"Got Him!"

This was the text message I received from one of my co-workers this evening, and I rushed to the computer as soon as I saw it. Stephan Morgan, Johanna Justin-Jinich's murderer, turned himself in earlier this evening at a convenience store in Meriden, CT, which is a couple towns south of Middletown off I-91. Morgan had been on the run since 1:00 P.M. yesterday, when he gunned down Justin-Jinich inside the campus bookstore. We learned today that he was interviewed by police outside the scene and then sent on his way. Deprived of his car, however, he wasn't likely to get very far even if he wanted to, which was part of why we feared that he was still lurking on campus, waiting to do more damage. That fear escalated when journals detailing his plans to launch a killing spree at Wesleyan following Justin-Jinich's murder were discovered.

Today, family in Massachusetts had sent a personal message through the media asking him to surrender. Because of their pleas, or the driving rain, or his fear that he too would be shot on sight by police, he turned himself in.

For the archive, here is the New York Times account, which synthesizes the events leading up to the murder, written by Robert McFadden.

While the story will continue for months I am sure, my posts will stop for the weekend while I stand back, gain some perspective, rest and breathe. You can go to Wesleying for weekend coverage, although they are taking a lot of hits and you may have to be patient. I also want to praise the staff at Wesleying for their coverage over the last 48 hours: your blog has been smart, concise, non-sensational and informative. I still think this is some of the best writing on campus, and I am not just comparing you to other students.

From one small academic blogger to all of you: nice work, comrades. Let's all get a good night's sleep and get up tomorrow to cope with the rest of our lives.