Biggest Unsolved Mystery From Each State

By Juliet Smith 1 year ago

Alabama - The Disappearance of Brasher and Dye

Vanished: The South's most bizarre disappearances - al.comImage Source/ AL.comBack in 1956 In Jefferson County, brothers Billy Howard and Robert Earl Dye, vanished with their cousin Dan Brasher. They went missing and were last saw driving a green Ford. Since then, several tales have surfaced, including one about the car being buried beneath a freeway.

Alaska - The Fishing Boat Fire

Craig Alaska | Visiting Craig Alaska | Lodging Craig AlaskaImage Source/ DiscoverPowisland.com
A small boat was reported on fire off Craig's shore in 1982. Inside, eight corpses were discovered. For an unknown reason, they had been shot and left to burn. Also unidentified is the offender(s). This case is infamous as the most prolific unresolved mystery in the state.

Arizona - The Hunt for Robert Fisher

Robert William Fisher - WikipediaImage Source/ Wikipedia
Robert William Fisher was accused of killing his wife and children in 2001 and setting his Scottsdale home on fire. He disappeared and authorities never managed to apprehend him. Fisher was upon the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list released by the FBI until 2021, when he was officially taken off the list.

Arkansas - The Gurdon Light

The Gurdon Light – Gurdon, Arkansas - Atlas ObscuraImage Source/ Atlas Obsucra
The Gurdon Light was a strange floating light, noticed originally over the railroad in Gurdon in the 1930s. Theoretical approaches range from the spirit of William McClain, who was killed in 1931, to a natural phenomena. Rock quartz beneath the ground and swamp gas have both been suggested as potential causes.

California - The Alcatraz Escape

Alcatraz escape: Fugitive John Anglin's name on letter to police - BBC NewsImage Source/ BBC
During the great escape of Alcatraz in 1962, 33 inmates who attempted to escape from the jail were killed. John Anglin, Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris broke out of their cells using holes they had punched in the cell wall. Sadly, that is how the narrative finishes. According to NBC News, a part of the FBI inquiry states, "What occurred next is still a mystery."

Colorado - The Black Forest Mystery

metnaschlucht, schwarzwald, mystery, metna black, forest, germany, landscape, light, fantasy, idyllic, fog | PikistImage Source/ Pikist
The Lee family relocated to their new house in the Black Forest region only to be plagued by a multitude of strange occurrences, including footsteps, music, and flashing lights. Even though a Hopi shaman claimed the home was situated near a location where spirits transitioned between worlds, no one has been able to explain it to this day.

Connecticut - The New Haven Graves

Secrets of Human Remains, Time Capsules Unearthed on New Haven Green in 2012 to Be Revealed – NBC ConnecticutImage Source/ NBC Commercial
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, a tree fell on New Haven Green, unleashing a twisted mystery in the roots. A 200-year-old human skull was found and over 5,000 victims are thought to be buried beneath the Green based on the discovery of further body bits. Although an epidemic has been suggested as a possible explanation, nothing is concrete.

Delaware - The Unsolved Murder of Jane Pritchard

Can the Murder of Jane Prichard Ever Be Solved? | by Verity Partington | The Mystery Box | MediumImage Source/ Medium
In September 1986, Jane Marie Prichard was shot to death while performing botanist studies in Blackbird State Forest and campers uncovered her body. There were other hunters in the forest that day and authorities ruled out an accident, according to Delaware Online. They still haven't been able to determine who might have killed Pritchard or why someone wanted her dead and the investigation remains pending.

Florida - The Unexplainable Combustion of Mary Reeser

Spontaneous combustion in St. Petersburg? The case of Mary Reeser.Image Source/ Tampa Bay Times
67-year-old Mary Reeser's body was discovered in her St. Petersburg apartment in July 1951. Only her shrunken cranium and remnants of her left foot and backbone were left after she had been reduced to ashes. Reeser's home was undamaged. Many people thought it was an instance of spontaneous human combustion because of the circumstances.

Georgia - Bleeding House

Image Source/ ObscUrban Legend Wikia
In 1987, Minnie Winston was horrified to discover that the walls, floor, and appliances of her Atlanta home at 1114 Fountain Drive were dripping with blood. However, the only thing the authorities discovered was proof that the blood was actually human.

Hawaii - The Vanishing of Lisa Au

The Unsolved: Lisa Au – The Morbid LibraryImage Source/ The Morbid Library
Lisa Au, a 19-year-old, vanished in 1982. In Kailua, her car was recovered alongside a roadway, and ten days later, her corpse was found. Although it has been theorised that a police officer (or a person impersonating a police officer) was responsible, the crime has not yet been solved.

Idaho - Cult Killings

Tortured, hacked in half and drained of blood: Horrific Black Dahlia murder mystery is finally 'solved' 70 years on - World News - Mirror OnlineImage Source/ The Mirror
Since the 1970s, mutilated humans, animals, and deer have been discovered in the cities of Jerome and Bliss. These include really odd instances like the blood-draining of corpses. The motivation has been cited by the authorities as "cult killings" although no suspect has been named.

Illinois - Mad Gasser of Mattoon

The mysterious case of the 'Mad Gasser of Mattoon' | WGN Radio 720 - Chicago's Very OwnImage Source/ WGN Radio
A series of gas attacks in the 1940s are attributed to the "Mad Gasser" of Mattoon. Despite the victims' reports of various symptoms after the whiff of an unfamiliar stench, no tangible proof was ever discovered. Mass hysteria or paranormal activity were also suggested as possible explanations, although it goes without saying that the mystery is still unexplained.

Indiana - The Fires of Odon

The 28 fires of Odon. One day in 1940, William and Minnie… | by Dale M. Brumfield | Lessons from History | MediumImage Source/ Medium
A farmer in Odon saw smoke pouring from a window early one morning in 1941. As he raced to put out the first fire, a second one started in a different room. This occurred 28 times in a row! The farmer set fire to the entire house and constructed a new one because he thought poltergeists were to blame.

Iowa - The Curious Case of Landon Jones

Doctors baffled by 12-year-old Iowa boy's mystery illnessImage Source/ MEDIzzy Journal
A Cedar Falls youngster named Landon Jones got a bacterial infection in one of his lungs in 2013. He hasn't experienced hunger or thirst since that time. The youngster only consumes food and liquids because he must. Nobody is aware of the cause of this.

Kansas - Graduation Combustion

Parents of Linwood, Kansas teen Randy Leach continue to fight for answers in his 1988 disappearance from graduation partyImage Source/ NBC News
Randy Leach vanished unexpectedly in 1988 from a high school pre-graduation celebration in Leavenworth County. Before the police could conduct an investigation, the party's location was cleaned up and then burnt down. Many of the people that helped the detectives ended up to be dead.

Kentucky - Cloudy With a Chance of Meat

The Artist Trying to Explain Kentucky's 'Meat Shower' of 1876 - Gastro ObscuraImage Source/ Atlas Obscura
On a farm in Kentucky, meat fragments of unknown origin fell from the sky one day in 1876. The flesh was the victims of vultures that had overindulged and then puked while circling overhead, which is the only explanation anyone has ever been able to provide.

Louisiana - The All-Powerful Marie Laveau

Marie Laveau | Biography & Facts | BritannicaImage Source/ Britannica
In the nineteenth century, the infamous Marie Laveau was a pivotal figure in New Orleans' Voodoo culture. All of her abilities became somewhat legendary, and it can be difficult to distinguish reality from myth. Could she have been as strong as they claim?

Maine - The Dismemberment of Sarah Ware

This Gruesome Bucksport Murder Is Still Partially UnsolvedImage Source/ QT06.5
Sarah Ware, 52, was discovered dead in Bucksport in 1898. Her neighbour, the primary suspect, was cleared of all charges after a blood-stained hammer that was thought to be the murder weapon vanished. Ware's funeral was especially peculiar since her head and body were buried apart and there was no tombstone erected.

Maryland - Bethesda Tunnels

200-foot tunnels under Bethesda home detailed in court docs - WTOP NewsImage Source/ WTOP
A man's body was discovered in the basement of a Bethesda house in 2017, and a network of tunnels beneath the building were uncovered along with it. The house's owner, Daniel Beckwitt, was accused of killing the guy, but there is still no explanation for the tunnels.

Massachusetts - The Black Flash

12 Scary Stories And Urban Legends From MassachusettsImage Source/ Ranker
From 1939 through 1945, a person known as the "Black Flash" visited and tormented the civilians of Provincetown. He would disappear and reappear up until a guy poured boiling water on him, which caused him to vanish. Nobody is aware of who the culprit was.

Michigan - Unexplained Light

Mysterious light draws thrill seekers to a U.P. forestImage Source/ Detroit Free Press
A group of teenagers in Paulding claim to have seen an enigmatic light in 1966. Swamp gas and other scientific explanations have been ruled out in favour of the more widely accepted paranormal notion that the light was emanating from the lantern of a local brakeman who died while attempting to halt an approaching train.

Minnesota - A Frozen Hilliard

Frozen. Thawed. Not dead: Jean Hilliard's amazing Minnesota story | MPR NewsImage Source/ MPR News
In 1980, Jean Hilliard was operating a vehicle when it left the road close to Langby. The following day, she was discovered fully frozen yet she did not die from hypothermia. After being thawed out, Hillard made a full recovery and is still very much alive.

Mississippi - The Phantom Barber

The Phantom Barber of Pascagoula - The official blog of Newspapers.comImage Source/ Newspapers.com Blog
According to Southern Living, a strange home invasion rash struck Pascagoula in 1942: "The attacker snatched strands of hair from each of the persons whose homes he broke into." Nobody has ever discovered out who the Phantom Barber truly was or why he did what he did, despite one guy becoming a suspect who was never formally prosecuted and passed a lie detector exam.

Missouri - The First Aids Victim

Forgotten History: The Sad and Mysterious Tale of America's First AIDS Victim. | by Mike Moran | MediumImage Source/ Medium
Robert Rayford, 16, passed away in 1969 after being sent to a hospital in St. Louis. Extreme weight loss and frequent infections were among his symptoms. A few years later, the HIV virus was found in the US and testing revealed that Rayford had died from problems related to AIDS. The youngster had never travelled outside of the state and had never received a blood transfusion. According to reports, Robert Rayford was the first person to pass away from AIDS-related illnesses.

Montana - The House of Mystery

Montana Vortex and House of Mystery – Columbia Falls, Montana - Atlas ObscuraImage Source/ Atlas Obscura
There appears to be a gravitational pull at Glacier National Park that causes a strange phenomenon where the trees there grow sideways. The "House of Mystery," a crooked hut that produces optical illusions, is also located in the same alleged "Vortex."

Nebraska - The Fortunate Few

Church Explosion Spares Choir | Snopes.comImage Source/ Snopes.com
15 choir members from Beatrice's West Side Baptist Church were scheduled to gather there on March 1 for a practise. Each of the 15 were running late that day for various reasons. They were quite fortunate since that day a gas leak demolished the church.

Nevada - Legendary Tupac Shakur

Tupac Shakur | Biography, Songs, Albums, Movies, & Facts | BritannicaImage Source/ Britannica
Hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur was shot and killed in a drive-by in Las Vegas in 1996. According to History, "the story...begins with a botched attempt on his life two years earlier," which rapper Christopher Wallace and producer Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs were responsible for. Six months later, Wallace was killed in Los Angeles; no one has ever been taken into custody in either instance.

New Hampshire - Rachel Garden's Vanishing

The Disappearance of Rachael Garden – Stories of the UnsolvedImage Source/ Stories of the Unsolved
When 15-year-old Rachel Garden purchased a pack of smokes from a Newton market in 1980, she was never heard from again. Rachel's alibi was staying with her friend, who denied knowing anything about the plans.  Three youths were allegedly observed by a witness chatting to Rachel outside of the market, but none of the men were ever prosecuted. There are no suspects and no one has ever been charged.

New Jersey - A Phantom Sniper

Beltway Snipers — FBIImage Source/ FBI
A supposedly ghostly sharpshooter haunted Camden in 1927. Window attacks on buses and cars were reported, but no bullets or cases were discovered. They continued the investigation for almost a year, and the enigmatic shooter was never uncovered.

New Mexico - The Roswell Experiments

What Really Happened at Roswell? - HISTORYImage Source/ History.com
In the summer of 1947, a rancher from Roswell discovered unexplained debris in his sheep field. Roswell residents rejected the Air Force's explanation that the debris came from a weather balloon that had crashed. They thought it originated from a UFO. The military disclosed fifty years later that the debris was from a top-secret atomic experiment.

New York - The Leatherman

Search For Clues Only Deepens 'Old Leatherman' Mystery : NPRImage Source/ NPR
A guy known as the "Leatherman" prowled the streets of Westchester and Putnam Counties in the nineteenth century. He slept in caverns, and in 1889, his body was uncovered. The man's name and the reason he lived as a hermit and roamed the area are still unknown.

North Carolina - Shadows Alive

The Shadow of the Bear in the North Carolina MountainsImage Source/ TripSavvy
Going bear hunting has a special importance in Cashiers because, in the fall, when the sun is out, a bear's shadow may be seen on Whiteside Mountain right before sunset. Romantic Asheville advises you to use your camera to "photograph" this baffling occurrence.

North Dakota - The Bodies of the Six

Niagara, North Dakota: Former Home of a Serial Killer | Ghosts of North DakotaImage Source/ Ghosts of North Dakota
Less than 100 people live in Niagara as of right now. However, there were at least six more residents there in the early 1900s than was known at the time. In the crawl hole of a home that had formerly belonged to the recluse Eugene Butler, six corpses of victims who had been bludgeoned to death were found in 1915. To this day, their identities are a mystery.

Ohio - Ghost Writer

The Creepy Letters That Exposed A Town's Juiciest Secrets — And Ended In Murder | Thought CatalogImage Source/ Thought Catalog
Circleville locals first started getting threatening and abusive letters in 1976. Paul Freshour was detained following the murder of a local. However, the letters still persisted. The person behind the cunning, grotesque and intimidating messages still remains a mystery today.

Oklahoma - Moving Day

The Jamison Family's Disappearance And The Story Behind ItImage Source/ All That's Interesting
The Jamison family travelled to Red Oak in 2014 to see a property that was up for sale. Their truck and all of their belongings were discovered a few days later, but it took hunters approximately a month to discover their corpses. The mystery has still not been cleared up.

Oregon - The Train with no Tracks

Mysterious Shrieking Sound Frustrates Oregon Community - ABC NewsImage Source/ ABC News
Residents of Forest Grove, Oregon, in 2016 claimed to have heard what sounded like a train on metal rails screeching. An innocent sound if you live by tracks, but there's no railroad close by. Nobody was able to identify the sound or locate its source.

Philadelphia - The Cardboard Coffin

The Tragic Unsolved Mystery Of The Boy In The Box | by Rameen Zeeshan | Lessons from History | MediumImage Source/ Medium
A little boy's body was found in a cardboard box in the woods in 1957. He was not recognised by the authorities, and no one came forward to report missing a youngster who matched his description. Although the homicide site provided no leads, a psychic in 1960 helped the authorities locate a foster home where the youngster may have resided.

Rhode Island - The Double Murderer

Jason Bass — Dark Downeast Episodes — Dark Downeast Maine True Crime PodcastImage Source/ Dark Downeast Maine True Crime Podcast
Adam Emery killed Jason Bass in 1993 during an argument on the road. Just hours after being found guilty of the crime, Emery disappeared. His wife's remains eventually turned up in Narragansett Bay when his automobile was discovered abandoned on the Newport Bridge. Adam Emery is still regarded by the FBI as a wanted person.

South Carolina - The Notorious Lizard Man

Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp 'caught on camera' - World News - Mirror OnlineImage Source/ The Mirror
Residents of Browntown first reported seeing what is now known as the "Lizard Man" in the summer of 1988. This seven-foot-tall creature had crimson eyes and tremendous, superhuman power. The initial sighting featured the beast "mauling" a vehicle. According to the Smithsonian, "the enigma hasn't been solved to this day," and sightings as late as 2015 have been reported.

South Dakota - The Colleague Case

Was Tom Kueter a Killer or a Victim? | by Martina Petkova | The Mystery Box | MediumImage Source/ Medium
When Tina Marcotte had a flat tyre in 1994, she contacted a friend to let them know. She did, however, also suggest that Tom Kueter, a coworker, would assist her. Marcotte disappeared. Kueter was then taken into custody but said that he had not spoken to his coworker. The next day, he was discovered dead.

Tennessee - The Craigmiles Mausoleum

St. Luke's Episcopal Church - Visit Cleveland TNImage Source/ Visit Cleveland TN
Nina Craigmiles, age 7, perished after being struck by a railway in 1871. In response, her relatives constructed a marble tomb for her and other members of the family. But the white marble started to show crimson stains. They couldn't clean them, and new stains developed each time a family member was laid in the mausoleum.

Texas - Remembering Amber Hagerman

Still Searching for Amber's KillerImage Source/ MisingKids.org
Girl Scout Amber Hagerman, age 9, of Arlington, was abducted in 1996. According to a witness, the girl was forced inside a vehicle. Several days later, she was found. The case inspired the development of AMBER Alerts (America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response), which are currently used all over the world.

Utah - The Escape of Jean Baptiste

The Legend of Jean Baptiste: Grave Robber of Salt Lake City — The Dead HistoryImage Source/ The Dead History
Jean Baptiste was well-known for robbing graves. He was exiled to a secluded island in the Great Salt Lake after the discovery of his grave-pillaging in the late 1800s.  He fled three weeks later. What little information the authorities had, suggested that he may have constructed a raft to flee. But he disappeared and was never heard from again.

Vermont - Bennington Triangle

Unraveling the Unsolved Disappearances of the Bennington Triangle - pop cultureImage Source/ History By Day
Around Glastenbury Mountain in Vermont is a place known as the "Bennington Triangle," where multiple disappearances have taken place throughout time. There have been many possibilities, from serial murders to supernatural activity, but no conclusive solution has been discovered.

Virginia - Old House Woods

The legend of Old House Woods: Professor to share research on spooky Mathews site – Daily PressImage Source/ Daily Press
The "Old House Woods" in the coastal city of Diggs, Virginia, was once a well-liked hiding area for troops and pirates, so it's only natural that it's become a hotspot for paranormal activity, including reports of skeletons strolling the woods in armour and sightings of a ghostly woman. People have said that when wandering through the woodland, they suddenly felt dreadful.

Washington - Mathematician Jason Padgett

The violent attack that turned a man into a maths genius - BBC FutureImage Source/ BBC
A vicious attack by two guys outside a club left Jason Padgett, a furniture salesman and jock, with a serious concussion in 2002. He was able to "intuitively perceive complicated mathematical things and scientific concepts" after his recovery, according to Live Science. Currently, Padgett is one of 15 to 25 persons who have the so-called "acquired savant syndrome"—a condition in which talent was gained after a head injury.

West Virginia - The Octopus

Danny Casolaro - Alchetron, The Free Social EncyclopediaImage Source/ Alchetron
Danny Casolaro, a journalist, arranged to meet a source in Martinsburg in 1991. Casolaro was working on a government-related tale he named "The Octopus." Later he was found dead in his hotel room. Although believed to be self-inflicted, some people think Danny Casolaro was killed rather than taking his own life.

Wisconsin - The Cursed Bunkbed

Haunted bunk beds, and 4 other Wisconsin-related mysteries from the original 'Unsolved Mysteries'Image Source/ Milwuakee Record
The Tallman family purchased a second-hand bunk bed in 1987. From then on, what appeared to be poltergeist activity began to emerge in their Horicon house. They had a fire and their kids were unwell. The issues were finally resolved when the family dismantled the bunk bed. What was the reasoning?

Wyoming - Devil's Tower

Devils Tower – Devils Tower, Wyoming - Atlas ObscuraImage Source/ Atlas Obsucra
Numerous Native American tribes consider the Devil's Tower National Monument to be a holy location and each group has its own origin myth for the enormous stone construct. Additionally, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a science fiction movie, has a significant mythology surrounding the building. It is related to a current or former volcano in some way and is composed of volcanic material, according to geology. But experts are still baffled as to how it came to be.

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