The New Hampshire Union Leader / Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise

April 12, 2004

Parents skeptical of psychic’s analysis

HAVERHILL, N.H. (AP) — The parents of a Massachusetts woman missing in northern New Hampshire for two months reacted with skepticism to a psychic profiler’s belief that the young woman was abducted and killed. Maura Murray’s father, Fred, contacted the California psychic and is unsure if he believes her, but the missing woman’s mother says she is disregarding Carla Baron’s belief that Maura Murray was the victim of a serial killer.

12 months ago

Burlington Free Press / Lowell Sun / The New Hampshire Union Leader / Portsmouth Herald / Caledonian Record

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Note: The Portsmouth Herald adds the paragraphs in Italics, but omits the paragraph in bold. Its alternative headline is in Italics.

DISAPPEARED AFTER N.H. CAR ACCIDENT

Father: Search for his Mass. daughter stagnant

Father: Search for daughter has become stagnant

College student last seen after crashing car into snowbank

By J.M . HIRSCH

Associated Press Writer

The investigation into the disappearance of a Massachusetts woman last seen more than a week ago in northern New Hampshire has become stagnant, the woman’s father said yesterday.

“There’s no new leads, no new evidence,” Frederick Murray said of the search for Maura Murray, a 21-year-old nursing student who disappeared after a car accident in Woodsville, N.H. “Its stagnant at the moment.”

He blamed the lack of leads on a shortage of resources, saying that though local police were working hard, he wished the small department had more help so it could broaden its search.

“Results are slow in coming. Like the bus stations. Did she leave from a local bus station? That hasn’t been investigated, so I did it myself,” Mr. Murray said, adding that his efforts turned up nothing.

“The police are good guys,” he said. “But there aren’t many of them.”

Authorities said Maura Murray, a University of Massachusetts student from Hanson, Mass., withdrew $280 from an ATM on Feb. 9 and emailed professors saying she wouldn’t be in class all week because of a family problem.

Around 7 p.m. that evening she crashed her car into a snowbank on Route 112 in New Hampshire several miles from the Vermont border. Police say a witness offered help, but that Murray refused and told the witness not to call police.

The witness, who later told police Murray appeared intoxicated but uninjured at the time, called authorities anyway. But by the time emergency workers arrived, Murray was gone. Most of her belongings were left behind in the car.

On Feb. 11 a police dog was brought to the scene, but was able to track her for only 100 yards, prompting her family to conclude that she got a ride. A police helicopter and ground search also turned up no evidence.

Mr. Murray said yesterday that his daughter may have been distraught at the time, in part because just two days earlier she had been involved in another accident. Police described Maura Murray as “endangered and possibly suicidal.”

Since then, Maura Murray’s family, her boyfriend and his family have come to area to help in the search and hand posters through out New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.

Mr. Murray no longer believes his daughter is in the area, adding to his frustration that the police lack the resources to do more.

Mr. Murray is convinced foul play is involved, thought authorities have yet to find evidence of it. Still, he holds out hope that perhaps she just needed to get away.

He wants the FBI to get involved, but was told there needs to be evidence of foul play first.

**Burlington Free Press from below. **

"But you can't get evidence because you don't have the force enough to go out there and get it." he added "Do you wait until you have a body to have evidence and you can call the FBI in? Isn't is possible to expand a little and pound a little harder?"

A spokeswoman for the Haverhill Police Department which is handling the case, would not comment except to say that the investigation was ongoing.

"Just tell us you're OK," he urged her. "Don't come back if you don't want to. Just tell us you're OK. ... She would if she could but I don't think she is able to, for whatever reason that is."