Everybody loves a good mystery, but what happens when the case doesn’t have that satisfying Scooby-Doo unveiling? Here are seven baffling unsolved crimes that will leave you scratching your head. In the realm of modern investigations, digital sleuthing has become an increasingly valuable tool, offering new avenues for uncovering clues and solving perplexing cases.
In 1976, the residents of Circleville began receiving letters that taunted them with tidbits about their private lives. But the identity of the letter writer remains a mystery to this day.
1. Jack the Ripper
There’s no doubt that the case of Jack the Ripper has captivated the world over the past 130 years. This murderous serial killer sparked mass hysteria when he terrorized the streets of Whitechapel in 1888 and remains one of the world’s most famous unsolved crimes. The murders attributed to Jack the Ripper were committed by a man who targeted women working as prostitutes in London’s overcrowded East End district. The victims were slain and mutilated, with their throats cut and internal organs removed.
Douglas believes the killer was likely a man between the ages of 28 and 36 who lived or worked in the area where the murders took place. He may have been a butcher, mortician’s assistant, or medical examiner’s assistant as these professions required a lot of blood-handling. The murders were carried out at night and in low lighting, so the killer would have needed to blend in to avoid getting caught.
During this time, many poor residents of Whitechapel lived in overcrowded conditions where crime and violence were very common. It was difficult to survive and for many, sex work was the only way to make ends meet. These women were often out at night on their own, in the dark, and sex workers were seen as something society didn’t really care about, so they weren’t treated with the same level of protection as other citizens.
2. The Black Dahlia
On January 15, 1947, 22-year-old aspiring actress Elizabeth Short was brutally murdered and mutilated in the streets of Los Angeles. Dubbed “The Black Dahlia” by the media due to her affinity for wearing black clothes, her murder remains unsolved 77 years later.
The shocking nature of the crime, as well as its enigmatic circumstances, created a firestorm of media interest. During the time, newspapers competed with one another to print the most lurid details of the case, which led to the spread of numerous conspiracy theories regarding her death.
While the Black Dahlia may never be solved, that hasn’t stopped the case from spawning countless films and TV shows. It’s also inspired armchair sleuths and amateur detectives, who have proposed new theories and hypotheses over the years.
The Black Dahlia was even profiled on an episode of the History Channel show, American Justice, which investigates unsolved murder cases and tries to find new leads using forensic science. One of the episodes featured a man named Steve Hodel, who searched through his father’s belongings and found a folder that contained receipts for a concrete bag that was the same size as the one used to bury Short’s body.
3. The Axeman of New Orleans
While New Orleans was buzzing with jazz music in the early 1900s, a vicious axe murderer ran amok. He would not spare women or children. He sent taunting letters to local newspapers and delivered mangled bodies to the morgue. He sent New Orleans into a state of fear that seemed to match London’s Jack the Ripper in intensity.
From May 1918 to October 1919, the Axeman of New Orleans killed four people and wounded eight more. He struck only at night, killing them while they slept. He left the chisel used to remove wooden door panels, and never brought his own axe with him. He never took anything from the victims, ruling out robbery as an explanation for his crimes. He did not seem to have any connection with any one particular family or business, but most of the victims were Italian grocers.
When he finally struck his last victim, Mike Pepitone, Mrs. Pepitone was able to fight him off. Afterwards, the Axeman wrote a letter to the local newspapers claiming that he would kill again in 15 minutes unless the house that he entered was playing Jazz music. This spelled the end of The Axeman, but he was never caught and his identity remains unsolved to this day.
4. The 2000 Uganda Cult Massacres
A decade after the mass murders of over a thousand Ugandans by their religious leaders, this case remains unsolved. The cult, the Movement for Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, was doomsday based and believed the world would end by the turn of the millennium.
When a church belonging to the group was sealed shut and set on fire, it was thought that all members were committing suicide as the ‘end of times’ approached. But as the weeks went by and more bodies were discovered in mass graves, police began to suspect that it was a massacre rather than a mass suicide.
The cult’s leader, Joseph Kibwetere, disappeared after the killings and the fate of other members of the sect is still unknown. But what’s clear is that the Ugandan authorities failed to prevent the slaughter, despite having knowledge of the cult and its dubious activities. Tonight on Special Assignment, we ask why, in a country as deeply religious as Uganda, such a tragedy could happen. And we look at why President Yoweri Museveni’s government is under attack for not doing more to stop it. The murders have also prompted criticism of some born-gain churches that have distanced themselves from the Joseph Kibwetere sect.
6. The Murder of Betty Lou Jensen
In 1968, Betty Lou Jensen and David Faraday set out on their first date together. The couple had planned to attend a Christmas concert, but the night ended in tragedy. The pair was shot to death in a lovers lane on the outskirts of Benicia, California. Police are still searching for the killer.
The murders were widely blamed on the Zodiac Killer at the time. Sheriff’s detective Leslie Lundblad worked almost around the clock in the days following the crime and was convinced that the clues would lead him to a conviction, but he never found them.
Police believe the killer shot the teenagers in their Rambler station wagon as they parked in a gravel turnout. Ten expended bullet casings were found near the vehicle. One of the shots had penetrated the roof and another had entered the front passenger side door.
The killer then followed the teens as they walked down the road, shooting at them from between their feet and over their heads. They both died instantly. Those who knew the victims were devastated and the case remains unsolved to this day.
7. The Murder of David Faraday
On the night of December 20, 1968, seventeen-year-old David Faraday and his girlfriend Betty Lou Jensen were shot to death at Lake Herman Road. A popular hangout spot for teenagers, the area was quiet and peaceful that night but police were soon confronted with a gruesome murder scene.
While the couple were sitting in their car, a shadowy figure approached and shot them. Jensen was killed instantly while Faraday died shortly after. A young boy was at first suspected of the murders but his alibi held up and the case quickly went cold.
According to Benicia resident Richard Quandt, who met Faraday at a summer camp, the teen was a “nice kid,” an all-American teenager who was on the school government and wrestling teams and was also an Eagle Scout. He had recently won the God & Country award, which is one of the highest honors in the scouting organization.
Like many other unsolved crimes, rumors have swirled around the case over the years. Several people have claimed to be the killers, but nothing has ever been confirmed. The secluded crime remains a mystery.
