UVA Abduction Suspect Arrested in Texas
— -- The suspect in the missing University of Virginia student case was arrested today in Galveston, Texas, authorities said.
Jesse Matthew had been wanted by Charlottesville, Virginia, police since Monday, first on a reckless driving charge before also being charged with abduction with intent to defile Hannah Graham, the sophomore who disappeared Sept. 13.
Matthew's extradition process "is currently underway," Charlottesville police chief Timothy Longo said at tonight's news conference. He did not give any further details about why Matthew was in Galveston at the time of his arrest.
"This case is nowhere near over," Longo said. "We have a person in custody but we have a long road ahead of us and that long road includes finding Hannah Graham."
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He noted that the reward for information leading to the discovery of the 18-year-old has now been increased to $100,000 from $50,000 through the "generosity" of private donors.
Matthew was "located on the Beach in Gilcrest on the Bolivar Peninsula this afternoon around 3:30 p.m.," according to a news release from the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators from Charlottesville will be "heading to Galveston tomorrow [Thursday]," the Sheriff’s Office said.
Matthew had gone to the Charlottesville police department on his own accord Saturday after he was shown in surveillance footage near the student shortly before she disappeared.
He arrived at the police station with relatives but left before being questioned, and sped off in a way that police thought was dangerous.
Chief Longo made repeated public calls for Matthew, 32, to come forward to answer questions because he is thought to be the "last person she was seen with before she vanished off the face of the Earth," he said Sunday.
Former Albemarle County, Virginia, prosecutor Jim Camblos revealed earlier today that he was hired to represent Matthew Saturday but would not give any further details about the case or the whereabouts of his client at that time.
Police seized Matthew's car, issued two search warrants for his apartment and examined bags of clothing they found inside. None of the results have been released public.
