The Curse of Maura Murray

When Maura Murray disappeared in 2004, her story became the first big mystery of the social media age. Since then, Maura Murray has been the subject of countless articles and podcasts. And slowly her story grew into myth and misinformation became fact. For the first time, hear the story of what it was like to cover Maura Murray's case from the inside.

Presented by James Renner, author of True Crime Addict, the definitive book on the case, The Curse of Maura Murray details how the case attracted obsessive online stalkers who spread false information for years and attacked anyone who spoke up against the. It is a cautionary tale about the current state of true crime media and how journalists are attacked when they question the official narrative.

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Last refreshed: July 4th, 2025 at 8:21 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

Episode 3: What the UMass Amherst police records reveal about Maura Murray

The UMass Amherst police department released their records on the investigation into the disappearance of Maura Murray. This episode looks into what the documents reveal, including motives for her disappearance, more information about the mysterious party on campus, and the story of how her ID may have been found in a junk yard. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 30, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Episode 2: The Fingerprint

Exclusive: NH police found a fingerprint in Maura Murray's car that matches to former West Point cadet, Steffen Finkelstein (aka Steffen Baldwin). Steffen was recently sentenced to 15 years in prison on unrelated charges in Ohio. He left West Point within a week of when Maura Murray left the academy and changed his name eight months after she went missing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 29, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Episode 1: What Happened Behind the Scenes

After publishing his book on Maura Murray's disappearance, James Renner became the target of relentless online harassment by individuals closely associated with Murray's family. This episode exposes the coordinated efforts of these trolls, including one with a disturbing criminal history and another who orchestrated fake tips. Renner also details the disturbing pattern of abuse from Maura's former boyfriend, Bill Rausch, and how the harassment escalated to include the physical stalking of his family, ultimately leading him to sever ties with Julie Murray.

May 20, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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