Sometime yesterday, (Feb 20, 2018) the first responding officer to Maura Murray’s accident died by suicide.
Cecil Smith was the former chief of police for the little town of Haverhill, New Hampshire, where Maura went missing in 2004. I had the opportunity to meet him several years ago. We spoke at his house and he showed me the green energy generator he was building. I found him to be extremely nice, caring, and truthful, one of the most sincere individuals I’ve met during the course of my research.
I’ve kept his secret for years – that he was suffering from a form of neurodegenerative disease that was stealing his memory.
Over the years, I’ve watched the toxic, conspiratorial side of the Maura Murray fandom turn Cecil into a suspect or co-conspirator to Maura’s alleged murder. This has to do with the outlandish theory of some police SUV seen nose-to-nose with Maura’s car that some believe brought harm to the young woman. These people are the anti-vaxxers of this case, grown ups playing some kind of Dungeons and Dragons role play with real people’s lives.
The most vocal proponent to this theory, the person who made Cecil Smith synonymous with suspicion was a podcaster named Erinn Larkin. She just never let up and suggested time and again on her podcast and blog that he knew more than he was saying, that he had to be lying. Her behavior at times is alarming. Earlier this year, Erinn Larkin posted a map to my house online. Erinn Larkin is the same person who committed defamation by having a guest on her podcast who literally said Rick Forcier killed Maura Murray
And now Cecil Smith has taken his life. Did he do so because she made him the center of so much speculation and suspicion? Or was it one of a hundred factors behind his decision? We are not entitled to know. What we do know is that he got to spend the last months of his life reading about how people suspected he helped murder a girl or cover it up. He got to see her chip away at his legacy and credibility. And that is an awful thing to have in your head when you’re already dealing with so much.
Cecil Smith was a good man. He helped me when he didn’t need to and probably shouldn’t have by granting me a long interview. All he did was answer a call one day about an abandoned car. He didn’t deserve any of this.
Cecil Smith’s family is asking any donations in
his memory be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, MA/NH Chapter, 309
Waverly Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452
LINK TO MEMORIAL PAGE and info about services.
***UPDATE***
For those unfamiliar with the case and Cecil Smith, here are some examples of what he could read from Erinn Larkin before his suicide.
It began by picking apart his statements and reports on her blog, over and over again.
Then this interview.
And then her fans responded in kind and Erinn Larkin made no attempt to calm down the mob she incited or correct their misinterpretations.
Now, imagine you’re Cecil Smith.
**2nd UPDATE**
And just in case there’s any question as to what Erinn was insinuating by constantly casting suspicion on Cecil, here is the cohost of her podcast, Ethan Marsh, explaining how what they did wasn’t that bad and even if it contributed to his suicide, maybe that’s ok because he still might be found guilty of murdering her.
Thank you for posting. I've followed this case for a few years and always wondered why the AG sat in on that interview. My deepest condolences to Mr. Smith's family and friends.
Terrible news. My sincere condolences to Cecil's family and friends. Obviously no one publicly knows the reason behind his decision, but I cannot imagine how difficult it would be to have one of the worst diseases there is that robs you of *everything* AND be dealing with constant accusations on top of it. I had a parent with dementia, and pure hell doesn't begin to describe it. -M
The power of evil on the internet cannot be denied. Also the need for attention of any kind. My condolences to his family.
Thank you for writing this. At the end of the day, a man took his life. It is nothing short of profound when a creature designed to have survival instincts abandons those instincts and chooses death over continuing. A family lost a member. A town lost a citizen. There is no good way to write about this but I appreciate that you did the best you could. The unfortunate thing is that no matter what evidence you present, or how much sense you make, the same people who rallied behind this type of cyber mob mentality will never admit or even SEE their part in it. The same judgment they use to assess the situation and draw their quasi insane conclusions is the same judgement they use to self analyze. It's a cognitive bias called the Dunning Krueger effect. Basically these people don't know they lack intelligence because they don't have the intelligence needed to perceive that. It also means that the stupider a person is, the more convinced they are of how right they are. Since this could logically apply to both sides of an argument, the mitigating factor is in self analysis. If you have ever questioned yourself, which you have because I have read it on your blogs time and again, then you are not the one who is falsely presumptive in his abilities to perceive truth. I have no scientific study to support the lack of class they show or the belligerent online bullying, but all I can say is, any body who has class themselves can see their total lack of breeding and decorum. Truth remains the truth no matter who chooses to believe it. It's the tree in a forest with no one around question. Yes it still makes noise. I hope Cecil Smith's family stays off the internet for a while. My heart goes out to them. Cecil Smith was not a character. Maura Murray was not a character. This is not a fiction story. It's real life where real words have consequences. Hopefully people see that before anymore damage is done.
I feel so bad for the Cecil Smith family, And I have felt really bad for Maura Murray's family also, I can remember it all very well, as I live in Mt Lake's, I joined Her Facebook, page, but got off of there real fast, as the people on there were so, scary, they all but wanted to fight with you, as everyone of them, thought they had all the answers, and knew every thing. All officer Smith did was answer a call, and for that he was attacked by maniacs, that had no life, or nothing to do. RIP sir
Longtime part-time Mountain Lakes person here too, our house is about a half mile from where Maura went missing. Cecil was a good guy, whip smart, and a dedicated public servant. A big loss to both the Town of Bath and Town of Haverhill
I've actually had the distinction of being pulled over by Cecil many years ago, when I was in my 20's. Cecil was one of the few cops in the area who didn't harass younger people out looking for something to do in an extremely boring town, for no reason. I always held him in the highest regard.
People say the Internet is a good thing because it gives everyone a voice. I think the Internet is a terrible thing, for the exact same reason.
RIP Cecil.
Internet bullying is getting ridiculous. Armchair sleuths who think they can just sit behind a screen and throw accusations at people with no repercussions. My condolences to his family.
Do we know, if he was aware of what was going on online?
His family says he was.
While Maura’s disappearance is obviously the main tragedy in this case, THIS is a parallel tragedy IMO. Cecil Smith, I believe wholeheartedly, was a good man and a good cop. He deserves to be remembered for so much more than this case. My heart truly hurts for him and his family. While we need the truth of what happened to Maura, I can’t help but feel that we need to do what we can to protect Cecil Smith’s name. One victim is enough in this case.
Reading this story about Erinn Larkin’s alarming behavior it needs to be reviewed by the Attorney General.
Certainly, tragic incidents like suicide, thrust cyberbullying to the forefront.
So tragic…. Cyber bullying is a crime.