“We remain as dedicated to this case now as we were when Brianna disappeared,” said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police.
A reward of $40,000 is being offered for information leading to the recovery of Brianna Maitland, the FBI announced.
Maitland was last seen leaving her place of work at The Black Lantern Inn in Montgomery, Vermont, on March 19, 2004. She left in her 1985 Oldsmobile 88, which was later found backed into the side of an abandoned barn around a mile from the restaurant.
Authorities first believed that Brianna, who was 17 years old at the time, had run away but later determined that she might have been a victim of foul play.
“Someone out there may have information that can help solve this case. It’s been too long, and it’s time to come forward,” said Craig Tremaroli, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albany Field Office. “No tip is too small. Together with our partners from Vermont State Police, we will work to cover every lead until we bring Brianna home.”
In 2022, Vermont State Police announced they identified an “item of interest” near where Maitland’s car was found. The DNA obtained from the item was entered into an FBI database and compared to 11 persons of interest, though no match was identified.
A lab sample taken from the item found near her vehicle that was sent to Texas matched the DNA provided by a donor candidate, but police were unable to determine a suspect, CBS News reported.
“There have been multiple leads followed up on throughout the years, but none have been able to locate Brianna,” Vermont State Police said.
Authorities hope that the reward money now being offered will help lead to answers in the 20-year-old investigation.
Maitland would be 37 years old today. In 2023, her father, Bruce, wrote to a Facebook page, "As yet another March 19th approaches, I ask for your prayers for Bri to be found."
“We remain as dedicated to this case now as we were when Brianna disappeared,” said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police. “This is not a cold case, but it is an unsolved one.”
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call either the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or the Vermont State Police at 1-844-848-8477.
