CHARLOTTESVILLE (WSLS 10) - Nearly six years after Morgan Harrington's body was found, her parents faced the man accused of killing her.
The suspect, Jesse Matthew Jr., was arraigned in Albemarle County Circuit Court Wednesday for first-degree murder and abduction of Virginia Tech student and Roanoke native Morgan Harrington.
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The county's chief prosecutor said Tuesday that a grand jury indicted Matthew in the 2009 death of 20-year-old Morgan Harrington, who vanished after attending a Metallica concert in Charlottesville. Matthew is charged with first-degree murder and abduction with intent to defile. The maximum penalty for each offense is life in prison.
Matthew also is charged with capital murder in the September 2014 disappearance and death of University of Virginia student 18-year-old Hannah Graham.
During Wednesday's court appearance, emotions ran high as Matthew left the room staring into the eyes of Morgan's parents.
"He killed our daughter. I don't want to be separated. I want him to know we're present and we've been present for six years and we'll be present for months to come. He needs to know justice is coming," said Dan Harrington.
Matthew was appointed council Wednesday and a status hearing was scheduled for September 30.
The Commonwelath Attorney says at this time there are no plans to upgrade Matthew's charges or to combine both Graham's and Harrington's cases. She says they are two different cases with completely separate facts.
In June, Matthew was convicted of sexually assaulting and attempting to kill a woman in Fairfax County. Sentencing in that case is scheduled for October 2.