On the evening of February 9, 2004, 21-year-old nursing student Maura Murray disappeared following a single-car accident on Route 112 in Haverhill, New Hampshire. Murray had been driving her black 1996 Saturn sedan when she crashed into a snowbank. A local resident reported the accident at 7:27 p.m., and a passing bus driver, Butch Atwood, stopped to offer assistance. Murray reportedly told him she had already called for help and asked him not to call the police.
However, Atwood called the police when he returned home. When law enforcement arrived at the scene at approximately 7:46 p.m., Maura Murray was gone.
Her car was found locked with the airbags deployed. Inside the vehicle, investigators discovered many of her personal belongings, including college textbooks, birth control pills, a book about mountain climbing, and an empty beer bottle with a damaged box of wine. Red stains appearing to be wine were found both inside and outside the car. Missing from the vehicle were her debit card, credit cards, and cell phone, none of which have been used since her disappearance. There were no signs of a struggle and no footprints in the snow, leading police to believe she accepted a ride from someone. A tracking dog lost her scent about 100 yards from the crash site.
In the days leading up to her disappearance, Maura Murray exhibited some unusual behavior. On February 5th, she had an emotional breakdown at her campus security job after a phone call with her sister. In the early morning hours of February 9th, she was involved in a single-car accident, damaging her father's vehicle. Later that day, she emailed her professors and work supervisor, falsely claiming there had been a death in her family and she would be gone for a week. She also packed most of her belongings in her dorm room, withdrew $280 from an ATM, and purchased about $40 worth of alcohol. Internet searches on her computer revealed she had been looking for information on hotels in the Burlington, Vermont area. She also made a phone call to inquire about renting a condominium in Bartlett, New Hampshire.
The investigation into Maura Murray's disappearance has been ongoing for years, with extensive searches of the area around the crash site yielding no conclusive evidence. Her family has remained actively involved in the search efforts. At one point, a possible connection was considered between Murray's case and the disappearance of Brianna Maitland, who vanished from Montgomery, Vermont, about 90 miles away, just a month later. Both cases involved young women and abandoned cars, but law enforcement ultimately concluded the two were likely not connected. Despite numerous theories, including that she ran away, was abducted, or succumbed to the elements, Maura Murray's whereabouts remain unknown. Her disappearance is being treated as suspicious by the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit.Last Seen: Feb 9, 2004
