The Brianna Maitland case: a 17-year-old who left work at 11:20 p.m., and a car backed into an abandoned barn a mile away.
On March 19, 2004, Brianna Maitland, 17, passed her GED exam, then worked her shift at the Black Lantern Inn in Montgomery, Vermont. She left alone around 11:20 p.m. in her mother's green 1985 Oldsmobile. Police found the car the next day, backed into an abandoned barn about a mile away. She has never been found. This is a missing-person case, and no one has been charged.
Case file at a glance
Brianna took her GED exam on the day she vanished. Her ATM card, glasses, contact lens case, and migraine medication were in the car, and two uncashed paychecks lay on the front seat. A 2007 FBI flyer said the scene may have been staged. DNA found at the scene was matched in 2022 to someone previously tested who was cooperative, and it led to no suspect. Vermont State Police say the case is active.
- Left work alone.She clocked out of the Black Lantern Inn around 11:20 p.m. and drove away in her mother's green 1985 Oldsmobile 88.
- The car, a mile away.It was found the next day backed into the side of an abandoned barn, with a hole punched in the wall.
- Belongings left behind.Her ATM card, glasses, contact lens case, driver's license, and migraine medication were in or near the car. Two uncashed paychecks were on the front seat.
- Not a cold case.Col. Matthew Birmingham said in 2024: "This is not a cold case, it's an unsolved case."
Editorial assessment of public sources, not a finding of fact. Nobody named here has been charged unless this page says so.
What happened
Details come from the FBI's page, VTDigger (March 19, 2024), Wikipedia, the Charley Project, and WCAX (2025 and 2026). Sources differ on some details, such as whether the building was a barn or a house.
Born
Brianna Alexandra Maitland is born in Burlington, Vermont, and raised on a family farm in East Franklin, near the Canadian border.
On her own
She has dropped out of high school, moved in with a friend in Sheldon, and enrolled in a GED program. She works at the Black Lantern Inn and at a restaurant in St. Albans.
An attack at a party
Wikipedia reports that a former friend attacked her at a party. She filed charges, which were dropped after she disappeared. We do not name the person.
GED exam
Brianna takes and passes her GED exam, then has lunch with her mother. Her mother drops her at a friend's home around 3:30 to 4 p.m., the last time her mother sees her.
Leaves work
She finishes her shift at the Black Lantern Inn, declines a coworkers' dinner invitation because she is tired and has an early shift, and leaves alone in her mother's green 1985 Oldsmobile.
The car is found
A trooper finds the Oldsmobile backed into the side of an abandoned building near East Berkshire Road and Route 118, about a mile from the inn. It has punched a hole in the wall. Nobody has reported her missing, so police assume a drunk driver abandoned it.
Reported missing
Her friend calls her parents on March 23 and learns she is not there. Her mother reports her missing, and identifies the car from a photo on March 25.
The car is processed
The state crime lab processes the car. Her ATM card, glasses, contact lens case and migraine medication are inside.
A house raid
After an anonymous tip that she was in a rented house in Berkshire, police raid it, find drugs but no sign of her, and arrest an occupant on drug charges. We do not name him.
An uncorroborated statement
Police receive an anonymous signed statement alleging that the occupant killed her and hid her body. Investigators could not corroborate it.
Atlantic City footage
Casino security video shows a woman resembling Brianna at a poker table. She is never identified. Vermont State Police later say no recent sightings have been reported.
An FBI flyer
An FBI flyer says the scene may have been staged to look like an accident.
A serial killer ruled out
The FBI rules out Israel Keyes, a serial killer who was active in Vermont, as a suspect.
DNA and a fire
Investigators say they recovered DNA from the car and do not release results. In July 2016 the abandoned house burns down.
The DNA is matched
State police say the DNA from an item at the scene matched one of eleven people previously tested, who was cooperative. The sample was also sent to a genealogy lab. It did not lead to a suspect.
$40,000 reward
On the 20th anniversary, the FBI and Vermont State Police announce a reward of up to $40,000 for information leading to her recovery.
Still missing
WCAX reports she remains missing at 21 and 22 years. We found no new development.
Victims
A 17-year-old working toward her GED, described as having left her glasses and medication behind.
Photo: FBI Seeking Information page. The photo's original owner is not stated; shown at the site owner's direction. Contact us to have it removed.
MissingBrianna Maitland, 17
Born Oct 8, 1986. About 5 feet 4 inches and 105 pounds, with brown hair, hazel eyes, a scar by her left eyebrow, and a pierced left nostril, per the FBI. She passed her GED exam on the day she disappeared.
We found no freely licensed photo, so a silhouette is shown. Family members or others who want a photo added, changed, or removed can use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Evidence
What exists, and what each piece may or may not mean.
| Item | What is known | Disputed or unknown |
|---|---|---|
| The car | A green 1985 Oldsmobile 88 registered to her mother, backed into an abandoned barn about a mile from the inn. | The FBI said in 2007 the scene may have been staged. Whether the damage was staged: unproven. |
| Belongings | ATM card, glasses, contact lens case, license, medication, and two uncashed paychecks were left behind. | Whether she took anything: unknown. |
| DNA | Recovered at the scene and matched in 2022 to one of eleven people previously tested, who was cooperative. | It led to no suspect. The donor is not named. |
| Witnesses | Several people reported seeing the car at the building that night, including its headlights and a flashing turn signal. | A 2025 account by a private investigator of a tall, stocky man and a silver Honda Civic is unverified. |
| The Atlantic City video | A woman resembling her at a poker table in Feb 2006. | Never identified; police say no recent sightings. |
Public documents
The FBI page, local news, and reference pages are the public record. The Vermont State Police case file is not public.
| Document | Holder | What it shows | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| FBI: Brianna Maitland | FBI | Reward, description, tip lines, photos and an age-progressed image. | Online, free |
| VTDigger (March 2024) | VTDigger | Timeline and police statements. | Online, free |
| Charley Project | Charley Project | Description and circumstances. | Online, free |
| 2004 charges against a former friend (dropped) | Franklin County court | Reported by Wikipedia; we did not see the record. | Request needed |
| Vermont State Police case file and DNA reports | Vermont State Police; Vermont Forensic Laboratory | The investigation. | Withheld or sealed |
Access labels: Online, free = we could open it. Fan-hosted copy = a private researcher posted scans; originals are held by the named agency, and we cannot vouch for completeness. Quoted in news = reporters read it; we did not see the document itself. Request needed = held by an agency or court. Withheld = the holder has not released it. We cannot reach non-public records, and we do not try to.
Online discussion (unverified)
Where people talk about this case online, and how to read it.
| Platform | Live search | What you tend to find |
|---|---|---|
| Google: Reddit | site:reddit.com search | Public Reddit threads that Google has indexed, including old discussions. |
| Google: X and Twitter | X and Twitter posts | Public posts and profiles that appear in search results. |
| Google: Facebook | Public Facebook pages and posts | Only public pages and groups that Google can see. Private groups never appear. |
| Google: Instagram and TikTok | Instagram and TikTok | Public posts, memorials, and videos. |
| Google: forums | Forums and message boards | Long-running true-crime forums. |
| Google News | Latest news | Newest reporting, which is usually more reliable than posts. |
| Search Reddit | Long discussion threads and theories, often by amateur researchers. No sign-in needed to read. | |
| X (Twitter) | Search X | Short posts, news links, and anniversary notes. May require sign-in. |
| Search Facebook | Public groups and family or community pages. Requires sign-in. | |
| Search #briannamaitland | Memorial and true-crime posts. Requires sign-in. | |
| YouTube | Search YouTube | Documentaries, news clips, and interviews. Quality varies widely. |
Be careful with online theories. Naming a private person as a suspect can harm an innocent family, and many "identifications" on forums have been wrong. Our own tools could not read these platforms: Reddit blocks automated access, and the others require an account. The Google searches above work from your browser. To get new public mentions by email, make a free Google Alert for the case name in quotation marks.
Coverage timeline and verification
What local and national reports say, and when we last checked for a solution.
| Date | Outlet | What it reported | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current | |||
| FBI | |||
| Reward up to $40,000. | |||
| Read | |||
| March 19, 2024 | |||
| VTDigger | |||
| Twenty years on; $40,000 reward; 2022 DNA match. | |||
| Read | |||
| March 19, 2025 | |||
| WCAX | |||
| Marks 21 years. | |||
| Read | |||
| March 19, 2026 | |||
| WCAX | |||
| Marks 22 years; still missing. | |||
| Read |
Status is re-checked on a regular schedule. If you know of a development we missed, use the clue form near the top of this page or the contact form, and include a link.
Suspects
Police have named no suspect.
An occupant of the Berkshire house
Why named: An anonymous tip placed her at the house, police raided it, and a late-2004 anonymous statement alleged this person killed her.
Against: Police found no sign of her at the house and could not corroborate the statement. He was arrested only on drug charges.
The 2022 DNA match
Why named: DNA at the scene matched one of eleven people previously tested.
Against: Police described the person as cooperative and said the match led to no suspect.
Israel Keyes (d. 2012)
Why named: A serial killer who was active in Vermont. Investigators looked at a possible link in 2012.
Against: The FBI ruled him out in Dec 2012.
A man seen near the car
Why named: A 2025 account by the family's private investigator described a tall, stocky man in front of the headlights and a silver Honda Civic.
Against: Unverified. No identification.
Where a card shows a silhouette, we found no photo. Anyone who wants a photo added, changed, or removed can use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Latest lead: the DNA, the reward and the 2025 witness account
The newest public developments are the 2022 DNA match, the 2024 reward, and a 2025 private-investigator account.
What is known
- Vermont State Police say the case is not cold and remains active.
- The 2022 DNA match led to no suspect.
- The FBI offers up to $40,000 for information leading to her recovery.
What would settle it
- Run all case DNA through forensic genetic genealogy if not already done.
- Identify the silver car and the tall man reported in 2025, if the witnesses are credible.
- Re-interview the eleven people tested in 2022 and everyone at the party attack.
An abduction or killing near the barn, with the scene arranged afterward
We put the chance that foul play was involved at roughly 90%, because she left her glasses, lenses, medication and paychecks. We put the chance that the car was positioned deliberately at roughly 60%, matching the FBI's 2007 comment. We put the chance of a resolution within five years at roughly 12%.
Editorial judgment, not statistics.
Elimination matrix
"—" means no public information, not a clean result.
| Person or idea | Link to the car | Physical link | Legal outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire house occupant (unnamed) | ? tipped, unconfirmed | — none published | ? drug arrest only |
| 2022 DNA donor (unnamed) | ? matched a sample | ? cooperative | — no suspect |
| Israel Keyes | ✗ ruled out | — | ✗ ruled out Dec 2012 |
| She left voluntarily | ✗ items left behind | — | — |
✗ excluded or contradicted · ✓ supports · ? disputed · — nothing public. No cell is an official finding.
Our hypothesis
Editorial reading of public records. A working theory, not a finding, and it names no individual.
A taking at or near the barn, with the scene staged
- She left everything she needed. Glasses, lens case, medication, wallet items.
- The car did not stop where it should. It was backed into a barn a mile away.
- The scene looks arranged. The FBI said so in 2007.
- Someone local may know. It was a small community.
Judgment, not statistics.
Missing links
Questions raised by gaps in the public record.
1. The night
Who was near the barn between 11:20 p.m. and dawn.
2. The DNA
Whether new technology produces a different or additional profile.
3. The people tested
What the other ten of the eleven were asked.
4. The party attack
Whether the earlier fight is connected.
5. The Atlantic City video
Whether the woman can be identified.
6. The barn
Anything recovered before the house burned in 2016.
Evidence gaps
"Not public" means we could not find a report.
| Item | Tested | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Car evidence | Processed March 30, 2004. | Full results: not public. |
| DNA | Recovered 2016; matched 2022. | Genealogy results: not public. |
| Tip files | Many leads over 20 years. | Not public. |
| Police file | Vermont State Police. | Public index: not available. |
Forensic tech
| Tool | What it could do | Status here |
|---|---|---|
| DNA from retained evidence | Identify a donor or exclude people. | Unknown; not reported |
| Forensic genetic genealogy | Identify an unknown donor from relatives. | Needs usable DNA; none reported |
| Ballistics database (NIBIN) | Link recovered casings or bullets to other crimes. | Not reported |
Solved cases
Local cases that moved after decades.
Carol Sue Klaber (Boone County, KY, 1976)
Investigators say a private genealogy investigation helped them identify Thomas Dunaway, who died in 1990, as the man who killed the 16-year-old. He cannot be indicted, so prosecutors sent a letter saying he would have been charged. The lesson: genealogy can name a killer after decades, even when no trial is possible.
Forensic genetic genealogy training
In 2024, local investigators were being trained in the technique, which has already helped solve Cincinnati-area cases, according to FOX19. The lesson: the tool is now local, so cases with usable DNA have a real path forward.
Golden State Killer
Old crime-scene DNA matched relatives in a public database and led to a 2018 arrest. The lesson: a usable sample can still work after decades.
Case details come from public news coverage and the Boone County Sheriff's cold-case list. Confirm in court records.
False leads
| Claim | Source and date | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|
| Linked to Maura Murray | Online speculation | Police found no link despite the nearby timing. |
| Israel Keyes took her | Theories | The FBI ruled him out in 2012. |
| The barn was a house | Wikipedia says a house; the FBI says a barn | Sources differ on what the building was. |
| Held at a drug house | A 2004 tip | Police raided the house and found no sign of her. |
Where
The Black Lantern Inn is in Montgomery, Franklin County, northern Vermont, near the Canadian border. The car was found about a mile away near Route 118 and East Berkshire Road.
Open in maps: Montgomery, Vermont. We show no photograph of the scene.
Source ratings
| Source | Type | Rating | Use with care because |
|---|---|---|---|
| FBI Seeking Information page | Federal agency | A | Reward, description, tip lines; photo. |
| VTDigger, March 19, 2024 | Local news | B+ | Quotes the police; opened. |
| Wikipedia: Disappearance of Brianna Maitland | Encyclopedia | B | Detailed. Names private people we do not repeat. |
| Charley Project | Volunteer database | B | Description and circumstances. |
| WCAX, March 2025 and 2026 | Local news | B | Short anniversary stories; no new facts. |
| Podcasts, Substack and blogs | Media | D | Unverified claims. We did not rely on them. |
Records
Vermont State Police
Lead agency. Tip line: 1-844-84-VTIPS (FBI page). The Charley Project lists 802-524-5993; please confirm before calling.
FBI Albany Field Office
Tips: 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov. Funds the reward.
Franklin County State's Attorney
Charging decisions.
Sample public-records request
Under the Vermont Public Records Act (1 V.S.A. 315 et seq.), I request copies of non-exempt records relating to the March 19, 2004 disappearance of Brianna Maitland from Montgomery, Vermont, including incident reports, laboratory reports, and any evidence inventory. Please send electronic copies. If any part is withheld, please identify the exemption relied on and release all reasonably segregable material.
Agencies often withhold records of open investigations, so expect partial answers.
Remembering the victims
Brianna was 17. Her family has run a reward site, searched for her, and supported a nonprofit that helps other families hire investigators.
News & databases
In the news
Loading headlines…
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Where they disagree, we say so above.
- Brianna Maitland, FBI Seeking Information (reward up to $40,000, description, tip lines; photo).
- 20 years after Brianna Maitland's disappearance, investigators hope reward money will bring new clues, VTDigger, March 19, 2024.
- Disappearance of Brianna Maitland, Wikipedia (timeline, DNA, 2012 and 2022 developments).
- Brianna Alexandria Maitland, Charley Project (description, circumstances).
- Maitland cold case marks 21 years, WCAX, March 19, 2025.
- This Day in History: Vt. teen goes missing, WCAX, March 19, 2026.
- FBI Albany, Vermont State Police announce $40,000 reward, FBI Albany (seen in search results; could not be opened).
Sources differ: Wikipedia calls the building a house in Richford; the FBI and Charley Project call it an abandoned barn. We do not name the private individuals named in Wikipedia. The 2025 witness account is from a private investigator and is unverified. Phone numbers are as published. We found no development after March 2026.
Change log
- Oct 8, 2026: File published.