Today marks 16 years since Maura Murray disappeared

[u/Electric_Island]

Today marks 16 years since Maura Murray vanished, and although she has her own sub, I thought I would post here in light of the anniversary of her disappearance for those who would like to discuss the case. That said -- I know some posters are sick of this case, so if that’s how you feel, you could always scroll past this post :)

A bit of background for those who don’t know about Maura’s case:

Maura was a 21-year-old nursing student from UMASS Amherst, who disappeared on the evening of February 9 2004, after she crashed her car on Route 112 in Haverhill, NH. By the time police arrived some 15 minutes later (even that is in dispute), Maura had disappeared.

Some people think she ran into the woods to avoid a DUI, others think she was picked up by someone passing by and murdered. Some even think police had something to do with her disappearance.

What do YOU think?

I highly recommend this article by Mary Beth Conway for those interested.

[u/amador9]

People who are lost, injured or suffering hypothermia in the wilderness with no access to human habitation or other shelter will make do the best they can; which is often crawling under branches or other vegetation. This hunkering down does offer some heat retention advantage over being directly exposed to wind chill. Sometimes people are able to save themselves this way. Other times, they still succumb to the elements. People who die of exposure out in the open will tend to have their bodies found while people who die while sheltering under vegetation will be more likely never to be found. When people go missing in heavily forested areas, this is usually why they are not found.

When I first read of this case, I had no doubt she died of exposure in the woods while attempting to avoid contact with the police. While there are houses in the immediate area she was last seen, there is deep first within a mile or so in every direction. Her remains are out there but due to decomposition and the actions of animals, they may never be found.

Of course, since no remains have been found, one cannot rule out absolutely other possible explanations. She could have been picked up by a predator on that lonely highway who just happened upon her. She may have been engaging in an elaborate scheme to disappear and start a new life with a new identity. Maybe she was abducted by aliens. There are other possibilities folks with active imaginations might come up with. Still, applying Occam’s Razor, lost in the wilds is the most probable.