More than 20 years have passed since 17-year-old Brianna Maitland disappeared in Vermont. She was last seen on the night of March 19, 2004, and has never been found. Her case remains one of the most mysterious missing person cases in the state’s history. Even after decades of searching, there are still no clear answers. Instead, strange clues and unanswered questions surround her disappearance making it feel like a puzzle that no one has been able to solve.
The Last Night Brianna Was Seen
Brianna was a high school student living in Montgomery, Vermont. On the night of her disappearance, she had just finished a shift as a dishwasher at the Black Lantern Inn, a small restaurant in town. According to the FBI, her coworkers offered to have dinner with her, but she politely turned them down. She said she had to get home early to prepare for a second job the next day.
She left the inn alone in her green 1985 Oldsmobile 88, that was the last time anyone reported seeing her.
The next day, something strange happened. On March 20, 2004, a state trooper came across Brianna’s car. It had been backed into an old abandoned farmhouse on Route 118 in Richford, just a mile from where she worked. The rear bumper was pushed into the building’s foundation and the back tires were lifted off the ground. A broken piece of plywood from a window was lying on the car’s trunk.
Even more odd was what was inside: the car was unlocked. Her two paychecks were still there along with her ATM card, migraine medicine and contact lenses. But the keys were gone. Thinking it might be a drunk driver who had left the scene, the trooper had the car towed, without knowing whose it was.
Delays and Miscommunication
Brianna was not reported missing right away. She had been living with a friend at the time. That friend found a note saying Brianna would be back after work so she didn’t worry. Days passed. Finally, on March 23, Brianna’s parents were called. Her mother Kellie Maitland was alarmed. That same day the family filed a missing persons report.
But the car’s discovery didn’t come up right away. It wasn’t until March 25 that police showed the family a picture of the abandoned car. Kellie had a strong emotional reaction, she later said the image made her feel “instinctively revulsed” and she believed the car had been staged to mislead investigators.
At first, police thought Brianna may have run away. But as more information came in, their view changed. “We suspect Brianna was the victim of foul play,” said Major Glenn Hall of the Vermont State Police, as reported by Fox News.
Clues and Witnesses
In the weeks after Brianna vanished several tips came in. Some people said she had been held in a house by drug dealers she may have known. But no solid evidence was found. Police searched the old farmhouse and the area around it using dogs and search teams but nothing led them to Brianna.
Several drivers later said they saw Brianna’s car that night. One man passed by between 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. He noticed the headlights might have been on but saw no one nearby. Another person said they saw a turn signal blinking around midnight.
Private investigator Lou Barry, who worked on the case shared that one couple reported seeing a tall heavyset man standing in front of the car’s headlights. Later, they saw a silver or grey Honda Civic speed up and then suddenly brake at the scene.
Around 4:00 a.m. on March 20, Brianna’s ex-boyfriend drove past the house. He had just returned from Canada. He recognized her car but again no one was in sight, according to Wikipedia.
There was also a past incident that added more tension to the case. Just three weeks earlier, Brianna had gotten into a fight with a former friend named Keallie Lacross. The reason wasn’t fully clear but her father believed it may have involved jealousy. Brianna pressed charges after the fight but those charges were dropped shortly after she disappeared. Later on, police said Lacross was not connected to the case.
New Technology, New Hope
Even after all this time, investigators haven’t given up. They say the case is still open. On the 12th anniversary of her disappearance in 2016 the Vermont State Police announced they had recovered DNA evidence from inside Brianna’s car. They didn’t say what the results showed but it gave the investigation a new path.
Then in 2020, police teamed up with a private lab called Othram. This lab uses advanced DNA methods known as Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®. Their goal was to use genealogy—tracing family trees—to find out who the DNA belonged to.
By 2022, this new DNA testing had paid off. Investigators said they had found a DNA profile from an “item of interest” near the car. According to CBS News, it matched a person whose DNA had been collected later during the investigation. That was a big moment.
Still police were careful not to jump to conclusions. Detective Sgt. Angela Baker, who leads the case said, “It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean we have identified a suspect. We are continuing our active efforts to investigate every lead associated with this case and we constantly look for new technological advances to aid in our investigation.”
A Reward and a Plea for Help
On the 20th anniversary of Brianna’s disappearance, the FBI announced a new reward. On March 19, 2024, they offered up to $40,000 for any information that could help find her. Craig Tremaroli from the FBI’s Albany Field Office made a public plea: “Someone out there may have information that can help solve this case. It’s been too long and it’s time to come forward. No tip is too small.”
The Vermont State Police also made a statement. “We remain as dedicated to this case now as we were when Brianna disappeared,” said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham as quoted by AP News. “This is not a cold case but it is an unsolved one — and we’re hoping the announcement of a significant financial reward for information will help change that.”
Today, Brianna Maitland is still missing. The car she left in, the scattered items inside and the DNA clues all leave more questions than answers. Her family continues to hope for the truth and police continue their search. Though time has passed, the effort to find her hasn’t faded. And maybe, just maybe, someone out there knows something that could finally bring her home.
