Twenty years ago, Brianna Maitland vanished from her Vermont workplace. On Tuesday, the FBI announced a reward of $40,000 to help solve the mystery surrounding the teenager's disappearance.
"Someone out there may have information that can help solve this case," said special agent Craig Tremaroli, who is in charge of the FBI's field office in Albany. "It's been too long, and it's time to come forward. 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," Tremaroli added.
On March 19, 2004, Maitland, then 17, was finishing her shift as a dishwasher at the Black Lantern Inn, a restaurant in Montgomery. She left work around 11:20 p.m. in a green 1985 Oldsmobile 88 and was headed towards a friend's house, where she was living.
The car was found later backed into the side of an abandoned barn about a mile from the restaurant at a location known as the "Old Dutchburn Barn."
Investigators said they believe Maitland is a victim of foul play and didn't leave willingly. Vermont State Police in 2022 announced they identified a DNA sample linked to the teen found on an item near the abandoned car. The DNA was entered into an FBI database and compared against 11 persons of interest, but no match was found.
After the sample was sent to Othram laboratories in Texas, officials tested the DNA and found that it matched DNA from a candidate donor. The police, however, weren't able to determine a suspect.
"There have been multiple leads followed up on throughout the years, but none have been able to locate Brianna," the Vermont State Police says on its case page.
Maitland would be 37 years old today. In 2023, her family started a Facebook page on which her father, Bruce, wrote, "As yet another March 19th approaches, I ask for your prayers for Bri to be found."
Investigators remain hopeful the award announcement will generate new leads.
"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 — and we're hoping the announcement of a significant financial reward for information will help change that."
Tips can be submitted via the FBI's Toll-Free Tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Vermont State Police Tipline at 1-844-84-VTIPS.
Cara Tabachnick is a news editor and journalist at CBSNews.com. Cara began her career on the crime beat at Newsday. She has written for Marie Claire, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She reports on justice and human rights issues. Contact her at [email protected]
