CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – Even with a suspect charged in the disappearance of a missing University of Virginia student, police are stressing the search for the 18-year-old sophomore from northern Virginia remains in full force.
Authorities late Tuesday obtained a felony arrest warrant from a magistrate on a charge of abduction with intent to defile against 32-year-old Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr., who police believe was the last person seen with Hannah Graham. Graham was last seen early the morning of Sept. 13.
Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo said at a news conference that officers were looking for Matthew, a campus employee and longtime Charlottesville resident, who was last seen Saturday when he stopped by the police station with his mother and uncle to ask for a lawyer. Police say he sped away afterward, losing officers who had him under surveillance and prompting authorities to issue two arrest warrants for reckless driving.
Longo said police, who have searched Matthew’s car once and his apartment twice, decided they had probable cause to charge him in Graham’s disappearance. He declined to say what new information police had, and he did not take questions. However, he walked back to the podium when a reporter asked whether police were still looking for Graham, an alpine skier and alto saxophone player, according to family members and police.
“We absolutely are continuing our search for Hannah, even as we speak, and we will continue our search for Hannah,” he said.