# Unsolved mysteries and murders **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 12, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443 "2018-03-12T18:49:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/21 "2018-03-13T15:02:26Z")
One that always sticks in my brain, partly because it crops up in the news now and then even 35 years later, is Cherrie Mahan > **[Cherrie Mahan case still open 30 years after she disappeared](https://www.post-gazette.com/local/2015/02/22/Cherrie-Mahan-case-still-open-30-years-after-she-disappeared/stories/201502220103)** > > Unanswered questions and countless leads define the yearslong search for a missing woman.  > **[Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Cherrie_Mahan)** > > Cherrie Ann Mahan (August 14, 1976 – disappeared February 22, 1985; declared legally dead November 5, 1998) was an eight-year-old American girl who disappeared on February 22, 1985, after disembarking a school bus approximately fifty feet from the base of the driveway to her home in rural Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania. She was declared legally dead in November 1998. Mahan's abduction is strongly believed not to have been committed by a family member. > Mahan's disappearance is one... It hit the news so fast and so hard that when it broke I expected a result in days. And here it is all these years later and still nothing. It was always just beyond-belief to me. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/22 "2018-03-13T15:44:50Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > Just the history of that [hotel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deaths_and_violence_at_the_Cecil_Hotel) is enough to give one the creeps. The Cecil Hotel! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/23 "2018-03-13T16:42:01Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I have a few of these: > > [The Long Island Serial Killer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island_serial_killer). I read a good book about this that focused on the victims (all sex workers) and about how we devalue victims who are sex workers when they are people who deserve better. This is the one I came in here to mention. For anyone looking for entire books on unsolved mysteries and murders, [Lost Girls](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NF6ZJI/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) is a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/24 "2018-03-13T17:05:36Z")
[Maine’s oldest cold case, Mary C Olenchuck](https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/27foaq/maines_oldest_cold_case_the_murder_of_13_year_old/) ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/25 "2018-03-13T18:16:09Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > This is the one I came in here to mention. For anyone looking for entire books on unsolved mysteries and murders, [Lost Girls](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NF6ZJI/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) is a good one. That’s exactly the book I meant, thank you. Really worth a read. ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/26 "2018-03-13T19:18:08Z")
Walker County Jane Doe said “Who cares?” when asked if anyone who the waitress thought loved her knew where she was. heartbreaking… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/27 "2018-03-13T19:42:13Z")
> [@Princess\_Perfume](#): > > Walker County Jane Doe said “Who cares?” when asked if anyone who the waitress thought loved her knew where she was. > > heartbreaking… A friend told me that his daughter and all teenage girls at some point hate everyone and everything. This forum requires that you wait 60 seconds between posts. Please try again in 1 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/28 "2018-03-13T19:55:27Z")
[Gloria Ramirez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Gloria_Ramirez), “the toxic lady” whose dead body somehow poisoned a bunch of doctors and hospital workers. It’s not known for certain what caused it; all we have are theories. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/29 "2018-03-13T20:43:55Z")
Another pretty awful one: a woman finds a Polaroid in a convenience store parking lot of a young boy and girl bound and gagged. The girl may or may not be identified as [Tara Calico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_Calico) while the boy never was. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/30 "2018-03-13T21:48:04Z")
Can anyone make out the title of the book? ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/31 "2018-03-13T22:30:17Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Another pretty awful one: a woman finds a Polaroid in a convenience store parking lot of a young boy and girl bound and gagged. The girl may or may not be identified as [Tara Calico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_Calico) while the boy never was. There’s been so much debate over whether this picture is a hoax or real. A lot of people have brought up the fact that the tape over their mouths wouldn’t actually be functional enough to gag them, and that it looks posed for show. A lot of people seem to think it could be some kind of inside joke from one family member or friend to another. But a lot of people also do think it could be real. That one pops up on the Unresolved Mysteries reddit ALL the time. ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/32 "2018-03-13T22:34:22Z")
Plus it isn’t Tara Calico in the picture. If you compare it with a picture of the real Tara, there are obvious differences, especially the bridge of the nose. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/33 "2018-03-13T23:27:01Z")
The [“Murder In The Stacks”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Betsy_Aardsma) case at Penn State University (a student was stabbed to death in the library in 1969) officially remains unsolved. [Maria Ridulph’s murder](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maria-ridulph-murder-will-the-nations-oldest-cold-case-to-go-to-trial-ever-get-solved/) is back in the unsolved category after the man convicted of her death many years later was subsequently declared innocent. And JonBenet someone or other. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/34 "2018-03-14T00:42:50Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Can anyone make out the title of the book? The article says it’s _My Sweet Audrina_ by V.C. Andrews. ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/35 "2018-03-14T00:59:56Z")
Remember that “Lisa does a beauty pageant” episode of the Simpsons? You couldn’t do that post-JonBenet murder. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/36 "2018-03-14T02:11:28Z")
In 1981 a five year old girl went missing here in Topeka. She was seen walking away from her house, and some say a man was following her. Jackie Hay was never seen again, nor was her body found. It’s been thirty-seven years. ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/37 "2018-03-14T02:14:10Z")
It’s really sad when places where crimes occurred or victim’s bodies were found are later demolished or paved over when streets and highways are widened. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/38 "2018-03-14T02:35:35Z")
It’s been a while so I don’t know if it was officially solved yet but according to a bunch of 9/11 timelines the morning of 9/11/01 a group of Arabic looking men in a van approached Camp David claiming they were journalists and they wanted to talk to the President and Secret Service turned them away since they had no papers of any kind. I’ve always been curious what the hell their deal was. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/39 "2018-03-14T10:08:57Z")
[Erica Baker](http://wdtn.com/2014/02/07/justice-for-erica-inside-the-erica-baker-case/), 9, went missing 19 years ago in Kettering, Ohio. It is troubling that there doesn’t appear to have been much progress in solving the [Pike County, Ohio, shootings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pike_County,_Ohio,_shootings). ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443/40 "2018-03-14T10:15:06Z")
> **[Disappearance of Sheila Fox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Sheila_Fox)** > > Sheila Fox (January 1938 – disappeared 18 August 1944) was an English girl whose disappearance at the age of six from Farnworth, Lancashire, England has been called one of World War II England's most "baffling" mysteries. The press dubbed Fox "The Girl in the Green Mac". > Fox was last seen leaving her school at 4:00 pm in Farnworth on 18 August 1944, presumably on her way home, to which she never arrived. Companions of Fox claimed to have seen her with a man outside a bakery, where some account... > **[Disappearance of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Joanne_Ratcliffe_and_Kirste_Gordon)** > > Joanne Ratcliffe (born 1962) and Kirste Jane Gordon (born 1968) were two Australian girls who went missing while attending an Australian rules football match at the Adelaide Oval on 25 August 1973. Their disappearance and presumed abduction and murder became one of South Australia's best-known crimes. The presumed murders are thought by South Australia Police and the media to be related to the disappearance of the Beaumont children in 1966. The case is sometimes referred to as the Ade Joanne R... > **[Disappearance of the Beaumont children](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_the_Beaumont_children)** > > Jane Nartare Beaumont (born 10 September 1956), Arnna Kathleen Beaumont (born 11 November 1958) and Grant Ellis Beaumont (born 12 July 1961), collectively known as the Beaumont children, were three Australian siblings who disappeared from Glenelg Beach near Adelaide, South Australia, on 26 January 1966 (Australia Day) in a suspected abduction and murder. At the time of their disappearance they were aged nine, seven and four years, respectively. > Police investigations revealed that, on the day ... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsolved-mysteries-and-murders/810443.md?page=3)