8 Popular Cold Cases That Have Yet to Be Solved: JonBenet Ramsey, More

Many true crime lovers have been captivated by the tales of unsolved stories that have included decades of investigations with no conclusions.

Life & Style breaks down eight popular cold cases that have yet to be solved, including the stories of JonBenét Ramsey, Madeline McCann and more.

The Murder of JonBenet Ramsey

Ramsey was just 6 years old when she was reported missing from her home in Boulder, Colorado, on December 26, 1996. She was later found dead inside of the house, with an autopsy revealing she was strangled to death, per the City of Boulder website.

“The killing of JonBenet was an unspeakable crime and this tragedy has never left our hearts,” Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said at the time, per the City of Boulder website. “We are committed to following up on every lead and we are continuing to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners around the country until this tragic case is solved. This investigation will always be a priority for the Boulder Police Department.”

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This case went on to be under review with federal, state and local partners, while DNA experts from around the country were brought in an attempt to identify the killer.

The case has been highly publicized over the years, with many people speculating that her family was involved in her murder. However, the Ramsey family has maintained their innocence and no one has been arrested for her murder.

Meanwhile, her former schoolteacher John Mark Karr was arrested in August 2006 amid his history of child-related offenses. He was released one month later when DNA evidence failed to connect him to the scene of the crime, according to Business Insider.

The Disappearance of Madeline McCann

3-year-old Madeleine McCann went missing on May 3, 2007 when her parents, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann, went out to dinner with a group of friends during a family vacation to Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Madeleine, her younger brother and sister stayed behind at an apartment 100 yards away from the restaurant, while the parents implemented a system to check on the kids. When Kate returned to see the kids, she discovered that Madeleine was missing and called the police.

Police issued a description of a man who was possibly seen carrying a child on the night that Madeleine disappeared on May 26, 2007, according to BBC, though they didn’t have luck with identifying her kidnapper.

Authorities later revealed in June 2020 that German prisoner Christian Brückner had been identified as a suspect. “All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice,” the McCanns said in a statement to police, according to BBC. “We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive, but whatever the outcome may be, we need to know as we need to find peace.”

Amid the investigation, German prosecutors found evidence including his mobile phone data that indicated Brückner was possibly in the area when Madeleine vanished, per BBC. Additionally, police recovered photos and videos that confirmed he spent time in Praia da Luz between 2000 and 2017.

Despite being linked to the crime, Brückner has never been arrested because a lack of evidence has made authorities unable to press charges against him, per BBC.

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The Tamam Shud Case

A man was found dead on the morning of December 1,1948, on Somerton Beach, Adelaide, Australia. He was unidentified and there were no signs of struggle, while a cryptic note was tucked under his pocket that read, “Tamam Shud,” according to 60 Out.

The mystery of the case quickly got the public’s attention, and people soon began to refer to the victim as the Somerton Man.

Investigators encountered a handful of obstacles while looking into the case and attempting to identify the man, according to Smithsonian Magazine. However, several theories have circulated including that the man might have been a spurned lover who committed suicide or perhaps even a Soviet spy.

The case has not been solved to this day, leaving many to wonder who Somerton Man was and how he died.

The Disappearance of Tara Leigh Calico

Tara Leigh Calico was just 19 years old when she went missing while on a bike ride in Belen, New Mexico, on September 20, 1988. More than three decades later, police have still not made an arrest in her case.

The investigation has hit many obstacles, while People reported that former sheriffs have theorized that a group of local boys attacked her. Meanwhile, an ominous photograph that was found a thousand miles away left her family wondering if she had been abducted alongside a young boy.

Neither theory has been proven, and her loved ones are still wondering what happened to her today.

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The Case of the Black Dahlia Murder

On January 15, 1947, a mother taking her child for a walk in Los Angeles came across the body of a young naked woman who was sliced in half at the waist. The body was placed a few feet away from the sidewalk and was posed in a way that made the woman initially believe she was a mannequin, according to the FBI’s website.

While the body was mutilated and had several cuts, it was indicated that the killing took place somewhere else due to the lack of blood.

After the L.A. Police Department began an investigation, they turned to the FBI for help and identified the body as 22-year-old Hollywood hopeful Elizabeth Short. She was eventually dubbed as the “Black Dahlia” by the press due to her rumored love of sheer black clothes and for the Blue Dahlia movie that was released in 1946, according to the FBI.

Despite making headlines and piquing public interest, the murder has never been solved.

The Unsolved Murder of Jean Marie Townsend

Jean Marie Townsend was 21 years old when she was murdered in September 1954 in Ruislip, England.

Locals grew suspicious that American servicemen who were based at South Ruislip Air Station were involved, according to Ruislip Online.

The rumors that an American was involved only intensified when a resident that lived near the crime scene claimed that they heard a woman cry for help late on the night of the murder, followed by two men arguing. The witness claimed that one of the men had an American accent, per Ruislip Online.

Townsend’s murder is still unsolved more than 70 years after it happened.

‘Hogan’s Heroes’ Star Bob Crane’s Unsolved Death

Another high-profile murder that took place in Hollywood was the death of Hogan’s Heroes star Bob Crane.

Following his success on Hogan’s Heroes, Crane lived in the Winfield Place Apartments in Scottsdale, Arizonna, during his run of Beginner’s Luck at the Windmill Dinner Theatre. On June 29, 1978, his costar Victoria Ann Berry went to his apartment after he missed their lunch meeting, according to The Clermont Sun. She then discovered his dead body with an electrical cord tied around his neck.

Prior to his death, it’s believed that Crane wanted to end his close friendship with John Carpenter, per The Clermont Sun. According to the outlet, the two often got involved in sexual escapades and frequently videotaped their intimate time with women together.

“They had a breakup, of sorts,” Crane’s son, Robert Crane, said of his father ending his friendship with Carpenter, per Entertainment Weekly. “Carpenter lost it. He was being rejected, he was being spurned like a lover. There are eyewitnesses that night at a club in Scottsdale that said they had an argument, John and my dad.”

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While DNA testing wasn’t available in 1978, cops believed Carpenter was involved in Crane’s murder because they were fighting and there was no sign of forced entry into the actor’s apartment, per Entertainment Weekly.

“At the scene, there was blood everywhere,” Scottsdale detective Barry Vassall recalled, per Entertainment Weekly. “There were some traces of blood on the back of the exit door, the front door, the doorknob. There was a red stain on the curtain. We found blood in [Carpenter’s] rental car and on the passenger door. It was Crane’s blood type. Nobody else who handled that car had the same blood type as Crane. It was type B blood, all of it.”

However, authorities were never able to find enough evidence to charge Carpenter and Crane’s murder has remained unsolved.

The Mystery of the Zodiac Killer

The self-proclaimed Zodiac Killer is believed to be responsible for five deaths that took place in California’s Bay Area in 1968 and 1969. Following the murders, the killer sent a series of haunting notes that terrorized residents of Northern California for years, according to FBI records.

The Zodiac Killer sent local newspapers a three-part coded message explaining his motive for the 1969 killings, as well as a separate letter to the editor that hinted his identity would be revealed if the clues were properly deciphered. Despite his clues, his identity still remains a mystery to this day.

Authorities previously wondered if convicted sex offender Arthur Leigh Allen was the Zodiac Killer, according to Business Insider. However, DNA evidence did not connect him to the murders.

The case of the Zodiac Killer has inspired many moments in pop culture, including the 1971 movie Dirty Harry, the 2007 drama Zodiac, a handful of books, documentaries, podcasts and more.