BRIANNA MAITLAND AND MAURA MURRAY - STILL MISSING FOR NINE YEARS, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN !!! PART FOUR

Marijuana Trinket Hanging from Visor

Not ever disclosed was the true condition of her car when first found that Saturday morning around 9:30 AM by local media. A few hours before the car was found by accident from a group of out of state skiers, who found the scene surreal. I dubbed them the World Travelers, and it's because of this trio of observant tourists, that we have these pictures today:

Sadly, I learned that one of the trio, the woman of the group, had passed away over a year ago, in a car accident.

About the same time, NBC began work on a project regarding Brianna Maitland for the "Disappeared" series they air, which I gather few know about. Not only after several years was this a welcome event, but it also brought about some unforeseen side-effects. Also some parallel events, such as when VSP (Vermont State Police) conducted a surprise search after many years within the location where Brianna's car was found and where she is alleged to have last been.

Several things happened at once. I recall it was late 2009 or early 2010. A person commented on Slam Dunks blog about Brianna... the link is currently down but I've asked Slam Dunks to revive it. The commenter named Cindy claimed she lived with the ex-boyfriend... the one present at the fight she was in three weeks prior to her disappearance, and who drove past the car embedded in the old farmhouse around 5:30 that morning. Cindy begged Slam and I to provide help for the ex-boyfriend who claimed to know the location of Brianna's body, but who had nothing to do with her death. She claimed he was being tortured by his alleged connections to her disappearance when he had nothing to do with her death. He wanted authorities to search a particular farmhouse. Our hands however, were tied. Cindy got upset by our lack of assistance - I contacted Bruce Maitland, who agreed to speak with her. That's all we could do.

A short time later it seems VSP was searching the cornfield surrounding the old Dutchburn place where the car was found. I have no idea what they were searching for but it made the news.

Meanwhile, a search of the area the ex-boyfriend requested was denied. It was private property and his word wasn't enough to permit a search. No marijuana was growing in the area, is what his word amounted to. A missing person, potential murder victim is valued less than a drug violation involving cannabis.

VSP allegedly found nothing as a result of their latest search, other than an audience. Shortly after I was contacted by NBC for the story on Brianna. I donated pictures I'd taken of her car many months later showing the interior:

Frt. seat with necklass, backseat with a case of tuna/patches cut from the seat by VSP, beer-caps glued to her radio dials, a marijuana trinket found inside and a picture of her idol, Angelina Jolie pasted to her visor...

I shared what I knew with the executive producer of NBC, and he shared a bit with me. One intriguing bit was the apparent fact that VSP did not find the car at 1 AM that Saturday morning. That information about the trouper stopping by then and being called away was discounted. VSP did not show up until around the time the news crew showed up, after the World travelers had discovered the car. Further, after more than a year asking Bruce to find out if any photo's of the drivers side of Brianna's car existed and being told no, the following NBC footage appeared as if by magic:

This Picture according to VSP in 2005 Never Existed!

The truth is, VSP decided Brianna had been heavily involved in drugs and had run away to escape paying drug dealers what she owed them. The fact that many of her peers were equally involved wasn't considered, as it was Brianna who was caught in the act. It was assumed she was alive, and had escaped a self-imposed situation. It was only a matter of time before she resurfaced, and VSP would spend no time investigating her disappearance. Nor would they cooperate with her family... and since I was onboard then, I can vouch for those facts.

It wasn't until sometime in 2005 that VSP changed their minds, and only after Bruce Maitland and Fred Murray made headlines suggesting the involvement of a serial killer on the loose, that VSP acted, and the chief investigator was changed to Lt. Brian Miller of the VSP, that communications improved and things changed a little for the better.

The fact remains much still wasn't done, and VSP still wasn't completely honest with the family. 

Continued in Part Five:

Part 1: "Brianna Maitland and Maura Murray - Missing Nine Years..."
Part 2: "Brianna Maitland and Maura Murray - Missing Nine Years..."
Part 3: "Brianna Maitland and Maura Murray - Missing Nine Years..."
Part 5: "Brianna Maitland and Maura Murray - Missing Nine Years..."