Wherever turn-of-the-20th-century Norwegian immigrant Belle Gunness went, people had a habit of turning up dead, especially well-insured peopleincluding several of her husbands, boyfriends, and children. On March 31, 1922, five members of the Gruber family, along with their maid, were murdered at the Gruber family farm, HInterkaifeck, in Bavaria, Germany. There was some hope the mystery might be solved in 2013 after two brothers told police they had spent that January weekend in 1966 digging a hole at a factory at the request of the factory owner, Harry Phipps. But Hoffa never returned home, and, the next day, his car was still in the restaurant parking lot. Although authorities estimated the body might have been in the box for as long as three weeks, they were able to piece together a drawing of what the boy probably looked like while alive. They believe Johnny Blake Peterson is the person who killed her. To add to that grim statistic, that number increases by an additional 6,000 each year, according to data from the . The one bright light in this case is that it led to the establishment of the Amber Alert system, which alerts the public when a child has been kidnappedin the hope they can be tracked down before they meet the same fate as Amber Hagerman. On November 3, 2021, 18 days after she went missing, Cleo was found by alive and well by police inside a locked house near her family home in Carnarvon. Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. Here are nine notable cold cases that are still baffling investigators. It wasnt until a former neighbor recognized a forensic sculptor's bust of what he would look like decades later on "Americas Most Wanted" that he was caught in 1989. The cause of death was multiple blows to the head, and it appeared the boy had been given a fresh haircut either immediately before or after his death. He was acquitted with regard to Belles resulting death when he convinced the jury Belle wasnt dead, but, rather, she had hired him to start the fire to help her fake her death. She ended up pleading not guilty to first-degree murder and is being held in prison without bond. But she never returned home. Though there were suspects, there have never been any arrests made in her disappearance or death. 12 more of the strangest unsolved mysteries of the art world. No one ever claimed the body, which was never connected with any missing person case. The lead investigators on the case suspected the killer was left-handed. The whereabouts of his body remain unknown. The murderer, whom the press referred to as Jack the Ripper, was never identified. Famous Unsolved Cold Cases: The Unknown Man of Somerton Beach Wikimedia Commons The cipher found in the dead man's book. An hour and a half into dinner, her mother, Kate McCann, went to check on the children and discovered Maddie was gone. Missys husband Brandon Bevers told the police he was happily married, but investigators recovered messages from Missys phone that proved otherwise as the couple had issues with finances and infidelity. She was found not guilty in 2015. The man who called himself Zodiac apparently enjoyed taunting San Francisco area police as much as he enjoyed killing, which he apparently enjoyed very much. Youll see how forensics techniques help to bring closure to many cases, but also how, occasionally, other things propel a case toward resolution. This was known as one of the first cold cases solved by DNA technology. in her Tempe, Arizona, apartment. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. They just didnt know how to find him. The strangulation death of Patricia Beard in her studio apartment back in 1981 in Denver became the 100th rape or murder to be solved by Denver Cold Case Team in July 2013 of this year. By: Alexa Rockwell Open Gallery 14 Photos Photo By: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department 1 / 14 Cases solved in 2022 In 1955, the man picked up, Robert Peterson, John Schuessler,and Anton Schuessler Jr. when they were hitchhiking after a day of movies and bowling. Back in 1961, a famous Dutch psychic, Gerard Croiset, was enlisted by Brooklyn detectives to help locate a missing four-year-old girl, Edith Kiecorius. No one seemed to suspect a stalker might be involved in her disappearance. Here are 20 baffling forensic cases that have thoroughly stumped everyone. The DNA found both underneath JonBents fingernails and in her underwear did not match anyone in the Ramsey family. For a show that has "unsolved" in its title, Unsolved Mysteries has actually solved plenty of cases over the years. Her boyfriend, who went to her apartment to look for her, discovered her dead of blunt force trauma. Youll find a surprising theory on it among the13 biggest mysteries surrounding the royal family. A determined cop who was the original investigator into the murder of Krystal Beslanowitch 18 years ago in Utah helped bring resolution to this case. In addition, circumstances, including strange footsteps in the snow and strange noises coming from the attic, suggest the perpetrator may have been livingunknown and undetectedin the Gruber house for at least six months. David/Flickr. Police discovered male DNA on her underwear but couldnt find a match. Cooper, demands were met, Cooper disappeared from the plane while en route to Mexico. Over the decades, more than 200 people have come forward with potential leads in the case but none proved very useful. 10 Famous Cold Cases That Could Be Solved In 2021 by Cheish Merryweather fact checked by Jamie Frater In the late 70s, the Golden State Killer launched a reign of terror that terrified residents in California. List was convicted of murder and sentenced to five consecutive life terms in prison. Story at 11 @8NewsNow pic.twitter.com/HtQu8cPEc1 In December 2009, Susan Powell disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Joseph . Although this case has been solved, how it was solved remains a mystery. Iowa police have solved the 50-year-old cold case murder of a 17-year-old girl through DNA evidence. On December 19, 1959, the four members of the Walker family were brutally murdered in their Osprey, Florida, home. In 1986, Sherri Rasmussen was found shot and bludgeoned to death in the condo she shared with her husband. Five-year-old Geoffrey Lyman Brown and 7-year-old Leslie Michelle Brown were found murdered on March 12, 1975, at 4:45 p.m. Each had been shot twice in the head while lying on a coat in a small clearing in McIver Park, near the City of Estacada. McCullough had been one of about 100 potential suspects, but seemed to have a rock-solid alibi at the time of the murder. The crime remains unsolved, however, in part because of procedural errors, including loss and contamination of evidence, the sharing of evidence with the Ramsey family, and a delay in formally interviewing John and Patsy. Some of the most famous cold cases solved by DNA technology include the Golden State Killer and the Boston Strangler. At least 50 of those calls proved fruitful, as the callers found long-lost members of their birth families as a result of the episode. Bell was found guilty of manslaughter and sent to jail for 12 years. However, that policy was never paid out because of suspicions about McCalebs death. Fifty-five years after 7-year-old Maria Ridulph was taken from the streets of Sycamore, Ill., to be found choked and stabbed to death, a 72-year-old security guard, Jack McCullough, was arrested for the crime. There was no sign of forced entry and no scent for search dogs to follow. 13 True Crime Cases That Were Solved In 2022 For years, these cases have been cold until 2022, when advancements in DNA technology helped bring closure to the victims' family and friends. In any event, his parachute was never found, and the ransom money, in marked bills, was never used. Unfortunately, it revealed little else, and the case went cold. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. For more great stories, head to INSIDER's homepage. Here are 15 presidential mysteries that have never been solved. For nearly 40 years, police could not track down the Illinois horseman who murdered three young boys in a stable. Lists of unsolved murders. Advertisement Advertisement The Somerton Man Getty Images However, the evidence didnt support this, and jurors believed the prosecutions theory that Sam killed Marilyn to get out of the marriage. In 2008, Boulder County District Attorney Mary Lacy cleared the family of any wrongdoing after examining DNA evidence. The identity of a well-dressed man found on Somerton Park beach in Adelaide, South Australia, is still unknown more than 70 years on. In Persian, this means Finished or Ended and these are the last words of a collection of Persian poems known as The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Even though it looks like this 42-year-old cold case may be solved, it might never be known what happened to lead to the Studebaker ending up in the creek. Teamed with the help of online sleuths and new breakthroughs; these are the following cold cases that could be solved in 2021. There are thousands of unsolved murder cases throughout the United States, but thanks to advancements in genetic technology, justice may be in reach for victims' families. Then a suitcase was discovered at Adelaide Railway Station which they believed had also belonged to the mystery man as it provided other mysterious objects like a hammer and a sawn-down kitchen knife. DELRAY BEACH, Fla. A 20-year-old cold case in Delray Beach was solved with one piece of evidence: a fingerprint. In 2008, McCulloughs half-sister passed on this information to the police. Dont miss these18 unsolved mysteries that made our list of all-time strangest. Patricia Beard, a mentally disabled young woman, was raped and strangled in her small apartment in 1981. Four days later, Ambers body was discovered in a creek behind an apartment complex near the parking lot where she was last seen. Hiatt had a police record. Brian should come forward and end this. There is still a $25,500 reward for information leading to Shaffers whereabouts. Fifty-three years later, his case remains unsolved. He was convicted of the crime and it took jury members a total of 20 minutes to decide that he deserved the death sentence, according to ABC. Just because a case doesnt involve the taking of human life doesnt mean the stakes cant be ridiculously high. The paintings, valued in todays dollars at $500 million, were stolen right out of their frames during the wee hours of March 18, 1990, by two unarmed men dressed as policemen, who entered the museum, subdued the on-duty security guards, and left with the paintings, all in under 81 minutes. DNA evidence was collected at the scene, but progress had never been made until this year when it was linked to Raymond Samuels, aged 31 as of this writing (November, 2013). Rumor abounded that an American. Teresita Basa was found under a flaming mattress, a butcher knife buried in her chest. This new reality became crystal clear in May of 2019 when Seattle police announced they'd cracked a 52-year-old murder case, the oldest thus far solved through genealogy. Law enforcement helped avert further poisonings by driving around, confiscating pills and bottles, and shouting into bullhorns, Dont take Tylenol. (This was the pre-Internet days, after all). Also scribbled in the book were a few lines of cryptic text no one has ever been able to decipher. "At least I'm certain that all have gone to heaven now. While Smith and Hickock were eventually convicted of the Clutter family killings, authorities were unable to piece together a case against them with regard to the Walker case, which remains unsolved. In fact, some of the cold case arrests on this list are so recent that the alleged criminals still await trial or sentencing. The serial killer committed at least 12 murders and 120 residential burglariesthen he disappeared without a trace. Learn about three famous cold cases solved by DNA, including Fawn Cox and Jody Loomis. She was wrong. Some believe Tupacs record-label paid to have Biggie killed. Aamodt's research was the basis for the data reported in the Live Science article. Ohio State medical student 27-year-old Brian Shaffer has been missing since April 1st, 2006. Later the same day, he was charged with the killings of all three boys, according to The Times. The killer shot his entire family in 1971 and left a confession note for his pastor, according to ABC. creepy urban legends have an actual real-life grain of truth. "It closes it," John Rotunno, one of the special agents who helped convict Hansen, told The Chicago Tribune. The first time Zodiac struck on December 20, 1968 (shooting and killing two teens parked on a lovers lane), police approached the investigation as a standard homicide casepopulating their suspect list with people whom the victims knew and working the if teens are involved, then drugs must be involved angle. Lets Crack Zodiac Episode 5 The 340 Is Solved! The FBI worked the case for 45 years, but the man known as D.B. It was also noted that all the labels in his clothing were missing. the mysterious disappearance of heiress Helen Vorhees Brach, several people had apparentlyimplicated 61-year-old Kenneth Hansen in the disappearanceof the boys. Mary attracted a slew of admirers, who knew her as the Beautiful Cigar Girl, from her job working in a downtown cigar emporium. What Famous Cold Case Should You Solve? , police could not track down the Illinois horseman who murdered three young boys in a stable. 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