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

[pdxmama]

There is no way the police would find and speak with Maura, and then continue to lie about the case. If Maura was contacted by police, and she told them she had no interest in being found or contacted by family etc., the police would respect that, but they wouldn't leave the investigation open, or lie and say they still have no idea where she is. This happens not uncommonly in voluntary walk away cases. The police simply say they have located the person, who wants his/her privacy respected, and their case is closed. If the police say they've confirmed it isn't Maura, then it isn't Maura, as far as I'm concerned. End of story.

Thank you! That's what I thought.

 

[scoops]

Just for discussion...

There probably has been thousands upon thousands of times where a gal's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and nothing happens...

Reminds me of all the people who play the lottery and lose and we never hear about them. But along comes a winner - and that's who we hear about - unfortunately MM might be that one in million "winner" of the having a crime of opportunity take place in the middle of nowhere.

Okay, the same reasoning over odds could be also be applied to her finding a way to make to her final destination and ending it all if that was her desire... or simply being the one out of so many who dies from exposure and is not found..

It a toss up IMO - foulplay, suicide, exposure...

I understand exactly what you are saying.

But there is no shred of evidence that is compelling enough (for me anyway) to be able to totally discount all the things that were happening in Maura's life in just the final four days before she went missing.

If you want to believe a boogey man got her, then you are saying nothing else strange that was going on in Maura's life mattered, because she was met with foul play that fateful Monday night (just like any other young female would've) had they been in the location Maura was and in the situation she was.

It doesn't ring true.

No evidence (not a lick of it) points to anything sinister happening to Maura (beyond her control). Family spokespeople are the only ones to INTRODUCE this theory as a defense to explain away all the other REAL things that were going on with Maura.

If someone is at the top of a building and they are hell bent on jumping off and ending their life and they are right on the edge of jumping, chances are much greater that they will die from the fall, much more than that they will jump and a passing airplane just happens to be flying by and collides with them in mid-air and accidently kills them.

It comes across to me that people are inventing a made-up "passing air plane" scenario just because they feel better about that kind of result as opposed to thinking that someone like Maura that seemed (outwardly) like they had a great life and a great future, would want her life to come to an early conclusion.

Back to the crime of opportunity.

If anyone wants to believe that, that is their right, but wouldn't it be better called a crime of destiny.

Crimes of opportunity happen because someone is able to assess a situation BEFOREHAND and determine that they can commit a crime and get away with it right on the spot.

Maura was in dark clothing in pitch dark after 7 p.m., in the middle of the winter on a lonely highway.

A criminal is not out prowling for their next mark in those types of locations, they just aren't.

And if a criminal chooses to stop for Maura in that particular situation, they are doing so completely blind to the circumstances as to what is going on. they don't know right away if Maura is even a female or a male, they don't know if Maura has a boyfriend with her (its dark out).

I can't see a criminal of opportunity, just taking blind risks to help a stranded motorist and hoping that it turns out to be a young female that is by themselves.

Now if this happened in the middle of the day and Maura was stranded by her car, I could envision someone driving passed the scene (assessing the situation) then coming up with a plan as they back-track to the car and scoop up Maura.

At night time, you see a stranded motorist, you don't even know for sure that they aren't trying to run some sort of scam on you and hurt you (as a driver looking to be a good samaratin)

 

[Lolacat]

I understand exactly what you are saying.

But there is no shred of evidence that is compelling enough (for me anyway) to be able to totally discount all the things that were happening in Maura's life in just the final four days before she went missing.

If you want to believe a boogey man got her, then you are saying nothing else strange that was going on in Maura's life mattered, because she was met with foul play that fateful Monday night (just like any other young female would've) had they been in the location Maura was and in the situation she was.

It doesn't ring true.

No evidence (not a lick of it) points to anything sinister happening to Maura (beyond her control). Family spokespeople are the only ones to INTRODUCE this theory as a defense to explain away all the other REAL things that were going on with Maura.

If someone is at the top of a building and they are hell bent on jumping off and ending their life and they are right on the edge of jumping, chances are much greater that they will die from the fall, much more than that they will jump and a passing airplane just happens to be flying by and collides with them in mid-air and accidently kills them.

It comes across to me that people are inventing a made-up "passing air plane" scenario just because they feel better about that kind of result as opposed to thinking that someone like Maura that seemed (outwardly) like they had a great life and a great future, would want her life to come to an early conclusion.

Back to the crime of opportunity.

If anyone wants to believe that, that is their right, but wouldn't it be better called a crime of destiny.

Crimes of opportunity happen because someone is able to assess a situation BEFOREHAND and determine that they can commit a crime and get away with it right on the spot.

Maura was in dark clothing in pitch dark after 7 p.m., in the middle of the winter on a lonely highway.

A criminal is not out prowling for their next mark in those types of locations, they just aren't.

And if a criminal chooses to stop for Maura in that particular situation, they are doing so completely blind to the circumstances as to what is going on. they don't know right away if Maura is even a female or a male, they don't know if Maura has a boyfriend with her (its dark out).

I can't see a criminal of opportunity, just taking blind risks to help a stranded motorist and hoping that it turns out to be a young female that is by themselves.

Now if this happened in the middle of the day and Maura was stranded by her car, I could envision someone driving passed the scene (assessing the situation) then coming up with a plan as they back-track to the car and scoop up Maura.

At night time, you see a stranded motorist, you don't even know for sure that they aren't trying to run some sort of scam on you and hurt you (as a driver looking to be a good samaratin)

Going purely on the actual evidence, I completely agree that there is no proof thus far of foul play. However, I dont agree that just because there were strange happenings in Maura's past that foul play can absolutely be discounted. In fact, I have binge watched a number of Disappeared episodes over the last few weeks and it actually struck me that in the cases of young adult females going missing, pretty much all of them had significant personal and emotional issues going on in their lives at the time of their disappearance. Drugs, abusive partners or ex partners, alcohol, lives spiralling out of control, emotional problems- all of these mean that the people involved make choices and take risks that perhaps they wouldn't normally do and thus seem "out of character" to those who love them. (Caveat: I'm not blaming them for what happened to them, but just saying that it makes them much more vulnerable to a potential predator). I agree though that suicide is perhaps, the option that noone wants to talk about. Its not the usual narrative for a young woman who goes missing on a lonely road at night and its a very bleak thought.

 

[Captain_Khan]

Going purely on the actual evidence, I completely agree that there is no proof thus far of foul play. However, I dont agree that just because there were strange happenings in Maura's past that foul play can absolutely be discounted. In fact, I have binge watched a number of Disappeared episodes over the last few weeks and it actually struck me that in the cases of young adult females going missing, pretty much all of them had significant personal and emotional issues going on in their lives at the time of their disappearance. Drugs, abusive partners or ex partners, alcohol, lives spiralling out of control, emotional problems- all of these mean that the people involved make choices and take risks that perhaps they wouldn't normally do and thus seem "out of character" to those who love them. (Caveat: I'm not blaming them for what happened to them, but just saying that it makes them much more vulnerable to a potential predator). I agree though that suicide is perhaps, the option that noone wants to talk about. Its not the usual narrative for a young woman who goes missing on a lonely road at night and its a very bleak thought.

Problem is, I think most people have problems in their lives. Debt, arguments, work issues, illness, run-ins with law enforcement, etc etc etc. I have problems, my partner has problems, my friends and family have problems. When viewed from the outside, it could be very easy to completely misunderstand the level of stress someone was experiencing from what could be a totally ordinary life.

Maura was going through something, for sure. Does that automatically mean that resulted in her death/disappearance?

 

[Lolacat]

Problem is, I think most people have problems in their lives. Debt, arguments, work issues, illness, run-ins with law enforcement, etc etc etc. I have problems, my partner has problems, my friends and family have problems. When viewed from the outside, it could be very easy to completely misunderstand the level of stress someone was experiencing from what could be a totally ordinary life.

Maura was going through something, for sure. Does that automatically mean that resulted in her death/disappearance?

Aint that the truth! I'm sure if you dug around enough in anyone's past you'd find evidence of personal problems/issues somewhere. In Maura's case though, she was drinking whilst driving and subsequently crashed her car, right before she disappeared, so I dont think its an unfair assumption to suggest she wasnt making the wisest of choices at the time of her disappearance.

 

[scoops]

Aint that the truth! I'm sure if you dug around enough in anyone's past you'd find evidence of personal problems/issues somewhere. In Maura's case though, she was drinking whilst driving and subsequently crashed her car, right before she disappeared, so I dont think its an unfair assumption to suggest she wasnt making the wisest of choices at the time of her disappearance.

Maura also had a book about the white mountains as she approached the white mountains, yet that little factoid seems to be lost on people for some reason.

How can anyone not entertain the notion that Maura was right where Maura wanted to be. (maybe not in the particular circumstance of a wrecked car, but as far as destination is concerned).

I don't know how anyone looking at the book logically can just go blindly along with the families multiple explanations for why Maura had that book with her.

Just like the rag in the tailpipe, Fred's explanation of it makes no sense, because his explanation is not based in reality. It's based in explaining away land.

 

[snowblossom2]

Maura also had a book about the white mountains as she approached the white mountains, yet that little factoid seems to be lost on people for some reason.

How can anyone not entertain the notion that Maura was right where Maura wanted to be. (maybe not in the particular circumstance of a wrecked car, but as far as destination is concerned).

I don't know how anyone looking at the book logically can just go blindly along with the families multiple explanations for why Maura had that book with her.

Just like the rag in the tailpipe, Fred's explanation of it makes no sense, because his explanation is not based in reality. It's based in explaining away land.

People weigh different aspects of the case differently, and sadly, we'll never know what details are important until a case is solved. You may be right, you may be wrong, but to say that the only logical interpretation of the book is suicide is IMO insulting. There are multiple logical interpretations of the evidence or lack thereof. Particularly when it's a case like Maura's where she literally disappears in a span of minutes, as opposed to all the evidence of the JBR case

 

[Captain_Khan]

Maura also had a book about the white mountains as she approached the white mountains, yet that little factoid seems to be lost on people for some reason.

How can anyone not entertain the notion that Maura was right where Maura wanted to be. (maybe not in the particular circumstance of a wrecked car, but as far as destination is concerned).

I don't know how anyone looking at the book logically can just go blindly along with the families multiple explanations for why Maura had that book with her.

Just like the rag in the tailpipe, Fred's explanation of it makes no sense, because his explanation is not based in reality. It's based in explaining away land.

She was a hiker who had a popular book about hiking in her car. It's not 'lost' on me - it just seems totally irrelevant.

One thing that may be of interest to the case is something I read about last night - terminal burrowing. It occurs when the human body is suffering from severe (fatal) hypothermia. The affected individual may try to find a small, enclosed space to curl up in - and often die there. People seem to hide in places such as under beds or in cupboards. If Maura was out in the woods in inappropriate clothing at night, maybe she too suffered from this. Another reason why her body may not have been recovered - it could be in a small, enclosed space that is difficult to access.

 

[scoops]

People weigh different aspects of the case differently, and sadly, we'll never know what details are important until a case is solved. You may be right, you may be wrong, but to say that the only logical interpretation of the book is suicide is IMO insulting. There are multiple logical interpretations of the evidence or lack thereof. Particularly when it's a case like Maura's where she literally disappears in a span of minutes, as opposed to all the evidence of the JBR case

Suicide is a theory, that I did not come up with because of the book Not Without Peril 150 Years of Misadventure on the Presidential Range of New Hampshire.

I came up with the suicide theory by spending years pouring over quotes and statements and tying them together (looking for patterns of both consistency and inconsistency) allthewhile, keeping context in the process and understanding the source (motives) for where the information was coming from.

The book is about 22 adventurous avid hikers whom took on the challenges of hiking in the White Mountains and did not make it out alive. It is not a doom and gloom book in that it romanticizes the fight inside these hikers and the lengths that they undertook trying to survive their fateful journeys.

Maura being an avid hiker, who had the book in her car and was last seen around the entrance of the white mountains ... proves to me anyway that there might be something relevant to that.


What insults me is how this kind of information can be quickly deemed "irrelevant" yet a hairdresser five miles from Maura's hometown is supposedly hiding Maura out for all these years (yet posting photos of her anyway on facebook) and the majority of people following the case, 100 percent believes its factual without sitting back and thinking about it for even one second.

But that is just me.

 

[MFFJM2]

This is my opinion of the Maura Murray disappearance based on the evidence available. There was a witness to the accident (or the immediate aftermath), and that witness claimed the driver of the vehicle in the accident was alone and seemed uninjured. At night on a dark country road it might be hard to tell if someone had received a head injury, especially if the injury didn't bleed profusely. We know the accident happened prior to 7:29 pm due to the timing of the 911 call. Maura Murray had had a previous automobile accident just two days before with her Dad's car. She may have been drinking during the second accident as there was a coke bottle with a red liquid that smelled strongly of alcohol. There was a red liquid on the door and the ceiling of the car and a wine box behind the driver's seat, and the windshield had been cracked from the inside out, on the driver's side. There are witness reports that Maura had had an affair with a track coach that summer, but had broken it off to get back together with her boyfriend, although he had possibly been cheating on her as well, from the e-mail she had printed out suggesting personal problems. She had not only boxed her belongings, but also taken the pictures off the walls, suggesting no intent to return. She was a climber, a track and field athlete, and a former West Point cadet. She was serving on probation for credit card fraud (buying pizzas at the dorm using someone else's credit card number).

The odds of a serial killer happening along in the ten minutes between the accident occurring and the arrival of the police are astronomical. Simply having two one-vehicle accidents, while driving alone only two days apart, makes one wonder if something else was afoot. People who have been in automobile accidents tend to be extremely careful, even diligent. The evidence suggests that Maura Murray was upset for some unknown reason. The evidence suggests that Maura Murray intended to leave school for an unknown amount of time. She packed her belongings, taking down the pictures on the walls. She left a print-out of an e-mail exchange between herself and her on-again off-again boyfriend Billy, suggesting that he had had sexual affairs with others. The cracked windshield suggests that she had hit her head in the accident. All of this evidence suggests that Maura Murray, either intentionally or in a state of confusion/shock, left the scene of the accident of her own free will.

The two accidents only two days apart could be interpreted as attempts at suicide, and after the second failed attempt in a state of depression or shock had simply walked into the woods. It is reasonable to assume she then died of exposure. The temperature was 5 degrees above zero. An athletic young woman, even with a head injury, could have walked a good distance from the scene of the accident before succumbing. The woods in this area contain many predatory animals that could have removed her body or consumed it and scattered the remains. The first search of the area didn't occur until 2 days after the disappearance, but it was not extensive. A more thorough search of the area occurred ten days after her disappearance. Not knowing which way she might have walked, or how far she could have gone the search was unsuccessful. The sniffer dogs lost the scent 100 yards from the accident scene. Cadaver dogs can find the scent of human remains once the body begins the process of putrefaction, which in cold weather this is slowed or halted. If she had been buried in the snow, or taken by predators the dogs would have found no scent to lead them to her remains. Suicide or accidental death from exposure is the most likely explanation for this disappearance.

 

[scoops]

This is my opinion of the Maura Murray disappearance based on the evidence available. There was a witness to the accident (or the immediate aftermath), and that witness claimed the driver of the vehicle in the accident was alone and seemed uninjured. At night on a dark country road it might be hard to tell if someone had received a head injury, especially if the injury didn't bleed profusely. We know the accident happened prior to 7:29 pm due to the timing of the 911 call. Maura Murray had had a previous automobile accident just two days before with her Dad's car. She may have been drinking during the second accident as there was a coke bottle with a red liquid that smelled strongly of alcohol. There was a red liquid on the door and the ceiling of the car and a wine box behind the driver's seat, and the windshield had been cracked from the inside out, on the driver's side. There are witness reports that Maura had had an affair with a track coach that summer, but had broken it off to get back together with her boyfriend, although he had possibly been cheating on her as well, from the e-mail she had printed out suggesting personal problems. She had not only boxed her belongings, but also taken the pictures off the walls, suggesting no intent to return. She was a climber, a track and field athlete, and a former West Point cadet. She was serving on probation for credit card fraud (buying pizzas at the dorm using someone else's credit card number).

The odds of a serial killer happening along in the ten minutes between the accident occurring and the arrival of the police are astronomical. Simply having two one-vehicle accidents, while driving alone only two days apart, makes one wonder if something else was afoot. People who have been in automobile accidents tend to be extremely careful, even diligent. The evidence suggests that Maura Murray was upset for some unknown reason. The evidence suggests that Maura Murray intended to leave school for an unknown amount of time. She packed her belongings, taking down the pictures on the walls. She left a print-out of an e-mail exchange between herself and her on-again off-again boyfriend Billy, suggesting that he had had sexual affairs with others. The cracked windshield suggests that she had hit her head in the accident. All of this evidence suggests that Maura Murray, either intentionally or in a state of confusion/shock, left the scene of the accident of her own free will.

The two accidents only two days apart could be interpreted as attempts at suicide, and after the second failed attempt in a state of depression or shock had simply walked into the woods. It is reasonable to assume she then died of exposure. The temperature was 5 degrees above zero. An athletic young woman, even with a head injury, could have walked a good distance from the scene of the accident before succumbing. The woods in this area contain many predatory animals that could have removed her body or consumed it and scattered the remains. The first search of the area didn't occur until 2 days after the disappearance, but it was not extensive. A more thorough search of the area occurred ten days after her disappearance. Not knowing which way she might have walked, or how far she could have gone the search was unsuccessful. The sniffer dogs lost the scent 100 yards from the accident scene. Cadaver dogs can find the scent of human remains once the body begins the process of putrefaction, which in cold weather this is slowed or halted. If she had been buried in the snow, or taken by predators the dogs would have found no scent to lead them to her remains. Suicide or accidental death from exposure is the most likely explanation for this disappearance.

Welcome aboard, MFFJM2

Succumbing to the elements was the first theory I came up with, basing it solely on taking in all the information I could about the case at face value which included an interview excerpt from Billy's Mom on the disappeared show in which she introduces this "mystery" phone call that Billy got (the day after Maura went missing) in which Maura was supposedly heard breathing into the phone (like someone taking their last gasps of air before dying).

It made sense, that maybe Maura had made a last ditch effort to reach someone before perishing ... but when you really sat down and analyzed it, it made no sense whatsoever, that Maura would be in a position (out in the middle of a forest) to call her boyfriend with a pre-paid phone card that involves a gazillion numbers just to get to the point where you dial his cell number from.

On top of that, police had already analyzed that message (very early on) and determined that the noise heard was phone static and not someone breathing, yet billy's mom still introduces it as some big revelation on the show anyway years later after it already had been debunked.

That is the exact point when I started to re-look at all the quotes from family members and anyone else to include law enforcement about different aspects of the case and not just take everything as truths as to what they were saying.

IMO, I really believe there have been a lot of explaining away about certain things when it comes to this case. And if that is true, then why is that?

 

[OldSteve]

Haven't heard this expression before, and it's a good one:

a crime of destiny.

 

[OldSteve]

Maura also had a book about the white mountains as she approached the white mountains, yet that little factoid seems to be lost on people for some reason.

How can anyone not entertain the notion that Maura was right where Maura wanted to be. (maybe not in the particular circumstance of a wrecked car, but as far as destination is concerned).

I don't know how anyone looking at the book logically can just go blindly along with the families multiple explanations for why Maura had that book with her.

Just like the rag in the tailpipe, Fred's explanation of it makes no sense, because his explanation is not based in reality. It's based in explaining away land.

Just to play devil's advocate - might she wanted to take the book to the condo she tried to rent to read it while sipping on (what was her favorite drink)?

Oh, the rag in the tail pipe... that is a mystery...

IMO, it's difficult to figure out what was going on in her mind - considering the condition of her car, she wasn't thinking logically...

 

[Captain_Khan]

Regarding the book -

All of us on here are interested in mysteries, right? Say we buy Renner's book, if and when it ever comes out. Or a book about someone else who vanishes like Maura has. Maybe it's saved on your Kindle or tossed in a rucksack or the boot of your car.

Then imagine the unthinkable happens, and one of us vanishes.

You could bet anything that, if the fact you were interested in mystery disappearances was made public, then there would be plenty of people suggesting that you vanished deliberately. I mean, look - he had a book about mysterious disappearances in his holdall! That's no coincidence!

Maura being an avid hiker, who had the book in her car and was last seen around the entrance of the white mountains ... proves to me anyway that there might be something relevant to that.

What insults me is how this kind of information can be quickly deemed "irrelevant" yet a hairdresser five miles from Maura's hometown is supposedly hiding Maura out for all these years (yet posting photos of her anyway on facebook) and the majority of people following the case, 100 percent believes its factual without sitting back and thinking about it for even one second.

But that is just me.

My point is that is really, really isn't unusual for people to own books about their favorite hobby. Maura loved hiking in the White Mountains - therefore, should we really pay so much attention to the fact that she owned a book about hiking in the White Mountains?

I was actually away when the 'hairdresser' story broke, and I've been playing catch-up ever since. It has in no way affected my opinion on the case. I like to try to explore things from different angles, so I have asked questions about that photo (I'd truly love to be proven wrong, and have Maura found safe, happy and well somewhere), but it was an attempt to understand the story better, and the potential ramifications if Maura was ever 'found' but didn't want to be discovered.

 

[nevereverever]

This is my opinion of the Maura Murray disappearance based on the evidence available. There was a witness to the accident (or the immediate aftermath), and that witness claimed the driver of the vehicle in the accident was alone and seemed uninjured. At night on a dark country road it might be hard to tell if someone had received a head injury, especially if the injury didn't bleed profusely. We know the accident happened prior to 7:29 pm due to the timing of the 911 call. Maura Murray had had a previous automobile accident just two days before with her Dad's car. She may have been drinking during the second accident as there was a coke bottle with a red liquid that smelled strongly of alcohol. There was a red liquid on the door and the ceiling of the car and a wine box behind the driver's seat, and the windshield had been cracked from the inside out, on the driver's side. There are witness reports that Maura had had an affair with a track coach that summer, but had broken it off to get back together with her boyfriend, although he had possibly been cheating on her as well, from the e-mail she had printed out suggesting personal problems. She had not only boxed her belongings, but also taken the pictures off the walls, suggesting no intent to return. She was a climber, a track and field athlete, and a former West Point cadet. She was serving on probation for credit card fraud (buying pizzas at the dorm using someone else's credit card number).

The odds of a serial killer happening along in the ten minutes between the accident occurring and the arrival of the police are astronomical. Simply having two one-vehicle accidents, while driving alone only two days apart, makes one wonder if something else was afoot. People who have been in automobile accidents tend to be extremely careful, even diligent. The evidence suggests that Maura Murray was upset for some unknown reason. The evidence suggests that Maura Murray intended to leave school for an unknown amount of time. She packed her belongings, taking down the pictures on the walls. She left a print-out of an e-mail exchange between herself and her on-again off-again boyfriend Billy, suggesting that he had had sexual affairs with others. The cracked windshield suggests that she had hit her head in the accident. All of this evidence suggests that Maura Murray, either intentionally or in a state of confusion/shock, left the scene of the accident of her own free will.

The two accidents only two days apart could be interpreted as attempts at suicide, and after the second failed attempt in a state of depression or shock had simply walked into the woods. It is reasonable to assume she then died of exposure. The temperature was 5 degrees above zero. An athletic young woman, even with a head injury, could have walked a good distance from the scene of the accident before succumbing. The woods in this area contain many predatory animals that could have removed her body or consumed it and scattered the remains. The first search of the area didn't occur until 2 days after the disappearance, but it was not extensive. A more thorough search of the area occurred ten days after her disappearance. Not knowing which way she might have walked, or how far she could have gone the search was unsuccessful. The sniffer dogs lost the scent 100 yards from the accident scene. Cadaver dogs can find the scent of human remains once the body begins the process of putrefaction, which in cold weather this is slowed or halted. If she had been buried in the snow, or taken by predators the dogs would have found no scent to lead them to her remains. Suicide or accidental death from exposure is the most likely explanation for this disappearance.

Great post! I agree with your analysis.

The book, on its own, doesn't prove anything. But it is a piece of the puzzle. The puzzle includes not just the book, but also the fact that she was obviously upset. That she packed up all her belongings. That she apparently took very little in the way of clothes. That, having just recently been in a car accident, she was apparently drinking alcohol as she drove along on this somewhat difficult road. The rag in the tailpipe. Her turning down help from the bus driver. It's all of these things together that, to me, point to this being a suicide, or at least, that was her attempt, and ultimately death from exposure (which again, may have been her exact intention).

 

[scoops]

Regarding the book -

All of us on here are interested in mysteries, right? Say we buy Renner's book, if and when it ever comes out. Or a book about someone else who vanishes like Maura has. Maybe it's saved on your Kindle or tossed in a rucksack or the boot of your car.

Then imagine the unthinkable happens, and one of us vanishes.

You could bet anything that, if the fact you were interested in mystery disappearances was made public, then there would be plenty of people suggesting that you vanished deliberately. I mean, look - he had a book about mysterious disappearances in his holdall! That's no coincidence!



My point is that is really, really isn't unusual for people to own books about their favorite hobby. Maura loved hiking in the White Mountains - therefore, should we really pay so much attention to the fact that she owned a book about hiking in the White Mountains?

I was actually away when the 'hairdresser' story broke, and I've been playing catch-up ever since. It has in no way affected my opinion on the case. I like to try to explore things from different angles, so I have asked questions about that photo (I'd truly love to be proven wrong, and have Maura found safe, happy and well somewhere), but it was an attempt to understand the story better, and the potential ramifications if Maura was ever 'found' but didn't want to be discovered.

I do hear what you are saying, but a few points to think about.

If you went missing one mile from the "Mall of America" and all that was left behind was your vehicle, some printed out directions to Mall of America and a pamphlet on Mall of America in your car. Wouldn't it be safe to say that somebody would go ahead and check inside mall of america to try and locate you and not just focus their search around your vehicle?

Another point.

The book wasn't really about hiking. It wasn't a technical manual describing different mountains using figures and such.

It was a book about being ill-prepared to handle the unpredictable force known as mother nature, which can change on a dime deep in the White Mountains, leaving someone (hiker) completely out on their own and having to try and figure out a way to stay alive. The book kind of shifts from inexperienced hikers who wore improper clothing and didn't come at all prepared to more experienced hikers who had planned things out, yet also could not conquer the hike before death.

Reading reviews from regular hikers about the book, I get the sense that they were not only captivated by the stories, but that if given the right circumstances (not tied down to marriage and children), one day, they wouldn't mind taking on the challenges themselves, (knowing full well they might not make it out alive).

That is the kind of suicide I would describe concerning Maura.

 

[OldSteve]

If MM was going take on the White Mnts wouldn't she have packed hiking gear? Even if going to end it all, CMIIW but all she had with her appeard geared for an indoor stay..?

 

[telemag]

This is my opinion of the Maura Murray disappearance based on the evidence available. There was a witness to the accident (or the immediate aftermath), and that witness claimed the driver of the vehicle in the accident was alone and seemed uninjured. At night on a dark country road it might be hard to tell if someone had received a head injury, especially if the injury didn't bleed profusely. We know the accident happened prior to 7:29 pm due to the timing of the 911 call. Maura Murray had had a previous automobile accident just two days before with her Dad's car. She may have been drinking during the second accident as there was a coke bottle with a red liquid that smelled strongly of alcohol. There was a red liquid on the door and the ceiling of the car and a wine box behind the driver's seat, and the windshield had been cracked from the inside out, on the driver's side. There are witness reports that Maura had had an affair with a track coach that summer, but had broken it off to get back together with her boyfriend, although he had possibly been cheating on her as well, from the e-mail she had printed out suggesting personal problems. She had not only boxed her belongings, but also taken the pictures off the walls, suggesting no intent to return. She was a climber, a track and field athlete, and a former West Point cadet. She was serving on probation for credit card fraud (buying pizzas at the dorm using someone else's credit card number).

The odds of a serial killer happening along in the ten minutes between the accident occurring and the arrival of the police are astronomical. Simply having two one-vehicle accidents, while driving alone only two days apart, makes one wonder if something else was afoot. People who have been in automobile accidents tend to be extremely careful, even diligent. The evidence suggests that Maura Murray was upset for some unknown reason. The evidence suggests that Maura Murray intended to leave school for an unknown amount of time. She packed her belongings, taking down the pictures on the walls. She left a print-out of an e-mail exchange between herself and her on-again off-again boyfriend Billy, suggesting that he had had sexual affairs with others. The cracked windshield suggests that she had hit her head in the accident. All of this evidence suggests that Maura Murray, either intentionally or in a state of confusion/shock, left the scene of the accident of her own free will.

The two accidents only two days apart could be interpreted as attempts at suicide, and after the second failed attempt in a state of depression or shock had simply walked into the woods. It is reasonable to assume she then died of exposure. The temperature was 5 degrees above zero. An athletic young woman, even with a head injury, could have walked a good distance from the scene of the accident before succumbing. The woods in this area contain many predatory animals that could have removed her body or consumed it and scattered the remains. The first search of the area didn't occur until 2 days after the disappearance, but it was not extensive. A more thorough search of the area occurred ten days after her disappearance. Not knowing which way she might have walked, or how far she could have gone the search was unsuccessful. The sniffer dogs lost the scent 100 yards from the accident scene. Cadaver dogs can find the scent of human remains once the body begins the process of putrefaction, which in cold weather this is slowed or halted. If she had been buried in the snow, or taken by predators the dogs would have found no scent to lead them to her remains. Suicide or accidental death from exposure is the most likely explanation for this disappearance.

Good post. One thing though I had read before from people who had checked the weather that night that it was more like 30 degrees and not 5? Anyone have info on this?

 

[telemag]

OK for what it's worth I found this, it states that the temp was above freezing so if that is true she would have stood a way better chance at survival. As I type this the temp is around 30 here and I stood outside earlier tonight an talked to a friend for about 25 minutes, no gloves no hat just a think leather jacket. It was cold but not unbearable by any means. Once the weather gets into the teens it's a whole different story. Even with no wind that's just bitter cold. If it was anywhere near 5 degrees I don't think that Maura would or even could attempt to leave the scene. If she had wandered off in fear of getting a DUI no way she would have gotten far and most likely would have been found. If the weather was slightly above 32 then she could have gotten pretty far.


Wunderground historical weather from February 9th, 2004 (St. Johnsbury, VT — closest location to Woodsville/Bath/North Haverhill, NH):

http://www.wunderground.com/history/...tename=Vermont

* waning gibbous moon (almost full), although may have been obscured by cloud cover.
* temperatures above freezing from 3pm to midnight, no wind chill (scroll way down Wunderground page for hourly conditions).
* wind calm to 4.6 mph during the evening.
* temperatures down to low-mid 20s F on the 10th and then dipped lower on the night 11th/12th.

 

[scoops]

Good post. One thing though I had read before from people who had checked the weather that night that it was more like 30 degrees and not 5? Anyone have info on this?

I'll take a stab.
(Farmers Almanac)
Feb 9, 2004 ---- Saint Johnsbury, VT (which is nearby)

HIGH --- 35.6 degrees
LOW --- (-7.6) degrees
AVG. Temp --- 9.1 degrees

Keep in mind, the low temperature reading is probably from Monday morning while the high temperature reading is probably closer to 4 p.m. or so.

Maura went missing slightly after 7 p.m.

My guess would be that the temp was likely somewhere around 25-30 degrees.