www.justiceforchandra.com

[MrRich]

By Associated Press, 2/13/2004

HAVERHILL, N.H. (AP) A missing person investigation continued Friday for a young Massachusetts woman, who disappeared earlier this week after her second car crash in three days.

Haverhill police Chief Jeff Williams said the search of the area where Maura Murray, 21, of Hanson, Mass., crashed her car into a snowbank last Monday has ended, but the investigation continues. He said the hope is she will contact a family member or friend, or someone else might see her and call, he said.

''We are concerned for her personal welfare. There is no evidence of foul play,'' he said.

''Our concern is that she's upset or suicidal, something the family was concerned about.''

Murray's family along with her boyfriend, Army Lt. Bill Rausch, and his family have flown into the state to help. The family has been passing out fliers with her picture on both sides of the border, hoping someone might have seen her.

''This is very unusual,'' said Fred Murray, her father. ''It's not like her to just take off.''

Police using dogs and a helicopter and Fish and Game officers searched the immediate area of the accident and found nothing. Murray disappeared after a resident in the area went out to help her, and called police, though she asked him not to. When police arrived, she was gone, leaving behind her car, which was undriveable.

The accident occurred on Route 112 about one mile from the Swift Water Village, and about five miles from Wells River, Vt., across the Connecticut River.

She was familiar with the area because her family vacationed in the Lincoln and Conway areas for years.

Sharon Rausch, the boyfriend's mother who flew in with her husband, Bill, from Marengo, Ohio, to help said she had been told Murray ''had made arrangements to be away from work for a week.''

She worked at an art gallery while going to nursing school at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst she is a junior, Rausch said.

She said Murray crashed her car two days after wrecking her father's car in a crash.

''She's extremely responsible, an extremely frugal girl. I think she wanted to get away and get her head on straight,'' Rausch said.

''We have no reason to believe she was running away.''

''She's a jewel of a girl,'' she said.

She said Murray left an e-mail message with her son on Monday afternoon that said she wants to talk to him.

Murray and her son met at the U.S Military Academy at Army West where both were students, Rausch said. She left after 1½ years. Rausch said Murray is an outstanding athlete who ran in high school and college.

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-Rich

[rd]

I wonder why she said she said didn't want help, Rich. That is unusual.

rd

[MrRich]

They talked about this case on Greta last night. I think there's some suspicion that she has a drinking problem since an open beer container was found in the vehicle. They also wonder if there might have been something in her relationship with her dad that terrified her about this second accident. And then there's the fact that she had arranged to take off for a week. Yes, it is strange.

-Rich

[rd]

Hope they find her ok. Just posted where another woman was not so fortunate.

rd