I do think the case has always been nearly impossible to prosecute by nature. Responding officers and witnesses who don't see an actual murder are often useless.
To get an indictment, DNA evidence connecting to a dead body or an overwhelming amount of REAL circumstantial proof is needed.
For me if she is dead, I think the ex did it. At this point, my mind is going to be nearly impossible to change.
If she in found in a local house, I will humbly admit my mistake. But honestly, the only thing that makes any sense to me is the following scenario (and it's been my go-to scenario before I read anything online and had only seen "Disappeared" :
Girl, stressed and emo, drives north for some mental clarity. Possibly intoxicated. Has newly purchased booze in car.
Girl spins out on famously dangerous curve on road that evening.
Witness driving bus stops to see if she needs help, she declines and begs him not to call the police (this to me means she is not in NH alone or else she'd be stranded and denying help which is a weird combo)
Friend turns around when they notice Maura is no longer behind them.
Maura leaves in another car.
They arrive at a destination to decompress with booze taken from stranded car.
I do think it's possible friend who accompanied returns to classes for the week, leaving Maura do the philosophical thing in what was thought to be a safe place.
Family and Bill arrive to search. Bill finds her. Becomes enraged due to controlling nature. Kills her and covers his tracks. Doesn't use cell phone for several days. Which is weird to me regardless of service issues. Calls a college friend or two and acts menacing.
Accompanying friend is forever too scared to go public with anything.
Bill is said to have been in a dark place for a significant portion of the remainder of the year.
Now, I know my theory is less easy to defend and the ending sounds the most unrealistic.
It would mean this potential friend who was with her stayed silent while people began searching. That's kind of shitty TBH. Unless Maura told them to above all else. Unless they had suspicions that harm might come to her. Is this realistic?
Even though this makes the most sense to me, it still doesn't make much sense.