Found Deceased MA - Meghan Marohn, 43, from NY, car found near Longcope Park, Lee, 28 Mar 2022 *Reward*

Oh, so.....I didn't know that detail. I had presumed it was general stress of the job.

I wonder if that colleague was male and she rebuffed his advances, he didn't like it, and harassed her or made her life uncomfortable outside of school....?

MOO.
I keep going back to this article from a week before her stay at The Red Lion Inn began. Could she have been so upset by these horrible events at the school that she approached superiors about putting a stop to it and therefore was told she needed to "take a leave" to cool off as she was perhaps pushing the issue and they wanted to just sweep it under the carpet?

Swastikas allegedly drawn on wall at Shaker High School

Excerpt from article: "COLONIE — North Colonie officials are investigating swastika drawings allegedly discovered on a wall at Shaker High School.

A photo of the drawings of the Nazi-associated symbol was posted on Tuesday to an Instagram account that has been used by students to bring attention to incidents of racism, Islamophobia, homophobia and sexual harassment at the high school."
 
Thanks for posting. I think about MM most every day. I did not realize she lived with her father or that the problem at school related to a colleague. I hope that's been checked out by LE to rule it out as a factor.
"Something upset her at school having to do with another colleague,” Ruth told Dateline.
"She was idealistic" and the curriculum was structured which apparently didn't suit her ,maybe this coupled with the colleague "problem" (maybe political differences)was the cause of stress but the thing that really grabbed my attention was the 3 cellphone pings from the private property across the park. Her car remained unlocked(unusual for her),maybe indicating she was near it or left it unexpectedly when a incident occurred(maybe a car pulled up under false pretenses or she saw something on the private property that drew her away from her car).I was originally thinking she might have taken her own life but now not so sure...maybe was at the wrong place at the wrong time...
 
A very interesting comment on Find Meghan Marohn. It was reported that she asked someone at the Inn for directions to Church St. The woman didn’t know where Church St in Stockbridge is so she sent her to Church St in Lee.
There are businesses there (in Stockbridge) and, I believe, a B and B. The Church of Divine Mercy , nationally known is nearby.
She may not have intended to go to the park at all.MOO.MOO
I hope this is not against TOS.
 
After hearing bits about this case from one of my fellow WS'ers, while posting on another case, I have finally taken the time to read up on this thread, and after reading everything that I could find, I still am not sure what I believe.

I tend to think that suicide is very possible, giving her apparent emotional state at the time of her disappearance, but a few things lead me to believe it was not, and chiefly among them being that if she committed suicide, why hasn't she been found by now? Unless she chose to end her life in the "Housie" river, I think she would have been found in one of the many searches. Suicide is painful enough for family members to cope with, but I think as close as she was to her brother, she would not have chosen to make that choice even more painful by doing it in such a remote area, that she may never be found, and leave loved ones forever wondering. She could have chosen to do it at the Inn or in her car, if suicide was her intent.

Given that, I fear that MM may have been the victim of a crime, though I don't believe that it was random. I feel like there is something tied to whatever happened at her school that led to her either asking, or being forced to take a LOA, and/or a breakup or trouble in a significant personal relationship that have somehow played a part in her disappearance, and likely demise. I know that LE have publicly said there is no evidence of foul play, but I wonder if that is truly their belief. JMO
 
After hearing bits about this case from one of my fellow WS'ers, while posting on another case, I have finally taken the time to read up on this thread, and after reading everything that I could find, I still am not sure what I believe.

I tend to think that suicide is very possible, giving her apparent emotional state at the time of her disappearance, but a few things lead me to believe it was not, and chiefly among them being that if she committed suicide, why hasn't she been found by now? Unless she chose to end her life in the "Housie" river, I think she would have been found in one of the many searches. Suicide is painful enough for family members to cope with, but I think as close as she was to her brother, she would not have chosen to make that choice even more painful by doing it in such a remote area, that she may never be found, and leave loved ones forever wondering. She could have chosen to do it at the Inn or in her car, if suicide was her intent.

Given that, I fear that MM may have been the victim of a crime, though I don't believe that it was random. I feel like there is something tied to whatever happened at her school that led to her either asking, or being forced to take a LOA, and/or a breakup or trouble in a significant personal relationship that have somehow played a part in her disappearance, and likely demise. I know that LE have publicly said there is no evidence of foul play, but I wonder if that is truly their belief. JMO
Yeah I had been thinking that too - why would she go to the trouble of finding a remote place in the woods for suicide? There's no readily apparent reason for her to make it that much more difficult for her family. And if her trouble at school originated with the graffiti on the walls, I can see her becoming engaged in discussion and perhaps confrontational... but it does not sound like something upsetting enough to take one's life. Hopefully big brother has hired that PI to stir things up.
 
A very interesting comment on Find Meghan Marohn. It was reported that she asked someone at the Inn for directions to Church St. The woman didn’t know where Church St in Stockbridge is so she sent her to Church St in Lee.
There are businesses there (in Stockbridge) and, I believe, a B and B. The Church of Divine Mercy , nationally known is nearby.
She may not have intended to go to the park at all.MOO.MOO
I hope this is not against TOS.
I saw this information too and think it is significant. Evidently she did not intend to be on this “Church” St but rather the one closer to the Inn. The Longcope Park trailhead on Church St in Lee has a very small parking area right off the street and she may have turned in there to stop and get her bearings. Someone may have been driving behind her and recognized she was lost/ out of state plates etc and pulled in behind her etc
As an aside, I do find it odd though in this day and age why anyone would ask directions at a front desk. We know she had a cell phone that would have shown her a map, directions etc Maybe just morning chit chat
In the lobby though. And wondering was anyone else in the lobby who overheard the conversation and possibly followed her?
 
Does anyone know what the private property across the street is where it's said her phone had pinged? I brought it up on Google Maps and it looks like a wooded area, but I do see at least one house over there. I'm wondering, if she showed up at Longcope Park by accident because she wanted a different Church St., did she see a house across the way, start walking onto private property to ask someone, and the homeowner was upset she was on their property and did something to her? I'm assuming if her phone pinged over there, that any residents in the area would have been spoken to, but that doesn't necessarily mean they weren't involved. MOO
 
I saw this information too and think it is significant. Evidently she did not intend to be on this “Church” St but rather the one closer to the Inn. The Longcope Park trailhead on Church St in Lee has a very small parking area right off the street and she may have turned in there to stop and get her bearings. Someone may have been driving behind her and recognized she was lost/ out of state plates etc and pulled in behind her etc
As an aside, I do find it odd though in this day and age why anyone would ask directions at a front desk. We know she had a cell phone that would have shown her a map, directions etc Maybe just morning chit chat
In the lobby though. And wondering was anyone else in the lobby who overheard the conversation and possibly followed her?
After hearing bits about this case from one of my fellow WS'ers, while posting on another case, I have finally taken the time to read up on this thread, and after reading everything that I could find, I still am not sure what I believe.

I tend to think that suicide is very possible, giving her apparent emotional state at the time of her disappearance, but a few things lead me to believe it was not, and chiefly among them being that if she committed suicide, why hasn't she been found by now? Unless she chose to end her life in the "Housie" river, I think she would have been found in one of the many searches. Suicide is painful enough for family members to cope with, but I think as close as she was to her brother, she would not have chosen to make that choice even more painful by doing it in such a remote area, that she may never be found, and leave loved ones forever wondering. She could have chosen to do it at the Inn or in her car, if suicide was her intent.

Given that, I fear that MM may have been the victim of a crime, though I don't believe that it was random. I feel like there is something tied to whatever happened at her school that led to her either asking, or being forced to take a LOA, and/or a breakup or trouble in a significant personal relationship that have somehow played a part in her disappearance, and likely demise. I know that LE have publicly said there is no evidence of foul play, but I wonder if that is truly their belief. JMO
Quoting Waldojabba and SteveP above - And Spider92, although I couldn't get your quote to appear here as well.

I agree with all that you said. For what it's worth, the Red Lion Inn was known for not having cell service. Many parts of Stockbridge itself had none (and still don't). Lots of dead connection areas around here. Neighboring hotels/motels/b&bs who DID have it would lure tourists into their places because of their access! But as of 2017, a cell tower was built and it seems like Verizon is the primary lessee, offering the tower to other providers should they join in. According to other newer articles, the Red Lion Inn now has Fios and offers free WiFi to their guests in all guest rooms and the main building. So she wouldn't have needed to ask for directions at the Inn, unless maybe she is one of those folks who prefers human interaction, doesn't do well reading maps, doesn't like using technology much, and so on. I could think of several reasons. Could have also been a last minute decision and the staff member was standing right there.

But - once parked at Longcope on Church St in Lee, a few miles east of town (whereas the Church St in Stockbridge would have been a short walk west), it's hard for me to imagine that she would have walked up any of the long driveways to ask for directions. Just retrace your steps back to the inn, or use your phone to look up the other Church St. Even if her cell phone had no access at Longcope, she'd surely connect a little ways away and it just isn't safe to walk up to strange houses.

Here's a link to the street view of the Longcope parking "lot." Note that there are mailboxes across the street, but you can't see the houses from the road. Just to the left of that driveway is a narrow dirt road (as you pan toward the utility trucks) without a mailbox. Could she have perhaps thought she was indeed at the correct place and thought perhaps the cemetery was down that dirt path? (On Church St in Stockbridge is a cemetery with Normal Rockwell's grave - it's been suggested that perhaps she intended to visit that.) That'd account for cell phone pings on the other side of the road.

There are also some homes under construction in that immediate area of Longcope now. I did drive the road twice since this case began, and can't recall exactly where they were, but they were very close to the parking area.

I agree that self-harm seems much less likely now, esp if her actual destination was the cemetery in town, which is very close to houses. And the chance of her randomly pulling into the parking area at Longcope and having someone shady immediately come upon her and harm her seems so very unlikely. That particular Church St may be somewhat well traveled by vehicles as it connects to more major roads (Stockbridge Rd and Route 102), but the park isn't heavily trafficked by hikers so someone "stalking" someone randomly may have a very long wait there, compared to the more popular hiking places. Definitely seems like perhaps someone followed her, but who and why is the question, and where is she?
 
Does anyone know what the private property across the street is where it's said her phone had pinged? I brought it up on Google Maps and it looks like a wooded area, but I do see at least one house over there. I'm wondering, if she showed up at Longcope Park by accident because she wanted a different Church St., did she see a house across the way, start walking onto private property to ask someone, and the homeowner was upset she was on their property and did something to her? I'm assuming if her phone pinged over there, that any residents in the area would have been spoken to, but that doesn't necessarily mean they weren't involved. MOO
I'm not sure if they've said exactly where the phone has pinged, have they? I'd read at one point it may have pinged 1/2 to 3/4 mile SW of there, but I can't recall where I read that.

Apparently they searched the residential area and at least one pond across the street as well. This Berkshire Eagle article from April 8, 2022, has photos and says:

"Search and rescue teams immediately poured into the area beginning Tuesday, combing a forest residents and police describe as “thick.” Neighbors who before this had rarely locked their doors found the area teeming with local and state detectives, firefighters, helicopters and drones.

Their neighborhood and the woods that border it went into a computerized mapping and tracking grid. Sonar pulsed through a privately owned pond. Divers went in to comb the bottom, and K-9 units sniffed around it, DeSantis said."
 
I'm not sure if they've said exactly where the phone has pinged, have they? I'd read at one point it may have pinged 1/2 to 3/4 mile SW of there, but I can't recall where I read that.

Apparently they searched the residential area and at least one pond across the street as well. This Berkshire Eagle article from April 8, 2022, has photos and says:

"Search and rescue teams immediately poured into the area beginning Tuesday, combing a forest residents and police describe as “thick.” Neighbors who before this had rarely locked their doors found the area teeming with local and state detectives, firefighters, helicopters and drones.

Their neighborhood and the woods that border it went into a computerized mapping and tracking grid. Sonar pulsed through a privately owned pond. Divers went in to comb the bottom, and K-9 units sniffed around it, DeSantis said."
Excellent ideas this morning everyone. Hopefully LE has a list of guests (and maybe employees) at the Inn and has talked to all of the neighbors near Longcope.
 
Just a tought -

Is there a flyer that shows what her car looked like?
Without googling I had no idea what a 2017 subaru imprezza was
If she went into the Longcope parking area right off Church St
There may have been other passersby on Church St that day that saw her car but have no idea it's significant

Church Rd in Lee takes you north to the Mass Pike. ( major east west route)
There is a large Holiday Inn property that is just a bit south of Longcope.
There may be people unaware that she is even missing that regularly stay at the Holiday Inn ( truckers/ sales/construction people etc) and saw something.
Perhaps her car, another car, someone walking etc that day
It might help if possible to post some flyers ( also showing the car) on the trees that are clearly visible while driving right outside the Longcope turn in.
 
A very interesting comment on Find Meghan Marohn. It was reported that she asked someone at the Inn for directions to Church St. The woman didn’t know where Church St in Stockbridge is so she sent her to Church St in Lee.
There are businesses there (in Stockbridge) and, I believe, a B and B. The Church of Divine Mercy , nationally known is nearby.
She may not have intended to go to the park at all.MOO.MOO
I hope this is not against TOS.
I'm curious how MM asked for directions. Did she just ask for directions to Church St. without any other information? I find it a bit weird someone would send her to another town (even though it's very nearby) if they weren't aware of a Church St. in Stockbridge, but were aware of Church St. in Lee which looks like it has basically nothing but the park and private residences until the very southern end. Church St. in Stockbridge looks like it's a main thoroughfare (102). Maybe it's better known as 102 (any locals want to chime in?)
 
I think I've read all of the comments from Peter as well as all of the news articles. Has it ever been confirmed MM intended to hike at that particular area on Sunday? I know it's BELIEVED she was possibly geocaching or hiking there, but was that based on prior conversations between the two or just assumed based on where the vehicle was parked?


It strikes me as very odd that she would park at the park and then wander onto private property when there's very clearly a parking lot with a trail off of it where her car was parked.. However, how accurate would her location data be? Especially in an area with potentially limited cell reception? I've seen my phone and my kids' locations get pretty wonky on Find my Phone and Life360. I assume a cell provider may be able to pinpoint a more exact location?
I pulled up a map and did a 1/2 mile radius from the parking lot. It definitely puts the search close to the river, but if it was a suicide, why not park closer to the river? Or why that particular park when there would have been far more scenic hikes south of the river. There are several sections of the AT that run through that particular area. I suppose a suicidal person may or may not act "logically" to someone else.
On the other hand, if someone else was responsible for her disappearance, why park at that little park area with nearby homes knowing it may draw attention from the locals. The parking lot is essentially directly across the road from a house.
In regards to the accuracy of the location data- and I don’t know if this like comparing apples to oranges - but I have an iPhone and lost it in my one bedroom apartment. It turns out it had slipped underneath my couch cushion. I went on my laptop to use the find my phone function and it sounded a quiet alert on my phone (but bc it was buried in my couch it was so faint I could barely tell which area it was coming from) But it gave such a precise location on my laptop that I could see exactly where it was in proximity to me within the tiny square footage - literally a couple feet away from where I was.

All this to say I know that cell phones can ping off towers that cover a huge radius or also ping off the second closest if there is a high volume of traffic. So you don’t get an exact location that way. I don’t know anything really about how location data/history can be utilized specifically and how or what accurate/detailed information can be pulled that would be actionable intelligence. But I would imagine (well, I hope) it’s somewhere in between the precise location of the find my phone app and the information you can garner from cell tower pings.

MOO
 
Now that we know there was an issue with someone specific at school that led to her taking a leave plus the recent reports of swastika graffiti at the school- I’m going to through out another timely issue that is just food for thought. Now we all know that states and counties across the country have been fraught with school curriculum, book banning, angry parents etc etc etc. There are some more notable stories that have made national headlines- largely south and west, but one that hasn’t is the capital region here in NY. It’s an interesting location where you have a very liberal population to its south, esp NYC, and then just North of the Albany area you start to see a more mixed political spectrum. One that gave Elise stefanik enough votes. This school board election in the capital region districts saw a pretty large number of candidates running on a local “parents rights” platform. The majority lost, but three did win, one in my city of Saratoga Springs. Perhaps bc this area has been a hotspot for parents who are in support of some pretty radical changes/bans on curriculum and so forth - maybe there’s something there that could have factored into any disagreement she had with a school colleague

All MOO
 
Now that we know there was an issue with someone specific at school that led to her taking a leave plus the recent reports of swastika graffiti at the school- I’m going to through out another timely issue that is just food for thought. Now we all know that states and counties across the country have been fraught with school curriculum, book banning, angry parents etc etc etc. There are some more notable stories that have made national headlines- largely south and west, but one that hasn’t is the capital region here in NY. It’s an interesting location where you have a very liberal population to its south, esp NYC, and then just North of the Albany area you start to see a more mixed political spectrum. One that gave Elise stefanik enough votes. This school board election in the capital region districts saw a pretty large number of candidates running on a local “parents rights” platform. The majority lost, but three did win, one in my city of Saratoga Springs. Perhaps bc this area has been a hotspot for parents who are in support of some pretty radical changes/bans on curriculum and so forth - maybe there’s something there that could have factored into any disagreement she had with a school colleague

All MOO
Everything you said is spot on. Last night I came across a YouTube recording of a peace conference, where Meghan spoke for a bit. Skip ahead to the 21:00 point to hear her words on the topic. (MODS - I hope the link is allowed. It's an actual video of an event where she had a small speaking role.)

I'll summarize briefly here. She said that as a high school English teacher, she has had to numb and distract herself, even becoming cynical, in order to survive, maintain a career and income. She mentioned that in the spring (2019, I'm assuming), the National Council of Teachers of English mandated that English teachers teach climate change. She describes her school district as being a mix of wealthy and poor, and that some parents complained that she was teaching that topic.

Kateri Peace Conference 2019 Workshop Meghan Marohn & Mark Dunlea

(It struck me as odd that English teachers would be suggested to be the ones to teach this - not science teachers... IMO)
 
Just a tought -

Is there a flyer that shows what her car looked like?
Without googling I had no idea what a 2017 subaru imprezza was
If she went into the Longcope parking area right off Church St
There may have been other passersby on Church St that day that saw her car but have no idea it's significant

Church Rd in Lee takes you north to the Mass Pike. ( major east west route)
There is a large Holiday Inn property that is just a bit south of Longcope.
There may be people unaware that she is even missing that regularly stay at the Holiday Inn ( truckers/ sales/construction people etc) and saw something.
Perhaps her car, another car, someone walking etc that day
It might help if possible to post some flyers ( also showing the car) on the trees that are clearly visible while driving right outside the Longcope turn in.
Since her car was found by locals who noticed it parked at Longcope Park for a few days, they haven't stated whether it was an Impreza sedan or hatchback. But that's a good point - someone may have seen it elsewhere.

BTW, while you can see the Mass Pike from the northern end of Church St in Lee after it becomes West Rd, it's not an exit/entrance. Church St north becomes West Rd and then goes under the Pike. There seems to be a deadend off to the right called "Turnpike Service Rd" that runs behind the Lee rest area, but it doesn't seem to allow access to the rest area or the Pike. So cars wouldn't be driving up Church to access it. They'd head east on Route 102/Pleasant St past the Big Y to the major Lee entrance there.
Google Maps
 
So two things come to mind with this additional info.

First of all - the Red Lion is on 102, and she may have asked for directions because she couldn’t get her phone to give her accurate directions from her location. This tends to happen in a place like Stockbridge where cell service is so limited and even Wi-Fi/fios may not give you an exact geo location. If you make a call in that area your phone records may say that you are calling from Great Barrington or Lenox or some other nearby town. This is what concerns me about about her last phone pings too btw - it’s anyones guess where she really was.

And secondly, the part of NY that borders MA near Lee, to the southeast of Albany, has a really, really dark side. I want to believe this was accidental but there’s been some really ugly politically and racially motivated activity across the state line. I just don’t know. MOO
 
So she wanted to go to Church Street in the town she was in? This changes everything for me. I never understand how foul play is almost immediately ruled out. She disappeared from somewhere she didn’t intend to be?

I saw someone said she wanted to visit a cemetery? Was just wondering why - if it was historic or something.
 
Everything you said is spot on. Last night I came across a YouTube recording of a peace conference, where Meghan spoke for a bit. Skip ahead to the 21:00 point to hear her words on the topic. (MODS - I hope the link is allowed. It's an actual video of an event where she had a small speaking role.)

I'll summarize briefly here. She said that as a high school English teacher, she has had to numb and distract herself, even becoming cynical, in order to survive, maintain a career and income. She mentioned that in the spring (2019, I'm assuming), the National Council of Teachers of English mandated that English teachers teach climate change. She describes her school district as being a mix of wealthy and poor, and that some parents complained that she was teaching that topic.

Kateri Peace Conference 2019 Workshop Meghan Marohn & Mark Dunlea

(It struck me as odd that English teachers would be suggested to be the ones to teach this - not science teachers... IMO)

The Dateline article says “Ruth Ross was one of the first teachers Meghan worked with and told Dateline it’s become difficult for teachers to include certain subjects into their curriculum. She said Meghan in particular, received her fair share of pushback. “She wanted to teach about climate change,” Ruth recalled. “There were a bunch of parents who didn't want her to.”

IMO, it is not surprising that Meghan—whose teaching was reportedly inclusive of issues that might fall under the big umbrella term of “social justice”—actually wanted to incorporate readings and writing assignments that acknowledge that climate change a) is real b) is largely if not exclusively human-driven c) is an existential threat.
 
I don't want to get off subject but I went on the "National Council of Teachers of English" and quired "Climate change" and zero results came up ...thought that was odd in itself ..was it really mandated? or was it more of a personal decision that caused the conflict in her school? delete if this is inappropriate.
 

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