NH NH - Maura Murray, 21, Haverhill, 9 Feb 2004 - # 8

[colette]

Whatever happened to Maura, she was leaving the nursing program. I bet she decided she was done with nursing. You can not miss a week of clinicals and expect to still be in the program. She would have been expected to bring in proof of the death in the family ect. Even if she had perfect grades, they are very strict about missing clinical hours and would most likely be thrown out of the program.

 

[scoops]

Whatever happened to Maura, she was leaving the nursing program. I bet she decided she was done with nursing. You can not miss a week of clinicals and expect to still be in the program. She would have been expected to bring in proof of the death in the family ect. Even if she had perfect grades, they are very strict about missing clinical hours and would most likely be thrown out of the program.

I agree.

She either returned scrubs (she was borrowing) or gave away her own scrubs to a fellow nursing student the day she went missing.

 

[Jane Birch]

I agree.

She either returned scrubs (she was borrowing) or gave away her own scrubs to a fellow nursing student the day she went missing.

There's no indication Maura planned to leave the nursing program. She brought textbooks with her to study, and completed part of a group assignment the weekend she left.

As for the clothes, they were loaned to her after she stayed at a friend of a friend's overnight unexpectedly due to bad weather after clinicals. I don't remember whether they were scrubs or simply a change of clothes. I recall hearing both over time. But they weren't hers, she was just returning them to their owner. (also, if they weren't scrubs, the entire point is negated.)

 

[colette]

The textbooks may have just been in her car. I really don't see how she could think she would still be in the nursing program if she took off like that. She would not be able to produce proof of the death she told about. Nursing programs have all their clinical hours to met state regulation, they are a tight fit in the program. You can not miss days, most programs do not allow you to "make up" clinical hours. At best students can try to get in a future nursing rotation, but generally they are forced out of the program. Maybe she thought she could get away with it, but she had to know she wouldn't.

 

[McSpy]

I believe you have a solid theory and not some half-baked claim being made with no true substance behind it like we have seen in some other instances.

I would argue that Maura was about to have the credit card charges dropped and therefore, she was in no current trouble at the time she disappeared.

And I would also wonder, that if maura was indeed still on the hook for troubles and still looking at being kicked out of the nursing program, then how could you be so dismmisive that (with her world crumbling around her) that maura wasn't depressed and potentially suicidal at the time she disappeared.

Problems are problems, but to young people without a ton of life experience, problems can be much larger (to them) than they actually are.

Maura was in burlington in October of 2003 and had hand written directions back to the area (found in her car) on the day she went missing. And yet no one thinks there is any kind of relevance????

Yes, Maura ended up in the white mountains instead, (Which according to her father, she had been there in the summer before she went missing) and yet no one finds common ground there???

But yet, we here maura eats pizza and we automatically assume she is bullimic?
Or we hear she went and stayed with her father at a hotel, so we assume she is sleeping with him (Hello, hotels feature rooms with two beds in them almost everywhere you go).

I just don't understand the thought process, I guess.......

By the way, I am sort of ranting, so don't think I am talking about you specifically. I do think you have a good working theory to go off of. With my theory of suicide, I always felt Maura was more in a thinking out process than just go and off myself mode. (The fact she brought some (not neccessarily valuable but sentimental items with her leads me to believe that).

BBM

We are all trying to make sense out of this disappearance. As far as the "bulimia" theory. I did find a couple of posts from students a few years ago on the subject. One post in particular seemed genuine. She felt Maura was suffering from Bulimia. The poster claimed her fellow classmate, friends lived on Maura's floor at the dorm. Fast forward to the credit card info, we find Maura buying food. All the charges were for food. It started to come together for me. I also have a friend, who has been battling with bulimia for years and believe it or not, her actions were very similar to Maura's. Secretive and managed to more often than not, to get a room without a roommate. This is only a theory though. I could be wrong. To me, this possibility explains Maura's mindset before she took off. It doesn't explain what happened to her after the NH accident. However, I don't think she went up to NH to commit suicide. JMO

 

[McSpy]

The textbooks may have just been in her car. I really don't see how she could think she would still be in the nursing program if she took off like that. She would not be able to produce proof of the death she told about. Nursing programs have all their clinical hours to met state regulation, they are a tight fit in the program. You can not miss days, most programs do not allow you to "make up" clinical hours. At best students can try to get in a future nursing rotation, but generally they are forced out of the program. Maybe she thought she could get away with it, but she had to know she wouldn't.

They must have some way for the student to make up hours for a death in the family. There has to be an exception for something like that, even though she may have had to hold off on getting her license or to graduate.

It does show that Maura knew how important it was to come up with an excuse for her absense which no one would question, if she had returned to school. This is another reason why I don't think she went up to NH to commit suicide. Why make an excuse for your absense for that?? Why not just leave without making an excuse?

 

[McSpy]

And wouldn't it stand to reason that LE would've noted that besides finding a smashed box of franzia wine in the back seat driver's side floor, they also had found two bottles of alcohol somwhere else in the car. Why refer to a receipt when you would have the actual bottles of alcohol as proof instead. You wouldn't hide the fact you found bottles, but then release the information found on the receipt which is the very same thing.

The receipt is valuable for a whole different reason as it shows a timestamp and location for when and where maura purchased her alcohol. But there is no reason to not say you found bottles unless you actually didn't recover the bottles (which then leads one to believe that maura took them with her).

Lets say there were 4 bottles of alcohol found in the car, but on the receipt there were 6 bottles bought. This means 2 bottles were missing. Does it mean anything? I don't know, but it may mean something if a bottle was found in a suspect's house with Maura's fingerprints on them or a girlfriend recalls a boyfriend gifting her with 2 bottles of alcohol on the same day Maura went missing. These scenarios are probably not the case here, but sometimes these small things may make a difference down the line. JMO

 

[colette]

If someone actually died they would most likely grant a 3 day leave and allow the person to make up the clinical somehow if needed. But to miss a week, and how was she going to produce the proof of death? Nursing programs are very strict. She had to have known.

 

[OldSteve]

They must has some way for the student to make up hours for a death in the family. There has to be an exception for something like that, even though she may have had to hold off on getting her license or to graduate.

It does show that Maura knew how important it was to come up with an excuse for her absense which no one would question, if she had returned to school. This is another reason why I don't think she went up to NH to commit suicide. Why make an excuse for your absense for that?? Why not just leave without making an excuse?

Perhaps we are thinking too logically... I remember when I was young and things I did, and the time I took off from school on a long trip with a friend..
we just didn't things through.... I simply got a bug in my head to take off, found a friend, got money out of the bank, packed some clothes and food, and became so engrossed on leaving that I didn't bother to think/care about how would we straighten things out when we got back... In fact getting back was something we didn't think or care about... chalk it up to impetuous youth and a belief that things would work out okay in the long run...

 

[McSpy]

If someone actually died they would most likely grant a 3 day leave and allow the person to make up the clinical somehow if needed. But to miss a week, and how was she going to produce the proof of death? Nursing programs are very strict. She had to have known.

I think it was possible she just winged it and took the chance. It seems like she was leaving options open by coming up with that excuse. Perhaps, she did recall that a death in the family was an acceptable excuse for time away from the program, but she didn't recall the details (3 days or week, etc.) Maybe she felt, she would deal with the conscequences after she got back. Although, since nursing programs are strict, it does explain why she chose "a death in the family" as an excuse for her absense. JMO

 

[McSpy]

Perhaps we are thinking too logically... I remember when I was young and things I did, and the time I took off from school on a long trip with a friend..
we just didn't things through.... I simply got a bug in my head to take off, found a friend, got money out of the bank, packed some clothes and food, and became so engrossed on leaving that I didn't bother to think/care about how would we straighten things out when we got back... In fact getting back was something we didn't think or care about... chalk it up to impetuous youth and a belief that things would work out okay in the long run...

I know what you mean, I think she winged it too, which is why I think she gave that extreme excuse. There may have been restrictions for an absense from the nursing program and Maura knew it, but didn't look at the details (For example: limited time off on death of family member). Maybe she felt she would deal with it when she got back. I think the excuse was a way to cover herself. JMO

 

[scoops]

I think it was possible she just winged it and took the chance. It seems like she was leaving options open by coming up with that excuse. Perhaps, she did recall that a death in the family was an acceptable excuse for time away from the program, but she didn't recall the details (3 days or week, etc.) Maybe she felt, she would deal with the conscequences after she got back. Although, since nursing programs are strict, it does explain why she chose "a death in the family" as an excuse for her absense. JMO

I have always theorized that maura emailed her professors and employers as a way to buy time for herself to make a clean break.

If Maura just ups and leaves (right at the start of the semester and away from two jobs) She would only have a day or two before her school admin and her employers were trying to track her down.

By giving a reason to be gone for a week, that gives maura a whole week to disappear before anyone would begin notifying her family in hopes of finding out what happened to her.


One other thing to be real clear on. To the best of my knowledge her email (to her professors, employers) has never been released publically and there are conflicting stories out about what exactly the email said.

In some accounts, Maura is believed to have stated that she had a death in the family and needed to be gone for a week.

In other accounts, it is stated that maura said she needed a week off because of "Family problems."

 

[Unscripted]

I know what you mean, I think she winged it too, which is why I think she gave that extreme excuse. There may have been restrictions for an absense from the nursing program and Maura knew it, but didn't look at the details (For example: limited time off on death of family member). Maybe she felt she would deal with it when she got back. I think the excuse was a way to cover herself. JMO

Excerpts from a Boston Globe article from February 15, 2004 written by Peter DeMarco:

'Since transferring to the University of Massachusetts, she has been a successful student in the nursing program, said dean Eileen Breslin.'

'"Nursing students are very responsible. That's part of her character," said Breslin.'

'Breslin, UMass's nursing dean, said Murray had e-mailed a professor on Monday indicating she needed to take time off because of a "family problem" and will return to class this week.'

There are 15 or so articles here:
http://www.projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=568.0

 

[McSpy]

Excerpts from a Boston Globe article from February 15, 2004 written by Peter DeMarco:

'Since transferring to the University of Massachusetts, she has been a successful student in the nursing program, said dean Eileen Breslin.'

'"Nursing students are very responsible. That's part of her character," said Breslin.'

'Breslin, UMass's nursing dean, said Murray had e-mailed a professor on Monday indicating she needed to take time off because of a "family problem" and will return to class this week.'

There are 15 or so articles here:
http://www.projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=568.0

Either way, she emailed an excuse for her absense. I guess I can't see someone doing this if they were planning to commit suicide.

 

[McSpy]

I have always theorized that maura emailed her professors and employers as a way to buy time for herself to make a clean break.

If Maura just ups and leaves (right at the start of the semester and away from two jobs) She would only have a day or two before her school admin and her employers were trying to track her down.

By giving a reason to be gone for a week, that gives maura a whole week to disappear before anyone would begin notifying her family in hopes of finding out what happened to her.


One other thing to be real clear on. To the best of my knowledge her email (to her professors, employers) has never been released publically and there are conflicting stories out about what exactly the email said.

In some accounts, Maura is believed to have stated that she had a death in the family and needed to be gone for a week.

In other accounts, it is stated that maura said she needed a week off because of "Family problems."

BBM

Why make a clean break? What difference would it make if one was planning to kill oneself? I just don't see it. In a way, it isn't a clean break. It still leaves questions. People would wonder why she bothered emailing an excuse for being absent then killed herself? I'm just not convinced she went up to NH to commit suicide. I do believe she was very emotional though. JMO

 

[Unscripted]

Either way, she emailed an excuse for her absense. I guess I can't see someone doing this if they were planning to commit suicide.

100% agree. The excuse for her absence IMO was her choosing the path of least resistance in terms of explaining her away time. She wanted to let her supervisor know that she'd be gone for the week so she could take the time she needed to sort out everything going on in her life.

You don't take your running gear, your textbooks, pick up the insurance forms for the Hadley crash and gas up your car if you're going to end your life.

 

[Skigirl]

Ugh, Renner's new post talks about how strange he thinks it is that Fred Murray won't talk to him. I wouldn't talk to him if I were Fred, either.

 

[scoops]

100% agree. The excuse for her absence IMO was her choosing the path of least resistance in terms of explaining her away time. She wanted to let her supervisor know that she'd be gone for the week so she could take the time she needed to sort out everything going on in her life.

You don't take your running gear, your textbooks, pick up the insurance forms for the Hadley crash and gas up your car if you're going to end your life.

I disagree and (after believing for a long time that maura succumbed to the elements, but then switching to the theory of suicide) I have never wavered in my theory about how she went about it (suicide plans that is).

I don't believe this was a go and kill myself quickly kind of thing. heck she could've done that real quickly in her own dorm and saved a lot of hassle.

She was freakishly obessessed with mountains and I think she wanted to spend her final days on earth (following a similar script) of some of the stories that can be found in the book she had with her.

I look at the fact that she packed up her dorm, returned borrowed clothing, cleaned out her checking account, brought her father's insurance forms with her, locked her car and left the insurance forms behind (after her accident) as someone who is very focused on tying up her loose ends. Bringing school books means nothing to me. She obviously needed her backpack (she took it with her) she may have just dumped the books to empty her backpack to take with her when she left her accident site.

If you are going away for a week to have a vacation (which makes no sense at all considering you were just on winter vacation for two months just 10 or 14 days earlier), You don't pack up your dorm to the gills like you are setting it up for family to come and collect your belongings because you no longer need them.

 

[Unscripted]

I disagree and (after believing for a long time that maura succumbed to the elements, but then switching to the theory of suicide) I have never wavered in my theory about how she went about it (suicide plans that is).

If you are going away for a week to have a vacation (which makes no sense at all considering you were just on winter vacation for two months just 10 or 14 days earlier), You don't pack up your dorm to the gills like you are setting it up for family to come and collect your belongings because you no longer need them.

Who knows if her room was even unpacked from the lengthy UMass Christmas break?

 

[minazoe]

http://www.wcax.com/story/17259479/body-found-in-st-johnsbury

Woman apparently snatched out of a car, body found 11 miles away -- and about 19 miles from where MM disappeared.

This story, coupled with a police warning about a killer on the loose...( they don't do this when they suspect a husband or private matter caused the death...) does make me think that they are looking at a serial predator.

car running? :notgood: