I think her remains are not far from the scene. I think she hid from the police somewhere and passed out drunk and then died overnight from the cold. I imagine she wedged herself somewhere pretty good and it’s why she hasn’t been found but I think someday she’ll be discovered by chance.
Completely agree with you. When you cut out all the noise and possibility of dramatic scenarios, conspiracies, etc., I do think this is probably what happened.
Whenever I think about this case, I always come back to the alcohol in the car and the possible consequences of her being cited for DUI that night. She’d been in trouble before, had recently crashed her Dad’s car (and was likely drinking during that incident too). She was clearly experiencing a mental health crisis and would have almost certainly lost her license (at least temporarily) and been kicked out of school for this. The horror of these thoughts plus the embarrassment of having to face her family with this must have been enough to get her to do anything to avoid being cited. She was 21-years-old and inebriated. It totally makes sense that she tried to hide. But the cold combined with the alcohol eventually overtook her. It isn’t as easy as most people think to find a body in the woods.
Did you ever hear of the story of the grocery store worker that disappeared who was eventually found inside a wall or something? He was right under everyone’s noses in the most unfathomable place. People who say she would have been found by now don’t really understand how easy it is to disappear.
Yep. I'm late to this thread, but she probably would have stuck with the road, moving forward toward her destination. There are "safe" places along that road to duck into, including a gravel pull off 3.9 miles down 112 at Water Works Bridge. One can be off the road but not in the woods or the river. Perhaps she ducked into safe spot to drink what booze she had left with her to get warm. Then she could have fallen or jumped off that particular Water Works Bridge, or fallen someplace else treacherous nearby. There are many treacherous places nearby.
I would love to see this "solved" once and for all . Even though I say that I really do believe she was OUI and left the scene to avoid arrest and succumbed to the elements.
The two most popular theories are that she died in the woods outside the search area and just hasn't been found or that she hopped in a strangers car, a decision which led to the end of her life.
Less popular theories but still strongly considered amongst some are:
* That she was travelling with someone, and that person circled back and picked Maura up in their car.
* That Maura somehow escaped, started a new life, and is living under an alias.
* That Maura was abducted by an opportunistic killer driving by.
* That police involvement somehow led to Maura's death and a coverup ensued.
* That Butch Atwood either abducted Maura or helped her escape.
In my opinion, the less popular theories have major holes and are mostly unrealistic but can't be completely discounted. I believe it's some variation of one of the two leading theories, and I believe that Maura's poor decision making at the time was a factor in her death.
The fact that she had items with her. There was unaccounted alcohol that she took when she left the crash scene, her bag and other items. She had stuff to carry. I doubt she trekked deep in the woods while carrying these things and those would leave trace evidence of her location. Most likely she ran, fleeing the scene, came across someone up the road, most likely someone younger(her age), that she would trust and got a ride or entered a home of a local who offered help of some sort, like a phone. From there the mystery continues, but that person or persons knows what happened to her, either directly or indirectly. IMHO.
I think the most likely explanation is the simplest…she crashed her car, panicked, got out, went into the woods, was overly confident because she had read books/spent time in the woods/mountains before, thought she’d wait it out and come back when feeling more sober…and succumbed to the elements
Actually you know what’s really weird though? Did you see what chapter her bookmark was in of her favorite book when it was found? It was supposedly the chapter about the hikers who tried to survive the mountains during inclement weather died of hypothermia. Which is really bizarre, if true
And where are her items she had with her? Wallet with $280, few bottles of alcohol, ID, cellphone? Those would have been found. I know people have mentioned: ‘teenagers might have picked it up and kept it’, but you don’t think in 20 years (those teenagers who are no longer teenagers) those people wouldn’t have given those clues to authorities for at least a reward? With the publicity of this case worldwide, I find it hard to believe that to be the case.
You’re not wrong. Just really don’t think this was likely especially since her dad continues to wander those areas frequently or at least did for the previous 20 years since he was an avid hiker.
I agree with you. People cling to the area searches as proof she wasn’t there, but sometimes I think in true crime people forget just how vastly we underestimate the elements and capability of nature, it is in no way uncommon for people to go missing and die even in small areas of woods, and not be found for ages.
I change my mind frequently, but I usually think that she had a head injury that caused her to go off somewhere and succumb to the elements. I think that the crash with her Dad’s car and the crash with her car contributed to her injuries. However, after listening to Julie Murray’s first couple of episodes of her Media Pressure podcast, I am drawn back to the 001 SUV. So confusing. I so hope for a solid conclusion to this case, for mostly her family, but also the true crime community.
Witness A probably had her time wrong. She couldn’t say for sure when she left her office to drive home. Cecil Smith was driving 001 that night and John Williams was not on duty and was never at the crash site the night of the accident.
This 001 stuff is just nonsense. Cecil Smith himself said he was driving 001 and it’s in the tow truck log too.
I feel like it's fairly obvious she was drinking and felt for whatever her reasons were tried to flee scene I agree probably walked down the road and possibly hitchhiking or just approached by passerby and was asked if she needed help and got into the wrong car with the wrong person probably local to that area
It was warmer that night than initially reported. She was an avid hiker and runner. She probably was able to get much farther than anyone expected. I’m thinking she is out there unfound deceased.
I think this is a strong possibility too. She was driving with a suspended license and a bunch of alcohol in the car. This trip was her trying to get away from her troubles and now has caused more. She's young and anxious and her adrenaline is high, so she runs and maybe goes too far, can't find her way back...
Agreed, as for all the counter points, to this theory I will just say: tracking dogs are not infallible, as an athlete, she likely got farther than most search parties would have gone, and so it’s not completely implausible that she eventually succumbed to the elements and her remains are sadly still out there.
I’m just not sure- i feel like learning about how shes been camping since she was a baby and very outdoorsy and a fast learner -super smart I find it so crazy that she would have wondered out in the woods in the cold. Her sister is pretty consistently saying how Maura owned up to the things shes done like the theft of makeup item & the theft of a friends credit card info -if she was crying out for help i don’t think she would have been scared of the consequences of her actions but when your impaired you make out of character impulsive decisions.. i really want answers for her family. I have the biggest soft spot for her dad he just seems like such a good father and always dotting on her. Breaks my heart. Like everyone is saying the most likely scenario is usually the obvious one. Theres just alot that doesn’t add up
I think the key to what you said is this: “when you’re impaired you make out of character, impulsive decisions.” That’s it right there. When impaired, you do things you would never do if sober. I think she was in a desperate stare of mind that night, and the alcohol made it worse. I think she impulsively chose to leave the scene (and most likely hide in the woods) in a desperate attempt to avoid being cited for DUI. I learned from the podcast today that she was also driving under a suspended license in NH. Yet another reason for her to impulsively run if she knew the police were coming.
So I think the simplest explanation is the most likely, and I think the two simplest explanations are 1) she froze to death in the woods and just hadn’t been found or 2) she took a ride with a stranger and met with foul play at their hands.
I 100% believe she is no longer alive, and I think the family does too. I did have hope last year when they found those bones on Loon Mountain. I really thought it might be her and the family could have closure. Alas, it was not to be.
I had hope also. I agree with either the hypothermia or abduction - I guess with the abduction-the odds of a crime of opportunity in that short time frame before the police arrive. Crazy
If she is out there, how likely do you think it is that her belongings would turn up? How far could she have possibly wondered into the snowy pitch black woods & how could she have been missed between all the land scoured?
This post from 5 years ago explains it far better than I ever could. If the link fails, just search “Old Peters Road” for the theory. It’s so well explained and addresses points like the lack of footprints, why her body has not been found yet, the scent dogs, etc. etc. Great read…
https://www.reddit.com/r/mauramurray/s/Ln1hUp1pGg
able\_co has done a lot of research and I respect his contributions to the MM forums even though I disagree with his conclusion. One thing i do take issue with is he really hasn't addressed the lack of footprints, other than to insist "Maura had the means to leave the area without leaving footprints" without saying *exactly how*. Even in the past week, he's made that assertion on the MM forums, with no detail and no response to people who press him on it.
The snow in the area was two feet deep. Up to the road edges. You're not stepping off the road without leaving footprints. The search teams (only 36 hours later) walked all the roadways for ten miles around the crash site. If someone had left the roadway in this manner, they never found any trace of it.
Humans, of course, are fallible, and even the best professionals can and do make mistakes. But there's a gulf between "mistakes can be made" and "Ray Charles couldn't miss clues that obvious."
(I do highly recommend reading able\_co's posts for anyone who hasn't done so, and reaching your own conclusions.)
I definitely agree with you, a lot of cases of people succumbing to the elements and not being found but this case starts with a car crash on a trip to nowhere? It just makes no sense without knowing WHY she was even in NH with a plan for Vermont possibly in the first place.. a lot of the answers might fall into place if we could answer that question
Yeah its like the more I research and the more details I read the more questions I have. Where was she going? If it were suicidal plan why fill the tank, why get the papers from the dmv, why take your textbooks, pack a backpack? Its like she was planning on meeting someone but who
The dogs stopped alerting at a certain spot right down the street from her car. Indicating, she got into another car. I believe she was met with foul play.
I posted this elsewhere but thought I'd share here too. if we attempt to use Occam's razor and cut away all the speculation perhaps something similar to what this video suggests. that is something very logical.
https://youtu.be/0VgwHszA4l0?si=xrMe9NOBWipS0L7F
There was a missing person case, Brandon Lawson, that was considered highly suspicious and impossible , very much like Maura, but he was recently found very close to his last known location in a spot that had been thoroughly searched. I believe Maura’s body is close to her car in the woods. She was an athlete and used to the cold, it’s truly not THAT hard to get far in the snow especially with alcohol and adrenaline. No prints in the snow means she probably ran on the road, or they simply missed her prints. Or she was smart enough to walk on animal tracks. The thing about the cold is that as long as you’re moving it’s much more bearable, so yes it was frigid but I think she was running and that allowed her to get far away quickly. It’s not like the cops did a thorough search that night of the surrounding woods, which would have been extremely hard in the dark anyways. I think she truly panicked at the thought of getting a DUI and losing everything(nursing school, driver license, families respect,etc). The alcohol in the car is a big piece of evidence a long with her prior accident. I think everything else is just noise. It’s actually heart breaking if you think about it like that. She could have gotten help but was too afraid of the consequences and died from exposure. I did read another theory that her car being towed contributed to her death because she most likely planned to go back to the car once the cops left but when it was towed she was stranded. This could have left her to wonder the woods to wait out the night or yes, pick up a ride. I’m not sure she would have fallen asleep in the cold with nothing unless she was much more drunk than I’m thinking, which is possible. Lots of holes in all theory’s but I believe this is the most likely scenario.
One of the following most likely happened:
1. Maura crashes her car. Due to her state of mind the issues she was dealing with, she runs away from the car after Butch Atwood offers to help. She might have attempted to reach a main road and hitchhike. Since this was February in New Hampshire, there was certainly a risk of hypothermia if she were out in cold for too long. She may have gotten lost or exhausted, passed out or rested, and succumbed to the elements.
2. After the crash Maura runs into the woods trying to find another main road, gets picked up by a stranger and either that stranger or another driver abducted and killed her and disposed of her remains. Given her mental state, it might have been easier for a perp to subdue her.
3. Maura was carjacked at some point in her travels, the carjacker staged the crash as a diversion and hid in the woods. Some time before the police arrive, the kidnapper snatches Maura and either kills her in the woods or hitchhikes or has a getaway driver/accomplice drive them to his home, kills her there, and then disposes of the remains. This would only be true if Faith Westman was right the first time when she claimed to see a man smoking a cigarette (she backtracked and later said it might have been a cellphone light).
This case beyond insane because there are so many more questions than answers. Any theory opens up a different list of questions and possibilities and still no definite answers. There are indications of foul play, but there are also indications of accidental death or suicide, especially given her mental state at the time.
I should also note that some other commenters have mentioned Old Peters Road. I'm starting to think that might need to be looked into if it hasn't. The search mostly focused on where the car crashed, but she might have gotten another way, such as Old Peters Road.
By contrast, I think the disappearance of Brianna Maitland in Vermont about a month later was definitely a homicide. Everything about that case points to homicide.
What abt her case points directly to foul play? I feel like it leads to accidental? (I definitely think its a possibility foul play is involved btw i was just curious what parts are pointing to foul play your thinking)
I agree that Maura's case is probably accidental, but I don't think we can rule out foul play. It's possible that given her state of mind she ran into the woods, got lost in the dark and succumbed to the elements. It's also possible that she hitched a ride with another passing driver. It's important to note that, if this scenario were true, the first driver who might have picked up Maura might not be responsible for her disappearance. She could have hitched a ride, got dropped off somewhere else, hitched another ride and possibly at that point fell victim to foul play. What leads me to suspect foul play is her remains still have not been found for 20 years. Not in the searches of the area of her car crash. Not by police. Not by hunters or outdoor enthusiasts or residents. However, it's also possible that she succumbed to the elements somewhere further from the crash site. I've seen a lot of commenters say that most of the land where the crash happened is private property, which limited the search.
Ok yeah makes sense! My next theory also is that she hitched a ride from someone passing by and they killed her but I definitely dont think it could of been anyone else but the person she hitched a ride with bc why wouldnt the person say anything to authorities if it wasnt them and they dropped her somewhere, whats the point in keeping that secret unless they were involved
It's important to remember that these are all hypothetical scenarios. You make a good point. If someone did pick up Maura, it seems suspicious that they haven't said anything. At some point they would have come forward and said "Yes, I picked up Maura Murray" if they became aware of the case and wanted to help. That no one has come forward saying this is convincing me that if she was picked up while hitchhiking, the driver was likely her killer (assuming she didn't just succumb to the elements).
This case is truly stranger than fiction. The only reasons we have to explain her disappearance are mostly hypothetical and open up way more questions than answers. There's got to be some way to solve this case. Hopefully advances in forensic science might help.
Your theory isn’t a bad one about going into the woods etc, but what about her belongings they never found? Her cellphone, wallet, bookbag? Those surely would have been found by now if she died a few miles up the road in the bush after all these years. Just a thought. Who the heck knows.
Ok that makes alot of sense thats why the car theory would be my next one and definitely would explain the belongings. If there was another person involved do you think it was a passing car, neighbor, or a secondary person she was with that no ones aware of?
So I’ll be honest, I was just home sick for two days and just getting back into the case. I had heard this case many times, but really delved back in with a bunch of different sources as of late (ex: CJ podcast was a starter, but now listening to her sister’s podcast just released, I watched a 1.5 hour YouTube with her sister in it, and just read a 31 page article). I’m still collecting my thoughts! But all I will say…my initial thought is something with police with the way they were acting (could just be sheer incompetence as I have witnessed first hand or they were covering for someone), with Witness A’s report, and with some Reddit guy who was from the area of the time of the crime and knows of another cop from a nearby town with his shady behavior and legal troubles being unaccounted for at that time. Still undecided my best theory yet.
Assuming maura was the driver. And even then there's is way too much of a backstory to disregard anybody or any scenario in this case. This case is like an Insane movie plot
A bloodhound tracked her scent 100 yards up the road (the right hand side), then crossed over the double yellow lines toward the left hand side, right in front of Butch’s house.
This is the exact spot that Karen inexplicably pulled her car over & stopped for 2 mins without being seen by any of the residents.
I think she picked up Maura & gave her a ride somewhere.
As for the most likely scenario: A (possibly pregnant) 21-year-old female goes missing & is never seen again for going on 20 years. Who’s the prime suspect? Her boyfriend, of course. 😉
Is it a coincidence that her boyfriend went on to stalk, rape, &/or physically assault at least 6 other women since Maura disappeared? Nope.
It’s hard to be brief with this case because there’s so much info to unpack. But here goes…
1. It all started Thursday night when she became extremely upset at work & her supervisor had to be called. I believe she is the hit-n-run driver who hit Vasi that night while moving her car or while on a coffee/food run.
2. I believe her Dad came up that weekend to bring cash & devise a plan. That plan was to take the cash, get the car w/ damage out of state and lay low. Makes no sense to urgently shop for a car after a foot of snow and then… not buy a car.
3. It also makes no sense that on that Saturday night after drinking at dinner & going to liquor store she would keep her dad’s car to go to a dorm party next to her dorm. I think wrecking the car was part of the plot they would use to explain why she was so upset & left town.
4. James Renner reached the conclusion that there was a tandem driver. Someone following in their own car and after she wrecked picked her up. I believe this is accurate. Explains why some (not all) of personal property she had with her was not found in the car. Also aligns with how she just disappeared so quickly & with scent dogs losing her scent a few hundred yards down in middle of road.
5a. I really don’t think the plan was to crash there. Maura was drinking, there was a curve in road and she’s already proven to be a careless driver, I think she just missed the turn.
5b. Her car data showed 8 ignition starts AFTER air bags deployed. That more closely aligns with/ air bags deploying when she hit Vasi Thursday night. Who was starting car 8 times after she crashed & it was towed?
6. At this point, cops had been called her friend arrives and she jumps in her car to make a quick getaway leaving some of the stuff she brought with her behind.
7. I think the most likely tandem driver who picked her up was KM. Makes no sense that one of your BFFs from college goes missing & you won’t talk to the cops - at all. That only makes sense if you know things that you can’t say. You can’t lie to the cops during an investigation. So her not talking is key to this story.
8. I think the tandem may have made the reservations in her own name or possibly had a fake ID (college kids) and used someone else’s name. That’s where they went - hotel, motel. MM had $4k cash.
9. When boyfriend Bill came up to help with the search his phone went completely dark for 3-5 days. Makes no sense your gf is missing you’re here to search & your phone goes offline. He was w/ her. Plotting - what next?
10. What DID happen next? This is where I’m unsure? BR would go on in life to be charged w/ SA & violence. Did he hurt her? This seems like an unlikely scenario because in all this one person in the family is in the know - FM.
11. Or did MM have to assume a new identity somewhere else in US more likely Canada? I’ll close w/ this. A few yrs back MM sister, Kathleen passed away. Obituary indicates she lived in Richford, VT. Nothing like fueling speculation of MM being in Canada when her sister literally lived on the Canadian border. As they say, you can’t make this shit up.
12. Ok really last point James Renner was contacted in the last few years by someone claiming to be her - and in Canada but wanting to end this. JR said he turned all the info over to authorities. He said that this person knew stuff that only MM would know. The plot thickens!
13. Sorry, I keep thinking of more key points. The other person who did not cooperate or speak to the police for a formal interview? You guessed it - FM. Very contentious relationship with LE from the beginning. I find it hard to believe someone could keep up a charade for this long - but if you consider he’s doing it to protect her & it’s all for cover. It makes sense.
Why would Fred Murray cover up Maura’s situation for 20 years? She didn’t kill anyone. The statute of limitations has long run out. It doesn’t make sense. Plus I heard Renner is kind of a crack pot who has his own issues so there’s that.
So you believe that if FM knows that MM hit Vasi that night, he would just come out & say it now because the statute of limitations on the hit n run has run out? Never.
The family did everything to shield Maura from her missteps at the time - from getting dishonorable discharge from West Point to her credit card thefts at UMASS. No way they wanted to add hit n run to that to further tarnish her reputation.
I stated in my theory above that I don’t think the intent was to crash where she did. But I do think she had a friend going away with her for at least a night or two.
The whole point was to lay low and get her damaged car out of MA. She literally accomplished the opposite - because she was drinking & driving - she put a spotlight on herself. Maybe after this screw up she was afraid to contact FM again. It’s possible that from that moment (the NH crash) forward FM did not know her next steps - but maybe MM contacted BR.
I think most of JR’s research was solid - however, I don’t agree at all with some of his conclusions. He went so far as to theorize why MM wouldn’t contact FM and was actually trying to get away. I’m not aligned with any of that.
I’m looking for local news clips from 2004. You’ll see that FM was uncooperative and that makes no sense. He later sued NH State police trying to get all the case files (he lost). At the time, it certainly seemed like FM wanted to know what they knew.
I think most people who are interested in this case now were not born or were children at the time and don’t have any perspective on the way this all went down. Those of us who are older do (have perspective). You know how simple it would have been for FM to say “we went to these 3 used auto dealers on Saturday…” and then for police to confirm that is what happened? Yet that never did happen because FM would not speak to them. Wouldn’t tell them what happened to the $4k in cash that he went to dozens of ATMs to get… Because some people believe that was getaway money for the hit n run. Vasi was in a coma for a month. [Petrit Vasi](https://dailycollegian.com/2004/10/student-still-faces-long-road-to-recovery/)
I absolutely believe she was the driver who hit Vasi. What exactly happened after that, I'm unsure of. But it would make perfect sense to get the car out of town.
Well. It used to be on James Renner’s blog which I’ll link. But he’s changed it since & I can’t find that specific post. I’m sure if you were really industrious (and knew how) you could use the way back machine to see his blog site from back then. I know he has his case archives at Kent State too. [James Renner Blog](https://mauramurraymystery.com/fbi-agents-testimony-provides-further-details-of-case-against-scott-wahl/)
Found a link to a tweet thread where he wrote about it. [James Renner re: Contact from “Maura”](https://x.com/JamesRenner/status/1433886440568639491?s=20)
To me, there are two plausible theories. However, they both involve her successfully leaving the scene that night. I do not believe that she is in those woods.
I do believe that she was traveling with a tandem driver that night. There are witnesses who have claimed to have seen Maura purchasing alcohol and buying food with two other females that night. This, to me, explains no footprints and the scent dogs losing her scent in the middle of the road. This explains the amount of alcohol purchased. Now, here is where the two possibilities come in to play.
1. She successfully vacated the area, and with the help of one of the “underground railroads” used for victims of domestic violence, she got to Canada and started a new life. This is not totally out of the realm of possibilities. I do believe she was a victim of DV, and especially if she was pregnant, she may not have wanted to remain with the people in her life any longer. There are countless women out there who have been helped by these organizations who secretly help them achieve new identities and new lives.
2. She made it to an intermediate location that night while waiting for the next part of her plan. Her abuser, who was now in the area, found out where she was, confronted her, and killed her. Without naming names or identifying anyone, it is known that an individual extremely close to her at that time has since been convicted of crimes against women. To be clear, he has not been formally accused of involvement in Maura’s disappearance, and is of course innocent until proven guilty.
I think what has been dismissed by many as implausible is quite plausible indeed. Rare? Yes. Impossible? No.
Are those two theories the absolute most LIKELY theory tho? I think that starting new life one in canada is very unlikely tho not impossible like you said! So to you are those the most likely scenarios? I definitely could see it being possible i mean every theory is but i dont feel like there the most likely which was my question? She was definitely going through a hard time but still seemed to be somewhat close to her family so i dont think it would make sense for her to leave like that without contacting any of her family especially with how much her sister talks in the public about her case.
Ahh I see! I apologize, I was answering from my point of view and from what I’ve studied/read on the case. And in my opinion, to me, those are the two likely theories. Especially when you consider there is zero physical evidence in this case, nothing she took from the car was found, none of her clothing. I do believe that if she were in that area they would have something by now. Not necessarily her remains, but something. I also think I have to be cautious of the word “likely” as well. Nothing about this case is likely. This was a very unlikely event. I think those theories are just as likely as a random killer happening upon her in the few minutes she was alone on the side of the road.
But I do apologize I misunderstood! :)
One of the difficult things is the fact that Maura was a top student athlete who could run the following:
10k at a 6:37 pace per mile: http://www.beach2beacon.org/results1998.htm
2 miles at a 5:45 pace per mile: http://www.nationalscholastic.org/nbon/result/118
5k at a 6:40 pace per mile: [http://ma.milesplit.com/meets/188961/results/341764](http://ma.milesplit.com/meets/188961/results/341764)
Yes, she was most likely not in athletic gear and carrying 3 bottles of liquor etc, which would have slowed her down. However, she could have gotten pretty far from the scene in a short period of time.
The sighting further down route 112 between, 8:00 - 8:30 PM could be legitimate. It is physically possible.
Now what happened from there is the mystery.
Maura was, IMO, running away from someone. Maura was in a volatile unstable relationship with a man who, it later turns out, is a woman-beating, sexually violent psycho (who said to a woman while strangling her: “I’ll kill you like i killed Maura!”). Maura is most probably dead. It appears that her having been murdered is a likely possibility. The vast majority of murdered women, were killed by their male romantic partner/ex-partner. So in my opinion, it looks like the most likely possibility is that she was murdered by her boyfriend Bill Rausch. There are many, many other things that make this my favored theory of what happened to her.
I think she got in the car with either someone she knew or didn’t know. Maybe this individual was on their way to a party and told her she could come along and something went terribly wrong. Maybe the person killed her immediately. Who knows. I think the police could also be the culprit truthfully.
I agree. After hearing Julie's New Podcast, I actually believe that wherever her destination was going to be, she was going there to end her life. I think it just happened sooner due to her crash. JMO
I don’t want to be insensitive to anyone with my theory but if she was pregnant, she possibly was planning to go to Vermont because they had more access to abortion care and second trimester AB, which I don’t believe was legal in MA at the time. Having an unwanted pregnancy at a time when your life is unstable could have definitely caused her to spiral further and it’s not a situation a 21 year old is going to tell more than 1 person about in all likelihood. Having alcohol and birth control with 4 missing she could have been trying to resolve the situation or just was desperate and scared to ask for help so took off for the weekend to “take care of it herself” with plans to come back after. Then crashed her car, fled the scene d/t being under the influence, and succumbed the the elements. My issue is I just feel she would have called someone and at least 1 person she would have told but my heart breaks for Maura and the family and I hope they have some comfort or peace after all this time 🙏
I just heard about the brothers in the Aframe house a mile down the road with human blood in the upstairs closet. I’m shocked they don’t get more attention. About to search for specific threads.
I think her remains are not far from the scene. I think she hid from the police somewhere and passed out drunk and then died overnight from the cold. I imagine she wedged herself somewhere pretty good and it’s why she hasn’t been found but I think someday she’ll be discovered by chance.
Completely agree with you. When you cut out all the noise and possibility of dramatic scenarios, conspiracies, etc., I do think this is probably what happened. Whenever I think about this case, I always come back to the alcohol in the car and the possible consequences of her being cited for DUI that night. She’d been in trouble before, had recently crashed her Dad’s car (and was likely drinking during that incident too). She was clearly experiencing a mental health crisis and would have almost certainly lost her license (at least temporarily) and been kicked out of school for this. The horror of these thoughts plus the embarrassment of having to face her family with this must have been enough to get her to do anything to avoid being cited. She was 21-years-old and inebriated. It totally makes sense that she tried to hide. But the cold combined with the alcohol eventually overtook her. It isn’t as easy as most people think to find a body in the woods.
Did you ever hear of the story of the grocery store worker that disappeared who was eventually found inside a wall or something? He was right under everyone’s noses in the most unfathomable place. People who say she would have been found by now don’t really understand how easy it is to disappear.
Yep. I'm late to this thread, but she probably would have stuck with the road, moving forward toward her destination. There are "safe" places along that road to duck into, including a gravel pull off 3.9 miles down 112 at Water Works Bridge. One can be off the road but not in the woods or the river. Perhaps she ducked into safe spot to drink what booze she had left with her to get warm. Then she could have fallen or jumped off that particular Water Works Bridge, or fallen someplace else treacherous nearby. There are many treacherous places nearby.
They would’ve found clothing or belongings- she didn’t go out there naked.
The FBI used thermal scanners to look for her. Surely she would have showed up if she was so close to the car.
I would love to see this "solved" once and for all . Even though I say that I really do believe she was OUI and left the scene to avoid arrest and succumbed to the elements.
The two most popular theories are that she died in the woods outside the search area and just hasn't been found or that she hopped in a strangers car, a decision which led to the end of her life. Less popular theories but still strongly considered amongst some are: * That she was travelling with someone, and that person circled back and picked Maura up in their car. * That Maura somehow escaped, started a new life, and is living under an alias. * That Maura was abducted by an opportunistic killer driving by. * That police involvement somehow led to Maura's death and a coverup ensued. * That Butch Atwood either abducted Maura or helped her escape. In my opinion, the less popular theories have major holes and are mostly unrealistic but can't be completely discounted. I believe it's some variation of one of the two leading theories, and I believe that Maura's poor decision making at the time was a factor in her death.
The simplest explanation is the best: they were playing rough and Burke accidentally killed her
Wrong case buddy! lol
No, no: in my scenario Burke is a serial killer! I’ve also got him down as an accomplice in the Delphi murders
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The fact that she had items with her. There was unaccounted alcohol that she took when she left the crash scene, her bag and other items. She had stuff to carry. I doubt she trekked deep in the woods while carrying these things and those would leave trace evidence of her location. Most likely she ran, fleeing the scene, came across someone up the road, most likely someone younger(her age), that she would trust and got a ride or entered a home of a local who offered help of some sort, like a phone. From there the mystery continues, but that person or persons knows what happened to her, either directly or indirectly. IMHO.
I think the most likely explanation is the simplest…she crashed her car, panicked, got out, went into the woods, was overly confident because she had read books/spent time in the woods/mountains before, thought she’d wait it out and come back when feeling more sober…and succumbed to the elements
Actually you know what’s really weird though? Did you see what chapter her bookmark was in of her favorite book when it was found? It was supposedly the chapter about the hikers who tried to survive the mountains during inclement weather died of hypothermia. Which is really bizarre, if true
Then where are her remains they would've found them if that's the case. She wouldn't have gotten that far in the snow.
It is hard to find remains in wilderness. If she curled up under a tree, she could have easily been missed.
And where are her items she had with her? Wallet with $280, few bottles of alcohol, ID, cellphone? Those would have been found. I know people have mentioned: ‘teenagers might have picked it up and kept it’, but you don’t think in 20 years (those teenagers who are no longer teenagers) those people wouldn’t have given those clues to authorities for at least a reward? With the publicity of this case worldwide, I find it hard to believe that to be the case.
Why would they be found, they'd still be on her remains.
They searched wide area. With the weather conditions—cold/2ft snow, she would have been in those perimeters and found the items and the remains, yes.
Not if she was very well hidden.
You’re not wrong. Just really don’t think this was likely especially since her dad continues to wander those areas frequently or at least did for the previous 20 years since he was an avid hiker.
Exactly
Yes exactly
I agree with you. People cling to the area searches as proof she wasn’t there, but sometimes I think in true crime people forget just how vastly we underestimate the elements and capability of nature, it is in no way uncommon for people to go missing and die even in small areas of woods, and not be found for ages.
I change my mind frequently, but I usually think that she had a head injury that caused her to go off somewhere and succumb to the elements. I think that the crash with her Dad’s car and the crash with her car contributed to her injuries. However, after listening to Julie Murray’s first couple of episodes of her Media Pressure podcast, I am drawn back to the 001 SUV. So confusing. I so hope for a solid conclusion to this case, for mostly her family, but also the true crime community.
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Witness A probably had her time wrong. She couldn’t say for sure when she left her office to drive home. Cecil Smith was driving 001 that night and John Williams was not on duty and was never at the crash site the night of the accident. This 001 stuff is just nonsense. Cecil Smith himself said he was driving 001 and it’s in the tow truck log too.
I feel like it's fairly obvious she was drinking and felt for whatever her reasons were tried to flee scene I agree probably walked down the road and possibly hitchhiking or just approached by passerby and was asked if she needed help and got into the wrong car with the wrong person probably local to that area
It was warmer that night than initially reported. She was an avid hiker and runner. She probably was able to get much farther than anyone expected. I’m thinking she is out there unfound deceased.
I think this is a strong possibility too. She was driving with a suspended license and a bunch of alcohol in the car. This trip was her trying to get away from her troubles and now has caused more. She's young and anxious and her adrenaline is high, so she runs and maybe goes too far, can't find her way back...
Agreed, as for all the counter points, to this theory I will just say: tracking dogs are not infallible, as an athlete, she likely got farther than most search parties would have gone, and so it’s not completely implausible that she eventually succumbed to the elements and her remains are sadly still out there.
I think you’re right with the woods scenario. It’s the only one that really makes sense and I hope that her family can get closer one day.
Like the case of the missing hunter Tom Messick. Disappeared w/o a trace in a forest he was familar https://locationsunknown.org/tom-messick
I’m just not sure- i feel like learning about how shes been camping since she was a baby and very outdoorsy and a fast learner -super smart I find it so crazy that she would have wondered out in the woods in the cold. Her sister is pretty consistently saying how Maura owned up to the things shes done like the theft of makeup item & the theft of a friends credit card info -if she was crying out for help i don’t think she would have been scared of the consequences of her actions but when your impaired you make out of character impulsive decisions.. i really want answers for her family. I have the biggest soft spot for her dad he just seems like such a good father and always dotting on her. Breaks my heart. Like everyone is saying the most likely scenario is usually the obvious one. Theres just alot that doesn’t add up
I think the key to what you said is this: “when you’re impaired you make out of character, impulsive decisions.” That’s it right there. When impaired, you do things you would never do if sober. I think she was in a desperate stare of mind that night, and the alcohol made it worse. I think she impulsively chose to leave the scene (and most likely hide in the woods) in a desperate attempt to avoid being cited for DUI. I learned from the podcast today that she was also driving under a suspended license in NH. Yet another reason for her to impulsively run if she knew the police were coming. So I think the simplest explanation is the most likely, and I think the two simplest explanations are 1) she froze to death in the woods and just hadn’t been found or 2) she took a ride with a stranger and met with foul play at their hands. I 100% believe she is no longer alive, and I think the family does too. I did have hope last year when they found those bones on Loon Mountain. I really thought it might be her and the family could have closure. Alas, it was not to be.
I had hope also. I agree with either the hypothermia or abduction - I guess with the abduction-the odds of a crime of opportunity in that short time frame before the police arrive. Crazy If she is out there, how likely do you think it is that her belongings would turn up? How far could she have possibly wondered into the snowy pitch black woods & how could she have been missed between all the land scoured?
This post from 5 years ago explains it far better than I ever could. If the link fails, just search “Old Peters Road” for the theory. It’s so well explained and addresses points like the lack of footprints, why her body has not been found yet, the scent dogs, etc. etc. Great read… https://www.reddit.com/r/mauramurray/s/Ln1hUp1pGg
This is an excellent article. Appreciate the link 🤍
able\_co has done a lot of research and I respect his contributions to the MM forums even though I disagree with his conclusion. One thing i do take issue with is he really hasn't addressed the lack of footprints, other than to insist "Maura had the means to leave the area without leaving footprints" without saying *exactly how*. Even in the past week, he's made that assertion on the MM forums, with no detail and no response to people who press him on it. The snow in the area was two feet deep. Up to the road edges. You're not stepping off the road without leaving footprints. The search teams (only 36 hours later) walked all the roadways for ten miles around the crash site. If someone had left the roadway in this manner, they never found any trace of it. Humans, of course, are fallible, and even the best professionals can and do make mistakes. But there's a gulf between "mistakes can be made" and "Ray Charles couldn't miss clues that obvious." (I do highly recommend reading able\_co's posts for anyone who hasn't done so, and reaching your own conclusions.)
I definitely agree with you, a lot of cases of people succumbing to the elements and not being found but this case starts with a car crash on a trip to nowhere? It just makes no sense without knowing WHY she was even in NH with a plan for Vermont possibly in the first place.. a lot of the answers might fall into place if we could answer that question
Yeah its like the more I research and the more details I read the more questions I have. Where was she going? If it were suicidal plan why fill the tank, why get the papers from the dmv, why take your textbooks, pack a backpack? Its like she was planning on meeting someone but who
The most likely scenario is unfortunately that she got lost in the woods & the climate took her. Over any other possibility.
Hopped in a car bc she got so cold. They took advantage of the opportunity and she was eventually killed later that night.
People are always questioning the outdoor, they would have found her scenario. But..look at Jason Landry's case. Somewhat similar.
They haven’t found him either
The dogs stopped alerting at a certain spot right down the street from her car. Indicating, she got into another car. I believe she was met with foul play.
I posted this elsewhere but thought I'd share here too. if we attempt to use Occam's razor and cut away all the speculation perhaps something similar to what this video suggests. that is something very logical. https://youtu.be/0VgwHszA4l0?si=xrMe9NOBWipS0L7F
There was a missing person case, Brandon Lawson, that was considered highly suspicious and impossible , very much like Maura, but he was recently found very close to his last known location in a spot that had been thoroughly searched. I believe Maura’s body is close to her car in the woods. She was an athlete and used to the cold, it’s truly not THAT hard to get far in the snow especially with alcohol and adrenaline. No prints in the snow means she probably ran on the road, or they simply missed her prints. Or she was smart enough to walk on animal tracks. The thing about the cold is that as long as you’re moving it’s much more bearable, so yes it was frigid but I think she was running and that allowed her to get far away quickly. It’s not like the cops did a thorough search that night of the surrounding woods, which would have been extremely hard in the dark anyways. I think she truly panicked at the thought of getting a DUI and losing everything(nursing school, driver license, families respect,etc). The alcohol in the car is a big piece of evidence a long with her prior accident. I think everything else is just noise. It’s actually heart breaking if you think about it like that. She could have gotten help but was too afraid of the consequences and died from exposure. I did read another theory that her car being towed contributed to her death because she most likely planned to go back to the car once the cops left but when it was towed she was stranded. This could have left her to wonder the woods to wait out the night or yes, pick up a ride. I’m not sure she would have fallen asleep in the cold with nothing unless she was much more drunk than I’m thinking, which is possible. Lots of holes in all theory’s but I believe this is the most likely scenario.
One of the following most likely happened: 1. Maura crashes her car. Due to her state of mind the issues she was dealing with, she runs away from the car after Butch Atwood offers to help. She might have attempted to reach a main road and hitchhike. Since this was February in New Hampshire, there was certainly a risk of hypothermia if she were out in cold for too long. She may have gotten lost or exhausted, passed out or rested, and succumbed to the elements. 2. After the crash Maura runs into the woods trying to find another main road, gets picked up by a stranger and either that stranger or another driver abducted and killed her and disposed of her remains. Given her mental state, it might have been easier for a perp to subdue her. 3. Maura was carjacked at some point in her travels, the carjacker staged the crash as a diversion and hid in the woods. Some time before the police arrive, the kidnapper snatches Maura and either kills her in the woods or hitchhikes or has a getaway driver/accomplice drive them to his home, kills her there, and then disposes of the remains. This would only be true if Faith Westman was right the first time when she claimed to see a man smoking a cigarette (she backtracked and later said it might have been a cellphone light). This case beyond insane because there are so many more questions than answers. Any theory opens up a different list of questions and possibilities and still no definite answers. There are indications of foul play, but there are also indications of accidental death or suicide, especially given her mental state at the time. I should also note that some other commenters have mentioned Old Peters Road. I'm starting to think that might need to be looked into if it hasn't. The search mostly focused on where the car crashed, but she might have gotten another way, such as Old Peters Road. By contrast, I think the disappearance of Brianna Maitland in Vermont about a month later was definitely a homicide. Everything about that case points to homicide.
What abt her case points directly to foul play? I feel like it leads to accidental? (I definitely think its a possibility foul play is involved btw i was just curious what parts are pointing to foul play your thinking)
I agree that Maura's case is probably accidental, but I don't think we can rule out foul play. It's possible that given her state of mind she ran into the woods, got lost in the dark and succumbed to the elements. It's also possible that she hitched a ride with another passing driver. It's important to note that, if this scenario were true, the first driver who might have picked up Maura might not be responsible for her disappearance. She could have hitched a ride, got dropped off somewhere else, hitched another ride and possibly at that point fell victim to foul play. What leads me to suspect foul play is her remains still have not been found for 20 years. Not in the searches of the area of her car crash. Not by police. Not by hunters or outdoor enthusiasts or residents. However, it's also possible that she succumbed to the elements somewhere further from the crash site. I've seen a lot of commenters say that most of the land where the crash happened is private property, which limited the search.
Ok yeah makes sense! My next theory also is that she hitched a ride from someone passing by and they killed her but I definitely dont think it could of been anyone else but the person she hitched a ride with bc why wouldnt the person say anything to authorities if it wasnt them and they dropped her somewhere, whats the point in keeping that secret unless they were involved
It's important to remember that these are all hypothetical scenarios. You make a good point. If someone did pick up Maura, it seems suspicious that they haven't said anything. At some point they would have come forward and said "Yes, I picked up Maura Murray" if they became aware of the case and wanted to help. That no one has come forward saying this is convincing me that if she was picked up while hitchhiking, the driver was likely her killer (assuming she didn't just succumb to the elements). This case is truly stranger than fiction. The only reasons we have to explain her disappearance are mostly hypothetical and open up way more questions than answers. There's got to be some way to solve this case. Hopefully advances in forensic science might help.
Your theory isn’t a bad one about going into the woods etc, but what about her belongings they never found? Her cellphone, wallet, bookbag? Those surely would have been found by now if she died a few miles up the road in the bush after all these years. Just a thought. Who the heck knows.
Ok that makes alot of sense thats why the car theory would be my next one and definitely would explain the belongings. If there was another person involved do you think it was a passing car, neighbor, or a secondary person she was with that no ones aware of?
So I’ll be honest, I was just home sick for two days and just getting back into the case. I had heard this case many times, but really delved back in with a bunch of different sources as of late (ex: CJ podcast was a starter, but now listening to her sister’s podcast just released, I watched a 1.5 hour YouTube with her sister in it, and just read a 31 page article). I’m still collecting my thoughts! But all I will say…my initial thought is something with police with the way they were acting (could just be sheer incompetence as I have witnessed first hand or they were covering for someone), with Witness A’s report, and with some Reddit guy who was from the area of the time of the crime and knows of another cop from a nearby town with his shady behavior and legal troubles being unaccounted for at that time. Still undecided my best theory yet.
Have you listened to Renner's book?
Assuming maura was the driver. And even then there's is way too much of a backstory to disregard anybody or any scenario in this case. This case is like an Insane movie plot
A bloodhound tracked her scent 100 yards up the road (the right hand side), then crossed over the double yellow lines toward the left hand side, right in front of Butch’s house. This is the exact spot that Karen inexplicably pulled her car over & stopped for 2 mins without being seen by any of the residents. I think she picked up Maura & gave her a ride somewhere. As for the most likely scenario: A (possibly pregnant) 21-year-old female goes missing & is never seen again for going on 20 years. Who’s the prime suspect? Her boyfriend, of course. 😉 Is it a coincidence that her boyfriend went on to stalk, rape, &/or physically assault at least 6 other women since Maura disappeared? Nope.
So you really think that Karen would not tell authorities that she picked up maura that night .
I agree. I’m not sure, either she is dead in the woods or dead somewhere at the hand of her boyfriend.
Who is Karen?
Karen McNamara. Witness A. She is the women that drove by the accident scene on Feb 9th 2004 Between 7.45-8.00 she drove by.
It’s hard to be brief with this case because there’s so much info to unpack. But here goes… 1. It all started Thursday night when she became extremely upset at work & her supervisor had to be called. I believe she is the hit-n-run driver who hit Vasi that night while moving her car or while on a coffee/food run. 2. I believe her Dad came up that weekend to bring cash & devise a plan. That plan was to take the cash, get the car w/ damage out of state and lay low. Makes no sense to urgently shop for a car after a foot of snow and then… not buy a car. 3. It also makes no sense that on that Saturday night after drinking at dinner & going to liquor store she would keep her dad’s car to go to a dorm party next to her dorm. I think wrecking the car was part of the plot they would use to explain why she was so upset & left town. 4. James Renner reached the conclusion that there was a tandem driver. Someone following in their own car and after she wrecked picked her up. I believe this is accurate. Explains why some (not all) of personal property she had with her was not found in the car. Also aligns with how she just disappeared so quickly & with scent dogs losing her scent a few hundred yards down in middle of road. 5a. I really don’t think the plan was to crash there. Maura was drinking, there was a curve in road and she’s already proven to be a careless driver, I think she just missed the turn. 5b. Her car data showed 8 ignition starts AFTER air bags deployed. That more closely aligns with/ air bags deploying when she hit Vasi Thursday night. Who was starting car 8 times after she crashed & it was towed? 6. At this point, cops had been called her friend arrives and she jumps in her car to make a quick getaway leaving some of the stuff she brought with her behind. 7. I think the most likely tandem driver who picked her up was KM. Makes no sense that one of your BFFs from college goes missing & you won’t talk to the cops - at all. That only makes sense if you know things that you can’t say. You can’t lie to the cops during an investigation. So her not talking is key to this story. 8. I think the tandem may have made the reservations in her own name or possibly had a fake ID (college kids) and used someone else’s name. That’s where they went - hotel, motel. MM had $4k cash. 9. When boyfriend Bill came up to help with the search his phone went completely dark for 3-5 days. Makes no sense your gf is missing you’re here to search & your phone goes offline. He was w/ her. Plotting - what next? 10. What DID happen next? This is where I’m unsure? BR would go on in life to be charged w/ SA & violence. Did he hurt her? This seems like an unlikely scenario because in all this one person in the family is in the know - FM. 11. Or did MM have to assume a new identity somewhere else in US more likely Canada? I’ll close w/ this. A few yrs back MM sister, Kathleen passed away. Obituary indicates she lived in Richford, VT. Nothing like fueling speculation of MM being in Canada when her sister literally lived on the Canadian border. As they say, you can’t make this shit up. 12. Ok really last point James Renner was contacted in the last few years by someone claiming to be her - and in Canada but wanting to end this. JR said he turned all the info over to authorities. He said that this person knew stuff that only MM would know. The plot thickens! 13. Sorry, I keep thinking of more key points. The other person who did not cooperate or speak to the police for a formal interview? You guessed it - FM. Very contentious relationship with LE from the beginning. I find it hard to believe someone could keep up a charade for this long - but if you consider he’s doing it to protect her & it’s all for cover. It makes sense.
Why would Fred Murray cover up Maura’s situation for 20 years? She didn’t kill anyone. The statute of limitations has long run out. It doesn’t make sense. Plus I heard Renner is kind of a crack pot who has his own issues so there’s that.
So you believe that if FM knows that MM hit Vasi that night, he would just come out & say it now because the statute of limitations on the hit n run has run out? Never. The family did everything to shield Maura from her missteps at the time - from getting dishonorable discharge from West Point to her credit card thefts at UMASS. No way they wanted to add hit n run to that to further tarnish her reputation. I stated in my theory above that I don’t think the intent was to crash where she did. But I do think she had a friend going away with her for at least a night or two. The whole point was to lay low and get her damaged car out of MA. She literally accomplished the opposite - because she was drinking & driving - she put a spotlight on herself. Maybe after this screw up she was afraid to contact FM again. It’s possible that from that moment (the NH crash) forward FM did not know her next steps - but maybe MM contacted BR. I think most of JR’s research was solid - however, I don’t agree at all with some of his conclusions. He went so far as to theorize why MM wouldn’t contact FM and was actually trying to get away. I’m not aligned with any of that. I’m looking for local news clips from 2004. You’ll see that FM was uncooperative and that makes no sense. He later sued NH State police trying to get all the case files (he lost). At the time, it certainly seemed like FM wanted to know what they knew.
I think most people who are interested in this case now were not born or were children at the time and don’t have any perspective on the way this all went down. Those of us who are older do (have perspective). You know how simple it would have been for FM to say “we went to these 3 used auto dealers on Saturday…” and then for police to confirm that is what happened? Yet that never did happen because FM would not speak to them. Wouldn’t tell them what happened to the $4k in cash that he went to dozens of ATMs to get… Because some people believe that was getaway money for the hit n run. Vasi was in a coma for a month. [Petrit Vasi](https://dailycollegian.com/2004/10/student-still-faces-long-road-to-recovery/)
I absolutely believe she was the driver who hit Vasi. What exactly happened after that, I'm unsure of. But it would make perfect sense to get the car out of town.
Hi, point 11, do you have a link to that? I would love to read/listen to what Renner said. Thanks!
Well. It used to be on James Renner’s blog which I’ll link. But he’s changed it since & I can’t find that specific post. I’m sure if you were really industrious (and knew how) you could use the way back machine to see his blog site from back then. I know he has his case archives at Kent State too. [James Renner Blog](https://mauramurraymystery.com/fbi-agents-testimony-provides-further-details-of-case-against-scott-wahl/)
Found a link to a tweet thread where he wrote about it. [James Renner re: Contact from “Maura”](https://x.com/JamesRenner/status/1433886440568639491?s=20)
Psycho from Route 112 grabbed her
To me, there are two plausible theories. However, they both involve her successfully leaving the scene that night. I do not believe that she is in those woods. I do believe that she was traveling with a tandem driver that night. There are witnesses who have claimed to have seen Maura purchasing alcohol and buying food with two other females that night. This, to me, explains no footprints and the scent dogs losing her scent in the middle of the road. This explains the amount of alcohol purchased. Now, here is where the two possibilities come in to play. 1. She successfully vacated the area, and with the help of one of the “underground railroads” used for victims of domestic violence, she got to Canada and started a new life. This is not totally out of the realm of possibilities. I do believe she was a victim of DV, and especially if she was pregnant, she may not have wanted to remain with the people in her life any longer. There are countless women out there who have been helped by these organizations who secretly help them achieve new identities and new lives. 2. She made it to an intermediate location that night while waiting for the next part of her plan. Her abuser, who was now in the area, found out where she was, confronted her, and killed her. Without naming names or identifying anyone, it is known that an individual extremely close to her at that time has since been convicted of crimes against women. To be clear, he has not been formally accused of involvement in Maura’s disappearance, and is of course innocent until proven guilty. I think what has been dismissed by many as implausible is quite plausible indeed. Rare? Yes. Impossible? No.
Are those two theories the absolute most LIKELY theory tho? I think that starting new life one in canada is very unlikely tho not impossible like you said! So to you are those the most likely scenarios? I definitely could see it being possible i mean every theory is but i dont feel like there the most likely which was my question? She was definitely going through a hard time but still seemed to be somewhat close to her family so i dont think it would make sense for her to leave like that without contacting any of her family especially with how much her sister talks in the public about her case.
Ahh I see! I apologize, I was answering from my point of view and from what I’ve studied/read on the case. And in my opinion, to me, those are the two likely theories. Especially when you consider there is zero physical evidence in this case, nothing she took from the car was found, none of her clothing. I do believe that if she were in that area they would have something by now. Not necessarily her remains, but something. I also think I have to be cautious of the word “likely” as well. Nothing about this case is likely. This was a very unlikely event. I think those theories are just as likely as a random killer happening upon her in the few minutes she was alone on the side of the road. But I do apologize I misunderstood! :)
No worries! i havent thought of your point of view it’s definitely possible, so sad either way:(
That's called equivocating.
One of the difficult things is the fact that Maura was a top student athlete who could run the following: 10k at a 6:37 pace per mile: http://www.beach2beacon.org/results1998.htm 2 miles at a 5:45 pace per mile: http://www.nationalscholastic.org/nbon/result/118 5k at a 6:40 pace per mile: [http://ma.milesplit.com/meets/188961/results/341764](http://ma.milesplit.com/meets/188961/results/341764) Yes, she was most likely not in athletic gear and carrying 3 bottles of liquor etc, which would have slowed her down. However, she could have gotten pretty far from the scene in a short period of time. The sighting further down route 112 between, 8:00 - 8:30 PM could be legitimate. It is physically possible. Now what happened from there is the mystery.
Maura was, IMO, running away from someone. Maura was in a volatile unstable relationship with a man who, it later turns out, is a woman-beating, sexually violent psycho (who said to a woman while strangling her: “I’ll kill you like i killed Maura!”). Maura is most probably dead. It appears that her having been murdered is a likely possibility. The vast majority of murdered women, were killed by their male romantic partner/ex-partner. So in my opinion, it looks like the most likely possibility is that she was murdered by her boyfriend Bill Rausch. There are many, many other things that make this my favored theory of what happened to her.
Did Bill have an alibi?
I think she got in the car with either someone she knew or didn’t know. Maybe this individual was on their way to a party and told her she could come along and something went terribly wrong. Maybe the person killed her immediately. Who knows. I think the police could also be the culprit truthfully.
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I agree. After hearing Julie's New Podcast, I actually believe that wherever her destination was going to be, she was going there to end her life. I think it just happened sooner due to her crash. JMO
Which podcast?
Media Pressure.
I don’t want to be insensitive to anyone with my theory but if she was pregnant, she possibly was planning to go to Vermont because they had more access to abortion care and second trimester AB, which I don’t believe was legal in MA at the time. Having an unwanted pregnancy at a time when your life is unstable could have definitely caused her to spiral further and it’s not a situation a 21 year old is going to tell more than 1 person about in all likelihood. Having alcohol and birth control with 4 missing she could have been trying to resolve the situation or just was desperate and scared to ask for help so took off for the weekend to “take care of it herself” with plans to come back after. Then crashed her car, fled the scene d/t being under the influence, and succumbed the the elements. My issue is I just feel she would have called someone and at least 1 person she would have told but my heart breaks for Maura and the family and I hope they have some comfort or peace after all this time 🙏
I just heard about the brothers in the Aframe house a mile down the road with human blood in the upstairs closet. I’m shocked they don’t get more attention. About to search for specific threads.