The Caledonian-Record

May 29, 2004

FBI Involved In Investigation - Brianna Maitland Disappearance

Gary E. Lindsley

Experts from the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Laboratory in Quantico, Va., are involved in the investigation of the disappearance of 17-year-old Brianna Maitland.

Maitland, who lives in Sheldon, Vt., has not been seen nor heard from since she clocked out of work at the Black Lantern Inn in Montgomery around 11:30 p.m. March 19.

William McSalis, a supervisory senior agent in the FBI's Burlington office, confirmed late Friday afternoon the FBI is involved in the Maitland case.

In fact, McSalis said the FBI has been working closely with Vermont State Police nearly since the inception of the case.

Maitland's car was found early the morning of March 20 partially ensconced in an abandoned building about a mile from the tavern where she worked.

She left two paychecks behind in the car.

Bruce and Kellie Maitland, along with Fred Murray, father of 22-year-old University of Massachusetts at Amherst nursing student Maura Murray, have been demanding the state police in both Vermont and New Hampshire bring in the FBI to find their daughters.

Maura Murray disappeared the night of Feb. 9 after being involved in a minor, one-car accident on rural Route 112 in Haverhill, N.H.

McSalis said he could not say whether the FBI is involved in the Murray case as well. FBI officials in Boston could not be reached for comment Friday.

Regarding the Maitland disappearance, McSalis said the FBI was contacted by Vermont State Police not long after it was determined Maitland was missing.

Since then, and most importantly, he said, the behavioral sciences group from Quantico has been reviewing what has been done in the case by Vermont State Police.

FBI experts, who also can be called profilers, are using the information supplied by state police to see if it matches up with similar cases elsewhere in the country.

McSalis said a lot of work has been done so far by the group from Quantico. However, he would not discuss what evidence, if any, has been reviewed nor whether any FBI agents have visited Vermont and the accident scene because it is an on-going investigation.

McSalis also would not confirm published media reports that the team would soon be headed not only to Vermont for the Maitland case, but also to New Hampshire to investigate the Murray disappearance.

"We are working closely with the Vermont Sate Police," he said. "We don't want to go into details."

Lee Pugh, a spokesman from the FBI's Albany, N.Y., office, said he knows the Vermont State Police have conducted a very through investigation.

"We have been monitoring the case," Pugh said. "The full services of the FBI have been utilized to some degree."