Police Identify 'Person Of Interest' In Missing Lorton Woman Case

LORTON, VA — Six weeks after the disappearance of a 72-year-old Lorton woman, the Fairfax County Police Department said Thursday it has identified a person of interest in the case.

Emily Lu was seen on June 3 at an Aldi grocery store in Woodbridge where she was caught on video in the checkout line, and her family reported her missing to the Fairfax County police on June 4.

“We have identified a person of interest,” Fairfax County Police Maj. Ed O’Carroll said Thursday morning at a news conference in Lorton. "We do not believe the foul play that resulted in Ms. Lu’s disappearance was random or was committed by a person unknown to her. ... The person of interest is not a stranger to Ms. Lu."

O'Carroll said he believes the next time that department officials hold a news conference in the case, it will be to announce an arrest or arrests.

"Someone or some people … have been involved in foul play,” he said.

The police department has not ruled out that there could be a second person of interest, said O’Carroll, who serves as commander of the Major Crimes and Cyber and Forensics Bureaus of the police department.

At the news conference, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said the person of interest is a man. But the department chose not to name him “to keep the integrity of the investigation,” Davis said.

“Our person of interest knows he’s a person of interest,” Davis said.

After returning home from the grocery store, Lu was last seen on June 3 around 7 p.m. in the 9200 block of Davis Road in Lorton. She was last seen wearing a white shirt with a purple design and white pants.

The department wants to continue gathering information in the case before it makes an arrest. With foul play suspected in the case, O'Carroll said a water retention pond was drained in the area of Ox Road and Peniwill Drive, near where the news conference was held and less than a mile from Lu's home.

RELATED: Fairfax County Police 'Dedicated' To Finding Missing Lorton Woman

The Fairfax County Police Department has been working closely with the FBI as well as the Prince William County Police Department and the George Mason University police department.

O'Carroll said the police already have a lot of evidence in the case, but the department is continuing to ask the public to contact the police if they have information on what happened to Lu.

"Emily and Emily's family deserves the best justice," he said. "We will move swiftly, but we need to be accurate. ... We want to make sure we have the best case forward."

The police department also is working in partnership with the Fairfax County Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney.

"The moment we get probable cause to arrest, we will arrest. And we think that’s likely our next appearance before the community,” said Davis, who added that charges can be filed in the case without finding Lu’s body if she has been killed.

A $20,000 reward is being offered through Crime Solvers for information related to Lu's disappearance.

The public should contact the Fairfax County Police Department's Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 6 if they have information about Lu's disappearance. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Fairfax County Crimes Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text – Type "FCCS" plus tip to 847411, and by web.