In this episode of Murder in the Black, we look at the case of Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr. and the murders of Morgan Harrington and Hannah Graham.

This story is not just about how Matthew was eventually caught. It is about the years before that: the college allegations, the DNA that sat without a name attached to it, the missed opportunities, and the systems that treated each warning sign like it belonged in a separate folder.

Morgan Harrington disappeared in 2009 after leaving a Metallica concert in Charlottesville, Virginia. Years later, UVA student Hannah Graham disappeared after a night out in the same city. DNA evidence eventually connected Matthew to a 2005 Fairfax assault, Morgan's case, and Hannah's case.

The question at the center of this episode is not only what Jesse Matthew did. It is how many times he could have been stopped before another woman was harmed.

Because predators do not live in folders.

This episode discusses sexual assault allegations, abduction, homicide, missing persons cases, violence against women, and institutional failures around campus safety.

• Jesse Matthew's early background and college football years
• Sexual assault allegations at Liberty University and Christopher Newport University
• The 2005 Fairfax assault and unmatched DNA profile
• Morgan Harrington's disappearance after the 2009 Metallica concert
• The search for Morgan and the creation of Help Save the Next Girl
• Hannah Graham's 2014 disappearance in Charlottesville
• How CCTV helped identify Matthew as a suspect
• The DNA links between Fairfax, Morgan, and Hannah
• Matthew's arrest in Texas, guilty pleas, and life sentences
• The larger conversation around campus safety, DNA policy, and missed warning signs

After the main episode, I also cover two current stories:

• The death of Nateal Campbell, mother of NFL player Calais Campbell, and the charges against her son Ciarre Campbell
• The update in Joniah Walker's case after the Milwaukee teen, missing since 2022, was found safe

Jesse Matthew was eventually convicted in the murders of Morgan Harrington and Hannah Graham, but this case raises a bigger question: how many times could he have been stopped before another woman was harmed?

This episode looks at the college allegations, the 2005 Fairfax assault, the DNA links, the disappearances of Morgan and Hannah, and the institutional gaps that allowed warning signs to stay separated.

Because predators do not live in folders.

Content warning: sexual assault allegations, abduction, homicide, missing persons cases, and violence against women.

If you made it this far, thank you for sitting with these stories with me. Let me know your thoughts on the missed opportunities in this case, because I really want to hear how y'all feel about that.

For those of you who are like me and love to binge a story all the way through, episodes 6, 7, and 8 of What I Didn't See drop Sunday on the paid subscription, along with bonus journal entries with behind-the-scenes insight into Christina's thoughts.

Thank you for the support, the comments, the shares, and the way y'all continue to show up for this space. Like, follow, and share this episode with someone who follows true crime with care. I'll see y'all in the next one.

Research for this episode included public reporting from CNN, NBC News, NBC29, The Washington Post, CBS, WDBJ, and public case summaries related to Morgan Harrington, Hannah Graham, the 2005 Fairfax assault, and Jesse Matthew's convictions.

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