Family of Missing College Student, Hannah Graham, Issues Statement

The family of missing UVA student Hannah Elizabeth Graham has issued a statement; they are in Charlottesville, where police are searching for their daughter and sister. Graham is a 2013 graduate of West Potomac High School in Fairfax County, south of Old Town Alexandria.

A report from Newsplex notes that the FBI and the state Department of Emergency Management canine teams are also now involved in the search for the 18-year-old girl. Police also released a photo (above) of Graham taken from a surveillance camera at her apartment building taken on the night of her disappearance.

The following is the statement issued Tuesday afternoon by the family:

“Since learning of Hannah’s disappearance, we have been heartbroken and at the same time heartened by the outpouring of support and help we have received. We remain hopeful that Hannah will be found soon. We urge anyone with any information, however insignificant it may seem, to call a newly dedicated tip line at 434-295-3851 at the Charlottesville Police Department.

“Those of us who know and love Hannah know that she would not disappear without contacting family or friends. She is highly responsible and organized. She embraces life with energy and enthusiasm and has enriched the lives of many. Her empathy is evident in her daily interactions with us and her friends. She loves the University of Virginia, and all summer she was looking forward to the start of the new school year. U.Va. is her intellectual home, a place that stimulates her thinking on a broad variety of topics. Socially, she has found kinship and passion with her fellow members of the Ski Team.

“We express our sincere gratitude to law enforcement and everyone who is involved in the search for Hannah. We also thank the University for the full attention they are devoting to the situation. The kindness and support of so many – her friends at U.Va., particularly her friends on the Ski Team, her friends from high school, our neighbors, and the larger community – mean so much to us at this difficult time.

“Please join us in our fervent wish for Hannah’s safe return home. Once again, if you have any information at all, however insignificant it may seem, please call 434-295-3851.

“John, Susan, and James Graham”