Police have released a description of a man they're seeking in the disappearance of a University of Virginia student who went missing over the weekend. According to a witness, the man, described as being in his late 20's or early 30's, was seen putting his arm around the 18-year-old at a Charlottesville mall on the night she vanished.
Newly released surveillance video shows Hannah Graham, a second-year student, walking in the downtown mall just after 1 a.m. Saturday, about a half-hour after she left an off-campus party and was seen near a Charlottesville bar.
The video shows a man following Graham, but that man told police he was concerned the possibly intoxicated student might need help, and that he saw another man place his arm around the student, NBC affiliate WVIR-TV reported.
"This person is described as a black male, 5'10"-5'11", 250-285 pounds, close shaved head, goatee, with a slight 'beer belly,'" Charlottesville Police Captain Gary Pleasants said in a statement. The man is considered a person of interest in the case.
Graham’s parents fear the worst. “Hannah is beyond precious to us and we are truly devastated by her disappearance,” her family said in a statement read by police on Wednesday. “It's totally out of character for us not to have heard from her, and we fear foul play.” The FBI is assisting in the search for Graham.
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—Phil Helsel and Elizabeth Chuck
