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‘Heart Is Heavy’: Bones Found Near Maura Murray Crash Site Are Not Missing College Student, Family Says
“My heart is heavy upon learning that these remains do not belong to my little sister,” Julie Murray, sister of the missing Maura Murray said.
Bone fragments discovered in the same area in New Hampshire where Maura Murray vanished in 2004 do not belong to her, according to her family.
“New Hampshire State Police in conjunction with state and federal authorities have determined that the human bone fragments discovered on Loon Mountain in Lincoln, N.H. are not Maura Murray,” a statement sent to Oxygen.com Wednesday says.
In fact, it appears that the bones are from a person who died decades, and perhaps a century or more, before the UMass Amherst student was even born.
“Radiocarbon testing indicates the bones date back to between 1774 and 1942 with a 95.4% probability,” the press release states.
The New Hampshire State Police stated there's an almost 70% chance the person died between 1718 to 1893. They said the bone fragments "do not appear to be related to any open missing person case or recent criminal activity."
They think they belong to either an adult woman or a "small statured man." There was no signs of trauma on the remains found.
The bone fragments were discovered just a little more than 20 miles away from where the 21-year-old crashed her car into a tree on Feb. 9, 2004; she had left her dorm in Amherst for a reason that is still unknown. A few witnesses called the police immediately following the collision, but by the time authorities arrived on the scene, Murray was gone.
“My heart is heavy upon learning that these remains do not belong to my little sister,” Maura’s sister Julie Murray said in a statement. “I urge the N.H.S.P. [New Hampshire State Police] to work tirelessly until the remains can be identified, so that peace may be given to their loved ones. My family will continue to search for Maura and will leave no stone unturned until we bring her home and hold accountable those who are responsible for her disappearance.”
The mysterious case has been the theme of at least one book and several podcasts, including "Missing Maura Murray," as well as "The Disappearance of Maura Murray,” a docuseries that aired on Oxygen in 2017.
