UPDATE: On Friday, September 2, the Massachusetts State Police announced that on “Thursday evening, a civilian discovered partial remains in a heavily wooded area near Fox Drive in Lee,” that officials believe “to be of 42-year-old Meghan Marohn.”
The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office told Dateline that over the weekend, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed the remains were in fact, Meghan.
A cause and manner of death have not yet been released in the case. The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office told Dateline the investigation remains ongoing.
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“She always had a smile on her face,” Peter Naple told Dateline about his younger sister, Meghan Marohn.
Peter said he texted Meghan on the night of March 26, 2022. She told him she was at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. “She was just in bed reading and then I texted her back and she didn't reply,” Peter said.
“She was just taking a break,” Peter told Dateline. “Just, you know, some R&R.”
That was the last time Peter heard from Meghan. The 42-year-old has been missing ever since.
Peter and Meghan grew up in Delmar, New York with their mother and Meghan’s father. Peter said he lived at his mother’s house in Delmar but would often spend weekends with his own father in Sacandaga Lake.
Growing up in Delmar, there was an abundance of wilderness to explore. Peter said he and Meghan would often adventure together. “We hiked together,” he said. Peter is 12 years older than Meghan and, despite the age gap, he said he always made sure to spend time with his baby sister. “She was such a good kid,” he said.
Not only was Meghan good, she was also talented, Peter told Dateline. “She played the piano, she played the harp,” Peter said. “She was always performing, doing little skits.”
But what Meghan loved more than anything else was writing. Peter said it was her bread and butter.
“She would have people come up and just say a few words about themselves, or what they want her to write about,” Peter said. “She would, in 20 minutes, give you a poem.”
He said Meghan loved poetry so much she even started a poetry group called the “Troy Poem Project” in Troy, New York, where she once lived.
And when Meghan wasn’t writing, she was teaching. Peter said their mother was a teacher and at a young age, Meghan knew that she wanted to be one as well. “She wanted to follow in her footsteps,” Peter said. Their mother died three years ago.
Peter told Dateline Meghan started teaching about 18 years ago and loved it. “Being in the classroom with the kids, that was that was her thing,” Peter said. But he told Dateline in recent years, it started to take a toll on Meghan. “There's more pressure on teachers these days,” Peter said. “When she first started compared to teaching now, things have changed dramatically.”
Ruth Ross was one of the first teachers Meghan worked with and told Dateline it’s become difficult for teachers to include certain subjects into their curriculum. She said Meghan in particular, received her fair share of pushback. “She wanted to teach about climate change,” Ruth recalled. “There were a bunch of parents who didn't want her to.”
Meghan and Ruth met in 2005 at Chatham High School in New Jersey. It was Meghan’s first job in the field and she was Ruth’s student-teacher. “She taught my English classes and then she was hired the following year on our recommendation,” Ruth said. Even after Ruth retired in 2007, she said the two remained very close.
Ruth describes Meghan as a “free spirit and very idealistic.” She said Meghan is a very passionate person and would frequently participate in demonstrations. “She went down to Occupy Wall Street,” Ruth told Dateline. “She also protested on the Brooklyn Bridge,” Ruth added, although she wasn’t sure what that protest was about.
Ruth also remembers the last time she spoke with her friend: March 24, 2022. “She was going on personal paid leave until the end of the semester,” Ruth said.
Meghan had been working at Shaker High School in Latham, New York. Ruth said Meghan told her she was having some problems at the school and needed some time off. “Something upset her at school having to do with another colleague,” Ruth told Dateline.
Dateline reached out to the North Colonie School district, which is connected to Shaker High School, regarding Meghan’s paid leave. Superintendent Joseph Corr told Dateline Meghan is “a valued member of our school community” and “an outstanding teacher who cared and supported her students.” He added that Meghan was “not placed on a leave by the district.” He did not specify if she was placed on leave by Shaker High School.
Peter told Dateline that despite his inquiries, the school never told him why his sister was on paid leave. All he knew was that Meghan needed a break.
So, on Thursday, March 24, 2022, that’s what Meghan planned to do. She headed to Stockbridge, Massachusetts and checked into the Red Lion Inn. She planned to check out on March 30.
Peter told Dateline that everything seemed fine during his text exchange with Meghan on Saturday, March 26, but when he texted her the next day and got no response, he started to worry.
“I messaged her on Sunday a few times and I got no response,” Peter recalled. “I asked the hotel on Monday if they could knock on the door or at least just check.”
When the hotel staff went to check on Meghan, they said her bed was made and many of her belongings were still in the room. But Meghan was nowhere to be found. “We went to the Bethlehem Police Department Tuesday morning to file a missing person report,” Peter said.
The Bethlehem Police Department is in Delmar, New York, where Meghan was living at the time with her father. But since she disappeared in Massachusetts, the Massachusetts State Police Department is investigating her disappearance.
Dave Procopio, Massachusetts State Police Director of Communications, directed Dateline to a press release on their Facebook page. The post stated that Meghan’s “black 2017 Subaru Impreza was found parked on Church Street at Longcope Park, a heavily wooded hiking area in south Lee.” The release went on to note that “intensive searches of that area and other areas of interest in Lee by State Troopers, local Police Officers and Firefighters, and a civilian search and rescue team have not located Ms. Marohn.”
The release confirmed that the investigation into Meghan’s whereabouts remains ongoing.
Peter said he believes Meghan may gone to check out the area, but probably planned to return to the car before going on a hike. “She always made sure that the car was locked before she went out on a hike,” Peter said. “And the car was unlocked.” Peter added that Meghan’s hiking boots were still in her car which, he said, was a little “strange for Meghan.”
Peter told Dateline that he joined the search and hiked the surrounding area with the police to try to help find his sister. “We were able to obtain through her Google account, her Gmail account and a couple of cell phone pings to the cell towers,” Peter told Dateline. “There was three either GPS or cell phone pings for the rest of the day, all on private property across the road from Longcope Park.” He added that the area is full of “streams, ravines, and dense vegetation.” They were unable to find any trace of Meghan. And still haven’t.
But Peter said he has not given up hope and will continue to put in every effort to find his sister. He told Dateline he created the Find Meghan Marohn website and is in the process of hiring a private investigator.
Meghan is about 5’6” and 120 lbs., with red hair and green eyes. She does not have any distinguishing marks or tattoos. Meghan's family is offering a $50,000 reward for “information leading directly to the safe return of Meghan.”
Anyone with information regarding Meghan should contact Massachusetts State Police detectives at 413-499-1112 or the Lee Police at 413-243-5530.