NH NH - Maura Murray, 21, Haverhill, 9 Feb 2004 - # 6

Originally Posted by Scullee511
I just today revised my theory on this entire case. Why? I learned about Mr. Forcier. http://www.whitmanhansonexpress.com/...=912&Itemid=83

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OK, so RF lives on the road where Maura was last seen/wrecked. Dogs lose her scent close to his house. He claims, to have seen a woman fitting Maura's description some 4-5 miles away at roughly 8pm? He doesn't initially share this with police and claims to have heard or seen nothing the night of her wreck. He refuses to let cadaver dogs search his property, on multiple ocassions.

Oh, and he's a CONTRACTOR? Most contractor's I know own their own business and heck, I'd give myself an alibi if I needed one. Anybody check any of the construction sites his company worked on around that time or since then? With dogs?
There are a select few people who have raised my suspicions, and he is one of them.
Honestly I stepped away from this case for awhile as it was consuming my every thought. When my husband deployed I couldn't afford the energy and time to keep focused on this case. I have binders and binders of info, as well as files and files on my computer...just on Maura. I have never gotten this involved with a missing person case in my life. Because I took that time off, my memory of some specifics may have faded slightly. But I do know for sure that not much looking was done into ANYone and that includes the contractor.
LE gave evidence to family immediately, then took it back again a month later. They didn't even call the last person Maura spoke to until a year later, at which time she couldn't recall the conversation. These are just two very small details which were done incorrectly in the giant pile of cluster.... that they called an investigation.

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Just copying over armywife's post, including the quote to which she was responding. The things that weren't done in this investigation that should have been done boggle the mind.

Do you have any idea if the family ever saw the ATM video, in which Maura supposedly withdraw money before the trip? I am very interested in how she was wearing her hair, because of the statement that the person at the NH accident site had "her" hair down.

just a heads up maura is being featured on Disappeared on TLC right now

mahoneys07 said:

just a heads up maura is being featured on Disappeared on TLC right now

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yes, and it looks like 48 hours Hard Evidence is on her too, right afterwards.

I think it is somewhat uncomfortable to wear a bun in your hair, while driving that far in a car, because of the seat's headrest. However, It would be interesting to know if she had her hair up in the ATM photo.

I'm suspicious of the contractor, as well. Although, he could very well be just a citizen trying to be helpful. I read somewhere that his story had changed, perhaps his memory wasn't clear. I think most people in that area would take notice to someone walking or running down that road in the dark. I think it is an unusual occurrence, so maybe that is why he took notice. However, what crossed my mind was the fact the contractor could have been trying to put Maura 5 miles out and running along the road. In other words, when the police dogs stopped 100 ft. up the road from her car, resulting in the police speculating that she excepted a ride, the contractor may have wanted to change the direction of the investigation with his story. He lives very close to where she was possibly picked up. It makes me wonder, if HE was the one, who offered her a ride.

This is an excerpt from an old Boston Globe article on a psychic reading of the Maura Murray case:

"Baron said yesterday that after speaking with Fred Murray on the phone, she saw visions of Maura Murray and received messages from her in the form of thoughts.

Baron said she believes Murray hitched a ride with "a clean-cut looking man" in a truck following her car accident the night of Feb. 9. The man then sexually assaulted her and buried her body in a sparsely wooded area that may be a construction site, Baron said.

Her assailant, Baron added, has killed at least one other woman whose body is buried close to Murray's. "He happened to be driving by her. It was an opportunity. That's the thrill for him -- he never knows where the thrill will be," Baron said."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/ma...11/missing_students_kin_skeptical_of_psychic/

Pretty strange . . makes one think of the contractor!

The psychic reading does seem plausible but one thing I never understood about that theory is Murray's interaction with Atwood. Why would she reject Atwood's help and then voluntarily jump into someone's car for help? She could have been taken by force I suppose or there could have been something about Atwood that made her uneasy but that aspect just never made sense to me.

Perhaps I'm overthinking it.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg241/LavandaDolce/Maura_Murray_MISSING_02092004_NH.jpg

The only way I can account for her taking one person's help and leaving another's would be her perhaps irrational urge to get away from what was a second accident within a week, especially if she had been drinking, even just drinking a little.

But this case always puzzles me.

It makes perfect sense to me that she reject some old guys help, I mean she's a young woman with a brain in her head, any normal young woman would be uneasy and I agree with you.

I think she jumped into someones car, I think they were young and there was a woman in the vehicle so she felt safe. How else would she vanish so quickly?

I don't beleive any of that suicide crap, or that she ran off into the woods and sucumbed to the elements.

Somebody young came along, someone she thought she could relate to, or a couple, a man and a woman.

I think she's buried in the area, and there are a couple local scumbags that know where.

I also think they follow her case online, forums, websites....wondering if that day will come when they will be caught. No regard for who she was, or how much she meant to her family and friends, and how big of a hole her absence has left in this world.

These innocent people dissapearing is an epidemic and it chokes me so bad.

hmg said:

The psychic reading does seem plausible but one thing I never understood about that theory is Murray's interaction with Atwood. Why would she reject Atwood's help and then voluntarily jump into someone's car for help? She could have been taken by force I suppose or there could have been something about Atwood that made her uneasy but that aspect just never made sense to me.

Perhaps I'm overthinking it.

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She probably did accept a ride from a seemly friendly person or persons closer to her age. They most likely seemed "normal" and/or clean cut. Although, I think it would be a prudent to still look along Rt. 112 and Rt. 116. It doesn't hurt to rule things out. She may have got hit by a car or stumbled off the road in the pitch black darkness. I recall a case in Rhode Island, where a young businessman disappeared. He was from out of state. His luggage was still unpacked in his hotel room and his car was still in the lot. Three years later, a motorist's car broke down the road from the hotel. While waiting for help, the motorist noticed a white sneaker in the bushes along the road next to his disabled car. He took a closer look and realized that the sneaker was attached to a skeleton wearing running clothes. This was the missing business man. Apparently, he went for a run 3 years ago, before leaving to go home from his business trip. He ran on a road which was pedestrian unfriendly and was hit by a car. The authorities theorize that the businessman was probably hit in the early morning hours on the day he disappeared. My point? Sometimes, the cause of a disappearance isn't sinister. Although, I have to admit that a young woman is very vulnerable. There are a lot of creeps out there.

hmg said:

The psychic reading does seem plausible but one thing I never understood about that theory is Murray's interaction with Atwood. Why would she reject Atwood's help and then voluntarily jump into someone's car for help? She could have been taken by force I suppose or there could have been something about Atwood that made her uneasy but that aspect just never made sense to me.

Perhaps I'm overthinking it.

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From the things I have read, it seems Butch Atwood was quite a large guy. Most likely large enough for anyone to not feel safe going with him.
Thats probably why his help was rejected.

Was Mr. Atwood asked to take a lie detector (yes I know they're not always 100%) and if so, did he agree? I've always felt he might have been involved in Maura's disappearance.

One issue is that bus drivers are usually given background checks. He also didn't have much time to do much. The Westman's heard the crash and saw Maura's car. Their timeline of the crash fits his. I believe he told the police, over the phone, that a young woman had crashed on that road. This could explain why the policeman asked Atwood the whereabouts of the young woman, when he arrived at the crash scene. I believe Atwood's wife was home as well. If he did hurt her, why would he call the police? Maybe as a cover, because neighbors may have witnessed his bus stopped at the scene?

I do understand why she didn't accept Atwood's help... I probably wouldn't have either. But I still don't think someone her age would voluntarily get into a car even with a "clean cut" looking young man (Ted Bundy, anyone?) or a car with a woman (another common ruse) unless something like alcohol or fear was severely effecting her judgment or she was being threatened. That piece just really puzzles me.

I also do not buy into the fact that she was suicidal. I do think it's possible that she initially intended to meet up with someone and eventually met with foul play. I study a lot of missing persons cases from the 1970s and it seems like back then a lot of people initially went missing on purpose (ran away, etc) but then ended up in dangerous situations that probably led to their death. I would think that in this day and age they'd be able to figure out if she was carrying on an affair etc. from pulling her cell phone records or checking her emails, but who knows?

This is one case that truly has me baffled and I feel so badly that the Murray family hasn't made more headway in the past 6 years.

I think Maura was still in shock from the crash, when Atwood arrived on the scene. She was probably thinking fast, because she was drinking and had alcohol in her car. For a 21 year old woman, Atwood was a scary figure to see on a dark road. I believe her whole trip, including leaving the scene of the accident, was impulsive. She didn't think much of it through to the point of recklessness. If she was older, she may have slept on it, before setting out on a trip in a rickety car and no reservations.

However, I do think she may have had an issue, such as bulimia or she was finding she was becoming dependent on alcohol. I'm saying this, because it explains her emotional impulsive behavior. I think she was a perfectionist. In fact, she fits the profile of a bulimic. They are most often white, middle-class, female high achievers. Bulimics are very secretive, because they are ashamed and embarrassed of their behavior. Many people may not have been aware of her problem. She may have been very upset with herself when she wreaked her Dad's car, which added to the shame she felt about her other flaws. Although, she could have just been extremely upset with the first crash, because she felt she needed to be perfect for her dad or perfect for herself. Maybe there was a weird family dynamic going on, which her Dad wasn't aware of.
I don't think she was meeting anyone in NH. I think she wanted to be alone to sort things out in a place she loved.

Was struck by the irony that on Mother's Day, May 9th 2010, Maura has been missing 6 years and 3 months.......way too long!

Was struck by the irony that on Mother's Day, May 9th 2010, Maura has been missing 6 years and 3 months.......way too long!

McSpy said:

I think Maura was still in shock from the crash, when Atwood arrived on the scene. She was probably thinking fast, because she was drinking and had alcohol in her car. For a 21 year old woman, Atwood was a scary figure to see on a dark road. I believe her whole trip, including leaving the scene of the accident, was impulsive. She didn't think much of it through to the point of recklessness. If she was older, she may have slept on it, before setting out on a trip in a rickety car and no reservations.

However, I do think she may have had an issue, such as bulimia or she was finding she was becoming dependent on alcohol. I'm saying this, because it explains her emotional impulsive behavior. I think she was a perfectionist. In fact, she fits the profile of a bulimic. They are most often white, middle-class, female high achievers. Bulimics are very secretive, because they are ashamed and embarrassed of their behavior. Many people may not have been aware of her problem. She may have been very upset with herself when she wreaked her Dad's car, which added to the shame she felt about her other flaws. Although, she could have just been extremely upset with the first crash, because she felt she needed to be perfect for her dad or perfect for herself. Maybe there was a weird family dynamic going on, which her Dad wasn't aware of.
I don't think she was meeting anyone in NH. I think she wanted to be alone to sort things out in a place she loved.

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You make some sensible points. Maura was also a distance runner, which can be an indicator of issues around eating, food and weight management. I write this from the perspective of someone who was a distance runner and a (closet) borderline anorexic for years. When I was Maura's age, I was terrified of being less than perfect in my parents' eyes.

I have read a lot about this over the years and have a few things to add.

My brother owns a couple of houses within a 2 minute drive of the accident site. I am very familiar with the spot and the area. The Mountain Lakes community is a summer vacation spot for a lot of people. They lock up their homes for the winter and move elsewhere for the winter. There are some year round residents but not to many.

Within a 5 minute walk of where MM had her accident there is Vern's General Store. It's a log cabin store with gas pumps. Vern's is well lit. Anyone familiar with 112 know of this store. She could have walked west for 5 minutes and been in the store having a cup of hot coffee. Also, walking west she would have ended up at the Mountain Lakes community of mostly empty homes. There is a river that runs next to the road for the entire length of the road. If she wanted to loose tracking dogs she would only have to walk in the shallow river. It doesn't fill up until the snow melts.

I have some questions of my own about the reasons that MM did things.

1. She transferred from a Military College to one of the largest party colleges in MA to pursue her nursing school. If it was to pursue her studies in nursing then why not go to Quincy College near her home or one of the better medical schools in the Boston area? Was she following someone that transferred to UMass?

2. I read that some student was hit and left with brain damage within the time frame that she was having issues. If she thought that she killed this person then it would be a reason for her to vanish and have people think she was dead. In Massachusetts we have Melanie's Law which wasn't on the books at the time of her accidents but was being considered in the state house. It provides for a 5 year minimum mandatory sentence – 20 years imprisonment in state prison and a fine of not more than $25,000 for manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs with a motor vehicle.

3. If she was responsible for the accident that left the person with brain damage did someone see the accident and black mail her?

4. Did she do something at one of the parties at UMass that someone had pictures of and was being black mailed with them?

5. My brother and I were in Bath NH a few days after the accident. He pointed out MM's car. It was in a lot in Bath not at a police impound facility.

6. I've read a lot about the way that Fred Murray has criticized the NH police. He's not going to get much done doing that. Even if you are upset just keep your mouth shut and let them do their jobs until all of the facts in the case are released. Then if you're not happy with the results lash out.

7. As someone stated above I think she did something that was so embarrassing that she couldn't tell her family or friends. She had to go and make a new life for herself. Montreal is 3 hours from where the accident happened. She would have had help doing this. There is no way she could have continued east on 112 in 12 degree weather. She was already shivering and would have succumbed to hypothermia in a short period of time. She would have to travel west to find accommodations or help of any kind. This would point her in the direction of Vermont.

Neil