Unsolved Cases
A collection of unsolved cases from around the world
In 2022, DNA analysis finally identified the Somerton Man after 76 years: Carl Webb, an electrical engineer from Melbourne. But his identification raised as many questions as it answered.
On Christmas Eve 1945, a house fire in West Virginia left five Sodder children missing. But no remains were ever found in the ashes. Did they really die in the fire — or were they taken?
In 1966, two Brazilian electronic technicians were found dead on a hilltop in Niteroi, wearing suits and handmade lead eye masks. A note beside them gave instructions for contacting spirits.
On December 26, 1996, six-year-old beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey was found dead in her family's basement in Boulder, Colorado. A bizarre ransom note, family suspicion, and conflicting DNA evidence fuel endless debate.
Between 1964 and 1965, at least six women were found nude and dead along the Thames in London. The serial killer, dubbed "Jack the Stripper," was never identified.
In 1970, an unidentified woman was found burned in a Norwegian valley. Multiple fake passports, removed clothing labels, and coded notes suggested she may have been a Cold War spy.
In 1922, six members of a family were brutally murdered with a mattock on an isolated Bavarian farm. Evidence suggests the killer had been hiding in the attic beforehand — and stayed for days after.
In December 1900, three lighthouse keepers vanished from the Flannan Isles lighthouse off Scotland. A meal sat unfinished, clocks had stopped, and only storm damage remained. They were never found.
In 2013, Canadian student Elisa Lam was found dead inside a rooftop water tank at the notorious Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. Bizarre elevator surveillance footage captivated and disturbed the world.
Starting in 1976, anonymous threatening letters terrorized residents of Circleville, Ohio, exposing secrets and making threats. A man was convicted — but the letters kept coming from prison.
In 1957, the body of an abused boy aged 4-6 was found in a cardboard box on a Philadelphia roadside. He remained unidentified for over 65 years until DNA analysis revealed his name in 2022.
In 1947, aspiring actress Elizabeth Short was found bisected with surgical precision in a Los Angeles vacant lot. The case became America's most infamous unsolved murder.