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Unsolved Canadian Cases

April 17, 2024

These are cases of individuals who have gone missing in Canada but may not have enough information to be an entire case post of their own.

James David Kunuk

James David Kunuk was born in 1981 and was 34 years old at the time of his disappearance. He was last seen by family on September 21, 2016 in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. He was not reported missing until December 2016 by his landlord.

James had been living in downtown Vancouver, BC, but had recently moved to the Yukon and not yet unpacked his belongings. He did not take his wallet with him.

James did not contact his family for his birthday or over Christmas, which was unusual. Most do not think he moved again, however, he does have family in the Northwest Territories.

James uses multiple aliases including Jay Kunuk, Jimmy Miller, Jay David Springgay, Jimmy Kunuk, James Thrasher, Jeremiah McClusky.

He is Indigenous, 5'10 in height, 181 pounds with a medium build. He has short, straight black hair and brown eyes. He has two tattoos; one on his left forearm of a cross with the word "LIFE" and on his right arm of the word "THUG."

He would be 42 years old today.

Edward Joseph Arcand

Edward Joseph Arcand left his home in Coleman, Alberta driving a 1969 Ford Falcon station wagon on June 8, 1975. He has never been seen since.

On June 15, 1975, one week later, his vehicle was found abandoned 80 km north of Coleman on Highway 940. However, the Doe Network states his car was found in July 1975. Edward is Indigenous, 5'8 in height, 139 pounds with a medium build. Joseph has brown eyes and short black hair, last seen wearing a blue, denim jacket, red shirt and blue, denim pants.

Many speculated he could have been Septic Tank Sam, a man whose remains were discovered in a septic tank outside Tofield, Alberta in 1977. However, Edward was missing 6 teeth and Sam had all his teeth.

Septic Tank Sam would later be identified in June 2021 as a 26 year old Indigenous man named Gordon Sanderson, who had been murdered by a gunshot wound in 1976 or 1977.

Joseph had a hernia scar on his lower abdomen, a dark complexion, and no facial hair at the time. He was 27 years old at the time of his disappearance.

Joseph would be turning 76 years old in 2024.

Glenn Field

Glenn Field was 62 years old when he was last seen in April 2019 by a pilot flying over his campsite at Rolfe Lake, Northwest Territories. Glenn had flown to Rolfe Lake on September 13, 2018 to spend the winter living on the land.

He was then going to make his way back to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories in the spring of 2019. Glenn had three dogs with him and enough food to last the winter.

In October 2019, the RCMP Search and Rescue team did an aerial search of Rolfe Lake, but found no sign of Glenn.

Glenn is 5'10 in height, 170 pounds with grey hair and grey eyes. He has glaucoma and is missing one toe on his left foot and two toes on his right foot.

Glenn would be 67-68 years old in 2024.

Jean Gravel & Jean-Guy Champagne

Jean Gravel was 24 years old and went missing with his coworker Jean-Guy Champagne, who was 25, on July 6, 1972 in Trois-Rivières, Québec. Both men were employees of the Rio Bar in downtown.

Both arrived to work early in the evening to work the closing shift. Neither ever returned home and have not been seen since. They were reported missing on July 10, 1972.

Jean Gravel is described as being 5'8 in height, 139 pounds with brown eyes and hair. He was wearing yellow corduroy pants, a beige wool vest, leather black and white running shoes, a gold ring on his left finger, a necklace with assorted colours and a dark blue coat.

Jean-Guy Champagne was described as 5'11 in heigh, 163 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. He was wearing a green cotton coat, white cotton shirt, green cotton pants, a watch that may have been "Timex" brand, a silver wedding ring on his left finger, black shoes that were size 10-10.5 and has a scar on his chin.

If you have information on any of the above cases you can contact Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS(8477) or online at https://www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/tips. You can stay anonymous.

Source: Canada Unsolved (canadaunsolved.com)

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #murder #unsolved #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #mystery #solved #missing person #disappeared #disappearance #unsolved disappearance #canada

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The Strange Disappearance of Runaway Justin Pollari

March 16, 2024

In 2001, 14 year old Justin Pollari ran away from his home in Hilton Beach, Ontario, Canada. He has never been seen since.

Many youth run away from home, but most are found soon after. In 2018, 92% of missing children in Canada were found within one week.

Justin's photo was shown a lot. Posters all across Canada were put on bulletin boards, transport trucks, ect. Some believe that if the authorities took the case more seriously earlier on, Justin would have been found. Many do not take runaways seriously at first, as they think they will make contact with loved ones shortly.

Justin Pollari was born on January 31, 1987. His parents divorced when he was a baby, and he was living with his father, John and stepmother, Janis McLeod at the time of his disappearance. He had dyed black hair that he would wear in a Mohawk. Justin had two earrings in his left ear. He was known as a troubled child, never doing well in school and struggled with his parents divorce.

On December 7, 2001, Justin came home upset. He had been in a fight and his lip was cut. It was reported that he had admitted to being in this fight, however he later denied it. He was very angry and it was reported that he had even lunged at his father.

A couple hours later, Justin left the house with his skateboard and backpack that had a few clothes in it. He was wearing dark blue or black baggy pants, a dark blue or black hooded sweater, and a black toque over his 6 inch Mohawk. He had red or burgundy running shoes on.

Justin had run away from home one other time, but had gone to a friends house and returned the next day. It is unclear why he left when he did and wanted to runaway, if that was even the plan.

In the first few years, many sightings of Justin were reported. Some claimed to have seen him in a shelter in Toronto. Another person said someone matching Justin's description introduced himself as "J."

Another theory speculates he could've went to Michigan, as Hilton Beach is extremely close to the U.S. border.

Justin's family believes he was going towards Toronto. His parents and grandparents made several trips up to Toronto (a 7 hour drive for them), to look for their missing son and grandson. They went to homeless shelters, asked homeless youth, and looked through the streets.

In 2003, Justin's parents (father and stepmother) expressed frustration, stating that the shelter system makes it somewhat easy for youth to live. They think Justin was lured in by the "glamour" of Toronto street living.

A gas station attendant in Sault Ste. Marie, believed to have seen Justin get into a Quik X truck around the time he disappeared. This sighting was not reported until mid 2005, almost 4 years later.

On May 16, 2005, Justin's case was reopened by the East Algoma O.P.P. with the Criminal Investigation Branch. A huge search was completed, with a canine unit and forensics.

After 4 days, the search led to nothing.

Justin' family kept a briefcase full of photos of Justin that they would hand out during searches. They also had letters and drawings he left, that they had not discovered until after he disappeared. Three months before the disappearance, Justin had wrote to his grade 9 teacher a letter that said,

"I really hate school and the government. At class I plan on trying until I get sick of it, then I'll give up and drop out when I'm 16."

It has been reported that most youth who runaway and are at risk do so because of troubles at/with school, being bullied, having difficulty making friends, or having major life changes such as divorce, moving, or changing schools. Most runaways do not perform well in school and are seen as troublesome to teachers and peers according to the stats.

Many people believe Justin is deceased, explaining why he has been missing for over 22 years. Others think Justin made it to Toronto, or another big city and has been living homeless. Locals think more people know what happened to Justin but are not speaking out.

In 2018, Justin's case was again reopened. There are age progression photos of him available. He would be 37 years old today.

Justin's nickname was "Woody." He was listed as being 5'11 and weighing around 140 pounds. He has blue eyes and a dimple in his chin. He wore his hair in a 6 inch Mohawk style which may be dyed black or blonde. He had two earrings in his left ear and wore heavy chain necklaces.

He may have been wearing a wooden name tag with the inscription "Woody." He was an avid skateboarder and may have been hanging around skate parks. He may go by the nickname "Joe."

If you have any information regarding Justin Pollari’s disappearance or whereabouts, please contact Crime Stoppers, you can stay anonymous. Call 1-800-222-8477(TIPS)

You can also call Missing Kids at 1-866-KID-TIPS(543-8477).

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP): 

1-888-310-1122 1-888-310-1133 (TTY)

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #unsolved murder #unsolved case #murder #homicide #solved #mystery #runaway #youth #homeless #toronto #ontario #canada #missing #missingyouth

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5 Cases of Missing Indigenous Women in Canada

March 03, 2024

CARBON DOE

Carbon Doe was found on April 21, 1995, in a ditch outside the village of Carbon, in Alberta, Canada. She was likely last seen alive between 1980 to 1985, it is estimated that she was there for 10-15 years before her remains were found.

It is believed she is of Indigenous descent.

She was between 5'0-5'4 in height, had multiple dental fillings, and is possible she had children.

The woman had brucellosis, which means she would have suffered from repeated fevers. This disease is not common in Canada. She is estimated to be between 22-35 years old. She had dental work done, including stainless steel crowns.

There was no clothing or personal items found with her body. Some believe Carbon Doe was not from Alberta, but might have just been travelling at the time of her death. It is possible she was never reported as missing.

Her cause of death has never been released, though many suspect she was murdered.

2. Annie Yassie

Annie was born on July 27, 1960. Her family were members of the Sayisi Dene First Nation, located outside Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

The Dene Village was promised a lot from the government, but did not get any support, never receiving promised hunting and trapping supplies. They had to scavenge for food in the dump. What happened to these people in this village was named one of the worst crimes against Indigenous people in Canada.

Annie was extremely close to her sister, Eva. She loved to sew doll clothes and was a fan of the "hippie" look, often wearing denim outfits. Annie loved Christmas, and her sister Eva said she sometimes would sleepwalk, which Eva would watch her closely.

In 1973, Annie was sent to the Mackay Residential School in Dauphin, Manitoba, far from Dene Village. The Christian Church ran these residential schools, and they were mostly made to abuse and strip Indigenous children away from their culture.

At the time Annie disappeared she had returned from the residential school and was staying with her brother Fred.

On June 22, 1974, Annie was apparently out with a man who was about 10 years older than her. The two were drunk and had been celebrating Treaty Day. The taxi driver said the man had to drag Annie out of the car because she was passing out, and the taxi driver was asked to pick them up later. They were dropped off 3km outside of Churchill.

When the taxi returned, the driver said Annie was not there, only the man. The man was extremely drunk. Fred did not worry immediately when Annie did not return, as he knew she had said she wanted to visit her sister Eva at some point.

Eva showed up to Dene Village on June 26, 1974, discovering that everyone had assumed Annie had been with her the past 4 days, which was not true. Annie was officially reported missing that day.

The man Annie was last seen with was questioned, but he claimed he was too drunk and did not remember much. The case went cold. In 2014, they reopened Annie's file. In June 2016, Eva was asked to give a DNA sample. It took some time for police to get to Eva again, and it is unknown if DNA was actually taken.

Eva believes her sister was murdered by the man she was seen with that night, however that man is no longer alive.

Annie Yassie was 13 years old when she went missing. She was last seen wearing a blue denim jacket, a pair of blue denim jeans, brown shoes with a 3" heel. She was thin build, 5'4, weighing around 104 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes.

If anyone has info they are to contact the Cold Case Unit of the Winnipeg RCMP at 204-983-5461. If you would like to remain anonymous you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

3. Caitlin Potts

Caitlin was last heard from on February 22, 2016, through a Facebook message to her sister. She was 27 years old at the time, from the Sampson Cree First Nation. Caitlin was last seen by a witness in Enderby, British Columbia, Canada.

Caitlin was reported missing on March 1, 2016, however an official missing alert on the RCMP's website did not appear until March 21.

In June 2016, Caitlin's mother, Priscilla, contacted Indigenous groups in the province to help conduct a search for her daughter. Caitlin was in foster care until she was 11 years old.

Priscilla describes her daughter has happy as a child and extremely smart. Caitlin was born and raised in Alberta, however was living in B.C. at the time of her disappearance. Caitlin was living in Edmonton, Alberta with her younger sister, Codi, before recently moving to Enderby, B.C. where her boyfriend had moved.

Caitlin did not have the best relationship with her boyfriend and the two were on and off for about 2 months before she had disappeared. Codi claims Caitlin's boyfriend was physically abusive towards her and Caitlin would show up with bruises.

Codi said Caitlin's boyfriend had been arrested before and during that time Caitlin had stayed in a Salmon Arm women's shelter. Caitlin was doing good, going to school and working at Tim Horton's, however a few months later she went back to him.

Codi said Caitlin had texted her boyfriend the day she went missing and was upset over money he owed her. Caitlin also messaged Codi that she had found a ride to Calgary from Kijiji. Caitlin's roommate from the women's shelter had said Caitlin told her she met a stranger the night before.

Caitlin was seen by a witness in Enderby, and she had texted her sister that she was in Kelowna, B.C. before she disappeared.

Caitlin Potts was about 5'3, 150 pounds with brown eyes and long black hair with blonde streaks. Anyone who has info is to contact the Vernon RCMP at 250-545-7171 or anonymously Crime Stoppers at 1-888-222-8477.

4. Betsy Rosa Owens

Betsy was born July 7, 1973. She was a member of the Pauingassi First Nation, in Manitoba, Canada, and was extremely close with her sisters, Caroline Owens and Valerie Leveque. Betsy loved swimming with her sisters in Fishing Lake.

Betsy was described as a nice girl, who would go out of her way to avoid trouble. She loved music, and at the time of her disappearance she loved the song "Manic Monday" by The Bangles.

On October 22, 1988, Betsy was going to attend a dance with her boyfriend. Betsy and her boyfriend left the dance around 11pm. The last time her boyfriend saw her was the next morning, October 23, when she left his house.

Community members searched for Betsy as soon as she was discovered as missing, however no one found anything. Law enforcement conducted searches in 1996 and 1997 and found nothing.

In 2013, Caroline provided samples of DNA in case Betsy's remains were ever found.

Many rumours have been spread throughout the community, with many members believing they know who was involved in Betsy's disappearance. Betsy's family is not happy with police, as they say they rarely visit Pauingassi First Nation, and should have made more of an effort.

The lead investigator believes Betsy was met with foul play, but there's not enough evidence to arrest anyone.

Betsy was 15 years old at the time of her disappearance. She was last seen wearing a white cotton hooded sweater, a blue denim jacket, blue denim jeans and white high top runners. She was slender built, 5'3 in height, and weighed 119 pounds. She has long black hair and brown eyes.

If Betsy was alive today she would be 50 years old, turning 51 in July 2024. If you have any info you can contact the Winnipeg detachment of the RCMP at 204-983-5461.

5. Tamara Lynn Chipman

Tamara was from Moricetown Band, First Nation, now known as Witset, in British Columbia, Canada. She loved going on her dad's fishing boat and being outside. Tamara was described as lively and would not back down from a situation.

Tamara was 22 years old and the mother of a 2 year old son, when she went missing on September 21, 2005, near Prince Rupert, B.C. Being a young mother, it was said that Tamara began to hangout with the wrong crowd.

The people close to Tamara had speculated that she may be getting involved in drugs. In September 2005, Tamara had been in Prince Rupert, where her mother lived, for a few days without a car, as her car had broken down a few weeks earlier. Tamara was hitchhiking east, towards Terrace where her father lived.

In early November 2005, Tamara's father, Tom, realized no one had heard from his daughter and her rent had not been paid. Her bank account had also not been touched. Tom reported Tamara missing to the RCMP.

On November 15, 2005, an official search for her began. There was a claimed sighting of her in Vancouver, but no further evidence was found.

There was no named suspects but RCMP say they are pretty certain they know what happened. Two men and one woman have come forward claiming to have seen Tamara hitchhiking and picked her up. The woman said they were driving towards Terrace, when one of the men began arguing with Tamara and hit her, strangling her to death in the car.

They then pulled over in a remote area along the highway and dumped her body. The man who killed her returned to the area later to move and bury her body in the forest. The police searched this supposed area with the woman but Tamara's body was never home. The witness and two men have since died.

Tamara was last seen on an stretch of Highway 16, between Prince George and Prince Rupert, also known as the Highway of Tears, because many have disappeared from this highway.

Tamara's disappearance remains unsolved and no body has ever been found if the claims of her being murdered are true.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #solved #mystery #missing #missing person #indigenous #murdered #women #canada

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Caroline Mary Luard

February 29, 2024

Caroline Mary Luard was born in 1850. On July 1, 1875 she married a man named Charles Edward Luard. On August 24, 1908, around 2:30 pm, Caroline and her husband left home and took their dog for a walk.

According to Charles, he wanted to go get his golf clubs from the clubhouse at Godden Green Golf Club, but his wife wanted to go get some exercise before returning home as she was expecting a Mrs. Stewart for afternoon tea.

At 3 pm, the pair separated, at a wicket gate by St. Lawrence's Church. The gate led down a path to a house called "La Casa" owned by neighbours of Caroline and Charles. It was considered a summer house. Past that, through the woods, would get Caroline home.

Charles was seen many times between 3-4 pm. At 3:20 pm, Charles was seen by Thomas Durrand at Hall Farm. Between 3:25-3:30 pm, he was seen by a labourer, around the golf links, and again seen by the same man about 5-10 minutes later. At 3:35 pm, he was seen by the Golf Club Steward on the links.

At 4:05 p, Charles met Rev. A. B. Cotton. Charles was carrying his golf clubs and the Reverend offered to take the clubs in his car. Around 4:25 pm, Charles was dropped off at Ightham Knoll.

When Charles got home, Mrs. Stewart was at the house waiting for Caroline. Charles, knowing Caroline should've made it home by now went to search for his wife. He found her at 5:15 pm, on the verandah of the summer home. The home was locked and empty. Caroline had been shot in the head, and 3 of her rings and purse were missing. The only thing found at the scene were some "disappearing footprints."

The estimated time of the murder was around 3:15 pm, when Charles would have been walking towards the golf clubhouse. Three shots were heard by two witnesses at that time. Annie Wickham and Daniel Kettel, both heard them.

Wickham said she heard the shots come from the direction of the summer house, she was only about 500 yards away from the location.

The inquest was held on August 26, 1908. Caroline had been initially hit on the head, which knocked her to the ground, and she vomited. Her killer shot her behind the right ear, with the second shot into her left cheek.

Charles did claim to have owned 3 guns, but he was unable to remember where he kept the ammunition for them. It was concluded that the bullets came from a .320 revolver, which was fired a few inches from Caroline's head at close range. A gun expert claimed none of Charles' guns would have been able to fire those bullets, since they were smaller.

One of Caroline's pockets had been ripped off her dress, and police were hoping that would lead them to her killer. The pocket was found by a maid on the day before the funeral, at Ightham Knoll. The maid had been shaking out the sheet in which Caroline's body had been carried back to the house. Caroline's 3 rings were never seen again, despite police hoping someone would pawn them.

Many people believed Charles had murdered his wife, and Charles received anonymous letters accusing him of such. Charles decided to leave the area, and was staying with Colonel Charles Edward Warde.

On September 18, Charles wrote a letter to his son, who was supposedly on his way back from South Africa, after learning his mother had died, as well as a letter to Colonel Warde. He then walked the railway line at Teston, hid in bushes, and then jumped in front of the train.

He pinned a note to his coat that read, "Whoever finds me take me to Colonel Warde."

Caroline's murder police believed was committed by someone she knew, and that it had been planned. They did not think the real motive was robbery. Charles death was ruled a suicide due to him being "temporarily insane."

Some people think John Dickman was Caroline's killer, in 1910 he was sentenced to death for murdering a man on a train.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #solved #mystery

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The Twisted Crimes of Catholic Priest Hans Schmidt

January 28, 2024

Hans Schmidt was born in 1881 in a Bavarian town called Aschaffenburg. It was said that both of Hans' parents sides of the family had struggled with mental illness.

Hans was beaten by his father as a child and often watched his mother get beaten too. Hans also had a fascination with drinking blood and was interested in bisexuality. He was also fascinated with the death of animals, often watching farm animals die at the village slaughterhouse.

Hans was ordained as a Catholic priest on December 23, 1904 by Bishop Kirstein, despite many people believing he did not have the proper morals or mental capacity to do this kind of work.

Hans began molesting altar boys, was having affairs with various women, and was involved with sex workers. Many fellow priests complained to the Bishop about Hans, and eventually he had to move to the US in 1909, as they stopped giving him parish assignments due to the complaints.

He was assigned to St. John's Roman Catholic Church in Louisville, Kentucky, but was soon transfered to St. Boniface's Church in New York as he got into it with a senior pastor.

Hans met a woman named Anna Aumüller in New York in 1912. She was the housekeeper of the church and had emigrated from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1910. Hans later claimed he had heard a "voice from God" telling him to love Anna. Anna originally turned down Hans, but eventually engaged in a sexual relationship with him.

In December 1912, Hans began a secret sexual relationship with a New York dentist named Ernest Muret. The two men began operating a counterfeiting ring together.

Hans was then transfered to another church in Harlem but it did not stop him from keeping his secret relationship with Anna. The two even got married secretly, a ceremony Hans performed.

During sex with Anna, Hans later said he received a command from God, telling him Anna needed to be sacrificed. Hans said it was very persistent so he told Anna and she called him crazy. Anna began pregnant shortly after this.

On September 2, 1913, Hans went to the apartment him and Anna had been pretending to live in as a married couple. Hans slit Anna's throat while she was sleeping and then drank her blood. He also raped her while she bled and dismembered her body, throwing pieces of it into the river.

Anna's torso washed up on Cliffside Park and Weehawken, New Jersey. Hans had used a pillowcase to wrap part of Anna's body and there was still a tag on it. This was traced to Hans, after he had bought the pillowcases on August 26, 1913 using the name A. Van Dyke.

Police staked out the apartment for three days, but Hans did not return so they broke into the apartment to search it. The floors had recently been scrubbed, but dried blood was found on the walls. A bloody knife was found in the kitchen. Men's clothing with the name A. Van Dyke sewn into the clothes were found, but letters in the apartment were addressed to Hans Schmidt.

Lots of the letters were sent from women in Germany, but most of them were sent from Anna. This led the police to the address Anna had provided, but she was not there. They traced everything back to Hans who had admitted immediately that he killed Anna.

Hans plead guilty by reason of insanity. Due to his family's history with mental illness many thought he was insane. However, many people who interacted with Hans did think he was sane. This led to a hung jury in December 1913.

The second trial began two weeks later and it was found that Hans had actually taken out a $5000 life insurance policy in a woman's name of Bertha Zech, who was posing as Anna.

On February 5, 1914, after three hours, the jury found Hans guilty of first degree murder. He was sentenced to death. In December 1914, Hans admitted he was faking being insane during the trials. He also accused Ernest, the dentist he was having an affair with of accidentally killing Anna while performing an abortion.

On February 18, 1916, Hans went in the electric chair at Sing Sing. In a muffled voice, his last words were saying goodbye to his mother. Hans' family wanted to ship his body to Germany, but because of World War I it was impossible to do so. Hans was buried in New York, but his family requested that the location be a secret.

Hans has been suspected in at least 4 other murders. He had been seen with a woman named Helen Green, who then disappeared. She was never found. Hans was also seen with a woman he claimed was his wife when he first moved to the US. This woman disappeared.

The apartment Hans lived in he was seen with a 5 year old boy in his living room by the owner of the building. Hans said the boy was his son, but he then disappeared. He told the owner his son's name was August Van Dyke.

Hans was a suspect in the murder of 9 year old Alma Kellner, whose body was found burned in the basement of St. John's Church in Louisville, Kentucky, which he worked. Her body had been burned and the killer attempted to dismember her.

It was eventually discovered that the church janitor, Joseph Wendling was responsible. He was sentenced to life in prison, but Alma's uncle requested for him to be pardoned and he was deported to France in 1935.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #solved #mystery #kentucky #killer #serial killer

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The Dermonds

January 11, 2024

Russell Joseph Dermond, from Hackensack, New Jersey and a former veteran during World War II married Shirley Wilcox on December 15, 1950. The pair had 4 children and 9 grandchildren together.

The couple owned multiple Hardee's (a fast food restaurant) locations in Atlanta. before Russell retired in 1994. The Dermonds then moved into Great Waters Reynolds at Lake Oconee, a gated community.

Though not believed to have anything to do with what happened to the Dermonds, their oldest son Mark was murdered in Atlanta in 2000 while trying to buy crack cocaine.

Russell Dermond was last seen alive on May 1, 2014, running errands in town. Both him and Shirley spoke to their son Brad over the phone that day and everything seemed normal.

The Dermonds were set to go to a party for the 2014 Kentucky Derby the next weekend with their neighbours, though they never showed up.

On May 6, 2014, a neighbour went to the Dermonds to check on them and found the door unlocked. Horrified, the neighbour discovered Russell's decapitated body on the floor of the garage, lying in a small pool of blood. Police were called but unable to find Shirley in the house — believing at first she had been kidnapped.

On May 16, 2014, 10 days after the discovery of Russell, Shirley's body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee. Her autopsy revealed she had been killed from 2-3 deep wounds to her head from a blunt object.

Police followed leads but to no avail, however they still believe that multiple people were involved in the murders. There was gunshot residue found on Russell's collar, suggesting he died from a gunshot first and then was decapitated postmortem.

They believe he might have been shot in the head and his head was removed so police would not be able to find the bullet. It is believed that the initial motive was to steal money, but nothing from the home was taken.

The murder of the Dermonds remains unsolved.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #solved #mystery

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Bowmanville Clarington Jane Doe

December 31, 2023

In a field in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, a man harvesting dogwood plants would make a gruesome discovery on October 26, 2006. The man came across the skull, femur and scattered skeletal remains of a woman who had no clothes or hair.

The field was in the area of Clarington, close to the Darlington Nuclear Plant. The unidentified woman had teeth in good condition, and she also had expertly set nose fracture, determining that a some point she may have had a nasal surgery or even a rhinoplasty.

The cause of death could not be determined as the condition of the remains, but it is speculated that this woman was mostly a homicide victim.

The Jane Doe was estimated to be between the ages of 18-30. She may have been there for 2-10 years before discovery (1996-2004), and possibly as long as 25 years (1981). In full, investigators believe she could have died between 1976-2006.

Some believe the potential murder may have happened in that location.

The scene was heavily searched by DRP Forensic Identification Unit, the Ontario Provincial Police and a forensic anthropologist. The search wrapped up on November 29, 2006, with a piece of red ribbon, a small heart shaped object, a penny from 1980, and a women's OMNI digital watch with a large red face and stainless steel straps made for a small wrist.

The watch was made by the Omni Watch Company in the early 1980's and was sold at Consumers Distributing from 1981-1983.

Description of what the woman may look like and a description of the items found were released in 2009, but no leads came forward.

On October 27, 2010, investigators went back to the site 4 years after the original discovery of the body. The water table in Bowmanville had decreased in that time, as the area had a couple dry years recently.

The usually wet and muddy area was dry enough for a better search. More items were found in this search, and they searched over 20 acres.

One of the items found in this second search was a 9.5 size woman's ring, that was hold and had a red garnet stone and two one-point diamonds on either side. Inside the band, the word "Burns" was stamped.

This ring had been made by A&A Manufacturing in Toronto, sold at Burns Jewlers, a family business located in Oshawa. The business operated from 1923-1994, and wasn't far from the Darlington Nuclear Plant.

The ring was frequently worn in life, and investigator's believe this is the most significant piece of evidence that may eventually lead to the Jane Doe's identity.

A man's hooded short sleeved shirt with red, yellow and blue stripes was also found. The shirt was from Tip Top Tailor, labelled "Blue Rodeo" and sold from 1995-1996. In 2019, it was also noted that remnants of grey track pants were also found.

A DNA profile of the woman was created but no dental records or matches have come about. Detectives believe it is likely the woman was never reported as missing.

In June 2013, the Durham Regional Police got a forensic artist named Diana Trepkov to make a sketch of the woman found based on her skull. Because she had no hair upon discovery, her hair type is unknown but she had protruding upper and lower teeth.

The woman had visible white fillings on her front teeth, small silver fillings on some of her back teeth. Her upper teeth protruded more than her lower teeth, and the skull was missing two teeth when it was found.

On September 14, 1963, a 13 year old girl named Noreen Greenley was abducted in Bowmanville. Her case remains unsolved and I will cover it next, but she is not the Bowmanville Clarington Jane Doe.

If anyone has any information they can contact the Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Source: CanadaUnsolved

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #solved #mystery #bowmanville #ontario #jane doe #unidentified

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The Disappearance of Marilyn Ann Hersey (Nova Scotia)

December 29, 2023

Marilyn Ann Hersey, 62 years old, has not been seen since January 28, 2006. Marilyn had been at the Abbie J. Lane Memorial building, part of the QEII hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Marilyn was getting treatment for her bipolar disorder, and had supposedly left the building for a cigarette outside (some sources say). She has not been heard or seen since.

While the police were treating the case as a missing person, Marilyn's daughter, Dolene LaPointe believes her mother is dead. Dolene said in an interview her mother would not leave to go anywhere and not contact her.

Dolene also claimed that her mother had too many physical and mental health problems to be out on her own, often needing and wanting help from others. Even if Marilyn would have had a heart attack her body would of been found, her daughter said.

Marilyn was voluntarily at the hospital that day trying to get treatment for severe paranoia. Her daughter said that Marilyn believed people were trying to kill her.

Marilyn took numerous medications, and did not have any of them with her when she left the hospital, seemingly, she most likely was planning to return to the hospital, and her time outside was only meant to be brief.

Marilyn was 155 pounds, 5'2, with greying auburn hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a purple jacket, purple hat, black sweat pants and beige hiking boots. She had stepped outside around 8:30 pm that evening, on a 20 minute pass.

Marilyn's daughter said her mother left her money and cigarettes in the hospital, which wasn't something she would do. Marilyn was also on social assistance and the hospital had her keys, so she would not have been able to return to her apartment.

Dolene said the last time she spoke to her mother was an hour after she left the hospital, around 9:30 pm. Marilyn had called her from a phone on Almon Street. Dolene said she had difficulty making what her mother was saying.

Dolene told her mother to return to the hospital but Marilyn responded that she couldn't, she had to go. That was the last time she spoke to her daughter. Dolene said she called the hospital and said her mother was missing, gave them the name and information of where Marilyn had called her from, but the hospital did nothing.

Dolene called the police the next morning and reported her mother missing. No money has been taken out of Marilyn's account, and her family has put up many posters, checked shelters and questioned people about the disappearance.

It is questionable why the hospital did not seem to care to look for Marilyn after she had not returned from her 20 minute pass, I am also wondering why someone who clearly had severe mental health issues going on would be allowed to go outside alone, on a chilly January evening.

It has been almost 18 years since Marilyn seemingly vanished without a trace in Halifax. Is it likely that she is alive? Perhaps not. Is it likely someone offered her a ride or she went off with a stranger? To me that is extremely likely.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #solved #mystery #halifax #disappearance #missing person #missing #woman

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The Wallingford Shoebox Murder

December 27, 2023

Edward Terrell went out with his dog to berry hunt on August 8, 1886, in Wallingford, Connecticut, beginning what has become a 137 year old mystery. On a small path, Edward's dog found a large wooden shoebox that was partially hidden in the bushes.

When Edward went over to see what his dog had taken notice of he was immediately taken aback by the smell. Edward left the box unopened and left the scene, shortly returning with some other men. Opening the box, the men believed at first it must be a dead animal inside -- however they were shocked to find the nude torso of a man.

The man's head, arms and legs had been cut off and the box was lined with bloody straw.

An autopsy conducted revealed the torso was that of a man around the age of 25, who weighed around 150 pounds. It was determined the man had died 5-10 days before discovery. Due to the blood, it was determined the torso had been placed in the shoebox shortly after the limbs and head had been removed.

The cuts appeared to have been accomplished with a knife or another non-serrated blade. Besides the dismemberment of head and limbs, there was no other wounds on the corpse. It was ruled out that this had been done by medical students.

The removal of the head made it much more difficult to identify the John Doe. Originally a common theory was that the torso belonged to that of a man named Albert J. Cooley, a veteran who had recently gone missing after collecting a large amount of pension money. However, Albert was soon seen alive which put the theory to rest.

Another potential identification was that of Charles Hall, an arsonist who some believed had been killed. Other men were also speculated, however none could be identified as the John Doe.

The box the man's torso had been found in measured around 30x18 inches (some sources read 30x12). The shoes that originally came in the box was marked on the outside of the box, not hidden. The remains of an address were also on the outside of the box but most of it had been removed.

A week after the torso discovery, a Constable found pieces of scalp with dark hair near the location the box was found in. Around 2 months later a farmer found arms and legs wrapped in tar paper, assuming these belonged to the shoebox torso.

Many people came forward with potential information relating to the case. One boy said he saw the box more than a week before Edward and his dog discovered it.

A young woman came forward saying a stranger dressed in bloody clothes, carrying a large bundle knocked on her door a week before the discovery asking her for the location of a particular pond. The woman had not heard of the pond before, but showed him how to get to a river and saw him later on with clean clothes, carrying no bundle.

In October 1886, a woman was arrested and questioned but could not provide the information they were looking for and was released.

In February 1887, the case gained popularity again when a small suitcase believed to be connected to the case turned up in Chicago, however it doesn't appear there's any more information than that.

With little to no information, the man was never identified. Perhaps he was murdered in Chicago and his remains ended up in Connecticut somehow, perhaps there is no connection to Chicago. It is unlikely that after 137 years the case will ever be solved.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #mystery

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The Peasenhall Murder

December 22, 2023

On the night of May 31, 1902, in Peasenhall, a small village in Suffolk, England, a woman named Rose Harsent was murdered. Rose was a 22 year old choir member and servant at Providence House, employed by a Mr. and Mrs. Crisp.

Most attended the Primitive Methodist Chapel located in Sibton, the choirmaster being a man named William Gardiner. Rumours began that Rose was having an affair with William, rumours that William's wife and six children were made aware of.

A church investigation took place, however there was no evidence that the two were seeing each other. William threatened to sue the men who spread the rumour about him and Rose.

On June 1, 1902, Rose's lifeless body was discovered by her father, William Harsent, at the bottom of the stairs leading to her bedroom in the attic. Rose was found in a pool of her own blood, her throat was cut and she had gashes and stab wounds.

Her nightdress had been burned and some of her body had been charred, as if someone had tried to set her remains on fire. Rose had been deceased for around 4 hours before she was discovered. It was later found that she had been 6 months pregnant at the time of her death.

Originally her death was thought to be suicide, however, further investigations discovered her wounds were evidence of a murder.

Without a doubt, the main suspect in Rose's murder was William Gardiner, the man she supposedly was having an affair with. There was also circumstantial evidence found at the scene that linked Gardiner to it.

William Gardiner was arrested on June 3, 1902. Supposedly, William was the father of Rose's unborn child. The murder was committed at Providence House, in the centre of the village, and William could see it from his house on the main street.

William was tried twice at Ipswich Assizes. The first trial began on November 7, 1902 and lasted 3 days. The second began on January 20, 1903. Both trials, the jury was unable to reach a verdict. The first trial the jury was split 11-1 in favour of guilty.

The second trial was 11-1 in favour of not guilty. Back then, if a single juror did not agree, the jury couldn't go on with a majority vote (this was changed in 1974).

William Gardiner died in 1941, and the case remains unsolved to this day. William was also never formally acquitted, being one of very few people in England history not having received any verdict.

Many people believe William killed Rose from instructions by his wife. Some believe he killed her to prevent anyone from finding out he was the father of her child.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #mystery

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The Murder of Linda Agostini: Was She Really "Pyjama Girl"?

November 26, 2023

Florence Linda Agostini (Platt) was born on September 12, 1905 in South East London. She travelled to New Zealand at the age of 19, and lived there until 1927, when she then moved to Sydney, Australia.

Linda worked at a cinema and lived in a boarding house on Darlinghurst Road. It was said that Linda liked to drink and party a lot. She married an Italian man named Antonio Agostini in 1930, and it was not a happy marriage.

The couple moved to Melbourne, believing to be because her husband wanted Linda to get away from her partying friends.

In late August of 1934, Linda disappeared. A week later, an unidentified body of whom would later be dubbed "Pyjama Girl" was found in Splitter's Creek, near Albury.

The woman's body was found by a man named Tom Griffith, who was leading a prize bull along the road. Tom saw the body in a culvert running under the road and noted there had been a strong smell of kerosene present.

The body was badly burnt and had been hidden by a hessian grain sack, making it impossible for drivers to be able to see the body.

Pyjama Girl's head was wrapped in a towel, she had been beaten extensively, and upon an X-ray it was discovered she had a bullet in her neck. She was dubbed Pyjama Girl due to her wearing yellow silk pyjamas with a Chinese dragon motif. This clothing was known to be luxurious for the time.

It was determined that Pyjama Girl was petite and in her 20's, though her identity could not be found. The body was taken to Sydney, where it was put on public display. She was preserved at the Sydney University Medical School until 1942, where she was then transferred to police headquarters until 1944.

Some people suggested that Pyjama Girl could be a couple different women that had gone missing in the area, including Linda Agostini. Linda matched the physical characteristics as well as the age. However, New South Wales police did not believe Linda could be Pyjama Girl.

In 1944, 10 years since the discovery, forensic evidence was re-examined, and the body was matched to be Linda through dental analysis.

Linda's husband, Tony, had recently gone back to Sydney, after being held in internment camps from 1940 to 1944. Police commissioner, William MacKay, who had known Tony from before the war, interviewed him and noticed that Tony was quite nervous.

Tony then confessed to killing his wife, Linda, stating that he had accidentally shot her when they lived in Melbourne. Tony drove Linda's body over the state border to Albury, and had dumped her in the culvert. He set Linda's body on fire to destroy the evidence.

Tony was charged with murder and extradited back to Melbourne and tried for murder. He was acquitted on the murder charge but found guilty of manslaughter. Tony was sentenced to 6 years in prison but served only 3 years. He was released in 1948 and deported to Italy, dying in 1969.

While the case is technically solved, many doubt that Linda is the true identity of Pyjama Girl. In a 2004 book, written by historian Richard Evans on the case, he believes that Tony's conviction was the result of police corruption.

It was also stated that Pyjama Girl had brown eyes, while Linda had blue eyes and the two women had different bust sizes and different shaped noses. Richard Evans also claims that 125 women were on the police list of possible identities, and not eliminated or traced.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #solved #mystery #jane doe #pyjama #girl

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What Happened to Novelist Barbara Newhall Follett?

November 6, 2023

Barbara Newhall Follet was born in New Hampshire on March 4, 1914 to literary editor, Wilson Follett and children's writer, Helen Thomas Follett. Barbara had one older sister from her father's first marriage, Grace, and a younger sister Sabra, who later became the first woman to become a graduate student at Princeton University in 1961.

Barbara was homeschooled by her mother and at a young age began her love for reading and writing. At age 4, Barbara was writing her own poems, and by age 7 she was writing about a world she created called Farksolia and writing about it's language, called Farksoo.

In 1923, as a birthday present for her mom, Barbara began to write a story called The House Without Windows with a typewriter she had been given. Later on, the manuscript actually burned in a house fire, but Barbara completely rewrote it and her father published it in 1927 as he was an editor for Knopf publishing house.

Due to the success of the book, which was about a young girl who ran away from home and lived in nature with her animal friends, some considered Barbara a child genius. Barbara began to review other children's books and her book was critically acclaimed by the New York Times.

Barbara's next book was called The Voyage of the Norman D, based on her experience travelling on a coastal schooner in Nova Scotia, Canada. This was published in 1928.

Though another success, 1928 would not be a good year for Barbara. Her father left her mother for another woman, and this was incredibly devastating to Barbara who was very close with her father.

Her family was then struggling and the Great Depression of the 1930's only made it worse. At the age of 16, Barbara took up a job as a secretary in New York City, writing several manuscripts.

Barbara met a man named Nickerson Rogers in 1931, and together, the two of them travelled to many different places in the world including the Appalachian Trail and also Spain. The couple settled in Brookline, Massachusetts where they married in July 1934.

Barbara was still writing, however she was not having much success with publishers. By 1937, her marriage wasn't so happy anymore either, she began writing to her friends about being dissatisfied with married life.

Her marriage began to crumble further, as Barbara had suspicions that Nickerson was being unfaithful, causing her to fall into a depression.

Barbara's husband stated that on December 7, 1939, Barbara had lelft their apartment after they had gotten into an argument. Nickerson said that Barbara had $30 in her pocket and she was never seen again.

Initially, Nickerson had not reported his wife as a missing person until two weeks later, telling police he was waiting for her to come home. Four months after Barbara's disappearance, Nickerson requested a missing persons bulletin be issued.

The bulletin had actually used Barbara's married name of Rogers, so the public had actually not recognized or known about her disappearance until 1966.

Thirteen years after Barbara disappeared, in 1952 her mother wanted the authorities to look more into it, believing that Nickerson had something to do it due to him putting in very little effort to find his wife.

Barbara's body was never found, and there was no evidence authorities could find suggesting or excluding foul play.

In 2019, a theory that Barbara's body was found but incorrectly identified was brought forth by a writer named Daniel Mills. Mills supposedly found evidence that Barbara's body was found in 1948, but identified as another missing woman named Elsie Whittemore.

The body was found on Pulsifer Hill, half a mile from where Barbara and Nickerson had a rental agreement. The possessions found with the body were consistent with Barbara's belongings, but local police were unaware of her disappearance. The cause of death was determined to be suicide, a bottle of barbiturate residue was found at the scene, which Barbara had been known to take.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #mystery

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The Disappearance of Mountaineer George Mallory

November 02, 2023

George Mallory was born in Cheshire on June 18, 1886, and from a young age he was interested in climbing. When he was only 7 years old, Mallory climbed the roof of his father's church.

In 1904, an experienced mountaineer named Robert Lock Graham Irving took Mallory on as a climbing companion after the death of his original partner. Both Mallory and his friend, Harry went with Irving for a trip to the Alps.

In February 1909, Mallory was invited to Wales for a climbing trip at Easter. After this, Mallory was given an application form for membership into the Climber's Club, joining in May 1909.

On July 29, 1914, Mallory married a woman named Christiana Ruth Turner, just 6 days before Britain entered World War I. The pair ended up having three children together, two daughters and a son.

Though Mallory had an extensive education and worked as a school master, he did have to enlist in the army and served throughout World War I, eventually ranking up to lieutenant in 1917.

By January 1919, Mallory returned to his teaching position which was at Charterhouse, though he was not fully happy being a teacher. He wanted to get back into mountaineering. In January 1921, the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club established the Mount Everest Committee to finance an expedition.

Mallory was contacted by the committee asking if he would be interested in this expedition, the crew planned to do a trip later in 1921 to figure out the best route to reach the summit, and then in 1922 they were going to go again, this time actually reaching the top.

Mallory at first was not sure if he wanted to go -- it would mean that he would have to be away from his wife Ruth, and children for a chunk of time and he was sceptical the group would be able to accomplish this.

Eventually Mallory and his wife were convinced it would be the opportunity of a lifetime, and in February 1921, Mallory accepted the invitation formerly, though it was noted he showed no emotion and was definitely not excited for the trip. It was in February 1921 that Mallory resigned from his teaching position.

Leading up to this point, Mallory had quite a bit of experience having done various climbs and reaching summits. He completed several expeditions in the Alps, since his first climb in 1904. Specifically in the Alps, both Mallory and his friend Harry suffered from altitude sickness.

On August 18, 1921, Mallory and 3 others left their camp at around 20,000 ft. They discovered a gateway to the mountain, and after figuring out the most viable way to reach the summit, on September 23, 1921, a group of climbers left camp to descend into the East Rongbuk Glacier, to pitch camp. The frostbite and winds were extreme however, and eventually on September 25, 1921, Mallory called off the expedition.

It was the groups goal to be the first to reach Mount Everest's summit. On May 20, 1922, Mallory and his group began this goal. After two failed attempts to reach the summit, in June 1922, the group tried a third.

At one point during their ascent, an avalanche began on an ice cliff above, sweeping over the group. Mallory and three others were able to dig themselves out of the snow, unharmed, but saw a group of 4 porters had fell 150 ft below them. The avalanche had caused another 9 porters to be swept into a crevasse.

A search and rescue effort was started, and 8 out of the 9 porters were found. Unfortunately only 2 of them had survived. This was the end of the third attempt to the summit.

Mallory's next attempt at reaching Mount Everest's summit wouldn't be until June 1, 1924.

By June 8, 1924, Mallory and Andrew Irvine, would begin their attempt to reach the summit at 8 am. This morning, another climber, John Noel, perched himself at Eagle's Nest Point, with a camera so he could film Mallory and Irvine. The flimer also had 2 porters with him, however no one could see Mallory or Irvine.

By 10am, still having not seen any sight of the two mountaineers, the cloud and mist had completely obscured the view of the summit ridge.

The last person to see Mallory and Irvine alive was Noel Odell, a support climber, just after 12:50 pm. He saw them from a distance, two black spots moving, before the clouds obstructed his view. Mallory and Irvine were never seen alive again.

On June 9, 1924, Odell and another inspected the Camps, looking for Mallory and Irvine to no avail. It was impossible for the two mountaineers to have returned to camp, as everything they had left there was as it was — having not been touched. After days of searching and finding nothing, the expedition was over and on June 15, 1924, the surviving members returned home. 

On June 19, 1924, Ruth and Mallory’s children received a telegram stating that Mallory and Irvine had died. On October 17, 1924, a memorial service was held. 

On May 30, 1933, almost 11 years after Mallory and Irvine had disappeared, an ice axe had been discovered at an elevation of 27,723 ft, by the leader of the expedition, Percy Wyn-Harris. At first, Wyn-Harris and his climbing partner, Lawrence Wager left the ice axe where they had found it, but after their own failed attempt at reaching the summit, on the way down Wyn-Harris decided to take the ice axe, leaving his own in it’s place. 

The ice axe was eventually determined to either be Mallory’s or Irvine’s, though it is unsure which mountaineer’s it was. After Odell inspected it, he noticed there was 3 marks on it, which Irvine used to mark his equipment. Ruth stated that she had never known Mallory to mark any of his stuff that way, so most likely the ice axe was Irvine’s, however, some of the expedition members from the 1933 expedition believed the axe belonged to Mallory because it had Swiss manufacturers. 

In 1962, Irvine’s brother found a military swagger stick, which belonged to Irvine and it had the same 3 identification marks on it. 

In 1937, a man named Frank Smyth wrote a letter, and in the letter he stated that during the 1936 British Mount Everest expedition, he scanned the North Face of Everest with a powerful telescope and saw a body, believing it to be Mallory or Irvine. This sighting was unknown until 2013, when Smythe’s son revealed it in a book, after finding his father’s letter in a diary. 

The 1999 Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition began, with the goal to find evidence of the 1924 British Mount Everest expedition and find information about whether or not Mallory and Irvine reached the summit. 

On May 1, 1999, around 10 am, members of the expedition reached 26,900 ft, where they were going to set up camp. Setting off, it was 11:45 am when a member found a corpse laying at 26,760 ft. The body was partially frozen, but well preserved to the cold condition, fully extended and had both arms outstretched with the head pointed uphill. 

The right leg was broken, with the left leg crossed over it, suggesting the mountaineer must of been still conscious. The rear of the body was exposed, the wind having blown away some of the clothing. The exposed skin was white, but the hands and forearms appeared dark. Most of the internal organs had been consumed by alpine choughs, a specific type of bird. The birds had pecked away leaving damage to the right leg, buttocks and abdominal cavity. 

Tied to the waist was braided cotton climbing rope, the right foot had an intact green leather hobnailed boot, but the left boot only had the tongue remaining on it. Many had suspected that Irvine had fallen in 1924, and this body was his.

When looking at the layers of clothing and removing them, there was a label on the shirt with red print, “G. Mallory.” The body of George Mallory had finally been discovered, almost exactly 75 years later. 

Mallory’s body had several injuries — his tibia and fibula of his right leg were broken, his right scapula was deformed, his right elbow had been fractured or dislocated. He had multiple cuts, bruises and abrasions, his ribs had been fractured. It was without a doubt that Mallory had fallen. The climbing rope that had been looped around Mallory’s waist had crushed his ribs and burned his skin. It was also determined that when this happened, Mallory and Irvine were roped to each other. The exact circumstances are unknown, no one will ever know what caused the accident or made them fall. 

A few weeks later, an oxygen cylinder was found at an altitude of 27,789 ft to 27,805 ft. The cylinder’s stamp no. 9 confirmed that it was from the 1924 British Mount Everest expedition and was used by Mallory and Irvine. 

Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the first mountaineers to have reached the summit of Mount Everest, welcomed the news of the discovery of Mallory’s body, and acknowledged that Mallory might have reached the summit of Mount Everest decades earlier. 

There are many theories about what led to Mallory and Irvine’s deaths in 1924. Research in 2010 suggested that an extreme storm may have led to their deaths. The research provided stated that when Mallory and Irvine attempted the summit on June 8, 1924, there was a drop in barometric pressure and temperature. Believing this could have resulted in a blizzard, however, Odell described the morning of June 8, 1924 as clear and not extremely cold, but turned into a severe blizzard by 2pm which lasted until 4pm. 

While it is unknown what exactly happened, many researchers believe the weather was way more extreme than previously believed, and this could have contributed to the deaths of both Mallory and Irvine. 

On November 14, 1944, Mallory’s younger brother, Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, an Air Chief Marshal, crashed into the French Alps, everyone on board was killed. Mallory’s daughter, Frances Clare, married a man named Glenn Allan Millikan who was killed in a climbing accident on May 25, 1947 at Buzzard’s Roose in Fall Creek Falls State Park. 

Frances’ sons, Mallory’s grandchildren, Richard and George Millikan became climbers and were very well respected in the 1960’s and 70’s. On May 14, 1995, George Mallory, Mallory’s grandson reached the summit of Everest, leaving a photo of his grandparents on the summit, ending “unfinished business” for his grandfather. 

In early 1923, Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, his answer: “Because it’s there.” 

#true crime #crime #unsolved #unsolved mysteries #unsolved case #solved #mystery

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The Murder of Peter Fabiano

October 30, 2023

On October 31, 1957, Halloween night, in Sun Valley, California, a 35 year old hairdresser named Peter Fabiano answered his door shortly after 11 pm. Peter, being a little annoyed due to the late trick or treaters, said, "It's a little late for this, isn't it?"

The person standing on the other side of the door was not a child -- the person was taller, with a "grotesque" painted face, domino mask and wearing men's clothing including blue jeans, a khaki jacket and red gloves.

The trick or treater replied in a deep voice, "No" and held up a paper bag with a gun inside it. Then a gunshot was heard, and Peter's wife, Betty, and her teenaged daughter, Judy ran to the door to discover the shooter had already ran off and Peter was lying on his back.

Judy ran to the neighbours house, Bud Alper, who worked for the Los Angeles Police. In no time, officers were at the Fabiano's.

Peter was transferred to the Sun Valley Receiving Hospital where he later died from massive bleeding.

Peter was born in 1923, and after serving in World War II, was an extremely successful hairdresser in the area, and him and his wife Betty appeared to be a perfect couple, owning two beauty salons in LA. Betty claimed she was 36 years old and had two teenagers from a previous marriage. She had married Peter in 1955.

Betty had said that she, Peter and Judy had just went to bed shortly before the doorbell rang that night after 11pm. When Peter went to the door, Betty heard two adult voices, one that sounded masculine and the other sounded like a man impersonating a woman.

The murder of Peter Fabiano was known as the "Trick or Treat Murder" in the media, but who would commit this heinous crime?

A 43 year old woman named Goldyne Pizer was a medical secretary and described as "matronly." She graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1934 and had gotten married in the 1940's, but was either widowed or divorced it's unclear. In 1957, Goldyne met a 40 year old woman, Joan Rabel, who lived only 1 mile from Goldyne's house near the Sunset Strip in Hollywood.

Joan is more of a mystery. Some sources claim she was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and came to the US from Lithuania. Joan was a photographer and writer, often travelling to Hawaii for inspiration it's claimed. In 1957, Joan was also divorced and working for Peter Fabiano in his salon.

It was working for Peter that Joan met Betty, and the two hit it off. Joan considered herself a good friend to both Fabiano's. Eventually, Joan claimed that Betty told her Peter was abusive and controlling, and Joan began to obsess about the idea of getting Betty out of this life with Peter. Betty had even left Peter for a short period of time and stayed with Joan.

Joan would often discuss the Fabiano's to Goldyne, calling Peter "pure evil." The two would talk about Peter and Betty over coffee, and over a 3 month period, somehow, Joan had convinced Goldyne to become a hitwoman for her. She did not pay Goldyne for the actual hit, however she provided her money for a gun and borrowed a getaway car from another friend.

After the murder on Halloween, Goldyne was driven home by Joan who told her, "Forget you ever knew me."

On November 1, 1957, the next morning, Goldyne discovered she had not disposed of the gun, Joan had left those instructions out. Goldyne took the gun to Bullock's flagship store and put it in a storage locker.

It only took 2 weeks for the police to fnd this gun and question Goldyne, who confessed immediately. Both women were arrested for the murder.

In court, Goldyne was crying and showing obvious remorse, but Joan was stone cold, showing no emotion except for sometimes smiling. Goldyne plead not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming that Joan had cast some sort of spell on her that was impossible to resist.

On March 11, 1958, Goldyne and Joan pleaded guilty to second degree murder to avoid trial. Both women were sentenced to 5 years to life in prison, however no one knows how much time each of them served.

There are many rumours over this case and whether or not there was any lesbian relationships involved. Some believe that Joan and Betty's dynamic was strange, and the two were lovers. Others believe that Joan was in love with Betty, and needed to get rid of Peter as he was in the way. There has never been any definitive proof of this, and there's never been any proof that Peter was abusive to Betty.

It was claimed that Peter had asked Betty to end her friendship with Joan, which she did.

Goldyne died in 1998 in Los Angeles. Betty sold the beauty salon after Peter died and remarried in 1966. Betty died in 1999, at the age of 81 in Palm Desert, California. However, this age means that at the time of Peter's death Betty had been 39, not 36 like she claimed or those believed.

The real mystery is that no one knows what happened to Joan. She disappeared and no one was ever able to say where she went or who she became.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #solved #mystery #halloween

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Florence Sally Horner

October 22, 2023

Florence "Sally" Horner was born on April 18, 1937 in Camden, New Jersey to Russell and Ella Horner. Sally's father took his own life when Sally was only 5 years old, and Ella raised her daughter as a single mother with the help of Sally's older half sister, Susan.

Sally was in the 5th grade at Northeast Elementary School and was an honours student.

In March 1948, Sally, who was 10 years old at the time tried to steal a notebook from a local store as a dare by some of her classmates. However, Sally was caught by a man named Frank La Salle. Frank had told Sally he was an FBI agent, and threatened to send her to a reform school unless she reported to him.

On June 15, 1948, Frank La Salle abducted 11 year old Sally. He told her to tell Ella that he was the father of two of her friends at school and she was invited on a week long vacation to Atlantic City.

Originally, the plan was to have Sally write her mother letters to let her know their vacation was going to last longer than expected, but on July 31, 1948, the last letter was received by Ella. Ella contacted the police, who found out the sender address for the letters was in Atlantic City.

On August 4, 1948, investigators found the home empty, besides two packed suitcases and a studio photo of Sally sitting on a swing. Ella told investigators that Sally and Frank were also travelling with a "Mrs. Robinson" who according to Frank was a 25 year old secretary. She left them after they arrived in Atlantic City supposedly.

Over the next 21 months, Frank and Sally moved through multiple US states under different names, with Frank claiming Sally was his daughter. Throughout this time, Frank would rape Sally repeatedly.

The pair first stayed in Baltimore, Maryland, where Sally went to Catholic grammar school under the name "Madeleine La Plante." Frank would always carry a handgun on him to stop Sally from trying to escape.

In April 1949, Frank and Sally were living in Dallas, Texas, and Sally was going by the name "Florence Planette." It was here that Sally ended up telling a friend her secret. Sally also confided in a neighbour, Ruth Janisch, who was becoming suspicious of Frank.

Ruth thought Frank had an extremely possessive attitude toward his supposed daughter. Ruth did not know that Frank also regularly molested her 5 year old daughter while Sally was at school.

In March 1950, Ruth and her husband moved to San Jose, California, to find work, encouraging Frank. to do the same so she could still have contact with Sally.

Eventually, Ruth was able to get Sally to tell her the truth about Frank, and Ruth got Sally to phone her family from Ruth's house. Sally attempted to call Ella but the line disconnected, as Ella had recently lost her job and was not able to pay her phone bill. Sally then called her sister Susan and was able to get in contact and tell her to get the FBI on it.

On March 22, 1950, Frank was arrested but continued to say Sally was his daughter. Authorities in New Jersey were able to confirm that Sally's real father had died 7 years previously. On April 1, 1950, Sally was reunited with her mother. Frank was sentenced to 30-35 years in Trenton State Prison on April 3.

Frank La Salle was 51 years old. at the time he abducted Sally. He was a known sex offender and went by several aliases. It is unclear where exactly he was born or even his date of birth. Most commonly the names used for his parents were Frank and Nora, and he was most likely from Chicago or Indianapolis. The most frequent date of birth he gave was May 27, between 1890-1901.

He had an extensive criminal record, beginning in June 1938. In 1944, Frank was convicted for the molestation and sexual assault of 5 underage girls in 1943. He was getting illegally married under false names and had many charges against him. He was released on January 15, 1948, only 6 months before he abducted Sally Horner.

Sally's story ends tragically, as on August 18, 1952, she died in a car accident near Woodbine, New Jersey due to breaking her neck in the crash. She was only 15 years old. Frank had actually sent a bouquet of flowers to Sally's funeral from prison, but they were not displayed.

Frank La Salle died on March 22, 1966, exactly 16 years to the date of when he was arrested for the abduction of Sally Horner. He was 69 years old.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #unsolved case #solved #mystery

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The Strange Case of the Creamer Children

October 04, 2023

In 1906, two children disappeared from their front yard in broad daylight. A reporter known as "The Special Correspondent" went to the small village where the disappearances took place to investigate.

The Special Correspondent, a woman, who worked for the Daily Telegraph Saint John, New Brunswick's largest newspapers travelled to Cape Tormentine on the Bay of Fundy, to figure out what happened to the Creamer children.

In May of 1906, the Special Correspondent took a train and travelled to the village. What was known was that two children, Ollie, a 5 year old girl and her brother Ralph, 3 years old at the time, had disappeared in the day, while their parents were inside the house. The Creamer parents claimed they had only not been watching the children for 10 minutes. A search was conducted for the children, but to no avail.

The reporter went to the Creamer farm and wanted to speak with John Creamer, their father. It was told to the reporter that John had searched for his children for an hour in the woods, but had then become ill and could no longer search, going back to his room. He could not be woken up while the reporter was there.

The reporter did speak with Ruth, the children's mother who told her the children went outside around 5pm to pick white violets, with their older sister Geneva, who was 7 years old. Ruth watched them from the window. After an hour, Ruth said she felt uneasy and anxious.

Ruth said Geneva came back inside but did not say anything alarmingly or that Ollie and Ralph vanished. Geneva said she left the children outside and Ollie had been talking to 17 year old neighbour Russell Trenholm. Russell invited Ollie to help him look for cows.

Russell was also interviewed but he claimed the children asked him if they could help him look for cows to which he replied they couldn't. Russell claimed he walked away but the children followed him. Russell then told the Creamer children they better go back home.

Russell then told the reporter, "I suppose they think I killed them?"

The special reporter covered this story in the newspapers, and soon it gained media attention. Newspapers in big cities were reported tons of missing children, however these children were all shortly found and told to have been making up stories and pretending they too, like the Creamer children, were missing.

Due to the great attention the case was receiving in the newspapers, the province's Attorney General sent help, and about 200 militia soldiers were went to look for the missing children.

The special reporter went back to the Creamer farm and was able to talk to John Creamer, the father, in person this time. John said that he often looks towards the woods and hopes that his children are still out there somewhere.

The reporter also spoke to Ruth again who claimed she had been interviewed again by the authorities. The Magistrate had asked Ruth for garments of the children, and asked why Ruth had not washed them. Ruth claimed it was because if they sent bloodhounds they would be able to pick up the scent more.

The Magistrate told Ruth this clearly proved that the children were not kidnapped, though research does not know the reasoning for this.

The reporter noted that Ruth Creamer did not appear very emotional towards her children's disappearance.

The reporter then took a walk through the woods, remembering that Russell had claimed after he failed to find cows the day of the children's disappearance he had walked to his grandmother's house. His grandmother's house was about a 10 minute walk.

The search for the children continued and the militia found a single thread of red cloth that was 3-4 inches long. This was compared to a sample of Ralph's clothing and it was a match. Ruth Creamer however, denied this was part of her son's clothing.

The disappearance soon became known in the newspapers as "Babes in the woods." Newspapers at one point even reached out to a psychic to see if they could figure out what happened to Ollie and Ralph.

The psychic claimed the children had indeed been kidnapped, by a rough looking farmer man, who was working with a big fat man. According to this description, the special reporter believed it matched what Russell looked like.

Soon, newspapers began reporting that the Creamer children must be deceased at this point.

Ruth Creamer was interviewed again by the special reporter, in which it was discussed how the day before Ollie disappeared she complained to her mother that a man had tried to act "indecent" towards her.

Ruth seemed shocked the reporter asked about this, but she admitted it was true.

At this point it had been 20 days since Ollie and Ralph disappeared and authorities wanted the special reporter to assist them in interviewing the Creamers and Trenholm's. The authorities were suspecting foul play but claimed there is no motive.

Authorities did not believe someone could have kidnapped the children so easily and go unnoticed.

When Russell was questioned there was a discrepancy in his story, with him claiming he reached his grandmother's house at 6pm and his grandmother noting that he did not arrive there until 7pm.

It did not appear that the authorities were able to get much more information out of Russell Trenholm, John or Ruth Creamer. The special reporter eventually went back to Saint John and the search for the children was called off.

Shortly after, with the newspapers having not much to report, people lost interest in the case and it was forgotten.

It wasn't until a curious note from a 1984 book called Glimpses of the Past by Michael MacKenzie came to be, that perhaps an answer to what happened to the Creamer children was known.

According to Michael MacKenzie, an old man showed up to the village about 60 years after the children disappeared and began asking strange questions to people.

The man asked people if they recognized him and if they remembered a man named John Creamer. The old man said John was his father and that when he was little his mother told him his father had been abusive so she sent her kids away from him for safety.

The man claimed one day his father had passed out drunk, and his mother had someone take him and his sister into the woods to meet their brother who was waiting for them with a wagon.

Him and his sister were hidden in the wagon and taken to the Cape Tormentine railway station. Their uncle took them on the train to Toronto, Ontario, where they lived with their grandparents. The man said his mother did not go with as she was trying to distract the police from searching for them.

Eventually, after the search and interest was lost, their mother and older sister did join them in Ontario.

It appeared that all these years later none of the locals knew what this man was talking about so nothing much came of it. Perhaps this strange older man really was Ralph Creamer, and perhaps his story was true.

The disappearance of the Creamer children still remains a mystery on the internet.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #solved #mystery #unsolved crime

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The Murder of Martha Moxley

October 01, 2023

On October 30, 1975, 15 year old Martha Moxley went out with her friends to "mischief night" which was a night where all the neighbourhood kids would pull pranks on the neighbours, such as ding dong ditch and TP'ing houses.

According to the other kids there that night, Martha had been flirting with a boy named Thomas Skakel and even kissed him. Thomas had an older brother named Michael. Their mother had died in 1973 from brain cancer and that was when Michael turned to drinking. It was said that the Skakel's would be given large sums of money and would be left unsupervised a lot.

The last time anyone saw Martha she was apparently with Thomas behind a fence, near the boy's pool in his backyard. This was at 9:30pm.

The following day, October 31, 1975, Halloween, Martha's body was found underneath a tree in her own backyard. Her pants and underwear were pulled down, though it was later determined she had not been sexually assaulted.

Pieces of a broken six-iron golf club were found near her. The autopsy indicated that she had been bludgeoned and stabbed with the club. The club was owned by the Skakel's.

Since Thomas Skakel was the last person to have been with Martha the night before he became the prime suspect. His father however, denied authorities to get any access to Thomas' school and mental health records.

Thomas' live in tutor, Kenneth Littleton also became a prime suspect. He had only started working a few hours before the murder. Neither Thomas or Kenneth were charged and the case was cold for decades.

Over the years both Thomas and his brother Michael changed their alibi's for the night Martha was murdered. Michael claimed he was window-peeping and masturbating in a tree beside Martha's home from 11:30 pm to 12:30 am.

Two former students who had gone to a centre for troubled youths reported they had heard Michael confess to killing Martha with a golf club. One of these students quoted Michael as having said, "I'm gong to get away with murder. I'm a Kennedy." Michael's aunt was the widow of US Senator, Robert F. Kennedy. Michael supposedly had gotten special treatment at this centre.

A man named William Kennedy Smith was tried and acquitted for rape in 1991, and a rumour had begun that he had been at the Skakel house on the night Martha was killed. Though it was never confirmed if he had involvement, the case had a new investigation to go off of.

In June 1998, a one-man grand jury was set to review the evidence of the case. After 18 months, it was determined there was enough evidence to charge Michael Skakel with murder.

On January 9, 2000, Michael surrendered to authorities. He was released shortly after on a $500,000 bail. On March 14, 2000, Michael was arraigned for murder n juvenile court, because he was only 15 years old at the time of Martha's murder.

On January 31, 2001, a judged ruled he would be tried as an adult.

The trial began on May 7, 2002, in Connecticut. Michael's alibi at the time of the murder was that he was at his cousin's house. On June 7, 2002, Michael was found guilty of the murder of Martha Moxley. He was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

Skakel and his team fought for a new trial many times, often being denied. However, on October 23, 2013, Skakel was granted a new trial by Judge Thomas A. Bishop who ruled his attorney had failed to adequately represent Michael when he was convicted in 2002.

On November 21, 2013, Skakel was released on a $1.2 million bond and conditions. He had to be monitored with a GPS device and have no contact with the Moxley family. He would not be allowed to leave the state of Connecticut and would be periodically checked in on over the phone.

In December 2016, the Connecticut Supreme Court reinstated Skakel's murder conviction with a 4-3 majority decision. In 2018, they wanted the court to revoke Skakel's bail, and make him continue to serve his sentence in jail. Also in 2018 it was announced there would be a new trial ordered, but by October 2020, it was informed that Skakel would not be retried, with the state's chief saying the state would not be able to prove anything beyond a reasonable doubt.

Michael Skakel remains released.

#true crime #crime #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #murder #homicide #unsolved murder #unsolved case #solved #mystery