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?