Family of missing UMass student continues fight for answers on status of case

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Nearly two decades after UMass Amherst student Maura Murray’s disappearance, her family, along with others, are renewing their calls for answers and justice in her case.

“She was so shy and introverted, but she was both impressive both on the track and in the classroom,” said Murray’s sister, Julie Murray.

Maura Murray went missing in February 2004 after her car was found crashed in Haverhill, NH. Now, almost 20 years later, Julie Murray is demanding answers from New Hampshire Attorney General’s office on the status of her sister’s case.

“We’re in the dark. We’re blind, my family is. We don’t have any answers. We try to meet with investigators and just get basic details of the disappearance answered and we just cannot get that,” Julie Murray explained.

Those questions are now being brought to Attorney General Josh Formella’s doorstep - literally. On Tuesday, Maura’s family, along with others in their same position, will be protesting in front of the A.G.’s office to demand more communication between investigators and victims’ loved ones.

“Really, it’s on us the families now to get answers to continue to fight for these answers, so that these cases don’t languish in the A.G.’s building, which it kind of feels like you know 19 years later,” Julie Murray added.

In addition to the common thread of violence that bonds these families together, there’s one other thing that ties them.

“One thing I have realized is that none of us have spoken to the attorney general himself,” Julie Murray said.

These families also complaints of no case updates, a lack of responses to emails and calls to investigators, and no follow-ups on potential evidence and witnesses. The last one is something that hits close to home in Maura’s case. Julie Murray told Western Mass News that one piece of evidence is still a mystery to her.

“In terms of the carpet that was discolored that was taken in by potential evidence, I still don’t know if that’s been tested,” Julie Murray said.

We reached out to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office about these complaints and received a statement that read:

We acknowledge their disappointment, frustration, and the tension that can develop when there is a lack of a resolution or new publicly-available information—sometimes for decades. We remain resolved to fulfill our mission of seeking justice in all prosecutions including those who have been murdered or remain missing.
We at the New Hampshire Department of Justice never forget that at the heart of each of our homicide cases are real people with families who love and miss them. We support Tuesday’s gathering as something positive - victims and their families coming together, using their voices, and bringing awareness to their cases. Our hope is that highlighting these cases will result in more people coming forward with information that can help investigators. We are all aligned in pursuing justice for these victims and solving these cases.
We are respectfully listening, continuing to actively engage privately, and are offering our assurance that attention is truly being given to these cases. The Attorney General remains ready and willing to have one-on-one or small group conversations with impacted loved ones.
We are optimistic that the hard work carried out daily by the dedicated public servants who make up our Homicide and Cold Case Units might provide victims some hope. Last year our investigators and prosecutors were able to solve 92.3% of the state’s 2022 homicides. In contrast, the national 2022 homicide clearance rate was 54.3%. New Hampshire’s 10-year average homicide clearance rate is 88.9%, compared to 59.9% nationally.
Over the same period our Cold Case Unit has been utilizing national best practices, the latest investigative techniques, as well as scientific advancements to make numerous public-facing strides, particularly by leveraging DNA.
In late July, the Cold Case Unit announced one of its investigations, the murder of Laura Kempton from September of 1981 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has been solved. Earlier this year, the Unit announced the successful identification after 40 years of the remains of Katherine Ann Alston, who went missing from Boston, Massachusetts, and was found murdered in Bedford, New Hampshire, on October 6, 1971.
In 2022 the Unit tried and convicted Richard Ellison for the second-degree murder of Robert McMillian in Concord on December 9, 2005. Also in 2022, the Unit solved and closed the 1972 Murder of Arlene Clevesy in Newton, NH; and it worked with Boston, MA Police to solve the 1984 murder of Brian Watson in Manchester, ultimately indicting 61-year-old Michael Lewis on a first-degree murder charge. And finally, on March 28, 2022, the Unit announced an investigation into the reported disappearance of Janis Taylor from Concord, New Hampshire, on January 8, 1968.
Moving forward, we are continuing to expand our efforts and increase the resources dedicated to solving cold cases. This month an experienced Cold Case Investigator from Maricopa County, Arizona joined the Cold Case Unit and State Police are using a $1.5 million grant to invest in DNA testing improvements now being implemented at the state’s forensic lab.
With all of the efforts and advancement we acknowledge there are loved ones who still do not have answers and closure. We acknowledge their disappointment, frustration, and the tension that can develop when there is a lack of a resolution or new publicly-available information—sometimes for decades. Being unable to provide closure or detailed information to a family is one of the hardest aspects of our work. It is a reality of the Attorney General’s obligation to maintain the integrity of investigations and preserve the ability to prosecute that sometimes material information must be withheld from the public or victims’ families.
We remain resolved to fulfill our mission of seeking justice in all prosecutions including those who have been murdered or remain missing.
Michael Garrity, spokesperson for the Office of the New Hampshire Attorney General

You can CLICK HERE for more information on Maura Murray’s case.

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