NH NH - Maura Murray, 21, Haverhill, 9 Feb 2004 - # 2

[Peabody]

Top News

Wednesday December 21, 2005
NORTH COUNTRY, NEW HAMPSHIRE

TV Program To Highlight Missing Woman's Case
A network television program is going to highlight the case of a young Massachusetts woman who disappeared nearly two years ago in Haverhill, N.H., after she was involved in a minor car crash.

<snip>

Rausch is encouraged that John Healy of Warner, N.H., and other retired law enforcement officers are going to investigate Murray's disappearance.

Healy, who retired as a lieutenant after 19 years with the New Hampshire State Police, said he has 10 volunteers from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont who will be taking part in the investigation.

Those volunteers include retired police chiefs and detectives who now are licensed private detectives.

"We want to make sure these cases never die," said Healy.

<more at link to Caledonian record>

http://www.caledonianrecord.com/


Bring Maura Home!
<modsnip - no longer a working website>

 

[Masterj]

WOW. That is great news. I will definitely mark that date on my calendar and tell everyone I know to watch the show. I pray something good comes out of this.

 

[LillyRush]

That is awesome news, thanks peabody!

 

[Peabody]

Posted with permission from Maura Murray's website <modsnip - no longer a working website>


Kelly Jolkowski has been very kind to once again feature Maura on her blog Voice4theMissing

http://voice4themissing.blogspot.co...-abcs-2020.html


Kelly works tirelessly to bring attention to the plight of missing persons, and especially for those who receive little or no media attention.
We are most fortunate Kelly featured Maura in a multipart series in late September and early October of this year as well as yesterday.
Kelly tells me that one of the main reasons that she chose to feature Maura on 12/21/05 is that there are still quite a number of readers going to the first feature, and she was certain they would want an update:

"The All-American Girl":
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.co...irl-part-i.html
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.co...rl-part-ii.html
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.co...l-part-iii.html
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.co...rl-part-iv.html
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.co...conclusion.html

Thank you Kelly!


(Hopefully, many of you will be so kind to email Kelly and also offer your appreciation [email protected] )

 

[murraydwyer]

May thoughts are with Brianna's and Maura's families as they face another Christmas...no knowing...

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to the Murrays and all of Maura's friends and family. May their be answers soon.

Prayers for Maura.

 

[Hammerized]

Father suing for records in 'missing' case

The father of a woman who disappeared nearly two years ago after a minor car accident is suing several police agencies, as well as the governor, seeking the release of information tied to the investigation, according to court documents filed last week.
[...]
Murray is requesting items such as accident reports, the inventory of items taken from her car, a copy of her computer hard drive left behind at her University of Massachusetts/Amherst dorm room, documents pertaining to searches, witness statements and the surveillance tape from a liquor store where she made a purchase.
[...]


On the first anniversary of his daughter’s disappearance, Murray sent a letter to Lynch requesting his help in obtaining information.

“The investigative body . . . has followed its astonishing careless go-through-the-motions response with an unnaturally steadfast refusal to communicate on the matter,” Murray wrote.

http://unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Father+suing+for+records+in+%27missing%27+case&articleId=5a720bb2-4cc3-4407-8be7-4d2543265ec8

 

[Peabody]

This is a working link to the 12/28/05 Union Leader article regarding Fred Murray suing to obtain records in Maura's case.

http://www.theunionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Father+suing+for+records+in+%27missing%27+case&articleId=5a720bb2-4cc3-4407-8be7-4d2543265ec8


The Union Leader articles are only accessible for a few days. Afterwards, you must pay a fee to read the entire article.

 

[Olivia77]

I was thrilled to see the latest article on the front page of the Boston Globe today. The more people who gain interest, the better and I can't express how highly I think of Fred Murray.

 

[petra]

I too would like to express my support and admiration of Maura's family and those that stand behind them.

I hope that they get the answers they seek and bring awareness to the issues at hand.

Thank you for being so courageous, on behalf of all victims and missing persons.

 

[Peabody]

I was thrilled to see the latest article on the front page of the Boston Globe today. The more people who gain interest, the better and I can't express how highly I think of Fred Murray.

From the Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2005/12/28/father_sues_state_police_in_case_of_missing_daughter/

Father sues state, police in case of missing daughter

December 28, 2005

HAVERHILL, N.H. --From the moment his daughter disappeared on Feb. 9, 2004, Fred Murray believed she was a victim of foul play.


<snip>



Murray has been highly critical of police and met with Gov. John Lynch earlier this year to ask for his help in getting records of the investigation. He's now sued Lynch, Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, state police and other law-enforcement agencies seeking the release of information tied to the investigation, such as accident reports; an inventory of items taken from her car; a copy of his daughter's computer hard drive; and a surveillance tape from a liquor store where she made a purchase.

A hearing on Murray's request has been scheduled on Jan. 18 at Grafton County Superior Court.

Ayotte said Wednesday that she had not seen the lawsuit, which was filed last week, but that "we have shared whatever information we feel we can share without jeopardizing the investigation."

She said that Maura Murray is still being treated as a missing person, but "it was a suspicious disappearance. We've treated the case very seriously," she said.

According to the lawsuit, Fred Murray was denied the records "on the grounds that production called for confidential records created ... or would constitute an invasion of privacy."

Murray also questions whether the investigation into his daughter's disappearance is ongoing, saying he hasn't been made aware of "any specific efforts the governmental authorities have taken in pursuing this matter within the past several months."

"The most compelling reason favoring disclosure in this case centers on the fact that Maura could very well still be in danger and disclosure of the information compiled by authorities could help locate her," according to the suit.

"Although (investigators) have continued to dispute the notion, Fred Murray's familiarity with his daughter leads him to believe that it is likely that Maura Murray was the victim of foul play and may even still be in danger, rather than she went missing of her own accord."

<snip>

This article will only be available as "free" for a few days.

 

[Peabody]

If you are familiar with the media releases, you will notice that for the FIRST TIME, NH authorties have acknowledged that Maura went missing under mysterious circumstances.

Attorney General Kelly Ayotte was quoted yesterday:

The Union Leader
http://www.theunionleader.com/artic...e7-4d2543265ec8



Today's Caledonian Record:


http://www.caledonianrecord.com/pages/local_news/story/54a409346



Caledonian Record

Father Sues State, Police Over Missing Daughter


BY GARY E. LINDSLEY, Staff Writer
Thursday December 29, 2005


New Hampshire state and law enforcement officials are facing a lawsuit filed against them by the father of a missing 21-year-old Massachusetts woman.

<snip>


Her father has been seeking police records regarding the accident scene and her disappearance for nearly two years.

He has sought the information under the New Hampshire Right-To-Know Law as well as the federal Freedom of Information Act.

Murray has filed a lawsuit in Grafton Superior Court.

<snip>

"I actually do hope to get the records," Murray said. "It is a missing person's case, not a criminal investigation, according to police. I need the records because I am still actually searching for her."

He is seeking injunctive relief stemming from an improper denial of records by an agency or official covered by the Right-To-Know Law, according to the lawsuit. He is not seeking anything but the information about his daughter's accident and disappearance.

Murray said he has been told by police and the state attorney general's office that information cannot be released because there is an ongoing investigation.

[Attorney General] Ayotte told The Associated Press Wednesday that she had not seen the lawsuit, which was filed last week, but that "we have shared whatever information we feel we can share without jeopardizing the investigation." She said that Maura Murray is still being treated as a missing person, but "it was a suspicious disappearance. We've treated the case very seriously."

 

[Peabody]

Oops my mistake: Attorney General Kelly Ayotte spoke to the Boston Globe, not to The Union Leader as I have mistakenly referenced:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2005/12/29/father_of_missing_woman_sues_nh_for_records_of_case/


<snip>

Ayotte said yesterday that she had not seen the lawsuit, which was filed last week, but that ''we have shared whatever information we feel we can share without jeopardizing the investigation."

She said that Maura Murray's case is still that of a missing person, but that ''it was a suspicious disappearance."

''We've treated the case very seriously," Ayotte said.

<snip>

 

[Peabody]

Story in Maura's Hometown Paper:



http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2005/12/29/news/news/news05.txt
<snip>

Maura Murray's disappearance was the talk of the towns that straddle the New Hampshire-Vermont border in the early months of 2004, but Brock said it is seldom mentioned anymore.

However, she expects that will change when "20/20" broadcasts a segment on national television next month with film of area sites relevant to the case.

Liz Drewniak of Hanson was among the friends and family — including Maura's boyfriend, Army Lt. Bill Rausch of Oklahoma — of the missing woman who were interviewed for the "20/20" show.

Drewniak, 23, is one of seven childhood friends who remained close after they graduated from Whitman-Hanson Regional High School and moved on to college.

Now a graduate student at Brown, she is home for the holidays and looking forward to getting together with that circle of friends on Friday. But, Maura will not be there.

"She's always on all of our minds," Drewniak said. "We'd like to think she's somewhere far off doing well, enjoying life."

But, on a bad day, they may envision a disoriented Maura, wandering from the crash site into the woods or getting into a car with a stranger, perhaps the wrong person.

"On good days, I'm still hopeful, we all try to be," Drewniak said.

One thing is certain, she said, "She wouldn't put her family and friends through this. She wouldn't take off telling no one."

<snip>

 

[petra]

This is good news...hope things keep moving forward.

Thoughts with the family.

 

[Peabody]

This is good news...hope things keep moving forward.

Thoughts with the family.

Posted by Sharon on Maura's website <modsnip - no longer a working website>


From 2 PM EST until 3 PM EST Maura's case is being discussed LIVE on a NH Radio Station

Against the Grain with Gardner Goldsmith

Tune in at http://freetalklive.com/tunein.php

 

[petra]

Hoping that 2006 is the year that Maura's family gets the answers they so seek.

 

[Peabody]

Please note the following change:


ABC 20/20 had announced to the Murray Family that Maura would be featured in the 01/06/06 episode - this coming Friday. According to an annoucement on <modsnip - no longer a working website> ABC flew Maura's boyfriend and his mother to New York for interviews and toured the area in which Maura went missing with Fred Murray, her father.

However, the following, was posted on <modsnip - no longer a working website> by Sharon; I am posting here with her permission.

FYI:

The assistant producer for the ABC 20/20 Show has just notified me that the show featuring Maura will not air this Friday, 01/06/06.

It has tentatively been rescheduled for an undetermined date in February.



"Our help is from the Lord, who created heaven and earth." Psalm 24:8

 

[Peabody]

Please note the following change:


ABC 20/20 had announced to the Murray Family that Maura would be featured in the 01/06/06 episode - this coming Friday. According to an annoucement on <modsnip - no longer a working website> ABC flew Maura's boyfriend and his mother to New York for interviews and toured the area in which Maura went missing with Fred Murray, her father.

However, the following, was posted on<modsnip - no longer a working website> by Sharon; I am posting here with her permission.

FYI:

The assistant producer for the ABC 20/20 Show has just notified me that the show featuring Maura will not air this Friday, 01/06/06.

It has tentatively been rescheduled for an undetermined date in February.



"Our help is from the Lord, who created heaven and earth." Psalm 24:8

 

[LillyRush]

That's unfortunate that it got delayed. It would be nice, though, if they air it on the anniversary of her disappearance. May start some memories going with any potential witnesses.