The Jesse Matthew case strikes a terrifying nerve for anyone especially parents of teenage girls. On March 2, 2016, Jesse Matthew entered a plea agreement with Albermarle County prosecutors for the 2014 murder of 18-year old Hannah Graham and the 2009 murder of 20-year old Morgan Harrington. In exchange for pleading guilty, Matthew received four life sentences – for 2 counts of murder and 2 counts of abduction with intent to defile.
In accepting the deal, Matthew avoided the death penalty and gave some sort of resolution to the Graham and Harrington families, who supported the agreement to ensure Matthew would never be released from prison.
Prior to the plea, Matthew had been convicted in Fairfax County of abduction, sexual assault, and attempted murder for which he received three life sentences. He also had been accused of sexual violence against women while he was in college in 2002-2003, but those charges were dropped. Thankfully, the plea deal and the Fairfax County convictions mean he will never be out on the street again.
DNA evidence linked Jesse Matthew to each crime even though they took place in different parts of the state and spanned the course of nine years. Police investigators and prosecutors proceeded with extreme caution while building their case to insure no technicalities or overstepped boundaries would jeopardize their efforts by leading to a mistrial or other judicial mishap. And their diligence paid off as the forensic pieces fell into place.
Despite the strong case against Matthew and the heinous nature of his crimes, under the Sixth Amendment he was entitled to a strong, aggressive defense, which he had.
Chesterfield Criminal Attorney Nicholas Braswell comments, “The exacting judicial process the case went through included making sure Matthew’s two court appointed attorneys were deeply experienced with capital crime litigation. And although the judge lawfully denied most of them, Matthew’s defense team filed more than a dozen motions on his behalf to challenge witnesses, evidence, and procedures.”
- A confidential hearing to talk about expert witness funding without the prosecution in attendance
- Suppression of certain evidence they alleged was obtained outside the scope of a search warrant
- Evidence examination without the prosecution present
- Preservation of all physical and biological evidence collected from the crime scene or alleged weapons
These are just a few examples. The defense made every reasonable attempt to ensure a fair trial because that is what criminal defense lawyers do – they champion and protect the rights of the accused. It is a fundamental cornerstone of our judicial system as well as a basic tenet of American constitutional rights.
In the end, there was simply too much evidence against Matthew backed by very solid forensic science. Defense counsel appropriately negotiated and advised Matthew to take the deal to allow all of the surviving parties, as well as Matthew’s own family, to attempt to move on and to guarantee that Matthew would not be acquitted at trial.
