The body discovered in Virginia earlier this week has been confirmed as that of missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham. Graham, 18, had been missing since Sep. 13.
According to the Washington Post, the remains were found near a home outside of Charlottesville, Va. on Oct. 18. Forensic tests were performed, and authorities made the tragic confirmation yesterday. In a statement, Graham's parents, John and Sue, expressed their grief:
We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter, Hannah. 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.
Jesse L. Matthew, the man Graham was last seen with, was arrested in Texas last month and charged in connection with her disappearance. The 32-year-old was also indicted for a 2005 sexual assault in Virginia and is under investigation for the disappearance and murder of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington in 2009.
[via The Washington Post]
