I agree. It is very hard to find a body in the woods. In Maura's case, there is 6 years of falls, summers, winters and springs. Even her clothes and backpack may not stay intact to identify. In the first searches for her, the helicopters' heat seeking device probably didn't hit on anything, because she could have passed away. In her dark clothes, she would look like part of terrain from a helicopter. The landscape in the winter is very black and white.
NH NH - Maura Murray, 21, Haverhill, 9 Feb 2004 - # 6
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I agree. It is very hard to find a body in the woods. In Maura's case, there is 6 years of falls, summers, winters and springs. Even her clothes and backpack may not stay intact to identify. In the first searches for her, the helicopters' heat seeking device probably didn't hit on anything, because she could have passed away. In her dark clothes, she would look like part of terrain from a helicopter. The landscape in the winter is very black and white.
Hypothermia is tricky. In my years of outdoor activity I have heard many stories of it and the No. 1 hazard is being wet. People caught in rainstorms have died in 50 degree weather. A partaicular hazard is cotton clothing close to the skin and outer clothing that are water resistant. This combination works fine for day to use in town but it can be deadly for extended periods outdoors in cold weather and physical activity. Persperation can collect and make you very damp. We don't know what she was wearing but it was probably not appropariate for strenuous cold weather hiking.
Something else bothers me. The alcohol was missing from her trunk. It could have been taken by someone in the tow lot but she may have taken them with her in her knap-sack. If she started drinking on her trek across the White mountains, it would have been extemely dangerous. Alcohol doesn't make you warmer but it makes you think you are warm and certainly doesn't "ehhance" your judgement..
People who die of hypothermia are often found hunkered down in what ever shelter they can find; often burried in snow. She may have sought shelter somewhere that would not be easily found. She may have left the road in panic; perhaps to go towards a distant light.
It is possible MM had "suicidal ideation" when she took of. Going off like that with a stock-pile of booze after some serious life stressors is somewhat consistant with suicide. We will never know but it is reasonable that someone running from problems in her life, who is confronted by yet an other serious stressor, would probably not be thinking carefully about her own personal saftey.
I read a plausable explanation for this. Maura's mother said that Maura took practically everything home from her dorm room home on winter break.
Maura just didn't take the time to unpack yet. She was just back to school from break for something like 2 weeks (not sure of exact time). Since reading this explanation, I've disregarded the "packed boxes" mystery. It isn't a mystery anymore, because Maura's mother's explanation made sense.
The bus driver did say several cars had passed by, while he was sitting in the bus doing his paperwork, which was after he called police in regards to Maura's accident.
I disagree about her following another vehicle. There are no emails or phone records which support that she was going to take off with anyone.
The bus driver was the last person to see her. He called the police, because he knew her cell phone wouldn't work in that area. He lived very close to the accident and on the same road as the accident.
That is something I have been wondering about.
The bus driver lived right there and "knew her cell phone wouldn't work in that area." The following morning Billy received a phone call he believes was from Maura. So she may have finally made it to an area with cell coverage. Are there any locals reading this site who know where the cell coverage begins and ends in that little area around the accident? Could that be a clue to help us find how far she may have gotten? Has this coverage/reception area changed significantly since 2004?
I doubt the police are thinking about charging her with drunk driving or leaving the scene of an accident at this point. The police are withholding evidence of a possible crime committed by someone responsible for Maura's disappearance.
gnomony
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I guess I missed this detail, and it doesn't ring true. If cell phones didn't work in that immediate vicinity, the bus driver would have had to go into his house to call on a land line. Then he went back outside to sit in his bus on a February night to do paperwork? Possible, but strange behavior in my judgment.
Actually, I had it wrong. The bus driver was on his porch, not in the bus when the cars passed by. Here is an excerpt of the newspaper article:
" Atwood spoke to the 911 operator from the front porch of his house. He could see the road, but Maura's car was not in his line of sight. As he spoke, a few cars passed by but Atwood was not able to identify any of them.
"I did not hear or see anything strange happen," Atwood said.
Three minutes later, at 7:46 p.m., Haverhill police Sergeant Cecil Smith arrived on the scene. He had been dispatched at 7:29 p.m. following the call from Faith Westman.
Atwood saw that a police vehicle had arrived so he went to his school bus to finish up some paperwork, he said during an interview.
Atwood later estimated that seven to nine minutes had elapsed from the time he left Maura to the arrival of the police cruiser, the Caledonian Record reported. "
Here is the story:
http://www.whitmanhansonexpress.com...sing-part-ii-the-accident&catid=912&Itemid=83
gnomony
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I wonder, were they headed east or west?
Here is something to chew on from the Wikipedia description of Maura's accident:
"The EMS and a fire truck arrived just before 8 pm, and quickly cleared the scene. Maura's car was towed to a local auto repair garage by 8:49 pm, and the police officer left to attend another call at about 9:30 pm. A New Hampshire State Police Trooper stopped by the scene of the accident, but it is unknown at what time he arrived, if he was dispatched or if he stopped on his own accord. The family reports that they were told there was no radio communication between the officer and his station for approximately two hours upon arrival to the scene. [9][11] There was no immediate search as it was assumed that Maura had left the scene by herself.[3] Her bank card, credit cards, and cellphone have not been used since.[6]"
I wonder why there wasn't any radio calls from the State Trooper for 2 hours. I'm sure there is not much going on in northern NH on a Monday night, but 2 hours seems like a lot of time. I wonder if he was aware Maura was missing from the accident scene prior to his arrival to the scene? Where was he for 2 hours? Maybe up on the interstate? In a couple of the articles sited by the Maura Murray Wikipedia page indicate that the State Trooper would not clarify his actions on that night. I wonder if he heard the original dispatch call to the local police or was he on his typical patrol and came upon the accident? Did he find out through the local police that she was missing and did he try to look for her along the state roads? Why isn't he clarifying? Seems odd.
"The EMS and a fire truck arrived just before 8 pm, and quickly cleared the scene. Maura's car was towed to a local auto repair garage by 8:49 pm, and the police officer left to attend another call at about 9:30 pm. A New Hampshire State Police Trooper stopped by the scene of the accident, but it is unknown at what time he arrived, if he was dispatched or if he stopped on his own accord. The family reports that they were told there was no radio communication between the officer and his station for approximately two hours upon arrival to the scene. [9][11] There was no immediate search as it was assumed that Maura had left the scene by herself.[3] Her bank card, credit cards, and cellphone have not been used since.[6]"
I wonder why there wasn't any radio calls from the State Trooper for 2 hours. I'm sure there is not much going on in northern NH on a Monday night, but 2 hours seems like a lot of time. I wonder if he was aware Maura was missing from the accident scene prior to his arrival to the scene? Where was he for 2 hours? Maybe up on the interstate? In a couple of the articles sited by the Maura Murray Wikipedia page indicate that the State Trooper would not clarify his actions on that night. I wonder if he heard the original dispatch call to the local police or was he on his typical patrol and came upon the accident? Did he find out through the local police that she was missing and did he try to look for her along the state roads? Why isn't he clarifying? Seems odd.
pittsburghgirl
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And if I recall correctly, didn't dogs track her to a point in the middle of the road, leading to questions about her accepting a ride, either from a stranger or someone she might have been planning to meet?
I don't think she planned to meet anyone, because there were no emails or phone records to support such an action. You have to wonder how she communicated with the person she supposedly met up with in NH.
I may be wrong, but I think it is more likely she accepted a ride.
Apparently dogs tracked her for about 100 yards and then they lost her raising speculation that she entered another vehicle. This could have been a planned acomplist or a random preditor or it could have been that the dogs just lost the trail. Dog are hardly infallible, particularly in bad conditions such as melting and re-freezing snow. Rick Forcier saw a woman "jogging" 4 or 5 miles futher east of there. Law enforcement has found this sighting credible. As this would have been a very isolated stretch of road well after dark when it would have been icy and cold. I think it is unlikely that some some unknown woman was just out for a jog. It is most probable that it was Maura and what ever happened to her happened after that point.
It is quite possible she kept going east by foot. Although, it would have been hard to see to the point one could easily become disoriented. Maybe the white snow helped Maura distinguish the road from the forest, if she didn't have a flashlight. Perhaps, she thought she could walk the cold miles to a town, because she was desperate enough to take the chance. She was a champion runner and had climbed mountains in her leisure, so 10 or 15 miles may not have seemed impossible. This makes me think the authorities or some volunteers should consider searching the road sides (Rt. 112. 116 and Bradley Hill Rd.). In particular, past the 5 miles they had searched in years past.
Good idea! All signs (the dogs and the witness) point to her continuing on the initial trajectory i.e., east on 112. Did she think she was closer to Bartlett or Conway than she actually was and try to make it? Even the phone call Billy received indicates she was still going the next morning. Is there some point between the accident site and Conway on 112 east where cell coverage picks up? (Even if spotty?) Because there was, and still is, little cell coverage in the area but if her call went through, it indicates she made it to a good spot. Perhaps somewhere near North Woodstock? Or is there some tiny spot on this route where the mountains don't block reception? That's where she could be.
I agree. Although, I think she would have made it to town before morning. It would take her about 5 hours walking on flat land (15 miles), but probably longer on inclines. I do think someone should search along Rt. 112 and 116. Bringing dogs would make it more thorough. However, the police seem to dismiss the cell phone call to Billy. Here is an excerpt from an article I found:
"Two days after her disappearance, Mauras fiance, William Rausch, received a voicemail message that he believes is the sound of Maura sobbing. His cellphone had been turned off so that he could pass through airport security on his way to help search for Maura. The call was traced to a calling card issued to the American Red Cross. Many believe this call was actually from Maura, not the American Red Cross, as it is unknown how the Red Cross would have his mobile number or why they would leave a voicemail with no actual message."
I'm not sure how the police know that this call was from a American Red Cross calling card, because the number is a typical calling card number, which is quite general. Unfortunately, it could have been a wrong number. They supposedly give these cards out to military personnel and probably people, who have been through a disaster, such as a fire.
Maura could have had the calling card from her West Point days or Billy gave it to her in the past. In other words, it may have been in her wallet. She was probably trying anything to get a hold of someone. She may have not realized it was just the mountains stopping her from getting a call out, so she tried the calling card and got through somehow. I don't know how savvy she is about technology, but she could have been smart enough to try alternatives like the calling card.
I do think searching along those roads is worthwhile. She may have succumb to the elements or got hit by a car. At this point, it is worth a try. If the contractor's siting of her is credible, then it is more than a good reason to search the sides of those roads.
I had another thought. There was a crack in the windshield of Maura's car. The airbag could have caused it. However, Maura's car had 2 impacts. Does anyone know if the airbag would have stayed filled with air after the first impact, so that it would protect her from the 2nd impact? I'm thinking she could have been hurt and initially didn't realize it, because of the adrenaline caused by the shock of the accident.
I think Maura had either accepted a ride or continued on her run to get access to a land line or cell phone signal. Here are my thoughts on her case:
1) The large amount of alcohol: She could have thought she could use the remainder in the future, perhaps at a Dorm party. In other words, she may have not planned to binge or share it with a secret friend in NH. She may have thought the alcohol, she didn't use on this short vacation, could be used at another time.
2) The rag in tailpipe: She could have put the rag there, because the car's rear end was sticking out into the road. A witness said it was in a ditch. It may have been Maura's feeble attempt to warn other drivers of the wrecked car sticking out into the roadway. Meaning, she used it as a flag. Another reason: She could have had it in her hand after she closed and locked the trunk and didn't want to litter, so stuffed it in the tailpipe to retrieve and put back in the trunk at a later time.
3)Packed boxes in Dorm room: She didn't get a chance to unpack after the winter break. Supposedly, she had 2 jobs, as well as school.
4) Meeting or following a secret lover: I find this unlikely, because there are no emails or phone calls to support this theory. Her actions seemed very impulsive, I doubt, she was that good at covering her tracks at that time. She could have made plans face to face with this secret friend, but again there are no witnesses or evidence suggesting a secret friend. She was also shown alone on all the videos (ATM, liquor store).
5) Her impulsive actions seemed to happen right after ahe crashed her Dad's car. This may simply be the reason she became very emotional and had made this fateful trip.
1) The large amount of alcohol: She could have thought she could use the remainder in the future, perhaps at a Dorm party. In other words, she may have not planned to binge or share it with a secret friend in NH. She may have thought the alcohol, she didn't use on this short vacation, could be used at another time.
2) The rag in tailpipe: She could have put the rag there, because the car's rear end was sticking out into the road. A witness said it was in a ditch. It may have been Maura's feeble attempt to warn other drivers of the wrecked car sticking out into the roadway. Meaning, she used it as a flag. Another reason: She could have had it in her hand after she closed and locked the trunk and didn't want to litter, so stuffed it in the tailpipe to retrieve and put back in the trunk at a later time.
3)Packed boxes in Dorm room: She didn't get a chance to unpack after the winter break. Supposedly, she had 2 jobs, as well as school.
4) Meeting or following a secret lover: I find this unlikely, because there are no emails or phone calls to support this theory. Her actions seemed very impulsive, I doubt, she was that good at covering her tracks at that time. She could have made plans face to face with this secret friend, but again there are no witnesses or evidence suggesting a secret friend. She was also shown alone on all the videos (ATM, liquor store).
5) Her impulsive actions seemed to happen right after ahe crashed her Dad's car. This may simply be the reason she became very emotional and had made this fateful trip.
scaredtopost
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This case has haunted me since I saw the episode of Disappeared on the ID channel. It's truly baffling because so little has been released to the public. It leaves a multitude of possibilities and I have heard so many theories. I feel so badly for her family and can't imagine their anguish not knowing what happened. I hope that there will be a resolve to this case.
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