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She disappeared 20 years ago. Police are now offering $40,000 for information that leads to her discovery.
Brianna Maitland was 17 when she went missing in Vermont as she was leaving work on March 19, 2004. Police say they are still actively searching for her.
Twenty years to the day after a Vermont teen went missing, the FBI announced a reward for information leading to her discovery in hopes of gathering tips that could help end the decades-long investigation.
In partnership with Vermont State Police, the FBI’s Albany office announced Tuesday that they would offer up to $40,000 for information leading to the “recovery” of Brianna Maitland, who was 17 when she went missing on March 19, 2004.
“We remain as dedicated to this case now as we were when Brianna disappeared,” said Matthew Birmingham, director of Vermont State Police, at a Tuesday press conference announcing the reward. “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.”
Maitland was last seen leaving her work in Vermont
Maitland was last seen late in the evening 20 years ago as she was finishing her shift as a dishwasher at the Black Lantern Inn in Montgomery, Vt., according to State Police. She left the restaurant in a green 1985 Oldsmobile 88 and was reportedly heading to a friend’s house, where she was living at the time, before her disappearance.
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The car she was driving was later found backed into the side of an abandoned barn about a mile from the restaurant, police said.
Because Maitland was “couch-surfing” friends’ houses at the time, her parents didn’t report her missing for four days. It took detectives about a week to process Maitland’s car after it was found because of a “disconnect” that it was related to her disappearance, Birmingham said at the press conference.
While police initially believed she had run away, investigators later determined that she may have been a victim of foul play. Despite an extensive, decades-long investigation, officials say there is still no trace of Maitland.
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“There have been multiple leads followed up on throughout the years, but none have been able to locate Brianna,” Vermont State Police say on Maitland’s case page on their website.
Updates in the case
In 2022, police announced that they had identified a source of DNA found on an “item of interest” found about a week after Maitland’s disappearance. The DNA was compared to 11 persons of interest, and while no match was found, officials were able to confirm a connection to an individual.
“It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean we have identified a suspect,” detective Angela Baker said at the time. “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.”
Detectives said Tuesday they receive tips in the case “weekly,” but a lot of them include repeat information. There have also been numerous persons of interest, some of whom have been ruled out, while others lack evidence connecting them to Maitland.
Despite this, officials remain hopeful the new reward will incentivize people to come forward with information.
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“FBI rewards are an important tool we can provide our partner agencies to incentivize the public to come forward,” said Graig Tremaroli, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Albany field office, at the press conference. “Someone out there may have information that can help solve this case. It’s been too long, and it’s time to come forward.”
Previously, State Police were offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the discovery of Maitland, who would now be 37 years old.
On a Facebook page set up by Maitland’s family, her father posts tributes to his daughter on anniversaries of her disappearance.
“As yet another March 19th approaches, I ask for your prayers for Bri to be found,” Bruce Maitland wrote in a post on March 16 last year. “I set up stones from the wall of where she was born to remember, but she is not there. I love you and miss you.”
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the FBI’s tip line at 1-800-225-5324 or the Vermont State Police tip line at 1-844-848-8477.
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“No tip is too small,” Tremaroli said. “Together with our partners from Vermont State Police, we will work to cover every lead until we bring Brianna home.”
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