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The Disappearance of Brianna Maitland

● Active Investigation — Foul Play Suspected Missing Person Montgomery, Vermont $40,000 FBI Reward
Missing Person
Brianna Alexandra Maitland
Date Missing
March 19, 2004
Last Seen
Black Lantern Inn, Montgomery, VT
Age at Disappearance
17 Years Old
Hair / Eyes
Brown / Brown
Foul Play
Confirmed by Law Enforcement
Reward
$40,000 — FBI & Vermont State Police
Case Status
Active — No Arrest
The Missing

Brianna Alexandra Maitland

Brianna Maitland — Age 17
Full Name Brianna Alexandra Maitland
Date of Birth October 8, 1986
Age — Missing 17 (would be 38 today)
Date Missing March 19, 2004
Last Seen Black Lantern Inn, Montgomery, VT
Hair / Eyes Brown / Brown
Parents Bruce & Kellie Maitland
NamUs MP2030

Brianna Alexandra Maitland was born on October 8, 1986, in Burlington, Vermont, to Bruce and Kellie Maitland. She grew up with her older brother on their family's farm in East Franklin, Vermont, near the Canadian border. She was described by her father as well-rounded, well-liked, and spirited. In her youth she trained extensively in jiu-jitsu. She and her father talked about college.

On her seventeenth birthday in October 2003, Brianna decided she wanted more independence. She moved out of her parents' home to be closer to a group of friends, moving between several households before settling with her childhood friend Jillian Stout in Sheldon, Vermont. She was working two jobs: dishwasher at the Black Lantern Inn in Montgomery and a second position at a diner in St. Albans. She had recently enrolled in a GED program.

On the morning of March 19, 2004, Brianna spent time with her mother, Kellie. The two had breakfast together, then went to the Community College of Vermont where Brianna sat her final GED math exam. She passed. They spent the afternoon shopping. By all accounts she was in good spirits. That evening she went to her shift at the Black Lantern Inn. At approximately 11:20 p.m., a co-worker watched her get into her green 1985 Oldsmobile 88 and leave the parking lot.

She was never seen again. Brianna Maitland would be 38 years old today. She has been missing for more than twenty years. Law enforcement has concluded that foul play was the probable cause of her disappearance. No one has been charged.

01
Background

What We Know

Brianna Maitland finished her shift at the Black Lantern Inn in Montgomery, Vermont, at approximately 11:20 p.m. on March 19, 2004. Her shift had been uneventful. She had no visitors, made no phone calls, and her co-workers described her demeanor as normal. They asked her to stay for dinner; she declined, saying she was tired and had an early start the following morning for her second job. A co-worker watched her leave the parking lot in her green 1985 Oldsmobile 88. That was the last confirmed sighting of Brianna Maitland.

The following morning, March 20, Vermont State Police received a report of an abandoned vehicle at the property known as the Old Dutchburn Barn on East Berkshire Road, approximately one mile from the Black Lantern Inn. The responding trooper found Brianna's Oldsmobile backed into the side of the abandoned structure at an angle that caused the rear bumper to become lodged on the building's foundation, lifting the rear tires off the ground and disabling the vehicle. The doors were unlocked. The keys were missing. There was no sign that the car had left the road in an uncontrolled manner.

Inside the vehicle, investigators found two unopened paychecks from the Black Lantern Inn addressed to Brianna, along with her ATM card, glasses, contact lens case, migraine medication, driver's license, and makeup. None of her personal effects had been taken. The scene was later assessed by law enforcement as likely staged to appear as if the vehicle had been involved in an accident. A 2007 FBI flyer on the case stated explicitly that the scene may have been staged.

Brianna's roommate, Jillian Stout, initially assumed she had returned to her parents' home. When Jillian learned that was not the case, she contacted authorities. Kellie Maitland reported Brianna missing to Vermont State Police on March 23, 2004. It was not until March 25, when Brianna's parents visited the state police barracks, that they were shown a photograph of the Oldsmobile and realized the car was their daughter's.

In the weeks before her disappearance, Brianna had been physically assaulted at a party by a female acquaintance named Keallie Lacross, who struck her repeatedly in the face while Brianna was seated in a truck, giving her two black eyes and a concussion. Despite her martial arts training, Brianna refused to fight back. The motive for the attack was not clearly established. This incident was noted by investigators but has not been publicly linked to her disappearance.

02
Chronology

Case Timeline

March 19, 2004 — Morning
Brianna's Last Known Day
Brianna spends the morning with her mother Kellie. They have breakfast together, then travel to the Community College of Vermont where Brianna sits her final GED math examination and passes. She and her mother spend the afternoon shopping in St. Albans. Brianna appears happy. She returns home before her evening shift at the Black Lantern Inn.
March 19, 2004 — Approximately 11:20 p.m.
Last Seen Leaving the Black Lantern Inn
Brianna clocks out after a normal, uneventful shift as a dishwasher at the Black Lantern Inn. Co-workers invite her to stay for dinner; she declines, saying she is tired and has work early the next morning. A co-worker watches her leave the parking lot in her green 1985 Oldsmobile 88. This is the last confirmed sighting of Brianna Maitland.
March 20, 2004 — Morning
Brianna's Car Found at the Old Dutchburn Barn
Vermont State Police receive a report of an abandoned vehicle at the Old Dutchburn Barn property on East Berkshire Road, approximately one mile from the Black Lantern Inn. The responding trooper finds Brianna's Oldsmobile backed into the side of the abandoned building at an angle that lodges the rear bumper on the foundation, lifting the rear tires and disabling the car. The doors are unlocked. The keys are missing. All of Brianna's personal belongings remain inside, including two uncashed paychecks, her glasses, ATM card, medication, and ID.
March 23, 2004
Brianna Reported Missing
Kellie Maitland contacts Vermont State Police to report her daughter missing after Brianna's roommate Jillian Stout realizes she never came home and that she is not with her parents. Brianna has been missing for four days before the formal report is made. On March 25, Bruce and Kellie visit the state police barracks, are shown a photograph of the abandoned vehicle, and recognize it as Brianna's car.
Late March 2004
Anonymous Tip; K-9 Search; Vehicle Processed
Vermont State Police receive an anonymous tip claiming Brianna is being held against her will in a house in nearby Berkshire, approximately 10 miles from Montgomery. The tip is investigated but does not lead to a breakthrough. A K-9 search is conducted around the Dutchburn Barn property but nothing is found. Brianna's vehicle is processed by the state crime laboratory on March 30 after being held at a local garage.
April 2004
Community Searches; National Attention
Hundreds of volunteers join organized searches of the area surrounding the Dutchburn Barn and Montgomery. A search center is established. Over 300 volunteers participate on April 4 alone. The case attracts national media attention. The Maitland family launches a website, bringbrihome.org, and posts a $20,000 reward for information.
2007
FBI Flyer States Scene May Have Been Staged
An FBI flyer released in connection with the case states that the scene where Brianna's car was found may have been staged to appear as an accident. Law enforcement concludes that foul play was the probable cause of Brianna's disappearance. She is not considered a runaway.
Fall 2020 — March 2022
DNA Evidence Submitted to Othram; Match Identified
Vermont State Police send DNA evidence recovered from near Brianna's vehicle to Othram Inc., a Texas-based forensic sequencing laboratory, funded in part by the Murder Squad podcast. In March 2022 police announce that the DNA source has been identified through genetic genealogy. The DNA had previously been compared to 11 persons of interest with no CODIS match. Following Othram analysis, DNA samples from possible donors are collected and one is confirmed as a match. Police stress that this does not mean a suspect has been identified; the individual is described as cooperative.
March 19, 2024
20th Anniversary — FBI Announces $40,000 Reward
On the twentieth anniversary of Brianna's disappearance, the FBI Albany field office and Vermont State Police jointly announce a reward of up to $40,000 for information leading to Brianna's recovery. Vermont State Police Director Matthew Birmingham states: "This is not a cold case, but it is an unsolved one." Detectives confirm they continue to receive tips weekly. No arrest has been made. Bruce Maitland continues to offer an additional $5,000 reward of his own.
03
Law Enforcement

The Investigation

The investigation into Brianna Maitland's disappearance was led initially by Vermont State Police and later expanded to include the FBI. In the early weeks after the discovery of her vehicle, Vermont State Police were skeptical that foul play was involved and considered the possibility that Brianna had run away voluntarily. This initial assessment was later revised. By 2007, law enforcement had concluded that foul play was the probable cause of her disappearance, and the FBI stated in a flyer that the scene at the Dutchburn Barn may have been deliberately staged to appear as a vehicle accident.

The delay between the discovery of the vehicle on March 20 and the formal missing persons report on March 23 meant that investigators lost several critical days during which scent trails were freshest and the scene was least degraded. Brianna's car sat at a local garage before being processed by the state crime lab on March 30, ten days after her disappearance. When the vehicle was returned to the family, Bruce Maitland noted that all of his daughter's personal belongings remained inside, including her medication, glasses, and two uncashed paychecks. This was inconsistent with a voluntary departure.

Searches of the surrounding area in the spring of 2004 were extensive. Hundreds of volunteers combed the land around the Dutchburn property. K-9 units were deployed. Nothing was found. The case attracted national media coverage and was featured on Dateline NBC and in the documentary series Disappeared. Despite thousands of tips, no conclusive lead emerged in the years that followed.

A breakthrough of sorts came in March 2022 when Vermont State Police announced that DNA recovered from an item found near Brianna's vehicle had been identified through forensic genetic genealogy. The DNA had originally been entered into the FBI's CODIS database and compared against 11 persons of interest without a match. After the sample was sent to Othram Inc. in Texas, genealogical research identified a possible donor. Police were able to locate and interview that individual and obtain a DNA sample, which was confirmed as a match by the Vermont Forensic Laboratory. Police stressed that this did not mean a suspect had been identified, and described the individual as cooperative. No arrest followed.

On March 19, 2024, the twentieth anniversary of Brianna's disappearance, the FBI Albany field office joined Vermont State Police in announcing a reward of up to $40,000 for information leading to her recovery. Detectives confirmed they continue to receive tips on a weekly basis. Vermont State Police Director Matthew Birmingham stated the case was not cold but remained unsolved, and that investigators remained as committed as ever to finding Brianna.

Brianna's 1985 Oldsmobile 88 — Found at the Old Dutchburn Barn
Burlington Free Press — April 4, 2004 — Community Search Coverage
You Can Help

Help Find Brianna Maitland

Brianna Maitland has been missing since March 19, 2004. She was seventeen years old when she left work at the Black Lantern Inn and never arrived home. Law enforcement has concluded that foul play was the probable cause of her disappearance. Her car was found staged at an abandoned barn. Her belongings were left inside. Someone knows what happened to her.

In March 2024, on the twentieth anniversary of her disappearance, the FBI and Vermont State Police jointly announced a reward of up to $40,000 for information leading to Brianna's recovery. Her father, Bruce Maitland, has offered an additional $5,000 of his own. Investigators continue to receive tips weekly and the case remains active and open.

If you have any information about Brianna's disappearance, no matter how small it seems, please contact law enforcement. Tips can be submitted anonymously. Twenty years of silence has not ended this investigation. The people who love Brianna have not stopped.

Kellie Maitland — Burlington Free Press, April 2004
FBI Tip Line
1-800-225-5324
$40,000 reward for information leading to Brianna's recovery
Vermont State Police Tip Line
1-844-848-8477
Anonymous tips accepted
VSP Lead Detective — Email
angela.baker@vermont.gov
Detective Sgt. Angela Baker — lead investigator
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678
1-800-THE-LOST — 24-hour hotline
Sources
Wikipedia — Disappearance of Brianna Maitland  |  Vermont State Police — Case Page, vsp.vermont.gov  |  CBS News — "DNA identified in search for Brianna Maitland," March 18, 2022  |  CBS News — "Brianna Maitland vanished 20 years ago. The FBI is now offering $40,000," March 19, 2024  |  FBI — Albany Field Office reward announcement, March 19, 2024  |  Vermont State Police News Release — "Source of DNA in Brianna Maitland investigation identified," March 18, 2022  |  NBC News / Dateline — "Police, family ask the public for help in the 14-year-old missing persons case," updated 2024  |  Dark Downeast — "The Disappearance of Brianna Maitland"  |  DNASolves.com — "What happened to Brianna Maitland?"  |  Boston.com — "FBI announces $40,000 reward for information in 20-year-old case," March 19, 2024
In Her Honor

She Is Not Forgotten

Brianna Maitland passed her GED on the last day anyone saw her. That morning she had breakfast with her mother and sat an exam and passed it and went shopping. She was seventeen and she was building something. She had two jobs. She had plans. Her father said they talked about college.

That evening she clocked out and got in her car and drove away from the parking lot of the Black Lantern Inn, and that was the last anyone saw of her. Her car was found the next morning, backed into a barn a mile down the road, her keys gone and everything else left behind. Her medication. Her glasses. Her two uncashed paychecks. Everything except Brianna.

Her father Bruce has spent twenty years trying to find her. He set up a website. He offered a reward from his own money. He wrote letters on anniversaries asking for prayers. He wrote that he set stones from the wall where she was born to remember her, but she is not there. He has not stopped.

In March 2024, twenty years after Brianna disappeared, the FBI stood beside the Vermont State Police and announced a $40,000 reward. They said it was not a cold case. They said they still receive tips every week. They said they are not done.

Brianna Alexandra Maitland. She was seventeen years old and she had just passed her GED and she was thinking about what came next. She is not forgotten. Somewhere the answer to what happened to her exists, and the people who love her are still waiting for it.

Brianna Alexandra Maitland — Missing Since March 19, 2004
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