Kellie later told investigators that she was in good spirits and that the pair had discussed the possibility of attending college. The next morning, some passing motorists found the scene odd enough that they stopped and took pictures of it. There has been some speculation that Brianna's disappearance is related to the disappearance of Maura Murray, a nursing student from Massachusetts who vanished February 9, 2004 in Haverhill, New Hampshire after getting into a car accident. The doors to the vehicle were unlocked, and the keys were missing. Although there was little evidence at the scene suggesting Maitland was abducted, her family believes she was in some kind of trouble. February 18, 2012 Police say ID of skull found in Danby could take time Burlington Free Press . In what has been widely considered one of the more baffling cases to detectives, the disappearance of Brianna Maitland has been frustrating officials for nearly two decades. Surprisingly, there weren't found any other bones in the area. Brianna did not try to defend herself, although she has had several years of martial arts training. For the most part, Brianna led a relatively normal life, and even took jiu-jitsu lessons after school. SINCE HIS THEN- 17-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.. BRIANNA MAITLAND. WAS LAST SEEN LEAVING THE BLACK LANTERN INN- IN MONTGOMERY, VERMONT WHERE SHE WORKED. She has not been seen or heard from since. Based on the location of the item, and not knowing how long it had been there, it was unclear if it was related to Maitlands disappearance. Sadly, the Vermont teenager left work late one night in 2004 and has never been seen again. Montgomery, VT. Vermont State Police. There are accusations of drug use, her running away, and other wicked rumors. Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on unsolvable cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. Maitland's case was profiled across various local media, on Dateline NBC, and the documentary series Disappeared. [4] Her mother described her as being in good spirits, and that Maitland had discussed plans of attending college. On February 9, 2004, the 21-year-old emailed her professors at University of Massachusetts and her employer requesting time off after death in her family. It's now been nearly two decades since Maitland was last seen leaving the Black Lantern Inn in Montgomery, Vermont, where she worked in 2004. She showed up at the Black Lantern Inn on time and completed her shift accordingly. Brianna Maitland vanished after work in Montgomery, Vermont, in November 2004 and authorities are still chasing down leads. Due to a confluence of circumstances, several days passed before Maitland's friends and family reported her missing. But during their shopping trip, Maitland noticed something that left her feeling unnerved. Can DNA analysis shed new light on Vermont cold case. [7] The motive for the attack was unclear,[8] though Brianna's father, Bruce, would later state that he believed it stemmed from jealousy over Maitland's interaction with a male peer at the party. Maitland disappeared in 2004 at the age of 17. Brianna is a white female, 5 feet 3 inches tall and 118 pounds at the time of her disappearance, with brown hair and hazel eyes. On Thursday, March 25, Maitland's parents gave photos of her to Vermont State Police in St. Albans. In addition to the damage on the bumper, a piece of wood fell off one of the barn windows and landed on the vehicle's trunk. I don't know much about how these things are managed in the US, but there seems to be a national database for missing persons (NAMUS). Both Murray and Brianna are attractive brown-haired young women, and both disappeared after car accidents in which their cars were left behind with personal items inside. It's Baker's job to sift through that information. [21] The website was active until at least 2009. They hope to discover new leads in a case that has had them frustrated for nearly twenty years (via Vermont Biz). Affidavit: Brianna Maitland Murdered . Three weeks before Brianna Maitland vanished, she was attacked by a former friend named Keallie Lacross at a party. He says certain algorithms can help investigators, but it takes time. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WPTZ-TV. . A green 1985 Oldsmobile Delta was found at an odd angle, backed into the side of the building. [31], In March 2022, Vermont State Police revealed they had found a match to the DNA sample found in Maitland's car. [4] Ryans was arrested during the raid for drug charges. Maitland was last seen shortly before midnight on March 19, 2004. Although her daughter was visibly "shaken," Kellie said she did not want "to pry.". Brianna Maitland disappeared in 2004. In the days and weeks following her disappearance, numerous tips were investigated by state law enforcement, including a claim that Maitland was being held captive in a house occupied by local drug dealers of whom she was an acquaintance; however, none of the tips resulted in her discovery. [28] The FBI ruled out Keyes's potential connection to Maitland's disappearance in late December 2012,[28] shortly after Keyes committed suicide in Anchorage, Alaska. The car was registered to Maitland's mother so police were able to quickly connect the car they had found days earlier to the newly opened missing person case. The teen was also rumored to be friends with known drug dealers and users in the Montgomery area. On the passenger seat were two of Maitland's uncashed paychecks (via Charley Project). As reported by Stories of the Unsolved, the car was unlocked. Police say rumors and lack of evidence make the case more difficult to solve. She immediately called authorities to report her daughter missing. They noticed Brianna's paychecks inside the vehicle and guessed that she was the primary driver, so they went to her place of work to try to find her and tell her about the car. We suspect Brianna was the victim of foul play, Maj. Glenn Hall of the Vermont State Police said to Fox News. (SOT) (Bruce) (Sometimes time is your friend till people change they get older circumstances change maybe that someone who knows some thing would. The Maitland family's farm was within the district of Missisoqoui Valley Union High School . [16] The results of the DNA tests were not made public. [4] Her mother Kellie did not learn about the discovery of Maitland's car until five days afterward. She told her co-workers that she needed to get home and get some rest before starting at her second part time job the next morning. Maura Murray, a 21-year-old nursing student, went missing 13 years ago. #710. October 9, 2021. Eventually, she dropped out of high school, unable to keep up with the increasing demands of her schoolwork and her unstable living situation. May 6, 2007, 9:37 PM UTC By Rob. She did not have any visitors or make or receive any phone calls. Her parents separated after her disappearance and her mother now lives in New York. UP1405 10/29/2006 Gregg TX. Brianna Alexandra Maitland (born October 8, 1986; disappeared March 19, 2004) is an American teenager who disappeared after leaving her job at the Black Lantern Inn in Montgomery, Vermont. A man who drove by the house between 11:30p.m. and 12:30a.m. on March 1920 said the car's headlights may have been on. But investigators say identifying the source of the DNA found near the abandoned car of Brianna Maitland does not mean they have identified a suspect in her disappearance. Haverhill is only about 90 miles from Montgomery. [4], Maitland was not reported missing for a number of days. When police probed the inside of Brianna Maitland's car, they found crucial pieces of evidence that could indicate several possible scenarios. There, they found Brianna Maitlands car backed into the side of the barn. While waiting in the check-out line of a store, Kellie said something outside caught Brianna's attention; she told her mother she would return shortly, and left the store. Regardless of the circumstances, though, the disappearance of Brianna Maitland remains an open and active investigation. But it would be the last time anyone would ever see her alive. She had obviously made a connection with someone that may have resulted in what happened to her.. Updated 10 times since October 12, 2004. A second man who drove by between midnight and 12:30a.m. on Saturday, March 20, recalled seeing a turn signal flashing on the car. For this reason, this skull belongs to someone that has never been reported missing or someone that went missing outside of Vermont. Two of Maitland's paychecks were on the front seat of the car, and outside it, law enforcement observed loose change, a water bottle, and an unsmoked cigarette. At the end of her shift, around 11:20 p.m., Brianna was seen by a co-worker getting into her car and leaving the parking lot. As reported by Stories of the Unsolved, an unknown caller reported an unoccupied vehicle, which did not belong to the property owner, was parked inside an abandoned barn. [23], In the week following Maitland's disappearance, the Vermont State Police received an anonymous tip claiming that she was being held against her will in a house in nearby Berkshire, Vermont, 10 miles (16km) from Montgomery. Bruce Maitland, however, is less sanguine about his daughters chances. Brianna Maitland, 17, was last seen about 11:20 p.m. on March 19, 2004 She had just started a job as a waitress Her car was found smashed into the side of an abandoned house A $20,000 reward is. No Asian woman was reported missing in Vermont. This, however, isa connection that her family steadfastly denies, maintaining that she had no serious involvement in drugs (via Stories of the Unsolved). by Chilling Crimes November 06, 2019. Approximately one week after Brianna was last seen, the Vermont State Police returned to the scene to conduct a K-9 search. Sgt. The now-identified DNA sample was later found near the car. They hope to discover new leads in a case that has had them frustrated for nearly twenty years (via Vermont Biz ). Theory #2 - Brianna Maitland was the victim of a serial killer Considering New Hampshire, where Maura was last seen, is approximately 90 miles from Montgomery, some have speculated that Brianna's case may be linked to Maura Murray's disappearance , a Massachusetts nursing student who went missing on February 9, 2004, near Haverhill, New . Stories of the Unsolved reports they both left their personal belongings in their cars and they were both attractive young women with dark hair. This was the last time Brianna Maitland was seen alive. Today, her family and detectives are still searching for answers. en.wikipedia.org / Creative Commons In March 2004, 17-year-old Vermont waitress Brianna Maitland finished work for the day and drove home. Bernadette Giacomazzo is a NYC-based editor, writer, photographer, and publicist with a career spanning more than two decades in the entertainment industry. Othram is the worlds first private DNA laboratory built specifically to apply the power of modern parallel sequencing to forensic evidence. Brianna Maitland Missing 3-19-04 VT..-----Thursday, 01 February 2007. The young boy's skull was found in 2014 and initial analysis suggests the young boy was born between 2000-2004 and likely died between 2007-2012 raised 100% of goal. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Maitland's mother, Kellie, contacted her daughter's friends and employers, but nobody had seen her since she left work Friday night. Brianna Maitland But the circumstances surrounding Maitland's disappearance can be considered more puzzling than most. As this was their strongest lead in the case, investigators initially leaped on it, possibly because theyhad received an anonymous tip that the missing girl was being held captive by two local drug dealers, according toMurder Squad. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}445441N 723934W / 44.911307N 72.659527W / 44.911307; -72.659527. She stood at 5'3"-5'5", and weighed. Brianna's NamUs profile was updated on 2/11/22. Stories of the Unsolved reports the damage appeared to have been caused when the vehicle struck a wall while it was being backed into the barn. It was then that a trooper showed Bruce and Kellie a picture of the green Oldsmobile, backed into the Dutchburn Barn. (SOT) (the rumor mill is just alive and well with this case SHE ALSO SAYS THERE'S VERY LITTLE EVIDENCE TO GO ON. We dont know, said Maj. Hall. Her 1985 Oldsmobile was later found backed into an abandoned building . Although the damage was minor, authorities initially believed the driver left the car in the barn because they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. However, Maitland turned down their invitation, as she had to be up early the following morning to work her second job as a waitress at KJ's Diner in St. Albans, Vermont. On that day, shed finished her GED test and had lunch with her mother, and said she was heading home to get some rest before going to her second job. Up until her parents had reported her missing, police believed that Brianna Maitland was a runaway. To support herself, Maitland was working two jobs: as a waitress in St. Albans, Vermont, and as a dishwasher in nearby Montgomery. Brianna Maitland was 17 years old when she was last seen on the night of Friday, March 19, 2004 in Montgomery, Vermont. Othrams scientists are experts at Read morerecovery, enrichment, and analysis of human DNA from trace quantities of degraded or contaminated materials. Into the Night: The Disappearance of Brianna Maitland The 17-year-old vanished on her drive home from work in 2004, and police and her family are still looking for answers. She filed a criminal complaint against her alleged attacker. Stories of the Unsolved reports Maitland left a note for Stout, stating that she would be home after her Friday evening shift. She is described as an independent, restless young woman who was unhappy in her rural surroundings, and she has run away before. [18] The area surrounding the old Dutchburn house was combed on foot by police and search dogs, but nothing was found. Maitland's mother, Kellie, filed a missing person report (via DNA Solves). March 18, 2022 / 1:43 PM Maitland's car had been reported several days earlier outside of Montgomery, Vermont, in what looked to be a minor accident. That was the last time . Not far from the jacket was a broken necklace, an empty plastic water bottle, and some loose change. In late 2004 I read about Brianna Maitland's disappearance online while at work. For Brianna, earning her GED was an important step in her goal to attend college. It was the 19th of March 2004. On March 19, 2004, Brianna Maitland finished her GED test and passed with flying colors. She has brown hair and hazel eyes. Keallie savagely beat Maitland, leaving her with a broken nose and a concussion, and Maitland subsequently went to the police to press charges against her attacker. Now a full-fledged investigation was underway. Inside the vehicle, authorities found two of Brianna's uncashed paychecks, her driver's license, contact lenses, several items of clothing, medication for migraines, and some loose change. Don't states have access to the registry of missing people of other states? He thought he recognized the vehicle, but he did not see anyone in or around it. Othram will continue to support VSP as they move into the next stage of their investigation into Brianna's disappearance. The Biggest Brianna Maitland Theories: What Really Happened. As reported by Stories of the Unsolved, Maitland's family believes she was abducted. Co-workers asked her to join them for a late dinner, but Maitland politely declined their invite, stating she needed to be up early in the morning for her waitressing job. In 2012, law enforcement investigated a possible connection between Maitland's disappearance and serial killer Israel Keyes, who committed numerous rapes and murders in Vermont, New York, and throughout the Pacific Northwest, but he was ultimately ruled out as a suspect by the FBI. She had brown hair and hazel eyes. 17 year old, Brianna was described as being a "free spirit," and wanted to do things her own way. Both men were arrested for drug activity and booked on charges. The 17 year old had dropped out of high school but that morning she took her GED certificate test and . On March 20th, Brianna's vehicle, a pale green four-door 1985 Oldsmobile sedan, was found back into the side of a abandoned house on Route 118 in Richford, about a mile from the Black Lantern Inn. Brianna Maitland went missing from Montgomery, Vermont, but it should be noted that some agencies state her disappearance occurred in East Franklin or Sheldon. After months of follow-up investigation, police were able to locate, interview, and obtain DNA samples from candidate donors. On March 19, 2004, Brianna Maitland left her job as a dishwasher at the Black Lantern Inn in the town of Montgomery, Vermont. "I've never seen a case like this that's frustrated so many people," says VSP. She was also bullied throughout high school and left to attend a different high school, where most of her friends went. She got two jobs: one as a dishwasher at the Black Lantern Inn and one as a waitress at KJs Diner in nearby St. Albans, Vermont. Rumors of Maitland being involved with drug activity seemed to be the most promising one at first. [4], In late 2004, police received a statement from an anonymous "older female" who implicated both Ryans and Jackson in Maitland's disappearance and alleged murder. NBC's Rob Stafford reports. Vermont State Police tell us they have persons of interest in the case but no identified suspects.You can submit an anonymous tip by texting VTIPS to 274637 (CRIMES). Vermont State Police investigators used advanced DNA sequencing techniques to identify a sample found as part of their investigation into the 2004 disappearance of a 17-year-old girl in the town of Montgomery, police said Friday. Inside Brianna Maitlands Chilling Disappearance And The Bizarre Clues Left Behind. On March 19, 2004, then-17-year-old Brianna Maitland was last seen driving from work at the Black Lantern Inn in Montgomery. [4] By the end of February 2004, she dropped out of high school and moved in with her childhood friend, Jillian Stout, in Sheldon, Vermont, approximately 20 miles (32km) west of Montgomery. [4] Maitland's disappearance was also mentioned in an episode of 20/20. [29], In March 2016, on the case's twelfth anniversary, investigators revealed to a local television station they had recovered DNA samples from Maitland's car. Maitland's family continues to offer $20,000 for information. The lab confirmed that DNA from one of the individuals matched the DNA on the item found on the ground near Briannas vehicle. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. She was last seen at the Black Lantern Inn, where she worked. THERE'S A LOT FOR BAKER TO SIFT THROUGH. The vehicle had collided with the building in such a manner that the rear bumper was stuck on the foundation of the house, causing the rear tires to be elevated and thus disabling the vehicle. [4] Kellie completed her purchase and met Brianna in the parking lot, and noticed that her daughter seemed unnerved, shaken, and agitated. we can help you with your case. It had been off the road and backed into an old barn (via Murder Squad). Vermont State Police are partnering with a Texas company to complete a new analysis of DNA evidence in the 2004 disappearance of 17-year-old Brianna Maitland, the agency announced this week . On March 25, 2004, Kellie and her husband, Bruce, went to the State . [17] Failing in her effortsand still unaware that the vehicle Maitland had been driving had been recoveredshe filed a missing persons report that day. I dont think this was a random act of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, he said to Fox News.