A lot has been made of the cell phone call William Rausch received on his way to New Hampshire to help with the search for Maura Murray. When Rausch answered it, he heard only breathing and then the call was disconnected. The call was traced to a Red Cross number and some have proposed that it was actually Maura calling for help–Maura apparently had calling cards that were connected to the Red Cross.
The truth is less exciting.
A source close to the investigation now confirms the person who made the phone call has been located and interviewed. It was a Red Cross worker trying to reach William in reference to his requests for emergency leave from the military (the Red Cross can help servicemen get emergency leave in some cases). The Red Cross worker hung up because they believed they had reached voice mail and did not want to leave a message, opting to call again later to speak directly to Rausch.
This brings up another interesting detail. Outside Rausch and his family, nobody seems to have been aware of an official engagement between Maura and William. He could get emergency leave if he was married or engaged to the victim, but to do so without at least an engagement would have made things difficult.
Whatever the case, I find no fault in Rausch or his family. If there was no engagement, I would have done the same thing. He cared for her. He wanted to help find her.
I hope to interview William and his family one day, but to date they have not agreed to a time and place for that to happen.