Medical Examiner's Office Identifies Human Remains as Hannah Graham

The Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office has identified human remains found in a remote area of Albemarle County as those of missing UVA student Hannah Graham, according to authorities.

The remains were found about five miles from where the remains of Morgan Harrington, 20, a Virginia Tech student, were found after she disappared in 2009. Police have said forensic evidence connects suspect Jesse Matthew to her murder, which in turn is linked by DNA to a Fairfax City sexual assault nine years ago. Matthew is a Charlottesville native who grew up in the area where the remains were found.

Graham’s parents issued a statement Friday:

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.

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. 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

Oct. 24, 2014

Alexandria, Virginia