Metallica Up Reward Money for Missing Fan Morgan Harrington

Most bands just talk about how much they care about their fans. Metallica? They prove it.

In a move that's bound to draw criticism from skeptics, the guys in Metallica pitched in $50,000 over the weekend to raise the reward money for tips leading to the safe return safe return or information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the disappearance of fan Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student who has been missing since the band's Oct. 17 concert, to a whopping $150,000.

Meanwhile, Virginia state troopers spent Saturday evening canvassing the area around the John Paul Jones Arena, handing out fliers. Morgan's image, along with contact information for tips, was broadcast on the jumbo-tron during the University of Virginia's game over the weekend. In addition, police shut down a Comfort Inn motel in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday morning, after receiving a tip of a possible sighting there. Unfortunately, after fingerprinting a blue truck in the motel parking lot and having bloodhounds search the grounds around the motel, police characterized the sighting as a "false alarm."

The blond and blue-eyed Harrington was last seen wearing a Pantera T-shirt, a black mini-skirt and black boots at the show, which she attended with friends. Harrington hasn't been seen since she left to use the bathroom, and wound up unexpectedly outside the venue, which has a no re-entry policy.

Over the weekend, the Federal Bureau of Investigation joined the search for Harrington, and will help local authorities investigate leads from across the country. Harrington's father, Dan Harrington, appeared on CBS's 'Early Show Saturday Edition' with his wife, Gil, and spoke to co-anchor Erica Hill, saying detectives would meet with them on Saturday to update them on the case, which is being handled as a criminal matter.

"We're hopeful that they would have some morsel of news for us," Gil Harrington said. According to the Harringtons, Metallica personally contacted them to make the offer that would up the reward for clues.

FindMorgan.com has more information on Harrington's disappearance.