1. True crime

2. Barbara / Patricia Grimes ( 1956 )
The Grimes sisters were teenagers who disappeared from Brighton Park, Chicago on December 28th 1956; their bodies were found on January 22nd There was a conclusion that the two sisters were murdered on the night they disappeared from the park; however, numerous reports of sightings were reported in the time between the disappearance and the finding of their bodies. Bennie Bedwell confessed to the crime but ended up recanting; the case remains unsolved.

3. Charles C. Morgan (1977)
Morgan was an escrow banker with suspected ties to organized crime accounts. Shortly before his disappearance, he claimed to be an undercover agent for the Treasury Dept. and had testified in organized crime cases involving criminal activity on both sides of the Mexican border. His wife stated that he had been kidnapped for several days but refused to provide details or report the incident to police.
Morgan was found dead with a number of weapons and boxes of ammo, a
bullet-proof vest, and an odd map concealed in his underwear.
The case was initially ruled a suicide.

4. Holly Bobo
Bobo disappeared from her Tennessee home in 2011; her brother last saw her being led into the woods by a man in camouflage. Her remains were later found in the woods. Three men have been prosecuted, although evidence is considered circumstantial and the prosecution has been lax in releasing evidence to the defense. Many consider the evidence against the men to be insufficient and a confession by one of them to be coerced. A judge has ordered that a trial will move forward in 2017.

5. Jonathan Luna
Luna, a government prosecutor, leaves his office in Baltimore and drives overnight into Pennsylvania without contacting friends or family. He withdraws money from his bank account and appears to make an effort to skip toll roads and the cameras there. He is found dead, drowned under his own car, which was driven into a river. He had been stabbed 36 times and there was blood all over the backseat of the car. Investigators believe it was a suicide. Coroners ruled it a homicide. Although married, his profile was found on dating websites and he had hidden both a bank account and a substantial credit card debt from his wife. Was he murdered, or did he truly commit suicide? Some even posit he went too far in an attempted false kidnapping scheme.

6. Sean Drenth
Officer Drenth was found dead next to his patrol car in an alley; he had a shotgun wound to the face and his shotgun was lying on his chest. His other weapons were found on the other side of a fence. The passenger door of his patrol car was standing open; he had dirt on his knees as if he had been kneeling. It is rumored that he was facing indictment over a fraud case involving a side job he worked with other officers, but that was claimed to be minor. His death was ruled a suicide.

7. Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders
During the summer of 1977, a Girl Scouts camp received a threat that campers would soon be killed, but it was dismissed as a prank. Later that summer, three young girls were found assaulted and murdered after being removed from their tent. A local Native American man, who had recently escaped from prison, was immediately suspected and arrested for the crime, despite his claims of a frame-up. He was acquitted of the crime and later died in prison of a heart attack without ever admitting to the crime.

8. Lulu Lemon Murder
In 2011, LuLulemon employees Brittany Norwood and Jayna Murray were found bound and bleeding in the back room of the store. Murray was dead, having sustained over 300 separate injuries. Norwood had minor injuries and stated that a group of men had entered the store at closing time, raping and beating them both before tying them up and leaving. Norwood was eventually arrested and charged with first-degree murder; she argued that it was not a pre-meditated event, and she should have been charged with second- degree murder. Was it a cold and calculated attack or was it a crime of passion?

9. Jon-Benet Ramsey
In one of the most famous modern-day unsolved mysteries, Ramsey was a 6-year-old beauty queen murdered in her home in Colorado. Her mother called the police stating that a ransom note had been found in the morning; however, hours later, Ramey’s father found her body in a basement closet. The note alluded to a group of terrorists targeting the family, though no suspects have been identified. Over the years, many have begun to suspect a conspiracy by various members of the family.

10. The Keddie Murders
In 1981, a family living in a mountain cabin in Keddie, California were murdered in the middle of the night. Three bodies were found bound and beaten/stabbed to death. The body of the 12-year-old daughter was found three years later. No one has been arrested, though suspicion arose regarding two disgruntled neighbors. The case was recently re-opened due to the apparent location of a murder weapon.

11. Mary Morris Murders
On October 12 and 16, 2000, two women (both named Mary Morris) who had never met were found dead in Houston under very similar circumstances. While the first Mary had no known enemies, the second had had encounters with a “creepy coworker,” as well as marital problems. Some suspect that a hitman had first killed the wrong target before correcting his mistake while others feel the incident is simply a wild coincidence.

12. Tina Watson
During her honeymoon in Australia, Watson drowned while on a scuba excursion with her new husband. She was an inexperienced diver and sank to the bottom within minutes of beginning the dive; her husband claimed he tried to help her but was unable to do so. He was convicted of murder in Australia and was extradited to the US for trial; a judge threw out the case due to lack of evidence.

13. The Bain Family
In 1994, David Bain returned from his newspaper route in New Zealand to discover the other five members of his family murdered, presumably by his father. A note, presumably to David by his father, was typed into the computer stating, “You were the only one who deserved to stay.” Evidence, however, did not match this explanation, and David was found guilty of the murders. His conviction was overturned and he was released in 2007.

14. Kim Thomas
Dr. Ed Friedland found his wife’s body when he returned home from work late in the evening; she had been handcuffed and stabbed to death. Their 10-month-old child was unharmed in his crib.
Four years later, Ed was charged with the murder, but the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence.
The case is still open; Ed blames a gardener who was charged with the murder of another woman in 2008, but the gardener maintains his innocence.

15. Amy Lynn Bradley
Bradley disappeared from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in the Caribbean in Her father saw her at 5:30 sleeping on her balcony; she was gone without a trace by 6:00. A DJ working on the ship was suspected of the crime and did not cooperate with the investigation. There have been numerous sightings of Bradley over the years, most related to sex trafficking. Are these sightings accurate, or was she murdered on the ship? Could there be a more “innocent” explanation?

16. Laurie Bembenek
Bembenek was convicted of the murder of her husband’s ex-wife. The victim’s children claim they saw a masked male figure exiting the house after shooting their mother in the head. There are various suspects and complexities of the case, though “Bambi” pled guilty to second-degree charges after escaping from prison. She died at age 52.

17. Zach Witman
Zach Witman stayed home from school sick; his 13-year-old brother returned home from school at 3:15 and Zach claims to have heard a ‘thump’ from downstairs. Upon investigation, he found his brother in the front hallway, stabbed 65 times in the neck.
Police found a bloody glove and the murder weapon buried in the backyard. Police eventually charge Zach with first-degree murder and he is convicted over 4 years later. His legal defense has been called into question, as has police handling of the evidence; he and his parents still maintain his innocence.

18. Natalee Holloway
Holloway disappeared after a night out drinking during a trip to Aruba in Dutch citizen Jordan Van der Sloot has been the prime suspect for years, but no charges have been made. He has made confessions at various times, none matching each other or the evidence in the case. He has also extorted money from Holloway’s family in exchange for false locations of her remains. In 2010, van der Sloot was arrested for the murder of a woman in Peru; he again exchanged money for another, again different, confession. The case has been closed with no arrests and Holloway has been declared legally dead.

19. Robert Durst
Durst inherited part of a multimillion-dollar real estate empire in NYC; oddly, a number of people who have been close to him throughout his life have gone missing or turned up dead. These potential victims include a customer at a store he owned who he had an altercation with, his wife, a college friend of his who is rumored to have helped him cover up his wife’s death, and a neighbor in his apartment complex (where he was living under another identity) whom he was acquitted of murdering even after admitting to shooting him and cutting up his body. Durst supposedly made an accidental confession to the crimes in the HBO series The Jinx. He is currently awaiting trial and maintains his innocence on all counts.

20. DB Cooper
In possibly the most famous and daring heist in US history, a man using the name DB Cooper hijacked a passenger plane mid-flight. He parachuted out of the plane with $200,000 and was never seen or heard from again. A number of people have made deathbed confessions about being Cooper, and others have been suspected; however, no one has been identified or charged.

21. Elisa Lam
Elisa Lam was a Canadian-born citizen who was staying at the Cecil Hotel in Downtown L.A, which has had a history of murders and unexplained events. Lam was found on the roof of the building floating in the water tanks, naked and deceased. A video has been released of her seeming to be talking frantically to an unseen individual in an elevator right before her disappearance. The elevator does not move and Lam appears quite upset. This case remains unsolved.

22. Brian Carrick
17-year-old Brian Carrick disappeared after leaving for work at the grocery store across the street in His body was never found, but his death was ruled a homicide after a store employee admitted in 2010 to killing him over a drug debt owed to the store owner’s son. This man received probation in exchange for his testimony, while the other individual received a life sentence; that sentence was recently overturned. I third individual indicated in the crime died of a drug overdose in Debate surrounds the identity of the true perpetrator of the crime.

23. Dyatlov Pass
Dyatlov Pass is the name given to the area where 9 experienced hikers in Russia mysteriously died and whose remains were discovered in very unsettling circumstances. Many were found in various stages of dress, some even wearing each others’ clothing. Their tents had been cut open from the inside. Many had very serious injuries that cannot be easily explained. It is also rumored that radiation was detected at the site. A camera was found with mysterious pictures on it. Theories range from alien activity, Russian weapons testing, an avalanche, etc.

24. Amanda Knox
In a famous international case, American student Amanda Knox and her Italian boyfriend were arrested and imprisoned by Italian police after the brutal rape and murder of her British roommate. Investigators claimed a lurid sex game led to the jealous, ritualistic murder. Tabloid journalism also ran rampant with sensational headlines about “Foxy Knoxy.”Numerous appeals resulted in the dismissal and reinstatement of the guilty verdict. Knox was eventually released due to lack of evidence and returned to the US. Did she murder her roommate or was she unfairly persecuted by an overly religious police detective?

25. Kendrick Johnson
Johnson was found upside down, wedged into a rolled up wrestling mat beneath the bleachers at his high school. He had been there overnight and was declared to have died from “positional asphyxia.” His death was ruled an accident, though his family hired an independent coroner who declared his death due to “blunt force trauma.” The family maintains the death was a homicide and that authorities may be involved in a cover-up.

26. Darlie Routier
Routier claims she was awakened by an intruder stabbing her; her two young sons had already been stabbed to death in the same room. She claimed an intruder had entered the home, taken a kitchen knife, and committed the act. Doctors described her wounds as “superficial” and evidence found at the scene did not line up with her story. She was found guilty and placed on death row. Some suspicion has been placed on her husband, who may have hired someone to break into the house to prompt an insurance payout; many have trouble believing that a mother could so brutally dispatch her own children. A controversial video was leaked to the press during her trial that is said to have unfairly influenced the jury.

27. Maura Murray
Murray lied to teachers and employers about a death in her family before driving across Massachusetts, possibly to vacation at ski resorts. Before leaving, she packed up many of her belongings and bought $40 worth of liquor. When residents heard her car impact a snowdrift, they investigated only to find her car locked with no sign of the driver. She was never seen again. Murray had numerous personal issues that raise questions, including charges of credit card fraud, possible alcoholism and/or DUI issues, and relationship troubles.

28. Adnan Syed
Syed, a gifted high school student, was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend after school and dumping her body in a park. His conviction was based almost entirely on the testimony of a friend of his that claimed he helped Syed dispose of the body afterwards, as well as questionable cell phone records that have since been ruled inadmissible. Syed has been granted, and is awaiting, a new trial that was largely based on information obtained by NPR’s “Serial” podcast. The podcast raised questions about forensic evidence, the alleged testimony of his accomplice, his motives, and the timeline of events presented by the prosecution. It is also of note that his legal defense was dying of cancer during the trial proceedings and the quality of his representation is questionable.

29. Affluenza (Ethan Couch)
Ethan Couch is an affluent high school student who killed four people and paralyzed another during a drunken joyride in his father’s truck. His lawyer claimed he was unable to realize the consequences of such behavior due to his privileged upbringing; the judge agreed to allow his parents to pay huge sums of money to place him in a rehab program instead of sentencing him to a prison sentence.

30. David Koresh and the Branch Davidians of Waco, Texas
David Koresh believed himself to be the “last prophet” and was part of the Branch Davidians religious sect. The “cult” was accused of hoarding illegal firearms; the ATF searched his facilities which resulted in a shoot out and long stand off that ended with 79 people dead. Controversy surrounds the ATF’s handling of the initial warrant and stand-off, as well as who is responsible for the fire at the compound that resulted in so many deaths. Can the cult be blamed for this disaster, or was the situation poorly handled by Law Enforcement?

31. Casey Anthony
Anthony was accused of murdering her daughter and disposing of her body. It was later discovered that, during the search for her “missing” child, she spent much of her time partying and drinking. She changed her story multiple times before eventually admitting that her daughter drowned in the pool and she disposed of her body to avoid being blamed. She was acquitted after a lengthy and public trial; most do not believe her innocence.

32. WM3 --- West Memphis Three
In 1994, three young boys went missing in a small town in Arkansas. They were later found bound, mutilated, and drowned in woods nearby. Three local teenagers were suspected and accused, largely based on their appearance and social lives. After a highly publicized trial, they were all found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. After years of public outcry, they were released in There are numerous theories regarding who the actual killer may be.

33. Ira Yarmelenko
Yarmelenko went to a North Carolina river to take photos for her school newspaper. She was later found dead in the river, several cords wrapped around her neck. Her car had rolled down an embankment next to the water. Two fishermen who had been in a boat nearby were eventually arrested for murder based on a small amount of questionable DNA evidence found on the roof of her car. One man died before his trial and the other was convicted of murder; he remains in prison.

34. Ken McElroy
Ken McElroy was considered his town’s “bully.” He was accused of numerous crimes including murder, child molestation, and statutory rape. Ken McElroy was with his wife Trena when he was killed in broad daylight in a crowd of about 40 people. To this day, no one will admit to having seen who the shooter was. This case remains a focal point in the discussion of the justification of vigilantism.

35. Kyron Horman
7-year-old Horman disappeared shortly after his stepmother walked him into school after a science fair assembly. He was never seen again. Some evidence leads many to suspect the stepmother of killing the boy, whom she may not have liked; however, she has never been charged with any crime.

36. Blair Adams
In 1996, Canadian construction foreman Blair Adams emptied his bank account and quit his job, claiming that someone was after him. He rented a car and drove across the border, eventually checking into a hotel in Tennessee after somehow obtaining the wrong keys to the rental car at a gas station. He checked in but never made it to his room. He was found beaten to death, with thousands of dollars in various foreign currencies surrounding his half-naked body.

37. The Zodiac Killer
The Zodiac Killer operated in California in the 60s and 70s. He had at least five victims; he is best known for taunting the police and media with strange demands and coded “cyphers”, some of which have still not been deciphered. There are multiple suspects, with one being particularly strong; however, no one has been charged or formally identified, and it is believed that the Zodiac has been dead for many years.

38. Rebecca Coriam
Coriam was a British citizen working on a Disney cruise ship. She disappeared off the coast of Mexico in the early morning and was never seen again. Disney alleges that she fell overboard, but there is a large and public movement that claims a cover-up by Disney regarding a much more sinister incident, citing a minimal investigation by the company.

39. Morgan Ingram
20-year-old Ingram was found dead of toxicity caused by an overdose of antidepressants. Her mother has dedicated a blog to the idea that a stalker had been harassing Ingram for months, eventually sneaking into the home and injecting Ingram with the drug. No one has been charged, and Mrs. Ingram’s behavior prior to, and following, her daughter’s death has led many to believe Mrs. Ingram to be complicit in the death due to a case of “Munchausen by Proxy.”

40. Carl “Charlie” Brandt
At age 13, Charlie shot and killed his pregnant mother, wounded his father, and attempted to shoot his sister. After being locked away for just one year, Charlie was returned to his family, who then moved to Florida. Charlie then led what most considered a fairly normal life, eventually marrying. Years later, on a trip to see his wife’s niece, a neighbor discovered Charlie had hanged himself in the garage and his wife had been stabbed to death inside the home. Her niece had been murdered and ritualistically dismembered. Charlie has since been suspected in the murder of two other women and has been listed as a serial killer. In retrospect, warning signs existed that his childhood demons had not been left behind as his family had hoped/believed; his wife’s family insists that she was never informed about his dark past. Could this all have been avoided? Should he and his family have been honest about his childhood?