In some cases, the crime itself is a mystery, and people including the family, investigators, and the public—look for answers for decades. These are all in famous cold cases of shocking murders, unexplained deaths, mysterious disappearances and where investigators were not able to determine who the perpetrator was. These crimes have captivated public attention and sparked years of speculation and investigation from the Borden family murders to the Zodiac Killer and the tragic death of Natalie Wood.
There are also new forensic techniques that can provide new clues and many cases that, despite a lot of effort, are still unsolved. There are 18 infamous cold cases that still continue to spark questions and keep investigators and true crime fans asking for answers.
Famous Cold Cases That Continue to Puzzle Investigators
There are few things more frightening than the truly unsolved: murders and kidnappings that leave the police and CSI experts stumped. They investigate cases of missing children, bodies that mysteriously turn up in the woods, and serial killers who seamlessly slip out the back door and re-enter the community. With each passing year, the mystery only deepens, and the "cold case" grows colder and colder.
Lizzie Borden - Grisly axe murders never solved
In the summer of 1892, an unknown assailant brutally murdered Andrew and Abby Borden with an axe in their house in Fall River, MA.
Their daughter, Lizzie Borden, was arrested but was eventually found not guilty of the heinous crime. The murders of Andrew and Abby Borden remain a cold case filled with speculation, numerous movies, TV shows, and even a children's nursery rhyme, and still have yet to produce a known victim with the axe.
Child beauty pageant queen’s death a mystery
Jon Bent Ramsey was a six-year-old beauty pageant queen who someone reported as having been raped and strangled to death in her home in Boulder, Colorado, the day after Christmas in 1996.
The initial investigation quickly pointed the finger at her parents, but forensic experts cleared them after discovering that DNA evidence from the crime scene matched another man. In 2006, authorities arrested John Mark Karr after he confessed to the murder; however, he did not match the DNA profile from the crime scene.
Elvis fans’ murderer remains at large
Meet the enthusiastic Elvis Presley super fans. Barbara and Patricia Grimes pleaded with their mother to let them go see their favorite singer's very first movie on December 28, 1956.
The teenage sisters from Chicago never returned home. Nearly a month later, a construction worker discovered the frozen bodies of Barbara and Patricia Grimes in a ditch in Willow Springs, Illinois, which finally put an end to the high-profile missing persons' case. The police tracked down numerous suspects, but they later eliminated all of them, and eventually, the Grimes sisters' case turned cold.
Girl’s unsolved abduction leads to alert system
Amber Hagerman vanished from her bike in a grocery store parking lot in Arlington, Texas, on January 13, 1996. Authorities only had a witness statement that a blue pickup truck drove away from the scene. Search efforts and national media exposure generated thousands of tips that people phoned in, but it was a dog walker who ultimately discovered the body of 9-year-old Hagerman five days later in a creek, where her throat was slashed. No one arrested anyone for the abduction and slaying.
That tragic case inspired the creation of the Amber Alert system that is used today - a vital North American system that alerts the public whenever a child goes missing.
Cold case cryptic messages taunt North California
In July 1969, someone sent a letter to The San Francisco Examiner containing a cryptic message, marking the first in a string of murders that the Zodiac Killer carried out. Connected to five murders and two attempted murders, the Zodiac's crime spree spread through North California, and the killer sent strange letters to authorities and the general population that included coded ciphers.
His cipher stopped in the late 1970s, and the Zodiac disappeared from public view. The much-discussed 340-cipher was finally cracked in December 2020, and experts believe it could have revealed the identity of the killer.
No leads in Quebec girl’s disappearance
On July 31, 2007, 9-year-old Cdrika Provencher went missing while she was riding her bike in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. She reported that a man approached her, offering to help find his missing dog. Although police and volunteers searched the entire province and thoroughly combed through the town for Cdrika, they did not find anybody until six years later.
In 2015, hunters discovered her remains in the woods located just outside of town; however, authorities have not identified any suspects in the case.
Tylenol murders spark fear in Chicago
In 1982, seven people six adults and one child in Chicago died after consuming potassium cyanide infused Tylenol. The police remained confused as to why the cyanide was present in the pills, as the bottles originated from different factories and people bought them from separate stores.
A motive was never discovered and the authorities have yet to find the culprit; however, the pharmaceutical industry introduced tamper-proof seals as a result of the contamination.
Hollywood drowning death shrouded in mystery
In 1981, the tragic news of the death of 43-year-old actress Natalie Wood rocked Hollywood. The wife of actor Robert Wagner, Wood was reported to have fallen from the couple's yacht off the coast of Catalina Island.
After rescuers reached her, they discovered Wood floating face down in the water near her boat. Wood had long been terrified of being in the dark water, and the events that led to her untimely death remain a profound mystery.
FAQs
1. What is a cold case?
A cold case is an unsolved criminal investigation where authorities have no active leads or sufficient evidence to identify or prosecute a suspect. A case can be reopened if new evidence appears.
2. Why do some famous cold cases remain unsolved for decades?
Cases may remain unsolved because of limited evidence, unreliable witness accounts, missing records, unidentified suspects, or forensic technology that was not available when the crime occurred.
3. Is the Zodiac Killer case still unsolved?
Yes. The Zodiac Killer has never been officially identified or arrested. The case remains one of the most well-known unsolved murder investigations in the United States.
4. What happened in the Tylenol murders?
In 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after taking cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules. The person responsible was never identified or convicted for the deaths.
5. Can cold cases still be solved?
Yes. Advances in DNA testing, forensic science, digital records, and investigative techniques can provide new leads and sometimes help authorities solve cases many years after the original crime.
