Where is MAURA MURRAY

Below is reprinted on a web site and said to be from a Boston Globe article dated November 24, 2002.

LINK:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/1124-...

When professor M.J. Alhabeeb received a call from police in his office at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst last month, his first thought was that someone in his family had been in an accident.

A few minutes later, an FBI agent and a campus police officer were at his door, acting on a tip that the Iraqi-born professor held anti-American views. The joint interview by FBI and UMass officers lasted only a few minutes, and was by all accounts polite. But it has outraged many professors, who say the university's participation in the investigation violated academic freedom and could have a ''chilling effect'' on the free exchange of ideas on campus.

Their outrage - which evoked the specter of campus witch hunts - began to draw wider attention as word of UMass's participation in the FBI investigation spread after a meeting last week.

About 75 people, mostly faculty, attended the meeting last Monday to plan their response, to include a public forum and a request for a meeting with UMass Chancellor John Lombardi. The UMass police detective, Barry Flanders, has been working on the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force for about a month, since receiving security clearance, university Police Chief Barbara O'Connor said.

God, Beagle, I thought you said you were doing well and feeling really focused.

Thanks for clarifying that you didn't think Maura was doing drugs.

The bottom line is, Maura was a college student at a large, state-run University when she disappeared. Therefore, the chances are pretty good that someone she knew or even was friends with (whether Maura knew it or not) did drugs. Of any sort. Period. That's not a judgment on her. It's simply an observation of University life.

As to any sort of conspiracy regarding "alternative" enhancement drugs, I remain entirely unconvinced. And probably will, unless you can provide me with a smoking gun.

Detective Columbo wrote:

I think this dog is BARKING up the wrong tree. IMHO

Why would it matter to you? Haven't you known for a long time the person you're trying to pin this on?

Again and still, I am behind the discussion...oil burner motor died..
hard to type under electric blanket.

Just wanted to say that both my children, in their teens drove my car
into something ..killed the radiator...My daughter did it first...was brought
home...no harm...felt her all over..hugging her 'til she protested....radiator
replaced.....a month later my son did it..same car....felt him all over..hugging..
'til he protested....radiator replaced. There was absolutely no anger from me
directed to them. They felt bad enough. It was just a car. BFD!

I will not believe that Fred would have caused Maura to feel worse than she did. It was an Accident..

FireCat wrote:

God, Beagle, I thought you said you were doing well and feeling really focused.
Thanks for clarifying that you didn't think Maura was doing drugs.
The bottom line is, Maura was a college student at a large, state-run University when she disappeared. Therefore, the chances are pretty good that someone she knew or even was friends with (whether Maura knew it or not) did drugs. Of any sort. Period. That's not a judgment on her. It's simply an observation of University life.
As to any sort of conspiracy regarding "alternative" enhancement drugs, I remain entirely unconvinced. And probably will, unless you can provide me with a smoking gun.

Sorry, lost my focus for a minute. I wrote that Maura ASSOCIATED with... Let me clarify further. I should have written "knowingly associated with." As in hung out with them and knew what they were doing.

That's not the same as saying she sat next to someone in class who sold steroids. Or she passed someone in the hall who sold HGH.

Smoking guns are great. They're proof, usually physical proof. They solve and therefore end the case. They're very welcome.

But there are other kinds of indications that a crime occurred. If this thread were limited to the providing of only smoking guns, there would be no posts.

In fact, most political corruption cases have no smoking gun. They rely on circumstantial evidence, on a PATTERN of behavior and events.

For example, if a paving contractor suddenly starts giving the governor a bunch of expensive gifts and then the governor suddenly starts recommending that the contractor get a bunch of state contracts, and this pattern continues over time, then that's a clear indication of bribery. It's an INDICATION (like prima facie evidence). If it's detailed and developed enough, then it might become circumstantial evidence, which is enough for a conviction.

A smoking gun is proof of a crime. I don't think it is necessary for PROOF of a crime against Maura to appear in a post on this thread. Valid or insightful observations or indications suffice. It is then LE's job to take it to the next level.

Insisting on seeing only a smoking gun - and nothing else - does not indicate a real desire to discover what happened to Maura. Poking around, ruminating, and finding other KINDS of connections can be very helpful, too.

From Boston Globe, January 9, 2003.

"Michael O'Reilly, who heads the Springfield FBI office, said UMass Police Detective Barry Flanders is essentially working full time for the Pioneer Valley Joint Terrorism Task Force. UMass-Amherst still pays Flanders's annual salary of $41,359, although O'Reilly said the federal agency pays for any overtime and incidental expenses."

**********

This is one reason - and a major reason - that Maura Murray's disappearance hasn't been solved yet.

Here's an opinion piece, about the cooperation between the FBI and UMass PD, from the The Daily Collegian at UMass, dated 2/7/2006.

PART ONE:

When the Nation magazine disclosed the presence of an FBI agent on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus last September, many students were shocked and outraged by an apparent infringement on civil liberties. After all, what possible security purpose could have been served with this mysterious agent snooping around our school?
The only problem - quickly pointed out by Uri Strauss, president of the UMass Graduate Student Senate - was that the whole story was déjà vu. That the FBI has had an established presence at UMass has been public knowledge since November 2002, when it was announced, openly, that the campus police would be working with something called the Pioneer Valley Joint Terrorism Task Force.
As part of this Task Force, an officer of the UMass police department, Det. Barry Flanders, would be reporting to the FBI office in Springfield twice a week - though the head of the Springfield FBI office told the Boston Globe (Jan. 9, 2003) that Flanders is "essentially working full time" for the Feds. While the UMPD pays his salary, Flanders reportedly answers only to the Bureau.
Naturally, then, figuring out what Flanders does to earn the $41,359 we're paying him annually is a little tricky. All we really know for sure is that one of his first acts as UMPD-FBI liaison in Oct. 2002 was to pay a surprise visit to Musaddak J. Alhabeeb, an associate professor of economics, and to interrogate him regarding a tip he had received involving the professor's allegedly "anti-American views" (Boston Globe, Nov. 24, 2002).
The five-minute interview between Alhabeeb and the police - which the Iraqi-born professor described at the time as "polite" but "uncomfortable" - sparked a firestorm of protest. Emergency panel discussions were convened; demonstrations were held protesting the FBI and the USA PATRIOT Act; the Student Government Association promised an "anti-Patriot Act" resolution; and the Western Massachusetts ACLU announced the filing of a Freedom of Information Request into the FBI's activities at UMass and at campuses around the country.

PART TWO:

Then, suddenly, the issue faded out of consciousness. So, by the time the Nation "revealed" the FBI's presence on campus last September, it was as if the whole story had started over from the beginning - except that now, Flanders, the so-called FBI agent, had gained the benefit of anonymity.
But while we might have forgotten about them, they most certainly have not forgotten about us. Flanders, who didn't respond to an e-mail requesting an interview, is still here; if you look him up on the UMass Web site's People Finder service, you'll find that his e-mail is bflander@admin.umass.edu and that his office is listed in Dickinson Hall, though who knows if he actually spends any time there.
It might seem pertinent to bring up the issue of the FBI at UMass in light of the recent developments regarding the White House's surveillance program, which uses the National Security Agency to listen in on the phone conversations of Americans suspected of communicating with foreigners who have possible involvement with terrorism. But in fact, as a cursory look at the FBI's sordid history reveals, being spied on should be the least of our worries. At the same time, those who believe that obedience to the law protects them from the state are in need of a serious reality check.
Since this is Black History Month, let's start with the FBI's record toward Martin Luther King. After giving his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963, "The Bureau's Domestic Intelligence Division concluded that this 'demagogic speech' established Dr. King as the 'most dangerous and effective Negro leader in the country.'"
I'm quoting from the Church Committee report uncovering the FBI's counterintelligence programs of the 1960s, known as COINTELPRO. Named for Sen. Frank Church of Idaho, the 1976 Congressional report describes King as "the target of an intensive campaign by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to 'neutralize' him as an effective civil rights leader. In the words of the man in charge of the FBI's 'war' against Dr. King,'No holds were barred.'"
King and other black groups who dared lift their heads in demand of some dignity bore the worst of the FBI's harassment and repression during this era. But any dissident group was fair game for COINTELPRO, whose major tactics, according to the Church Committee report, included "anonymous attempts to break up marriages, disrupt meetings, ostracize persons from their professions, and provoke target groups into rivalries that might result in deaths."
So are we really comfortable having an FBI agent on our campus, in light of that organization's history, both locally and nationally? Are we comfortable paying for our own surveillance, our own repression?
Judging from the recent lack of protest, the answer to both of these questions must be yes. But the next time an innocent member of our community is interrogated regarding their allegedly "anti-American views" - whatever that means, anyway - just don't say we didn't warn you.

FireCat wrote:

<quoted text>
No, my non-response was confirmation that I was away from my computer last night, giving a eulogy at a close friend's funeral. Sharon was the one who gave the information about the fall wedding. They were shopping for engagement rings over Christmas break. I don't know whether or not Fred knew--I've never heard one way or the other. People say that Fred didn't know. Where are they getting that from? I honestly haven't seen that. Also--maybe he *didn't* know. Maybe they were going to surprise him. Maybe Billy is old-fashioned and was going to ask his permission.
Mostly I didn't respond to you because I had other, more important things on my mind this week. I didn't see this as one of the pressing questions that needed addressing before I buried my young friend. Sorry if you felt slighted by that.

My condolences to you. However it is not about me or you. My point was this is not fact. Sharon has not stated it as fact in my readings of 4 years, Billy has not & Fred knew nothing about it. Not to mention how they were able to afford it. Maura could not afford to buy a car on her own. It is not really relevant, but when you try to pass it off as fact you weaken your credibility as a poster. I have always trusted your word. I'm not so sure now.

On a side note, I do appreciate Peabody's effort in keeping Maura's name in the forefront, however I don't agree with the spin.

We need to stick with the truth, good, bad & ugly. Answers are in Amherst.

The Pioneer Valley Joint Terrorism Task Force is out of control. This is where much of the problem is coming from, both on this thread and in the investigation itself.

This indicates how closely knit the UMass PD and the FBI really are.

To the extent that this is a real and active investigation, it is centered on and in Amherst, not Haverhill.

Beagle wrote:

<quoted text>I hear what you're saying. Big in high school is nowhere near big, usually, in college. It's just that the record(s) Maura set were, according to reports, STATE WIDE records, not local high school records. These state wide records stood for at least a few years. They may still stand for all I know.
Setting a state wide high school track record in Massachusetts should tranlate into at least some kind of track accomplishment at the UMass level.

Seems logical

I strongly believe that the UMass PD could have discovered the reason for Maura Murray's disappearance by now. It is hard to believe that UMass PD is not actively and knowingly covering up the illegal activity of one or more prominent area residents.

Shack wrote:

Again and still, I am behind the discussion...oil burner motor died..
hard to type under electric blanket.
Just wanted to say that both my children, in their teens drove my car
into something ..killed the radiator...My daughter did it first...was brought
home...no harm...felt her all over..hugging her 'til she protested....radiator
replaced.....a month later my son did it..same car....felt him all over..hugging..
'til he protested....radiator replaced. There was absolutely no anger from me
directed to them. They felt bad enough. It was just a car. BFD!
I will not believe that Fred would have caused Maura to feel worse than she did. It was an Accident..

Shack, I can certainly reiterate your stories...2 teenagers with accidents many years ago...never gave the cars a thought as long as they were alright!

The Pioneer Valley Joint Terrorism Task Force does not simply try to uncover and prevent potential acts of terror. They protect what they believe to be the national security interests by protecting the work, even the illegal work, of UMass associated researchers.

As at any large university, much of the research is done at the request of, or in conjuction with, or under contract to the Defense Department and other federal government agencies. But DoD and Homeland Security are really where the big bucks come from.

DoD has been intensely trying, despite President Bush's federal ban on support for Embryonic Stem Cell Research (ESCR), to find a new cure for just about everything, but especially DoD wants to find a way for limbs and major nerves to regenerate themselves. The same way horseshoe crabs regenerate their limbs. Thus the name Limulus.(Hint: Check out the board of directors of the Woods Hole Oceangraphic Institute.)

While Adult Stem Cell Research (ASCR) does hold out some genuine promise, and does have a lot of moral appeal, the real promise is held by the yet to be demonstrated ESCR.

But there's a hitch. ESCR is viewed by many, especially in the Catholic Church, as nothing other than abortion. And how do you tell the Catholic Church to keep quiet? Well, some might raise the specter of clergy sex abuse.

Given the fact that a couple of prominent faculty are thick as thieves with Advanced Cell Technology (first biz to clone a human embryo), a major high tech celebrity business located next to UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester, and given the fact that much of the work of these faculty are directly and heavily funded by national security and defense agencies like DoD and Homeland Security, there is a huge disincentive to solve Maura Murray's disappearance. And Molly Bish's disappearance. And some others, too.

I believe there are strong indications that Molly Bish may have been abducted by a DoD person who previously worked in Woods Hole. I don't believe she was sexually assaulted in the conventional sense. And I don't necessarily believe that Bish was the victim of a huge government conspiracy. I think there is good reason to believe that a government sponsored research program employed some individuals who, by themselves, decided to take extreme measures to achieve success. And I think this is being covered up.

DoD contractors, especially one family with distinct Amherst/Waterbury connections, are hell bent on spinning Maura Murray's disappearance as the work of a single deranged sexual predator and/or serial killer. It isn't.

The fact that this one family was literally able to control the traffic flow in both directions on Rt. 112 in Haverhill on the night of February 9, 2004 is significant.

Haverhill is important, but the big story is in Amherst... and Waterbury... and Worcester.

By the way, I think it was Limulus Productions that made the video in which Mr. and Mrs. Bish endorse the Search and Rescue group.

Limulus. Like horseshoe crabs. Like the endless numbers of horseshoe crabs supplied to Woods Hole Oceangraphic Institute for many years.

And why else would MidMark Capital be so interested in an associated facility in Woods Hole?

This is about medical research, most of which is sponsored by the Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security, and much of which is opposed by the Catholic Church and various anti-abortion groups.

So it's pretty important to realize that the leading investigator into Catholic clergy sex abuse in western Massachusetts also investigated the Bish and Murray cases and was also on the payroll of the company that has huge money invested in ESCR - the same company that was in a position to control the traffic flow on Rt 112 in Haverhill on the night of February 9, 2004.

This is the kind of white jacket crime that the Pioneer Valley Joint Terrorism Task Force allows to continue, in the name of national security.

WELL!

What are the answers, so much yada yada but no real answers. Everyone on the east coast is involved now, who's next?

If you want answers, just ask the Pionner Valley Joint Terrorism Task Force. Of course, you won't get any answers from them, and they won't provide any answers to prosecutors, either.

Meanwhile, all kinds of surprising and ethically dubious medical and scientific research continues in the good old Pioneer Valley, unfettered by something so silly as the rule of law.

Chadwick wrote:

WELL!
What are the answers, so much yada yada but no real answers. Everyone on the east coast is involved now, who's next?

A fine example of intelligent curiosity. Or maybe just plain ignorance and fear.

Chadwick wrote:

WELL!
What are the answers, so much yada yada but no real answers. Everyone on the east coast is involved now, who's next?

Did you get fired from a PD for incompetence, or for doing something illegal? Or were you paid to quit LE and lie for a living?


Even an ex-cop should retain a little sense of decency, but you have none and you dishonor those who still care.