VT VT - Brianna Maitland, 17, Montgomery, 19 March 2004

Peter J. said:

Why she did not move back in with her parents is not clear. Bri was a very smart but very stubborn girl. I personally think she had to much pride to go home with her tail tucked between her legs coupled with the fact that she knew her parents would not approve of her “new” friends. And it's those new friends, the ones who never helped search for her, who hold the key to finding out what happened to Brianna.
Peter

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Illuminating! Her new friends didn't HELP with the search. I'm concluding they are trying to ignore the situation, hoping it will go away.

Thinking of Brianna Maitland today. Hoping her family finds the answers they need.

Bumping for Brianna

I am wondering WHY Brianna's case hasn't been featured on "Disappeared" on ID channel yet????
I keep watching and waiting....

I'm new to this case (just heard about it yesterday while studying the Maura Murray case), so hopefully someone can clear this up for me. The articles I've read state "she got into her car after work and drove off and..." How do we know she got into her car safely?

I mean, obviously, she got into her car, but they make it sound like whatever happened happened later on down the road (literally) after she left the parking lot. Is it confirmed that someone wasn't waiting for her in the parking lot who forced her in the car and carjacked her, abducted her or whatever happened? Were there witnesses or surveillance cameras at the restaurant that make everybody so sure that she made it out of the parking lot by herself? Could somebody have been hiding in the car and popped out after she left the parking lot? I just don't think it would be easy for someone to attempt a carjacking/abduction/etc. while at a stoplight or something.

Another thing - was this barn on the way to her friend's house, or was it out of the way? Is it possible she could have planned an intentional stop there or near there to meet up with someone, and something went awry? Did Brianna have a cell phone or make any other calls to let anyone know when she'd be getting off work?

I apologize for bringing things up that have probably already been addressed. I just haven't found this information in my research, but I'm still not done reading. Thank you!

goldiegirl said:

I'm new to this case (just heard about it yesterday while studying the Maura Murray case), so hopefully someone can clear this up for me. The articles I've read state "she got into her car after work and drove off and..." How do we know she got into her car safely?

I mean, obviously, she got into her car, but they make it sound like whatever happened happened later on down the road (literally) after she left the parking lot. Is it confirmed that someone wasn't waiting for her in the parking lot who forced her in the car and carjacked her, abducted her or whatever happened? Were there witnesses or surveillance cameras at the restaurant that make everybody so sure that she made it out of the parking lot by herself? Could somebody have been hiding in the car and popped out after she left the parking lot? I just don't think it would be easy for someone to attempt a carjacking/abduction/etc. while at a stoplight or something.

Another thing - was this barn on the way to her friend's house, or was it out of the way? Is it possible she could have planned an intentional stop there or near there to meet up with someone, and something went awry? Did Brianna have a cell phone or make any other calls to let anyone know when she'd be getting off work?

I apologize for bringing things up that have probably already been addressed. I just haven't found this information in my research, but I'm still not done reading. Thank you!

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Hi, Golden, this might help:

http://theslamdunktrove.blogspot.com/2009/03/part-i-brianna-maitland-missing-person.html (Part 1)

http://theslamdunktrove.blogspot.co...-max=2009-08-03T04:49:00-04:00&max-results=20

(you will have to scroll down and read bottom to top).

HTH.

Thank you for those links! I'm reviewing them now. Great place for a newcomer to start.

I have read everything I can on this case today, and though I am nothing but a humble mommy and in no way affiliated with LE, the scene at the abandoned farmhouse where Brianna's car was found suggests one thing to me: a violent struggle ensued.
Brianna was known to wear that green glass necklace, and the fact that it was found beside her driver's side door suggests to me that she was violently ripped out of that car. The car was hung up on a concrete base during the collision; IMHO Brianna was attacked while driving, either by another vehicle that was tailing her or laying in wait up the road, or perhaps by a person laying in wait in her backseat. In either instance, panic on Brianna's part would cause erratic driving, thus her car hitting the farmhouse. I do not believe, as the FBI has suggested, that the crash scene was staged. That necklace on the ground and the loose change say otherwise to me. I believe her car became disabled on that concrete base, and after that, Brianna's abduction was swift and simple.
I wish the monster, or monsters- who did this would give her parents peace at long last. They must have no soul. A simple, anonymous note, telling them where to find their baby girl's remains would suffice. It's only right. It's only human.
Then again, I don't believe that the person or people who took this girl are human in any way. They are empty and lost. They must be.
This case is strikingly similar to the case of Maura Murray in my eyes. I imagine that they are not connected, but the two scenes are only 90 miles apart. How eerily similar.
Prayers for answers for The Maitlands. They deserve to know what became of their little girl. It's only right.

I finished reading the helpful links posted. I agree with much of what was suggested, but there are still a few things I'm not clear on.

I'm Briana's age (not age she was when she went missing, but age now), so I was 17 when she was 17. From what I remember, cell phones weren't popular for those our age until maybe a year or so later, and even then they weren't that common and weren't used as frequently. I know I didn't discover texting, for example, until I was 19, but that could have been different for those whose parents caught on to technology a little sooner than mine did. Anyway, where I'm going with this is, has it ever been confirmed whether or not Brianna had a cell phone? Judging based on her circumstances (her mostly being independent from her parents), I would doubt it. I ask because I'm still wondering if there was any way to see whether or not she had planned a potential meeting with somebody or whether anyone was informed when she was getting off work.

I initially thought that the most likely scenario was that someone had climbed into the car in the parking lot and was waiting for her, and I based this mainly on the short period of time between her leaving work and whatever happened. However, I'm starting to agree with how unlikely that might be, after reading a couple of the links above with other opinions.

I really have a feeling that Brianna planned a meeting at the farmhouse, which is why I'm wondering if there was any way to verify who she'd been talking to. To me, this also may explain why she really declined to stay after work. Unless the incident happened before she got to the farmhouse, Brianna obviously went there willingly, so I am inclined to think that the reason she didn't stay had less to do with her being tired and having to get up the next day and more to do with her having already made plans to meet at the farmhouse with someone who knew what time she was expected to be off work.

I guess in 2004 teens didn't use texting or social media the way they do today, so plans like this would be more difficult to trace. I guess if Brianna did plan this meeting with someone they would have most likely planned it in person, although I wonder, since she didn't go to school, where she would have talked to someone. Am I making any sense? I mean obviously she had friends and knew people, but arranging meetings like this seems a little more difficult if you don't have a cell phone, don't use the internet for commnunication as much as we do today, and don't go to school, so maybe this theory is unlikely, too. However, those she hung out with regularly likely knew what time she usually got off work, so I guess it wouldn't have been too hard to just tell someone to meet her at the farmhouse. I know she told her roommate she would be home that night, so I'm not suggesting she had any big plans, just that she was meeting someone quickly to pick something up or do who knows what.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is that I, like most others, think whoever was involved knew Brianna as opposed to being strangers. If she didn't plan this meeting previously, another option that came to mind was that maybe this abandoned house was a frequent meeting place for her group of friends, and she happened to see some people she knew when she drove by. I doubt this would be the case about the building being a hangout, since it was apparently clearly visible from the highway.

I just don't think it's likely that she would have stopped at the farmhouse for a stranger, and as others have pointed out, the hiding-in-the-back-of-the-car scenario would need to involve a getaway car, as well, which I guess isn't impossible but is unlikely. My guess is that this was a pre-arranged meeting. I just wish we could have traced her communications the way we likely could today.

Hi Goldie:
No, Brianna didn't have a cellphone. I read this on the slamdunk blog.

I have been thinking about this case a lot this evening. It really has me. And I am beginning to wonder if the assault Brianna suffered at that party a week before is connected to her disappearance. I wish I could quote facts here, but I read it in the slamdunk blog. Apparently, she encountered terrible hostility form two young women at a party, so much so that she left the party and went to be alone in a male friend's truck. She was curled up there sleeping in the front seat when the two girls came out and attacked her. Instead of fighting back, Brianna remained passive, telling her mom later that she didn't fight because, "I could have really hurt them.They are friends. " (Not a direct quote, but very close.) Brianna went to the police and filed assault charges against these two females.
Three weeks after her disappearance, the assault charges were dropped.

I hope I am wrong about my weird feelings here, but it all seems so hinky to me now. We always assume that it's males involved when a young girl goes missing, but who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of...anyone, really?
Enraged young girls can be very persuasive. They can get anyone to do their bidding. I wonder if Brianna ticked off the wrong people filing those charges?
Hope I'm wrong. It is just an incident that stood out for me in a great way when I was reading all those blog entries on slam dunk.

Picture of Brianna in Red Dress taken on March 18, 2004.

The website that Carl linked mentions that Jillian also worked at the Black Lantern so was Jillian working the same shift as Brianna?

What does "Painting Easter Eggs" mean? Is it a drug reference?

iluvmua said:

The website that Carl linked mentions that Jillian also worked at the Black Lantern so was Jillian working the same shift as Brianna?

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No. The page shows that Jillian was away for the weekend at her Grandma's

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/c5dccda4d42d4c3cb01808178c4732c0/VT--Missing-Teenager/#

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: March 19, 2011 - 8:29 am
Last Updated: March 19, 2011 - 8:29 am

MONTGOMERY, Vt. — The Vermont State Police are hoping the 7th anniversary of the disappearance of a Sheldon teenager might help investigators solve the case.

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http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/...rmont-State-Police-gain-cadaver-sniffing-dogs
L’Esperance said his agency has wanted to have their own body-searching dogs for a while. L’Esperance, who took over the department in 2009, said it is cases such as the mysterious disappearance of Brianna Maitland, 17, in Franklin County in 2004 that drove home the point that the department needed its own dogs. He said time is often critical, and he does not want to have to wait for out-of-state dogs to arrive.

This was on tonights disappeared. Such a sad story to such a beautiful girl, any new updates?

Saw the ID Disappeared show about Brianna last night.
Based on the little I knew of Bri’s case while I followed Maura Murray's case, I thought Bri’s was simply the victim of drug related foul play.

After seeing the Disappeared, I have a different take…
In the show Bri's mom said two things that stuck in my noggin - (I’m paraphrasing everything) One was that her daughter had martial arts training, the other was that she is very trusting of people..
When Bri was sucker punched really hard in the face, her mother’s words about being too trusting came to mind.
Seeing where Bri’s car was and that she went there directly after work, I think she was setup, and “sucker punched” again.
After seeing so many of these shows, how often do we see that as a case goes cold there is mention of human trafficking, there are sightings of the missing person in distant places, and perhaps the victim owed drug dealers money.

Thinking like a Lt. Kenda of Homicide Hunter…
Human trafficking, and bad drug deal – don’t see it here. There was her un-cashed check was on the car seat.
Despite martial arts training, it's like she got sucker punched again.
Let’s ask the question - Is there anyone who would benefit by her not being around?
Let’s look at where and car was found, and when she parked it there – what does it tell us?
Where it was found is out of the way, a place where someone who wants to harm her would want to lure her to. Who could that person be, and was she too trusting of someone she should not have?
Of all the people mentioned on the show, only one had shown real violence toward her.
Let look at time she when where her car was found. Appears it was for a quick meeting, perhaps to work things out with someone - tricked into thinking a past discretion could be worked out?
After working one job, would she be looking to party knowing she had her next job in the morning – don’t think so.

I see the proverbial elephant in the room in terms of motive, violence toward her, benefit if she wasn’t around, and Bri being too trusting.

This is a sad case, with very little national attention, IMO due to the fact that Brianna was thought to be involved with some very bad people. Those cases do not attract the same level of sympathy and attention of say a Lauren Spierers or a Holly Bobo (although those cases could have some level of drug involvement, who knows...) The fact that her car was left out in the open and in such an unusual manner suggests that the perp(s) did not care if it was found and perhaps wanted it to be found, maybe sending a message of some kind. I do think that Brianna's drug-selling friends are either responsible or led to people who are responsible for whatever happened to her. While she was working and trying to make a life for herself, she still sounds like a very naive, mixed-up young girl, who would take up with anyone with a decent sob story. I suppose it is possible she picked up the random boogie man, but then why leave her car the way they did? And leave items on the ground and checks in the car? If someone wanted to make it look like she took off, they would get rid of the car, hide it, etc...

I feel so sad for her family; they did everything possible to try to find her, but I don't feel as though they will ever have satisfaction or justice.

Also, the show mentioned that the girl who broke her nose shortly before she vanished was cleared from suspicion...yet did not say why. Did she have an alibi? How does LE know for sure she did not arrange for something to happen to Brianna? Sounds like a real "tough" girl type who did not intend to pay the price for her assault on Brianna.

Ugh, overall just a sad, cold case...one that I doubt will ever be solved.

cluciano63 said:

This is a sad case, with very little national attention, IMO due to the fact that Brianna was thought to be involved with some very bad people. Those cases do not attract the same level of sympathy and attention of say a Lauren Spierers or a Holly Bobo (although those cases could have some level of drug involvement, who knows...) The fact that her car was left out in the open and in such an unusual manner suggests that the perp(s) did not care if it was found and perhaps wanted it to be found, maybe sending a message of some kind. I do think that Brianna's drug-selling friends are either responsible or led to people who are responsible for whatever happened to her. While she was working and trying to make a life for herself, she still sounds like a very naive, mixed-up young girl, who would take up with anyone with a decent sob story. I suppose it is possible she picked up the random boogie man, but then why leave her car the way they did? And leave items on the ground and checks in the car? If someone wanted to make it look like she took off, they would get rid of the car, hide it, etc...

I feel so sad for her family; they did everything possible to try to find her, but I don't feel as though they will ever have satisfaction or justice.

Also, the show mentioned that the girl who broke her nose shortly before she vanished was cleared from suspicion...yet did not say why. Did she have an alibi? How does LE know for sure she did not arrange for something to happen to Brianna? Sounds like a real "tough" girl type who did not intend to pay the price for her assault on Brianna.

Ugh, overall just a sad, cold case...one that I doubt will ever be solved.

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BBM
I believe this area of the case needs to be gone over again...
Would like to know how/why she was cleared...

Especially after in the show Bri's friend mentioned something to the affect that she had spoken with this gal and this gal mentioned something about Bri not being able to testify now...

IMO Where Bri's car was, and the time she went there all indicate she was purposely set up... So who had motive and who benefited from her not being around anymore?