Bone Fragments Found In New Hampshire Not Those Of Missing Woman Maura Murray

CONCORD, N.H. (CBS/AP) - Human bone fragments found in the area of Loon Mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire back in September are not those of missing woman Maura Murray.

Murray, a University of Massachusetts-Amherst nursing student, has been missing for more than 17 years.

New Hampshire State Police said Wednesday the bones were from long ago, based on radiocarbon dating, with a 95.4 percent probability of the person dying anywhere from 1774 to 1942. There was a 68.2 percent probability they were from anywhere from 1718 to 1893.

Back in 2004, Murray packed her car, lied to professors about a death in the family and left campus. That night, on a rural road in the northern part of New Hampshire, the 21-year-old crashed her car.

Then she vanished. Investigators say there hasn't been a single, credible sighting of her since minutes after her car spun into trees and a snowbank along Route 112 in North Haverhill just before 7:30 p.m. on February 9, 2004.

The human bone fragments found in September were in the area of Loon Mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire, which is about 25 miles from North Haverhill along Route 112.

"Based on the results of the investigation and the testing, the bone fragments do not appear to be related to any open missing person case or recent criminal activity. Instead, the bones are likely historical in nature," State Police said in a statement Wednesday.

​"My heart is heavy upon learning that these remains do not belong to my little sister," Murray's sister Julie said in a statement Wednesday. "I urge the N.H.S.P. 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."

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)