Maura Murray: Vanished on Route 112, crash mystery

Maura Murray's disappearance after crash on Route 112

An icy cold evening on February 9, 2004, turned fateful for 21-year-old American university student Maura Murray. Her life took an abrupt turn after a car accident on Route 112 in Haverhill, New Hampshire. At 7:27 PM, local police received an emergency call from witness Faith Westman, who had observed a black Saturn crash near her home. When police officer Cecil Smith arrived at 7:46 PM, Maura Murray had vanished without a trace. Only her abandoned car remained, with deployed airbags, a box of wine in the back seat, and a mysterious red liquid on the doors. In under 30 minutes, the young student was gone – with no footprints in the snow, no witnesses to a possible escape, and no crucial forensic evidence. What began as an apparently simple traffic accident quickly evolved into one of America's most enigmatic and enduring unsolved missing person cases.

Maura Murray's journey from West Point to nursing

Maura Murray's background painted a picture of ambition and internal pressure. Raised in Hanson, Massachusetts, in a family marked by divorce and high expectations from her parents, Frederick and Laurie Murray, she sought recognition early on. Her talent as a runner secured her a place at the prestigious West Point Military Academy in the USA. However, the stringent military track did not suit Maura Murray, and after a year and a half, she transferred to the nursing program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. There, she met her boyfriend, Bill Rausch, and supplemented her student life with night shifts as a campus security guard, before her unexplained trip to New Hampshire.

Incidents leading to Maura Murray's disappearance

The lead-up to Maura Murray's disappearance was marked by several concerning incidents that could indicate a young woman in crisis, possibly struggling with mental health challenges. On February 5, 2004, Maura collapsed during a shift, where, according to her supervisor, she mumbled, "my sister." Just two days later, at 3:30 AM, she was involved in a car accident in her father's new vehicle after a party. Remarkably, she was not tested for potential drunk driving on this occasion. Her father, Fred Murray, subsequently described her as "emotionally wrecked, but physically unharmed."

Feb 9: Maura Murray's final hours, alcohol purchase

On the very day of her disappearance, Tuesday, February 9, Maura Murray acted in ways that still leave many unanswered questions. Early in the morning, at 3:32 AM, she submitted her final assignment as a nursing student. After several unexplained phone calls, including one to a rental property owner in New Hampshire, she left campus at 3:40 PM. She had a black suitcase and a bag revealing purchases of alcohol – Bailey's, Kahlúa – as well as a box of wine, which she bought alone, confirmed by surveillance footage. Her last known communication was a voicemail at 4:37 PM to her boyfriend, Bill Rausch. The trip north towards the White Mountains in New Hampshire ended abruptly when her car, a black Saturn, went off the road near Faith Westman's home. An important witness, bus driver Butch Atwood, spoke briefly with Maura Murray. She appeared shaken but refused help, claiming to have called for roadside assistance. When the police arrived at 7:46 PM, her car was locked, and Maura was gone.

Intensive search and family critique of investigation

The initial investigation into Maura Murray's disappearance was intensive but fruitless. The New Hampshire State Police searched the area, including the notorious Kancamagus Highway, with K-9 units and helicopters equipped with infrared technology, but found no trace of the missing student. A pair of underwear found, which it was hoped could provide DNA evidence, turned out not to belong to Maura Murray. Ten days after her disappearance, the FBI officially joined the case and, in 2022, created a profile in the ViCAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program) database in an attempt to link the case to potential serial offenders. Maura Murray's family, led by her father Fred Murray, has criticized the police investigation for decades. They point to shortcomings, such as an insufficient search of the route east of the accident site, where Maura is presumed to have walked, and an unexplained sighting of a police vehicle (number 001) shortly before the official arrival. The family still hopes that new leads may lead to a resolution and perhaps, one day, a trial.

Theories: New life, tragedy, or abduction near NH?

The theories about Maura Murray's fate are many and varied, and the case remains unsolved. Some speculate that she deliberately chose to disappear to start a new life, or that she succumbed to suicide in the desolate wilderness. The idea that she wandered into the woods and died of hypothermia is challenged by the lack of discovery of her body or belongings. Her family, including Fred Murray, leans most towards the theory of an abduction. They suspect that a local individual with knowledge of New Hampshire's remote areas may be involved, possibly connected to a specific house near her car's accident site.

Internal struggles and family's search for answers

Behind the cold facts of this unsolved case of a missing woman lies a complex portrait of Maura Murray – a young student apparently struggling with personal demons and possible mental health challenges. Her life leading up to the disappearance was marked by signs of eating disorders, strained family relationships, and a complicated relationship with her boyfriend. Her sister Julie remembers Maura as the family's life of the party, who dreamed of a future as a nurse. An unexplained email in which Maura Murray lied about a death in the family further adds to the mystery. After more than two decades without answers, the family clings to the hope of finding Maura Murray. Her father, Fred Murray, annually visits the crash site in New Hampshire. Meanwhile, her sister Julie works tirelessly to keep Maura Murray's case in the public eye through interviews and participation in various podcast productions. "We must be her voice," Julie emphasizes, an important reminder that every true crime story is about a real person and an untold story for which many still seek answers in this unsolved case.

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