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Police confirm remains found are Hannah Graham

Remains found last week were positively identified as those of missing UVa. student Hannah Graham.

By Gabrielle Levy
University of Virginia sophomore Hannah Graham, 18, disappeared from Charlottesville, Va., on Sept. 13. 2014. Her remains were discovered on an abandoned property in Albermarle County, about 10 miles away, on Oct. 18, 2014. (Facebook)
University of Virginia sophomore Hannah Graham, 18, disappeared from Charlottesville, Va., on Sept. 13. 2014. Her remains were discovered on an abandoned property in Albermarle County, about 10 miles away, on Oct. 18, 2014. (Facebook)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Police in Albermarle County confirmed Friday remains found last week are those of missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham.

The remains were discovered last Saturday by members of the Chesterfield Sheriff's Department on an abandoned property just ten miles from where Graham, 18, was last seen on Sept. 13.

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A statement released by Albermarle Couny Police said Graham's parents, John and Sue Graham, were notified after the positive identification was made.

"Since the discovery along Old Lynchburg Road, officers and detectives have been working around the clock to process the scene and preserve evidence," the release said.

Hundreds of law enforcement and volunteers participated in the five-week search for the UVa. sophomore, who was last seen on surveillance footage walking around the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville around midnight on Sept. 13.

Jesse Matthew, 32, was seen following Graham in the footage, and has been charged with abduction and intent to defile in connection with her disappearance.

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Matthew's arrest in connection with Graham's disappearance provided law enforcement with the DNA evidence to implicate him in a 2005 abduction and rape of a 26-year-old woman in Fairfax County. That case had previously been connected through forensic evidence to the 2009 murder of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington.

Graham's parents issued a lengthy statement Friday afternoon:

When we first met Chief Longo he promised to find our precious daughter, Hannah, and during five long weeks his resolve to fulfill that promise never wavered. When we started this journey together we all hoped for a happier ending. Sadly that was not to be, but due to the tenacity and determination of Chief Longo, Hannah is coming home to us and we will be eternally grateful to him for this.

The search for Hannah would not have been successful were it not for the many, many people who helped, including Mark Eggeman and VDEM, local, state and federal law enforcement officers, the staff of the City of Charlottesville, and the dedicated members of numerous volunteer search and rescue groups. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We also give our heartfelt thanks to all those who took part in the community search, to the citizens of Charlottesville, and to the individuals, businesses and organizations, both local and national, who provided untold resources to help support the search for Hannah. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to those who provided support to us and to our family throughout this ordeal, including the staff and students of the University of Virginia, our friends, neighbors and work colleagues, the staff and students of West Potomac High School, Hannah's friends, and the countless kind people who have sent us messages of support. We thank you all.

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We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter, Hannah. Over recent weeks Hannah has been described by those who know her as bright, witty, thoughtful, loyal and fun to be around. She was all those things and more. Put simply, Hannah lit up our lives, the lives of our family and the lives of her friends and others who knew her. Although we have lost our precious Hannah, the light she radiated can never be extinguished. We will hold it in our hearts forever and it will help sustain us as we face a painful future without her. We are so very proud of Hannah and all that she achieved. Although only 18 years old, Hannah had just started her second year at the University of Virginia when she disappeared and was excelling academically. She loved U.Va. and the City of Charlottesville, and was very happy to return there after the summer break. Hannah had intended to pursue a career in global public health, she wanted to help others, and it is heart-breaking for us that she was robbed so tragically of the opportunity to fulfill her dream.

In closing we would like to draw attention to the fact that, although the waiting has ended for us, there are other families both in Virginia and beyond who have not been as fortunate in that their loved ones are still missing. Please continue to hold these families in your thoughts and prayers.

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We do not intend to make any further statements at this time, nor to comment on the ongoing criminal investigation. We ask the media to respect our privacy and that of our family as we continue to grieve.

John and Sue Graham

October 24, 2014

Alexandria, Virginia

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