NH NH - Maura Murray, 21, Haverhill, 9 Feb 2004 - # 7

pittsburghgirl said:

If she took a ride from someone--then why not accept help from the SBD? If she had been drinking, even a bit, she might have feared being caught and given a breathalyzer, probably thinking that would be the last straw after the previous wreck. So her decision to bolt might have been the equivalent of teenagers running away from a minor wreck to avoid a DUI. The issue then become how to get away in the dark before the police show up. Hiding in the woods wouldn't make sense because it is very hard to sit still when it is cold and she likely wasn't dressed for prolonged exposure if she was driving. Maybe the fear of being caught overcame her fear of getting in the car with a stranger. And if the person picking her up was young, and she asked him or her not to tell--well, maybe Maura is still alive. That is the kind of decision making that might result from fatigue, drinking, and much stress. And once she was gone, she was out from under whatever else had been bothering her and she could just start a new life somewhere else.

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From all I've read, I can't believe Maura would be the type to leave her family behind for all these years.
I’m a complete stranger, and I feel for Fred! No way could she treat him like that IMO.

Even the worst of fugitives it seems cannot go for very long without family contact, and that’s often their downfall.

There are so many mysteries about just what happened at the time of the crash. She left her expensive jewelry in the trunk of the car, so she must have planned on coming back.

Why she made no attempt to clean up the spilt wine or get rid of alcohol evidence?

The SBD was an imposing figure… possible she walked toward his house, but seeing him sitting inside his empty bus (which he backed into his driveway …. And this was first time he ever parked like that) it might have scared her… would have scared me!

Thinking what I would do, I would have tried to go back to something I had passed along the way to either get help or at least shelter for the night. Being a runner that’s the way I would have jogged, I would not have gone deeper into the dark forest…

Good points. I would only have gone running into the forest if I was running from someone or trying to hide. Were any other tracks found besides Maura's? If there was snow on the ground those should have been visible. The only other reason I would have gone running into the woods would have been if I just didn't care whether or not I survived. Someone on this board mentioned that finding someone in those forests would be akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

Seven years ago ....

We can only wonder what was going thru her mind.... along with so many "what if's"
If only someone had gotten there to catch to her...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJGNR3sWD7k

All the best wishes for Mr. Murray and all the family and friends involved through this and every day until she is found.

Not even 1 news article for this date? NOT ONE? I'm in disbelief? Such a major thing to have with the the passing of this date on some newspapers and online articles and here we have nothing.
These days especially, people are checking the weather reports in the paper and online, someone, that one special someone who knows something could potentially see a face and remember something.
Can anyone find anything?

How easily people forget ... but the Websleuths never do.

Thinking of Maura & her family today on the 6th anniversary of her disappearance. As I was coming home from work today, I kept thinking about how cold, dark & isolated it must have been on that road. I only hope her family someday has the answers they've been waiting for.

pittsburghgirl said:

If she took a ride from someone--then why not accept help from the SBD? If she had been drinking, even a bit, she might have feared being caught and given a breathalyzer, probably thinking that would be the last straw after the previous wreck. So her decision to bolt might have been the equivalent of teenagers running away from a minor wreck to avoid a DUI. The issue then become how to get away in the dark before the police show up. Hiding in the woods wouldn't make sense because it is very hard to sit still when it is cold and she likely wasn't dressed for prolonged exposure if she was driving. Maybe the fear of being caught overcame her fear of getting in the car with a stranger. And if the person picking her up was young, and she asked him or her not to tell--well, maybe Maura is still alive. That is the kind of decision making that might result from fatigue, drinking, and much stress. And once she was gone, she was out from under whatever else had been bothering her and she could just start a new life somewhere else.

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I may be wrong, but I doubt she started a new life. I don't know her, but I can't see her not contacting someone her family. Maybe she had pressures to achieve, but I think she was from a loving family.

ThePhantom said:

Good points. I would only have gone running into the forest if I was running from someone or trying to hide. Were any other tracks found besides Maura's? If there was snow on the ground those should have been visible. The only other reason I would have gone running into the woods would have been if I just didn't care whether or not I survived. Someone on this board mentioned that finding someone in those forests would be akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

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She grew up spending many summers in the White Mountains, so maybe she thought she could make it to the next town. She also climbed many of the peaks. I wonder if she got disoriented. The pitch blackness could have played tricks on her mind. It would have been smart for her to go west, but maybe she underestimated the distance to the next town to the east.

I hope and pray Maura will be found this year. Her family needs to know. I can't imagine the pain they have endured during this trying time.

joanna said:

Thinking of Maura & her family today on the 6th anniversary of her disappearance. As I was coming home from work today, I kept thinking about how cold, dark & isolated it must have been on that road. I only hope her family someday has the answers they've been waiting for.

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Actually it's the 7th anniversary of her 2004, Feb 9th disappearnce... but more importantly, I agree with you and everyone in hoping she is found.

I for one am totally disgusted with the handling of this case and the fact another year has passed with no answers. Not so long ago I inquired about what has been happening with this case and was rebuffed. I stated another year will pass and we will know nothing more about the whereabouts of Maura. All we would be looking at are headlines of NO new news. Well, this hit a nerve and I was sent a reply that I know nothing of what I speak. I do know this much, another year has passed and still not even the slightest bit of information or mention of Maura has come out. Perhaps the 75% chance mentioned in the reason for not releasing documents prior to this date is no longer valid. I think the investigators, State and Private need to rethink their strategy and get this case solved.

Yes, I agree.

Maura's case is so haunting and disturbing, even for those of us at a distance. And while my last post speculated on why, perhaps, she might have disappeared, I do agree that it is unlikely that she would have abandoned her family to such horror and misery once she knew they were looking for her.

Thinking of Maura and hoping for resolution.

I have just recently seen the disappeared show and to me at least she had to of gotten in a car as she walked up the road . She may have gotten hit by a passing car maybe then she was taken which in my mind has to be the case why else would her scent just go away . That road as showen by her father was so dark maybe she got in someones vehicle and had a concussion from the accident and passed out and the driver panicked . There's no way she surcom to the elements she couldn't have got that far away and someone would have found something if that were the case . I would like to know y they only think it was her calling and making sounds on her bf cell could they not know for sure from her cell records or a ping to me that gives more scenario to someone taking her and as horrible as it sounds thinking they had been the last one to see her harried her or she was gaged and tied up regardless they should know if it was her that called. I think the police are holding alot of info back in this case the parents said they were fighting to get the details released to them and in the disappeared show it just seemed to me like the police officer wasn't to keen on even talking about what happens and the bf clips were from taped news not interviews with the tv show why wouldn't he be on the show with the parents . These are just some random thoughts of my own after seeing the show .

I find her activity prior to her going missing suspicious. She had to leave work early because she was upset about something and soon after packed up her dorm room. It appears she was heading somewhere, but nobody knows where. She had also emailed her professors telling them she had a death in the family which was not true. Does anybody have an explanation of these events prior to her dissapearance?

Oh come on.. so she was upset i think that exsplains it right there thats why she wanted to get away and we do know where she was going she had tried to make reservations at the place her and her father stayed before to get away and ya she was told it wasnt availuable thats still where she ended up close to it so she prolly figured she could just get somewhere else to stay.and why was she was upset who knows but it made her wanna get away for a weekend can u honestlly say thats all that weird ya she lied to the teachers what was she gonna say hey teach im gonna ditch and get liquired up so please dont grade me to bad...no she gave him a lie so she wouldnt loose her grades . and away she went listening to her music upset and drinking wine .. all rational to me exspeciallly with the female sex .. and it all woulda been ok if something unforseen didnt happen to her . i really dont think twice about what she did before she was upset and wanted to get away for a few days but she still made sure that the teacher or professors new something even if it was a lie the kinda lie u need to tell if u dont want your grades to drop ..why would she care about her grades if she wasnt planning on coming back. every thing she did was not rational but it was to a girl that was upset about something and needed to go away to stay at her favourite condo which she called and tried to get which again i say rational..she got in the accident . was afraid of the bus figure guy because he told her he was calling the police he had to it was his job remember and she panicked she had been drinking she was more aggressive now with the next car that came buy in the snow and maybe got clipped and they didnt wanna leave her and maybe she died on the way to the hospitol or maybe he or she had no intentions of taking her to a hospitol maybe whoever stoped seen a scared cold drunk and maybe concussed confused girl and took her right there and them and maybe he was passing through maybe he lived another 2 hundred miles away that exsplains everything .. even the muffled phone call she made to her bf as she was bound and gaged or even woarse in a box under the ground.. sorry but case solved.

Then why would she pack up her dorm room as if she was moving out ? Also, Cadaver dogs went "bonkers" in the closet of a particular house, so it appears to me she was there at some point. I wonder if investigators found any DNA or hair samples in that closet. Does anybody know ?

Essex143 said:

Then why would she pack up her dorm room as if she was moving out ? Also, Cadaver dogs went "bonkers" in the closet of a particular house, so it appears to me she was there at some point. I wonder if investigators found any DNA or hair samples in that closet. Does anybody know ?

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I have NEVER ONCE HEARD THAT CADAVER DOGS WENT BONKERS IN THE CLOSET OF A HOUSE...
If this is true can someone fill me in?

Essex143 said:

I find her activity prior to her going missing suspicious. She had to leave work early because she was upset about something and soon after packed up her dorm room. It appears she was heading somewhere, but nobody knows where. She had also emailed her professors telling them she had a death in the family which was not true. Does anybody have an explanation of these events prior to her dissapearance?

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I think she was very upset she wrecked her father's brand new car the night before. I'm sure he was upset and she was upset with herself as well. I don't think she got much sleep that night too. I believe her trip north was for a few days or a week at the most. I think she was impulsive and emotional and wanted to spend a few days by herself.

She didn't pack her dorm room. She just got back from winter break and didn't unpack from her visit at home. I think she told her professors that someone died in her family as an excuse to be absent from classes for a week. She couldn't think of a better excuse, so she used that one.

Just my opinion.

White Rain said:

I have NEVER ONCE HEARD THAT CADAVER DOGS WENT BONKERS IN THE CLOSET OF A HOUSE...
If this is true can someone fill me in?

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It turned out that the closet was once used as a hamper for dirty clothes, so the blood was menstrual blood from someone who had lived there. Supposedly, the house was either abandoned or no one was living there at the time. I don't know why they focused on that particular house, but as far as I know, they found nothing there.