I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love murder mysteries. Mysteries are part of the reason I wanted to become a forensic pathologist. I find it so intriguing that little mishaps can lead to cases being solved. To get myself and you, dear reader, into the spooky mood I have decided to write and find four chilling mysteries that were not solved until years later.
1. The Murder of Krystal Beslanowith
Krystal Beslanowitch was an 18-year-old found dead on the side of a river in Utah in 1995. Her death was the result of a blow to the head. Law enforcement searched for months throughout the area to find any clues or information to no avail. Her case was cold for eighteen years. However, there was one key piece of evidence that would not play its vital role until 2013. The weapon used to bludgeon Krystal was a rock identified at the scene. The side of the rock that was gripped by the murder was swabbed at the scene in 1995. It was not until 2013 when new technology was developed that the DNA collected from the rock was used to identify the perpetrator, Joseph Michael Simpson. It is unclear what his motive was in her murder, but he will reap what he sowed by spending life in prison without parole.
2. The Disappearance of Cheryl Miller and Pam Jackson
In 1971 Sherri Miller and Pam Jackson went missing. They were on the way to a high school party following friends in another car. The friends claimed they thought they were following them the whole way to the party, but the two girls and their car never arrived. Their friends, family and other community members agonized over what could have happened to the girls for 43 years. It was not until 2013 that the car was found in a creek by an observant fisherman. Although it is now clear that the girls died because of a crash into the lake, it is still unclear how they wound up in it. Law enforcement suspects an accident. It is very unnerving to think that an accident like that can occur and the crash could remain hidden for over four decades.
3. The Murder of Three Boys from Illinois
Courtesy: Insider
Three young boys from Illinois were found dead in a stable in 1955. From the evidence found investigators concluded that the three boys were picked up when they were hitchhiking on a night out bowling. The perpetrator took them to their stable, sexually assaulted one of the boys and murdered them. It was not until 1994, 40 years later, when Kenneth Hansen was implicated in the murder of the three boys when law enforcement was investigating another case. He was charged with the murder of the boys.
4. The Kidnapping of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight
Courtesy: People
Some of you might remember this case. It was absolutely mind-blowing when it came out. The three girls all went missing at different times in Cleveland, Ohio. Little to the knowledge of those in their neighborhood, they were being kept hostage blocks from their homes. Ariel Castro beat them and sexually assaulted them for years. The women were even impregnated multiple times but lost the pregnancies as a result of the abuse. It was not until 2013 when Amanda Berry was able to escape, that the women were rescued from their captor.
It’s extremely unnerving that crimes like this go on daily in the background of our lives and we may never be aware. It’s important to always be vigilant and watch out for yourself and others. We live in a scary world where things like this occur all the time. As technology continues to improve, I suspect we will be seeing a lot of cold cases being resolved years later.
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