In 2004, 21-year-old Maura Murray vanished after a car crash on a rural road in New Hampshire. With no clear evidence of what happened to her, theories range from voluntary disappearance to foul play. Nearly two decades later, the case remains unsolved.
Who Was Maura Murray?
Maura Murray was a 21-year-old nursing student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst when she went missing.
She was smart, athletic, and came from a big family. Before transferring to UMass, she had spent three semesters at West Point, but decided it wasn’t the right fit.
On February 9, 2004, Maura left campus without telling anyone where she was going. She told her professors she was taking a week off due to a family emergency—but her family later said no such emergency existed.
That evening, she crashed her car on Route 112 in Woodsville, New Hampshire. A local woman and a passing bus driver saw her at the scene. The bus driver offered to call for help, but Maura refused, saying she had already called AAA (which later confirmed they had no record of a call from her).
Minutes later, when police arrived, Maura was gone.
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What Happened Before She Left?
Before leaving UMass, Maura did a few things that seemed odd:
- She searched MapQuest for directions to Vermont and New Hampshire.
- She emailed her boyfriend, saying she “didn’t feel like talking” but would call him later.
- She withdrew $280 from an ATM and bought $40 worth of alcohol, including Baileys, Kahlúa, vodka, and a box of wine.
- She packed clothing, toiletries, and her textbooks in her car.
- Her dorm room was mostly packed up, and her belongings were in boxes.
All of this suggests she was planning a trip, but she didn’t tell anyone where she was going.
The Car Crash and Her Mysterious Disappearance
At 7:27 pm, a local woman called 911, reporting a car accident outside her home. The car was a black 1996 Saturn, registered to Maura.
A passing school bus driver also stopped and spoke to Maura. He later said she seemed cold but not injured. When he offered help, she pleaded with him not to call the police, saying she had already called for roadside assistance.
Knowing that cell service was bad in the area, the bus driver went home and called the police anyway.
At 7:46 pm, a police officer arrived at the scene. Maura was nowhere to be found.
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Clues Left Behind
Inside Maura’s car, police found:
- A spilled box of wine and red stains (believed to be wine) inside and outside the vehicle.
- A book about mountain climbing in the White Mountains.
- Her favorite stuffed animal.
- Her debit card, credit cards, and cell phone were missing—and have never been used since.
- Some of the alcohol she purchased was missing.
The car had hit a tree, damaging the left headlight and radiator, making it undrivable. The airbags had deployed, and the windshield was cracked.
Nearby, police found a rag stuffed inside the car’s muffler, which some believe could have been done to stop the car from running properly.
A Possible Sighting
Between 8:00 and 8:30 pm, a contractor driving home saw a young woman walking along Route 112, about 4–5 miles from the crash site. She was wearing jeans and a dark coat with a light-colored hood.
At the time, the man didn’t think much of it. Three months later, he realized he had seen her on the night she disappeared.
Was There a Police Cover-Up?
Another local driver said she passed by the crash at 7:37 pm and saw a police SUV already there, parked nose-to-nose with Maura’s car. This would mean police arrived earlier than the official report claims.
However, police records say they didn’t get there until 7:46 pm. If this witness is correct, what was the officer doing there earlier? And why does it not appear in the police report?
Did Maura Want to Disappear?
At first, police believed Maura ran away on purpose. She had lied about a death in the family, packed up her dorm, and left without telling anyone.
However, her family strongly disagrees. They believe something bad happened to her.
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Theories About What Happened
Because there is no clear evidence, many theories have been suggested:
- She ran away – Maybe Maura wanted to start a new life. However, she never used her bank cards, cell phone, or email again.
- She got lost in the woods – Some believe she wandered into the forest and died from the cold. But search teams and cadaver dogs never found any evidence of this.
- She was picked up by a stranger – If she hitchhiked or was picked up, did the driver help her—or harm her?
- Someone she knew was involved – Some believe she met up with someone who might have hurt her.
- A police cover-up – The conflicting police timeline has led to suspicions of a cover-up.
The Case Goes Cold
In 2009, Maura’s case was given to the New Hampshire Cold Case Division. Police now call it a “suspicious” missing persons case.
Maura’s disappearance has been called “the first true crime mystery of the social media age.” Her case has been covered on 20/20, Disappeared, and Oxygen’s The Disappearance of Maura Murray.
Online, thousands of people have tried to solve the case. Some believe the police know more than they are saying, while others think Maura left on her own and doesn’t want to be found.
Will We Ever Know the Truth?
Almost 20 years later, Maura Murray’s disappearance remains one of the most puzzling missing persons cases in U.S. history.
- Did she run away?
- Did someone hurt her?
- Did she get lost in the woods?
No one knows for sure. But her family is still searching for answers—and hoping that one day, Maura will be found.
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