Jesse Matthew Charged With Capital Murder in Death of Hannah Graham in Charlottesville, VA

As reported at NBC 4, Jesse Matthew has been charged with capital murder in the death of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham in Charlottesville, VA. The Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney Denise Lunsford said Tuesday have upgraded the first degree murder charges against Jesse Matthew to capital murder. Lunsford said the new murder charge that she received “compelling evidence” from the state crime lab in February concerning the 2014 death of 18-year-old Hannah Graham. Although she did not release that information publicly. This now makes the case against Matthew a death penalty eligible case.

The man charged in the abduction and killing of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham is now charged with capital murder in the case.

If convicted, Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr. could now face the death penalty in the death of 18-year-old Graham, who went missing last fall following a night out with friends. Her remains were found five weeks later.

A prosecutor said new forensic evidence led to the additional capital murder charge and prosecutors will seek the death penalty if Matthew, 33, goes to trial.

Matthew was previously charged with first-degree murder, a charge which carries up to a life sentence. He is also charged with abduction with intent to defile and two counts of reckless driving for incidents that occurred early in the investigation.

Graham, 18, disappeared last September 2014 after a night out with friends in Charlottesville, where the school is located. Her remains were found weeks later in woods several miles from the campus. Matthew  is a suspect in another college student’s death, faces trial next month for sexual assault in northern Virginia.