New podcast 'Media Pressure' focuses on missing woman Maura Murray, as told by her sister

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TThe story of Maura Murray's mysterious disappearance has been told countless times in the 20 years since she went missing, but now her sister is telling it in her own words.

with new podcast media pressureJulie Murray teams up with Sarah Turney, whose sister Alyssa is also missing, to tell Maura's untold story through the voices of those who knew her best.

Maura, a nursing student at the University of Massachusetts, was just 21 years old when she went missing on February 9, 2004 in New Hampshire.

Her family has never given up on their mission to find Maura and hopes their new podcast will lead to answers and a resolution to her case.

Murray said: independent person The podcast is unique in that it gives families a chance to tell their stories, something she said is missing from the true crime world.

“I relied on other people to get Maura's story out there, but I had no control over how they portrayed it,” Murray said. “And it's hard. Hearing a stranger tell you details about your sister or family you've never met. So being able to tell the story in your own words gives you the feeling that you were missing. It gave me a sense of control.”

Murray said she always comes back to the same question.

“Whose story should we be telling in the first place? Maura isn't here. She doesn't have a voice. So who better to tell it than me and my family? We has to be her voice.”

The new podcast, launched Monday, is part of the Voices for Justice network created by Sarah Turney years after her sister's disappearance in 2001, where she investigates the case and posts regular updates on TikTok. posted and received millions of views.

In 2020, her father, Michael Turney, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder in the case, but the charges were dropped as of July 2023. Alyssa's body has not yet been found.

“It was so healing to finally get it all out there, get it clear in my head, and be able to tell the story in my own words from beginning to end,” she said of Alyssa's story. Ta.

“There's something really beautiful about it, and of course it's sad, but at the same time this cathartic experience is what I really wanted to share with others.”

The podcast moved on to supporting the families of other missing persons, and eventually an idea for a new podcast focused on pressuring people who might know something to come forward. It gave me a spur of the moment.

And what makes it unique? media pressure The podcast features a different incident each season, narrated by someone close to the story.

Turney said: independent person “The overall goal of the network Voices for Justice Media is to carve out space for families like mine and Julie's… It's time to give true crime space.”

She has done the same by begging for media pressure, drawing attention to her loved one's case, traveling to events like Crimecon to spread the word, and doing countless interviews. He explained that there are many families who have gone through this.

“In real crime, we're used to being interviewed, but this is something we're not used to seeing,” Turney said. “And we had the story cut and edited to fit the algorithm.” Ta. “At some point, when do you start creating your own content?”

first season media pressure focuses solely on Maura's case with exclusive interviews, an in-depth look at the investigation, and an exploration of the impact on those left behind.

She said Maura's case was “surrounded by so many theories and misinformation on the internet that it was almost like we were being silenced.”

“It was very intentional to have her in the first season,” she added.

Maura's sister said: independent person The idea of ​​a podcast seemed overwhelming, but Turney said she wanted to find something within herself to be Maura's advocate after seeing what she had done in her sister's case. Eventually, she too found her solace.

“It was very healing to be able to sit down with the family and talk about these intricate details,” Murray said. “It wasn't easy and it obviously hurt, but I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when it was over.” OK, we did it, we talked the talk, we did it right at Maura's place. That means a lot to families like mine. ”

She said this is a platform not only for herself but also for those close to the story.

“Someone said to me, 'You're the only person I trust, you're the only person I can talk to,'” Murray said, adding that these people were working hard behind the scenes of Maura's case. He added that there is.

“So we're giving these people a platform to share what they know as well.”

Her hope is that retelling Maura's story through a trusted voice will lead to new hints and clues in the case.

“One listener may hold the key to solving this mystery,” she says.

At this time, Maura's case is considered an unsolved suspicious missing person case. She was last seen on February 9, 2004.

Investigators say she told professors there had been a death in the family, which was not true, and instead packed her belongings, withdrew money from her bank account and drove her 1996 Saturn north from Massachusetts to New Hampshire. It is said that he drove.

Maura crashed her car in Woodsville, New Hampshire, and was found by a neighbor who called police. However, she was not there when police arrived.

The family said a bus driver named Butch Atwood drove by and spoke to Maura. He offered her help and asked her if he should call the police, but she rejected both offers and said she had already called AAA.

Her interaction with the bus driver is the last known sighting of Maura. There is no activity on her phone or bank account.

Searches have been carried out across the region in recent years, but there are still no answers as to where Maura is.

In the past, relations between her family and law enforcement have been strained, and they have continued to seek answers with little success.

But Murray said her working relationship with officials was much better and that they were far more empathetic.

On Friday, the 20th anniversary of Maura's disappearance, the Murray family will hold a candlelight vigil at Mountain Lakes Lodge in Woodsville, New Hampshire.

And for the first time in 20 years, an assistant attorney general and the head of the New Hampshire Cold Case Division will be present, Murray said.

“This is a huge step forward,” she said. “I want to show the public that we can build working relationships with the people who are responsible for bringing cases to resolution. I'm happy with the way this trend is going.”

The podcast will also be available on the family's website, along with newly released photos, documents and other files.

Media Pressure Season 1: The untold story of Maura Murraylaunched on Apple Podcasts on February 9th. His first two episodes are currently available for viewing.