I read extensively about MM on the Internet before I discovered Websleuths, but had not read about her case here until now. I had wondered if the matter of credit card fraud had come up and see that it has. Elsewhere, years ago I read some comments purportedly from people who lived her in her dorm at UMass. They admitted they didn't know MM personally but knew people who did. That is where I heard about the credit card fraud angle. While that is just hearsay, I wonder if Mr. Renner got his leads by talking to classmates of MM and residents in her dorm.
While that angle is incriminating for MM, it would only indicate that she had a problem if she continued to do something she had already gotten into trouble for doing, and could be related to her dependence on alcohol. It would also explain:
1.) Why she had recently been upset and cried after receiving a phone call. I don't believe she was involved in the hit and run. As a college student, I worked at the front desk of a dorm during the night shift and know that students come and go into the wee hours of the morning. If a front desk attendant needed to leave the post for any length of time, we were required to find a replacement. Leaving the post unattended is a serious breach of security. If MM had left her post long enough to be involved in a hit and run, someone in the dorm would be able to verify that she vacated her post.
2.) She suddenly packed up and left without telling anyone her destination. One theory is that she was heading to Canada to evade fraud charges. I do find it unlikely she would not call her family to let them know she was safe. Sadly, she was vulnerable enough traveling alone and without anyone's knowledge. She became even more vulnerable after crashing her car.
While I want to believe that Maura is still alive and the idea that she was fleeing to start a new life presents that possibility, I don't think it's probable unless someone was meeting MM to give her a ride. But, she wasn't in cell phone range to call someone for help. I do think she got a ride but, chances are, not with someone she knew or could trust. Had she committed suicide or succumbed to the elements, I don't think she would have wandered too far from the accident scene and her remains would have been discovered by now.
Whatever the case, it's so sad that she hasn't been heard from. Her dad has worked tirelessly to find answers, and the saddest part is that her mother died not knowing what became of her daughter. Whether or not we agree with Mr. Renner's methods, he may the only hope of finding answers for her remaining family.
