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Arrest Warrant Issued For Suspect In University Of Virginia Student's Kidnapping

Jesse Matthew, 32, was recorded on surveillance video walking with Hannah Graham on Sept. 13. She has not been seen since.

Updated — 7:12 p.m. ET Tuesday:

Police are seeking a 32-year-old man on suspicion of "abduction with intent to defile" an 18-year-old University of Virginia student who has been missing for more than a week.

Jesse Matthew spoke briefly with police over the weekend, but he had not been named as a suspect until Tuesday.

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Charlottesville Police Dept. / Reuters

The parents of 18-year-old Hannah Graham spoke publicly about her disappearance for the first time on Sunday, calling for anyone who may have seen her to come forward.

The University of Virginia student went missing in the early hours of Sept. 13. Police tracked her movements that Friday night by talking with friends and eyewitnesses as well as going through surveillance video from the many downtown Charlottesville businesses.

AP Photo/The Daily Progress/Dean Seal

"Who saw Hannah?" John Graham asked. "Somebody did."

Investigators have so far found that she had gone to dinner with friends, then left to go to two parties at campus housing nearby, police said. Later, surveillance video showed her walking alone past a pub, a gas station, and other businesses. Based on the video, a text message and interviews, police believe she was lost. She had also been drinking.

"She may not have been in a position to protect herself or defend herself," Charlotteville Police Chief Timothy Longo said in a press conference earlier this week.

She was last seen on video walking with a man in a white T-shirt who police believe was 32-year-old Jesse Matthew, ABC News reported. He has not been arrested, and police are waiting on forensic tests after searching his home and vehicle.

An arrest warrant has been issued related to reckless driving police said they observed while they were following him. So far, he has not complied with police's request for an interview about the young woman.

"This is a critical piece of a puzzle which has a lot of missing pieces," Longo said.

Since the surveillance video clip of Graham walking with the man, there has been no trace of her.

"This is every parent's worst nightmare," her father said.

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Police are also seeking witnesses who may have seen Matthews' car in the last week.

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AP Photo/The Daily Progress, Andrew Shurtleff

Her disappearance has rattled the community as well as her friends, classmates, and neighbors. Five years ago, another college aged woman went missing in Charlottesville and was later discovered dead. The killer of Morgan Harrington has never been found.

AP Photo/The Daily Progress, Andrew Shurtleff

Students organized a vigil for Hannah Graham on Thursday, where friends described the teen's love for skiing, playing the saxophone, and pink Starbursts, NBC 29 reported.

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AP Photo/The Daily Progress, Andrew Shurtleff

Over the weekend, almost a thousand volunteers joined a search for her. Police had previously asked property owners in the city and surrounding area to check any vacant lots or fields.

AP Photo/The Daily Progress, Andrew Shurtleff

Anyone with information may leave a tip at 434-295-3851.

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