Warrant for Jesse Matthew issued in 2005 rape case

FAIRFAX, Va. -- A judge on Thursday issued a warrant to bring the man accused of abducting missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham to Fairfax County to face charges in a previous crime.

County prosecutors sought and received the bench warrant for Jesse L. Matthew Jr., 32. He was indicted earlier this week on charges including attempted capital murder in connection to a 2005 sexual assault in Fairfax City.

Matthew is currently being held in the Charlottesville area on charges of abducting Graham there last month. Officers searching for Graham found human remains on Saturday, but they have not yet been identified.

It's not clear when Matthew will make an initial appearance in Fairfax. Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Morrogh has indicated he will cooperate with prosecutors in the Graham case to determine which case will come to trial first.

Authorities have said there is forensic evidence linking Matthew to the 2005 Fairfax assault and to another case, the 2009 slaying of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, as well as to Graham's disappearance.

Prosecutors said Matthew's attorney in Charlottesville, James Camblos, has requested that he be appointed to represent Matthew in the Fairfax case as well.

Todd Petit, who heads the public defender's office in Fairfax County, which is typically appointed to represent indigent defendants, did not return calls seeking comment Thursday.

Lt. Steve Elbert, a spokesman with the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office, says the department won't comment on when Matthew will be transported.

Authorities have declined to discuss details of their case against Matthew in the Fairfax assault. Police had previously said that on Sept. 24, 2005, a 26-year-old woman was walking home from the grocery store about 10 o'clock on a Saturday night, when her assailant grabbed her from behind, dragged her into a wooded area behind some town homes, and sexually assaulted her. The man fled the area when he was startled by a passerby.

Graham, the missing University of Virginia student, hasn't been seen since after a night out Sept. 13. She had met friends at a restaurant for dinner before stopping by two off-campus parties. She left the second party alone and eventually texted a friend saying she was lost, authorities said.

Police say Matthew was the last person to be seen with her. He was arrested after a tipster spotted him camping on a beach near Galveston, Texas.