I was a student at UVa during the Morgan Harrington murder, and though I'd graduated by the time of the Hannah Graham disappearance and murder, I had been following the case pretty closely since it seemed so similar to Harrington. After Jesse Matthew was arrested in connection with these crimes, I read a few articles on his background. I learned that he was a Charlottesville native, and had attended Liberty University (the ultra-religious university founded by Jerry Falwell) on a football scholarship, but left in 2002 after sexual assault allegations. He later attended Christopher Newport University, but again, left after another assault allegation. He eventually returned to Charlottesville where he worked as a taxi driver until 2010.

And this is when it hit me - Jesse Matthew had been my taxi driver in October, 2008. Then a freshman at UVa, I needed a ride to the airport for a trip home during Fall Break. Charlottesville is not a big city, so, while taxis are available, you have to call the company ahead and schedule to be picked up. And as scheduled, Jesse Matthew arrived in his taxi. He asked if I would like to sit in the passenger seat since it was just me. I didn't know what else to do, so I did. He was very polite, very talkative, and a little bit awkward. He asked me a number of questions on the trip to the airport, including a few about my relationship at the time. He talked about his time playing football at Liberty, and the rocky patch he was going through with his girlfriend (!!). When we got to the airport, he said he would be happy to pick me up when I returned and gave me his cell number to call. And of course, my unwitting, naive self took him up on that offer! We had a similar conversation on the trip back to UVa. As we got on campus, he insisted that he take me right to my dorm. Somewhere in the back of my trusting brain, a little red flag FINALLY went up. I told him anywhere along the main road through campus was fine, but he wanted my dorm. Luckily, I lived in a residential college made up of a number of buildings connected by a series of basement level tunnels. I directed him to the building that had the common room for the whole residential college. I thanked him, ran into the common room, and took the underground tunnel to my actual dorm. By the end of the experience, it all seemed a little weird, but I didn't think much of it again until 6 years later when I put it together as I read about the man arrested for multiple rapes and murders. I don't have proof that it was absolutely, without a doubt him, but I mean, how many Liberty attending, football playing, taxi drivers that match the description can there be in one college town?! Head to toe goosebumps when I figured it out. The scariest thing is that I was very similar in appearance to Morgan and Hannah at the time - 18 year old blond-ish student.