In 2012, the disappearance of 19-year-old University of New Hampshire student Elizabeth “Lizzi” Marriott became a case that revealed a deeply disturbing sequence of events, yet left one key piece missing, her remains have never been found.
On October 9, 2012, Lizzi left a note for her aunt and uncle saying she was going to visit a friend and would return by midnight. She never came back.
Lizzi, a marine biology student, had recently befriended a coworker, Kathryn McDonough. That evening, she drove to McDonough’s apartment in Dover, New Hampshire, where McDonough lived with her boyfriend, Seth Mazzaglia.
Investigators later revealed that Lizzi had been brought there without full knowledge of the situation. The three spent time together before Mazzaglia made advances toward her, which she refused.
Authorities determined that shortly after, Mazzaglia retrieved items from another room, returned, and carried out an attack that resulted in Lizzi’s d*ath by strangulation. McDonough was present and did not intervene.
Afterward, evidence showed that the body was placed into a suitcase and disposed of in a nearby river. Despite extensive searches, Lizzi’s remains have never been recovered.
Her car was later found abandoned, and additional evidence linked back to the apartment.
On June 27, 2014, Mazzaglia was found guilty of first-degree m*rder, along with additional charges, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
McDonough pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution and received a shorter sentence. She was released in 2016.
The case remains one of the most troubling examples of betrayal and violence, with Lizzi’s family continuing to seek closure as her remains have yet to be found.
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