Missing College Student

9 years ago

A female student from the University of Virginia has been missing for about a week. They've managed to find several surveillance videos from the night she went missing, which show where she was and which have led to a Person of Interest.

This morning I'm signed up to join a massive search effort. Of course I hope for the best, but I think the best that can be expected is to find her body, perhaps with some irrefutable evidence.

If any of you can spare some good thoughts or a prayer or two for this young lady, she can likely use all the help she can get.

Thanks.

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Comments (24)

sleeperblues
9 years ago
Such a sad situation, I have seen the stories. How kind of you to participate in a search. I hope her family receives some good news, but it is looking quite grim.
socks
9 years ago
What a nightmare for her family. My heart aches for them. I'm hoping for a good outcome. You are a good person to help, Bob.
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juellie1962
9 years ago
Yes indeed, a nightmare! It's so maddening and frustrating that this type of thing happens. Where are all the crazies coming from??
FlamingO in AR
9 years ago
Good luck, it's good of you to help out. I also don't see a good outcome but closure and evidence would be something. I read something this morning that said that this was the fifth girl that's gone missing in this general vicinity or corridor. I really hope that if this is part of that, that they catch this monster and put him away forever.
Georgysmom
9 years ago
What a terrible thing. I've been following the story. Like everyone, I hope and pray for a miraculous outcome. Barring that, I hope there is irrefutable evidence. I also hope they catch the sickie involved.
chisue
9 years ago
Very scary, but not unusual enough. I'm sorry for her and for her family. However, the only report I heard about this girl mentioned that she appeared to have been drinking heavily.

The police blotter in our town shows police called to the college campus for drunken behavior quite often immediately after school starts. Then it tapers off.

Some of these kids have been so protected until college that they have no idea how to run their own lives. It's amazing there aren't MORE serious incidents.

When DH toured athletic programs at his alma mater, he was impressed with the explicit rules for athletes. One of 'commandments' was not to put your scholarship -- or your life -- in danger. "Get drunk? Get stupid? You will be history." And they enforced it! Can schools do more to protect every student? I don't know.
kayjones
9 years ago
This is always so sad. I hope they search in all possible places, because we can't forget the college professor, Annie Le, killed and her body hidden in a wall in the college basement lab.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Annie_Le

Here is a link that might be useful: Murder of Annie Le at Yale University
sheilajoyce_gw
9 years ago
I agree, Chisue. In fact, on a site I like I lit a hot topic with saying much you did when a young woman complained that she got drunk, so her friend took her home to stay the night rather than have her drive home. The friend's father molested her while she was there in her drunken state. I went into my bit that no one, male or female, should drink to the point that he or she cannot protect herself. The number of women who disagreed shocked me. They immediately explained that they had the right to drink to excess with no need to worry about others and that I was into blaming the victim. No, I long have supported being able to protect yourself under all circumstances, and told the story of my son's 30 year old childhood friend who died in his bed on his own vomit after getting smashed New Year's Eve. Something is wrong that people do not understand the need to be able to take care of oneself in a fire, traffic, and in someone's home, and yes, even in bed.
glenda_al
9 years ago
Hoping!
dorothy_oahu
9 years ago
I agree with Chisue and Sheilajoyce. The first report I saw said she was drunk when she left and was walking. Stupid move. Just made herself a walking target. But then what? She just kept going. Still drinking or drugs? She had a cell phone and called to say she was lost but didn't call for help or a cab or even a cop. She was her own worst enemy. I feel so sorry for her family.

Some people just think they area cute or funny and charming when they drink. But unfortunately they are just stupid and annoying. Alcohol also ages the skin. lWhen I was a hairdresser I could always tell who were the drinkers and or smokers.

Here is a link that might be useful: today's news on missing girl
cate52
9 years ago
Binge drinking by college age students is common.
http://niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-your-health/special-populations-co-occurring-disorders/college-drinking

Interesting article.
murraysmom Zone 6a OH
9 years ago
I am in the camp that agrees that this is a horrible situation brought on the girl by herself. No one should ever drink so much they don't know where they are or what they are doing.

And they are not only hurting themselves. Every one of them that drinks and gets behind the wheel puts all of us in jeopardy. They put law enforcement in jeopardy. They even can put Bob in jeopardy because he could get hurt trying to find this girl.

These kids are selfish and stupid and seem to have to learn the hard way. That girl that complained because her friend brought her home instead of letting her drive? Well, yes, she got molested and that is bad enough, but she could just as easily been killed driving home and maybe taken someone else with her.

They have a lot of growing up to do. I hope they live to achieve that.
dorothy_oahu
9 years ago
More information on the "person of interest".

EXCLUSIVE: 'Person of interest' in hunt for missing Hannah Graham is a nursing assistant who admits he bought her drinks but claims he did NOT drive off with her in his car

Here is a link that might be useful: Person of Interest
bob_cville
Original Author
9 years ago
Well I'm back home safe. They seem to be well organized, and have divided the search area up into sections and sub sections, and send out groups each with a clearly defined area to search, and a group leader with a radio. If anything of potential interest is found they have you call it in on the radio, and give directions as to what to do.

I was team leader in our first group and was assigned a 2 block area just at the edge of campus and searched for about two hours, but found two wallets, and a broken cell phone, but nothing relevant to the case.

After that I went out in a second group, led by a search-and-rescue person from Ohio. We were assigned a more upscale residential area where we found nothing of interest.

Just now I was watching the NBC national news, and one of the guys interviewed was a member of the team I lead.

I have heard rumors that some interesting items may have been found, but certainly haven't heard the news we've all been hoping for.
Charlee_MO
9 years ago
I just want to say thank you for helping, Bob. My aunt has been missing for over a year now. She was 83 when she disappeared. The not knowing is hard.

I hope the young girl is found soon.
linda_in_iowa
9 years ago
I have lived in a college town for 9 years now. Right now a young woman is missing. She has been gone a week and was supposed to be traveling to the Twin Cities.Several years ago, a young man who was drunk when he left a party alone was found the next week at the bottom of a lake on campus. The next year another young man headed in the wrong direction while heading home alone in the snow, after a party. It was a couple of months before they found him frozen to death. Another young woman who had been drinking was left alone while her friend went to get his car. She apparently crossed a street and got too near the railroad tracks. She walked right into the side of a speeding train and was killed.
moonie_57 (8 NC)
9 years ago
So many young people have not yet developed the wisdom to not make stupid choices.

A lot of these responses are akin to blaming the rape victim for wearing a short skirt.

So sad that family members may be googling "Missing College Student" and run across the KT. :(
glenda_al
9 years ago
charlee_mo, thoughts for your aunt!
Olychick
9 years ago
Wow, blaming the (potential) victim is rampant here. It's like saying, "What were you thinking, driving such a fancy car. You were just asking for some punk to carjack you. How stupid can you be - you know they are lurking everywhere, waiting?" Or, "Why would anyone have a home with treasures in it, then leave for the weekend. They are just asking to be burglarized!"
She has a right to behave (drink, walk home) in a way that assumes she is not going to be victimized. The problem here is NOT HER. It's the whackos in our society who prey on women. Where are the decent men who could have escorted her home? Or where is a culture that can make this kind of predatory behavior so unacceptable and untenable that all men would fear victimizing women. Or maybe learn to respect them instead of objectifying them in order to feel it's okay to harm them.
sheilajoyce_gw
9 years ago
See what I mean?
FlamingO in AR
9 years ago
Charlee, I didn't know that, that's awful! I hope you get some closure soon.

I can't think of too many kids who went to college and didn't over indulge in alcohol a time or two, or many. I'm sorry this beautiful young woman wasn't hanging out with more attentive friends. And I'm really sorry that apparently she had the very bad luck to fall victim to a monster. Wrong place, wrong time. I'm sure a lot of horrible people lurk around colleges hoping for something like this, a vulnerable student at their mercy. I would hope that security in college towns would be stepped up, especially at night, and programs instituted to prevent things like this. So sad.
adellabedella_usa
9 years ago
I hope this person is found soon.

I don't blame the women. I do think sometimes they make poor choices that allow a bad situation to escalate. I think maybe we need to educate our children more (both boys and girls) that there are a lot of people out there who are willing to take advantage of them. Tell them...you have to be careful and look out for yourself at all times. Don't do drugs. Don't have more than one or two drinks at a time. Make sure that drink doesn't leave your sight.

Our parents used to teach us not to talk to strangers. We don't usually apply that in social settings when we get older. I think caution here would be don't get too friendly too fast. You just met this other person. It is ok to be a little standoffish. If that other person starts getting friendly maybe you need to step out of the situation for a bit or remove yourself completely.

Yes, respecting others needs to be taught. We can only control what is taught in our own homes. I think if we taught our kids a bit of self control and self respect then it would alleviate some of the other problems.
chisue
9 years ago
Fact: College *kids* are not mature adults.
Bad Response: Oh, well! It's *college*! "Everybody's just having fun."
Good Response: Knowing the facts, I will act responsibly.

Maternity homes and adoption agencies were busier six to nine months after schools started session in the fall and again for babies conceived over Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Birth control has pretty much eliminated that 'tracking', but I'd guess there are related sales of 'morning after' pills, etc. But...I don't hear anyone warning young women about this FACT. Get drunk. Get stupid. Get raped -- or mistake lust for love.

(I'm tired of the 'short skirts' defense. Females don't wear them to 'be comfy'. If you dress provocatively, isn't it because you want to attract the sexual attention of males? 'Flirt' with strangers at your own risk.)
joaniepoanie
9 years ago
I don't think too many of us can look back on our teens/20's and honestly say they never made some stupid mistakes or poor choices.

I also don't think girls in short skirts are "asking for it." The vast majority of boys/men do not rape, no matter how short the skirt is. Rape is an act of violence and if someone is intent on doing it, it won't matter if the victim is in a bikini or overalls.

So good of you to help out, Bob. Let's hope she is found soon.

Missing College Student

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