The man facing murder and kidnapping charges in the death of UVA freshman Hannah Graham has been indicted in the earlier death of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington.
Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr. was indicted Tuesday on charges of first-degree murder and abduction with intent to defile in connection with Harrington's death in 2009. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for each offense, officials said.
Matthew is already facing the death penalty if found guilty of the kidnapping and killing Graham. He was arrested in September 2014 after weeks of searching for Graham, who had gone missing from downtown Charlottesville. An image showed her on surveillance video walking with a man identified as Matthew.
After his arrest, authorities said DNA evidence linked Matthew to Harrington's death. Harrington went missing after a rock concert at UVA, her remains found several months later. Graham's body was eventually found less than six miles from the site where Harrington had been left.
Gil Harrington told WTVR the indictment validated that her daughter had been murdered.
"This is another step in the marathon we have ahead of us, but it also shows that there are consequences," she told WTVR.
Matthew is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday. His trial in connection with Graham's death begins next year.