5 Burning Questions About The Disappearance of Maura Murray 

Need to catch up on the investigation? You can stream previous episodes right HERE. Then comment on this article with the questions that you need answered.

In the meantime, here are our top 5 burning questions about the disappearance of Maura Murray.

Many online sleuths have suggested that Maura fled the United States for Canada. The theory certainly is compelling. The Canadian border is just 220 miles due north of Maura’s dorm room in Amherst, Massachusetts—and just 80 miles from Haverhill, New Hampshire, where Maura was last seen alive. Its proximity, combined with the anonymity of a new country, makes Canada an attractive option for a young person looking to vanish. 

Of course, Maura crashed her car on the night of her disappearance. The accident occurred not long after 7 P.M. By the time police arrived at the scene at 7:46 P.M., the crashed car remained but Maura was gone. It is possible that she flagged down a passing motorist and caught a ride across the border. While few cars would have been traveling along Route 112 that night, all it takes is one sympathetic driver. 

Then again, perhaps Maura remained in the United States and is actually in New England. James Renner, author of True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray, and Freleng hypothesize that Maura may have had a tandem driver following her through New Hampshire on the night of her disappearance.

Some theorists even go beyond Renner’s tandem driver theory by suggesting that the crash was a planned part of Maura’s escape. Staging the accident and ditching the vehicle may have been Maura’s way of throwing people off her trail. Perhaps she wanted to ensure no one would follow her. Or, perhaps there was one person in particular she no longer wanted to see.

By episode two, it’s clear that Maura’s boyfriend Billy is reluctant to participate in the series. On the one hand, his reluctance to revisit the disappearance of his one-time girlfriend is understandable. Yet his seeming detachment from the current search for Maura also raises questions.

Even if Billy had nothing to do with Maura’s fate, he could offer valuable insight into Maura’s behavior in the days leading up to her disappearance. Does he know why Maura left campus so abruptly? Is he aware of a previously undisclosed problem in Maura’s life, or the reason why Maura was so worried about her sister? Without Billy’s cooperation in this project, the public may never know. 

Freleng secured first-hand access to members of the Murray family. Considering that in the past some Murray family members were disinclined to speak with journalists or the police, this is quite an accomplishment. Thus far, the Murrays have been forthcoming in their interviews—yet there could be insights the Murrays haven’t shared.

This is not to say that family members are covering up details. Rather, the inclination to remember a missing loved one in the best light possible, combined with a desire to understand what happened to her, may influence what the Murrays do and do not share. 

Maura’s sister Kathleen, especially, may have forgotten valuable insights in the time between the disappearance and today. In episode two, Kathleen speaks candidly about her struggles with alcohol addiction, struggles that took place in and around the time of Maura’s disappearance. It would make sense that key details were lost in the turbulence of this time.

Nearly 14 years of successfully hiding from your friends and family is no easy task. Many followers of the Murray case believe that one way or another Maura is no longer alive. 

Some suggest that she left her crashed car on the side of the road and stumbled into the dark woods. Soon thereafter she became lost, and succumbed to the frigid temperatures of a New Hampshire winter. Others—such as Maura’s father—believe that Maura crossed paths with a dangerous individual or individuals on Route 112. 

Did a sinister force intercept Maura Murray that cold night in New Hampshire? If so, who could this person—or these people—have been? 

The Disappearance of Maura Murray airs Saturdays at 7:00 P.M. EST/6:00 P.M. Central, and again at 9:00 P.M. EST/8:00 P.M. Central. For those who missed it, watch the first two episodes now on Oxygen.com.  

All photos: Courtesy of Oxygen