For all of you true-crime addicts out there, we've compiled a list of some of the biggest unexplained mysteries out there. Reddit users have been coming forward with some of the greatest unsolved mysteries of all time. Here's a list of some of the top mysteries that you might not have heard about.
1. The Chicago TV Hijacking
In 1987, viewers of WGN-TV's 9:00 p.m. newscast got a surprise appearance from a guy in a Max Headroom mask, who bobbed his head and swayed from side-to-side while the sound of a buzzing noise played. After not even one minute, the interception ended, but then started again two hours later during a broadcast of Doctor Who, and this time the guy brought out the big guns. The second interruption consisted of over a minute's worth of the masked perpetrator making reference to Max Headroom's support of Coca-Cola among other things, before he exposed his bum to the camera and allowed a woman to spank him with a flyswatter.
"I seem to remember being at some sort of summer festival and there was a booth that had blind taste testing between pepsi and coke", commented one Reddit user. "If you guessed right they gave you a Max Headroom sticker." Maybe it was a cheeky bit of marketing from Coca-Cola.
2. The Disappearance of Asha Degree
Nine-year-old Asha went missing in North Carolina, U.S., in 2000, after packing her bookbag and leaving her house in the early hours of the morning. She was seen by drivers walking along the North Carolina Highway 18, but ran into the woods when one of them tried to see if she was ok. In the investigation that followed, the FBI found a scrunchie and her backpack in different locations. Prison inmates have claimed to have heard other inmates talking about committing her murder, but follow-up investigations have failed to produce any more leads. The investigation is ongoing, with rewards available for any information on her disappearance and/or her safe return.
A Billboard where Asha was last seen, depicting a photo of her at 9 (left) and an age-processed photo of her at 30 (right).All That's Interesting
3. The Gardner Museum Theft
In 1990, thirteen pieces of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and have yet to be recovered. After fire alarms were triggered within the building, two men managed to get into the building by posing as police officers. After handcuffing the guards and moving them into the basement (which took less than fifteen minutes), they robbed numerous paintings, and even a part of a Napoleonic flag, before leaving less than two hours after they got in. Despite it being thirty years since the theft, the museum is still offering a 10 million dollar reward for information regarding the whereabouts of the art and/or the perpetrators, and a separate 100,000 dollars for the return of the Napoleonic eagle finial. So, next time you're at a car-boot sale and spot some dusty paintings or an eagle that might be missing a Napoleonic flag, do your research.
4. The Alcatraz Escape
The state prison on Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, was once labelled as 'inescapable'. Most escape attempts were caught, shot or have been presumed drowned after never appearing again for 60 years. The escape of Frank Morris, Clarence Anglin, and John Anglin is particularly famous. With the help of dummies built using human hair, paint and plaster, the three inmates fooled the guards into thinking they were still in their cells. Handmade items for their escape were discovered in the subsequent investigation, including an oar, an inflation device, and life vests. To this day, it remains unknown if the men managed to get across the water, or if they drowned. Apparently, the Anglins' mother got anonymous Mother's Day flowers one year, leading many to suspect that they did make it to freedom. Either that or the neighbourhood kids pulled a prank that went way too far.
5. The Child in the Box
In 1957 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a cardboard box was found on the side of a road. Inside, was the naked body of a young boy. Believed to be somewhere between the ages of 3-7 years old, the boys' hair and nails had recently been trimmed, but he was found to be severely malnourished. He had also been brutally beaten (which was believed to be the cause of his death), and had scars all over his body (some were surgical). Theories have arisen surrounding the boy and his death, which included a foster home, a woman named "M or "Martha", and the idea that the boy was raised as a girl. The police were never able to fully corroborate any of these theories, and the case remains unsolved sixty-three years on.
6. The "Disappearance" of Shelly Miscavige
Shelly Miscavige was once a prominent member of the Church of Scientology, with her husband, David, now being the leader of the famous organisation. After being a member since the age of at least 12 (what the hell??), Shelly stopped being seen in public 2007. Her husband, detectives, and the Church itself have said that she is living a private life as a dedicated member of the organisation. Former members of the Church believe that she is being held against her will in California, with even her former best-friend Leah Remini opening a now-closed missing-person investigation. With the Church of Scientology, can we really say that this is a shocker?
7. The Setagaya Family Murder
In December 2000, the Miyazawa family was murdered in their home in Tokyo, Japan. The murderer has never been caught despite investigations uncovering DNA evidence and specific identity clues (his blood type, sex, and even that he was probably mixed-race). The mystery deepens upon the revelation that sand was found inside a bag left behind by the murderer, with analysis suggesting that it came from the Nevada desert. More specifically, the Edwards Air Force Base in California. The investigation remains one of the largest in Japan's history, but despite this, it seems that the killer will never be found.
8. Tina Fontaine
Tina Fontaine was a 15-year-old First Nations girl from Canada. Her body was found in the Red River, wrapped in a duver cover and plastic, and weighed down with rocks. The events leading up to her death are messy to say the least. She was reported missing twice before her body was found, witnesses say that she appeared drunk, and one person says that she left with a man when he offered her money in return for sexual favours. Before her second disappearance, Fontaine told her Child and Family Services worker that she had been with a 62-year-old man named Raymond Courmier. He was charged with her murder but ultimately found not guilty, leaving her case with no justice. According to Statistics Canada, Indigenous girls and women older than 15 are 3.5 times more likely to experience violence than their non-indigenous counterparts. The homicide rate for Indigenous women between the years of 1997 and 2000 was 7 times higher than that of non-indigenous women.
(Left) Tina Fontaine in 2013, the year before her murder. (Right) Hanging red dresses on Red Dress Day is aimed at drawing attention to the violence native women endure and the lack of protection from police and authorities. wikipedia / assets.vogue.com
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