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

[scoops]

From the Daily Hampshire Gazette:

"School of Nursing Dean Eileen Breslin said Murray has been a good student, currently enrolled in psychology, mental health and maternity courses as part of the classroom and clinical rotation for all juniors.
Murray had transferred to UMass from the U.S. Military Academy after three semesters at West Point. She was on the roster of the UMass women's track and field team last year and worked in a local art gallery."

Maura was in maternity courses, so any searches done on her computer could've been school related.

 

[The Farm]

She could have got an abortion right in Massachusetts so why drive up north. Makes no sense for that angle.

 

[OldSteve]

Mention of the "golden egg" got my curiosity, so I found this via google:

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/franconia-nh/T0DQUJ4P593IE7SE6/p80

Well, not sure if that really clears anything up...

 

[AWOLNATION]

The whole pregnancy thing may just be moot. Its one of those sensationalist theories that would be the "Aha!" moment. If there was such record on her computer of looking up pregnancy, the one thing that would end speculation or even spark it is when the searches were done...if it were within 24-36 hours of disappearing (or even when she emailed her professor) then yeah, I could see it maybe being a detail that may shed light. If these searches were done pre packing of her dorm, the phone call late at night, the email then it could very well be what a poster above pointed out, that she was dealing with a subject in nursing.
I hate to stay on the pregnancy thing, because really, no one knows...but, for the sake of argument, lets see what possibilites come out of "pregnancy" in general, from a theory stand point:

1.Could this have been private research due to Maura being pregnant?
a.Maybe she was pregnant
b.Maybe she had a miscarriage
c.Maybe she was looking into a way to abort pregnancy without a clinic
d.Maybe she was looking into some sort of help in the form of a clinic
e.Maybe for some reason she WANTED to become pregnant, and the alcohol
bought was one last "Hoorah" before quitting drinking for the health of the
pregnancy

2.Was there a pregnancy related to Maura, but not her herself?
a.A sibling had a miscarriage? and that was kept under wraps?
b.Was it a friend who had a miscarriage?
C.Was it a friend who was having an abortion?

that was a lot of grasping at straws there lol, but food for thought or for dismissal.

Either way, most likely is of no consequence

 

[AnonymousD]

Does it really matter if she was pregnant or not? She had enough on her mind with the cc fraud and crashing her dad's brand new car. If people think she was going up to NH for an abortion, then why was she searching for places to stay in Vermont on her computer? I guess I don't believe she was pregnant. . . . . I think she had issues bothering her, but not that. I think she changed her mind about Vermont, because she wasn't getting anywhere with any place to stay. She was heading to an area that she felt familiar with . . . . I think it was an on the fly decision. . . Just my opinion.

BBM

Does it matter? .....I think if she was pregnant it could explain her even more confused state of mind. Seeing as she was acting so strangely in the days/weeks leading up to her disappearance. Unexpected/unplanned pregnancy can make you (as a female) completely reevaluate what's going on in your life.

It was also just, imho, mere speculation. Talk. Thoughts. To keep Maura's thread going.

I don't recall either myself nor amber1 stating anything about an abortion?

ETA: Now that I see what the conversation about "the golden egg" was, being pregnant could of really put Maura in a more difficult situation.

 

[McSpy]

BBM

Does it matter? .....I think if she was pregnant it could explain her even more confused state of mind. Seeing as she was acting so strangely in the days/weeks leading up to her disappearance. Unexpected/unplanned pregnancy can make you (as a female) completely reevaluate what's going on in your life.

It was also just, imho, mere speculation. Talk. Thoughts. To keep Maura's thread going.

I don't recall either myself nor amber1 stating anything about an abortion?

ETA: Now that I see what the conversation about "the golden egg" was, being pregnant could of really put Maura in a more difficult situation.

Don't mind me. I've been on these Maura threads for quite a while, so I've seen the pregnancy thing brought up from time to time. To me, when it comes down to it, what really matters is what happened to her after her second accident in NH. I am pretty convinced she was an emotional wreck, which was why she took off up to NH. I am also convinced the cc fraud was true. I think she had a problem such as an eating disorder and it had a hold on her. Whatever the personal problem, it was an underlying issue which was getting in the way of her life, and IMO is the reason why she reacted in such an impulsive way. In other words, she was not happy with herself. I could be wrong on this, but this is my accessment so far.

Even if she was pregnant, it still doesn't explain what ultimately happened to her. Also, I am in total disagreement with Renner's belief that she drove up to NH in tandem with some guy. There is absolutely no evidence of this at all. Why would she need or care to keep a secret about him anyway? She was an adult. No one was twisting her arm to marry Billy. Besides, why isn't this "secret" guy missing too? He just dropped out of his life and no one misses him? IMO, it is more believeable if she met someone after the accident and then continued her life in a new location.

I know you didn't bring up abortion or Renner for that matter, I'm just pretty stuck on my theory until some new info comes forward. I guess I need solid evidence to move beyond my theories. . . JMO

 

[Masterj]

I've also been on these threads awhile, including Helena's old site. I am in complete agreement with McSpy. I also think she had an eating disorder, and it was causing her to make some really questionable decisions. While I appreciate some of the info Renner has uncovered (cc fraud), I don't agree with how he has treated Fred Murray. My bottom line is there is no evidence of her driving in tandem or running off with someone. Did she run off to start a new life? Possible but no evidence to back it up. Someone, somewhere would had to have aided her whether knowingly or not. Suicide is also possible but my gut tells me that isn't the case either. I am still leaning towards she was in the wrong place at the wrong time or didn't survive the elements.

I am interested in the inaccuracies in Maribeth's articles that Renner alledges. I am still disappointed in the police's response and decision making in regard to Maura's disappearance. NH is a beautiful state and full of wonderful people, and I think their LE let them down in this case. I feel the same about the Patric McCarthy case, the Bode Miller's cousin's case ( my apologies as their names are currently escaping me), and don't get me started on the lack of leadership of Kelly Ayotte.

Apologies for the typos as sending from my iPhone.

 

[OldSteve]

"Running can become part of this situation since those who are battling with an eating disorder often turn to increased physical activity in order to "burn off" unwanted weight. While running can be an effective tool to lose weight, with eating disorders the exercise itself "becomes an obsession," say those who +
http://www.stridenation.com/2012/2/29/2828186/the-dangers-of-eating-disorders-for-runners

 

[rosierider]

I am assuming that Renner has facts to back up his statements since he is an investigative journalist. I do not expect him to share his findings/facts online. One of my goals for 2013 is to stop wasting so much time. Reading this board is a time suck. Nobody here knows what happened. I am tired of reading opinions about each and every meager detail that is known. I believe there are people who know more, but they sure are not going to come here and share information. Hopefully some have talked to Renner. Slam him all you want, but at this point I think he is our best hope of finding the answer to this most baffling mystery.

 

[NHwoodsman]

First off Renner was or is writing a book, dull books don't sell, and many times so called Journalists take liberty with facts and interviews, WHAT, the media exaggerating!!! I would only trust anything backed up by an affidavit or physical evidence when it comes to people with a vested interest. Some of the private investigators didn't get along, poor Butch Atwood was hounded to death. This whole case was a classic train wreck all the way around.

When Maura wrecked ( both accidents) she obviously had been drinking, after Butch stopped to try to offer help I think she knew perhaps he may call LE, and if he didn't she may have heard them running code, panicked and fled. LE didn't do a thorough search, due to assumptions and another call involving a juvenile threatening suicide.

Maura was an emotional breakdown looking for a place to happen when she left Amherst and I think the turning point was her Swiftwater accident and any rational thought went straight to H#LL! I do believe the contractor ( I believe Fournier ) saw her miles away, after all she was an athlete and her gift was running. I do believe she perished by accident of her own accord due to exposure. I do not believe she intended to disappear at any time, even after the accident.

She left Amherst in an irrational state, why do I say that, she had a car that was unreliable, and she was taking a road trip in the winter and told NO ONE! She could have waited and gone in her new car Fred was acquiring for her, but I feel her emotions got the best of her due to recent events ( wrecking Fred's car) compounded by her life seeming to unravel and perhaps a feeling of loss of control. While she may have been pregnant, the abortion theory doesn't wash for me, Mass. likely has many more places for abortion than northern NH.

Was she meeting someone? Well if it was someone from Mass. why not leave the unreliable car at a park and ride and carpool to N.H. If she was meeting someone in N.H. then why was she looking for lodging, unless they were married which would explain why they never came forward. Sadly her PC may have held some information but it was never secured until month's later after family had possession and who knows what may have been deleted.

Why would a seemingly intelligent young woman do such a thing? well college is stressful, your young away from home for the first time trying to fit in somewhere, your out of your comfort zone. You are pressured to succeed, and many turn to alcohol and or drugs. Maura had issues, her West Point debacle, her long distance relationship, her impending marriage, drinking which was Maura's escape from Maura, and her eating disorder. I think Maura felt like she HAD to succeed mainly because she may have had low self esteem, and all she was seeing was failure even if it was in her own mind. I think this was her whole reason for the road trip, to assess her life, her goals and her future, and a slick road changed everything.

Why haven't her remains been found? Well NH has lost about 50% of its Moose herd in the past few years due to tick infestation. Many of my friends as well as myself spend countless hours in the woods and I can tell you neither I or my friends have seen the remains of one of the thousands of dead moose anywhere!

 

[Galbin]

Also, some women who are pregnant get fatigue, morning sickness and poor vision and perception, especially in the first trimester...could this explain the sudden 2 accidents?

If indeed she were pregnant, then that could definitely explain two accidents in quick succession. It would be great to compare her MV records up until those few months, as you said. However, I do believe she was also drink driving, which was why there was wine split in the car.

I was born and raised in Maine, not too far from the border of NH/ME and was living there in 2004 when this took place. I keep up on current events, i read quite a bit of news, and i never once heard of this case until a little over a year ago when the episode of "Disappeared" was a rerun, not new. I find it odd, something this BIG and to my knowledge never saw or heard anything about it at the time. I live in Massachusetts now, and people whom I work with, that are native to the Amherst area (I work in Springfield, 20 minutes south) and no one here recalls hearing about this.

Ive said it before in posts past, but i think there were some huge missed opportunities for getting Maura's face and info out there. Now, obviously I know that money is an issue, but there could have been billboards with her face on it, more local news stations carrying the news, more missing fliers put up in unrelated places. Who knows, someone could have been doing a good deed and gave her a lift somewhere and then forgot all about it. Years have gone by, memories fade, people pass on that may have had knowledge back in 2004 but never knew the stranger would be a woman that would go onto being missing for so many years.

I find it disturbing that there seems to be so little awareness in the area. I am just really amazed that so many people in the locale know so little about it. I know that everyone in my area knows whenever someone goes missing, so why is there so little awareness about MM?

Its hard to really pick a theory and stick with it, Ive flip flopped in my thoughts on it, but whose to say only one theory happened, maybe two happened together, or three, or none at all. A lot of people have put a lot of brain power into mapping things out the best they can, and I applaud that.

I think a few things happened together. I am 99% certain she had an eating disorder (ED). I used to have one myself so I can see things in her that were in me. So maybe an ED, an unplanned pregnancy, drink driving and panic led to bad decision making. I don't think she was pregnant because of searches on her computer, I think she was pregnant because of the change in her appearance. I really really don't think she had plans to die by suicide; I think she had planned a few days getaway to deal with the stress of everything or maybe even to drink herself into an abortion (she wouldn't be the first woman who had tried that!) and then the crash derailed it all.

My biggest problem with the silence is, if you're gonna come full force and do a show like "Disappeared" or a talk show, then i would think you would be a little more forthcoming with even the smallest of detail that might ignite someones memory...not just stay silent. Like that creep who did those videos, and came here and posted, when those vids came out I read that the family dismissed the videos and told people to ignore them. How did they come to that conclusion? why make it sound so non threatening? its those things that make me wonder what is truly known.

Hmmn... this is a very fair point. I've never thought about it like that before. Why aren't they more forthcoming? I guess they are keen to preserve her reputation.

BBM
For me, there are a lot of things that could be cleared up as far as the story of car shopping goes...s

Do people not just browse for cars in the US? Like look for a car without buying one the same day? Also, why would a dealer come out and say they spoke to them, since (as we have discussed) the MM case does not have the best publicity?

Does it really matter if she was pregnant or not? She had enough on her mind with the cc fraud and crashing her dad's brand new car. If people think she was going up to NH for an abortion, then why was she searching for places to stay in Vermont on her computer? I guess I don't believe she was pregnant. . . . . I think she had issues bothering her, but not that. I think she changed her mind about Vermont, because she wasn't getting anywhere with any place to stay. She was heading to an area that she felt familiar with . . . . I think it was an on the fly decision. . . Just my opinion.

I don't think she was going to VM for an abortion. However I do think she was going away to escape her problems. I also think that she thought maybe excessive drinking would lead to a 'natural' abortion. Just a theory....

BBM

Does it matter? .....I think if she was pregnant it could explain her even more confused state of mind. Seeing as she was acting so strangely in the days/weeks leading up to her disappearance. Unexpected/unplanned pregnancy can make you (as a female) completely reevaluate what's going on in your life.

ETA: Now that I see what the conversation about "the golden egg" was, being pregnant could of really put Maura in a more difficult situation.

This is what I think.

I am in total disagreement with Renner's belief that she drove up to NH in tandem with some guy. There is absolutely no evidence of this at all. Why would she need or care to keep a secret about him anyway? She was an adult. No one was twisting her arm to marry Billy. Besides, why isn't this "secret" guy missing too? He just dropped out of his life and no one misses him? IMO, it is more believeable if she met someone after the accident and then continued her life in a new location.

I agree. I've always thought that the two people theory never made any sense. Still, I think James must have some evidence to back up these theories.....

 

[goldiegirl]

I always think it's odd, too, that so many people in the area don't know about the case. That is, until I think a little more about it. Since I spend hours on WS and don't even live in the area, I feel like everyone there is probably even more consumed by it than I am. In reality, though, this was 9 years ago. And even then - I'm a local to the Lindsey Baum case, and I can tell you that people just move on, sadly. And LB's case DID get quite a bit of publicity and is in a tiny town, but I guarantee those who live there don't think about it every day. Hunters go hunting, construction workers work, and people go out in the woods all the time here without a missing girl crossing their minds, I'm sure. And her flyers are still up. So I guess I'm sadly not that surprised that more people don't know of something that happened 9 years ago or that even at the time it wasn't in the forefront of their minds.

 

[Jerri Blank]

I always think it's odd, too, that so many people in the area don't know about the case. That is, until I think a little more about it. Since I spend hours on WS and don't even live in the area, I feel like everyone there is probably even more consumed by it than I am. In reality, though, this was 9 years ago.

BBM, snipped for space

FWIW, I lived in Amherst when Maura went missing and in my memory her's was a story everyone knew about. There were posters all over campus and town, and the school paper (which had a larger readership than most of the local papers at the time, no clue about now) published stories about it a lot in the first year.

my perception may be a bit skewed since i actively cared about the case and wanted news about Maura, but i really feel like it was highly publicized at the time.

i can't speak to now, since i left the area in 2005/06, but i agree that the time probably has a lot to do with it. that area has a steady turn over in population and with no big developments, new people probably don't hear about her case.

 

[McSpy]

I don't think there is overwhelming evidence or any evidence for that matter that Maura drove up to NH in tandem with an unknown guy. How did she correspond with this unknown guy and why did she keep it a secret? Where is the evidence? She brought along her stuffed monkey from Billy to cozy up with another guy? I don't know. The whole idea comes across as speculation to me.

 

[McSpy]

I am assuming that Renner has facts to back up his statements since he is an investigative journalist. I do not expect him to share his findings/facts online. One of my goals for 2013 is to stop wasting so much time. Reading this board is a time suck. Nobody here knows what happened. I am tired of reading opinions about each and every meager detail that is known. I believe there are people who know more, but they sure are not going to come here and share information. Hopefully some have talked to Renner. Slam him all you want, but at this point I think he is our best hope of finding the answer to this most baffling mystery.

BBM

He is a self professed investigative journalist, unless he has credentials. I'm not saying he hasn't uncovered anything in this case, but does he have a background (journalism degree, work experience from a major news media job)?
There is nothing wrong with calling one self a investigative journalist, but does some of his work contain speculation without evidence? I have no problem with theories, but I don't like when someone writes them off as fact. If it is fact, bring the evidence out or call it speculation! JMO

 

[amber1]

Well said, McSpy! No one can call anything fact until Maura is found, I even question the meaning of some of the "evidence" I have read on this case throughout the years.

 

[MysteryMaven]

I read that Maura took her birth control pills with her. If we knew the details on this, we could have a better idea if she were pregnant or not. I don't know if it's possible because of medical privacy laws.
Bear with me on the BC pill rundown:
1.You generally stop taking the pill if you are pregnant.
2.In general, the birth control pill is not used as a "morning after pill". One would have to take LARGE amounts of pills within 24-48 hours of unprotected intercourse, and even then it's not a guarantee of termination.
3.If the pack with her was a fresh, unused pack, it's possible that she could have been planning to terminate a pregnancy then start up with a new pack. That's really the only way having pills with her while pregnant would make sense.
4. If it was a used pack, it wouldn't be effective. If she terminated a pregnancy she would have to start over with a brand new pack for it to be effective. You can't just resume taking pills in the middle of a pack.
5. Its possible that she was not pregnant, and the pack she had with her was just her trying to keep up and not miss pills while she was away. To me, this is the most likely scenario. I haven't seen any reports of her searching for abortion clinics in New Hampshire on her computer, or receipts found for preg. tests.
Bottom line, I don't think she was pregnant. It's a big stretch to come up with a reason why she would take pills with her while pregnant. I don't buy "it could be for acne, etc.". You just wouldn't keep taking the pill if you were pregnant!

 

[MysteryMaven]

Like OldSteve, I think that the truth is likely to be something simple. No second car, no elaborate plan, no escape to another country. I think, like in so many murders and disappearances, the unlikely just happened to happen to her. She got in an accident that she didn't expect to get in. I think the evidence is pretty good that she was drinking the boxed wine that was splashed in the car. Once she spun out, she wanted to get her bearings and try to figure out what to do and/or didn't trust the looks of the first person who stopped to try to help her, and didn't want to go to a nearby house to call the police because she was worried about her blood alcohol level. Maybe she started walking or running and then realized that she couldn't realistically just hide and wait until she had sobered up, so she decided to accept a ride with the wrong person. Or, maybe someone hit her with a car and then panicked and hid her body. In any case, I believe she died that night, likely by foul play, but possibly due to exposure while trying to evade the police.

Makes a lot of sense. I just can't really get on board with all of the other fanciful theories.

 

[OldSteve]

BBM, snipped for space

FWIW, I lived in Amherst when Maura went missing and in my memory her's was a story everyone knew about. There were posters all over campus and town, and the school paper (which had a larger readership than most of the local papers at the time, no clue about now) published stories about it a lot in the first year.

my perception may be a bit skewed since i actively cared about the case and wanted news about Maura, but i really feel like it was highly publicized at the time.

i can't speak to now, since i left the area in 2005/06, but i agree that the time probably has a lot to do with it. that area has a steady turn over in population and with no big developments, new people probably don't hear about her case.

Thanks for your insight! I wonder if all the local Amherst news attention/fliers had made it's way to the area around where she went missing, as well as to places she was likely headed?

 

[MysteryMaven]

I am assuming that Renner has facts to back up his statements since he is an investigative journalist. I do not expect him to share his findings/facts online. One of my goals for 2013 is to stop wasting so much time. Reading this board is a time suck. Nobody here knows what happened. I am tired of reading opinions about each and every meager detail that is known. I believe there are people who know more, but they sure are not going to come here and share information. Hopefully some have talked to Renner. Slam him all you want, but at this point I think he is our best hope of finding the answer to this most baffling mystery.

The best hope of finding Maura Murray is probably an extended, exhaustive ground search of a 10 mile radius from the crash site. I personally expect someone like James Renner to show evidence that supports his theories. How can he say he believes MM traveled in tandem with someone and she is still alive? How does he know that? Why should anyone believe it? I need straight up facts and evidence, which there is not a lot of in this case.