Flashback: Charlottesville ABC agents should be reminded of the Alicia Showalter Reynolds tragedy

Elizabeth Daly

By Lynn R. Mitchell

[Editor’s note: With the latest incident involving a UVa student and Virginia ABC agents that occurred earlier this week (see Students Speak Out on ABC Arrest of UVa Student), it seemed a good time to rerun this post from 2013 when ABC agents made news with another UVa student.]

I had no intention of writing about the Charlottesville ABC agents who apprehended a UVa student in the false belief she was underage with beer. Her “beer” turned out to be sparkling water but a series of events led to her arrest and she was thrown in the slammer overnight. ABC agents thought their lives were in danger, and the young lady thought her life was in danger, and it ended up in a big mess.

Jesse Matthew to be charged with 2005 Fairfax rape, news conference at 4:30 p.m. – Updated

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Hopefully, the crime spree of Jesse Matthew is over. While he sits in jail, it was announced today that he will be charged with the 2005 rape of a woman in Fairfax (see Jesse Matthew to be charged in Fairfax City rape case in the Washington Post by Justin Jouvenal):

The man suspected in the abduction of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham will be charged in a 2005 sexual assault case in Fairfax City, Fairfax County prosecutors announced Monday.

Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Morrogh plans to provide details of the charges against Jesse L. Matthew Jr. at a 4:30 p.m. news conference at the Fairfax City police headquarters.

Matthew has been tied to the Morgan Harrington murder and is in jail for the abduction of UVa student Hannah Graham who disappeared five weeks ago. Human remains were found Saturday that may turn out to be hers (see Hannah … waiting to hear if the human remains found Saturday are hers).

UPDATE: NBC-29 reported, “Jesse Matthew, the suspect in custody for the abduction of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, has been indicted in connection with a sexual assault on September 24, 2005 in the city of Fairfax.  This marks the second case in which Matthew has been charged and the third case to which police say he’s linked.”

He now faces charges of attempted capital murder, abduction with the intent to defile, and sexual penetration with an object against the victim’s will.