Found Deceased MN - Marya Christensen, 23, Red Wing, 12 March 2016

[Zephyranth]

I think it's helpful to look at the approximate path she'd have had to take in order to get from her lane of Hwy 63 and into the river where the scrapings were found. This path is drawn from the soonest spot she could have left her side of the road (in order to travel across the oncoming lane and leave 63 before hitting the first concrete barriers leading up to the bridge):



In this Google aerial shot there are quite quite a few trees in the way; in the media closeups, however, it's clear that there is a gap between the trees and some light poles through which a vehicle can travel. What strikes me is the relatively long distances she'd have needed to travel, however, without hitting any poles and without leaving a single mark on any bushes, trees, or grass.

If an accident, it would seem far more likely to me that she crossed the first (earlier) bridge and mistakenly thought she was already on the Timberlane side. She could have mistaken that little crossroad leading to 825th St (pictured above) for Timberlane, then taken a right and somehow driven straight into the river, perhaps veering a little at the end to take her path across the grass and riprock where scrapings were allegedly found. That would explain the lack of tracks and lack of damage to many of the possible obstacles.

 

[Zephyranth]

Don't you think they got cell phone data? A couple of days with no activity suggests she didn't run off and police get a subpoena that gets you very close to where the phone quit working.

Certainly possible. One friend or family member said that because her phone was a Tracfone and on a family plan that there was no ping data, but I don't know how accurate that is.

 

[Zephyranth]

Certainly possible. One friend or family member said that because her phone was a Tracfone and on a family plan that there was no ping data, but I don't know how accurate that is.

Speaking of accuracy, it's a common misconception that cell pings can tell you where someone is/was.

"However...which cell tower you're connected to does not give you a particularly exact location. It can be useful in putting someone in a specific (wide) area..."

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/2...ven-close-to-accurate-everyone-falls-it.shtml

If cell phone data did lead cops to that specific location, one logical guess would be that in addition to ping data (known to be not particularly accurate) the subpoena allowed them instead to see the time of her last phone call or the content of the last text; something specific about those communications could have possibly led officers to that specific boat landing. It could also have led them to interrogate the final person(s) she communicated with that night, who may have known or had the best guess as to where exactly she was.

 

[Tabirey]

I think it's helpful to look at the approximate path she'd have had to take in order to get from her lane of Hwy 63 and into the river where the scrapings were found. This path is drawn from the soonest spot she could have left her side of the road (in order to travel across the oncoming lane and leave 63 before hitting the first concrete barriers leading up to the bridge):

View attachment 90981

In this Google aerial shot there are quite quite a few trees in the way; in the media closeups, however, it's clear that there is a gap between the trees and some light poles through which a vehicle can travel. What strikes me is the relatively long distances she'd have needed to travel, however, without hitting any poles and without leaving a single mark on any bushes, trees, or grass.

If an accident, it would seem far more likely to me that she crossed the first (earlier) bridge and mistakenly thought she was already on the Timberlane side. She could have mistaken that little crossroad leading to 825th St (pictured above) for Timberlane, then taken a right and somehow driven straight into the river, perhaps veering a little at the end to take her path across the grass and riprock where scrapings were allegedly found. That would explain the lack of tracks and lack of damage to many of the possible obstacles.

This photo makes everything much clearer, thank you!

 

[SeaEclipse]

I think what people sometimes forget in these cases is that if she didn't end up in the water/avoid obstacles, this case would have been just another car crash... nothing mysterious at all... possibly not even making the news. We see the cases where the car ends up in the water because those are the only cases with an initially missing person.

 

[Inthedetails]

I think what people sometimes forget in these cases is that if she didn't end up in the water/avoid obstacles, this case would have been just another car crash... nothing mysterious at all... possibly not even making the news. We see the cases where the car ends up in the water because those are the only cases with an initially missing person.

Exactly.

 

[steelman]

Looks to me like she fell asleep while driving.........at the worst possible location it could happen.

 

[Zephyranth]

I think what people sometimes forget in these cases is that if she didn't end up in the water/avoid obstacles, this case would have been just another car crash... nothing mysterious at all... possibly not even making the news. We see the cases where the car ends up in the water because those are the only cases with an initially missing person.

Problem being, of course, that she did end up in the water, after somehow leaving zero evidence of traveling through the grass, and did avoid every single obstacle she'd have had to avoid, traveling through the grass.

Which means that it is, in fact, mysterious.

It's been wet around here. Like, really wet. The chances of leaving no tracks in a long grass embankment are--well, nil.

If in fact this was an accident, she clearly spent most of her time between 63 and the river on the paved area--which, for some odd reason, police/family don't want to suggest.

Why?

 

[Zephyranth]

Looks to me like she fell asleep while driving.........at the worst possible location it could happen.

Surely possible, though the car maintained a really straight, long path after hitting much bumpy terrain, and then having to make it perfectly between the trees and light poles, etc.

I'm absolutely willing to accept that this was an accident--I just don't think the embankment theory is logical, since there were no tire tracks left (according to police), and you have to add too many "ifs" in order for her to have taken that path. Right next to the embankment, by contrast, are a series of paved stretches, and even an actual road/driveway that leads literally into the water. It's not too hard to imagine an inebriated person--especially under these specific conditions, with two bridges that could have been confused with one another--mistaking that driveway for a road.

Why she would veer off that "road" at water's edge and drive over the rocks (instead of accidentally driving down the road/boat landing straight into the river) then becomes the big question, but again, with alcohol and sleepiness, anything's possible.

 

[Zephyranth]

As long as we're keeping track of everything, a taxi driver claims to have seen that exact van at the MSP airport at 4-4:40 a.m. As to why she memorized a license plate number on a white van before any white van was reported missing, she offered, "Only reason it stuck was they were going 10 mph under posted speed..."

I just find it unlikely that a taxi driver would memorize a license plate only to have that very license plate broadcast the next day, at which point the taxi driver remembers it. Doesn't wash.

A close family member on that thread chimed in that they knew this person was a taxi driver in the cities, and that the family had contacted the taxi driver and police, but never heard back from either. The idea that the family wouldn't hear back from police is illogical, as they were in communication with the police constantly throughout this investigation, according to both police and the family. Someone providing the exact license plate of a missing vehicle would be taken very, very seriously.

Yet another hinky thing.

 

[Zephyranth]

This bothered me the first time I saw it, days ago, and I want to make sure it's included--the day of her disappearance, a friend (the same one responsible for other TMI) said, 'Me too.. and find her safe. It's just so scary and crazy that in one minute someones life can change.. i really hope she is ok!'

In one minute someone's life can change?

TMI, man. She was only missing at that point. There was no indication any harm had come to her, much less that it had been something that happened "in one minute" and changed her life.

I'm telling you, these kids know something. I remember being 20 and thinking I was invincible. It is so, so typical of that age group to go overboard trying to come up with innocent explanations and expressions of concern, thinking it will help cover things up.

This same person who told the bf to "back track" in order to find Marya also suggested something had happened that changed Marya's life in one minute. Man, if I were that Sheriff I'd be looking so, so hard at that group of young people. It still could all be a series of coincidences, but they're sure piling up.

 

[Damarna]

This bothered me the first time I saw it, days ago, and I want to make sure it's included--the day of her disappearance, a friend (the same one responsible for other TMI) said, 'Me too.. and find her safe. It's just so scary and crazy that in one minute someones life can change.. i really hope she is ok!'

In one minute someone's life can change?

TMI, man. She was only missing at that point. There was no indication any harm had come to her, much less that it had been something that happened "in one minute" and changed her life.

I'm telling you, these kids know something. I remember being 20 and thinking I was invincible. It is so, so typical of that age group to go overboard trying to come up with innocent explanations and expressions of concern, thinking it will help cover things up.

This same person who told the bf to "back track" in order to find Marya also suggested something had happened that changed Marya's life in one minute. Man, if I were that Sheriff I'd be looking so, so hard at that group of young people. It still could all be a series of coincidences, but they're sure piling up.

I'm not so sure this person isn't just being overly dramatic. When my granddaughter was hospitalized (cellulitis from mosquito bites) her mom's "bff" was posting on fb like she were dying. Yes, it wasn't a fun thing but we certainly knew she wasn't going to die. Even at 26 years of age this gal just jumps into every situation with her full - often inappropriately - emotions blaring. I think sometimes she tried to show how "connected " she was to our situation. Made her feel important. I'm not saying something hinky didnt necessarily happen. I just think this behavior is not indicative of guilt.

 

[Elainera]

This bothered me the first time I saw it, days ago, and I want to make sure it's included--the day of her disappearance, a friend (the same one responsible for other TMI) said, 'Me too.. and find her safe. It's just so scary and crazy that in one minute someones life can change.. i really hope she is ok!'

In one minute someone's life can change?

TMI, man. She was only missing at that point. There was no indication any harm had come to her, much less that it had been something that happened "in one minute" and changed her life.

I'm telling you, these kids know something. I remember being 20 and thinking I was invincible. It is so, so typical of that age group to go overboard trying to come up with innocent explanations and expressions of concern, thinking it will help cover things up.

This same person who told the bf to "back track" in order to find Marya also suggested something had happened that changed Marya's life in one minute. Man, if I were that Sheriff I'd be looking so, so hard at that group of young people. It still could all be a series of coincidences, but they're sure piling up.

I think that person probably simply deducted that drinking + driving + being missing most likely equals something bad has happened.

 

[Tabirey]

I just came across this :

http://m.startribune.com/body-of-missing-woman-found-in-mississippi-river/372324301/

 

[Tabirey]

If they were expecting results within a week, they should be back by now. I wonder what the autopsy concluded?

 

[Mysteries1974]

Her sons died in a car accident a few months ago RIP

 

[TatianaBarbie]

Her sons died in a car accident a few months ago RIP

A news article describing the accident that took the lives of Marya Christensen's sons:

Update: Three die in Welch Township crash; Second tragedy hits...