The University of Virginia community is shocked and saddened by the recent break in the case of Hannah Graham. 

According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia, the remains discovered last Saturday are confirmed to belong to Hannah Graham. Hannah was an eighteen-year-old second year student from Alexandria, Virginia.

On Saturday, Oct. 18, a group of Chesterfield County deputies were searching an old, abandoned property off Old Lynchburg Road in Albemarle County when one stumbled upon human remains. This piece of property is about 10 miles from where she was last seen five weeks before on Sept. 13th. 

Since the news surfaced, students at UVA have responded with grief and mourning over the loss of their dear friend, fellow student and member of the Charlottesville community, Hannah Graham. 

Third-year student Paxton Rosser from Colonial Heights, VA said, "We grow up being taught that there is evil in the world, but we often catch glimpses of this on television or on the radio. Now, we have experienced a tragedy close to home... If one thing has resulted from this situation, it is pain; but this pain can be used to motivate the UVA community towards a great unity and a search for hope that is larger than ourselves."

Several of Hannah's friends have posted Facebook statuses and Instagram photos over the past two days with messages honoring her life and remembering the person she was.

This past Tuesday night, students hosted a candlelight vigil in the Forest of Arden at UVA to honor Hannah’s life. Second-year student Terence Tsang from Norfolk, VA remarked, "I know that the entire UVA community will support each other during this tragic time."

UVA is also disturbed by another break in the Hannah Graham case from last Monday: the announcement that the suspect behind bars, Jesse Matthew, has been indicted by a grand jury in Fairfax, Virginia for the 2005 sexual assault forensically linked to the 2009 Morgan Harrington murder. He was indicted on charges including attempted murder and abduction.   

The 32-year-old suspect, who is being investigated for potential links to various sexual crimes in Virginia, has not yet been charged for anything involving the murder of Morgan Harrington.

Since Hannah’s disappearance in the early hours of Sept. 13 and the realization on Sept. 14 that she was missing, Hannah’s parents, friends, fellow students, teachers and all those who have been following the case across the nation waited 35 days to either find Hannah or receive closure on her death. It comes as a horrifying relief to discover where she is, as we transition from a period of hope and fear into a process of grief and mourning for her loss. 

"Though the search for Hannah Graham ended tragically, I believe both myself and the rest of the student body here at UVA are working to support one another and make the best out of the situation," said second-year student Olivia Negus from Richmond, VA.

We await further information to surface on the Hannah Graham case, including more evidence linking Jesse Matthew to the various cases in Virginia. 

We continue to pray earnestly for her heartbroken family during this difficult time. In a statement from John and Sue Graham this morning, they ask that the media respects their privacy at this time.