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- [00:00]
Michelle Laurie
This is Australian True Crime International with Michelle Laurie. One of my favourite all time favourite true crime podcasts is Missing Maura Murray. Over the course of several years, Tim Polari and Lance Reensterner investigated the mysterious disappearance of 21 year old Maura whose car was found abandoned by the side of a desolate stretch of highway three hours away from her home. It appeared the car had accidentally left the road in Haverville, New Hampshire and become stuck, although no one can explain why Maura had driven there. That happened in September 2004 and Maura is still missing. In March of that same year, 17 year old Brianna Maitland disappeared from her car by the side of a desolate stretch of highway in Montgomery, Vermont about a two and a half hour drive from the location of Maura's abandoned car. Brianna's father approached the makers of Missing Maura Murray asking them for help and they join us today to tell us about the case. This is Australian True Crime. We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which this podcast is created, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation and a warning. This episode of the podcast contains graphic descriptions of violence.
- [01:17]
Tim Polari
Brianna was 17 years old when she went missing from Montgomery, Vermont on March 19, 2004 after leaving her shift as a dishwasher at the Black Lantern in and she had left at approximately 11:20pm driving her vehicle, which was a 1985 Oldsmobile 88. And she was heading to the place where she was staying living with her roommate at the time. The car, you know, and Brianna obviously never, never made it that far. The car made it about a mile down the road in the direction it should have been traveling. But it was hung up against a house, actually an abandoned house. And it was sort of attached to it.
- [02:08]
Michelle Laurie
It's like it had been reversed into it, wasn't it? And then.
- [02:11]
Tim Polari
Exactly.
- [02:12]
Michelle Laurie
Probably the person was unable to get it loose from there.
- [02:16]
Tim Polari
That seems to be exactly what it was. You know, if we're picturing what happened it, I would imagine Brianna hit the reverse, you know, pretty hard to try to get away from somebody or some situation slammed into the back of, or slammed the back of her car into this abandoned house and it actually got stuck up on the foundation of that house.
- [02:40]
Michelle Laurie
Tell us a bit about Brianna. She's an interesting character. She Being 17 and living with a roommate and all that. I think I remember that she was sort of couch surfing really at this stage. Is that right?
- [02:52]
Tim Polari
Yeah, she was doing some couch surfing, had been living with her friend. I Believe Jillian, at the time of her disappearance, she was like somebody who
- [03:03]
Lance Reensterner
probably was a little bored in that town as anybody who's 17 years old and it's a small town, like in northern New England. But she was trying, she was working multiple jobs. She had a job. She had a shift, like the next morning in another town. So she wanted to get some rest. She took the exam to receive her GED that morning, that Friday morning on the 19th.
- [03:25]
Michelle Laurie
Pretty hardworking, motivated young woman who's, you know, still trying to keep life on track. The reason also that I brought up Brianna's living situation, that she was couch surfing and not, not living anywhere in particular, is that when she went missing, it took a little while for her to be reported missing too. And, and when you take that into account, that's understandable. Initially, when you ever, you hear someone's been missing for three days and no one reported them, you think, okay, what the hell? But this is one of those situations where you can understand that everyone just assumed she was somewhere else. Right.
- [03:56]
Lance Reensterner
Yeah. Because I don't think it was that unusual for there to be a drop in communication, you know, back then. And, you know, she was working a number of jobs, a couple of jobs. So if you didn't hear from her, she was probably at one of her shifts.
- [04:11]
Michelle Laurie
Well, probably maybe the most disturbing thing about that is the way then the car and the scene were treated by police. Right.
- [04:18]
Tim Polari
Yeah. This is disappointing. And, and you know, we've been over it quite a bit and, and the Vermont State Police does not appreciate when we discuss how they, you know, sort of mishandled things initially. But what are we going to do that they did? It's pretty egregious, I would say, to look at that scene. It's egregious to look at that photo and just tow the car and not investigate it, not call who owned the car. Are you serious?
- [04:46]
Michelle Laurie
Yeah.
- [04:47]
Tim Polari
So I, I, I'm very dis. That. And I think the people who, you know, are responsible for that are regretful as well, you know, but, yeah, it's pretty inexcusable.
- [04:59]
Lance Reensterner
The way that Bruce and Kelly found out was because they were going to file the missing person report, and the trooper in St. Albans had shown them a picture in Vermont. St Albans, Vermont. Shown them a picture of it and said, and asked them if they recognize that. And I think what we had been told was that it made Kelly, like, physically sick to see it.
- [05:22]
Michelle Laurie
Her mom, I, it would make me physically sick to see my child's car.
- [05:26]
Lance Reensterner
Yeah. And realize, like, after Five days. At least five days or more at this point. This is. This is the scenario that their daughter was in before she disappeared.
- [05:39]
Michelle Laurie
Well, tell me, is this true? Paychecks still inside? Wallet and personal effects still inside?
- [05:44]
Lance Reensterner
Yeah. Uncashed paychecks. Yeah.
- [05:46]
Michelle Laurie
Yeah. Obviously with her name all over them and all of that. So no one's just. No one is bothered.
- [05:51]
Lance Reensterner
Everything about that car was like, screamed foul play.
- [05:55]
Tim Polari
Yeah. And can I add that it was so troubling to a group of skiers who were driving by that they pulled over and took photographs of it. So the photographs that you see online are from this random group of people, these guys, who called themselves the world travelers. They went skiing in different areas and documented it and they just happened to pull over because they thought it looked weird, took photos. I think the photo that the trooper showed the Maitlands was, like, from his cell phone, you know, circa 2004. A 2004 cell phone. So, like, this case would not. Would not have had the media footprint if it weren't for those people who took that photo, because there wouldn't be photos like that. That photo is one of the reasons this case stands out to people, in my opinion.
- [06:43]
Michelle Laurie
So what happens next? I mean, I guess the investigation is starting from a terrible place.
- [06:49]
Tim Polari
I think it was a tough relationship at first between the Maitlands and the police, but it has since gotten much better. The Maitlands were not under suspicion for anything. There's Bruce, Brianna's dad. There is Kelly, Brianna's mom. And there is Wayland, Bree's brother. But there was never any suspicion of anyone.
- [07:12]
Michelle Laurie
Plus, there's always rumours, particularly in smaller communities. Everyone's got a theory about what's happened and I think it'd be difficult not to try and chase down those rumors yourself if you feel like nothing is happening.
- [07:25]
Tim Polari
They were definitely investigating the case themselves. This is such a small area that word travels and sometimes that word is good and strong and you hear it from people who repeat the same thing and that can be promising. But there's also a lot of rumors that go nowhere and.
- [07:45]
Michelle Laurie
But horrible rumors too, let's not forget. I mean, you're hearing that I heard she was kept hostage for this period of time and this happened to her and that happened to her, and then she was cut into pieces. And, you know, horrible rumours are spreading around town. Right. As to what's actually happened to this young woman. Ramon Ryan's and Nathaniel Jackson. Tell us about those guys.
- [08:10]
Tim Polari
Yeah, so they were both arrested on gun charges or. Or drug charges.
- [08:16]
Michelle Laurie
I think the family or Somebody sent the police over there because these names just kept coming up, right?
- [08:21]
Tim Polari
Yeah. So, yes, those names had come up because they were kind of outsiders. They had come up to Vermont to sort of sell drugs and sort of entice some of the. The women residents to come with them back to New York and get into other shady, oh, you know, businesses. So Bruce got a tip about that house involving a root cellar, that Brianna was being held in that root cellar. And he called the police and told them, you better go there now or I'm going there. And they said, okay. And they went there and that's when they made those arrests. They did not find Brienne, but there was a root cellar which is, you know, interesting to note.
- [09:09]
Michelle Laurie
Yeah. To put that rumor together and say, okay, well, we didn't find her, but whoever's talking about this does know a bit about the house. Cause there is that root cellar, but nothing. Nothing comes out of it. So are you sort of in a position where you are. You have a theory, Are you happy to put forward a theory or, you know, where are you personally at with this investigation?
- [09:31]
Lance Reensterner
I mean, to come up with a theory? I mean, there's always 15 different theories that kind of go through your head when talking about any one of these disappearances. And you kind of change from dayto day. Personally, I don't think she's alive. I think she was surprised that night by somebody probably in the car, and somehow that car, you know, was forced off the road or she tried to fight back in the car, spun out off the road. But where her body is now, I'm. I can't help but think that it's on a private property that just hasn't been searched yet.
- [10:11]
Tim Polari
There was DNA that was tested in March of 22. They found the people who the DNA belonged to, but it was, it was unrelated to the case.
- [10:23]
Michelle Laurie
Well, again, when you're 17, you've got lots of people in your car all the time. You're driving people around everywhere. So.
- [10:28]
Tim Polari
Right. But during this period of time, we did hear that they tested the DNA that they found against, I think they said, 11 persons of interest, which was pretty interesting to us to hear that they had that many people that they were considering for this. But I mean, you asked about theories a moment ago. I mean, I think that tells me a lot like that, you know, if they. If they've investigated to the point where they're trying to match DNA to. To like they've got random people sort of like this isn't from like the same friend group or something like that. You know, these are. These are random people. So I think that the police are investigating this like it's a random abduction potentially. I definitely think she was extracted from that car by someone.
- [11:16]
Michelle Laurie
Yeah.
- [11:17]
Tim Polari
Meaning to do her harm. Whether that's someone like that was that. That she was, you know, friends with or something like that leading up to that, I. I have no idea. I really don't. But I do think that was a violent scene where the car was left. There was also, I want to say, a necklace kind of strewn about in the grass. So it seems to me like there was a struggle at that scene.
- [11:47]
Michelle Laurie
Tell us about the witnesses. Like, who were they? What did they have to say? And why do you think they did come forward years after the event? 2004, this event happened. So they came in, coming forward 20 years later.
- [11:58]
Tim Polari
Yeah, great question. So I believe it's. It was a couple, and they were in the same car. And as far as why they didn't come forward earlier, I would say we. We don't have a good answer on that. But what I can say is that the. The private investigators, who we trust, said that they had very good reason not to come forward, and they. They were credible. But what they reported was really interesting. It was. It was a bit of like a. Almost like a cat and mouse game. Real quick, where they drove past the Dutchburn house, which is the house where Brianna's car was. Was hung up on. They drove past it, and her car wasn't there. They made a phone call, I believe, either on their cell phone or on a pay phone in the center of town. There was. In Montgomery, made their phone call, were sort of making plans for the evening, and then actually turned back and went the other way, the way that they had already come. And then they actually saw Brianna's car in the position that we know it was in on the. Hung up on the Dutch burn. But there was also another car there.
- [13:06]
Michelle Laurie
Oh.
- [13:06]
Tim Polari
And so this couple, as they drove by, they said, well, well, that looks weird. Let's. Let's turn around to see if this is like, see if someone needs help. So apparently they turned around again and saw a hooded man, but they did not see anyone that fit Brianna's description. They saw a man in front of the car's headlights, and then they saw a car come towards them. And this car was about. It was a silver Honda sedan, But it nearly hit this. This couple in this car, seemingly to intimidate or something. They seem to swerve after going a high speed. And so this couple Then took off. There was a. This is a little weird. We don't know what's going on here. They took off and then they turned around again and actually started following that car as it sped away.
- [14:03]
Lance Reensterner
It is like a great, A great thing that someone came forward and gave this account, but it really just leaves a pile of frustration because it's like, yeah, like, the person is so generic. The car is so generic. Love the fact that someone came forward, but it's just. It's confirming that. Okay, it does seem more likely that foul play happened.
- [14:25]
Michelle Laurie
Absolutely. It is kind of confirming the obvious, isn't it? Where's the family at with this? Where are Bruce, Kelly and Wayland? I guess what I'm asking is, is there a point at which do you think any of these people says, I need to get on with my own life, we may never solve this, or is there still a real determination and focus on this?
- [14:46]
Tim Polari
Well, I would say a little bit of both. Now, I can really only speak about Bruce because I haven't spoken with Kelly or Wayland, but we do speak with Bruce regularly and he is certainly determined and, you know, will call people up in Vermont whenever he feels it necessary and, you know, sort of demand answers or, or a callback or, or some communication. So he is still very focused on solving Brianna's case. I do think there's hope. It's tough. It is a tough one. It may take finding her and I don't, you know, we obviously don't know where that. Where that would be, where to start
- [15:33]
Michelle Laurie
or, you know, finding her or that moment where someone comes. Allegiances change, relationships change. All of those things that can make. Because you would have to imagine more than one person knows what happened to Brianna. Thanks for joining us on Australian True Crime. If you would like any more information about anything you've heard on the show today or support numbers, just check out the show notes.
- [16:08]
Tim Polari
The producers of this podcast recognise the
- [16:11]
Lance Reensterner
traditional owners of the land on which it's recorded.
- [16:16]
Tim Polari
They pay respect to the Aboriginal elders,
- [16:19]
Lance Reensterner
past, present, and those emerging.