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Virginia Tech Student Morgan Dana Harrington Vanishes After Metallica Concert
Thursday, Oct. 22 2009 @ 1:19PM

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Morgan Harrington was separated from her friends, then she vanished
UPDATE: Police believe they've found Morgan's body on a farm outside of Charlottesville. See updated story here...

Police in Charlottesville, Virginia are searching for a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student who was last seen at a Metallica concert. Morgan Dana Harrington was at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville before she became separated from her friends. Her family's pastor says her purse was found in the parking lot, but there's been no sign of the student.

According to her dad, Dan Harrington of Roanoke, Morgan wasn't the kind to simply take off without telling anyone -- especially while leaving her purse and cell phone behind. She'd called to ask him for help studying for a math test. The were supposed to do that Sunday afternoon, the day after the concert. But when dad didn't hear from her, he called her friends, only to discover she was missing...

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Morgan suddenly left the concert just before Metallica launched its set
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Her purse and cell phone were found in the parking lot outside the arena
"Morgan is a pretty transparent kid, who's had a really close relationship with us," he told the Associated Press. "I don't think there are lots of secrets, so this kind of behavior of (her) missing is not something I think we would expect."

Morgan is a junior at Virginia Tech majoring in education. She was last seen wearing a black Pantera T-shirt, a black mini skirt, black tights and black knee-high boots. She is 5-foot-6 and weighs 120 pounds.

UPDATE: Morgan's friends say she left the arena just before Metallica took the stage.

She'd driven to the concert with roommate Amy Melvin and another friend from James Madison University. But for reasons unknown, Morgan left the arena just before Metallica launched its set.

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Morgan left the arena for a smoke, but couldn't get back in
​"Everyone assumed she'd be coming back," said Amanda Melvin, Amy's older sister. Morgan's purse and cell phone were found in the parking lot after the show, and her car was still there. They also found the batteries removed from the phone.

It's doubtful Morgan disappeared on her own. For one, she wouldn't have done so without her purse and phone. And friends say it would be out of character for her to leave them hanging. Moreover, she's known to talk to her parents, Dan and Gil Harrington, every day.

None of this speaks to a 20-year-old woman who just decided to take a break or go on an impromptu adventure. Friends have set up a Facebook page to help find her.

UPDATE II: Morgan left John Paul Jones Arena for a smoke, but forgot her ticket inside.

Lamb of God took the stage at 7 p.m., and Morgan left the arena at about 8:40 to go outside. But she apparently left her ticket inside, so she couldn't get back in. She talked by phone to friends, telling them she'd find her own ride home.

At least that's the latest news, but the information so far has been sparse and at times contradictory. Earlier reports indicate that Morgan drove her own car to the show, and that it was found in the parking lot the next day.

Something's not adding up here, but that often happens in cases like this where police play it close to the vest, and subsequent media speculation evolves into fact. We'll keep you posted as this get straightened out.

UPDATE: Police find Morgan's body in a remote farm field in Virginia.



Tags: Virginia