Morgan Harrington, a 20 year old Virginia Tech student, has been missing since October 17. The last time anyone saw or heard from her was at a Metallica concert in Charlottesville, Virginia at around 9 p.m. The Virginia police are investigating her disappearance, and her parents are offering a $100,000 reward for information, and they‘ve set up a Find Morgan site. Metallica heard about the situation, and graciously added $50,000 to the reward money. Now that Metallica has gotten involved, this local missing person case is a national story.

Metallica even put this message on their website last Tuesday: “We are deeply concerned about the disappearance of 20 year old Virginia Tech student Morgan Dana Harrington, who was last seen while attending our concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA, on Saturday night. Morgan has blonde hair and blue eyes, is 5′6″, 120 lbs., and was wearing a black “Pantera” T-shirt, black skirt, and black boots. She was not carrying I.D. or a cell phone. Morgan was separated from her friends shortly before 9pm at the venue. Police have been searching the area since Monday. We encourage anyone who has any information regarding Morgan’s disappearance to please come forward. Additionally, if you or anyone you know shot video footage or took photos of the concert or audience, please check to see if there is anyone in your photos who might resemble Morgan.” That’s so smart, asking people to go through their own personal footage of the concert to see if they can trace Morgan through any kind of digital record.

In a case that is gathering national attention, Metallica has added $50,000 to a $100,000 reward being offered by the parents of a missing woman last seen at one of the heavy metal band’s concerts.

Dressed in black boots, a black skirt and a black Pantera T-shirt, Morgan Harrington, 20, a student at Virginia Tech University, was with friends, waiting for the band to take to the stage of the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va., on Oct. 17. Just before 9 p.m., she excused herself to go to the bathroom, then called her pals to say the staff was refusing to let her back inside and that she would make her way home.

That was the last anyone has heard from the 5′6″, 120-lb., blue-eyed, blonde student.

Speaking on Tuesday’s Today show, her mother, Gil, and her father, Dan, said their energy was directed toward finding their daughter, not delving into despair. The Morgans have posted the reward for information leading to Morgan’s safe return, or to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her disappearance.

There is a Help Find Morgan Web Site, as well as a telephone tip line, (434) 352-3467.

Virginia State Police e-mail is bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov – while other tips may be sent to: info@findmorgan.com

[From People]

I began writing this story without knowing the particulars, just because I’ve had some affection for Metallica ever since I watched the documentary Some Kind of Monster, in which the band was trying to work through their personal and professional issues by hiring a band psychologist to do group therapy. They were so funny in the documentary – I mean, it never occurred to me that these tough metal guys would be kind of neurotic family men who were just trying to make it through one more album, one more tour. Now that I know more about the whole situation with the missing girl, I do have to say that this is all happening really close to where I live in Virginia, so if anyone has any information about this girl, please contact the police at the numbers listed in the People article, or go to the Find Morgan site.