NH NH - Maura Murray, 21, Haverhill, 9 Feb 2004 #15

While it's well within the right of the owner to tear it down, that doesn't mean it wasn't deemed cruel. The Murray family fought tirelessly to have the ribbon around the tree protected. It helps serve as temporary memorial for Maura since they do not know of her fate. This is not to say that trespassers or people littering is acceptable, it's not, but the tree was all the family had to commemorate Maura's life. Until she's found, what else do they have now that the tree is gone. It won't stop people from searching, nor will it stop the will of the people to help the Murray family find peace and closure.
Fair enough. Let me ask you this...
Instead of cutting the tree down, what would you have done to prevent trespassers and littering from happening?
 
While it's well within the right of the owner to tear it down, that doesn't mean it wasn't deemed cruel. The Murray family fought tirelessly to have the ribbon around the tree protected. It helps serve as temporary memorial for Maura since they do not know of her fate. This is not to say that trespassers or people littering is acceptable, it's not, but the tree was all the family had to commemorate Maura's life. Until she's found, what else do they have now that the tree is gone. It won't stop people from searching, nor will it stop the will of the people to help the Murray family find peace and closure.

If say the owner took the tree down almost immediately after she vanished I might agree with you. But it is going on twenty years since it happened. At some point everyone is going to say enough is enough. And it is perfectly fine for Julie Murray to think it was cruel for the owner to do that but it was something she never should have said publicly. It's actually pretty disrespectful towards the owner for her to say that publicly considering it seems the owner has been pretty accommodating towards them for almost twenty years now.
 
Fair enough. Let me ask you this...
Instead of cutting the tree down, what would you have done to prevent trespassers and littering from happening?
Littering is going to happen regardless of what measures you take to prevent it. It's not uncommon for lazy people to throw trash out the window while driving by as they're too incompetent to seek out waste baskets. For trespassers, that's dependent upon the careful eyes of residents to ensure that anyone wandering around on private property is given warning or can be subject to arrest. Even with the 'No Trespassing' sign, people disregard it thinking no one will do anything about it. A tighter police presence along with observant residents is only way to deter people - though not everyone listen so throw in a arrest and a hefty fine for an added incentive.
 
If say the owner took the tree down almost immediately after she vanished I might agree with you. But it is going on twenty years since it happened. At some point everyone is going to say enough is enough. And it is perfectly fine for Julie Murray to think it was cruel for the owner to do that but it was something she never should have said publicly. It's actually pretty disrespectful towards the owner for her to say that publicly considering it seems the owner has been pretty accommodating towards them for almost twenty years now.
It's a common emotional reaction, especially when fighting for a cause when it involves family. What's disheartening is how long the memorial had been up and suddenly it's torn down in the blink of an eye. If the owner was fine with it for over seventeen years, why tear it down now? Even with the State Of New Hampshire cracking down on roadside memorials and attractions to prevent distracted driving, it still should have been taken into careful consideration before abruptly removing it without notice. While it wasn't necessarily in the most convenient of locations, that was all they had for their missing loved one. I can't blame Julie for being upset.
 
Littering is going to happen regardless of what measures you take to prevent it. It's not uncommon for lazy people to throw trash out the window while driving by as they're too incompetent to seek out waste baskets. For trespassers, that's dependent upon the careful eyes of residents to ensure that anyone wandering around on private property is given warning or can be subject to arrest. Even with the 'No Trespassing' sign, people disregard it thinking no one will do anything about it. A tighter police presence along with observant residents is only way to deter people - though not everyone listen so throw in a arrest and a hefty fine for an added incentive.

As being part of a family that owns a lot of land people are responsible for their own property and it is not the responsibility of people that live nearby to keep your location clean. And the police have far more important things to do than watching out for people who are littering around the area. Police don't take care of trespassing situations all on their own as again they have more important things to do then drive around the country roads looking for trespassers who more times than not are only out looking around.

Sure you can always try to say that given the circumstances it should be different than that but again I'll just repeat it has been almost twenty years now. The Murray's and everyone else who has involved themselves with the case should be thankful that the area has put up with all this for this long already.
 
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If say the owner took the tree down almost immediately after she vanished I might agree with you. But it is going on twenty years since it happened. At some point everyone is going to say enough is enough. And it is perfectly fine for Julie Murray to think it was cruel for the owner to do that but it was something she never should have said publicly. It's actually pretty disrespectful towards the owner for her to say that publicly considering it seems the owner has been pretty accommodating towards them for almost twenty years now.

And, please understand that trees have a life span. IDK what type of tree this is/was, but it may have been past time to remove this specimen & make room for other trees! 20 years is a long time for trees, too.

jmho ymmv lrr
 
MAR 9, 2021
Missing UMass student Maura Murray family denied historic marker for disappearance site (boston25news.com)
The State of New Hampshire has denied the family of missing UMass Amherst student Maura Murray to place a historic marker at the site of Maura’s 2004 disappearance.

In a denial letter dated March 5, the director of the N.H. Division of Historical Resources wrote that the Murray Marker proposal failed because the case is less than 50 years old, the NH Department of Transportation found the location was unsuitable for a marker, and there was a lack of local community support.

[...]

The Murray family is appealing the decision to Gov. Christopher Sununu’s office.
 
As being part of a family that owns a lot of land people are responsible for their own property and it is not the responsibility of people that live nearby to keep your location clean. And the police have far more important things to do than watching out for people who are littering around the area. Police don't take care of trespassing situations all on their own as again they have more important things to do then drive around the country roads looking for trespassers who more times than not are only out looking around.

Sure you can always try to say that given the circumstances it should be different than that but again I'll just repeat it has been almost twenty years now. The Murray's and everyone else who has involved themselves with the case should be thankful that the area has put up with all this for this long already.
I never said that it was incumbent upon the residences to keep the area clean of litter. It's a futile endeavor since transient drivers will inexplicably litter on the side of the road. What I actually said was that it's dependent upon residence to keep a close eye on the surrounding areas for anyone trespassing on their property. When they catch someone, they can issue a verbal warning or call local police to handle it. That's why they established Neighborhood Watch communities. Everyone does their part. If you see something suspicious, you report it.

Regardless of the circumstances, if police are notified of a disturbance, they are obligated to respond. However, depending on a variety of factors such as severity of the incident, it may take time for them to respond. You said: trespassers are more times than not only out looking around. So neighbors shouldn't be concerned about trespassers since they're more often than not looking around? Yet, they're breaking the law by going on to private property but that's no cause for concern since they're just looking around? I don't follow.

The Murray family is thankful for the support and help they've received in the efforts to finding Maura. They've mentioned this on numerous occasions but again, that was the only place they had as a memorial for Maura. It serves as a reminder not to give up - that regardless of the circumstances, they won't stop until she's found. Allow them to opportunity to have their time of mourning and semblance of hope that she will be found. Is it that much to ask?
 
State turns down historical marker request for missing woman

March 10
The state of New Hampshire has denied an application to put a historical marker alongside a Haverhill highway where a 21-year-old nursing student was last seen following a 2004 car crash.

The Caledonian-Record reports the decision regarding the marker for Maura Murray came on Friday, a week after a “blue ribbon” tree at the spot used as a memorial to her had been cut down by the property owner.


Maura’s sister, Julie Murray, asked the director of the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources to reconsider.

She challenged reasons such as the subject matter has to be 50 years old, and a lack of support from the Transportation Department and community.
 
Saw this woman on www.post-journal.com - An online newspaper for South-west New York state. I couldn't help but notice that she bears such a strong resemblance to dear Maura. Of course, it isn't her, but it is so easy to see women that you think are Maura and are not. There have been sightings of Maura in Canada and elsewhere in NH, but IMO I don't believe Maura is alive.
 

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Saw this woman on www.post-journal.com - An online newspaper for South-west New York state. I couldn't help but notice that she bears such a strong resemblance to dear Maura. Of course, it isn't her, but it is so easy to see women that you think are Maura and are not. There have been sightings of Maura in Canada and elsewhere in NH, but IMO I don't believe Maura is alive.
Wow!! Normally I disagree when people think someone looks like Maura, but she really does. That’s amazing.
And yeah, Maura looks so different in so many photos in my opinion. I can think of at least three completely different-looking girls at my small school who she looked like, which is weird.
 
I recently watched the Disappearance of Maura Murray on Peacock. I never heard about her case before, at least not that I can remember, but being in Texas; it's not uncommon. Also I was only 14 years old when Maura went missing. Something about her case instantly intrigued me. Maybe because her case had gone cold or maybe because she was a young woman who went missing with little to no clues as to where she went or what happened to her. I'd like to think Maura could be any one of us at that age, a young adult in college with dreams of growing up and being a Nurse. I have found myself stranded on the side of the road many a time and I often wonder what would I do if I had no cell phone or no cell service. I think what I would have done if my car was not drivable. Would I have gotten in a car with a stranger? Would I have accepted a ride from any passerby? Or would I have waited with no absolution, sense of time or even the slightest idea of how or when I would be rescued? Who would have known where I was or where I was going? Who would have been expecting me around a specific time? Who would have called when I didn't show up?

After watching all the episodes within the series, I followed through each theory and initially I did believe that she could possibly be running from the "men in her life" and although she grew up in a seemingly strict household, I found that there was no real bearing into the theory that she had been molested and was running away from her father. I do believe he was strict and was probably very upset when she had wrecked his car on campus at U of Mass, just as my father would but it certainly wouldn't make me want to run away without notice and kill myself or run to Canada as many had thought. I then focused my attention to the bus driver, thinking maybe there was a part of his story that he left out or didn't tell LE. However, I came to believe he truly stopped and reached out to Maura out of the goodness of his heart. He went home and told his wife to call 911. I began to look at the people living in the three houses surrounding the accident scene. They were watching from their windows but why did no one go outside and check on her? Why did they watch her through the windows? Were they used to seeing people stop there or be stopped there? Were accidents a common occurrence? The thought of Maura wandering off into the woods was not a theory that I could stand behind because with snow on the ground, her footprints would have been embedded. Maybe they would not have led to her exact location, but her wandering off would have left some sort of trail/trace for someone to follow for a short time.

I followed through the other theories and IMO, as much as I hate to admit, Maura met an untimely fate. She was likely picked up and murdered a short time later. It is likely that unless someone comes forward that her case will never be solved and Maura will never be found. I feel that even if it is not the person who did it, there is a person close to them that knows they were involved and if that person would come forward and speak up; her family could finally have closure.
 
I recently watched the Disappearance of Maura Murray on Peacock. I never heard about her case before, at least not that I can remember, but being in Texas; it's not uncommon. Also I was only 14 years old when Maura went missing. Something about her case instantly intrigued me. Maybe because her case had gone cold or maybe because she was a young woman who went missing with little to no clues as to where she went or what happened to her. I'd like to think Maura could be any one of us at that age, a young adult in college with dreams of growing up and being a Nurse. I have found myself stranded on the side of the road many a time and I often wonder what would I do if I had no cell phone or no cell service. I think what I would have done if my car was not drivable. Would I have gotten in a car with a stranger? Would I have accepted a ride from any passerby? Or would I have waited with no absolution, sense of time or even the slightest idea of how or when I would be rescued? Who would have known where I was or where I was going? Who would have been expecting me around a specific time? Who would have called when I didn't show up?

After watching all the episodes within the series, I followed through each theory and initially I did believe that she could possibly be running from the "men in her life" and although she grew up in a seemingly strict household, I found that there was no real bearing into the theory that she had been molested and was running away from her father. I do believe he was strict and was probably very upset when she had wrecked his car on campus at U of Mass, just as my father would but it certainly wouldn't make me want to run away without notice and kill myself or run to Canada as many had thought. I then focused my attention to the bus driver, thinking maybe there was a part of his story that he left out or didn't tell LE. However, I came to believe he truly stopped and reached out to Maura out of the goodness of his heart. He went home and told his wife to call 911. I began to look at the people living in the three houses surrounding the accident scene. They were watching from their windows but why did no one go outside and check on her? Why did they watch her through the windows? Were they used to seeing people stop there or be stopped there? Were accidents a common occurrence? The thought of Maura wandering off into the woods was not a theory that I could stand behind because with snow on the ground, her footprints would have been embedded. Maybe they would not have led to her exact location, but her wandering off would have left some sort of trail/trace for someone to follow for a short time.

I followed through the other theories and IMO, as much as I hate to admit, Maura met an untimely fate. She was likely picked up and murdered a short time later. It is likely that unless someone comes forward that her case will never be solved and Maura will never be found. I feel that even if it is not the person who did it, there is a person close to them that knows they were involved and if that person would come forward and speak up; her family could finally have closure.

I never thought about it before, why no one went to check on Maura, but I very much doubt I would have walked over to the car by myself in the dark to check on the vehicle's occupant. I'm a woman and of very small build so I wouldn't approach an unfamiliar car in the dark without knowing who was inside it because I could easily be physically overpowered if the occupant turned out to be dangerous. Also I wouldn't know what caused the person to have the accident (drugs, drunk driving, etc.) and that would add an extra element of caution to my behavior. People living nearby who saw Maura's car would not have known who was in it or exactly what the situation was so I understand them being reluctant to walk out there (especially since I think some of the neighbors were elderly?) but I'd have called 911 if I thought someone might be injured.

At least one homeowner stated they thought the driver was sitting in the car smoking a cigarette (the light from Maura's phone charger maybe?) and if I saw somebody run into the ditch or plow into a snowbank but it looked like they were sitting in the car smoking a cigarette afterwards then I'd assume they weren't injured.

I live in a semi-rural area on a narrow hilly road and cars frequently get stuck in winter going uphill in the snow or sliding off into the ditch and I've never gone outside to check on them if it's dark outside and I can't size up the situation. I've watched through my windows to make sure it looks like they're ok (if they're busy maneuvering the car back and forth to get unstuck, if the occupants get out and start pushing the car, etc.) and if everybody seems ok I don't take any action. If I thought somebody was hurt I'd call 911 and if I recognized the car as belonging to a neighbor I'd feel safe going out to check on them but if I were one of the people who observed Maura's car I don't think I'd have approached it in the dark not knowing who was inside it or what might be going on---not because I don't care but because it might not be safe. I'd call 911 from my home phone instead if I thought someone needed help.
 
I never thought about it before, why no one went to check on Maura, but I very much doubt I would have walked over to the car by myself in the dark to check on the vehicle's occupant. I'm a woman and of very small build so I wouldn't approach an unfamiliar car in the dark without knowing who was inside it because I could easily be physically overpowered if the occupant turned out to be dangerous. Also I wouldn't know what caused the person to have the accident (drugs, drunk driving, etc.) and that would add an extra element of caution to my behavior. People living nearby who saw Maura's car would not have known who was in it or exactly what the situation was so I understand them being reluctant to walk out there (especially since I think some of the neighbors were elderly?) but I'd have called 911 if I thought someone might be injured.

At least one homeowner stated they thought the driver was sitting in the car smoking a cigarette (the light from Maura's phone charger maybe?) and if I saw somebody run into the ditch or plow into a snowbank but it looked like they were sitting in the car smoking a cigarette afterwards then I'd assume they weren't injured.

I live in a semi-rural area on a narrow hilly road and cars frequently get stuck in winter going uphill in the snow or sliding off into the ditch and I've never gone outside to check on them if it's dark outside and I can't size up the situation. I've watched through my windows to make sure it looks like they're ok (if they're busy maneuvering the car back and forth to get unstuck, if the occupants get out and start pushing the car, etc.) and if everybody seems ok I don't take any action. If I thought somebody was hurt I'd call 911 and if I recognized the car as belonging to a neighbor I'd feel safe going out to check on them but if I were one of the people who observed Maura's car I don't think I'd have approached it in the dark not knowing who was inside it or what might be going on---not because I don't care but because it might not be safe. I'd call 911 from my home phone instead if I thought someone needed help.
I agree. I have seen people criticize this in the past but I can certainly say I would not approach a vehicle like this myself. I would call 911 and leave it at that. People think I’m paranoid but I’m very vigilant.
 
I watched the entire 6 pt series..

I don"t want to spoil it for you guys , but if you can stream on your tv on Peacock as Kayy has
written above.. It is a VERY well done piece in terms of relating all the details of the case..things I never heard of..after all these years.

I believe new evidence will show Maura was murdered and maybe another case of a missing young woman will also be solved based on new evidence.

Maura was murdered and I believe an arrest or announcement will be forthcoming...as her case is getting fresh eyes. I also believe the dogs, who tracked Maura a little ways up the road and indicated that she got into a vehicle.

why did she go up there? we may never know... but I think it was to party... she was having drama and was unhappy...she was definitely going somewhere.

without spoiling it for you , one thing came up that made so much sense..

perhaps she was not packing up her books to leave school, perhaps she never unpacked those books to begin with and they had been sitting in boxes the whole time.

mOO
 
I don't get peacock so won't be watching it but hopefully it is better than that oxygen program. The oxygen program was basically just internet sleuths getting some attention on camera and talking about what they think happened.
 
hmmm no this was a journalist and an acclaimed private investigator..very watchable. nobody out for attention... the pod cast guys and Renner are also in it. it's very well done and includes the family members and a big cast of characters...including the NH PD.
 
hmmm no this was a journalist and an acclaimed private investigator..very watchable. nobody out for attention... the pod cast guys and Renner are also in it. it's very well done and includes the family members and a big cast of characters...including the NH PD.

The journalist wasn't Maggie Freeleng was it? Honestly if the Missing Maura Murray guys are in it I think it might be just like the Oxygen program.
 

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