Families And Friends Of New Hampshire Cold Cases Call For Answers, Transparency, Reforms

CONCORD, NH — Families and friends of Granite Staters and others who have gone missing or been murdered in the state are calling for reforms at and improvement in communication by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.

Activists, under the name of NH Coalition of the Families of the Missing and Murdered, said there had been a stagnation in investigations and communication gaps between officials and families who want answers and justice.

The rally will be held at 33 Capitol St. at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

The organization includes the family and friends of Trish Haynes, a woman whose body was found inside a washing machine in a Grafton pond in September 2018. The family has hosted annual rallies and gatherings in Concord to keep attention on the unsolved case.

“The weight of our anguish grows heavier with each passing day, as the hands of time struggle to catch up with justice,” the family of Haynes said. “Five years of waiting, five years of longing for answers, five years of unrelenting pain. Yet, we remain united, resilient, and unwavering in our pursuit for truth.”

Organizers’ goals include raising awareness about the cases; reforming the victim advocacy program; improving communication between investigators and family members; and securing justice for the victims.

Julie Murray, the older sister of Maura Murray, a U-Mass/Amherst student who went missing in the North Country in February 2004, said the family had been waiting for nearly 20 years without any answers or closure.

“My family has encountered roadblock after roadblock in our dealings with public officials,” she said. “This lack of transparency and communication from New Hampshire makes the ambiguity of the tragic situation all the more unbearable. We are frustrated and we demand action.”

On Monday, Michael Garrity, the public information officer for the AG’s Office, said officials knew each homicide case was connected to real people and families who love and miss their relatives. He said they supported the gathering, calling it “something positive” for families to bring awareness to the cases.

“We are respectfully listening, continuing to actively engage privately, and are offering our assurance that attention is truly being given to these cases,” he said. “The attorney general remains ready and willing to have one-on-one or small group conversations with impacted loved ones.”

Garrity said the department had many successes — including solving more than 90 percent of the state’s homicide cases last year. Nationally, the average is around 54 percent. The 10-year homicide clearance rate in New Hampshire is nearly 89 percent, Garrity said.

“Over the same period,” he said, “our Cold Case Unit has been utilizing national best practices, the latest investigative techniques, as well as scientific advancements to make numerous public-facing strides, particularly by leveraging DNA.”

Some of the cases solved include the Laura Kempton from September 1981 in Portsmouth, Katherine Ann Alston, who was found murdered in Bedford in October 1971, the Robert McMillian killing from December 2005, which Richard Ellison was tried and convicted of, the Arelene Clevesy murder from Newton in 1972, and an indictment of Michael Lewis for the 1984 murder of Brian Watson, whose body was found in Manchester. The department also opened an investigation into the January 1968 disappearance of Janis Taylor from Concord.

Garrity said the Cold Case Unit had tapped into a $1.5 million grant for DNA testing improvements at the state lab and had made new hires in the department.

Anyone who cannot attend the event or is interested in more information can email NHunsolved@amail.com.

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