NH MAURA MURRAY: Missing from Haverhill, NH - 9 Feb 2004 - Age 21

3620DFNH - Maura Murray
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Name: Maura Murray
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: February 9, 2004
Location Last Seen: Haverhill, Hampshire County, New Hampshire

Physical Description
Date of Birth: May 4, 1982
Age: 21 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 120 lbs
Hair Color: Brown, medium length, frequent ponytail, no bangs
Eye Color: Blue/green
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Dimples in both cheeks; scar on right calf

Identifiers
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Unavailable
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Possibly wearing a dark colored coat and jeans.
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Black backpack, Samsung/Sprint Cell phone, wallet.

Circumstances of Disappearance
Some time after 7:00 pm, a Woodsville, New Hampshire, resident heard a loud thump outside of her house. Through her window she could see a car up against the snowbank along Route 112, also known as Wild Ammonoosuc Road. The car pointed west on the eastbound side of the road. She telephoned the Grafton County Sheriff's Department at 7:27 pm to report the accident. At about the same time another neighbor saw the car as well as someone walking around the vehicle. She witnessed a third neighbor pull up alongside the vehicle. That neighbor, a school bus driver returning home, noticed the young woman was not bleeding but cold and shivering. He offered to telephone for help. She asked him not to call the police (one police report says "pleaded") and assured him she'd already called AAA. (AAA has no record of any such call.)

Knowing there was no cell phone reception in the area, the bus driver continued home and phoned the police. His call was received by the Sheriff's Department at 7:43 pm. He was unable to see Maura's car while he made the phone call but did notice several cars pass on the road before the police arrived. At 7:46 pm, a Haverhill police officer arrived at the scene. No one was inside or around the car. The car's windshield was cracked on the driver's side and both airbags had deployed. The car was locked. Inside and outside the car he discovered red stains that looked to be red wine. The officer found a damaged box of Franzia wine on the rear seat.

In addition, he found a AAA card issued to Maura Murray, blank crash report forms, gloves, compact discs, makeup, two sets of MapQuest driving directions (one to Burlington, Vermont, another to Stowe, Vermont), Maura's favorite stuffed animal, and Not Without Peril, a book about mountain climbing in the White Mountains. Missing were Maura's debit card, credit cards, and cell phone, none of which have been located or used since her disappearance.

At 8:00 to 8:30 pm, a contractor returning home from Franconia saw a young person moving quickly on foot eastbound on Route 112 about 4 to 5 miles (6 to 8 km) east of where Maura's vehicle was discovered. He noted that the young person was wearing jeans, a dark coat, and a light-colored hood. He didn't report it to police immediately due to his own confusion of dates, only discovering three months later (when reviewing his work records) that he'd spotted the young person the same night Maura disappeared.

Just before 8:00 pm, EMS and a fire truck arrived to clear the scene. By 8:49 pm, the car had been towed to a local garage. At about 9:30 pm, the responding officer left. A rag believed to have been part of Maura's emergency roadside kit was discovered stuffed into the Saturn's muffler pipe. Authorities would only refer to Maura as missing the next day, almost twenty-four hours after she was last seen.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: New Hampshire Cold Case Unit
Agency Contact Person: coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov
Agency Phone Number: 603-271-2663 or 603-271-1255
Agency E-Mail: coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov
Agency Case Number: 04-41-OF

NCIC Case Number: M-883793945
NamUs Case Number: 54

Information Source(s)
NamUs
Wikipedia

 
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This case is a head scratcher. Personally I think she met with foul play but the fact she headed there to begin with is hard to understand. At least as far as I can recall, there was no real reason for it was there? Been awhile so not sure...
The way I look at it is that nothing she did leading up to the accident makes sense and so we shouldn't expect anything she'd have done afterward to make sense, either.
 
I believe she met with foul play as well.... I agree with her sister.... my theory is she was stressed, distraught and heading somewhere to just get away for a few days and then something went very very wrong and someone is responsible for it and needs to be found out
I do too. Imo when people saw her alone either in a gas station or after her wreck, in an area like that, a young girl would be easy prey imo and maybe even tempting prey. Why though head somewhere so remote? I can't recall, they didn't have a cabin up there or something did they? Seemed to me she may have had a reason for going there but can't quite recall... Or was there no apparent reason?
 
I do too. Imo when people saw her alone either in a gas station or after her wreck, in an area like that, a young girl would be easy prey imo and maybe even tempting prey. Why though head somewhere so remote? I can't recall, they didn't have a cabin up there or something did they? Seemed to me she may have had a reason for going there but can't quite recall... Or was there no apparent reason?
No one knows the reason. I believe they had property somewhere up there but I can't remember. I know they used to go up there as a family. But places that she had looked at that she was going to or phone calls she had made to places were not where where the family used to go and then where she ended up was not where she had made phone calls to or something to that effect. The podcast I shared in the thread is a convo with her sister that has the solid info.
 
No one knows the reason. I believe they had property somewhere up there but I can't remember. I know they used to go up there as a family. But places that she had looked at that she was going to or phone calls she had made to places were not where where the family used to go and then where she ended up was not where she had made phone calls to or something to that effect. The podcast I shared in the thread is a convo with her sister that has the solid info.
I thought there was something like that, that the family had a place or used to go there. I know the case, looked at it many a time over the years but then you don't for awhile and forget the fine details sometimes. I recall most, the bus driver, the wreck, different things.

I used to when upset take drives such as that, sometimes just near home for awhile and sometimes I would take off and go further like that for longer, but not at her age, I was quite a bit older.

Seems odd if she was not in the area or calls were not to the places the family went unless lost or something...

I know she was drinking or seemed she was, I know they found evidence of such right.

I can see her worried about the wreck and a ticket and taking off but just seems to me they would have found her. I know someone can be missed in searches but still not a sign... Seems more likely to me foul play or someone picked her up, offered her a ride or some such and it was the wrong person... Still, she headed up there...

It was 2004, did they look into her internet and phone history... Probably things that have all been asked and answered or at least asked...
 
i reposted this on my X let 2025 be the year for answers

This case is so confounding.

I note in the first page above it says she was wearing a white jacket and jeans. Do you know if they mean the jeans were white too or do they simply mean blue jeans? I suppose they mean blue jeans most likely.

I guess I just wondered because wasn't it sn*wing? Or had it already and had stopped. Not sure if I recall. I was thinking if she was in all white she may have blended in with the sn*w fairly well. Just a dumb thought...

She was still at West Point wasn't she... That school has taken a toll on some of its students over the years... I'vr always heard it's very hard, high expectations, stressful and if you are one that doesn't fit in, it can be an awful place to be... I vaguely recall some stories over the years...

I should really go back and refresh on this one one day... I recall the basics but not fine details as well any longer... I know most of us have obsessed over it at one time or another...

I recall there was a bus and driver wasn't there? Were some other people there too...?

I've had all of the thoughts... Did someone snatch her before cops got there, offer her a ride..? Was she worried about getting a ticket and hitchhiked off.. Were they sure this was a one vehicle accident and no one forced her off the road... Had she planned on leaving all along and she'd met up with someone and had planned such...? To never want to see your dad and sister again (think I do recall that was her family makeup) is a pretty big thing to do...

I just looked it up and February 9,, 2004 was a Monday... Shouldn't she have been attending school? I can't recall why she wasn't.. If she was to be in school, I'd lean towards she met up with someone and planned to take off, perhaps for good...? She'd almost have to be with someone as she'd have no job or money probably...I see looking at it again that she took off without informing anyone and that's what I thought I recalled. I also see she was not at West Point at the time she took off but at Amherst... Sorry I put the wrong thing down.

So did she quit West Point, I mean why did she attend two different colleges...?

I'm kind of just talking it out, I don't expect you to hvae the answers to what I'm asking by the way lol...

I can't remember if she belonged on the road she was on? I mean was it the right road for her destination... Nor how far it was from any business or town...

I wonder how long before she'd turned 21...

She's pretty one would think she'd have a bf. Can't recall if she did...

I've never thought she'd walk far into the woods or anything... MAYBE far enough just to not be seen by cops...? If I recall, she talked to someone didn't she and then disappeared though we don't have her to verify that...

LIke I said confouding... I almost lean towards she did take off because she went up there to begin with, telling no one, so was that her plan all along...

I also can't recall her phone, did she have one, was it found in the car...? What was in the car...? I know she was drinking... I wonder how drunk she was...

I don't believe in much coincidence as in there just happened to be a bad guy around when she went missing who'd just decide to see her, take her and kill her... She did go up there intentionally and without telling anyone of her plans, that anyone knows of at least... I wonder if her visit to the aTM was to withdraw money and if so, how much she took out...

This one is just such a headscratcher.

Did family have a cabin up there or something, I forget...

I just googled the town, man this was close to Canada...

I've got myself entirely frustrated again with this one now... No answers must kill the family because it is doing that to me right now...

NOt sure if we know how much money she was thought to have on her or if it was all found? I'd say if it was a fairly large sum, then she likely wasn't coming back...

Did she live at home or on campus...? And I wonder how she was doing in school. Nursing is fairly tough imo. Sounds like in three years she was in two colleges... West Point is a four year college so why did she not do four years there?

Do we know either if she had a lot of clothes with her? It seems like there'a a lot we don't know... Or I just don't remember lol.

I can't get Canada out of my head now... You did not need a passport in 2004. Was her driver's license, purse or anything found in the car like that?

I really need to go back and read up on this again...

This probably was not too bad of an accident if she walked away...?

Could it have been intentional and staged and she did have someone waiting nearby... Did she know anyone in Canada and/or had she ever dated anyone from there.. It's close enough I'd think there's be more than a few Canadians around Haverhill at times... Or was she even to her destination area yet, if she had been going where the family went I mean...

Well now I've talked myself into the Canada thing.. Long post. Trying to keep my mind off my pain which is almost impossible... I'm thinking it is very likely... It would also be a scenario in which she'd be alive. IF you did want to go away and go away for good, out of country would be best for not being found... With an airline ticket you'd be traceable. Or the ticket would. Taking your own car into Canada your car would be logged... In someone else's you wouldn't be but maybe they take all names down, I'm unsure... I've been once and it didn't seem like it and they only inspected some vehicles and searched some better than others too. Was a long, long time ago that I was there. Did they ever check out the nearest border crossing and were her missing posters peppered around the Canadian side too...?

I mean no offense, after all they are victims, but I seem to recall wasn't it said her dad was pretty strict. Would he have been okay with her quitting school and/or failing? I know people wondered if she was worried about having wrecked the car and would he be upset they wondered... Or she thought he might...

It seems she cut school probably, we know she was drinking, she had to have been heading up there with some intent or plan... Wouldn't it be one of the first places her family would think of if they found her missing...? Maybe she never planned on staying in the family area... She'd know how close it was to Canada, I don't doubt the family maybe went that far a time or two or saw Montreal, etc...

Boy I'm totally speculating and talking myself right into this lol. I remember the Bambi Bembeneck story, not sure of spelling there... It was some time before someone recognized her working at I believe a Thunder Bay restaurant. She didn't go far into Canada either. That's one of the closest Canada cities of any size to Wisconsin. She also begged Canada to not send her back (she was a fugitive) and they heard her story and did protect her. She had help too if I recall, I believe a bf went with her...

Maybe this thought was looked into and this is nothing new, no idea...

I could go on talking forever in an attempt to distract myself but I'd better give all a break and make myself stop...

Maybe it will trigger thoughts in others though, if anyone bothers to read it lol. Sorry I jumped off your post. I didn't intend to do this when I started lol.
 
@GrandmaBear I didn't read your whole post yet but she had left west point and was enrolled at UMass Amherst. That's where she left from to head north. Blue jeans I believe is what she was wearing. White jacket. There has been alot of speculation about a cop up there driving cruiser number 001.... a chief that never documented he was there.
There is a great documentary series about this case that really deep dives. Let me see if I can find it. It's been on a few times and I've seen it a few times but I don't know who airs it or streams it but let me find it and link it here. Definitely worth the watch.
 
Also the podcast Murder, She Told by Kristen Seavey (the girl that has done episodes on my friend Melissa Tremblay did a great episode on Maura with her sister Julie Murray. I will link that too.
 
@GrandmaBear I didn't read your whole post yet but she had left west point and was enrolled at UMass Amherst. That's where she left from to head north. Blue jeans I believe is what she was wearing. White jacket. There has been alot of speculation about a cop up there driving cruiser number 001.... a chief that never documented he was there.
There is a great documentary series about this case that really deep dives. Let me see if I can find it. It's been on a few times and I've seen it a few times but I don't know who airs it or streams it but let me find it and link it here. Definitely worth the watch.
I don't blame you for not reading it all lol. I got carried away, needed the distraction and it was quite long lol.

Yeah it seems to me I wondered about the people who had been there or who responded (like LE) but I couldn't recall why. I recall a bus driver... A cop, hmm, rings a distant bell. I recall wondering about the strangers (to her) in the area and who may have seen a lone girl on her own even prior to that... Not a lot of documentation here or anything one can really be sure of... No dash cams or body cams from officers, etc...

If she didn't leave, planned, of her own accord, then someone picked her up, whether willingly or by force... And it was just not a good person...
 
Would you recommend one of the ones you posted over the others? I doubt I'll get to all of them. And thank you for the links!
 
Would you recommend one of the ones you posted over the others? I doubt I'll get to all of them. And thank you for the links!
they are all great.... Melissa Tremblay, Maura Murray, and Harmony McGomery are the podcasts I posted by Kristen Seavey. The whole season of podcast by Melanie Perkins McGlaughlin is in Andy Puglisi's thread..... I honestly couldnt choose one over the other
 
My main theory has always been that she was upset about the car breaking down and everything else going on in her life and she took off into the night and her body hasn’t been found. But, I do not rule out everyone else’s stories either. It’s a very mysterious case.
It's very mysterious. I think that as well that she wandered off and died in the elements accidently. However, there is one issue with a police officer who never documented his off duty check of the situation but in cruiser # 001. State police and Haverhill police were unaware of this and have that info with the NH AG's office as well as the NH Cold Case Unit. So even if not him I suspect she most likely fell victim to foul play. Her sister Julie feels the same way. That podcast I posted upthread with Kristen Seavey who runs Murder, She Told did a phenomenal episode on Maura. She wouldn't do an episode on Maura until a family member would agree to do it. And Julie jumped on board and I'm glad she did. Julie and her dad are Maura's biggest advocates.... and I feel for them because I was Melissa Tremblay's biggest advocate. Anyone who has time and wants to listen to the podcasts about Maura and/or Melissa should do so!!!
 
It's very mysterious. I think that as well that she wandered off and died in the elements accidently. However, there is one issue with a police officer who never documented his off duty check of the situation but in cruiser # 001. State police and Haverhill police were unaware of this and have that info with the NH AG's office as well as the NH Cold Case Unit. So even if not him I suspect she most likely fell victim to foul play. Her sister Julie feels the same way. That podcast I posted upthread with Kristen Seavey who runs Murder, She Told did a phenomenal episode on Maura. She wouldn't do an episode on Maura until a family member would agree to do it. And Julie jumped on board and I'm glad she did. Julie and her dad are Maura's biggest advocates.... and I feel for them because I was Melissa Tremblay's biggest advocate. Anyone who has time and wants to listen to the podcasts about Maura and/or Melissa should do so!!!
What's the info surrounding an "off duty check of the situation"?
 

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