29 Unsolved Mysteries That Have Kept People Up For Yeeeeeaaaaars

Some mysteries fade with time. Others linger for decades, haunting the people who remember them. So, we asked[1] members of the BuzzFeed Community[2] to share the unsolved cases they can't stop thinking about.

Here are the stories that keep them up at night...

? Disappearances That Defy Explanation

1. Nyleen Marshall -- "I'm only a year younger than she was and grew up in Jefferson County, Montana, not far from where she disappeared. I still hope to this very day that she's found alive."

--Anonymous

On June 25, 1983, 4-year-old Nyleen Kay Marshall[3] vanished during a family outing in Montana's Helena National Forest. While playing with other children near Maupin Creek, she reportedly[4] spoke with an unidentified man in a jogging suit and disappeared moments later. Despite an exhaustive search of the rugged mountain terrain, no trace of her was found, leading investigators to believe she was abducted rather than lost in the woods.

The case took a dark turn in the mid-'80s when an anonymous man sent letters from Madison, Wisconsin, claiming he had kidnapped Nyleen and was traveling the world with her. These letters contained disturbing details and non-public information about the case. In another odd twist, Nyleen's mother was murdered[5] in 1995 while searching for her daughter in Mexico.

Despite several false leads over the decades, Nyleen's whereabouts remain unknown.

2. Bianca Lebron -- "She was the same age as me at the time. She told friends she was going to the mall with an uncle and asked if they wanted to join. They declined, and she was never seen again.

The description of the young man that was seen picking her up was that he was comfortable enough to get out of the car. Her friends stated that she had a secret boyfriend who was 19 or 20 at the time, and that they witnessed them kissing. Every so often, I revisit the case.

Unfortunately, it was two months after 9/11, and she received little to no coverage."

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--Anonymous, 36

Bianca was a 10-year-old student who disappeared from her school in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on Nov.

7, 2001, after telling teachers and classmates that her "uncle" was picking her up for a shopping trip. Witnesses saw her enter an older-model brown-and-tan van with tinted windows and sanded-down patches, but her mother later told police that Bianca had no uncles.

Since then, Bianca has never been found.

The case sparked significant controversy regarding school safety after a teacher allowed her to leave without verification, eventually leading to a £750,000 settlement[6] for the family. Despite decades of investigation, searches, and the clearing of potential suspects such as Jason Lara (the man her friends claimed was Bianca's "secret boyfriend"), the case remains unsolved. However, interest was renewed in 2024[7] when family members publicly confronted Luis Rivera, a man convicted of other local sexual assaults, urging him to provide information about her disappearance.

3. Serenity Dennard -- "Lots of sketchy accounts of what happened to her, and she seemingly vanished without a trace."

--Anonymous

On Feb.

3, 2019[8], 9-year-old Serenity ran away from the Black Hills Children's Home, a residential behavioral treatment facility near Rockerville, South Dakota. She was seen running into a rugged, wooded area during sub-zero temperatures without a coat. Over 66 agencies and hundreds of people participated in what was considered the largest search[9] in South Dakota history, covering thousands of miles.

Authorities believe she likely succumbed to the elements (hypothermia/exposure) shortly after vanishing.

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Despite years of searching and cadaver dogs picking up scents in some areas, no physical trace or remains of Serenity have ever been recovered. The Pennington County Sheriff's Office suspended the physical search in 2021[10], though the case remains an open missing person investigation.

Related: Nobody Born After 1973 Knows What These Vintage Objects Are[11]

4. Summer Wells -- "A 5-year-old girl who disappeared from her house in Tennessee, and has never been found.

There just wasn't any evidence of what happened to her."

--Anonymous, 61

Summer Wells[12] was 5 years old when she disappeared from her home in Rogersville, Tennessee, on June 15, 2021, after her mother reported she had gone into the basement to play. Despite an exhaustive search of the rugged terrain by over 1,100 personnel and thousands of tips -- including an ongoing search for a mysterious red Toyota Tacoma -- no physical trace of her has ever been found.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation recently released an age-progressed image[13] showing what Summer would look like at age 9, and investigators continue to follow active leads in hopes of finally solving the case.

5. Brian Shaffer -- "He went missing 20 years ago here in Columbus, and it just doesn't make sense. The bar he entered was on the second floor and required going up an escalator to get to it. There was video evidence of him entering.

But there's nothing of him leaving. No evidence has ever been found either."

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--Anonymous, Columbus, Ohio

Shaffer[14], a 27-year-old medical student at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, was last seen on CCTV in Columbus, Ohio, early in the morning on April 1, 2006.

The security footage showed Shaffer and two friends going up an escalator and then entering the popular campus-area bar, Ugly Tuna. Shaffer was later seen on camera outside the bar, talking to two women, then apparently walking back in. But the video never showed him leaving again.

Shaffer's friends looked for him after the bar closed, but, unable to find him, assumed he'd already gone home.

However, a couple of days later, after missing a flight he was supposed to catch with his girlfriend, he was finally reported missing. Despite a wide police search, lie detector tests from friends and family who'd seen or been with Shaffer earlier that night, false sightings[15], and even a call out for tips from Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder[16], Brian has still not been found, and authorities have not ruled out foul play.

6. Lauren Spierer -- "What happened to her?"

--Anonymous

On June 3, 2011[17], 20-year-old Indiana University sophomore Lauren Spierer vanished after a night of partying in Bloomington. Surveillance footage tracked her movements throughout the night, including her departure from Kilroy's Sports Bar and her presence at a nearby apartment complex. The final confirmed sighting occurred around 4:30 a.m., when she reportedly walked alone and barefoot toward her apartment, after which she seemingly vanished without a trace.

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Despite an exhaustive investigation involving the FBI[18] and following many leads, no body has ever been recovered. While the men she was with that evening faced intense public scrutiny and a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Spierer's parents, no criminal charges have ever been filed.

The Bloomington Police Department continues to classify the disappearance as an active investigation.

7. Paige Renkowski -- "She was last seen in 1990 after pulling over on I-96, east of Lansing, Michigan."

--coppersun93[19]

Renkoski, a substitute teacher living in Okemos, Michigan, was reportedly last seen by witnesses on May 24, 1990[20], by the side of the highway (I-96) talking to a man in a maroon minivan.

Although she'd been out and about, driving earlier in the day, her vehicle was later found abandoned and running by the side of I-96, not far from the next exit, with her keys, purse, and shoes inside. Despite suspect sketches and renewed investigations, including forensic reexamination, she has never been located.

8. Amy Lynn Bradley -- "She was a 23-year-old American traveling with her family on the Royal Caribbean International cruise ship Rhapsody of the Seas, who disappeared in late March 1998.

Although investigators theorized that she fell overboard and drowned, a theory circulating online is that she was kidnapped by sex traffickers. The saddest part is that if the crew had listened to the family and prohibited disembarkation after the disappearance, perhaps the kidnappers wouldn't have been able to leave the ship with Amy."

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--Anonymous, 22

Amy Lynn Bradley[21] vanished from the Royal Caribbean ship Rhapsody of the Seas on March 24, 1998, while it was docked in Curacao.

Despite reportedly being a strong swimmer and leaving her shoes behind, she was never found, leading her family to suspect she may have been abducted, possibly into human trafficking. This theory has been fueled by several unverified sightings over the decades and a set of 2005 photographs of a woman resembling Amy on an adult website. The case remains open with a £25,000 reward[22], and public interest resurged following the 2025 Netflix docuseries Amy Bradley Is Missing[23].

9. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 -- "I don't understand how a plane that size just disappears."

AFP / POOL/AFP via Getty Images

--dellarock[24]

On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to Beijing Capital International Airport with 239 people on board.

The flight was lost on air traffic control radar but picked up by military radar, hundreds of miles[25] off course from the planned flight path. The flight never arrived at its destination. Although several pieces of plane debris[26] have been found and officially confirmed as belonging to MH370, much of the aircraft has never been located.

ARIF KARTONO / AFP via Getty Images

10. The Mary Celeste -- "It was a brigantine found adrift in 1872, with the cargo accounted for, but not the captain, Benjamin Briggs, or his family and crew.

Their disappearance still remains a mystery."

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--blackbird68[27]

On Dec.

5, 1872, the Canadian brigantine Dei Gratia found the Mary Celeste adrift approximately 400 miles east of the Azores. The ship was seaworthy with six months of food and water still aboard. Its cargo -- 1,701 barrels of industrial alcohol -- was almost entirely intact, though nine barrels were found empty[28].

Captain Benjamin Briggs, his wife, their 2-year-old daughter, and the seven-man crew were gone. However, the ship's only lifeboat was missing[29], along with the captain's navigational instruments. Boarding parties found no signs of struggle, mutiny, or piracy; personal belongings and valuables remained undisturbed[30].

Hulton Archive / Getty Images

While many theories exist (including waterspouts and seaquakes), the alcohol vapor theory[31] is often cited by modern researchers as the most plausible. Nine barrels made of porous red oak (rather than white oak) likely leaked, filling the hold with volatile fumes. Expansion of these vapors due to heat may have caused a pressure-wave explosion, or a "flash" fire, that could blow open hatches and look terrifying without leaving scorch marks or soot.

Captain Briggs likely ordered everyone into the lifeboat, possibly tethering it to the ship to wait for the fumes to clear. It is believed the towline snapped[32] during a storm, leaving the crew stranded in the Atlantic.

Hulton Archive / Getty Images

?

Brutal Crimes With No Arrests

Related: People Are Sharing The Decisions They Thought Were Small At The Time, But Completely Changed Their Lives[33]

11. Amy Mihaljevic -- "She was a 10-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered in Bay Village, Ohio, in 1989. My own son was 8, and this heartbreaking tragedy happened nearby."

--famousghost131[34]

On Oct.

27, 1989[35], Amy was lured to the Bay Square Shopping Center after school. The abductor had reportedly called her weeks prior, convincing her to meet so he could help her buy a surprise gift for her mother's recent promotion.

She was last seen by classmates and witnesses walking through the parking lot with an unknown white male, estimated to be in his 30s. Months later, her body was found by a jogger in a rural field in Ashland County, approximately 50 miles from her home. She had been stabbed in the neck and suffered a blow to the head.

Despite decades of investigation, including renewed forensic testing and persons of interest identified in recent years, no one has been charged.

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12. The Tinley Park 5 -- "The unsolved mystery that haunts me is the murder of five women at a Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park, Illinois, in 2008."

--Anonymous, 70

On Feb.

2, 2008, a shooter posing as a delivery driver entered a Lane Bryant[36] store in Tinley Park, Illinois, and committed one of the Chicago area's most notorious mass murders. The assailant forced six women -- store manager Rhoda McFarland, four customers, Jennifer Bishop, Carrie Hudek Chiuso, Sarah Szafranski, and Connie Woolfolk, and a part-time employee -- into a back room, where he bound them with duct tape and shot them execution-style.

Five of the women were killed, while the sixth (the part-time employee) survived a gunshot wound to the neck because she shifted her head at the last second. Despite an immediate emergency call from McFarland that captured the suspect's voice, the shooter vanished before police arrived just minutes later.

The case remains unsolved nearly two decades later, though the Tinley Park Police Department[37] maintains it is an active investigation, has followed over 7,000 leads, and continues to offer a £100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Public interest has been recently renewed thanks to a 2026 documentary, Who Killed These Women?[38], which aims to bring fresh attention to the "Tinley Park 5."

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13. Lindsay Buziak -- "It bothers me to this day."

--Anonymous, 32

Lindsay Buziak was a 24-year-old real estate agent in the Victoria, Canada area who was stabbed to death on Feb.

2, 2008, while showing a property to an unnamed couple. According to CTV News[39], "Investigators believe the couple arranged the meeting using a prepaid cellphone that was later determined to be registered to a fake name in Metro Vancouver." Lindsay's boyfriend at the time, Jason Zailo, was questioned by police. However, no charges have ever been made against him.

The case remains unsolved.

14. Amber Lyn Smith -- "Cold Case #06-1787. Mother of a 4-year-old and a newborn; Sister of Allison; Daughter of Cyndy; and Aunt to a niece and nephew. Her family has been waiting on answers for 20 years, this past January, 2026."

--Anonymous

On Jan.

28, 2006, 22-year-old Amber Lyn Smith[40] vanished from her home in Seguin, Texas, leaving behind her purse, ID, and two young children. Her body was discovered 18 days later under a bridge at FM 725 and Grove Lane, approximately 10 miles from her residence. While her common-law husband was identified as a person of interest, no arrests have ever been made, and the Seguin Police Department[41] continues to treat the case as an active homicide.

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15. Bonnie Lee Schultz -- "She went for a night out with her friends and was never seen again. There have been lots of suspicious occurrences, but nobody knows what really happened."

--Anonymous, 14

On July 4, 1997, 45-year-old Bonnie Lee Schultz[42] vanished from Indianapolis after leaving the Time Out Lounge around 4:00 a.m.

She was driving her 1990 blue Mercury Sable station wagon, which, along with Bonnie herself, has never been found. At the time, she was seeking a divorce from her husband, Richard "Rick" Schultz, after 26 years of marriage. Because of this, investigators initially focused on Richard, especially after a polygraph test indicated deception regarding their relationship.

However, Richard maintained his innocence and died in 2022 without ever being charged.

While some theories[44] suggest foul play by an unidentified predator or a "voluntary disappearance," many investigators and amateur sleuths now lean toward a tragic accident. They believe Bonnie may have accidentally driven into a local body of water, such as a retention pond or the White River, while on her way home. Despite modern sonar searches and the recovery of several unrelated submerged vehicles, Bonnie's case remains unsolved.

?

Cases That Sparked Legal Controversy

16. West Memphis Three -- "The whole case is bonkers on so many levels. First, there's the gigantic miscarriage of justice for the three who were convicted based on literally no evidence, and then you have the fact that because this overshadowed the actual murders, the real killer(s) have never been proven, despite there being some very strong suspects. Any evidence or desire to get to the truth is squashed by the local law enforcement, as their only priority is not admitting how badly they fucked up the initial investigation, which means there will never be justice for those poor little boys who were brutally killed.

The handling of this case makes me angry every time I think of it, which is probably at least once a week."

--Anonymous

Related: "Most People Would Be Baffled By That Today": 27 Behaviours That Were Completely Fine In The '90s, But Are Now Considered "Wildly Inappropriate"[46]

The West Memphis Three[47] -- Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr. -- earned their moniker from the media and supporters because they were three teenagers living in West Memphis, Arkansas, when they were arrested for the extremely violent 1993 murders of three 8-year-old boys -- Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore.

Their convictions in 1994 were largely built on a "Satanic Panic" narrative and a highly contested confession from Jessie Misskelley Jr., who had a significant cognitive disability.

Despite a total lack of physical evidence linking them to the crime, they spent nearly two decades in prison, with Echols even being sentenced to death.

Their release in 2011[48] followed the discovery of new DNA evidence that excluded all three men from the crime scene. To secure their freedom, they entered Alford pleas, a rare legal compromise in which they maintained their innocence while technically pleading guilty to secure time served. While the state of Arkansas officially considers the case closed due to those pleas, the men continue to fight for a full exoneration.

Public scrutiny remains high, with many pointing to alternative suspects like Terry Hobbs[49], Stevie Branch's stepfather, whose DNA was linked to evidence at the scene, though no new charges have ever been filed. Frustratingly, the murders of Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore remain unsolved.

17. Noida double murder case -- "I'd like to find out who is behind this crime.

A young girl and her family's domestic help were both murdered in the same manner whilst the parents slept, but they denied hearing any noise due to a noisy AC wall unit. Evidence doesn't point to or show the presence of an outsider. Truly a bizarre case bearing the hallmarks of a whodunnit."

Hindustan Times / Hindustan Times via Getty Images

--Anonymous, 27

On the morning of May 16, 2008, the parents of 13-year-old Aarushi Talwar discovered her body in her bedroom with her throat slit in their Noida apartment.

Suspicion immediately fell on their missing live-in domestic help, Hemraj Banjade, until his own body was found the very next day on the roof of the home. Investigators found no signs of forced entry, leading to an "insider job" theory that focused on the parents, Drs. Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, who claimed they heard nothing due to a noisy air conditioning unit.

After nearly a decade of legal twists, including a life imprisonment conviction in 2013, the Allahabad High Court acquitted the couple in 2017[50] due to a lack of conclusive evidence and a heavily criticized, botched initial investigation. To this day, the case remains one of India's most baffling unsolved mysteries.

Hindustan Times / Hindustan Times via Getty Images

18. JonBenet Ramsey -- "Everything about that case is extremely fishy. Her being objectified at a young age (as a pageant queen), the ransom note that looked like something out of a movie, and was somehow written inside her house, with multiple drafts.

Her dad taking her body from the crime scene, her being found dead inside her own house...etc."

--Anonymous

JonBenet Ramsey[51] was a 6-year-old girl who was killed in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado, on Dec.

25 or 26, 1996. Her death[52] was attributed to a skull fracture from a blow to the head and strangulation by a garrote that was found around her neck. The case became a media circus, largely because Ramsey was a child beauty pageant contestant, and it received constant coverage worldwide.

The case is widely considered "fishy" because many details contradict the typical patterns of a kidnapping, which is what her parents initially claimed happened.

The 2.5-page ransom note is the most suspicious element; it was written on a notepad found inside the house, included "practice drafts," and demanded a specific dollar amount (£118,000) that matched John Ramsey's work bonus. Furthermore, the note's dramatic, cinematic language felt more like a staged distraction than a genuine demand from a "foreign faction."[53][54]

The discovery of JonBenet's body in her own basement hours after the note was found -- and her father's subsequent move of the body[55] -- further complicated the investigation by contaminating the crime scene.

These anomalies, combined with the public's unease over her highly sexualized pageant image and the fact that there were no signs of forced entry into the home, have fueled decades of debate over whether the crime was an outside job or an internal family tragedy that was staged to look like a kidnapping. It is still considered a cold case[56].

19. Robert Wone -- "Was he killed by an intruder, or did his three friends that he was staying with do it?"

--Anonymous, Arlington, VA

On Aug.

2, 2006[57], attorney Robert Wone was fatally stabbed while staying at the Washington, D.C. home of three friends: Joseph Price, Victor Zaborsky, and Dylan Ward. Despite being found with three clean, deep stab wounds, there was a suspicious lack of blood at the scene, and evidence suggested Wone may have been incapacitated before his death.

The residents maintained that an intruder had committed the crime, but investigators found no evidence of forced entry and believed the crime scene had been tampered with.

While the three men were never charged with the murder itself, they were tried for conspiracy and obstruction of justice. In 2010[58], they were found not guilty of those charges, with the judge citing insufficient evidence for a criminal conviction despite "deeply suspicious" circumstances. A subsequent wrongful death civil suit filed by Wone's widow was settled out of court in 2011[59], but the murder officially remains unsolved, and no one has ever been held criminally responsible for Robert's death.

The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Images

20. Barry and Honey Sherman -- "It had to have been an inside job."

--Anonymous, 47

In December 2017, Apotex[60] (a pharmaceutical company) founder and billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife, Honey, were found dead in a staged scene by their basement pool, seated side-by-side with leather belts around their necks. Although Toronto police[61] initially suspected a murder-suicide, they later reclassified the deaths as a targeted double homicide[62] following pressure from a private investigation[63] funded by the couple's children.

Rick Madonik / Toronto Star via Getty Images

Despite the emergence of a suspect with an unusual gait[64] caught on security footage and a staggering £35 million reward[65], the case remains unsolved as of 2026, still mired in legal battles and family disputes over the couple's massive estate[66].

21. The disappearance of Anne-Elisabeth Hagen -- "This is one of Norway's most high-profile unsolved cases. She went missing from her home in Lorenskog, Norway, on Halloween 2018.

A written ransom demand, reportedly involving cryptocurrency, was found in the house, leading police to initially treat the case as a possible kidnapping. Her husband, billionaire Tom Hagen, was later formally suspected, but the charges were eventually dropped. Anne-Elisabeth Hagen has never been found, and what happened remains unknown."

--Anonymous, 41

Anne-Elisabeth Hagen[67] vanished from her home in Lorenskog, Norway, on Oct.

31, 2018, leaving behind signs of a possible struggle in her bathroom and a EUR9 million ransom demand in cryptocurrency. While initially investigated as a kidnapping, police later reclassified the case as a murder staged to look like an abduction.

HEIKO JUNGE / NTB Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

Her husband, billionaire Tom Hagen, was arrested in 2020 on suspicion of involvement, but the investigation faced significant evidentiary hurdles.

In October 2024[68], Norwegian prosecutors officially dropped all charges against him due to insufficient evidence. Despite years of searching and international cooperation, her body has never been found, and her fate remains one of Norway's most enduring mysteries.

TORBJORN OLSEN / AFP via Getty Images

22. Sara Keesling -- "Who killed her?"

--keepintabs[69]

Twelve-year-old Keesling was reported missing by her mother in late September 1988[70] after she "ran away" to avoid a court-ordered visit with her father. Two weeks after she went missing, a hiker found her decomposed remains partially buried under garbage at a dump site in a remote part of Riverside, California.

Her death was initially ruled "undetermined" and was not aggressively investigated as a homicide for over 30 years. In 2023, the Riverside Regional Cold Case Homicide Team[71] reexamined the case and officially reclassified it as a homicide. Investigators have reportedly ruled out all but one suspect.

However, the District Attorney's office has declined to file charges at this time due to insufficient evidence.

?

Historic Mysteries Still Unsolved

23. Yuba County Five -- "This case has been on my mind for a while. Five men disappeared on Feb.

24, 1978. In June, later that year, four of the five men were found dead in Plumas National Forest.

It remains unknown why the group drove into the mountains, abandoned a working car, and failed to use the resources that could have kept them alive."

--Anonymous

Related: Everyone Knew What These 17 Objects Were 30 Years Ago, But Nobody Uses Them Anymore -- So I'll Be Shocked If You Can Identify Them[72]

The Yuba County Five[73] case is one of America's most haunting mysteries, involving the 1978 disappearance of five young men from Yuba City, California. After attending a basketball game in Chico, the group -- all of whom had mild intellectual disabilities or psychiatric conditions -- somehow ended up 70 miles away on a remote, snow-covered logging road in the Plumas National Forest. They abandoned their perfectly functional car and headed deeper into the wilderness on foot.

The tragedy turned bizarre four months later when four of the men were found[74] dead near a forest service trailer 20 miles from their car.

Due to advanced decomposition, it was not entirely clear how all the men died. However, one of them, Ted Weiher, apparently lived in the trailer for weeks, eventually starving to death despite the presence of matches and enough canned food to last the entire group for a year. The fifth man, Gary Mathias, was never found.

To this day, investigators cannot explain why the men drove into the mountains, why they left a warm car, or why they failed to use the survival supplies available to them.

24. The Beaumont children -- "One of Australia's biggest mysteries."

--markporter1[75]

Jane (9), Arnna (7), and Grant (4) Beaumont disappeared[76] on Jan.

26, 1966, after taking a bus to a nearby beach. According to their mother, they were supposed to return home at noon, but did not.

Their father, Jim, drove to the beach to find them but was unable to do so. He returned to the beach again with his wife, and both looked for them there, around the streets, and at friends' houses.

Authorities spoke with several witnesses who had apparently seen the children at a nearby reserve with a "tall man." Other witnesses also reported seeing the children at a shop and then walking away from the beach.

There have been numerous suspects over the years, and as late as 2018[77], a £1 million reward was still offered for information related to the cold case.

25. Evelyn Hartley -- "She was 15 years old when she disappeared while babysitting."

--Anonymous, 30

On the night of Oct.

24, 1953, 15-year-old Evelyn Hartley[78] vanished while babysitting in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Her father discovered a harrowing scene at the house: locked doors, a broken basement window, and signs of a violent struggle, including Evelyn's shoes, broken glasses, and bloodstains.

Though the infant she was watching was unharmed, Evelyn was nowhere to be found. A massive search effort involving thousands of volunteers and the National Guard eventually uncovered[79] bloodstained clothing and a pair of sneakers miles away, but the trail went cold at the edge of a road, suggesting she had been forced into a vehicle.

Despite decades of investigation and various theories -- including a possible connection to the notorious Ed Gein -- Evelyn's body was never recovered.

The case remains one of the Midwest's most haunting "cold cases." No one has ever been charged, and the mystery of what happened to Evelyn Hartley after she was taken from that basement remains unsolved.

26. Tiffany Papesh -- "She disappeared in 1980 in Maple Heights, Ohio."

--Anonymous

Papesh was 8 years old when she disappeared on June 13, 1980. She had gone on a quick errand[80] to a neighborhood store, but never returned home.

In 1983, a man named Brandon Flagner confessed to the crime in a letter to a Cleveland news station while serving time in Texas for child molestation. However, many were skeptical of his guilt.

It was noted that Flagner was at work -- located roughly 50-60 miles away from the scene -- when Tiffany disappeared. Also, Flagner later recanted, claiming he made the confession to stay in prison and receive sex offender treatment.

Despite all this, Flagner was convicted in July 1985[81] of two counts of aggravated murder and one count of kidnapping, despite no physical evidence (no body, weapon, or clothing was ever found). To this day, Tiffany's body has never been found, and she remains listed as a missing person by the Ohio Attorney General[82] and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children[83].

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children / Via ohioattorneygeneral.gov[84]

27. The Amber Room -- "It was taken from Russia by Hitler's people and has not been seen again. Where'd it go, what happened to it?"

Patrick AVENTURIER / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

--Anonymous, Colorado

The Amber Room[85] was a world-renowned 18th-century chamber, often called the "Eighth Wonder of the World," featuring walls covered in six tons of amber, gold leaf, and mirrors, installed in Russia's Catherine Palace.

Originally created in Prussia and gifted to Peter the Great in 1716, it was looted by Nazis in 1941, disappeared, and remains a famous, unrecovered treasure. (The image above and below are reconstructions.)

Xinhua News Agency / Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images

28. The Allagash UFO abductions -- "They were all art students, and they made art depicting how the aliens looked and what they went through. The story chilled me to the bone. I was staying with my grandma in the middle of nowhere in Tennessee when I watched a TV episode about it.

I remember locking all the doors so the aliens couldn't abduct me."

--Anonymous, 39

In August 1976, four artists on a camping trip in Maine reported being abducted by a glowing craft on Eagle Lake after experiencing "missing time."[86] While they initially only recalled a strange light, regressive hypnosis years later led them to describe invasive medical exams performed by "grey" entities. The case became a cornerstone of UFO lore and gained fame through a book called The Allagash Abductions[87]. Its credibility was later shaken when one member, Chuck Rak[88], admitted to fabricating the abduction details for potential profit. Despite this, the remaining three men continue to maintain that their experience was genuine.

?

A Personal Story That Needs Answers

29. Finally, Nathaniel Gary Dawson -- "This is personal, but the unsolved mystery of what became of my half-brother, Nathaniel. On Oct.

28, 1983, witnesses describe him being thrown from a pickup truck as it travelled down the highway. He was 3 months old.

This is the information I have: My biological father's name is Tilden Gary Dawson, and his wife's name was Barbara Dawson. My half-brother, Nathaniel Dawson, was flung from their vehicle travelling down the highway somewhere near Purcell, Oklahoma, on Oct.

28, 1983. The only reason I am aware of Nathaniel is that somebody contacted my mother to see if she would adopt him so he could grow up with blood siblings.

I was at home and overheard the conversation. My mother was too afraid of my father to adopt Nathaniel, and this was when my mother had her third husband adopt my brother and me to make it harder for him to find us. She was afraid he would think she had adopted my half-brother and come looking for him."

Roberto Galan / Getty Images

--Anonymous, 53, Tulsa, Oklahoma

In October 1983, 31-year-olds Tilden Gary Dawson and Barbara Dawson were arrested following a shocking incident in which their 3-month-old son, Nathanial, was thrown from a moving pickup truck[89] on a rural road near Purcell, Oklahoma. Witnesses reported seeing the vehicle weaving between lanes before a door opened and the infant was ejected along with several articles of clothing. Remarkably, the baby survived the fall with only superficial abrasions[90] to his scalp, face, and limbs.

Both parents were subsequently ordered to stand trial on child abuse charges and pleaded innocent, while the infant was placed in the care of a foster home.

Middelveld / Getty Images

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

If you or anyone you know has information on a missing person case, call local law enforcement first.

You can also contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 (THE-LOST) or visit the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System site for regional case assistance[91].

Also in Rewind: 18 Of The Worst Family Secrets People Have Accidentally Found Out That Are Very, VERY Dark[92]

Also in Rewind: Sorry, Only Your Parents And Grandparents Know The Names Of These Vintage Objects[93]

Also in Rewind: 14 People Who Died With Their Secrets...Only To Be Revealed After Their Death[94]

Read it on BuzzFeed.com[95]

References

1. ^ asked (www.buzzfeed.com)
2. ^ BuzzFeed Community (www.buzzfeed.com)
3. ^ Nyleen Kay Marshall (www.kxlh.com)
4. ^ reportedly (morbidology.com)
5. ^ murdered (www.kxlh.com)
6. ^ £750,000 settlement (www.telegram.com)
7. ^ 2024 (www.ctpost.com)
8. ^ Feb.

   3, 2019 (www.missingkids.org)

9. ^ largest search (www.dakotanewsnow.com)
10. ^ 2021 (www.sdnewswatch.org)
11. ^ Nobody Born After 1973 Knows What These Vintage Objects Are (www.buzzfeed.com)
12. ^ Summer Wells (www.wjhl.com)
13. ^ age-progressed image (x.com)
14. ^ Shaffer (en.wikipedia.org)
15. ^ false sightings (www.youtube.com)
16. ^ Eddie Vedder (www.the-independent.com)
17. ^ June 3, 2011 (www.newsnationnow.com)
18. ^ FBI (abc7chicago.com)
19. ^ coppersun93 (www.buzzfeed.com)
20. ^ May 24, 1990 (www.clickondetroit.com)
21. ^ Amy Lynn Bradley (www.12onyourside.com)
22. ^ £25,000 reward (www.fbi.gov)
23. ^ Amy Bradley Is Missing (shopping.yahoo.com)
24. ^ dellarock (www.buzzfeed.com)
25. ^ hundreds of miles (www.cnn.com)
26. ^ debris (www.bbc.com)
27. ^ blackbird68 (www.buzzfeed.com)
28. ^ nine barrels were found empty (www.smithsonianmag.com)
29. ^ only lifeboat was missing (museumhack.com)
30. ^ remained undisturbed (www.ebsco.com)
31. ^ alcohol vapor theory (www.ucl.ac.uk)
32. ^ towline snapped (www.thecluecollective.com)
33. ^ People Are Sharing The Decisions They Thought Were Small At The Time, But Completely Changed Their Lives (www.buzzfeed.com)
34. ^ famousghost131 (www.buzzfeed.com)
35. ^ Oct.

    27, 1989 (www.cityofbayvillage.gov)

36. ^ Lane Bryant (abc7chicago.com)
37. ^ Tinley Park Police Department (www.tinleypark.org)
38. ^ Who Killed These Women? (thetinley5.com)
39. ^ CTV News (vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca)
40. ^ Amber Lyn Smith (news4sanantonio.com)
41. ^ Seguin Police Department (guadalupecountycrimestoppers.org)
42. ^ Bonnie Lee Schultz (charleyproject.org)
43. ^ youtube.com (www.youtube.com)
44. ^ theories (crimejunkiepodcast.com)
45. ^ youtube.com (www.youtube.com)
46. ^ "Most People Would Be Baffled By That Today": 27 Behaviours That Were Completely Fine In The '90s, But Are Now Considered "Wildly Inappropriate" (www.buzzfeed.com)
47. ^ West Memphis Three (www.britannica.com)
48. ^ 2011 (innocenceproject.org)
49. ^ Terry Hobbs (www.cnn.com)
50. ^ acquitted the couple in 2017 (www.bbc.com)
51. ^ JonBenet Ramsey (www.ebsco.com)
52. ^ death (www.cnn.com)
53. ^ matched (people.com)
54. ^ "foreign faction." (www.oxygen.com)
55. ^ move of the body (www.bordaslaw.com)
56. ^ cold case (people.com)
57. ^ Aug.

    2, 2006 (mpdc.dc.gov)

58. ^ 2010 (dcist.com)
59. ^ 2011 (www.washingtondcinjurylawyerblog.com)
60. ^ Apotex (ca.news.yahoo.com)
61. ^ Toronto police (allthatsinteresting.com)
62. ^ targeted double homicide (macleans.ca)
63. ^ private investigation (forward.com)
64. ^ suspect with an unusual gait (www.abc.net.au)
65. ^ £35 million reward (www.cbsnews.com)
66. ^ estate (www.thestar.com)
67. ^ Anne-Elisabeth Hagen (www.nytimes.com)
68. ^ October 2024 (apnews.com)
69. ^ keepintabs (www.buzzfeed.com)
70. ^ late September 1988 (www.weremember.com)
71. ^ Riverside Regional Cold Case Homicide Team (www.findagrave.com)
72. ^ Everyone Knew What These 17 Objects Were 30 Years Ago, But Nobody Uses Them Anymore -- So I'll Be Shocked If You Can Identify Them (www.buzzfeed.com)
73. ^ Yuba County Five (www.grunge.com)
74. ^ found (www.grunge.com)
75. ^ markporter1 (www.buzzfeed.com)
76. ^ disappeared (www.eonline.com)
77. ^ 2018 (www.news.com.au)
78. ^ Evelyn Hartley (www.aetv.com)
79. ^ eventually uncovered (storiesoftheunsolved.com)
80. ^ quick errand (www.doenetwork.org)
81. ^ 1985 (www.supremecourt.ohio.gov)
82. ^ Ohio Attorney General (www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov)
83. ^ National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (www.missingkids.org)
84. ^ ohioattorneygeneral.gov (www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov)
85. ^ Amber Room (www.history.co.uk)
86. ^ "missing time." (unsolved.com)
87. ^ The Allagash Abductions (www.amazon.com)
88. ^ Chuck Rak (thecounty.me)
89. ^ thrown from a moving pickup truck (www.oklahoman.com)
90. ^ superficial abrasions (www.oklahoman.com)
91. ^ regional case assistance (namus.nij.ojp.gov)
92. ^ 18 Of The Worst Family Secrets People Have Accidentally Found Out That Are Very, VERY Dark (www.buzzfeed.com)
93. ^ Sorry, Only Your Parents And Grandparents Know The Names Of These Vintage Objects (www.buzzfeed.com)
94. ^ 14 People Who Died With Their Secrets...Only To Be Revealed After Their Death (www.buzzfeed.com)
95. ^ Read it on BuzzFeed.com (www.buzzfeed.com)