NH NH - Maura Murray, 21, Haverhill, 9 Feb 2004 - #13

[scaredtopost]

I enjoyed the book. His obsession and biographical input was a unique and interesting perspective. It resonated with me. Not sure I agree with his conclusions but I enjoyed the book and read it quickly.
JMO MOO etc

 

[Caffeine]

I've only read snippets of the book and I never got into it enough to read the whole thing.

I was never really a fan of the premise. I mean some personal anecdotes are fine but it really just came across as him telling the story of how he investigated this for the past few years. Which to me is about exciting as a school kid telling how he researched for a book report.

It's disappointing because there was great potential in a compelling Maura Murray project, be it a book, miniseries or whatever. However I feel Renner alienated a lot of good subjects (close friends, family etc) and many others are probably incredibly sick of talking about it (the Westmans, namely).

I believe many people have grown tired of the same questions and the general lack of answers over the past 13 years. The Oxygen series might be interesting given the right people are willing to talk.

Ultimately, I think this is a cold case because whatever happened to her was the result, in my opinion, of running into one lone person, leaving no evidence or witnesses to speak of. I'm completely open to being wrong on this, so while there is still focus on the case, I believe a wise move would be more thorough searches of the area. While it's not possible to entirely exclude the idea she died in the woods, the less probable it becomes the more people may think outside the box and possibly move forward towards a resolution here.

 

[DakotaMayi]

I did! I read it very quickly....

I honestly don't know what to think. I do think her friends are shady and therefore probably know a heck of a lot more than they claim.

I like to believe she just ran away to Canada or something

Or the elements of weather

...what about you?


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BBM. Me too. But I think that maybe just because I want her to be alive and less because I actually think that happened.

I've only read snippets of the book and I never got into it enough to read the whole thing.

I was never really a fan of the premise. I mean some personal anecdotes are fine but it really just came across as him telling the story of how he investigated this for the past few years. Which to me is about exciting as a school kid telling how he researched for a book report.

It's disappointing because there was great potential in a compelling Maura Murray project, be it a book, miniseries or whatever. However I feel Renner alienated a lot of good subjects (close friends, family etc) and many others are probably incredibly sick of talking about it (the Westmans, namely).

I believe many people have grown tired of the same questions and the general lack of answers over the past 13 years. The Oxygen series might be interesting given the right people are willing to talk.

Ultimately, I think this is a cold case because whatever happened to her was the result, in my opinion, of running into one lone person, leaving no evidence or witnesses to speak of. I'm completely open to being wrong on this, so while there is still focus on the case, I believe a wise move would be more thorough searches of the area. While it's not possible to entirely exclude the idea she died in the woods, the less probable it becomes the more people may think outside the box and possibly move forward towards a resolution here.

BBM. Agreed. In some parts I was glued, I couldn't put the book down, in others I skipped a few pages.

 

[Skigirl]

Has anyone read James Renners new book about the case?


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I can't bring myself to spend money on it. I read his blog during the process, so I'm pretty sure I have all the twists and turns and the gist of the book. The blog was so crazy...one minute he was SURE of one thing, the next minute he was SURE of another, then he was on the road, absolutely sure he was going to find her in person. I'm glad he got his hands on the info he requested via FOIA and made it public, but otherwise, I don't think he got anywhere and IMHO, he has a screw loose and isn't very bright to boot.

 

[U2forever]

I can't bring myself to spend money on it. I read his blog during the process, so I'm pretty sure I have all the twists and turns and the gist of the book. The blog was so crazy...one minute he was SURE of one thing, the next minute he was SURE of another, then he was on the road, absolutely sure he was going to find her in person. I'm glad he got his hands on the info he requested via FOIA and made it public, but otherwise, I don't think he got anywhere and IMHO, he has a screw loose and isn't very bright to boot.

Skigirl, tee hee hee.
I'm really behind here and guess I'm off to google FOIA, now that my google finger is no longer broken.

 

[Skigirl]

Skigirl, tee hee hee.
I'm really behind here and guess I'm off to google FOIA, now that my google finger is no longer broken.

Ok, you're right, maybe that was a little harsh. As my mom used to say, if you can't say anything nice....

FOIA is the Freedom of Information Act that allows people to ask the government to release information. Some of the information in her casefile was obtained that way and released.


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[U2forever]

Ok, you're right, maybe that was a little harsh. As my mom used to say, if you can't say anything nice....

FOIA is the Freedom of Information Act that allows people to ask the government to release information. Some of the information in her casefile was obtained that way and released.


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I was amused by your statement and I personally don't think your being harsh at all, especially if comparing it to what others have said.

Thanks for the FOIA meaning, Skigirl. I knew it rang a bell but fibro fog has taken over me brain and replaced it with a bunch of nothing echoing into oblivion.

 

[Laughing]

I was amused by your statement and I personally don't think your being harsh at all, especially if comparing it to what others have said.

Thanks for the FOIA meaning, Skigirl. I knew it rang a bell but fibro fog has taken over me brain and replaced it with a bunch of nothing echoing into oblivion.

U2, sorry you're not feeling well.

I always read & appreciate your posts!

:seeya:

 

[U2forever]

U2, sorry you're not feeling well.

I always read & appreciate your posts!

:seeya:

Thank you, Laughing. Very kind of you to say. :loveyou:

BTW, about your name, is it pronounced L A U G H I N G or Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha?
And while I have your attention, Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha, you keep the Barnacle Bill thread alive and inviting and that's not easy to do.

 

[Laughing]

U24, you know that sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. I try to remember to laugh first!

Oooohhh, you're right, it's Le Weekend and time to Bump for our Barnacle Bill....

 

[U2forever]

U24, you[/I] know that sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. I try to remember to laugh first!

Oooohhh, you're right, it's Le Weekend and time to Bump for our Barnacle Bill....

BBM

I laugh so not to cry is my motto, and I try and live by it. :laughcry:

B for BB!

 

[Skigirl]

I must have been under a rock...how did I miss the Missing Maura Murray podcast for two years???

At first I sort of liked it, but I'm on episode 5 and they've started saying the same things over and over. It looks like there are about fifty episodes, is that even possible? Twenty-five hours of musing about the same set of facts? Also, they are really focused on the rag in the pipe. I agree it's totally weird, totally inexplicable, but what about this case isn't weird?

 

[JnRyan]

I must have been under a rock...how did I miss the Missing Maura Murray podcast for two years???

At first I sort of liked it, but I'm on episode 5 and they've started saying the same things over and over. It looks like there are about fifty episodes, is that even possible? Twenty-five hours of musing about the same set of facts? Also, they are really focused on the rag in the pipe. I agree it's totally weird, totally inexplicable, but what about this case isn't weird?

I actually listened and followed up episode 30. (Btw episode 1 and 30 I thought there were some winners and losers.) Starting with UMass Cabin I lost interest.

I don't believe LE tried very hard to find her. The fact that the dog they brought out early on (a day or two later?) lost the scent about 100 yards up the road may mean she got picked and it went bad from there. OR the dog just didn't pick up the rest of the trail. That doesn't always happen, but often enough for me to believe it is possible. If Maura had alcohol in her system - and I believe that is why she fled the scene - then hypothermia is more likely. Once someone falls to that they do strange things like wander off their path and/or start removing clothing. If that is the case one day she might be found and not far away, although she might be a half mile to a mile off the road.

 

[Caffeine]

The podcast is very hit or miss, I think with a lot of these open discussion type formats they are too focused on pumping out new content all the time versus a slower more methodical approach.

I think if they really took a more scripted approach and consciously went over talking points and allotted time equally for everything it would have a much better feel. Many episodes didn't really have a lot to say and could have been condensed into maybe 6 or 7 episodes a year, that were more packed with theories and facts and consistency.

I do appreciate their efforts and many episodes have been pretty good but overall there's only so much to discuss. I think with the blog, the podcast, the Disappeared episode we've kind of snowballed into a MM fatigue. Some forums I've seen are pretty burnt out from all the discussion and no new information, which I can understand.

It's a pretty frustrating situation, the case has really received a lot of renewed attention in the past years but nothing has really come of it.

I'm surprised with all the attention there was very little talk of organizing more searches because I think it's pretty vital here. I'll never totally dismiss that she is somewhere in the woods, but the more time passes the more I think something out of the ordinary has happened to her.

 

[Skigirl]

So, I've been listening to the podcast... I agree that there's a range and that some episodes are interesting. I'm somewhere around episode 20 and Renner has been on a couple of times. Hearing him speak changed my mind a little. I don't think he's as dumb as his blog makes him seem, but he does take himself veerrrrry seriously. At least he has an open mind. He was able to admit he might be wrong about Maura being a psychopath/sociopath.

I thought the interview with the professor at UNH was excellent; he did a great job of humanizing Maura and putting her actions, and those of her loved ones, in context.

 

[Skigirl]

The podcast is very hit or miss, I think with a lot of these open discussion type formats they are too focused on pumping out new content all the time versus a slower more methodical approach.

I think if they really took a more scripted approach and consciously went over talking points and allotted time equally for everything it would have a much better feel. Many episodes didn't really have a lot to say and could have been condensed into maybe 6 or 7 episodes a year, that were more packed with theories and facts and consistency.

I do appreciate their efforts and many episodes have been pretty good but overall there's only so much to discuss. I think with the blog, the podcast, the Disappeared episode we've kind of snowballed into a MM fatigue. Some forums I've seen are pretty burnt out from all the discussion and no new information, which I can understand.

It's a pretty frustrating situation, the case has really received a lot of renewed attention in the past years but nothing has really come of it.

I'm surprised with all the attention there was very little talk of organizing more searches because I think it's pretty vital here. I'll never totally dismiss that she is somewhere in the woods, but the more time passes the more I think something out of the ordinary has happened to her.

I agree... unfortunately, I think the most likely explanation for her disappearance is that she entered the woods to hide from the police, thinking she would hide out until the coast was clear and then call someone to get her or walk somewhere to get help, and then hypothermia set in. It may not have been that cold that night relative to winter in New Hampshire, but relative to body temperature, it was still cold. Very cold to just hang out in the woods from 7:30 PM until daybreak without some specialized clothes/camping equipment.

 

[Caffeine]

I agree... unfortunately, I think the most likely explanation for her disappearance is that she entered the woods to hide from the police, thinking she would hide out until the coast was clear and then call someone to get her or walk somewhere to get help, and then hypothermia set in. It may not have been that cold that night relative to winter in New Hampshire, but relative to body temperature, it was still cold. Very cold to just hang out in the woods from 7:30 PM until daybreak without some specialized clothes/camping equipment.

What remains a mystery is if she was truly prepared to make any sort of trek into the cold, dark, snowy woods of NH that night. It's no walk in the park even when it's a mild night - it's was only in the 30s and dropping. Layered accordingly with clothes, that's not terrible. Without proper clothes, it gets cold quick. Body temperature dissipates quickly.

I just spent a week in NH and I almost forgot how cold the state really is. At times during my trip it was almost a 20 degree difference there than at home. But I don't forget how unforgiving the winters can be.

In the end, I think it's still entirely possible she's out in those woods. But it's almost bordering on miraculous here - she avoided all searches, dropped none of her belongings and remains yet to be found over a dozen years later...all while navigating (likely) drunk without light.

Again, I'll never say impossible but I strongly think something else could have happened as well...

 

[Skigirl]

What remains a mystery is if she was truly prepared to make any sort of trek into the cold, dark, snowy woods of NH that night. It's no walk in the park even when it's a mild night - it's was only in the 30s and dropping. Layered accordingly with clothes, that's not terrible. Without proper clothes, it gets cold quick. Body temperature dissipates quickly.

I just spent a week in NH and I almost forgot how cold the state really is. At times during my trip it was almost a 20 degree difference there than at home. But I don't forget how unforgiving the winters can be.

In the end, I think it's still entirely possible she's out in those woods. But it's almost bordering on miraculous here - she avoided all searches, dropped none of her belongings and remains yet to be found over a dozen years later...all while navigating (likely) drunk without light.

Again, I'll never say impossible but I strongly think something else could have happened as well...

I don't think she was at all prepared to head into the woods that night. I would bet that her body will be found not all that far from the road. It's amazing what can be missed on ground searches. It took a year to find Chandra Levy's body in an urban DC park, even though she was eventually located not very far from a trail.

 

[Brainy]

I also believe that Maura Murray is dead. I believe she ran into the woods that night, got lost and finally died of exposure. It was freezing that night and she was not equipped to find her way out. Her body may or may not be found but it is my belief that she didn't run off to start a life somewhere. She was a troubled girl that was drinking too much and something must have driven her over the edge to get up and leave so abruptly. Whatever the reasons behind, I don't think anybody abducted her or she was involved in any sort of foul play. All the indications are that she had been drinking and driving, making many poor choices and just acting irresponsibly. I do believe that people read into her disappearance way too much. And I do also agree that her body may be somewhere very close from the place she vanished. It's a remote wooded area and it's extremely difficult to conduct a search of that scale with positive outcomes, and it's been more than 13 yrs. Who knows, a hiker or a camper may come across her remains someday and the mystery will have closure.


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[cujenn81]

I also believe that Maura Murray is dead. I believe she ran into the woods that night, got lost and finally died of exposure. It was freezing that night and she was not equipped to find her way out. Her body may or may not be found but it is my belief that she didn't run off to start a life somewhere. She was a troubled girl that was drinking too much and something must have driven her over the edge to get up and leave so abruptly. Whatever the reasons behind, I don't think anybody abducted her or she was involved in any sort of foul play. All the indications are that she had been drinking and driving, making many poor choices and just acting irresponsibly. I do believe that people read into her disappearance way too much. And I do also agree that her body may be somewhere very close from the place she vanished. It's a remote wooded area and it's extremely difficult to conduct a search of that scale with positive outcomes, and it's been more than 13 yrs. Who knows, a hiker or a camper may come across her remains someday and the mystery will have closure.


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I agree... and well stated!


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