UPDATED: 1:59 p.m. |   POSTED: 11:30 a.m.

Dan and Gil Harrington, the parents of missing Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, joined her brother, Alex, and a handful of reporters on Charlottesville's Copeley Road bridge this afternoon to thank the public for their assistance in helping to find their daughter since her October disappearance.

Harrington's body was discovered yesterday morning in an Albemarle County field. She had been missing since Oct. 17, 2009, when she disappeared from a Metallica concert at John Paul Jones Arena on the University of Virginia campus.

While her parents declined to discuss the specifics of the case, her mother told the crowd of reporters who had gathered at the bridge that, from what the family had gathered through their conversations with police, "it's very likely that Morgan did not live through the concert."

Gil Harrington discussed the agony of the three months since her daughter had gone missing, not knowing where she was or who might be harming her. Not knowing, she said, was more painful than knowing.

For the first time in 101 days, she said, "I'm not thinking every minute, 'What is he doing to my daughter?'"

The Harringtons told reporters that, now that their daughter's body has been found, they're focused on finding her killer. Dan Harrington said the location of her remains suggests a local link to her death.

"This is not a random place where someone would drop off a body," he said.

The Virginia State Police continue to seek tips. Anyone with information is asked to call the state police tip line at (434) 352-3467.

When they had finished talking to reporters, the Harrington family tied a black ribbon to a light pole on the Copeley Road bridge where a yellow one had been. "Our sorrow," Gil Harrington said, "is etched on our faces, and our pain has been carved on our hearts."

UPDATED: 11:48 a.m.

Virginia State Police say that the state's chief medical examiner has confirmed today that a body discovered yesterday in a field on an Albemarle County farm is that of missing Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington.



Dan Harrington, Morgan's father, issued the following statement today:
 
"Morgan’s mother, Gil, and I are overwhelmingly saddened by yesterday’s discovery, but we are also relieved because our questions can now be answered and we can give our daughter a proper burial. We know that because of the good life Morgan led and the love she created for everyone around her, she is now in a safer, better place. We appreciate everyone’s respect for our privacy at this difficult time and we thank everyone who has helped us through this tragedy and helped us find Morgan."

The Harringtons plan to speak with reporters in Charlottesville at 1 p.m. today.
 
Morgan Harrington, 20, disappeared Oct. 17 while attending a Metallica concert in Charlottesville.

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UPDATE: 11:36 a.m.

Statement from the Virginia State Police:

Virginia State Police have received confirmation from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond that the remains discovered Tuesday (Jan. 26, 2010) on farmland in Albemarle County, Va., are those of Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, of Roanoke, Va. Confirmation was made through dental records provided by the family.
 
The investigation continues into the cause and time of death. Virginia State Police, Albemarle County Police, University of Virginia Police, and Charlottesville Police are back out at the farm today (Jan. 27, 2010) canvassing the area for any additional evidence.