Maura Murray (born May 4, 1982) disappeared on the evening of February 9, 2004, after her car crashed on Route 112 near Woodsville, New Hampshire.
At the time, she was a 21-year-old nursing student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Her disappearance has baffled investigators and intrigued true crime enthusiasts for years.
Early Life and Education
Maura Murray was born in Hanson, Massachusetts, to parents Frederick "Fred" and Laurie Murray.
She was the fourth of five children, and she was raised in an Irish Catholic household.
Maura's early years were marked by her parents' divorce when she was six years old, after which she primarily lived with her mother.
Maura was a gifted athlete and excelled in track at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School.
Her academic and athletic prowess earned her a spot at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she studied chemical engineering.
However, after three semesters, Maura left the military and transferred to the University of Massachusetts to study nursing, a move that marked a significant shift in her life's story.
February 9, 2004: The Day of Disappearance
After midnight on February 9, Maura used her computer to search MapQuest for directions to Burlington, Vermont, and the Berkshires, suggesting she was planning a trip.
Around 1:00 pm, she emailed her boyfriend, saying she loved him and promised to call him back later.
She also contacted the owner of a condo in Bartlett, New Hampshire, inquiring about renting a condo.
She had spent time in that condo sometime in the past, but on that particular day the owner of the condo did not rent it to her
At 1:24 pm, Maura sent an email to her nursing school professors, claiming there had been a death in her family and that she would be away for a week.
Meanwhile her family members say there was no death in their family at that time.
After sending the emails, she packed her belongings, including toiletries, textbooks, and birth control pills, into her car.
She then left her dormitory at around 3:30 pm in her black 1996 Saturn sedan.
Maura stopped at an ATM and withdrew $280, nearly all the money she had.
Surveillance footage showed she was alone.
She then purchased $40 worth of alcohol from a nearby liquor store, including Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlua, vodka, and a box of Franzia wine.
According to authorities, she left the Amherst/Hadley, MA area around 4:30 PM.
There was no indication of where she intended to go, and she did not inform anyone of her plans or why she was headed out of town.
Around 7:00 pm, a Woodsville, New Hampshire resident heard a loud thump outside her home, which turned out be an accident.
She called the Grafton County Sheriff's Department at 7:27 pm to report the incident.
A passing school bus driver who also saw the accident, stopped to offer assistance to the driver, a young woman believed to be Maura.
She declined help, claiming she had already called AAA, although AAA said there was no record of the call.
The bus driver left and called the police on his way home.
He knew there was no cell phone reception in the area where the accident happened and there was no how the victim could have contacted the AAA.
When police asked if she was injured, the driver told police that she appeared shaken up and that the airbags had deployed, but that he saw no blood.
At 7:46 pm, Haverhill police arrived at the scene.
They found Maura's car locked and abandoned, but Maura was nowhere in sight.
Inside, her car, they discovered a few crucial items: red stains from spilled wine, an empty beer bottle, a damaged box of Franzia wine, Maura's AAA card, and a book titled "Not Without Peril," about mountain climbing in the White Mountains.
However, her debit and credit cards, cell phone, and some of the alcohol were missing.
No one has seen Maura since that day and there has been no activity on her phone since then.
Search and Investigation
The police initiated a search for Maura that evening, but no immediate trace of her was found.
A tracking dog was brought in the next day, and it followed Maura's scent 100 yards east from the car before losing it, suggesting she might have left the area in another vehicle.
Over the next few days, Maura's family arrived in New Hampshire and assisted in the search.
Extensive ground and aerial searches were conducted, using tracking dogs and cadaver dogs.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and local volunteers scoured the woods and nearby areas, but no definitive clues were found.
As days turned into weeks, investigators considered various theories.
Developments and Theories
In the following months, the case received national attention.
The FBI became involved, and media coverage brought numerous tips and leads, but none led to Maura.
Various theories about her disappearance emerged:
1. Voluntary Disappearance: Some believe Maura intentionally left to start a new life.
This was because of some her actions, like packing her belongings before the disappearance, and searching for places on MapQuest.
These signs indicated that she may have had personal plans, but her family have disputed this theory.
They confirmed that she had no history of running away, and was close to her family.
2. Accident in the Wilderness: Given the cold weather and rugged terrain, another theory is that Maura got lost or succumbed to the elements after leaving her car.
Despite extensive searches, no physical evidence supporting this theory has been found.
3. Foul Play: This theory suggests Maura might have been abducted or met with foul play after leaving her car.
Although no concrete evidence has surfaced, some investigators and family members believe this is a plausible scenario.
It is important to note that the first woman who called in the accident said she saw a man smoking a cigarette near Mauras car, but later denied it and said she didn't see anyone.
But the bus driver who called in the authorities, was very sure that he saw the victim and it looked like Maura.
4. Mental Health Crisis: Some speculate that Maura may have experienced a mental health crisis, leading her to act erratically and potentially harming herself.
The unexplained events leading up to her disappearance, including the incident at work and the car accident, lend some credence to this theory.
There was also a young woman around Mauras' age named Brianna Maitland, who vanished in a similar manner, just around where Maura was last seen.
So the authorities thought they might be connected, probably a serial killer on the loose.
However, in June 2004, police dismissed any connections between Maura’s case and the disappearance the young woman.
They confirmed that no links were found between the two cases.
In July 2004, a more extensive search was conducted within a one-mile radius of the crash site, again yielding no new clues.
The FBI's involvement led to interviews with Maura's family and friends and an expansion of the search nationwide.
Maura Murray's disappearance remains an open case, and her fate is still unknown.
Over the years, numerous theories, tips, and alleged sightings have surfaced, but none have brought resolution.
The case continues to captivate the public, with various documentaries, podcasts, and online forums dedicated to uncovering the truth.
In 2017, New Hampshire authorities announced they were conducting a fresh search in the area where Maura disappeared, based on new information.
However, no significant findings were reported.
Maura's family has maintained a website and a social media presence, keeping the case in the public eye and appealing for information.
They continue to hope for closure and answers to the mystery of Maura's disappearance.
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