Hannah Graham was the 18-year-old, British American student at the University of Virginia who went missing in September 2014. One month later, her remains were found at an abandoned property. The prime suspect was 32-year-old Jesse L. Matthew, Jr., who was last seen with an intoxicated Graham via surveillance cameras. Matthew was found on a beach in Texas and charged with abduction with intent to defile Graham. Matthew’s DNA also connected him to the death of 20-year-old Morgan Harrington, a Virginia Tech student who went missing in 2009. In 2016, Matthew pleaded guilty to both murders by way of an Alford plea.
Before Matthew’s sentencing, a former girlfriend wrote a letter to the judge. It said that Matthew was sexually abused by at least three different people “through his elementary school years.” She wrote: “One individual in particular raped him on several occasions and forced L.J. [Matthew’s nickname] to keep it a secret. I have no doubt this repeated sexual trauma during his developmental years played a key role in the allegations against him.” 48 Hours, which airs Saturdays at 9pm on CBS, will air its investigation of the death of Hannah Graham on June 12.
