RICHMOND, Va. — The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia has confirmed it determined the cause and manner of the death for once missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham.
The cause of death is homicidal violence of “undetermined etiology,” and the manner of death is homicide, said Carter Johnson, Public Information Officer, with the Albemarle County Police Department.
The Albemarle County Police Department and the Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney remain committed to the investigation, Johnson said. “To protect the integrity of the case, we will not be answering questions or releasing additional information. We are working hard to ensure that justice is served.”
Graham’s body was found last month in Albemarle County, more than one month after she disappeared from the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. The last person she was seen alive with, Jesse Matthew Jr., was charged with Graham’s abduction.
Recently Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo called the 35-day search for Graham one of the most difficult periods of his 34 year career in law enforcement.
Over the weekend hundreds of people gathered at West Potomac High School to celebrate Graham’s life. Friends shared some of their favorite memories of the former West Potomac student.
“Hannah was in center field and I was in left field, and there was a pop up that went straight over Hannah’s head and she was just running backwards and slipped under the fence and she just started cracking up,” friend Jamie Barr recalled.
CLICK HERE: Over the weekend hundreds of people gathered at West Potomac High School to celebrate Graham’s life.
In court last week Jesse Matthew pleaded not guilty to felony counts of attempted capital murder, rape, and sexual assault tied to a 2005 attack in Fairfax, Virginia. Matthew entered the pleas in a Fairfax courtroom. Judge David Shell set a March 9 trial date for Matthew for the Fairfax case.
Matthew is due in Charlottesville court next month for a preliminary hearing in the Graham case.
