NH NH - Maura Murray, 21, Haverhill, 9 Feb 2004 - #14

[MassGuy]

These cases are about theories but I think it is more likely a Serial Killer killed Maura than her boyfriend. I would say he is just another person being incorrectly implicated in her case by people like James Renner who in my opinion know slightly less than next to nothing about the case. Again I say I am certain Ralph Jackson was the Connecticut River Valley Killer and that means he stopped committing crimes in 2010 but it is up to others whether they listen or believe me.

I think it’s far more likely that Maura wandered into the woods, and died of exposure.

The astronomical luck that would be involved with someone with murderous intent coming across her, when coupled with the disturbing mental health signs, makes it incredibly unlikely IMO.

She exhibited bizarre behavior prior to this incident, and likely felt that she had a lot to lose if she was caught driving under the influence.

I see no signs of foul play here.

 

[GordianKnot]

I went to high school with a kid who was drunk driving, and crashed his car in a relatively isolated area.

He was so scared of being busted, that he spent a freezing night in the woods.

When he emerged the next morning, he claimed that he was disoriented from the crash, and didn’t know what he was doing.

Ever since Maura disappeared, that’s the scenario I’ve put the most stock in.

All the elements are there.

I think she’s (her body) in the woods, and probably not far from where the crash happened.

I couldn't agree more with everything you said.

I think MM ran into the woods to hide after she crashed her car in order to avoid another DUI arrest, got disoriented, eventually sat/laid down somewhere, and ultimately succumbed to the elements.

It's not just you and me who think that's what happened, either.

Occam says she's in the woods. And that guy's one sharp razor!

JMO.

 

[GordianKnot]

I think it’s far more likely that Maura wandered into the woods, and died of exposure.

The astronomical luck that would be involved with someone with murderous intent coming across her, when coupled with the disturbing mental health signs, makes it incredibly unlikely IMO.

She exhibited bizarre behavior prior to this incident, and likely felt that she had a lot to lose if she was caught driving under the influence.

I see no signs of foul play here.

Precisely.

MM's behavior leading up to the accident indicates she was in the throes of some type of emotional and/or mental health crisis.

Alcohol impairs judgment and decision-making. She likely decided in the aftermath of the accident that she needed to avoid a DUI arrest at all costs, and that the best way to do that would be to go hide in the woods until she sobered up.

Unfortunately for her, that plan was a recipe for disaster.

JMO.

 

[jaejae]

I think it’s far more likely that Maura wandered into the woods, and died of exposure.

The astronomical luck that would be involved with someone with murderous intent coming across her, when coupled with the disturbing mental health signs, makes it incredibly unlikely IMO.

She exhibited bizarre behavior prior to this incident, and likely felt that she had a lot to lose if she was caught driving under the influence.

I see no signs of foul play here.

You may be tight but I see foul play and I think Fred Murray agrees with me.

 

[MassGuy]

You may be tight but I see foul play and I think Fred Murray agrees with me.

The closer you are to someone, the less objective you are able to be.

His daughter was deeply troubled.

 

[sony12]

You may be tight but I see foul play and I think Fred Murray agrees with me.

Fred wants to believe there was foul play involved because it is what makes his daughter look the best. If she was going off to commit suicide it makes his daughter look really messed up. If she ran off into the woods and died of the elements it makes her look a little dumb. If she purposely disappeared because she was wanting to get away from her family then that would make it look like there were a whole lot of problems within the family. If she is still alive somewhere and is living an entirely different life than that would basically be a complete rejection of her family.

Fred also hasn't done a real good job of coming up with good evidence or 'theories' of his own. Someone comes up to him and tells him that 'this is the knife that my brother used to kill your daughter' and so Fred immediately takes it to police acting like it is a solid lead and then seems to get upset when the police don't really take it seriously. The whole A-Frame house thing was created entirely by Fred. And now we have this latest situation that was a pure rumor Fred was going off of as well.

If Fred wants the police to take his opinions seriously he needs to probably stop chasing around all these rabbit holes and start putting together better leads/ideas/evidence for them to work with (even if it involves things that might not make his family look so good).

 

[GordianKnot]

Fred wants to believe there was foul play involved because it is what makes his daughter look the best. If she was going off to commit suicide it makes his daughter look really messed up. If she ran off into the woods and died of the elements it makes her look a little dumb. If she purposely disappeared because she was wanting to get away from her family then that would make it look like there were a whole lot of problems within the family. If she is still alive somewhere and is living an entirely different life than that would basically be a complete rejection of her family.

Fred also hasn't done a real good job of coming up with good evidence or 'theories' of his own. Someone comes up to him and tells him that 'this is the knife that my brother used to kill your daughter' and so Fred immediately takes it to police acting like it is a solid lead and then seems to get upset when the police don't really take it seriously. The whole A-Frame house thing was created entirely by Fred. And now we have this latest situation that was a pure rumor Fred was going off of as well.

If Fred wants the police to take his opinions seriously he needs to probably stop chasing around all these rabbit holes and start putting together better leads/ideas/evidence for them to work with (even if it involves things that might not make his family look so good).

Agreed that FM does not want to believe or in fact even entertain the possibility that MM died as a result of anything other than foul play at the hands of "some dirtbag," as he put it.
I'm not sure why as a father that scenario would be easier for him to accept than any of the other possibilities, but it's clear that's the case.

Viewing the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and her unstable behavior leading up to her accident objectively, the most likely explanation of what happened to her is that she wanted to avoid a DUI arrest and made the unfortunate to run into those woods, became disoriented, and died of exposure.

JMO.

 

[sony12]

Agreed that FM does not want to believe or in fact even entertain the possibility that MM died as a result of anything other than foul play at the hands of "some dirtbag," as he put it.
I'm not sure why as a father that scenario would be easier for him to accept than any of the other possibilities, but it's clear that's the case.


JMO.

It's very possible that him and Maura were arguing/fighting in the last few occasions they saw each other and Fred may not want to think that the way he treated her had an impact on her going missing.

 

[GordianKnot]

It's very possible that him and Maura were arguing/fighting in the last few occasions they saw each other and Fred may not want to think that the way he treated her had an impact on her going missing.

That's a great point.
I think there might be a lot of truth to that.
It may be easier for him to believe she met with foul play rather than to consider the possibility that it was MM's own state of mind and her resulting actions that ultimately led to her demise.

JMO.

 

[jaejae]

The closer you are to someone, the less objective you are able to be.

His daughter was deeply troubled.

I agree with at the time of her disappearance she was troubled. Of course we all have different theories and would like to see an answer for the Murray family because to see them suffering and struggling to find answers is not nice. I do not know but as I say the longer it goes on without an answer the more likely it was likely to be stranger foul play odds to me. I tend to look at what people thought at the time of the crime and one of the first calls the Maitland family received about their daughter Brianna was from the Murray family.

 

[jaejae]

I agree with at the time of her disappearance she was troubled. Of course we all have different theories and would like to see an answer for the Murray family because to see them suffering and struggling to find answers is not nice. I do not know but as I say the longer it goes on without an answer the more likely it was likely to be stranger foul play odds to me. I tend to look at what people thought at the time of the crime and one of the first calls the Maitland family received about their daughter Brianna was from the Murray family.

As I say we all have different theories but other people have speculated about a possible Serial Killer operating in New England for some time:

My theory about a potential serial killer in New England

 

[HeartOfGranite]

What makes the series killer theory not work for me is where this happened. Unless he lived in the area--as in right there by the crash site, there's zero reason for him to be trolling the road where Maura disappeared on a snowy night in February. In the direction Maura was traveling, there are very, very few houses for miles. Many of the ones there are are summer homes. If a killer wanted to find a victim that night, that's just not where he'd look because of the unlikelihood of anyone being out there. Even in summer, it's not a particularly well-traveled road. It's not really a route someone not familiar with the area would take, especially in winter. I often took the longer route around in winter instead of going that way if it had snowed recently or snow was forecast. The odds of a serial killer being out and about on that road and coming along just after Maura crashed would have to be astronomical. He could have lived there or followed her, I suppose, but it's just so unlikely compared to her dying of exposure given where this happened. I think it's slightly more plausible that the boyfriend was involved (which doesn't necessarily mean he did it himself), but I think the possibility of something less sinister outweighs both put together.

I think the killer angle is, in a way, easier for her family to consider because it's the one where they don't have to wonder if they'd done something different if she'd still be with them. That's totally understandable. And it's a possibility, just a very small one given what is known.

 

[jaejae]

What makes the series killer theory not work for me is where this happened. Unless he lived in the area--as in right there by the crash site, there's zero reason for him to be trolling the road where Maura disappeared on a snowy night in February. In the direction Maura was traveling, there are very, very few houses for miles. Many of the ones there are are summer homes. If a killer wanted to find a victim that night, that's just not where he'd look because of the unlikelihood of anyone being out there. Even in summer, it's not a particularly well-traveled road. It's not really a route someone not familiar with the area would take, especially in winter. I often took the longer route around in winter instead of going that way if it had snowed recently or snow was forecast. The odds of a serial killer being out and about on that road and coming along just after Maura crashed would have to be astronomical. He could have lived there or followed her, I suppose, but it's just so unlikely compared to her dying of exposure given where this happened. I think it's slightly more plausible that the boyfriend was involved (which doesn't necessarily mean he did it himself), but I think the possibility of something less sinister outweighs both put together.

I think the killer angle is, in a way, easier for her family to consider because it's the one where they don't have to wonder if they'd done something different if she'd still be with them. That's totally understandable. And it's a possibility, just a very small one given what is known.

Interesting post. I do not know what happened to Maura but my suspect is Ralph Jackson who I am certain was the Connecticut River Valley Killer when he struck in New England. I think he liked bad whether including snow storms because it meant females like Maura were more likely to have car accidents and trouble with their vehicles. I have to say trolling roads in New England late at night is exactly what he did. It is of course possible she died of exposure but then a body might be found but of course this is not a certainty. I link Maura's case to that of Brianna Maitland that might be the work of Jackson AKA The Connecticut River Valley Killer. In the Brianna Maitland case there is more evidence of foul play with her car being backed into the Dutch barn and so this might mean the Connecticut River Valley Killer was active in New England in the time frame of Maura's disappearance. They are of course both horrible cases that affected young women who had their lives in front of them:

Stephanie Faris: B Is for Brianna Maitland

 

[rob525]

I would doubt a serial killer. As others have stated, someone out trolling for victims in that place, at that time and in that weather doesn't seem to fit. But we have seen time and again where a seeming random encounter turns very bad. If the wrong guy happened along past the accident site at the given time, who knows?

 

[jaejae]

I would doubt a serial killer. As others have stated, someone out trolling for victims in that place, at that time and in that weather doesn't seem to fit. But we have seen time and again where a seeming random encounter turns very bad. If the wrong guy happened along past the accident site at the given time, who knows?

I think I am right with who the Connecticut River Valley Killer is. All I am saying is the Connecticut River Valley Killer did troll for victims John Philpin who profiled he said this. He drove a lot late at night in areas with payphones etc and he attacked victims in snowstorms. My suspect was a freak with a great deal of vile energy and was up at all times of the night and did not seem to need much sleep. He struck in much colder temperatures than this in places like Montana. You might be right but what I am saying is he was not tucked up in bed by his mum at 9 O'clock with a hot water bottle and a cup of horlicks.

 

[Chad_York]

I would doubt a serial killer. As others have stated, someone out trolling for victims in that place, at that time and in that weather doesn't seem to fit. But we have seen time and again where a seeming random encounter turns very bad. If the wrong guy happened along past the accident site at the given time, who knows?

I agree, Rob. I think this was an encounter that was purely coincidental. She refused Butch's help due to his appearance and demeanor. Maura was reluctant to accept his help and hightailed from the scene, knowing that Butch was going to call the police. When someone drove by and offered her a ride, either that person was far more physically appealing or convinced Maura that they could be trusted. So, she accepted it and sadly met with a tragic fate.

To flee the scene within a seven minute time frame and having no physical trace of evidence to prove she was anywhere in the area afterwards certainly suggests a speedy getaway, but I can only speak upon this being my own theory.

 

[rob525]

I agree, Rob. I think this was an encounter that was purely coincidental. She refused Butch's help due to his appearance and demeanor. Maura was reluctant to accept his help and hightailed from the scene, knowing that Butch was going to call the police. When someone drove by and offered her a ride, either that person was far more physically appealing or convinced Maura that they could be trusted. So, she accepted it and sadly met with a tragic fate.

To flee the scene within a seven minute time frame and having no physical trace of evidence to prove she was anywhere in the area afterwards certainly suggests a speedy getaway, but I can only speak upon this being my own theory.

Yes. The lack of any evident signs that she walked away from the accident kind of makes me wonder. It seems given the timing, some tracks leading away from the scene would have been evident.

I am thinking, whomever caused her disappearance, was not out trolling for victims but was a person that had a propensity toward violence and would not hesitate to take advantage of a situation should one arise. Which, unfortunately it did. I would also guess that whomever did it had no conscious intention of attacking anyone but again, an opportunity presented itself and the guy had no problem seizing it.

I would also agree that whomever did it would be closer in age to Maura, someone she was apt to trust more than the bus driver, given the circumstances.

 

[Lavinia]

Yes. The lack of any evident signs that she walked away from the accident kind of makes me wonder. It seems given the timing, some tracks leading away from the scene would have been evident.

I am thinking, whomever caused her disappearance, was not out trolling for victims but was a person that had a propensity toward violence and would not hesitate to take advantage of a situation should one arise. Which, unfortunately it did. I would also guess that whomever did it had no conscious intention of attacking anyone but again, an opportunity presented itself and the guy had no problem seizing it.

I would also agree that whomever did it would be closer in age to Maura, someone she was apt to trust more than the bus driver, given the circumstances.

IF she is not in the woods...then this is what went down. The person in the car could have been creepy at first (i.e. making advances and realizing she was so vulnerable) and then it could have fully escalated into a murder if she had really fought back/he wouldn't back down.

 

[iluvmua]

The Maura Murray blog run by James Renner has the indictment of Bill Rausch.

He was just charged today.

There is a warrant out for his arrest.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

I couldn't agree more with everything you said.

I think MM ran into the woods to hide after she crashed her car in order to avoid another DUI arrest, got disoriented, eventually sat/laid down somewhere, and ultimately succumbed to the elements.

It's not just you and me who think that's what happened, either.

Occam says she's in the woods. And that guy's one sharp razor!

JMO.

With all of the initial media attention and stories on this case, why wouldn't at least 1 bone have been found by now?