Criminal Profiler Shares Insights on Morgan Dana Harrington Case

October 23, 2009

Law enforcement agencies around the world have often relied on the expertise of Dr. Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, a renowned criminal profiler who has studied and investigated some of the world's most elusive criminals. As a result of her firsthand experience, Dr. Schurman-Kauflin has developed a vast knowledge about predators - a knowledge that allows her to have unique insight into the case of Morgan Dana Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student who went missing on Oct. 17 during a heavy metal concert in Charlottesville, VA.

"This case highlights the dangers inherent at public events. People who go there generally don’t know the vicinity, and this can cost them," Dr. Schurman-Kauflin said in an interview with Investigation Discovery. "They can wander into areas they didn’t mean to and get themselves into trouble. Once separated from others, the victim is uncomfortable and more ready to make a bad judgment."

Dr. Schurman-Kauflin said that it is not unusual for sexual predators and murderers to stalk arena parking lots in search of victims. She said they operate in a similar manner to child molesters, who generally cruise areas around schools looking for children to snatch

"Predators in the wild go where the meal is. The same is true for psychopathic criminals - they go where the 'meal' is," Dr. Schurman-Kauflin said, adding, "Being in an unfamiliar environment, coupled with potential drug/alcohol use, can make victim selection easy. This is what the offender wants."

The location where Morgan's purse was found, a parking area not far from the arena, comes as no surprise to Dr. Schurman-Kauflin.

 "If I am going to take a victim, I don’t want anyone to see," she said. "I want to spend the least amount of time in a public place with a victim that doesn’t realize how much danger she has put herself in. Darkness is my friend in this case. It protects me and challenges my victim. This is alluring to potential offenders."

In regard to how Morgan's alleged abduction may have occurred, Dr. Schurman-Kauflin offered the following insight:

"People often make the mistake of thinking that all abductions have to be blitz style attacks where perpetrators suddenly overpower their victims. That is not always how it happens," she said. "A smooth criminal can easily gain the trust of someone who is in unfamiliar territory. All it takes is a good appearance and an ability to chat up anyone. Most psychopaths can pull that off if they have done it before."

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The M.O., however, could be different, Dr. Schurman-Kauflin warns, if the victim knows their attacker.

"Such venues are ripe for attacks from familiar offenders. That is, someone who has a secret violent fantasy life may act on an impulse if given the chance," Dr. Schurman-Kauflin said. "The victim would trust someone she knew, even if it was only a casual connection. The victim can mistakenly believe that, just because she recognizes someone, that that person would not do her harm. This is why it is so difficult for a victim in this circumstance: because she will not realize she is a victim until it is too late."

Whatever the case may be, the desire is for Morgan to be found and to be unharmed. Unfortunately, with each passing day, the possibility of that happening continues to diminish.

Morgan Harrington is described as a white female, 5' 6" tall, weighing 120 pounds, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a black t-shirt with "Pantera" written across the front in tan lettering, a black mini skirt, black tights and black knee-high boots.

www.findmorgan.com

The Harrington family is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of their daughter. Anyone with information is asked to call the tip line at 434-352-3467, or contact authorities by e-mail at bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov.

Related Links:
Violent Crimes Institute, LLC
Investigation Discovery: Full Coverage: Morgan Dana Harrington

Photo Credit: Dr. Deborah Schurman-Kauflin: Contributed; Morgan Dana Harrington: Contributed

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in its entirety without permission from Discovery Communications. All quotes must include a link back.

Comments

[Eddie Vedder]

Dr. Shurman-Kaflin's analysis has absolutely no relevance to the Morgan Harrington case. It is pure speculation.

Why assume this is a predator, trolling the Jones Arena parking lot in search of a wayward concert goer? Don't know what experience others have, but usually during major events of this sort, once the concert or event begins, most of the patrons are forced to clear the parking lots. Granted, a few may leave the arena for one reason or another, but these are huge parking lots, so a cruising predator would be noticed.

The more likely scenario would suggest that Ms. Harrington exited the arena, she was somehow enticed to join someone or a small group, either known to her, or previously unknown. She may even have received a phone call asking her to meet outside. What do her phone records reveal?

Drugs, alcohol, and/or sex may have been involved, either as an inducement to "join the party" voluntarily. Or she may have been forced to do things she had not anticipated.. Was rape involved? Perhaps. Her physical description (tall, blond, dressed in black, short skirt) suggests she looked attractive and could have been a victim, whether of acquaintance date-rape or from some unknown acquaintance(s).

But this was most likely a crime of opportunity-- not anticipation. The predator was probably not cruising the parking lot just in case one of the hot girls might forfeit her $80 ticket and come outside and fall into a trap.

[helenhudson]

Excellent article, thanks!

I read earlier that LE had no indication that a crime has been committed, but Dana doesn't seem the type to stay gone of her own volition and cause such worry.

Prayers to her family and friends that she is brought home soon.

[L K Tucker]

The bottom line is that if she is alive and in her right mind why has she not contacted family?

There is a long list of students who disappeared like this. Some were athletic males. Occasionally one of them recovers and returns giving us a clue as to what is happening.

While Harrington might be a crime victim it is just as likely she is another of thse students who have a sudden unexplained mental break and vanishes.

If the post on the family site forum is correct she was seen to fall inside the venue. She could not speak or communicate and wandered off. The observer thought she was drunk or stoned. But her friends did not mention any drugs or alcohol.

That leaves only one possible explanation. She had a mental break caused by Subliminal Distraction exposure.

This problem was discovered and solved forty years ago. Virginia Tech was warned after the Cho shooting. I have a letter from Tech promising that SD would be investigated but nothing was done.

Thirty two people died, there was a murder/beheading, and now Morgan Harrington is missing. What will it take for Virginia Tech to investigate and warn students?

[j.s.h.]

Interesting insight..operating under the assumption that an alleged abductor took the girl, and it wasnt by blitz style attack, but rather by charmful "chatting up"...is it safe to assume said individual would be organized and have the tools with him to subdue her once he got her in the car? Would it be an individual, or individuals? (psychopaths usually work alone...not always but usually)
And again there are other less malicious scenarios that could work just as well....a big crowded place like that full of strangers...plenty of drugs around...people give her drugs and she freaks out, overdoses, then they hide the body somewhere...similar things have happened in missing persons cases. (though in this case it dosent seem AS likely because of the comments posted by a lady who apparently knew the girl and described her as intelligent, artistic, and pretty responsible.) Cases like this are very difficult because of the amount of drug presence, people in general who are strangers to one another, and the fact that many of them were out of staters, or from different counties...its hard rounding up so many potential witness/suspects to filter through....and i'd say the call centers are filled up with your variety of "false confessors: and people trying to offer what they consider helpful insight. I Pray for the best outcome for this family and the girl and hope LE is doing everything they can to resolve the matter. (i'm sure they have already checked to see how many particular students known, and unbeknownst to miss harrington also went to the concert that night, to see if there was any casual connections present between herself and the other atendees.)

[YouCanDoIt]

I like the audacity of the first comment. To call the conclusions of the trained professional pure speculation and then proceeding to speculate.

Clearly Eddie fails to understand profiling. Yes it is speculation. But it's intelligent, based on statistics and science. It will not be the only approach that law enforcement investigates, but they will certaily pay atention to their profilers.

[L K Tucker]

In the last few days police have published a time line. They also confirmed she had a "facial injury."

There has been a post on the family site that she injured her face in a fall and could not communicate when she stood. The description was that she looked drunk or stoned. But her friends and those communicating with her earlier on the way in said she did not drink or take drugs that night. (There have been TV interviews of these people.)

Another source has her crying in the restroom with that injury.

Finally police have confirmed she was seen walking across two parking lots alone and had "limited interaction" with people there. Had some one accosted her it would have been seen and reported.

Her purse was abandoned with her ID and cell phone. The cell phone's battery was removed. Why? She had used the phone minutes earlier. None of his makes sense unless you view this as action taken in an altered mental state.

[imsusann]

It is possible that she sustained a tbi when she fell and only appeared drunk/stoned but was actually confused and seeking help as she wandered. Poor dear.