In what Charlottesville, Virginia police are calling a “significant development,” a body has been found the area near where University of Virginia student Hannah Graham went missing 35 days ago. The 18-year-old student was last seen on Sept 13 at at a mall with suspect Jesse L. Matthew Jr., 32. “This, sadly, is now a death investigation,” said Col. Steve Sellers of the Albermarle County Police. Charlottesville police chief Timothy Longo said there was no positive identification of the remains yet, but he said at an afternoon press conference that the parents of Graham had been contacted. They are awaiting the results of forensic tests. Matthew was arrested last month in Texas in connection with Graham’s disappearance and charged with abduction with intent to defile, indicating prosecutors believe he planned to sexually assault Graham. A number of young women have disappeared in the area over the last few years and authorities say the arrest of Matthew is a “forensic link” to the disappearance in 2009 of Morgan Harrington, 20, who vanished from Charlottesville.
