Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr., who is believed to be the last person seen together with University of Virginia student Hannah Graham before she went missing on Sept. 13, was finally arrested one day after authorities issued his warrant of arrest.
Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo said on Tuesday that the police are on the hunt for Matthew after deciding they had probable cause to charge him with the 18-year old British-born student's disappearance after conducting searches on his car and apartment on Friday. Potential evidence found among Matthew's possession has already been sent for laboratory analysis.
Police said that on the evening of Sept. 12, Graham left a party alone and by 1:20 a.m. on Sept. 13, texted her friends informing them that she was lost. Surveillance camera caught Graham having drinks at a bar with a man between 1:30 and 2 a.m.
"I believe Jesse Matthew was the last person she was seen with before she vanished off the face of the Earth," Longo said. "We want to talk to him. I hope and pray that we might have an opportunity to talk to Jesse Matthew again because I think he can help up find Hannah Graham."
Police believe that Graham may be under the influence of alcohol at the time, which makes her vulnerable and unable to defend herself.
Matthew, an African-American with dreadlocks who weigh 270 pounds and stands 6 feet and 2 inches tall also has two counts for reckless driving and is known to have relatives and connections in New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
Police said that Matthew was arrested in Galveston, Texas albeit the authorities did not yet reveal the circumstances of the suspect's arrest.
"We have a person in custody, but there's a long road ahead of us, and that long road includes finding Hannah Graham," Longo said.
A $50,000 reward is being offered for anyone who can provide information that could lead to the safe return of Graham, who is on her second year at the University of Virginia.
Hannah's parents John and Susan Graham described the disappearance of the daughter as their worst nightmare but have nonetheless thanked the people who helped search for clues to find their missing child.
"I am certain that everybody in the room and those watching who is a parent knows that what happened to Hannah could happen to their child," the statement read. "We need to find out what happened to Hannah and make sure that it doesn't happen to anybody else."
