Some sightings tracked down...

Spoke to a source close to the investigation today. One topic of conversation was the alleged sightings of Maura Murray after her disappearance.

Police responded quickly to one sighting, driving to a home, only to discover Julie Murray at the door. Seems the sisters are so similar in appearance they often still get mistaken for each other. It's happened a couple times since the disappearance.

Official Response

Because there has been so much conflicting information given to journalists who have reported on Maura's disappearance over the years, I am trying to get some definitive answers. Easier said than done.

Earlier this week, I sent the following questions to Lt. Todd Landry, the lead investigator in the case.

1. Is this search warrant a hoax? It appears on this website, with your name. If it is an actual document, the fact that it has been released by a state organization makes it public record now by default: http://christopher-king.blogspot.com/2008/10/kingcast-and-trooper-todd-landry-take.html

2. What items were taken from Maura's vehicle? Several state police reps have commented on the record about this, which allows you to offer comment as well. Unfortunately, each time they were quoted, the info was slightly different.

3. Who was first on scene? Some reports have trooper John Kapp-Monagham as first on scene, some have Cecil Smith.

Here is Landry's response:

Mr. Renner, In response to your questions I offer the following:

The investigation is and has been on-going since the night Maura Murray went missing. In order to protect the integrity of the investigation I am limited to what can be released. In conferring with the lead prosecutor that is overseeing the case I can only confirm that the first responding police officer that was on the scene was Sgt. Cecil Smith of the Haverhill Police Department.

For reasons explained above, I would not be able to meet with you as no other information will be provided to you. Thank You for your understanding in this matter. Respectfully, Lt. Todd Landry

In any event, I think it says a lot that police are still treating this like an open and active case. The only reason to play that close to the vest would be if they believe there's a possibility of some sort of criminal charges at some point in the future.

Sightings

I'm very interested in taking a fresh look at the reports of Maura Murray sightings since her disappearance.

If you think you saw Maura, or know someone who has, please contact me at becarriedaway@hotmail.com

More thoughts on the "Londonderry Ping"

So I guess we're calling this clue the "Londonderry ping." Sounds good to me.

Some people have been wondering if this call that came into Maura's cell phone the afternoon she went missing, the call that "pinged" the Londonderry tower, could have been Maura checking her cell phone. When you check voicemail on some cell phones, the phone literally calls itself. Mine is like that.

However, the way I read the search warrant, it appears they were trying to identify the person who owned the number that called Maura. Obviously, they would have recognized Maura's cell phone number. It seems it was either logged on her bill (that would be the bill that goes to her boyfriend Billy Rausch's mother) as a number that they could not put to a name or an "unlisted" number that could be provided by the cell phone company logs.

BUT

If it was merely Maura checking her cell phone, this is still significant information. The phone could only have pinged the tower if it was within 22 miles. There's a photo above, showing the area. If it was Maura, she wasn't traveling up 91 N like we've assumed. She would have likely been traveling up 93 N, which begs more questions, like, could she have swung by Hanson or Weymouth before heading into the North Country?

My hunch is it was not Maura checking her phone. I think it came from the person she was meeting up there.

The search warrant and what it implies...

A few weeks ago, I discovered what appears to be a search warrant filed by Lt. Todd Landry of Troop F on this obscure website.

Here it is:

Supporting Affidavit for Issuance of Search Warrant I, Todd D. Landry, do hereby depose and say;

1. That I am currently employed by the State Police and have been for the past ten years. Currently, I am assigned as a Detective at Trooop- F in Twin Mountain, NH. I have received extensive training in the investigation of criminal matters.

2. That on February 9, 2004 at 1927 hours the Haverhill, NH Police Department responded to a single vehicle motor vehicle crash on Route 112 in Haverhill, NH. Upon arrival, Sgt. Cecil Smith was unable to locate the driver of the vehicle. Subsequent investigation determined that the driver of the vehicle was MAURA MURRAY (d.o.b. 05/04/82), 22 Walker Street, Weymouth, MA.

3. A witness at the scene later confirmed that the driver was MURRAY.

4. An extensive search of the area has been conducted and MURRAY has not been located.

5. During the course of this investigation, Cellular Telephone records have been obtained by Law Enforcement that were used by MURRAY. A representative from Sprint Corporate Security advised this affiant that during the late afternoon hours of February 9, 2004an outgoing telephone call was made to Murray from the Londonderry, NH Sprint tower. This call had to have been made from within a 22 mile radius of the tower. The identity of this caller and telephone number has not been made as of this date.

6. That identifying the caller of the telephone call could be pertinent to the ongoing investigation and may lead to the whereabouts of Maura Murray.

7. Based on the foregoing, there is probable cause to believe evidence in the suspicious disappearance of Maura Murray may be found through Sprint Wireless Cell Tower Telephone Records, including any outgoing calls from the Londonderry tower of Sprint to Maura Murrays Sprint PCs number ********** for February 9, 2004 from 0001 hours to 2400 hours.
Todd D. Landry

I spoke with Christopher King, who runs the website and, as he recalled, he was given the search warrant after filing a public records request with a lawyer who represents New Hampshire police.

I have also spoken to Lt. Landry, himself.

It appears to be authentic.

The more I look at this case the more convinced I become that Maura was meeting someone in New Hampshire.

Whoever called her cell phone the day she disappeared dinged a cell phone tower in the southeastern part of New Hampshire, possibly near Rt. 93. She either knew someone around there or someone was traveling toward her to meet up with her. At least that's how I read this discovery.