said Gil Harrington. "Do we protect our stuff more than our people? I don’t know."
