Hannah Graham Abduction Suspect Indicted in 2005 Sex Assault
— -- The suspect in the abduction of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham is being indicted in a 2005 sexual assault.
Jesse Matthew has been charged with attempted capital murder, abduction and sexual penetration with an object, according to the indictment from the Fairfax County Circuit Court.
The victim, who was 26 at the time, was identified only as "R.G." in court papers.
“(We’ve) been in touch with her regularly over the past eight or nine years,” Fairfax County Commonwealth’s attorney Raymond Morrogh said at a press conference this afternoon.
"The victim is grateful to the lead detective who kept in touch with her over the course of nine years and promised her he would never give up," Morrow said. He added, “I think it’s fair to say that i think she's grateful that the case will go forward."
The prosecutor declined to say where R.G. is located, but said, "She is cooperative."
The indictment claims Matthew "did feloniously, willfully, deliberately, intentionally and with premeditation attempt to kill R.G. in the commission of or subsequent to an abduction with the intent to defile."
Matthew, 32, is being held without bail in Charlottesville for the alleged abduction of Graham with intent to defile. The student has not been found, but a search was called off this weekend after police found human remains. Those remains have not yet been identified.
Police Trying To Identify Remains Found in Hannah Graham Search
Virginia State Police earlier said they found a forensic link between Graham's disappearance and the 2009 abduction and murder of Morgan Harrington in 2009. When Harrington's body was found in early 2010, police made a connection to the 2005 sexual assault in Fairfax. The woman survived.
Prior to today, police had not made a direct connection between the 2005 assault and Graham's abduction.
Matthew has not been charged in connection to the 2009 Harrington abduction and murder, even though the suspect in that case was previously linked to the 2005 case, and the Virginia State Police have already said that there is a forensic link between Harrington's murder and Matthew.
"Morgan Harrington's case is still ongoing," Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Gellar told ABC News.
More details about the 2005 assault are expected at a press conference this afternoon.
Matthew's attorney Jim Camblos had no comment on the new indictment.
