Suspect Jesse Matthew charged with murder of UVA student

Jesse Matthew, the main person of interest throughout the entirety of Hannah Graham's case, has been charged with first-degree murder, local CBS and NBC affiliates report. He was previously charged with her abduction, after police discovered he was the last person to be seen with Graham before she disappeared.

Graham, a sophomore at the University of Virginia, went missing in September after eating dinner and drinking with friends; when her body was found a month later in a nearby county, her death was ruled a homicide.

Police initially questioned Matthew about Graham's disappearance but did not have enough evidence to hold him. He fled the area and was eventually arrested in Galveston, Texas. Matthew is currently in jail awaiting trial for sexually assaulting and attempting to kill a woman in 2005. There is also forensic evidence that links him to the 2009 death of a Virginia Tech student, Morgan Harrington. No charges have been filed in Harrington's case.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up