Police Charge Suspect in Missing UVA Student Case With Felony Abduction

[NaturalHigh]

At a press conference held tonight, Charlottesville, Va. police announced that their charges against Jesse Leroy Matthew, Jr., the lead suspect in the case of missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, have been upgraded to abduction with intent to defile, a class two felony. Matthew has not been seen since speeding away from a police tail over the weekend, when he was charged by police with reckless driving.

Police also announced at the conference that they had removed articles of clothing from Matthew's vehicle, which police had searched and seized (along with his apartment), last week. Authorities did not, however, identify to whom the clothing belongs. Graham has been missing since Saturday, Sept. 13. She texted her friends a little after 1 a.m. that she had gotten lost walking home, and disappeared.

http://gawker.com/police-charge-suspect-in-missing-uva-case-with-felony-a-1638341505

[cwydro]

1. They still haven't caught the guy though, right?

Can't believe they let him walk out of a police station after he walked in on his own accord.

[NaturalHigh]

2. Not the last I heard.

They have arrest warrants for him. Yeah, I can't believe they let him go either.

[morningfog]

4. They couldn't legally keep him.

[cwydro]

8. But

they say they were following him - and lost him.

[morningfog]

3. They didn't have probable cause to arrest.

They legally could not keep him. The charge him now only after forensic testing of items seized from his car.

I am curious what they found in the car. It is know that she was in the car, so contact or hair DNA would not establish probable cause. It seems that if it were blood they would have had probable cause at that time, even while awaiting results. He is being smart, in that he has a lawyer.

[Raine1967]

5. It's strange to me that the reason he originally went to the Police

was to get information on how to obtain a lawyer.

[morningfog]

6. That was after he was a person of interest and ffter they had searched his car and house, right?

I can certainly understand wanting a lawyer if the police were searching your property in relation to a missing woman. Going to the police doesn't seem like the most logical place to get a lawyer though.

[Raine1967]

7. I am not sure --

I would have to go back and double check the version of events. I am assuming he took off in his sisters vehicle and he came to the Station with family members.

[Raine1967]

9. BReaking news on my Local TV:

The suspect is in custody.

ETA:

He was taken into custody in Galveston Texas. This is live via WTOP radio.

[NaturalHigh]

10. I'm glad they have him.

If he committed this crime, he should never be out in public again.

[Baclava]

11. What crime? First they have to prove a crime took place.

I heard they let him run off on purpose so they could arrest him with fleeing an investigation or something...a reason to keep him on ice in jail in Texas for a couple months while they build a case against him.