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

[MFFJM2]

I apologize. I was looking at the wrong day. According to the NOAA historical records the high on Feb 8th, 2004 for Haverhill, NH was 13 degrees F, and the Low was -2 F, with a mean temperature of 5.5 F. It was a bit warmer on the 9th of February with a high of 37 degrees and a low of 9 degrees, and a mean temperature of 23 degrees F. The sun set at 5:08 pm, and the temperature would have dropped quickly after that.

 

[deca]

I was surprised to learn that people can get hypothermia at temps around 50 (depending on some other factors like wind you can even get it into the 60s).

Obviously it was much colder, but even with a jacket a hat and some gloves she could have succumbed to the cold.

 

[Lolacat]

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 was thinking EXACTLY the same thing! I even googled whether someone has to pay back the cost of the search if they go missing voluntarily and is then found (was curious *if* maura was ever found). Now I feel like I should put a caveat file on my computer explaining in case I ever go missing!

 

[goldiegirl]

I was thinking EXACTLY the same thing! I even googled whether someone has to pay back the cost of the search if they go missing voluntarily and is then found (was curious *if* maura was ever found). Now I feel like I should put a caveat file on my computer explaining in case I ever go missing!

Hahaha, right? I think about that stuff all the time. I can't imagine all the confusion investigators would run into if something were to happen to a Websleuths member or criminal justice major.

ETA: Even with all the weirdness already in my search history, I'm kind of paranoid to type that in right now! So do you mind sharing what you found?

 

[newlyminted]

IMO, I don't think there is anymore to this. She wasn't Maura. The picture has a likeness, but there are differences. The eyebrows are way off. I know you can trim them, but the shape is totally different. There was something different about the eyes and lips too. She could be Maura's sister or cousin, but unfortunately, I don't think she is Maura.

The thing is Maura has a pretty "generic" look for New England. I can think of probably about 20 girls I personally know that have a similar look. They aren't dead ringers for her, but they look like they could be related (They aren't).

 

[mommylicious]

Hahaha, right? I think about that stuff all the time. I can't imagine all the confusion investigators would run into if something were to happen to a Websleuths member or criminal justice major.

ETA: Even with all the weirdness already in my search history, I'm kind of paranoid to type that in right now! So do you mind sharing what you found?

Temporarily OT, but I totally agree. These cases make me analyze my own life more. I'm following the McStay case where even a dirty diaper is up for analysis. I can only imagine what they/you guys (WSers) would say about the hurricane that is my daughters. Lol :truce:

Back on topic, I wish Renner had found her and that she disappeared by choice. The FB friends of the lady he found who knew Maura or had some connection to her isn't really unexpected given the similar age and location.

 

[Lolacat]

Hahaha, right? I think about that stuff all the time. I can't imagine all the confusion investigators would run into if something were to happen to a Websleuths member or criminal justice major.

ETA: Even with all the weirdness already in my search history, I'm kind of paranoid to type that in right now! So do you mind sharing what you found?

I couldn't come up with anything definitive. I even googled the Tim Carney case as he was found after a long protracted police search but there was no info- perhaps it varies state to state? The police definitely told the public he had been found. All they said was, he'd been located and he was safe, but didnt want to reveal his location and that was that. They didnt reveal his whereabouts to his family.

 

[Jane Birch]

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.

That's not suicide, though. That's being a risk-taker and adventurous. Suicide is doing something that you KNOW will result in death, possible even BECAUSE of that.

 

[scoops]

That's not suicide, though. That's being a risk-taker and adventurous. Suicide is doing something that you KNOW will result in death, possible even BECAUSE of that.

I agree.

But I don't think most people would go into that type of situation (white mountains) fully unprepared with the odds stacked up against them of surviving because they have too much else going on in their lives, even the most fanatical of hikers.

I think someone that gets to a point where they have nothing to lose (and that isn't very many people) might do something like that. Call it a death-wish or suicidal or probably the best term "Ultimate Final Adventure."

I've always looked at Maura's situation as if someone had told her you have just a few days left, but you can spend those last days however you want to.

And I think she just gave up with the daily grind, made plans for New Hampshire and set-off on that Monday night.

I find it revealing that she seemed to be struggling between going to Vermont or New Hampshire.

Both places hold hiking spots that Maura and her father loved.

I think she ultimately picked NH.

 

[goldiegirl]

I agree.

But I don't think most people would go into that type of situation (white mountains) fully unprepared with the odds stacked up against them of surviving because they have too much else going on in their lives, even the most fanatical of hikers.

I think someone that gets to a point where they have nothing to lose (and that isn't very many people) might do something like that. Call it a death-wish or suicidal or probably the best term "Ultimate Final Adventure."

I've always looked at Maura's situation as if someone had told her you have just a few days left, but you can spend those last days however you want to.

And I think she just gave up with the daily grind, made plans for New Hampshire and set-off on that Monday night.

I find it revealing that she seemed to be struggling between going to Vermont or New Hampshire.

Both places hold hiking spots that Maura and her father loved.

I think she ultimately picked NH.

I don't disagree with this. But the question I have is - how do you think she ultimately got to the White Mountains? Do you think that a good Samaritan would pick her and drop her off at the foot of a mountain in the middle of the night? I just can't see someone being willing to honor that request. They would have to know it would be a death sentence under those conditions.

 

[scoops]

I don't disagree with this. But the question I have is - how do you think she ultimately got to the White Mountains? Do you think that a good Samaritan would pick her and drop her off at the foot of a mountain in the middle of the night? I just can't see someone doing that.

I believe that to be a real possibility. That a good Samaritan picked her up.

If Maura hadn't wrecked, I think she was going to stay at a hotel that night. I don't think initially wanted to spend her last moments on earth in bitter cold in pitch black night. That is why I believe she left UMASS late in the afternoon like she did.

She was wanting to stay the night in a hotel.

So she would have the entire day (on Tuesday) to take on the mountains.


When She wrecked (which I believe was not planned), I think all bets were off, but Maura knew she couldn't stay by her car because police would've gotten her and she would have a whole lot of explaining to do to family.

I think Maura took a ride from a good samaritan (further east) and could've easily had the person drop her off at her intended hotel.

But Maura wouldn't have went through with staying at the hotel, because her time was running out. Police (in her mind) were looking for her and I think she went off onto some trail that night.

As far as the good samaritan is concerned, I really do believe it is highly possible that someone -who picked her up that night- has no clue that Maura eventually went missing.

This story is popular on the blogs but not real popular in the mainstream.

If this good Samaritan wasn't a local (just someone passing through that night) then, chances improve that they have never heard about this case and never have really thought back to that night again.

 

[scoops]

By the way, the 20-20 special was on last night and it of course detailed the cases of both Maura and Brooke Wilberger vanishing.

Brooke's remains were later found and her killer was brought to justice.

I wanted to point out that what happened to Brooke would be called the textbook definition of a "Crime of Opportunity."

Brooke was at her sister's owned apartment complex (I believe on Spring Break) cleaning lamp posts outside in broad daylight and this predator was lurking around the area and spotted Brooke.

He doubled back and somehow was able to lure her into his vehicle.

Criminal sees an opportunity, formulates a plan, and then executes which equals a Crime of Opportunity.


In Maura's case, she was involved in a wreck in the evening hours in the middle of nowhere (essentially).

Not many guys prowling around for opportunities at that time of night and furthermore, unlike Brooke, a predator doesn't have the benefit of being able to assess the situation beforehand.

Try driving onto someone at night time on a lonely dark road and see how long it takes you to figure out what in the heck is going on, let alone is the person a male or female. How many people are there etc....

The one incident that happened to be personally, scared the crap out of me a year or so ago as I was driving 55MPH down a dark highway around 1:30 a.m. and all I could make out a few hundred yards in front of me was some person's arms waving frantically up and down coming from the side of the highway.


I slowed up as I got closer to the scene and as my heart was racing not knowing what I was about to stumble upon, as I began approaching the person, I intentionally angled my front of my car directly at them and turned my high beams up.

It was then that I was able to see it was a very tall and skinny 20ish young white male. I quickly looked around and noticed that there was no other person around and no car around either --- and this person did not seem like they were injured or in immediate danger of something. Before he began walking towards my car (he was hesitant at first and kind of froze in spot with my high beams on him) I bolted away from the scene. I didn't know if he was up to any good or not.

Two days later, in our morning paper was a story about a guy who had crashed his car into a telephone pole (about 9 miles west of where I encountered him at) and he was suspected of drinking and driving and had fled the accident scene on foot and was eventually picked up by police (right in the same area I encountered him at). He actually lived just a few more miles from where I encountered him at and I am assuming he was trying to get home before police caught up to him.

But point of the story was, I had no idea what was going on when I saw those waving arms. It is something I wasn't looking for and completely startled me as I had my music blaring and was just looking forward to getting home from work.

It took me a good 30 seconds stopped with my high beams up to fully assess the situation and make my decision not to render assistance to this person.

I don't believe Maura's situation would fall into the category of Crime of Opportunity.

 

[takeitfromme412]

I also saw the rerun of that20/20 episode last night about Maura and Brooke... At 3 a.m. I think... Brooke was definitely a crime of opportunity, no doubt about that, but I get the feeling that it's at least not out of the realm of possibilities that Maura too could have been a crime of opportunity, simply because she was alone, with a somewhat disabled vehicle, possibly had been drinking and maybe would have accepted a ride from a stranger that maybe seemed like a Good Samaritan but yet, maybe had less than desirable intentions

 

[scoops]

I also saw the rerun of that20/20 episode last night about Maura and Brooke... At 3 a.m. I think... Brooke was definitely a crime of opportunity, no doubt about that, but I get the feeling that it's at least not out of the realm of possibilities that Maura too could have been a crime of opportunity, simply because she was alone, with a somewhat disabled vehicle, possibly had been drinking and maybe would have accepted a ride from a stranger that maybe seemed like a Good Samaritan but yet, maybe had less than desirable intentions

No question, Maura could've been very vulnerable to a predator.

But I have always looked at a crime of opportunity as being a criminal that doesn't have the mental fortitude to pre-plan a crime.

These type of criminals have to see the situation in front of them, before coming up with the idea of committing the crime.

I would argue at night time on a dark highway driving the speed limit, a person in a car would be startled to come along any person (stranded by a car or walking alone) and the opportunity to formulate a plan to commit a crime would not take place. It would be very hard IMO, to make out Maura as a young stranded female, by just whizzing by her on the highway at night.

 

[snowblossom2]

By the way, the 20-20 special was on last night and it of course detailed the cases of both Maura and Brooke Wilberger vanishing.

Brooke's remains were later found and her killer was brought to justice.

I wanted to point out that what happened to Brooke would be called the textbook definition of a "Crime of Opportunity."

Brooke was at her sister's owned apartment complex (I believe on Spring Break) cleaning lamp posts outside in broad daylight and this predator was lurking around the area and spotted Brooke.

He doubled back and somehow was able to lure her into his vehicle.

Criminal sees an opportunity, formulates a plan, and then executes which equals a Crime of Opportunity.


In Maura's case, she was involved in a wreck in the evening hours in the middle of nowhere (essentially).

Not many guys prowling around for opportunities at that time of night and furthermore, unlike Brooke, a predator doesn't have the benefit of being able to assess the situation beforehand.

Try driving onto someone at night time on a lonely dark road and see how long it takes you to figure out what in the heck is going on, let alone is the person a male or female. How many people are there etc....

The one incident that happened to be personally, scared the crap out of me a year or so ago as I was driving 55MPH down a dark highway around 1:30 a.m. and all I could make out a few hundred yards in front of me was some person's arms waving frantically up and down coming from the side of the highway.


I slowed up as I got closer to the scene and as my heart was racing not knowing what I was about to stumble upon, as I began approaching the person, I intentionally angled my front of my car directly at them and turned my high beams up.

It was then that I was able to see it was a very tall and skinny 20ish young white male. I quickly looked around and noticed that there was no other person around and no car around either --- and this person did not seem like they were injured or in immediate danger of something. Before he began walking towards my car (he was hesitant at first and kind of froze in spot with my high beams on him) I bolted away from the scene. I didn't know if he was up to any good or not.

Two days later, in our morning paper was a story about a guy who had crashed his car into a telephone pole (about 9 miles west of where I encountered him at) and he was suspected of drinking and driving and had fled the accident scene on foot and was eventually picked up by police (right in the same area I encountered him at). He actually lived just a few more miles from where I encountered him at and I am assuming he was trying to get home before police caught up to him.

But point of the story was, I had no idea what was going on when I saw those waving arms. It is something I wasn't looking for and completely startled me as I had my music blaring and was just looking forward to getting home from work.

It took me a good 30 seconds stopped with my high beams up to fully assess the situation and make my decision not to render assistance to this person.

I don't believe Maura's situation would fall into the category of Crime of Opportunity.

Not to belabor the point too much more, but crimes of opportunity are crimes without premeditation. They don't have to leave or wait and formulate the plan, they just act. Eg someone sees something valuable in a car and breaks in to get it - the whole point is that there is not a plan but the crime occurs bc of the circumstance (and obviously, a criminal)

 

[goldiegirl]

Scoops, I'm really starting to come around to your theory of her planning to spend a night in a hotel then head up to the mountains on Tuesday. And after her wreck I guess it's not unreasonable to think that a good Samaritan did pick her up. I just have trouble with where they would have taken her and what she would have done after that. So you think they may have dropped her off in the parking lot of a hotel, and Maura decided to just go walk into the dark woods somewhere near there? Do you have any idea what hotels are in the area or where you think she may have been planning to stay?

 

[scoops]

Scoops, I'm really starting to come around to your theory of her planning to spend a night in a hotel then head up to the mountains on Tuesday. And after her wreck I guess it's not unreasonable to think that a good Samaritan did pick her up. I just have trouble with where they would have taken her and what she would have done after that. So you think they may have dropped her off in the parking lot of a hotel, and Maura decided to just go walk into the dark woods somewhere near there? Do you have any idea what hotels are in the area or where you think she may have been planning to stay?

Very good question.

When I was doing my own little photo investigation into Maura's disappearance back in 2011, I happened to grab a White Mountains Travel Guide when I was in the area.

In the guide alone there are 161 different lodging options for people coming to the White Mountains.

Of Course, not all of those are hotels/motels, some are resorts, condos etc... but there are no shortage of options on where to stay.

It would all come down to which particular mountain Maura was interested in re-visiting (IMO). I am thinking (but may be way off) that she had stated before that Mount Washington was her all-time favorite.

But that is not proven fact, I can't remember where I thought I heard that before.

 

[scoops]

Not to belabor the point too much more, but crimes of opportunity are crimes without premeditation. They don't have to leave or wait and formulate the plan, they just act. Eg someone sees something valuable in a car and breaks in to get it - the whole point is that there is not a plan but the crime occurs bc of the circumstance (and obviously, a criminal)

We are close to agreeing.

The scenario you brought up is a good one.

If someone is walking in a parking lot and they glance into a empty car and see a purse laying there (if they are a criminal) then opportunity presents itself in that situation and they smash a window and steal the purse.

But let me ask you this.

Would a criminal walking in a parking lot that sees a purse in an empty car ... still try to break in the car, if someone was approaching the car as they went over to smash the window.

In the first instance, the criminal was able to assess ahead of time that the risk level was low that all they needed to do was smash the window, grab the purse and get out of dodge.

In the second scenario (a person walking towards the car), the criminal has no opportunity and will move on and forget about the purse forever.

A criminal that works off opportunity alone is not going to be a huge risk taker.

Them pulling up to a stranded motorist that they had no idea was going to be there in the first place, means they are just taking a blind 50/50 chance that when they stop for this stranded motorist, the stranded motorist is just going to happen to be a young female by herself and possibly intoxicated. The criminal in this situation has no preview of the situation beforehand. the ideal to commit a crime is not going to take place from just seeing a stranded motorist or a silhouette of a figure walking down a dark road in dark clothing.

 

[McSpy]

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 agree, it is a toss up (succumbed to the elements, suicide, ride with a dirtbag, etc.). But let's face it, young woman can be targets, especially in dark isolated places. It could have been a crime of opportunity. Isn't that why Maura's was given a AAA membership? For her safety?

 

[McSpy]

No question, Maura could've been very vulnerable to a predator.

But I have always looked at a crime of opportunity as being a criminal that doesn't have the mental fortitude to pre-plan a crime.

These type of criminals have to see the situation in front of them, before coming up with the idea of committing the crime.

I would argue at night time on a dark highway driving the speed limit, a person in a car would be startled to come along any person (stranded by a car or walking alone) and the opportunity to formulate a plan to commit a crime would not take place. It would be very hard IMO, to make out Maura as a young stranded female, by just whizzing by her on the highway at night.

It has happened to woman though. There are also suggestions by LE that women should not stay in the car in a dark desolate place. That they should hide off the road and wait for LE to come by or for whoever they called for help.