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

[Scravenger]

Just because someone's been in an accident or two and may be in a daze or even depressed, it doesn't make them suicidal. And barring actions or words from a person to indicate self-destructive tendencies, onlookers really have no idea what's going on inside someone else's head, so I think speculating about such things is absurd and reckless.

Being "zombie-like" or "zoning out" could easily be someone doing some soul-searching, contemplating meaningful things about friends, family, life, school, the future, etc, or maybe that person is something of a daydreamer from time to time. No one but Maura really knew what was going on with her. I doubt her professor barely knew her and certainly was in no position to discern or comment on her state-of-mind simply by a fleeting outward behavior that could have been anything.

She was a woman experiencing life's ups and downs, as we all have/do. Why not just leave it at that? Did she ever try to overdose? Slit her wrists? Tell someone she was going to jump off a bridge and end it all? If not, then she was just a regular person trying to get through this life.

 

[neverletgo]

This was me. I'm working on getting pictures of the phone and should have them this weekend.

There is a red light on the outside of the "flip-up" portion of the phone. I've gotten this light to turn on for a split second while I turn the phone on and also to stay on continuously while charging. I don't have Sprint, so I can't make a call on the phone to test whether it comes on while making a call, but based upon the behavior of the light, I would assume that it comes on during a call too. The keys on the phone have a green backlight.

Thanks, Riot! :gthanks:

 

[scoops]

Just because someone's been in an accident or two and may be in a daze or even depressed, it doesn't make them suicidal. And barring actions or words from a person to indicate self-destructive tendencies, onlookers really have no idea what's going on inside someone else's head, so I think speculating about such things is absurd and reckless.

Being "zombie-like" or "zoning out" could easily be someone doing some soul-searching, contemplating meaningful things about friends, family, life, school, the future, etc, or maybe that person is something of a daydreamer from time to time. No one but Maura really knew what was going on with her. I doubt her professor barely knew her and certainly was in no position to discern or comment on her state-of-mind simply by a fleeting outward behavior that could have been anything.

She was a woman experiencing life's ups and downs, as we all have/do. Why not just leave it at that? Did she ever try to overdose? Slit her wrists? Tell someone she was going to jump off a bridge and end it all? If not, then she was just a regular person trying to get through this life.

What are you talking about?

It was maura's work supervisor that found maura in a zombie-like state while maura was working her security desk in the early morning hours of friday Feb 6, 2004.

The supervisor described maura just staring blankly ahead while students were waiting for maura to check their Id's. The students finally just gave up and went on without anyone checking their ID's because maura wasn't responsive to them.

The supervisor asked maura what was wrong and at first maura said nothing, just kept staring away into space. After moments of silence, maura broke down and started balling at which time she mumbled out "My sister." Maura had to be personally helped and escorted back to her dorm. Maura was unable to physically sign herself out of work. the dorm supervisor had to do that simple task for her.

That is a little more than someone daydreaming into space and pondering some moment in time.

 

[Jerri Blank]

i realized i had never actually seen the disappeared episode on MM so I just used my slow work day as a chance to watch it on netflix (employee of the month right here :rocker... very strange to see a show like this about a person you have a real life (albeit small) connection to and have had actual conversation with.

FWIW i didnt catch any weird comments from FM on there. maybe i missed it?

the biggest piece of new learning i got from it was that billy paid her cell phone bill and got a copy of her calls, something i hadnt known. for me that effectively puts an end to the slight speculation she was cheating with a secret boyfriend. how would he not have seen that on monthly phone bills?

knowing she brought school work with her, i lean toward the theory that she crashed and fled the scene in a panic and then got lost/ran into trouble more than suicide or voluntary disappearance.

 

[BennyHill2012]

i realized i had never actually seen the disappeared episode on MM so I just used my slow work day as a chance to watch it on netflix (employee of the month right here :rocker... very strange to see a show like this about a person you have a real life (albeit small) connection to and have had actual conversation with.

FWIW i didnt catch any weird comments from FM on there. maybe i missed it?

the biggest piece of new learning i got from it was that billy paid her cell phone bill and got a copy of her calls, something i hadnt known. for me that effectively puts an end to the slight speculation she was cheating with a secret boyfriend. how would he not have seen that on monthly phone bills?

knowing she brought school work with her, i lean toward the theory that she crashed and fled the scene in a panic and then got lost/ran into trouble more than suicide or voluntary disappearance.

I wouldn't say that FM made weird comments, but one that he did make that left me feeling that maybe he knows more than he is letting on relates to her going there. At one point, he says he has no idea what she was doing that night and why she'd be there. Later, he says he has no doubt where she was going, she was going to Bartlett. I might be reading more into the statement than what is there, but it seems to be a contradiction; he has no idea what she's doing, but later says he knew she was going to Bartlett. Just seems a little strange...

 

[Jerri Blank]

i think he ultimately meant that while he had no idea WHY she was heading to bartlett, based on her route, the calls he later learned she had made and her past connection to bartlett he is sure that is where she was intending to go until things went wrong for her. IMO, at least.

someone up thread said that FM made a comment about being happy he was saving money on a car now that MM was gone, thats what i was referring to but was too lazy to quote!

 

[mnm55]

i

think he ultimately meant that while he had no idea WHY she was heading to bartlett, based on her route, the calls he later learned she had made and her past connection to bartlett he is sure that is where she was intending to go until things went wrong for her. IMO, at least.

someone up thread said that FM made a comment about being happy he was saving money on a car now that MM was gone, thats what i was referring to but was too lazy to quote!

When you get another slow day, head on over to youtube and type in Maura Murray. Numerous interviews will pop up--usually with Fred but some are with a sister, and you can then see where some of the questionable comments were made.

However, as one poster put it earlier--these questionable comments may all be innocent--they were just made when the people were upset and not thinking clearly.

 

[Galbin]

Without bashing Fred, there was something he said in that episode of Disappeared which bothered me, and I'd have to watch it again to remember exactly. Vaguely, it pertained to him being able to now save money because he didn't have to buy Maura a new car. Seemed a little odd. Maybe just the response of a nervous, helpless father who didn't know what to do and tried to find something positive/lighter to ease his worried mind.

I've watched that episode at least five times, but I do not recall this. Where did he say it?

 

[scoops]

i realized i had never actually seen the disappeared episode on MM so I just used my slow work day as a chance to watch it on netflix (employee of the month right here :rocker... very strange to see a show like this about a person you have a real life (albeit small) connection to and have had actual conversation with.

FWIW i didnt catch any weird comments from FM on there. maybe i missed it?

the biggest piece of new learning i got from it was that billy paid her cell phone bill and got a copy of her calls, something i hadnt known. for me that effectively puts an end to the slight speculation she was cheating with a secret boyfriend. how would he not have seen that on monthly phone bills?

knowing she brought school work with her, i lean toward the theory that she crashed and fled the scene in a panic and then got lost/ran into trouble more than suicide or voluntary disappearance.

FWIW,

Maura had with her:

1. --- 2004 Health Professionals Drug Guide
2. --- Mosby's Pharmacology in Nursing Textbook (not sure on the edition likely it was the (20th or 21st edition)

3. ---- 1 (150 sheet) white paper notebook

This was her "School Work" that she brought with her.

The mosby textbook is huge and likely not a book you carry in your backpack when you don't have to, so therefore keeping it in a car makes sense.

I believe (maybe someone else can verify) the drug guide is a pure reference book and not a textbook.


As far as clothes, maura had one gray pair of sweatpants and a black sweater/northface style top packed (very similar and very likely the exact same outfit she is wearing in a posed picture with her father while on a summit of a mountain taken what I believe to be sometime not too long from when she went missing (like a few months earlier)

Outside of the sweater and sweats and underclothing and a few pair of shoes (1 pair of running and the shoes she had on which were casual blue/gray tennis shoes) This is all the clothes that maura packed for her trip.

Is this someone that was going away for a week-long vacation?

Even better yet, is this someone that was going away to start a new life (with one pair of sweats and a sweater)?

 

[OldSteve]

I think it's actually just an innocent ordeal.

I do believe that the school bus driver on most every night parked his bus close to the road right alongside his wife's/live-in girlfriends. (I have seen photos to back that up)

On that particular night, It has been stated that a witness saw him back the bus all the way up the house, but I would think that would be because he was in a hurry to notify his wife/girlfriend and have her call 911 about the girl stranded in the road.

I have read that he was really concerned with how she and her car were in the road. (Maura was in a dark colored car on a dark road with part of it sticking out in the road). The SBD felt like she was in danger of being struck by an on-coming car.

He told Maura to turn on her flashers.

I have no clue if he routinely went back to his bus to fill out paperwork.
He was working that night, (took some school kids on a ski trip I believe) so it's possible that he had paperwork to fill out when he was done.

I don't remember off hand the order, the SBD's wife/girlfriend I am thinking worked for the police (not an officer but support staff) and the SBD's mother who also lived with the couple, was a nurse.

So honestly, If I had a wreck and was stranded, I would take my chances with a house where the residents are a school bus driver, someone that works for the police and a nurse. Pretty respectable careers. And it is highly possible that the SBD's father or grandfather was a decorated police officer as well that was killed in the line of duty.

Thanks Scoops for answering all the questions! As to BBM - this add to my suspicion that he was watching her to see she was safe till LE arrived on the scene, and also has me thinking he might have seen something he felt for some reason he couldn't mention.

 

[McSpy]

Don't know of any cellphones circa 2004 that had a red light? Green or yellow/green all I know of.

I had a clam shell style cell phone back then with a red screen. Maybe from the distance of the witness's house to Maura's car, she could only make out what seemed like a red lit dot. Just a possibility . . . .

 

[McSpy]

Hi Everyone-I have been interested in this case for yrs off and on.I came across Renner's blog from someone here yesterday and I can't find the name of the person to say Thank you.I first would like to ask all of you what you think of Renner's blog?
Then-I read on his blog that Maura's mother had cancer at the time she went missing-does anyone know if this is true?Oh and does anyone know if the dog tracked her going towards the BD's house or away from it?
MO-She went to NH to met someone and is still alive!!
TIA

I'm not sure if Maura's mom had cancer when Maura went missing, but she could have had it then, because as far as I know she wasn't well. There could have been another reason. Broken foot? I have never read that she participated in the physical searches. However, she did pass away from cancer a few years later on Maura's birthday.

 

[McSpy]

I think the bus driver was just a witness. Here are some reasons why I think he is innocent of any crime against Maura:

She didn't accept a ride with him or help from him, because he was an obese, scraggly, old guy. In other words, he probably creeped her out.

IMO, the only way he could have held Maura is if he had a gun. He was in bad physical health and she was a young track runner, who climbed mountains in her spare time. This does beg the question, does he have a gun? If he didn't then I doubt he could have controlled her. Even if he did own one, I doubt he had it on him while he drove the bus.

His recollections weren't entirely consistent, but I think the reason is because he didn't commit his brief encounter with Maura to memory. We encounter strangers all the time. Do we recall all the details about them a day or 2 later? I don't think he predicted at the time that he was going to be interrogated about his encounter with Maura.

He had his wife call the police as soon as he got home. IIRC, he tried calling at first, but then he asked his wife to try to get through to the police. The circuits were busy and he wanted to finish his paperwork on the bus.

Maura was still at the accident scene when he left.

His story rings true. I can see her worrying about the broken wine box in the car and being detained by the police. She didn't want him to call the police and made the story up that she called AAA.

JMO

 

[mnm55]

There has been much speculation about why the school bus driver went back to his bus after his encounter with Maura. I have read tons of chatter about why he did not complete his paperwork inside his house rather than returning to the bus to do it.

In defense of the school bus driver, I just wanted to mention something. My mother worked for the school bus system in a sizeable Iowa city for 20 years. Her sister (my aunt) and her husband owned a bus system in Minnesota and furnished transportation for the local school systems for several towns there. Both companies were the same in the respect that the school bus driver is not only responsible for transporting the students and the completion of the resulting paperwork, but also part of their job is to ensure the bus they drove was left in clean condition after every use.

It would be a standard daily routine for Butch (sbd) to return to his bus each evening to complete his paperwork and clean the bus. This may have also been a factor in his slightly varied statements to the police. While walking around the school bus as the police were on their way, Butch was most likely trying to recall which student sat where in the bus so he could talk to them the next day about what possible mess they left behind. He then is suddenly and unexpectedly thrown into a rapid fire question and answer session with the police about what he originally assumed was just a minor 1 car fender bender. Who could have ever imagined the driver (Maura) would vanish into thin air within minutes of the accident? I feel so sorry that the sbd had to spend the remainder of his life being hounded by reporters and LE.

The poor guy (sbd) simply stopped to see if someone needed help after a minor accident and was soon caught up in a whirlwind of a possible abduction with probable homicide overtones.

 

[mnm55]

@Syrakelly

It is to my understanding that Maura's mother had not yet been diagnosed with cancer when Maura went missing--but certainly only her family would know this for sure. The excuse given for her not being immediately at the search scene is that her foot/ankle was broken.

Maura's mother, Laurie, passed away in 2009, 5 years after Maura disappeared. As Mcspy mentioned, she passed away on Maura's birthday. Her obituary is online. I would have posted a link, but as it lists several relatives of Maura's and their towns, I thought it was not the best idea.

 

[deathtracker]

MM may have had a person(s) in her life that no one knew about—possibly someone to share an evening or two with. Or just wanted to get away--sinple. Hence the light packing of clothing and the wine that she stopped and purchased.

People read the behavior of the person they think they know. So then, if there was a side to MM that no one new, they may not recognize the behavior as they expected from one they knew.

Following this for years among patterns of many other missing/dead has led me to believe that she was infect taken by surprise after her car stalled (rag in the tailpipe put their at her last stop by some one who knew the car wouldn’t make it very far).

When the car stalled and she lost control she became prey instead of drifter on an unknown destination.

The air bags deployed. It saves a life but does some damage to the occupants face—maybe even disabling. Oh and the items in the front seat would have been weight enough to cause the deployment with no passenger.

In any case once again the people have been left to wander fueled by the lack of facts and information.

There is a book in every speculative theory if you are willing to travel the distance.

All my own opinion with great respect for family and LE.:twocents:

 

[scoops]

@Syrakelly

It is to my understanding that Maura's mother had not yet been diagnosed with cancer when Maura went missing--but certainly only her family would know this for sure. The excuse given for her not being immediately at the search scene is that her foot/ankle was broken.

Maura's mother, Laurie, passed away in 2009, 5 years after Maura disappeared. As Mcspy mentioned, she passed away on Maura's birthday. Her obituary is online. I would have posted a link, but as it lists several relatives of Maura's and their towns, I thought it was not the best idea.

From the Patriot Ledger (Feb 21, 2004)

"Lauri Murray has not left her home since Feb 9. She said her emotions have changed from feeling sad and depressed to the point that she is angry and wants to investigate her daughter's disappearance on her own."


Lauri Murray -- "I want to talk to the last one to see her. All the information we got was that she was walking up that road and just disappeared. Nobody just disappears like that and as far as being picked up or that she ran away, I am getting angry. She would not do this and she would've contacted someone."

Supposedly, two of maura's mom's co-workers from her nursing home were attemptiing to arrange time off to take maura's mom to the area. I don't know if that ever happened.

(One more quote from the story by lauri)

"I can't sit here and just be in the dark. I know everybody is doing the best they can, but I need to be up there."

Lauri Murray was recovering from a broken ankle.

 

[OldSteve]

From the Patriot Ledger (Feb 21, 2004)

"Lauri Murray has not left her home since Feb 9. She said her emotions have changed from feeling sad and depressed to the point that she is angry and wants to investigate her daughter's disappearance on her own."


Lauri Murray -- "I want to talk to the last one to see her. All the information we got was that she was walking up that road and just disappeared. Nobody just disappears like that and as far as being picked up or that she ran away, I am getting angry. She would not do this and she would've contacted someone."

Supposedly, two of maura's mom's co-workers from her nursing home were attemptiing to arrange time off to take maura's mom to the area. I don't know if that ever happened.

(One more quote from the story by lauri)

"I can't sit here and just be in the dark. I know everybody is doing the best they can, but I need to be up there."

Lauri Murray was recovering from a broken ankle.

BBM:
Goes along with what I mentioned about if the SBD was so concerned about her safety, and stayed outside while his live in gf called 911, wouldn't he have been watching her?

Now as far as the SBD paying the price for being a good Samaritan, that is the price you pay, and where I live on a busy street every now and then a car will run into something. While I quickly call PD, I'm reluctant (unless I can really be of help) run out to become directly involved for fear of getting involved with someone who might be drunk, crazy, or whatever... but either I or my wife keep watch till LE arrives. So I can see the SBD keeping distance...

So I can understand no one standing outside and being right with her, but what I find strange that once PD is called, no
one remains clued to their window watching?

 

[scoops]

BBM:
Goes along with what I mentioned about if the SBD was so concerned about her safety, and stayed outside while his live in gf called 911, wouldn't he have been watching her?

Now as far as the SBD paying the price for being a good Samaritan, that is the price you pay, and where I live on a busy street every now and then a car will run into something. While I quickly call PD, I'm reluctant (unless I can really be of help) run out to become directly involved for fear of getting involved with someone who might be drunk, crazy, or whatever... but either I or my wife keep watch till LE arrives. So I can see the SBD keeping distance...

So I can understand no one standing outside and being right with her, but what I find strange that once PD is called, no
one remains clued to their window watching?

As I understand, at least one of the couples looking out their window quit looking once the SBD arrived on scene. They figured the SBD was handling the situation and they went on back to their lives. Another couple looking out their window saw a single person at maura's car after the SBD had left the scene and I believe they are also the ones to note seeing the SBD back his bus up to the front door of his house.

I personally have been to the accident scene. I am not certain, but i Would say (pretty sure) that if the SBD was near his front door of his house or on his bus near his house, that his visual of the accident scene would no longer exist.

The atwoods had a tree-line that blocked their view to the west from their house. his closest neighbor (on his side of the road, the couple that first called 911) can't see his house and vice versa because of the trees.

He would've only been able to see in front of him which would be the road right by his driveway and then east of that. Maura's car ended up just west of the atwoods house and on the opposite side of the tree-line from the atwood's house.

 

[mnm55]

Syrakelly--I found this article that gives the month that Laurie Murray was diagnosed with cancer. Toward the end of the article it states her cancer was found the month prior--and the article was written in Nov. of 2004.

The article did mention something that I did not know though. It was written that neither Fred nor Laurie Murray were made aware of the July search for Maura until after the search was conducted. I found that to be an odd fact on the behalf of NH LE. But what do I know, maybe that is common.(?)



Missing Hanson woman's last call yet to be investigated: N.H. condo
owners say police made no effort to contact them since February
http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2004/11/19/news/news01.txt
Maura Murray
By JOE McGEE
The Patriot Ledger

HANSON - The family of a missing 22-year-old is demanding to know why
police apparently failed to investigate one of the last telephone calls
she made on the day she disappeared.

At 1 p.m. on Feb. 9, Maura Murray called a Wakefield couple who own a
condominium at the Seasons at Attitash resort in Bartlett, N.H., that
was for rent. Murray's family has stayed at the resort.

But the couple, Dominic and Linda Salamone, say they have never heard
from investigators.

''It's so upsetting,'' Linda Salamone said last night. ''I was
the last person she talked to, so wouldn't I be the first person they
would call to at least find out her state of mind?''

Murray made her last call at 2 p.m. on the same day to a toll-free
number that offers information about lodging in Stowe, Vt.

Salamone said she did not know about Murray's mysterious disappearance
until last month, when the mother of the young woman's boyfriend
telephoned to ask about the February call.

''I couldn't even tell her what she said because it was so long ago
but I'm assuming she wanted to rent the place,'' Linda Salamone said.

Sharon Rausch, the mother of Murray's boyfriend, Army Lt. Bill Rausch,
said she discovered the call to the Salamones last month when she
looked over Murray's cell phone bill for February.

''It blew our minds that it's now eight months later and we're
finding out that (police) never even called these people,'' Rausch
said.

New Hampshire State Police said the investigator who was given the
phone records, Lt. John Scarinza, would not be available for comment
until Monday.

This is not the first time the Murray family has criticized the way the
investigation has been handled.

In July, Laurie Murray found out from a Patriot Ledger reporter that
police had conducted a day-long search for her daughter. Police said
they had told her ex-husband, Fred Murray of Weymouth, and assumed he
would tell her, but Murray denied in a television interview that he had
been notified.

In June, Laurie Murray criticized police for suggesting that her
daughter had killed herself or run away. Murray believes her daughter
was abducted.

Murray was last seen Feb. 9 in Haverhill, N.H., a small town near the
Vermont border, where she crashed her car on Route 112, the Kancamagus
Highway. Earlier in the day she left her dormitory at the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst without telling anyone why.

Police said Murray was dealing with personal issues, but family members
said none of it was serious enough that she would run away.

Bartlett, where the Salamones have their condominium, is about 60 miles
east of Haverhill on Route 112.

While the Murrays may have lost faith in the police investigation, they
are continuing their effort to find their daughter.

A new website launched last week, <modsnip - no longer a working website>, offers
information about the case and a forum for people to chat.

''We've already had interest from people,'' said Kerri Doble
Gingras of Marshfield, a relative of Murray who developed the web site
with her husband.

''We're hopeful from having a response that at least she's still on
people's minds,'' she said.

Murray's story will be featured on the Montel Williams talk show on a
date to be announced.

Over the last month, volunteers have also attached photos of Murray to
their mail with information about how to contact police.

But the family is also dealing with another crisis.

Laurie Murray was diagnosed with throat cancer last month and is
undergoing 30 days of chemotherapy and radiation.

''Everything comes in numbers. We already had Maura and now this,''
Murray said. ''But I'm a fighter and I'll beat this.''

She said she is determined to see her daughter again.

''I want her home for the holidays,'' she said.

Joe McGee may be reached at [email protected].

Copyright 2004 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Friday, November 19, 2004