NH NH - Maura Murray, 21, Haverhill, 9 Feb 2004 - # 7

[OldSteve]

If dogs didn't track her into the woods, it seems she got into a car, perhaps. There aren't many houses around there, and it was a late at night -- what are the odds a marauding wierdo just happened to pull up in the short amount of time from when the police were called. It seems more logical to me that one of the last people to communicate with her when she was alive would know the most about what happened to her.

I found the most recent article on this case to be very interesting in that it brings up two areas of interest - who was snow plowing at the time, and where MM got gas as a place were the rag might have been stuffed into the tail pipe to disable her car not far away, but in away from the gas station.
http://issuu.com/soco/docs/april11?m...&pageNumber=76

The new PI focuses upon event that happened at the time of the crash, and not on events days or many hours before - I agree with this.

 

[ThePhantom]

OldSteve, I agree too. Do you know about how long the new PI has been investigating Maura's case?

 

[scoops]

Do you have a link to the first-hand account?

I didn't print it out when i came across it. I know it was from way back in the early months after Maura went missing. It seems to me that the information back then was much more detailed and accurate about the case (News stories and even blog sites). Now, I think there are several things about this case that have been confused because of information overload.

One such thing is the phone message that billy received at the airport.
It is a fact that he turned that over to the police and they do not believe there is a voice or a whimpering sound on the message ... just static. Whereas, Billy was certain that he could hear Maura's voice. The police dismissed the message and over time, Billy was haunted with holding onto that message, so he eventually erased it.

 

[scoops]

I found the most recent article on this case to be very interesting in that it brings up two areas of interest - who was snow plowing at the time, and where MM got gas as a place were the rag might have been stuffed into the tail pipe to disable her car not far away, but in away from the gas station.
http://issuu.com/soco/docs/april11?m...&pageNumber=76

The new PI focuses upon event that happened at the time of the crash, and not on events days or many hours before - I agree with this.

I believe the rag came from Maura's emergency roadside kit she kept in her trunk because that is what her father has stated. It would be very unusual for a stranger at a gas station to pop open Maura's trunk while she was away and steal the rag and then use it in her tailpipe.

 

[McSpy]

I believe the rag came from Maura's emergency roadside kit she kept in her trunk because that is what her father has stated. It would be very unusual for a stranger at a gas station to pop open Maura's trunk while she was away and steal the rag and then use it in her tailpipe.

I agree. It does seem unlikely. I don't think a rag in her tail pipe would cause her car to drive into a snowbank either. I think it was put in the tail pipe after the accident. JMO

 

[McSpy]

Here's some more thoughts on the subject . . . Wouldn't the rag dislodge from the tailpipe during the accident from the force of hitting objects? Was it really plugged into the tailpipe or loosely place in the pipe? If it was loosely in the pipe, I doubt it would have stayed there.

 

[shefner]

What are some thoughts about why Maura would put the rag in the tailpipe after the accident?

 

[OldSteve]

What are some thoughts about why Maura would put the rag in the tailpipe after the accident?

I like the latest account which I've been linking to:

http://issuu.com/soco/docs/april11?m...&pageNumber=76

I was surprised to see the new PI working the case is mentioning the rag stuffed into the tail pipe .... I never would have believed she would have let someone go into the trunk on their own, since that's she kept her BF's expensive jewelry.

Perhaps more important was that she did stop for gas not far from where her car ended up - what took place at that station??? Someone may have seen her, detected she was drinking/vulnerable and followed her...

Does that tie in with any local snow plow operators?

IIRC the school bus driver told to her to turn on her emergency flashers.

Why take time at the crash site and fiddle around with the rag when there's alcohol in your car, and you've been drinking... you know LE will soon be there...
No time to take the jewelry, but time to get the the rag and stuff the tailpipe?

 

[shefner]

I like the latest account which I've been linking to:

http://issuu.com/soco/docs/april11?m...&pageNumber=76

I was surprised to see the new PI working the case is mentioning the rag stuffed into the tail pipe .... I never would have believed she would have let someone go into the trunk on their own, since that's she kept her BF's expensive jewelry.

Perhaps more important was that she did stop for gas not far from where her car ended up - what took place at that station??? Someone may have seen her, detected she was drinking/vulnerable and followed her...

Does that tie in with any local snow plow operators?

IIRC the school bus driver told to her to turn on her emergency flashers.

Why take time at the crash site and fiddle around with the rag when there's alcohol in your car, and you've been drinking... you know LE will soon be there...
No time to take the jewelry, but time to get the the rag and stuff the tailpipe?

Yes, I read the article you linked and it was interesting. I'm thinking Maura was very upset to have had yet another wreck. I'm thinking she left the scene quickly before LE had a chance to call for back-up...or call her dad.

The part I can't imagine is someone going into the trunk of her car at the gas station....and getting the rag out and stuffing it in the tailpipe. Why would someone do that? I mean, I don't think thats what caused the accident....and if they were hoping it would make Maura's car stall or breakdown, there was no guarantee of that. Its just hard to figure out.

 

[scoops]

The only theory I have read about that makes any sense concerning the rag in the tailpipe is that Maura would've put it there after the accident because her car was somewhat sticking out onto the road after the crash. In fact if her car was facing westbound in the eastbound lane then the area where her tailpipe is would likely be the area that is sticking out into the road a little.

She did take time to lock her car, I am assuming she wanted to come back to it at some point, so She may have put the rag there to alert another car from running into it.

 

[scoops]

and Mara's car was a dark color like a dark green I believe. That would blend very well into the night. So if you had just a portion of your car sticking out on a highway in the middle of nowhere, you would be asking for trouble concerning another car coming along and clipping it.-

 

[scoops]

One final thing concerning the rag in the tailpipe. I do believe that the SBD asked Maura to turn on her flashers. But i don't recall ever coming across anything that said that when police responded to the scene they noticed a car with its flashers on. Maybe she did turn on her flashers and maybe she didn't. I will try and look back into that one.

 

[scoops]

FWIW: here is the written statement the first officer offically on scene gave concerning Marua's wreck.

"I responded to the report of a car into a tree. When I arrived, I noticed the above vehicle (He's referencing a diagram he made) parked facing west in the eastbound lane of Wild Ammonoosuc RD (Rt 112). The vehicle was locked and there was no one in the area. I spoke to a witness (assuming SBD) who told me there was a young female behind the wheel and there were no other people in the vehicle. He (The witness) spoke with the female who told him not to call the police."

"Evidence at the scene indicated the vehicle had been eastbound and had gone off the roadway, struck some trees, spun around and come to rest facing the wrong way in the eastbound lane. The drivers side of the windshield was cracked and both front airbags had been deployed."

"In plain sight behind the driver's seat of the vehicle, I could see a box of Franzia Wine. I could also see red liquid on the driver's side door and ceiling of the car."

"I made a serach of the roadway in the area of the accident. I was assisted by fire, EMS personnel and a resident (SBD) of the area. The driver was not located. A later search of the vehicle indicated that the driver was Maura Murray."

"When the vehicle was towed from the scene by Lavoie's, I recovered a coke bottle that contained a red liquid with a strong alcoholic odor."

(end of written statement)

I can't make out the name of the officer because he signed his name to the statement, but it looks like his first name might be Chris. Last name definitely begins with an H.

 

[LMax]

:welcome4:

 

[shefner]

FWIW: here is the written statement the first officer offically on scene gave concerning Marua's wreck.

"I responded to the report of a car into a tree. When I arrived, I noticed the above vehicle (He's referencing a diagram he made) parked facing west in the eastbound lane of Wild Ammonoosuc RD (Rt 112). The vehicle was locked and there was no one in the area. I spoke to a witness (assuming SBD) who told me there was a young female behind the wheel and there were no other people in the vehicle. He (The witness) spoke with the female who told him not to call the police."

"Evidence at the scene indicated the vehicle had been eastbound and had gone off the roadway, struck some trees, spun around and come to rest facing the wrong way in the eastbound lane. The drivers side of the windshield was cracked and both front airbags had been deployed."

"In plain sight behind the driver's seat of the vehicle, I could see a box of Franzia Wine. I could also see red liquid on the driver's side door and ceiling of the car."

"I made a serach of the roadway in the area of the accident. I was assisted by fire, EMS personnel and a resident (SBD) of the area. The driver was not located. A later search of the vehicle indicated that the driver was Maura Murray."

"When the vehicle was towed from the scene by Lavoie's, I recovered a coke bottle that contained a red liquid with a strong alcoholic odor."

(end of written statement)

I can't make out the name of the officer because he signed his name to the statement, but it looks like his first name might be Chris. Last name definitely begins with an H.

scoops, thanks for this information. I am thinking something very grave was troubling Ms. Maura. She was drinking quite a bit in the days leading up to her disappearance. What is amazing is that no one seems to know what it is that was bothering her. Surely she told a friend or a roommate.
And why would she withdraw money and go to the liquor store to purchase all that alcohol. Could she have been meeting someone? Or was she hoping to drown her sorrows? So many questions...so few answers....

 

[scoops]

Thanks LMAZ, glad to be in this group.


And yes Shefner, I think Maura was deeply troubled about something, does the circumstances around her in the days prior, tie into her second accident or not, remains a mystery.

FWIW:Here is some time-line info taken from the actual police dispatch log from that night.

6:10 p.m. --- H2 (I am assuming this is reference to the officer that first arrived on Maura's crash scene)
Anyway H2 off with two snow machines. (He pulled over persons operating snow machines).

6:25 p.m. --- H2 Clear. Warning for lights out, summons for passenger for not wearing helmet.

(No more radio activitiy until 7:27 p.m.)

7:27 p.m. - Faith Westman (Neighbor just a few yards from accident site) calls to advise a vehicle in the ditch right on sharp turn after the weathered barn (westman's own that weathered barn, it was some sort of store). Unknown if vehicle occupied more than once, but she can see a man smoking a cigarette. Car was eastbound but ended up in westbound ditch facing west.

(I believe the dispatcher or Mrs. Westman got the westbound ditch thing mixed up because the police report diagram shows Maura's car in the eastbound lane facing west).

7:29 p.m. - dispatch notifies police to respond to the accident scene.

7:42 p.m. --- Both fire and ems notfied by dispatch, a different dispatcher than the one who dealt with the police.

7:43 p.m. - Hanover dispatcher calls haverhill dispatcher to advise that there is a 911 call for them (Haverhill) call is from Butch atwood residence (SBD and his girlfriend) who advises that at the wreck scene there is one female (no passengers) and that she is "Shook up."
The girlfriend advised dispatch that her boyfriend (listed as husband by dispatcher) saw the crash and came home to call but had no idea where the crash victim was.

7:45 p.m. --- Police report shows this is time officer (H2) arrived, however, dispatch log shows first officer arrives one minute later at 7:46, (not a big deal I am assuming).


7:54 p.m. - a bolo was issued by dispatch to all fire units to be on the lookout for a female about 5-foot-7 to be on foot and as being the victim of a crash.

7:56 p.m. --- EMS personnel arrive on scene.

7:57 p.m. --- Fire arrives on scene.

8:50 p.m. - dispatcher makes the following notation. "B2 (i'm assuming is an officer) Clear of the scene, Lagoie's tow has the vehicle. Any luck locating the party or as she shown up at the cottage. Advised, partner working on it, will have (him/her) contact you.

 

[shefner]

Do we know if Maura was inside or outside of the car when Atwood spoke with her? Also, the car was locked....so no keys were found inside the car? We can safely assume she locked the vehicle and took the keys with her?

 

[scoops]

Shefner - from everything i have come across (news stories, quotes from butch atwood) She was in her car when the SBD pulled up the the scene.

(I am making the guess that she was trying to free her car and get it unstuck and away from the scene before police could get there and the SBD actually interupted her) but that is solely my guess.

I do believe he pulled up along side of her and opened his bus door which wouldv'e been right next to her passenger side door. (Her car was facing west, Atwood was coming home heading east).

I think she tried to get out of her car, but the drivers side door wasn't opening very far because it was stuck in the snow bank.

so its unclear how they communicated, my guess is that neither of them at that time got out of their respective vehicles and she may have reached over and rolled down her pass side window or some window to hear him.

Once he left the scene, she may have made the decision to get out of the car and leave, knowing that the SBD was definitely going to contact police if they already hadn't been contacted.

 

[OldSteve]

Do we know if Maura was inside or outside of the car when Atwood spoke with her? Also, the car was locked....so no keys were found inside the car? We can safely assume she locked the vehicle and took the keys with her?

IIRC - I've read all sort of accounts about what took place ... so much so I don't what to believe...
there was mention of the SBD not being sure it was MM in the car... then he was sure....
there was mention that he saw her peaking over the inflated air bag - (since the air bags automatically deflate in seconds after inflating) much was made of that ... but it could also have been she was pulling the deflated airbag up to hide behind it a bit...

I'll leave it to this one qoute:

"According to Atwood, who apparently spoke with Maura that evening, Maura had her hair down. Interestingly, Atwood later told a family member that Maura did not look like the pictures running in newspapers. Atwood clarified in our interview that the woman he spoke with did look like the pictures on the Missing Person signs, though it is worth noting that he and Maura remained 15 to 20 feet apart throughout their entire conversation and their encounter was past dusk. "
http://southshorexpress.com/maura-is-missing/83-maura-is-missing-the-epilogue.html

 

[scoops]

what i find really interesting about the accident scene is that the Westman's house is less than 10 steps from where maura's car would've ended up. And at 7 p.m. at night, with the Westman's looking out different windows at their house, I am pretty sure that Maura would've noticed that. Therefore, if she was scared of the SBD then she could've easily got the westman's attention or when the SBD left, she could've easily gone to their house as opposed to getting in some strangers car, if safety was Maura's big concern at the time. Once you go east from the wreck site, the houses get fewer and fewer and it also gets darker and darker.