Morgan Harrington Murder: A Grisly Anniversary

                                                      

The beautiful, shiny, loving Morgan Dana Harrington was a true original. She brought much joy and fun to family and friends for 20 years. Her light and potential were extinguished when she was abducted from a Metallica concert 10/17/09 in Charlottesville Virginia.

Morgan’s skeletonized body was found at Anchorage Farm, Albemarle County on 1/26/10. The person(s) responsible remain at large, presumably still in the Charlottesville area. Her murder remains unsolved.

The family asks that any information that might help in the investigation of this case be directed to: Virginia State Police tip line (434) 352-3467.

It is important to her family that Morgan’s killer(s) did not erase her from the world and that she continues to create a positive legacy. To honor that the family is moving forward with several educational projects that Morgan, an education major at VT, was personally involved with and you can view them below.

From a Mother to Her Loving Daughter the poem written for the memorial service is titled "Gristly Anniversary" as the family returns today to the bridge where Morgan's remains were found.


"Gristly Anniversary"

When they brought your body back to me
There were just bones to see.
Didn’t look like my baby – Morgan D.
No golden hair, no sparkly eyes
Broken ribs – ugly surprise.
Disposable girl they all said
Skirts too short
Lips’re too red
Askin for it they all said
But what you asked for, screamed for, was mercy and release
Know you got no mercy, pray you found some peace
It’s so hard to do
This life with no you
Saw your friend at a local place
Saw the message on her face
That she’s moved on and we should too
But baby I’m not over the death of you
Gotta shake it off, pity’s no use
We’ve a job to do, still a killer on the loose
It’s another anniversary – not the kind you celebrate
But the kind you sorta hate
Even Hallmark passes here, I’ve looked hard
There’s no “Happy we found your daughter’s body” card
Morgan, I recon a reconing is due
Morgan, he’ll pay for killing you
And have to atone
For every scream – every moan
For each and every fractured bone

241
Mom
1/26/2012





The construction of the Morgan Dana Harrington Educational Wing, OMNI Village, Ndola, Zambia, Africa
OMNI, Orphan Medical Network International, donations may be mailed to:
OMNI
6930 Empire Lane
Roanoke, Va. 24018
Or on line at www.omnimissions.com
OMNI is a 501(c)3 charitable organization

The Morgan Dana Harrington Memorial Scholarship, Virginia Tech-Carilion Medical School
VTC Scholarship donations may be mailed to: 
Virginia Tech
Morgan Dana Harrington Memorial Scholarship
University Development
Blacksburg, Va. 24061
Or on line at Morgan Dana Harrington Scholarship

The Harrington family is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Morgan Harrington's murder.In addition, the band Metallica is offering an additional $50,000 to the reward bringing it to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Morgan's murder.

Crystal Ragin: Intimate Partner War Behind Enemy Lines

As active military assigned to the Fort Eustis Army base in Virginia, Crystal Ragin, age 32, and mother of 4 children, would not be prepared for special combat duty on Friday. Crystal, along with three of her four children:

Sierra, age 15

Rasheed, age 10

Lakwan, age 4

All murdered behind enemy territory by Crystal's second husband. After he stabbed to death the mother and children, he set the house on fire and took the couple's 5 year- old son and headed to South Carolina. According to sources, the past few months John Ragin's rages escalated. Crystal Ragin was in fear and in the process of making plans to end the marriage.

She and her children were no match for his anger. Over the weekend, he was taken into custody arrested in South Carolina where he is expected to be taken back to VA and charged with 4 counts of murder.

There has to be more then merely a funeral followed by headstones for these innocent lives now added to the national casualties list in the war as it directly relates to intimate partner violence that leads to homicides.

In the months ahead we hope to provide a more direct solution in hopes of stopping the daily slaughter of those whose cries for help in decades past have fallen on deaf years.

The trumpets from heaven for Crystal, Sierra, Rasheed and Lakwan will sound loudly as they enter the gates of God's kingdom and here on earth their voices will ultimately, be victorious!

May they each rest in peace!

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This book doesn't merely discuss when you should leave or why you should leave, it tells you HOW you should leave. The book has step-by-step instructions how to covertly make a plan, set-up a safe escape, deal with financial issues, and the paperwork. Susan even takes you line-by-line through the process, the forms, the legal issues...she takes you by the hand, and, believe me, when you are being terrorized and you are an basket case, you don't need vague ideas, you need specific instructions. TIME'S UP can save your life and your sanity. If you need to get out, get this book before you make a mistake that could be fatal. It is money well spent.

If you are in a relationship that has a history of violence, simply mustering up the courage to confront the person and say it is over, without the proper tools, can cost you, your life!The book "Time's Up A Guide on How To Survive and Abusive and Stalking Relationship" is the prescription that every person must obtain before they announce they are leaving. Below is an example from Chapter 4, one of many unique tools provided in the book. It is available onAmazon.com, or you can purchase via e-book or on a CD. If you have questions, the email address is: timesupforjustice@gmail.com

Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit by Susan Murphy Milano from the Book "Time's Up" from Courage Network on Vimeo.

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Susan Murphy Milano is a staff member of the Institute for Relational Harm Reduction and Public Pathology Education. She is a specialist with intimate partner violence prevention strategies and high risk cases and available for personal consultations through the Institute. She is also part of the team at Management Resources Limited of New York.

Susan is the author of "Time's Up: A Guide on How to Leave and Survive Abusive and Stalking Relationships,"Moving out, Moving on, and Defending Out Lives. Susan is the host of The Susan Murphy Milano Show, "Time'sUp!" . She is a regular contributor to the nationally syndicated "The Roth Show" with Dr Laurie Roth and a co-host on Crime Wire.

If you would like to schedule Susan Murphy Milano for interviews, please contact: ImaginePublicity PO BOX 14946 Surfside Beach, SC 29587 Phone: 843.808.0859 email- contact@imaginepublicity.com

Washington Post's "Heartbreaking Headline" is Disturbing

The headline in the Washington Post, " HEARTHBREAKING FINISH FOR U-VA ROMANCE," continues, in my opinion, an ignorant yet sweeping trend in reporting these tragic crimes. Instead of sugar coating a headline that brings readers to the Internet or sell newspapers why not call it out for what this horriffic tragedy is, "Intimate Violence Murder Takes The Life of College Student," or do a follow-up as True Crime Writer Kathryn Casey wrote titled "Okay Girls-Time-To-Listen Up."

I realize that does not send loyal readers running to the headline in fact it is likely to make intelligent subscribers ignore the story and head over to the lesuire section of the newspaper. And it also does not do much for parents sending their children off to college at a large university. Anyway you look at it it is about the all mighty dollar.

Lets face it Domestic ,Violence and Stalking related deaths do not sell newspapers. The subject matter is not attractive and it only perpetuates the myth that intimate violence is between two people and they should somehow work it work between themselves. I have a news flash for you; it obviously did not work for Yeardly Love, who, in my expert opinion, did not have to die. Nor does the fact that colleges polices and the hour of student orientation they receive upon entering college on sexual assualt and campus crimes do little more than protect a university from lawsuits because they have passed out to the new students written mumbo jumbo from information copied off a Department of Justice website or newsletter and called it "information you can use to be safe." Obviously, it did not work for Yeardly Love or those we do not even hear about who are silenced on college campuses across the county.

It is a silent yet known fact that University police are not trained adequetly in sexual assualt and domestic violence crimes. And, yes, folks, they are crimes!

An example of another tragic case is a book written way back in 1995 by Washington Post pultizer prize winning journalist George Lardner titledm "The Stalking of Kristin," about a promising young art student who was killed by a jealous ex-boyfriend while attending college. Kristin Lardner did everything right. She was educated and sophisticated, and had the time and resources to make the law work for her. And she was a member of the class of people who believe the law when it promises to protect them. With a parent's rage, and an impressive command of the facts and statistics, George Lardner refutes the widespread belief that the courts offer effective protection to battered women who do report their abusers and press charges. The book includes photos of Kristin's artwork about abuse of women and 80 pages of footnotes and bibliography about the legal system. Unfortunately, this book needs to be part of every college campus and law school is no longer in print. I thought about George Lardner, whom I met while on book tour of my first published work, "Defending Our Lives, Getting Away from Domestic Violence and Staying Safe." [published by Doubleday Books]

I am sure, if asked of the father of Kristin , George Lardner, "what has changed in the legal system since the murder of his daughter 18 years ago?": his response would likely be "nothing has changed."

Maybe the Washington Post will do a story or review on the book "Time's Up A Guide on How to LLeave and Survive Abusive and Stalking Relationships." It may not grab new subscribers to the Washington Post, but it will save lives!

Private Matter is A Pubic Epidemic

This past week 2 more families were torn apart by bloodshed. One family in Virginia a father and husband fatally shot his wife Bonnie Carter, their 29-year old son William Ronald carter Jr. and another son 22-year old Timothy Carter shot twice but he is expected to survive. Then William Senior set the house on fire before committing suicide. I should also mention the father had called his son home who was attending college. Police say they are investigating a motive as if they need to write something other than intentional homicide in their jacket file before the case is closed. For the son who remains behind, the haunting moments will play in his mind like a needle stuck on a record player, as he walked down the basement steps lured by his father just before he was shot. This nightmare will be more than he can bare as he embarks into a world of his own without family or a place to call home.

On Sunday evening in Connecticut a father and husband James Morrin shot and killed 43-year old Alice Morrin who just happened to be an assignment editor at local FOX affiliate FOX 61 and had recently been promoted to executive assistant to Hartford Courant publisher and FOX 61 general manager. The two children in the home during the shooting were found safe and unharmed.

The children whom grow up in violent households do not know what it means to live their lives free of fear. To dream about their future or the family they will themselves have someday. For these children raised in a war zone it is not part of their reality.

Both Bonnie Carter and Alice Morrin kept the secrets of their war a private family matter. Women, mothers and girlfriends are not trained in life saving strategies nor are the given tools that could very well save their lives. Family violence is not perceived as a crime, until we actually have a crime scene. And then of course police as in each case have to investigate the motives behind killings. Reports and law enforcement speak to neighbors who always make the same statements about “what a quiet couple” or this has never happened in our neighborhood before.”

Now Vice-President Biden has appointed a domestic violence Czar. Perhaps the new Czar will keep an accurate body count. Who knows, we might actually see real dollars going towards those who need it most, the victims!