Maram Hanel was an intelligent, hard-working, pleasant young woman living in Jay, VT.

Maram was married to her husband of around three years, Roland, and the couple were living in their home in Jay, VT that they moved into after their wedding in 1981. Maram was a Canadian citizen who learned to speak four different languages. She previously worked at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.

“Very pretty, very pleasant and very sociable” - Mike Murphy, local ski equipment business operator.

Maram and Roland were a friendly, athletic couple who enjoyed playing tennis and skiing. They could often be seen picking strawberries or working outside around their home. They mainly kept to themselves. Maram and Roland rented the top two floors of their home out, especially during skiing season, though no one was renting either floor at the time of their deaths.

Maram and Roland were last seen on September 14, 1984.

The couple were last seen on the evening of September 14, 1984 at their home. That following week, Maram missed a dentist appointment. Their dentist further explained to investigators later on that he had not seen Maram or Roland for nearly two weeks.

Six days later, their remains were found.

On the afternoon of September 20, 1984, Maram and Roland are found shot to death in their home. According to investigators, Maram was found in the kitchen and Roland was found in the living room of their home. Both had been shot several times, nearly 11 times each. Authorities are able to determine that they had been killed several days earlier, likely sometime between September 15-19, 1984. No weapon is found at the scene.

Authorities release a profile of their suspected killer.

Nearly two years to the date of Maram and Roland’s murder, on September 10, 1986, officials with the Vermont State Police released a psychological profile of the individual responsible for the Hanel’s murder, which had been created by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Behavioral Science Unit.

According to the profile, authorities believe that the killer was familiar, in some way, with the Hanels, had been to their home, and targeted the couple specifically. The profile also states that the killer "is in the same age group as the Hanels and would make a good appearance within the community; may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol and may have been in a dream-like state; and likely made an attempt to mislead the police in their investigation". The profile adds that there were aspects of the crime scene that leads them to believe that at some time, "a female dominated the killer's life"; along with the strong possibility that at least one other person knows, or at least suspects, who the killer is. Authorities believe that if true, that person may be in danger.

Where the case stands today.

Today, Maram and Roland’s murder has remained unsolved for more than 38 years. Shortly after the murder, authorities considered the likelyhood that an escaped inmate from Tennessee, Lohman Mays, may have been involved in their murder. They later conclude that there is no evidence pointing to Mays as their killer. Since then, there have been no new developments in their murder and it has remained cold ever since.

If you have any information regarding the murder of Maram and Roland Hanel, please contact the Vermont State Police at (802) 244-8781 or email your tip to scott.dunlap@Vermont.gov.