Richard Colton Morgan Missing Person Case

Jan 28, 2026

Jan 28, 2026

Richard

Colton Morgan

31

31

6'1 inches

190 lbs

White

Male

On a fall evening in Charlottesville, Virginia, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student named Morgan Dana Harrington attended a concert at the John Paul Jones Arena on October 17, 2009. During the event, she became separated from her friends. After telling them she was going to the restroom, she ended up outside the venue and, due to a no re-entry policy, was unable to get back inside. In a phone call with her friends at 8:48 p.m., she explained her situation and said she would find a way home. Witnesses reported seeing her after she left the arena, with some accounts suggesting she was seen getting into a cab. This was the last time she was in contact with those who knew her, sparking a widespread search and a period of agonizing uncertainty for her family and the community. The search for Morgan Harrington continued for over three months. Her family and law enforcement tirelessly pursued any leads in the hopes of finding her. The community rallied, holding vigils and raising awareness about her disappearance. In November 2009, a Pantera t-shirt she had been wearing was found, which forensic tests later confirmed to be hers. The heartbreaking conclusion to the search came on January 26, 2010, when her skeletal remains were discovered by a farmer in a remote hayfield on a farm in southern Albemarle County, about 10 miles from where she was last seen. Her death was ruled a homicide, leaving her loved ones and the public with the devastating reality of her murder and the pressing question of who was responsible. The investigation into Morgan's murder was complex and spanned several years. A significant breakthrough came from forensic evidence that linked her case to a 2005 sexual assault in Fairfax. The case gained renewed momentum in 2014 with the disappearance of another young woman, University of Virginia student Hannah Graham. The investigation into Graham's disappearance led police to a suspect named Jesse L. Matthew, Jr. Forensic evidence then connected Matthew not only to Hannah Graham's case but also to the murder of Morgan Harrington. It was discovered that on the night Morgan disappeared, Matthew was working as a cab driver. On September 15, 2015, Jesse Matthew was formally charged with the first-degree murder and abduction of Morgan Harrington. In March 2016, he pleaded guilty to the murders of both Morgan Harrington and Hannah Graham, receiving four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. The resolution of the case brought a measure of justice for Morgan's family, whose advocacy also led to changes in legislation regarding missing persons alerts in Virginia. The case of Morgan Harrington is a tragic story of a young life cut short, a determined investigation that crossed years and multiple cases to find the truth, and a family's enduring love and fight for justice in the wake of an unimaginable loss.

Jun 07, 2020

Alexandria

Virginia

Alexandria

Alexandria Police Departmen

703-746-6200

06/12/2026