Most interesting unsolved non-serial killer cases

[sdreid]

Hi Jeff,

I'll try to hunt it down in the next month.

I posted a brief mention of the unsolved Steinheil murder case over on the Centenary thread. The 100th anniversary is this Sunday.

[sdreid]

Hi Mike,

Why the big hush-hush about the Laverack suspect's name?

[BillyE]

I would call attention to five non-serial killer cases I find quite fascinating. Some are from a long time ago, while others quite recent. They are as follows, in no particular order:

1.) Leopold and Loeb
2.) Sacco and Vanzetti
3.) D. B. Cooper/Dan Cooper
4.) Jon Benet Ramsey
5.) Natalie Holloway

One of these, the Leopold and Loeb case, has been solved, but is still an interesting intelectual exersize in true crime. The other four are just full blown mysteries, which we all know are hard to resist.

[sdreid]

Hi Billy,

A couple of good pop culture ones there with Ransey and Halloway.

Leopold and Loeb is one of the most interesting, bizarre and studied solved ones for sure.

Sacco and Vanzetti was technically solved but then the pardon sort of puts it in limbo. I'm not so sure of their innocence as most.

D.B. is likely the best unsolved non-murder case.

Thanks for sharing.

[dougie]

The U.K. around 1930 had a particular concentration of unsolved cases. You had Croydon in 1929, Mrs. Hearn and Margery Wren in 1930 then Julia Wallace, Evelyn Foster, Vera Page in addition to Hubert Chevis in 1931.

Stan,
Julia wallace was a classic case,im still not sure who or what to believe .....How about the "galapagos affair"? cant recall the details now,but the book painted an interesting picture.
regards

[sdreid]

Hi Dougie,

Yes, Wallace is one of my top three. I believe there's a designated thread here on the case.

I know virtually nothing about the "Galapagos Affair". Perhaps a party can enlighten.

[dougie]

Stan,
Julia wallace was a classic case,im still not sure who or what to believe .....How about the "galapagos affair"? cant recall the details now,but the book painted an interesting picture.
regards

stan,
heres 2 links hope they work..one is book reviewhttp://www.amazon.com/GALAPAGOS-AFFAIR-JohnTreherne/dp/0224020609
if they dont ..go to amazon and type in ..galapagos affair on books ,it prob be easier..itll give u rough outline...the story makes the head spin.
regards

[sdreid]

Thanks Dougie. Yes, it looks like it would make a great movie along the lines of a White Mischief.

[Mayerling]

Hi Dougie,

Yes, Wallace is one of my top three. I believe there's a designated thread here on the case.

I know virtually nothing about the "Galapagos Affair". Perhaps a party can enlighten.

I read Traherne's book about fifteen years back. It dealt with a delayed series of tragedies. First some Germans (one of whom was related to Herman Goering) settled in the islands. They brought with them some of the militancy of the Nazis (this occurred in the 1930s). An American film company was involved in trying to make a film and two of the Germans (one a woman) got involved. But then the two Germans vanished and nobody could say how.

A few months later three men went by boat from the island that the earlier disappearance had occured, and were headed for another. But the weather was bad. The boat vanished.

Shortly afterwards another of the Germans died of poisoned food in his house on one of the islands. Nobody ever found out if it was an accident, suicide, or a murder.

Then one day, six months after the voyage of the missing boat, the remains of the three men were found on an isolated and deserted island. The heat of the sun had mummified them.

Sorry I could not give a better description (it has been awhile since I read the book). It was certainly a curious story of a trail of tragedies. Who says that only Darwin and the Beagle is the history of the Galapoagos Islands?

Best wishes,

Jeff

[sdreid]

Thanks Jeff - I don't recall reading anything about the business. It sounds like it could have been one murder, several murders or no murders at all.

[Mayerling]

Stan,
Julia wallace was a classic case,im still not sure who or what to believe .....How about the "galapagos affair"? cant recall the details now,but the book painted an interesting picture.
regards

You can add one interesting side mystery that was never solved - who got that fatal lift from Mr. Rouse in his Morris Minor on Guy Fawks Night in 1931?
It is one of the few famous murders where we still to not know the name of the victim?

And 1930 is the year that Justice Joseph Crater waived good bye to a friend, stepped into a cab on Broadway which drove off - and he was never seen again (officially).

1931 was also the year of the Starr Faithfull tragedy.

1930 was the year that Jake Lingle the newsman was shot in Chicago very publicly. They are still not sure if the man who confessed did it. Or why, exactly, was Lingle shot.

Best wishes,

Jeff

[sdreid]

There were also the 3-X murders in 1930.

That Nazi Galapagos enclave sounds a little like one of those outpost colonies such as Nueschwabenland.

[dougie]

Stan
3-x murders? What case was that?
regards

[sdreid]

Hi Dougie,

The 3X Murders were two attacks and two slayings that took place in New York in 1930. First a parking couple were attacked. The man was killed and the woman was raped. After the assault, the killer left a cryptic message with the woman which made demands that no one could figure out and signed 3X along with some other figures. A few days later, the crime was duplicated except this time the woman was able to thwart the rape but was left with a similar message again with the 3X---- signature. Later, the killer sent a note to authorities claiming that his demands had been satisfied although nobody could figure out what he was talking about. There were no more confirmed slayings and "3X" was never captured or identified. I guess he'd be classified as a spree killer. That's the best I can remember it off the top of my head.

[dougie]

tks Stan, sounds interesting,Ill have to try and look up the details.
regards