Maura Murray

Lighthouse 101 wrote:

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Well I have a feeling that we don't know the whole story about the cc fraud. For one a pizza has 8 slices and if she ordered foods with her friends in the dorm reading credit card numbers off of an index card would look rather weird. Then with Maura missing they are all quiet? hmmmmm?
Your right that she might not lose her ability to get a license, but wrong about school. She took a fellow students cc number from the trash. There is a chance they would not let her live in the dorm with that type of behaivor. Lets also keep in mind that mm had her dorm room packed up so maybe she knew something like she was going to get caught again and would have to vacate the dorm. Or maybe that was why her father had $4000 with him to help mm find a place to live. Either way I think there is more to this cc fraud.

It's been about a decade since I've graduated college, but I'd imagine you are correct. Perhaps they would allow her to live there, because criminal charges were instituted and dealt with, but she would have to have a single. Perhaps she would, in fact, be required to move off-campus. I don't know.
I can't imagine that living in that dorm after that whole fiasco came to light, was enjoyable for Maura. I don't even like to see my neighbor's after my son has had a particularly uproarious game on his Wii - jumping around, and whatnot. Having to face a fellow student who was well aware of my felonious actions would be quite mortifying - especially at her age (old enough to know better, young enough to care deeply what other's perceptions are).

You bring up a good point. I wonder if the victim had lodged some form of a complaint with the student housing authority, and it was slowly working it's way though the channels - and Maura had a feeling that she was on the verge of getting kicked out?

Wow some of this is way over my head but I got drawn into the story when it appeared in a Boston area newspaper last August and I found the story of McGrath horrifying but intriguing. The picture reminded me of someone I had met in the past but there is no correlation of age, name, and a few other things. I found myself searching the New Hampshire area news stories and since last year I now read most every murder/ missing person story in the northern New England states. There does seem to be a lot of murders in NH. What if Mr. McGrath took a different name-say he's so smart and smirky about getting away with the whole thing that he chooses the name of the host of America's Most Wanted "John Walsh." Maybe back in the 80's when the show first began. I think they may have featured this story on that show years ago. Most accounts of this story say how smart and clever he was/is.

I think a person can live below the radar in many ways-you hit the nail on the head with say a homeless lifestyle or simply a homeless identity. Live a basic life, wear a hat and oversized clothes, replace some of your teeth, and don't keep any close friends. Didn't he get an inheritance from his grandmother? I think that the connection to the grandmother that accepted and loved him, the girlfriend that he supposedly chose not to kill that night, and now the blogger on another site who says she knew him as a young child in NH, are all possible sources of clues in this mystery. Not that the investigators haven't already researched these things.

Doreen wrote:

There does seem to be a lot of murders in NH.

Someone who clearly needs to do more research. Here, I'll help.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in...

Bill

I know it is late at night...and I am tired...but, the Post from Doreen...does it make any sense...?
to anyone...?..just diversion..?

Shack wrote:

I know it is late at night...and I am tired...but, the Post from Doreen...does it make any sense...?
to anyone...?..just diversion..?

Makes no sense....what so ever...to me. I actually...thought it might....be you...at first.
I'm tired...too....so...nighty nite...!
Sooooo.....many...diversions.. ..and lies....through the...years.

Doreen wrote:

Wow some of this is way over my head but I got drawn into the story when it appeared in a Boston area newspaper last August and I found the story of McGrath horrifying but intriguing. The picture reminded me of someone I had met in the past but there is no correlation of age, name, and a few other things. I found myself searching the New Hampshire area news stories and since last year I now read most every murder/ missing person story in the northern New England states. There does seem to be a lot of murders in NH. What if Mr. McGrath took a different name-say he's so smart and smirky about getting away with the whole thing that he chooses the name of the host of America's Most Wanted "John Walsh." Maybe back in the 80's when the show first began. I think they may have featured this story on that show years ago. Most accounts of this story say how smart and clever he was/is.
I think a person can live below the radar in many ways-you hit the nail on the head with say a homeless lifestyle or simply a homeless identity. Live a basic life, wear a hat and oversized clothes, replace some of your teeth, and don't keep any close friends. Didn't he get an inheritance from his grandmother? I think that the connection to the grandmother that accepted and loved him, the girlfriend that he supposedly chose not to kill that night, and now the blogger on another site who says she knew him as a young child in NH, are all possible sources of clues in this mystery. Not that the investigators haven't already researched these things.

Congratulations!!! You are the first poster here to whom I have awarded a peanut!!!!:)

Maruchan wrote:

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Congratulations!!! You are the first poster here to whom I have awarded a peanut!!!!:)

Why is this considered so out there? I was intrigued by the Mcgrath story as well. Also I thought I read that Beagle posted something as Mr. 1973 or whatever year it was that Mcgrath escaped? I also think the age enhanced photo looked like Beagle...I read this article somewhere, but, I can't recall where so I certainly am not stating it as fact, just thought it was interesting and no furthere out there than many of the theories I've read on here.

Simply Caustic wrote:

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You bring up a good point. I wonder if the victim had lodged some form of a complaint with the student housing authority, and it was slowly working it's way though the channels - and Maura had a feeling that she was on the verge of getting kicked out?

This persons debit card was used six times in twelve days. In some cases it was used twice in the same day. For someone to be so reckless makes me think this was being done with numerous cards over a longer period of time. First you start small, and then when confidence is developed you do it more and more.

The only thing we know is that she got caught with one card. Usually when you get caught it isn't the first time that you have tried to do something like this.

Once she is caught and a complaint is made it is only a matter of time before the whole dorm finds out about this stunt. Not only is it embarressing, but you now have every person in the dorm checking their cc statement. The dormates now have someone to blame for any questionable charge that may have appeared or is appearing on their cc bill.

The only way to resolve this situation is to move out, and pay restitution.

Shack wrote:

I know it is late at night...and I am tired...but, the Post from Doreen...does it make any sense...?
to anyone...?..just diversion..?

Shack - maybe somewhere down the road in time, if foul play is discovered you can mention that topix posters were creating a diversion. I'd be the first to agree with you that people all across America were coming on forum to divert people from the truth.

The only diversion that has been proven so far was that Maura was not on her way to the white mountains just to clear her head with the apline air.

In the ID discovered show her father mentions (paraphrasing) "he had no idea why she got in her car to go, and the car accident was the only trouble this kid caused. She was a good kid"

The law enforcement LT. in the show makes mention (paraphrasing) "it appeared Maura had other things going on in her life" Some of those things we are starting to find out.

Which of these statements as more and more information comes to light would you say is a cover up?

I don't think Fred was necessarily trying to cover anything up. I think that he was worried that the public would focus more on her criminal record more than her disappearance.

BlondeMN wrote:

I don't think Fred was necessarily trying to cover anything up. I think that he was worried that the public would focus more on her criminal record more than her disappearance.

Your statement if I'm reading it correctly:

Fred wasn't trying to cover anything up, he was worried that the public would focus more on her criminal record than disappearance.

My question back:

Isn't that the reason why someone would cover something up?

From Renners interview with Scarinza
***When police asked Fred what might have been going on in his daughter's life that would make her want to leave, he would only say, "That's not important. She's missing. Find her." Scarinza sighs. "If we understood why she left, maybe we could understand where she was going."***
Things might have been so different if LE knew the truth about everything from the very beginning IMO.

Below is a post that maura made many years ago on a hiking enthusiast website.(This was also on James Renner's blog awhile back).

Maura's wreck in new hampshire happened approximately 32 miles away from mt. Tripyramid. Maura was headed directly (straight bee-line path) towards mt. tripyramid.

Mt. tripyramid would be a good place to start in hopes of recovering maura or some of her things.

Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 19:19:48 -0400
From: Laurie Murray lmurray@gis.net

Hi there,

My name is Maura Murray from Hanson MA and I've been going to
Jigger Johnson's campground, which is clearly the best, and hiking in
the White Mountains ever since I was too young to remember. I would
like to know if anyone out there has ever climbed Mt. Tripyramid (the
trail starts at Sabaday Falls) because I had quite an experience. I
also want to help out at the huts during the summer or manage trails
if there are any available jobs that someone knows about. Does anybody
have any bear or moose stories to tell because I would love to hear
them. Great website-bye

Maura at age 16

Shack wrote:

I know it is late at night...and I am tired...but, the Post from Doreen...does it make any sense...?
to anyone...?..just diversion..?

If you play Bob Seger's "We've got tonight" while reading this post it almost goes hand in hand. Almost like its a lost verse or something.

Wowzer the real one wrote:

Things might have been so different if LE knew the truth about everything from the very beginning IMO.

Absolutely. The people that supposedly knew her best kept saying look left, look left, when all the time other people who kept trying to look right were told they are trying to destroy Maura's reputation instead of just following the evidence. When in fact all we were trying to do was get to the truth. Something almost as hard to find as Maura in this case. Not to us as much as LE obviously but I suspect they were fed the same lines of crap that we were. And stonewalling by Fred about any inquiries when LE needed more information about her activities.

There are acts of omission and acts of commission. To me it seems Fred was guilty of both.

Bill

Lighthouse 101 wrote:

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If you play Bob Seger's "We've got tonight" while reading this post it almost goes hand in hand. Almost like its a lost verse or something.

LOL - it does!!! Truly inspired humor.

Now, of course, I won't be able to get that song out of my head.:)

Maruchan wrote:

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LOL - it does!!! Truly inspired humor.
Now, of course, I won't be able to get that song out of my head.:)

That's why you have to stayed tuned until her next post. Don't touch that browser.

Orko Kringer wrote:

Below is a post that maura made many years ago on a hiking enthusiast website.(This was also on James Renner's blog awhile back).
Maura's wreck in new hampshire happened approximately 32 miles away from mt. Tripyramid. Maura was headed directly (straight bee-line path) towards mt. tripyramid.
Mt. tripyramid would be a good place to start in hopes of recovering maura or some of her things.
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 19:19:48 -0400
From: Laurie Murray lmurray@gis.net
Hi there,
My name is Maura Murray from Hanson MA and I've been going to
Jigger Johnson's campground, which is clearly the best, and hiking in the White Mountains ever since I was too young to remember. I would like to know if anyone out there has ever climbed Mt. Tripyramid (the trail starts at Sabaday Falls) because I had quite an experience. I also want to help out at the huts during the summer or manage trails if there are any available jobs that someone knows about. Does anybody have any bear or moose stories to tell because I would love to hear them. Great website-bye
Maura at age 16

Interesting comment, but MM was also on a straight bee-line path to pretty much every other 4000 footer in the White Moutains - here's a map showing the location of the 4000 footers: http://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx...

She and Fred had climbed most, if not all, of the 4000 footers prior to her disappearance - from the Union Leader: "'We were concluding our collection of 4,000-footers. I was doing the last three I hadn't done.' One day, they hiked to Owl's Head; the next day 23 miles on three 4,000-foot peaks.

'Then she whipped out of her knapsack for finishing my 48th, a Long Trail Ale, and handed it to me on the summit of West Bond.

'It was typical Maura,' Murray said."

She had already bagged that mountain when she wrote that, so I doubt it was her destination. In fact, I strongly doubt MM was planning on climbing any mountains in the winter. She was far too familiar with them and their dangers (as noted by the book she brought) to intentionally go there alone, to climb or hike, in the dead of cold, snowy winter. If you live in New England, one of the first things you hear about the White Mountains is how dangerous they are with severe and completely unpredictable weather, even in summer. She would have had to at least have some type of appropriate footwear to get even a short way up a snow-covered trail - the tennis shoes she was wearing would not have cut it. If she went into the woods, it was not planned, IMHO.

I'm not saying what he omitted was right by any means. Sure lighthouse, you could be right ( you don't have to be such a know it all b*tch though). I guess what I'm saying is, although if I were in his situation I would tell the police everything they needed to know, I can see why FM didn't want to talk about Maura's criminal record.

Maruchan,

I kind of base it on the time-frame that maura arrived into the white mountains national forest, I don't think she was planning on driving all night and was probably getting close to her final destination at the time she had her wreck. As far as I can tell, Mt. Tripyramid is closest to where she wrecked and would be an ideal spot for her to arrive at and find lodging close by for the night before setting off the in morning on the trails.

As far as time of the year, I agree with you that mid-winter would be very dangerous and kind of foolish for someone as experienced as she was to take to the trails.

But I honestly believe, Maura didn't care at that point in her life.

You have likely seen this before, but here it is again, an excerpt from an article done that I still to this day believe is really revealing.

UNION LEADER -- OCT 2007

When police assembled the Murray and Rausch families to brief them on the investigation, Maura's father "moaned and rubbed his head and said,'Oh, no,' " according to Sharon Rausch, the mother of Billy Rausch, Maura's then-boyfriend.

"I remember Fred said,'I always have told the kids when I got old and worthless I was going to climb my favorite mountain with a bottle of Jack Daniels and drink myself to death.' That was emotional. He thought what if there was something he didn't know about," Rausch said.

She said authorities thought the alcohol and Tylenol PM Maura brought may have been indications she was going to kill herself. "That's what people do, they drink, take a bunch of pills and die peacefully," she said.

Keep in mind, Suicide is what fred initially believed.

When the investigators didn't jump to solve the case right away (then all of a sudden, we get a boogey man theory introduced by fred himself likely as a ploy to put pressure on police to take a immediate pro-active form of pursuit in finding his daughter.