NH NH - Maura Murray, 21, Haverhill, 9 Feb 2004 - #10

[walkingdeadgirl]

There's always been one nagging thought in my mind about this case. How, unlike most situations, there seems to be no understandable logic to Maura's actions. Her behaviors seem to be erratic and nonsensical. It's the reason this case is so evocative. We, as rational human beings, need to make sense out of everything. And nothing about this case seems to make any sense. But what if...

She went to a party, got herself drunk and smashed up her dad's new car. My dad would have given me HELL about that, for sure!!! Fred was probably furious with her. I mean, that would be human nature. It would be strange if he didn't react negatively toward her irresponsible behavior and to the extensive damage that she did to his brand new car.

And just when he was going to buy her a new car? He might have decided, or at least said, that she didn't deserve a new car. Or that he couldn't afford to buy her one now that she had damaged his. I know in my family we were all really good at laying guilt trips on each other, and at engaging in passive-aggressive behavior. If Maura's dad retracted his offer to buy her a new car perhaps she decided she'd show HIM what danger he was putting her in by making her drive her old car.

Maybe that's why there was a rag in the tailpipe. She thought it would expose her to fumes and make her car seem more dangerous than it was. Or otherwise make the car appear to be emitting smoke. That wouldn't have to necessarily work out as she intended; she would just have to believe that it would.

Maybe she had the second accident on purpose to make it seem like she had passed out from the fumes. And maybe to make her look less culpable in the first accident. As in HER car's fumes were impairing her. She may have expected her car to be found and a search to ensue, and she would soon be found in a confused or dazed state. Maybe she thought no one would notice the rag in the tailpipe. Or maybe, she was shaken and surprised when the guy stopped and offered her a ride and she forgot to take the rag out. The alcohol could have been a cry for help. Like "See Dad, you scolded me so severely that I became overly stressed and had to drink to handle the pain." Or she was trying to make her drinking, and thus her damaging dad's car, look like impaired thinking as the result of breathing in noxious fumes, and consequently, not really her fault.

Maybe her plan was that her dad would believe her to be wandering around, dazed and in danger from the toxic fumes being emitted by her car. That they made her not act like herself. Perhaps she was hoping that he would express relief when she was found and that her prior screwups would be forgiven and considered to be not her fault. Believe me about this , I know just how crazy one can get in an effort to gain approval from their critical parent. i'm almost 50 and still desperately trying to gain my mother's approval.

Anyway, in this case, she wouldn't have been trying to kill herself. But her plan fell out of her control when some freaky guy grabbed her. If she was trying to create the appearance that she had been poisoned by driving around in her dangerous car (and thus needed a new one), there would be no clear logic to her actions. She might have even wanted people to believe that she had "gotten so confused" that she drove to NH in a state of delirium. If her plan had worked, the police or her dad would have found her, Dad would have apologized for his disapproval and forgiven her for damaging his car, and she would have gone back to school, maintaining the story of a death in the family to her superiors. In this situation, she would have never expected things to go so wrong that she would end up being murdered. She would never have expected her lies to be exposed. She would have given her dad a scare, maybe get him to lighten up on her a bit, and then return to school like nothing had happened. The kink in her plan would be the stranger who would end up killing her. You can never plan for what other people will do.

To me, the lack of logic in this whole crazy case makes some kind of sense in this scenario. But she'd have to have been somewhat immature and passive-aggressive in her problem solving. I am familiar with this personality because to some degree my entire family had it, and for sure , my brother still does.

While I think this is a case where truly anything is possible, and I think your ideas are interesting ones, the behaviours you have described as a collective just seem too chaotic and contrary to what we know of Maura.

 

[ktgirl]

This is extremely interesting. Ive always thought that her lying about a death in the family was a huge red flag and perhaps indicative of her not planning to return. Why on earth would you make up such a bold faced lie when you know you'll have to return to face the consequences? People dont take kindly to others deceiving them about something as sensitive as death- its considered taboo and reflects very badly on the person's character. Thats why I wondered why she didnt just use the old faithful, "I'm sick" excuse- SO much easier.

I'm a college instructor and unfortunately, occasionally students will often "kill off" fictitious grandparents and other family members to excuse themselves from class. Generally faculty don't ask for obituaries or any kind of proof, so students just miss some class then return, and no one is the wiser. It usually only becomes an issue if the student misses several classes or assignments.

I put in my syllabus that students are only excused in the event of a death if they present me with an obituary. Many faculty members do not put this is their syllabi.

I don't think it necessarily means she wasn't planning to return.

 

[walkingdeadgirl]

I would be very interested to know how many of you find it likely that Maura may be a victim of foul play. I personally believe that Maura was likely picked up by the driver of the red pick-up truck as observed by witness RO in Swiftwater village at the Stage Stop store, but also reported to be parked some way up Bradley Hill Road by another witness at the tine of Maura's accident nearby.
Whether friend or foe I strongly believe that Maura got ibto that truck which likely sped away east on Rte 112. If this is what in fact happened, then it becomes almost impossible to reconcile the alleged observation of the construction worker (RF) who later reported seeing a person running along Rte 112 some five miles to the east of Maura's crash site, fairly close to the western junction of Rtes 112 and 116.
Either RF made this story up for whatever reason (I find it difficult to see why) or the running person allegedly seen by RF was in fact not Maura at all.
What would you think about all this?

I personally don't believe Maura met with foul play. I believe RF claimed the sighting to help out his neighbor (not necessarily with his knowledge, but with the length of time it took for him to make the report it, maybe they worked it out). I don't believe he really saw her at all.

 

[leilarose68]

I'm a college instructor and unfortunately, occasionally students will often "kill off" fictitious grandparents and other family members to excuse themselves from class. Generally faculty don't ask for obituaries or any kind of proof, so students just miss some class then return, and no one is the wiser. It usually only becomes an issue if the student misses several classes or assignments.

I put in my syllabus that students are only excused in the event of a death if they present me with an obituary. Many faculty members do not put this is their syllabi.

I don't think it necessarily means she wasn't planning to return.

you ask for an obituary? damn...

 

[walkingdeadgirl]

It's possible she could've used a computer lab at school and had a secret cell phone and had a cooked up fake ID and carried on an on-going clandestine conversation with some "special friend" for months and secretly stashed clothes (probably going to need those, considering she barely took any of her own) at a location in New Hampshire she rendezvous upped to retrieve on the night she went missing.

But again we are talking about a 21 year old college student who got busted buying pizzas with someone's credit card number.

Jane Bond, she just doesn't appear to be to me (IMO).

This is the same 21 year old college student that a few posts ago you assumed would know to take or destroy her hard drive, knowing that police could retrieve deleted material. (If she wasn't coming back.) You can't have it both ways.

 

[walkingdeadgirl]

you ask for an obituary? damn...

I've had an employer that did. It is insulting and humiliating.

 

[walkingdeadgirl]

I'd have to go with Jane Birch on this one. I'm much more inclined to think that Maura ran into an unknown creep than someone she knew so far away. There's certainly no shortage of strange creeps out there. If there was we wouldn't be investigating nearly as many missing persons.

A pretty, young, vulnerable girl alone on the side of the road after dark? Any freaky perv who happened to pass by might have decided that he could have his way with her and get away with it. They're all willing to take the chance because they always think they can get away with it. And unfortunately many of them actually do.

.

Who happened to pass by and grab her in the short time it took the bus driver to call LE and for them to arrive, on this road that isn't highly used. Adding that in really shortens the probability down. Stranger things have happened, sure, but she wasn't exactly alone in the dark for hours in the middle of a city.

 

[ktgirl]

you ask for an obituary? damn...

I just put it in the syllabus to deter students from making up deaths in the family, as do some faculty members. When I explain this policy to them on the first day of class, I say: "I know this sounds awful. But if someone in your family dies I have to see an obituary. It's not because I'm trying to be mean or insensitive. It's because students will kill-off fake grandparents to get out of class."

As mentioned before, if you don't do this, students can essentially miss lots of class with possibly no excuse if they are making it up. It is unfair to students who come to school sick, with ill relatives, children in daycare they are paying for etc. for there to be an option where students can miss class for a long period of time without having to provide a verifable excuse.

Secret: I've never actually asked to see one. I've never had any reason to doubt a student who is gone for a day or two, etc. They also always offer, but I tell them not to worry about bringing one. You have to cover your bases so that if things get out of hand- a student misses weeks of class and work, you have something to fall back on if you happen to doubt their excuse or have to be able to justify giving someone an incomplete, etc. - you can show that you did require some kind of proof that the student wasn't just sleeping in or cutting class, etc. Having the obituary part in the syllabus is really meant to deter students from using "death in the family" as an excuse when there is no death in the family. I was an undergrad student as recently as ten years ago and remember students who missed class and then justified it with a made-up dead relative. Please don't think I'm an awful person for putting this in the syllabus. A girl on my hall during undergrad told one of our professors her grandmother had died while she went on Fri-Mon visit to her boyfriend's. It happens.

My husband's employer's corporate policy is to get an obituary when an employee is out for bereavement leave or a funeral. This covers the employer's behind. That way an employee who say, misses a lot of work and gets fired cannot come back and say "oh but I had a death in the family, you can't fire me, etc." Making these rules requiring verification is a way to make sure no one takes advantage of the fact that many times no one questions "I had a death in my family." My husband's granddad's obit went in his PR file at his work this year so that when he had his yearly review, the higher-ups could see that he missed a few of his scheduled days a few months ago when his granddad died and not because he was lazing around or on vacation. This way his direct supervisors can also not be accused off letting him miss work, covering with a death in the family, and being complicit in his excuse if they really knew otherwise. There had been occasions where friendly coworkers had done such for each other (essentially given someone bereavement leave when they were really at home hung over). Unfortunately we live in a society where employers, faculty, etc all need to have specific guidelines and policies in place to protect ourselves later on.

Unfortunately people abuse kindness. Employers, professors, etc. have to have some system in place to at least discourage people from taking advantage of our kindness and willingness to believe others. What if one of Maura's professors had responded to her email with "I'm sorry for your loss" and then asked for a copy of the obituary? Perhaps that would have made her think twice about leaving school for the alleged death in the family and made her think twice about all of this stuff leading that went into motion and led to her disappearance.

 

[Fireweed]

You know, math has never been my strong suit, but I would be interested here in the probability of Maura encountering a creep (a murdering creep no less). Approximately how many cars would have drive by as Maura fled? I do not know for sure, but I am betting it was not particularly high. Now how many of those were men? Half? Okay and what percentage of men are complete and total creep? I mean, creepy enough to kidnap someone and rape and murder them? I am guessing it is extremely low <.01% Then you need to think of how these people operate. Take Ted Bundy: he would plan out his kills, taking a "kit" with him and everything. He also went to places he knew would be teeming with lots of young women.

I would really love to see what the mathematical probability of Maura encountering a creep on that night really was. It must be astronomically low. Add to that my theory that Maura would have been actively avoiding cars and people after the crash.

 

[ktgirl]

You know, math has never been my strong suit, but I would be interested here in the probability of Maura encountering a creep (a murdering creep no less). Approximately how many cars would have drive by as Maura fled? I do not know for sure, but I am betting it was not particularly high. Now how many of those were men? Half? Okay and what percentage of men are complete and total creep? I mean, creepy enough to kidnap someone and rape and murder them? I am guessing it is extremely low <.01% Then you need to think of how these people operate. Take Ted Bundy: he would plan out his kills, taking a "kit" with him and everything. He also went to places he knew would be teeming with lots of young women.

I would really love to see what the mathematical probability of Maura encountering a creep on that night really was. It must be astronomically low. Add to that my theory that Maura would have been actively avoiding cars and people after the crash.

I'd think it's more likely that IF Maura was abducted by a random creep that the creep wasn't out purposefully trolling for victims at that time. It could have been a creep on his way home from work, way home from someone's house, out to visit someone, etc. who just happened upon an incredible opportunity- a young, vulnerable, cold, possibly upset girl (who may have been drinking) - and couldn't pass it up.

I go back and forth between suicide, succumbing to the elements, and abduction. I am also willing to leave a small chance (like 1%) that maybe somehow, Maura did disappear on her own and is living happily somewhere.

Bundy, for example, planned to go out, troll for victims, attack and kill like you said. But if Bundy had driven down a relatively isolated country road and encountered a vulnerable woman like Maura next to her wrecked/broken down car, I'm not sure he would have passed up that opportunity, especially if no one was expecting him to be anywhere for a few hours.

 

[Nordicpete]

I'd think it's more likely that IF Maura was abducted by a random creep that the creep wasn't out purposefully trolling for victims at that time. It could have been a creep on his way home from work, way home from someone's house, out to visit someone, etc. who just happened upon an incredible opportunity- a young, vulnerable, cold, possibly upset girl (who may have been drinking) - and couldn't pass it up.

I go back and forth between suicide, succumbing to the elements, and abduction. I am also willing to leave a small chance (like 1%) that maybe somehow, Maura did disappear on her own and is living happily somewhere.

Bundy, for example, planned to go out, troll for victims, attack and kill like you said. But if Bundy had driven down a relatively isolated country road and encountered a vulnerable woman like Maura next to her wrecked/broken down car, I'm not sure he would have passed up that opportunity, especially if no one was expecting him to be anywhere for a few hours.

Add to this the fact that police scanners are extremely common in that area and many other similar rural regions and it is all too easy to imagine a perp driving by pretending to be a good samaritan. According to witness RO the loitering red pick-up truck in Swiftwater village drove off in the direction of Maura's car several minutes before the first LE vehicle arrived at the scene.

 

[scoops]

This is the same 21 year old college student that a few posts ago you assumed would know to take or destroy her hard drive, knowing that police could retrieve deleted material. (If she wasn't coming back.) You can't have it both ways.

No,
I am actually saying Maura WOULDN'T know that police could retrieve her files on her computer (even the ones she attempted to delete herself). Therefore, when police actually did do that with her computer, they would've found something that pointed to a secret lover or a secret rendezvous point.

The fact police have no clue where Maura was headed is proof that she never researched her "mystery destination" ahead of time on her own computer.

I was actually making the point in my reply that Maura wasn't (caught up in trying to NOT leave a trail).

I was saying if Maura is truly this savvy Jane bond type character, she would've known to destroy her hard drive or at least take her computer with.

 

[Lolacat]

I'm a college instructor and unfortunately, occasionally students will often "kill off" fictitious grandparents and other family members to excuse themselves from class. Generally faculty don't ask for obituaries or any kind of proof, so students just miss some class then return, and no one is the wiser. It usually only becomes an issue if the student misses several classes or assignments.

I put in my syllabus that students are only excused in the event of a death if they present me with an obituary. Many faculty members do not put this is their syllabi.

I don't think it necessarily means she wasn't planning to return.

I agree that if that excuse was used by Maura to take a few days off and nothing else was untoward, it would be no red flag. The reason I find it to be a red flag is the fact that it was right at the beginning of term. She had just returned from a winter break. She was on the Dean's list. Why would a Dean's list student suddenly need to take a week's break to go and get drunk in the mountains? KNOWING, she'd be missing important clinicals in which her absence would be noticed and knowing that she'd have to make up all that work. Plus, if her family found out, there would be hell to pay. Why pile all that extra stress and pressure on herself and why drive all that way to the mountains just to have a few days off? There is something very wrong here. All this, plus the fact she packed her dorm up indicates very simply to me that she was leaving and she wasnt coming back. MOO.

 

[walkingdeadgirl]

You know, math has never been my strong suit, but I would be interested here in the probability of Maura encountering a creep (a murdering creep no less). Approximately how many cars would have drive by as Maura fled? I do not know for sure, but I am betting it was not particularly high. Now how many of those were men? Half? Okay and what percentage of men are complete and total creep? I mean, creepy enough to kidnap someone and rape and murder them? I am guessing it is extremely low <.01% Then you need to think of how these people operate. Take Ted Bundy: he would plan out his kills, taking a "kit" with him and everything. He also went to places he knew would be teeming with lots of young women.

I would really love to see what the mathematical probability of Maura encountering a creep on that night really was. It must be astronomically low. Add to that my theory that Maura would have been actively avoiding cars and people after the crash.

exactly. it would have had to be a chaotic killer, and not a planner. A planner would have passed her up unless he was specifically looking for someone like her. your theory that she was avoiding cars makes sense, seeing as she didn't want help from the bus driver, didn't want to go to house, didn't want him to call the police, and didn't stay with her car.

 

[walkingdeadgirl]

I agree that if that excuse was used by Maura to take a few days off and nothing else was untoward, it would be no red flag. The reason I find it to be a red flag is the fact that it was right at the beginning of term. She had just returned from a winter break. She was on the Dean's list. Why would a Dean's list student suddenly need to take a week's break to go and get drunk in the mountains? KNOWING, she'd be missing important clinicals in which her absence would be noticed and knowing that she'd have to make up all that work. Plus, if her family found out, there would be hell to pay. Why pile all that extra stress and pressure on herself and why drive all that way to the mountains just to have a few days off? There is something very wrong here. All this, plus the fact she packed her dorm up indicates very simply to me that she was leaving and she wasnt coming back. MOO.

Maybe she wasn't just going to sit in the mountains and drink. Maybe she was working out a difficult choice, and based on that choice, would either return after the week was up, or never return, so she packed her dorm room just in case. then the accident happened, and everything changed.

 

[walkingdeadgirl]

No,
I am actually saying Maura WOULDN'T know that police could retrieve her files on her computer (even the ones she attempted to delete herself). Therefore, when police actually did do that with her computer, they would've found something that pointed to a secret lover or a secret rendezvous point.

The fact police have no clue where Maura was headed is proof that she never researched her "mystery destination" ahead of time on her own computer.

I was actually making the point in my reply that Maura wasn't (caught up in trying to NOT leave a trail).

I was saying if Maura is truly this savvy Jane bond type character, she would've known to destroy her hard drive or at least take her computer with.

I see. thanks for the clarification.

So here is a question - if she did search for something or have something on that hard drive that would indicate she was leaving by her own choice, would the police be obligated to share that information with the family? (I'm curious about the scenario, I don't necessarily think that happened here.) It seems at that point, with no crime being committed, they would be functioning as private detectives instead of LE if they were to pass on that information.

 

[Jerri Blank]

I've had an employer that did. It is insulting and humiliating.

insulting and humiliating - are perfect for summing up how that feels!

this is totally off topic, but just to give some contrasting perspective to KTgirl's explanation follow up...

when i was in college, my mother died a week before finals in my first semester of college. most of my professors were understanding but one was terrible... she made it clear that she believed i was simply trying to get out of taking her final (it was unclear if she did not believe my "story" or if she simply didn't think it should affect my ability to take a multiple choice exam). i was so shattered by the events of the previous week, and still so young, that i couldn't begin to know how to handle dealing with her and almost took an F in the course as a result. luckily i had an amazing uncle who came to bat for me and i have no idea what he said to her but she became slightly more human afterward. she also mentioned she would need to see an obituary when i attempted to make up my final and, seriously, the thought of having to carry that around and share that piece of my mother's life with someone who had been so cruel to me was sickening. my uncle put the kabash on that and informed her he would mail it to her when he could. i have no idea if he ever did, but i did at least get to take my final.

all this is to say that yes,some college kids are irresponsible a-holes, but some are going through some major stuff and it's sad that sometime faculty can make it even harder. sounds like you aren't like my professor was KTgirl, so i applaud you for that, but as a working grief counselor who lived what some of your students are experiencing, that policy just gives me major heartache.

also FWIW, at many papers obits are not free, and some people cannot pay for them. other people do not wish to publish them, and still others are just not equipped to handle such a task at the time of a loss. i know no one in my immediate family was. if my uncle hadn't taken it upon himself to handle the obit, there absolutely wouldn't have been one to show.

 

[Fireweed]

Maybe she wasn't just going to sit in the mountains and drink. Maybe she was working out a difficult choice, and based on that choice, would either return after the week was up, or never return, so she packed her dorm room just in case. then the accident happened, and everything changed.

I have always thought that what ever decision Maura made before she emailed her profs about a "death in the family" was a quick one, and not particularly well thought out. I think sometimes we spend too much time discussing the "logic" of her doing that. People who are emotionally distraught are not necessarily thinking logically. I have also often wondered if people who take off with the intent to run away forever are 100% final in their decision before they leave. I mean, we hear about people who actually did it, but how many more people leave for a night or a weekend or a week and then change their minds and come back home? I am betting it is a lot. One of the reasons cops do not take cases like Maura as seriously as they probably should is because they know that this happens all the time. People get sick of their lives and take a mini break.

I have one theory that Maura had a wavering intention that Monday. She was between taking off for a few days and leaving for good. Then the second car crash happened. Now, she would have potentially new criminal charges and she was going to have to explain the whole thing to her father (who was already pissed at her). I think the second crash sealed it for Maura. Now she was going to disappear forever.

 

[Jerri Blank]

I see. thanks for the clarification.

So here is a question - if she did search for something or have something on that hard drive that would indicate she was leaving by her own choice, would the police be obligated to share that information with the family? (I'm curious about the scenario, I don't necessarily think that happened here.) It seems at that point, with no crime being committed, they would be functioning as private detectives instead of LE if they were to pass on that information.

good question. i can't imagine that they wouldn't share that info with them though, right? until they physically make contact with her and confirm she is ok and missing of her own volition, it is technically an open investigation and if they had found something about a destination i'd imagine they would at least have asked the family if there was any connection to that place?

 

[walkingdeadgirl]

good question. i can't imagine that they wouldn't share that info with them though, right? until they physically make contact with her and confirm she is ok and missing of her own volition, it is technically an open investigation and if they had found something about a destination i'd imagine they would at least have asked the family if there was any connection to that place?

I'm not sure. if they found an email that said "I am leaving and I don't want anyone to find me, ever" then where is their responsibility at that point? then it really becomes not a legal issue, at all, but just the family saying "but I want to know, so tell me now." So I think there could have been information on her computer, and the police could have kept it to themselves.