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

[MysteryMaven]

The problem I have with the "driving in tandem with someone" theory is that I don't see any evidence of it. I have never seen any report that shows another car was seen in the vicinity of Maura's car, i.e., nobody reported an unknown car with lights off, etc. way behind Maura's car. Cell phone records were obtained by Fred Murray and Mrs. Rausch in Feb. They called every number on the records and none of the numbers led to a secret boyfriend. None of Maura's friends came forward and said she was dating someone else. Her dorm line records were checked too, and that didn't lead to anyone else unknown to Maura's family.
This theory is based on an anonymous comment made on a website. A person claiming to be Maura's cousin said that Maura Murray ran away with another guy and is living in Canada. LE traced the IP address to someone in Taunton, Ma, where Maura does indeed have family. When police contacted the cousin, that person refused to talk. I don't see how this can be credible. None of the story was verified as true because no one will fess up to writing the comment. Maybe this cousin is not stable and just made the story up and is too embarrassed to admit to it. Maybe the comment was left by a random person claiming to be someone they are not. I don't know a lot about IP addresses, but I do know they sometimes cover general areas and do not necessarily lead to someone's specific address. Unless this person talks I don't see how it can be taken as a credible theory. Is it tantalizing? Yes. Is there any evidence that has been made public to support it? Not that I can see. I would be all over that theory if there was supporting evidence, but there just isn't. Now someone is going to say that Maura must have had a 'burn phone' to talk to this person, or that a mysterious man was seen smoking a cigarette in her car. Again, where is the evidence?
If someone really knew what happened to her you would think they would be under some legal obligation to tell what they know (and yes, I know it's legal for adults to walk away), or at least a moral obligation to Fred Murray. If that person was really credible I think Fred Murray would be beating their door down for answers. Everyone is free to adhere to any theory they want, but I just want evidence before I can take it seriously.

 

[Coffeelover]

Coming out of lurkdom here to ask for some clarification. I'm not clear on statements that I've read like "there was no evidence of footprints into the woods or onto sideroads" So how far did they look? Was the snow so fresh and immaculate that it would show footprints in all areas? How about a few miles away? The most logical explanation to me is that she was drinking, took off down the road on foot, then tried to hide in the woods until the coast was clear. She likely perished due to injuries, passing out, hypothermia, etc. and they just haven't searched a big enough area.

 

[MysteryMaven]

I don't mean to sound so angry in my post, but sometimes James Renner really irks me. Sometimes he just seems like he's digging for dirt and gossip and none of it has led to her whereabouts.

 

[MysteryMaven]

I don't know what the entrance requirements are for Canada. Would Maura have had to show ID? Passport? If she were to start working in Canada, wouldn't she need to apply for a work visa or something? Are we to believe that she got some fake papers and is living and working under a new identity? Or she is living under her own identity but police just can't go up there and check it out? Supposedly James Renner thinks he found her working at Curves in Toronto under her own name. Hmm...nobody went to Toronto to check that out?

 

[McSpy]

I don't mean to sound so angry in my post, but sometimes James Renner really irks me. Sometimes he just seems like he's digging for dirt and gossip and none of it has led to her whereabouts.

Me too! He comes across as thinking it is preposterous Maura didn't tell someone (particularly a male) that she was planning to take a trip north. Maybe she did, but no evidence supports this scenario. It seems he can't accept the fact she may not have told anyone! Since she is a woman, in his mind, she would have told a man of her plans or she needed this man to accomplish her plans. Geesh!

JMO

 

[OldSteve]

Coming out of lurkdom here to ask for some clarification. I'm not clear on statements that I've read like "there was no evidence of footprints into the woods or onto sideroads" So how far did they look? Was the snow so fresh and immaculate that it would show footprints in all areas? How about a few miles away? The most logical explanation to me is that she was drinking, took off down the road on foot, then tried to hide in the woods until the coast was clear. She likely perished due to injuries, passing out, hypothermia, etc. and they just haven't searched a big enough area.

I believe they searched by air the area looking for any signs in the snow... but can't remember details.

 

[McSpy]

I don't know what the entrance requirements are for Canada. Would Maura have had to show ID? Passport? If she were to start working in Canada, wouldn't she need to apply for a work visa or something? Are we to believe that she got some fake papers and is living and working under a new identity? Or she is living under her own identity but police just can't go up there and check it out? Supposedly James Renner thinks he found her working at Curves in Toronto under her own name. Hmm...nobody went to Toronto to check that out?

She disappeared in 2004, so the border was a lot more secure then, because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It is more likely a person could slip through easier NOW than in 2004, because it was tighter in the earlier years after the terrorist attacks. When I crossed the border in Vermont back then, they scrutinized my passport and asked me a lot of questions. They even ran my passport through a machine.

I can't rule anything out entirely, because we still don't have the answers on her disappearance. Yet, I think it is unlikely she is in Canada. It just doesn't ring true for me. She would be very heartless to leave her family hanging for all these years. Besides, I think she was more upset with herself than with her family.

JMO

 

[OldSteve]

She disappeared in 2004, so the border was a lot more secure then, because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It is more likely a person could slip through easier NOW than in 2004, because it was tighter in the earlier years after the terrorist attacks. When I crossed the border in Vermont back then, they scrutinized my passport and asked me a lot of questions. They even ran my passport through a machine.

I can't rule anything out entirely, because we still don't have the answers on her disappearance. Yet, I think it is unlikely she is in Canada. It just doesn't ring true for me. She would be very heartless to leave her family hanging for all these years. Besides, I think she was more upset with herself than her family.

JMO

Agree totally! Even if she was mad and never wanted to her family at the time she drove off, it would not be long before all the good memories of family would have her missing them, at least that's my experience. Oh, and then the guilt of having been angry and not wanting to ever see them, makes your want them all the more!

 

[MysteryMaven]

I agree-nothing can really be ruled out, but Maura living in Canada seems unlikely to me as well. Were there searches done on her computer in regards to Canadian citizenship? No that I'm aware of. There were however, searches done in regard to ski cabins.
Unless she is wanted for questioning by LE in the Vasi hit and run, or she is facing legal prosecution for credit card fraud, she can contact LE and THEY can let her Dad know she is alive and ok. They don't have to tell him where she is. I don't know that she is wanted by LE for either of these things officially, so she can contact LE without fear of prosecution. That happened in the Tim Carney case. He walked away from his life, was found (not sure if it was LE who found him or what) and LE told his family he was alive
and ok but did not wish to be contacted or his whereabouts be known.
If Maura is wanted for questioning in the hit and run, or if LE wants to press charges for fraud, I would think her "cousin" could be in legal trouble for aiding and abetting someone wanted by LE.

 

[Jerri Blank]

She disappeared in 2004, so the border was a lot more secure then, because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It is more likely a person could slip through easier NOW than in 2004, because it was tighter in the earlier years after the terrorist attacks. When I crossed the border in Vermont back then, they scrutinized my passport and asked me a lot of questions. They even ran my passport through a machine.

i highly doubt that she's in canada, but for a contrasting experience, i went over the border in VT several times in 2002-2004 and sometimes it was a huge hassle where they ran our licenses and asked several questions (nce we were even quizzed about each other's DOB!). other times, they barely even looked at us. i think it depended a lot on the time of day, who was working and what else they had going on...

 

[McSpy]

I believe they searched by air the area looking for any signs in the snow... but can't remember details.

Supposedly they saw moose tracks, but no human tracks were seen walking into the woods from the road. I don't know how far and wide they searched, but I think it was possible she went up a private driveway then into the woods from there. This is just a possibility--not a fact.

 

[Coffeelover]

Hmm..looking by air could they really see footprints from the side of a road then perhaps only a short distance into the trees? Would the snow really be so uniform and pristine that they could see from a helicopter that there were no tracks, even several miles perhaps, down the road? I could see if they were looking for a person from the helicopter but not footprints. Just thinking out loud here.

but I think it was possible she went up a private driveway then into the woods from there

That's what I was thinking because I was under the impression that the showbanks on the sides of the road were fairly tall.

 

[hmg]

i highly doubt that she's in canada, but for a contrasting experience, i went over the border in VT several times in 2002-2004 and sometimes it was a huge hassle where they ran our licenses and asked several questions (nce we were even quizzed about each other's DOB!). other times, they barely even looked at us. i think it depended a lot on the time of day, who was working and what else they had going on...

Your experience is similar to mine. Passports weren't required until 2009 and prior to that sometimes the border crossing was a hassle, sometimes not.

I don't think she's in Canada, but it's not unfathomable that she could have crossed without a fuss.

 

[Coffeelover]

As long as you had a driver's license you could go over the border back then. Also, they didn't used to enter your information into a computer to keep track of people coming or going over the border but I've noticed for the last few years they've been doing that on both sides.

Once she's in Canada though, she's need a social insurance number and proof of residency (immigration/work status). I guess things could be obtained illegally but I seriously doubt it.

I'm going to Toronto the day after Christmas, I wonder which Curves it is.

 

[MysteryMaven]

You could always email James Renner and ask which one it was that he called! I just googled it and there are 3 in Toronto.
Apparently there has been no follow up to that story.

 

[Coffeelover]

Anyone have a Linkedin account? If you google Curves Toronto Maura Murray her profile comes up as a manager at Curves but you need an account to look at any more info.

Nevermind - there is a lot of stuff on the net already about this that I haven't read.

 

[McSpy]

Anyone have a Linkedin account? If you google Curves Toronto Maura Murray her profile comes up as a manager at Curves but you need an account to look at any more info.

Nevermind - there is a lot of stuff on the net already about this that I haven't read.

What does it say about her on linked-in? Bear in mind, it could be someone with the same name.

 

[MysteryMaven]

I have a Linkedin profile. When I looked at the Maura Murray Curves Mgr. profile there were no details or picture. I checked JR's site for the explanation to this story, and all he said was that there was some connection to a relative in Nova Scotia (maybe via Linkedin, not sure). When JR contacted that relative they said that if they thought that was Maura they would have traveled to Toronto to check it out. Don't know if LE checked it out or not. I highly doubt if it was really MM that she would create a Linkedin page for herself. I don't know why JR would even bother putting that story out there unless it actually led somewhere. Seems like more sensationalism to me!

 

[McSpy]

I have a Linkedin profile. When I looked at the Maura Murray Curves Mgr. profile there were no details or picture. I checked JR's site for the explanation to this story, and all he said was that there was some connection to a relative in Nova Scotia (maybe via Linkedin, not sure). When JR contacted that relative they said that if they thought that was Maura they would have traveled to Toronto to check it out. Don't know if LE checked it out or not. I highly doubt if it was really MM that she would create a Linkedin page for herself. I don't know why JR would even bother putting that story out there unless it actually led somewhere. Seems like more sensationalism to me!

Looks like there are 2 Maura Murrays in Toronto listed on LinkedIn. If James thinks the Curves Manager is the missing Maura, he should check it out. I wonder if this Maura has a facebook page? Perhaps there is a picture? hmmmmm

I doubt she is the missing Maura, but ya never know . . .

 

[McSpy]

There are about 25 Maura Murrays on Facebook.