# What is the most fascinating unsolved murder and why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2001, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913 "2001-08-18T17:15:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/21 "2001-08-19T04:06:46Z")
You might call me weird for adding this (“Yeah, Darrell, we thought you were perfectly reasonable until you made this stupid post…”), but I don’t care, I’m still intrigued by it: Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Okay, we all know that OJ Simpson was the strongest suspect. And there weren’t any other major suspects. And his defense both before, during, and after the trial was unconvincing, to put it mildly. By rights, this should have been an open-and-shut case. Except for the facts. Where was the knife? Where were the bloodstained clothes? And how was Simpson able to not only completely rid himself of them, but do in it the time between the murders and the time he was last seen? And if the case was such a lock, why did the prosecution not follow evidence handing procedures to the letter? They should _know_ that even the slightest tampering renders the evidence invalid! The fact remains that two people who were very close to a prominent sports star were slain, and despite an exhaustive investigation and endless publicity, the biggest suspect got off and no others have ever turned up. And the murder weapon and bloody clothes are still missing. That _anyone_ could pull it off in this day and age strikes me as incredible. ---
**Author:** ![Mersavets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@Mersavets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mersavets)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/22 "2001-08-19T04:40:46Z")
This one isn’t quite an unsolved murder but… A couple of months ago here in Melbourne, we had some weird guy shoot and kill an abortion clinic security guard. The guy was taken into custody but refused to give his name. Nobody thought much of it at the time because it was just assumed someone would come forward with his identity. Fast forward to today and I read in the papers that the cops STILL have no idea who he is despite issuing statements for weeks now saying they are on the verge of a breakthrough. They are now saying that due to some industrial dispute forensic and DNA evidence can’t be properly analysed.e ---
**Author:** ![Ennui](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ennui/32/3396_2.png) [@Ennui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ennui)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/23 "2001-08-19T05:22:59Z")
Well I must second the vote for JFK. Even if Oswald acted alone that would have been the trial of the century. But may I add: Roberto Calvi. In 1982 he was found hanging beneath a bridge in London with his pockets full of bricks. Calvi had ties to the Vatican bank and the media called him “God’s banker.” Inspite of the fact that he was in his sixties, not in great physical shape and the girder he was hanging from was very difficult to access (he reportedly would have needed to lower himself over a railing then jump accros to the central support where the top of his rope was tied)the corner’s verdict was suicide. Now there was all manner of bizarre speculation and allegations regarding this man. Everything from him being a member of a freemasonic conspiracy to him being a knight of Malta. There was some rather credible evidence that he used a system of “shadow banks” to funnel drug money through the Vatican bank and was acting as a large scale Laundromat for everyone from the cartels to the CIA and Italian Fascist movements. It was reported that Calvi had intended to testify against has accomplices and confided a fear to his wife that persons in the Vatican might try to kill him. Now I have no idea how much of this story relates to any amount of truth, but you must admit that suicide was a rather unlikely cause of death. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/24 "2001-08-19T05:51:00Z")
JonBenet Ramsey. It was nearly five years ago, and theories abound, but I suppose it is still considered an “open” case. ---
**Author:** ![Broken\_Doll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Broken\_Doll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broken_Doll)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/25 "2001-08-19T06:13:02Z")
I second the JonBenet Ramsey case. It’s just too bizarre. I mean, still no one has been found guilty of the murder. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/26 "2001-08-19T13:23:07Z")
Since they all occured recently, I wish they’d get to the bottem of Nicole & Ron, and JonBenet. AND Chandra Levy, if it is murder. Odd that we have 3 (4?) famous murders in a decade that will probably go unsolved. Historically, the Black Dahlia and Lizzie Borden fascinate me. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/27 "2001-08-19T14:18:20Z")
The missing Beaumont children (disappeared in Adelaide in 1966; no bodies, no sign, no clue) Jack the Ripper Springheel Jack (that one’s just _weeeeiiiird_ ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/28 "2001-08-19T16:06:10Z")
I know this doesn’t have quite the … marquee factor of the Zodiac and Jack the Ripper murders, but I find the various conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of Olaf Palme (Swedish PM) quite interesting. ---
**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:** [August 19, 2001, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/29 "2001-08-19T17:48:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*my bet is that the missing bodies are Alexei and Maria, not Anastasia as everyone thinks. \*\* Why? I though they had found Alexei outside the pit. ---
**Author:** ![Yankee\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7ea924/32.png) [@Yankee\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankee_Blue)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/30 "2001-08-19T18:20:26Z")
Nope. Alexei was never found and one of the girls was missing too, from what I understand one of the older girls (imo Tatiana) but they are pretty darn sure they have Anastasia’s body. As for me, I too want a solution to the murder of the Princes in the Tower. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/31 "2001-08-19T18:33:00Z")
[http://www.crosswinds.net/~lotma/Remains.html](http://www.crosswinds.net/~lotma/Remains.html) THIS is an excellent site, done by three friends of mine. ---
**Author:** ![Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/32 "2001-08-19T19:51:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mersavets \* > \*\*. Nobody thought much of it at the time because it was just assumed someone would come forward with his identity. Fast forward to today and I read in the papers that the cops STILL have no idea who he is despite issuing statements for weeks now saying they are on the verge of a breakthrough. They are now saying that due to some industrial dispute forensic and DNA evidence can’t be properly analysed.e \*\* Okay, now that’s creepy. It reminds me too much of “Seven” and “The Prophecy.” -Ben ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/33 "2001-08-19T20:45:35Z")
There’s a site that I go to and scare myself silly. I tell myself that I’m not going there ever again. Then I go back. Usually at night. Because I’m real stupid sometimes. Anyhoo. . ., they have a pretty good hypothosis on who murdered The Black Daliah. This is the site: [http://www.crimelibrary.com/](http://www.crimelibrary.com/) [This](http://www.crimelibrary.com/dahlia/doll.htm) is the link to The Black Daliah story. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/34 "2001-08-20T01:17:06Z")
One question I find interesting is whether William Randolph Hearst murdered Thomas Ince (supposedly by accident, meaning to kill Charlie Chaplin, who was having an affair with Hearst’s girl). It makes me wonder whether anyone, in this day of tabloids (not that they didn’t exist and weren’t just as bad back then) and the Internet, could get away with what Hearst (supposedly) got away with… ---
**Author:** ![Ell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Ell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ell)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/35 "2001-08-20T01:43:50Z")
The Azaria Chamberlain case. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/36 "2001-08-20T01:49:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Leaper \* > \*\*One question I find interesting is whether William Randolph Hearst murdered Thomas Ince (supposedly by accident, meaning to kill Charlie Chaplin, who was having an affair with Hearst’s girl). > \*\* I read about this in [The Big Book of Conpiracies](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1563891867/qid%3D998272033/107-8579773-7324537). It was, by far, the most believable out of all the entries. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/37 "2001-08-20T02:47:20Z")
Well, considering Hearst owned most of the publishing industry… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![toshirodragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e68b1a/32.png) [@toshirodragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toshirodragon)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/38 "2001-08-20T03:49:51Z")
Well my history Professor was of the opinion that Henry the seventh murdered the little princes to ensure the succession by HIS children. Two small bodies were found buried under some flagstone at the foot of a staircase leading up into the tower. As far as Jack the Ripper goes according to Discovery(I think)in the autobiography of the Chief of Scotland Yard someone ( I forget who) has hand written a note stating that the killer was a well known, at least to Scotland Yard, psycho named Kosminski. But since Kosminski was jewish the only witness, who was also jewish, refused to testify. But Scotland Yard managed to pick up Kosminski on another charge and send him to the insane asylum. Kosminski, as I remember was well known to Scotland Yard for violence against women. Okay I think that was an accurate summary of the program. 1 What happened to Arthur of Brittany? 2.Was Edward II murdered? And who ordered it? 3.What happened to Richard II? ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/39 "2001-08-20T05:43:24Z")
Richard II! The subject of my B.A. thesis! Of course, I was writing about Shakespeare and not history, but still… Anyway, the generally accepted account (nowadays) is that he died of starvation (possibly voluntary, but possibly enforced) while imprisoned in Pontefract Castle – though other versions say he was smothered. Shakespeare’s more dramatic depiction of the murder, in which Richard goes down fighting, actually follows Holinshed’s Chronicles fairly closely. (For that matter, part of his account resembles the story of the murder of Thomas à Becket, but that’s not really germane to the topic, unless you want to point out that Holinshed was probably influenced by said story, as I suspect he probably was. ;)) Anyway, that still leaves some unanswered questions about what exactly happened to Richard, so it still counts – good call, toshirodragon. (I also suspect that Edward II probably was murdered, although it’s not known if the popular account of his death is true…) ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913/40 "2001-08-20T05:52:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ell \* > \*\*The Azaria Chamberlain case. \*\* Just to clarify to any American Dopers who might not know, this is the one which reduces you guys to fits of giggles when the words “dingo” and “baby” are mentioned in the same sentence, and with an Australian accent. I’m not above a bit of black humour myself, but there is more to this incident than a _Simpsons_ line. It’s a truly fascinating case if you study it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-fascinating-unsolved-murder-and-why/76913.md?page=3)