Tonight's episode of The Disappearance of Maura Murray poses a very difficult and personal question to Fred Murray - did he have an inappropriate relationship w his daughter?
Nowhere in my book does it say he did.
However, it has been implied on the Internet messageboards - people questioning why he was visiting Maura at Umass, why she was going to his room, etc. I have tried to be diligent on this website about deleting these comments but it was difficult to keep up with that task sometimes (in part, it's why I shut down comments to this site).
When interviewing friends and family members, allegations did come up about his relationship with Kathleen and Maura. As a journalist, it was due diligence to pose these questions to Fred. Since he never responded to messages, I did not include specifics in the book.
There were two sources related to this allegation. The main source is Tim Carpenter, Kathleen's boyfriend at the time of the disappearance. He grew up next to the Murrays and knew the family well. Was he lying? If he was lying, what motive did he have to lie to me - a grudge against his ex-wife? Against Fred, himself? I don't know, which is why I haven't been explicit about this, but tonight's episode causes me to show my hand.
After Kathleen's interview last week, I have taken another hard look at Tim. His daughter says he was in Hanover the night Maura disappeared. What we do know is that he and Kathleen helped Fred pack up Maura's dorm after the disappearance and all that evidence - including her computer - went to Tim's house until the police asked for it years later.
And a few years ago, Tim was arrested and charged with a sex assault - but the charges were later dropped after the witness recanted.
I tried to follow up with Tim last year (and the production probably did, too). I was told Tim suffered a stroke and his brain was damaged, that he doesn't recall much and can't communicate well.
This is dirty laundry and makes me very uncomfortable. This is the stuff best left to police detectives and not internet sleuths. I've talked before about my own grandfather, and how he was serial rapist who preyed on children. I wrote about him, exposed his crimes, in the book and online shortly before he died of cancer. This shit is hard to talk about even when it does happen. And we have no proof this happened, here.
I've said before, there is no happy ending in this case. Either Maura had serious reasons to leave (and she should remain hidden) or someone murdered her. My writing of True Crime Addict was a way for me to show how unhealthy our obsessions can become, and it was the beginning of my journey away from these cases and into a better life.
So, be mad, be sad. Be confused. It's an existential world. I wish there were answers. I hope the Murrays find closure. Peace.
Nowhere in my book does it say he did.
However, it has been implied on the Internet messageboards - people questioning why he was visiting Maura at Umass, why she was going to his room, etc. I have tried to be diligent on this website about deleting these comments but it was difficult to keep up with that task sometimes (in part, it's why I shut down comments to this site).
When interviewing friends and family members, allegations did come up about his relationship with Kathleen and Maura. As a journalist, it was due diligence to pose these questions to Fred. Since he never responded to messages, I did not include specifics in the book.
There were two sources related to this allegation. The main source is Tim Carpenter, Kathleen's boyfriend at the time of the disappearance. He grew up next to the Murrays and knew the family well. Was he lying? If he was lying, what motive did he have to lie to me - a grudge against his ex-wife? Against Fred, himself? I don't know, which is why I haven't been explicit about this, but tonight's episode causes me to show my hand.
After Kathleen's interview last week, I have taken another hard look at Tim. His daughter says he was in Hanover the night Maura disappeared. What we do know is that he and Kathleen helped Fred pack up Maura's dorm after the disappearance and all that evidence - including her computer - went to Tim's house until the police asked for it years later.
And a few years ago, Tim was arrested and charged with a sex assault - but the charges were later dropped after the witness recanted.
I tried to follow up with Tim last year (and the production probably did, too). I was told Tim suffered a stroke and his brain was damaged, that he doesn't recall much and can't communicate well.
This is dirty laundry and makes me very uncomfortable. This is the stuff best left to police detectives and not internet sleuths. I've talked before about my own grandfather, and how he was serial rapist who preyed on children. I wrote about him, exposed his crimes, in the book and online shortly before he died of cancer. This shit is hard to talk about even when it does happen. And we have no proof this happened, here.
I've said before, there is no happy ending in this case. Either Maura had serious reasons to leave (and she should remain hidden) or someone murdered her. My writing of True Crime Addict was a way for me to show how unhealthy our obsessions can become, and it was the beginning of my journey away from these cases and into a better life.
So, be mad, be sad. Be confused. It's an existential world. I wish there were answers. I hope the Murrays find closure. Peace.