Unsolved Disappearances That Still Haunt Us
What happens when someone vanishes into thin air? Throughout history, certain disappearances have captivated the public imagination because of their mysterious circumstances and the lingering questions they leave behind.
Jimmy Hoffa
A few made as many enemies as Jimmy Hoffa did. The prominent labor union leader and president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters was known for his charisma and controversial connections to organized crime. Although he was used to disputes, one conflict might have changed his fate.
Sun staff photographer: Bottega, John, photographer., Wikimedia Commons
Jimmy Hoffa (Cont.)
On July 30, 1975, Hoffa was to meet with mafia leaders Anthony "Tony Jack" Giacalone and Anthony Provenzano to resolve a dispute. However, he disappeared. Many believe mob figures killed him to prevent him from reclaiming power in the Teamsters, which controlled substantial pension funds.
Retrobites: Jimmy Hoffa (1960) | CBC by CBC
DB Cooper
DB or Dan Cooper is the alias of an unknown man who hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 on November 24, 1971. He is infamous for executing the only unsolved case of air piracy in US history. However, his real identity was never released.
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wikimedia Commons
DB Cooper (Cont.)
Cooper asked for $200,000 in cash and four parachutes and released the passengers and crew. He kept only the pilot and a few others on board and jumped out over a remote area of Washington state after the plane took off again.
FBI Sketch Artist Roy Rose, Wikimedia Commons
The Flannan Isles Lighthouse Keepers
The Vanishing movie is inspired by an incident that took place in December 1900. Three lighthouse keepers, Thomas Marshall, James Ducat, and Donald MacArthur, vanished from the Flannan Isles, a remote cluster of islands off the coast of Scotland.
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The Flannan Isles Lighthouse Keepers (Cont.)
A relief vessel arrived to find the lighthouse abandoned, with no sign of the men. The logbook noted severe weather, though no storm had been reported in the area. Some believe a massive wave swept the men out to sea as they secured equipment during the storm.
Peter Standing / Flannan Island Lighthouse / CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Mary Celeste
When one person disappears, it's questionable, but a whole ship leaves everyone puzzled. The Mary Celeste was a merchant ship found abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean in December 1872. The ship was in seaworthy condition, with its cargo intact, but its crew was missing.
Honore Pellegrin (1800–c.1870), Wikimedia Commons
The Mary Celeste (Cont.)
The Mary Celeste was discovered by the Dei Gratia, another ship. The ship's logbook showed its last entry was made ten days earlier, with no indication of distress. Food, supplies, and personal belongings were undisturbed but a lifeboat was missing, which deepens the mystery.
Hammer Films, Wikimedia Commons
The Roanoke Colony
Also known as the Lost Colony, the Roanoke Colony was an English settlement established in 1587 on Roanoke Island, opposite the coast of what is now North Carolina. However, it disappeared without a trace and left only the words "CROATOAN" carved into a post "CRO" on a tree.
The Roanoke Colony (Cont.)
Due to shortage of supplies, John White returned to England in 1587 to secure more supplies but left behind around 115 settlers, including his daughter and granddaughter. The Anglo-Spanish War made him return three years later but he found the colony abandoned, with no signs of a struggle or violence. .
Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart was a trailblazing aviator and feminist icon. In 1932, she became the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Five years later, Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, attempted to circumnavigate the globe in a Lockheed Electra 10E.
Underwood & Underwood, Wikimedia Commons
Amelia Earhart (Cont.)
During the final phase of the journey near Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean, their plane lost radio contact and disappeared. The most popular theory is that the plane fell into the ocean after running out of fuel. However, this was never confirmed.
Harris & Ewing, Wikimedia Commons
Sodder Children Disappearance
On Christmas Eve of 1945, a fire consumed the home of the Sodder family in Fayetteville, West Virginia. George and Jennie Sodder, along with nine of their ten children, were present. Five children, Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jennie, and Betty, were believed to have been trapped inside.
Sodder Children Disappearance (Cont.)
A single bone fragment was found in the ashes, but it wasn't linked to any of the children, which led to widespread speculation. Some believe they were kidnapped, possibly due to George Sodder's outspoken criticism of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, which had caused friction within the local Italian community.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Joseph Force Crater
The Missingest Man in New York or Joseph Force Crater was a New York State Supreme Court judge who disappeared in 1930. Crater dined with two friends at a Manhattan restaurant. After leaving the restaurant around 9:15 PM, he was never seen again.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Joseph Force Crater (Cont.)
Adding to the puzzle, he had earlier withdrawn a large sum of money and destroyed several documents. Crater's disappearance may have been linked to organized crime or corrupt political dealings. Another theory suggests he was murdered due to his insider knowledge of corruption, yet nothing was confirmed.
Ambrose Bierce
The Devil's Dictionary and short stories like An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge are written by Ambrose Bierce, a prominent American author, journalist, and satirist. However, he's best known for his unsolved disappearance case in 1913 during the height of the Mexican Revolution.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Ambrose Bierce (Cont.)
Bierce was 71 years old when he set out for Mexico. He wrote letters detailing his journey but vanished after reaching Chihuahua. Some believe Bierce joined Pancho Villa's forces and was executed. Given the lawlessness of the region, Bierce may have been finished off by bandits.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Alain Kan
Alain Kan was a French glam rock artist and songwriter known for his provocative style and music that challenged societal norms. Unfortunately, his mysterious disappearance in 1990 is the reason he achieved nationwide fame despite being well-known in the French underground music scene.
Alain Kan (Cont.)
Despite his musical talent, Kan struggled with addiction and personal troubles. He was last seen entering the Rue de la Pompe metro station in Paris. Witnesses reported seeing him boarding a train, but he never arrived at his destination. No physical evidence or credible leads have emerged since his disappearance.
Alain Z Kan - BB for Brigitte (1986) by RTS Archives
Lars Mittank
Internet users were stunned to see a man running out of an airport in CCTV footage after speaking with a doctor. Known as the world's most famous missing tourist, Lars Mittank disappeared under highly unusual circumstances in Bulgaria. His case is one of the most publicized modern mysteries.
The Disappearance of Lars Mittank by That Chapter
Lars Mittank (Cont.)
Mittank sustained a perforated eardrum during a fight while on vacation, which prevented him from flying back to Germany immediately. He stayed in Bulgaria to recover but began exhibiting paranoid behavior. He sprinted out of the terminal, scaled a fence, and ran into a forest but was never seen again.
BKA Germany/ Federal Criminal Police Office (Germany), Wikimedia Commons
Belle Gunness
Belle Gunness, a Norwegian immigrant, was one of the first known female serial killers in the US in the early 20th century. She moved to Indiana and operated a farm that became the site of numerous murders. Many believe Gunness faked her death and started a new life elsewhere.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Belle Gunness (Cont.)
Gunness lured men to her farm through newspaper ads with a promise of love and a stable future. Once they arrived, she ended them and disposed of their bodies. A fire destroyed her home and revealed multiple buried bodies, including a headless female corpse, but Gunness herself was missing.
George Grantham Bain Collection, Wikimedia Commons
Raoul Wallenberg
Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat who became famous for his efforts to save tens of thousands of Jews in Hungary during the Holocaust. Using his position at the Swedish embassy, Wallenberg issued protective passports and provided shelter to Jewish refugees. Yet, he vanished without a trace.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Raoul Wallenberg (Cont.)
In January 1945, Wallenberg was detained by Soviet authorities when they entered Budapest. He was accused of espionage, and despite Swedish efforts to secure his release, he was never seen again. The Soviets initially claimed he had a heart attack in 1947, but this has been widely disputed.
Pressensbild, Wikimedia Commons
The Springfield Three
Cases, where multiple people disappear, generate much curiosity. This applies to the mystery surrounding The Springfield Three, Sherrill Levitt, her daughter Suzie Streeter, and Suzie's friend Stacy McCall. Did a random perpetrator kidnap them? Or did they deliberately hide to escape danger?
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The Springfield Three (Cont.)
After attending a graduation party, Suzie and Stacy returned to Sherrill's home. On June 7, 1992, friends found the house empty, with no signs of a struggle except for a broken porch light. Over the years, numerous tips and suspects have emerged, but no concrete evidence has been found.
Der rätselhafte Fall der Springfield Three | People Magazine | TLC Deutschland by TLC Deutschland
Prisoners From The Shohola Train Wreck
On July 15, 1864, a train carrying Confederate prisoners collided with a coal train near Shohola, Pennsylvania. The wreck killed 65 people, including Confederate prisoners and Union guards. Nevertheless, a few reportedly escaped into the surrounding wilderness and they were never found.
newspapers.com, Wikimedia Commons
Prisoners From The Shohola Train Wreck (Cont.)
It's believed that some escaped prisoners assimilated into civilian life to avoid recapture, but no evidence exists of their survival. Records are incomplete, with questions lingering about the fates of the missing during a chaotic moment in Civil War history.
Big Rock Candy Mountain - O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) by Jean Belmondo
Heinrich Müller
Heinrich Müller, often called Gestapo Müller, was the head of the Gestapo during WW2. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi regime and was last seen in Berlin on May 1, 1945, the day after Adolf Hitler's suicide.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Heinrich Müller (Cont.)
He told colleagues he had no intention of being captured by the Allies. Some believe Müller perished during the final battle for Berlin and was buried in a mass grave. Others suggest he escaped and lived under a false identity in South America, as other Nazis did.
NTB, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Barbara Newhall Follett
Who would have thought that someone with so much talent would have such a grim fate? Barbara Newhall Follett published The House Without Windows at 12. However, personal and professional struggles marred her later life. She left her home in 1939 and her whereabouts were never confirmed.
The House without Windows - Jackie Morris by Waterstones
Barbara Newhall Follett (Cont.)
Despite a promising childhood, Barbara had a troubled marriage. After a marital dispute, she vanished into thin air. Suspicions arose due to her husband's delayed report and lack of an investigation. However, some suggest that her body was found but wrongly identified.
The House without Windows - Jackie Morris by Waterstones
Jim Thompson
Jim Thompson was an American businessman and former US military officer who revitalized Thailand's silk industry. Known as The Silk King, he was a well-regarded figure in Southeast Asia. This is why his mysterious disappearance raised many questions, although some believe it was related to espionage during WW2.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Jim Thompson (Cont.)
On March 26, 1967, Thompson vanished while on a trip to Malaysia's Cameron Highlands. He went for an afternoon walk and never returned. Despite extensive searches involving local tribes, his business associates, military personnel, and international experts, no trace of him was ever found.
Photograph by D Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Michael Rockefeller
Where would a successful young man go? Although he was legally declared dead in 1964, Michael Rockefeller was never found. Many believed that the son of New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller drowned, but horrifying stories published in 2014 tempted people to dig up this incident one more time.
Search For Michael Rockefeller Missing In New Guinea (1961) by British Pathé
Michael Rockefeller (Cont.)
While on an expedition in the remote jungles of Dutch New Guinea, Rockefeller's catamaran capsized. His companion survived, but Rockefeller was never seen again. Some believe Rockefeller was possibly cannibalized by local tribes, as the Asmat people practiced headhunting and ritual cannibalism at the time.
Search For Michael Rockefeller Missing In New Guinea (1961) by British Pathé
Tara Calico
Tara Calico was a 19-year-old college student from Belen, New Mexico, known for her vibrant personality and ambitious plans for the future. On September 20, 1988, Tara went for her daily bike ride along Highway 47 and never returned.
Tara Calico
Her bike was never found. Nevertheless, tire marks and fragments of a Walkman were discovered near the route. In 1989, a Polaroid photo surfaced depicting a young woman and a boy bound and gagged. Many, including Tara's mother, believed it was Tara. However, this has never been conclusively proven.
John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
Plane crashes are always tragic, but on March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines experienced a different kind of tragedy. A Boeing 777 on Flight 370 was carrying 239 passengers and crew, but it vanished while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Laurent ERRERA, Soerfm, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (Cont.)
About an hour into the flight, the aircraft disappeared from radar. Despite extensive search efforts, its exact fate remains one of aviation's greatest mysteries. Experts suggest the captain deliberately diverted the plane. Other theories suggest kidnap, although no group claimed responsibility.
Malaysia Airlines (Full Episode) | Drain the Oceans by National Geographic
Brian Shaffer
How could someone vanish without a trace? Many asked this question as they followed Brian Shaffer's story. The 27-year-old student at Ohio State University disappeared on April 1, 2006. He was last seen entering a bar called the Ugly Tuna Saloona in Columbus, Ohio, during a night out with friends.
Detroit Publishing Co., Wikimedia Commons
Brian Shaffer (Cont.)
Security cameras captured Brian entering the bar but never showed him leaving. His friends searched for him inside the bar before leaving and assumed he had gone home. His car was later found parked near his apartment, and his phone and credit cards were never used again.
What Happened to Brian Shaffer? | The Man That Vanished From a Bar by Coffeehouse Crime
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