CuriositiesFEB 3, 2025

30 Unsolved Mysteries That Have Folks Scratching Their Brains To This Day

Mariia Tkachenko, Viktorija Strelciunaite, Kornelija Viečaitė and Gabija Saveiskyte

As consumers, we're kind of obsessed with everything related to true crime. A 2024 report found that 83% of Americans aged 13+ watch or listen to True Crime through any medium. Podcasts especially are especially popular: they're the third most popular genre behind just comedy and society & culture.

We here at Bored Panda, too, love to play sleuths from time to time. Getting lost in an unsolved mystery case can be similar to solving a big puzzle. So, here we have for you some of the most bizarre True Crime cases in history. We warn you, though: some of them might give you some serious heebie-jeebies.

We reached out to Kat and Jethro Gilligan Toth, the hosts of the Box of Oddities podcast. It's a delightfully bizarre show where the strange, the unexpected, and the downright ridiculous collide—because reality is weirder than you think. We chatted about lesser-known mysteries and internet sleuthing and even got to know which mysteries they would love to solve the most. Read our conversation below!

More info: The Box of Oddities | Listen to The Box of Oddities here!

#21

Coastal landscape potentially linked to weird unsolved mysteries, featuring rugged cliffs and the ocean meeting the sandy shore.

On the afternoon of 17 December 1967, Prime Minister Harold Holt entered the surf at Cheviot Beach in Victoria. He was never seen again.
Despite an exhaustive search, no body or other evidence was found. In their place rose allegations, rumours and conspiracy theories that continue to this day. 

nfsa.gov.au, RCoxxie

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32points

People on this side of the argument say that producers, directors, film studios, and even Internet media creators sensationalize family tragedies for their personal gain. In some cases, the public reacts to these criminal cases in weird ways too. Like when social media users urged the Hillsborough County judge to reduce the sentence for Cameron Herrin because he's "too cute to go to jail."

#22

City lights at dusk, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of weird unsolved mysteries.

Where is Tera Smith? She disappeared from her Northern California hometown when she was a teenager in the late 1990s. I lived in Redding and was just a couple years younger than Tera at the time of her disappearance, so her disappearance has always stuck with me.

CombatBetty, Gordon F. Smith

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32points

#23

Plaque about America's Unknown Child, a weird unsolved mystery involving the "Boy in the Box" case, against a cloudy sky.

The boy in the box. A deceased little boy, found beaten, recently shaved of his hair and abandoned in the box for a bassinet that he was way too old for. The photos and reconstructions of him released to the public in the desperate hope of identifying him are haunting.

erinkjean, TheXuitts

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30points

#24

"Wanted poster featuring sketches related to weird unsolved mysteries, issued by San Francisco Police Department."

I vote for the Zodiac Killer. He left multiple cryptic messages, some of which never got decoded, but they never identified him. There's much debate as to what happened to him, and even how extensive the scope of his killings. I believe the FBI still has a reward on information leading to his arrest, but nobody has heard anything in decades.

Vega3gx, San Francisco Police Department

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30points

There have been other instances when people on TikTok or Twitter falsely accuse innocent people. The passing of four students in Moscow, Idaho became an example of this when TikTok sleuths identified Jack Showalter as 'hoodie guy' and insisted he was guilty. Although a completely different man was later found guilty and charged with the crime, Showalter's family condemned the threats and harassment they received from internet sleuths.

#25

Ancient settlement illustration near a river, showcasing architecture and boats, highlighting weird unsolved mysteries of history.

The Bronze Age collapse. Where'd they all go? All my homies :(

thesemasksaretight, IgorMorozoff

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30points

#26

Street view of a grand domed building, possibly linked to weird unsolved mysteries.

On June 7, 1992, the Springfield, Missouri Police Department was notified of the disappearance of three women from a residence in central Springfield.
The parents of Stacy McCall, one of the missing women, contacted the police department in reference to their daughter's disappearance from the home of Sherrill Levitt and Suzanne Streeter, the other two missing women. Upon officers' arrival, the house bore no signs of a struggle, but rather the appearance of the missing women being abducted. All personal property was left behind including purses, money, clothing, cars, keys, cigarettes, and the family dog.

springfieldmo.gov, Éovart Caçeir

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30points

#27

Drawing of colonists discovering the word "CROATOAN" carved into a tree, representing a weird unsolved mystery.

Roanoke Colony, early Virginia. Somewhere between 110 and 120 people disappeared without a trace between 1585 and 1590. It’s been suggested that they left and joined with the Croatian tribe on their island, but no proof of any of the many theories has ever been found.

SilverDragonDreams, Internet Archive Book Images

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28points

Can true crime content, then, be ethical at all? Some believe it can. The creators of the podcast L.A. Not So Confidential, psychologists in the criminal field Dr. Scott and Dr. Shiloh, say it's important to have some experts weighing in. "I think it certainly lends to a good crime documentary to have some experts in there who aren't affiliated with the case," Dr. Shiloh explained to Vice.

"It keeps it from being [told] just through one lens of the experience of the people who are touched by it. It's someone that can pull back a little bit and give you some research behind what the reality is."

#28

Silhouettes of children on a rocky hill under a cloudy sky, evoking weird unsolved mysteries.

The West Memphis Three case. All of the Satanic Panic mess obscured so much that will probably go unanswered now. A bloody man covered in mud stumbled into a Bojangles the night those little boys went missing. Cops barely investigated that incident and lost the blood evidence they did collect regarding it. WHAT was going on with John Mark Byers and Terry Hobbs, two dads of two of those kids, both turning up with evidence and acting at different points like they may have been involved?

erinkjean, Furkan Işık/pexels (not an actual photo)

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27points

#29

A man in a store aisle, highlighted by a red circle, related to weird unsolved mysteries.

The Monster with 21 Faces

In the 1980s, over a period of 17 months, Japan was held in the grip of terror by just such a powerful criminal force. The case would turn the country on its head, push police to their limits, dispel the notion that Japan was a completely safe place, and 30 years later remains just as unsolved and mysterious as it has ever been. This is the story of the notorious Monster with 21 Faces, an organization led by an enigmatic figure which proved to be just as untouchable and elusive as any super villain, which led the police on an unprecedented manhunt and whirlwind investigation for a crime they would never get to the bottom of, and which has gone on to become one of the most puzzling unsolved crimes in Japanese history.

justhereforthelul, Unknown

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26points

#30

UFO hovering between trees on a clear day, representing weird unsolved mysteries.

On March 13, 1997 thousands of Arizona residents witnessed a large unidentified flying objects moving across the night sky. High profile witnesses to the phoenix lights include actor Kurt Russell who was flying a plane and reported the object to the FAA, and the governor of Arizona, Fife Symington.

DragonfruitOdd1989, National Archives Catalog

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22points

What do you think about true crime, Pandas? And what about some of the biggest unsolved mysteries in our history, like the Bermuda Triangle and or the Phoenix Lights? Share your favorites in the comments! And if you want to see some more unsettling stories, head over here and here!

Poll Question

Which aspect of true crime interests you the most?

Mariia TkachenkoBoredPanda Staff

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