America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)

<!doctype html> <html lang="en" class="list-desktop ui-ie7 ui-ie"> <head prefix="og: https://ogp.me/ns# fb: https://ogp.me/ns/fb#"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130"> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130"> <link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js" /> <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.png" /> <meta name="description" content="Not every murder gets solved. We’ve collected five of the most notorious cold cases in American history, ranging from 1892 to 1996." /> <meta name="keywords" content="true crime, cold case, murder, United States, Zodiac killer, cipher, California, Arthur Leigh Allen, JonBenet Ramsey, beauty pageant, Colorado, Patsy Ramsey, John Ramsey, Santa Claus, evidence, Black Dahlia, Elizabeth Short, Blue Dahlia, I Am the Night, Hall-Mills murders, Lizzie Borden, Edward Wheeler Hall, Eleanor Mills" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved" /> <title>America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved) | Britannica</title> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel"> window.$UI = {}; window.Constants = {"LICENSE_URL": "/bps/license","DEFAULT_TEST_VERSION": "A","DEFAULT_STATE": "XX","QUIZ_URL": "/quiz","SPOTLIGHT_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/spotlight","CONTENT_TYPE_TEXT": "text/plain;charset=UTF-8","TOPIC_FACTS_DATA_URL": "/facts","QUIZ_BROWSE_IMAGE_QUIZZES": "images","TOPIC_MEDIA_PATH": "/images-videos","USER_PROFILE_URL": "/user","DEBUG_URL": "/debug","ONE_GOOD_FACT_URL": "/one-good-fact","ERROR_404_URL": "/error404","PROCON_CITED_IN_THE_NEWS_URL": "/procon/ProCon-in-the-News","PROCON_URL": "/procon","TOPIC_PAGE_CONTENT_AJAX_URL": "/topic-content/page","INFINITE_SCROLL_PREFIX_URL": "/scroll","TOPIC_TOP_QUESTION_BROWSE_URL": "/questions","CC_USD": "USD","domain": "britannica.com","SURVEY_URL": "/survey","CATEGORY_BROWSE_URL": "/browse","STORY_BROWSE_URL": "/stories","COUNTRY_US": "US","OPEN_MEDIA_OVERLAY_PARAMETER": "/media","NEWSLETTER_SUBSCRIPTION_URL": "/newsletter-subscription","MAINTENANCE_ERROR_URL": "https://maintenance.eb.com","IMARS_EDITOR_ID": "12365882","PROFILE_EB_EDITOR_URL": "/editor","WEB_INF_RESOURCES_PATH": "WEB-INF/resources","AI_ABOUT_PAGE_URL": "/about-britannica-ai","TOPIC_ADDITIONAL_INFO_PATH": "/additional-info","SUDOKU_GAME_URL": "/games/sudoku","CC_INR": "INR","ARTICLE_PRINT_URL": "/print/article","FIRST_EDITION_URL": "/subscriber/firstedition","WW1_PORTAL_URL": "/discover/World-War-I","MENDEL_COOKIE": "__mendel","DEMYSTIFIED_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/demystified","LIST_BROWSE_URL": "/list/browse","PROFILE_EXPERT_URL": "/contributor","ASSEMBLY_IMAGE_URL": "/image/assembly","DAY_IN_HISTORY_URL": "/on-this-day","DEFAULT_CURRENCY": "USD","CONTENT_TYPE_XML": "text/xml;charset=UTF-8","PORTAL_FINANCE_BROWSE_URL_PREFIX": "/money/browse","MONEY_IMARS_CATEGORY": "13000","AJAX_PREFIX_URL": "/ajax","TOPIC_BROWSE_URL": "/topic-browse","MARKETING_CONTENT": "/marketing-content","ENV_RUNTIME": "runtime","GALLERY_URL": "/gallery","topicUrlClassesList": "topic|animal|art|biography|event|place|plant|science|sports|technology|procon","CONTENT_TYPE_HTML": "text/html;charset=UTF-8","ENV_LOCAL": "override","MEDIA_OVERLAY_URL": "/media-overlay","CHATBOT_PAGE_URL": "/chatbot","NEWSLETTER_PAGE_URL": "/newsletters","ENV_DEV": "development","MEDIA_URL": "/media","TOPIC_TOP_QUESTION_URL": "/question","PORTAL_FINANCE_URL_PREFIX": "/money","PODCASTS_URL": "/podcasts","STAND_ALONE_VIDEO_URL": "/video","MORE_ON_THIS_DAY_URL": "/more-on-this-day","TOPIC_QUOTES_URL": "/quotes","SEARCH_PAGE_URL": "/search","PROCON_CLASS": "PROCON","KUSTOM_MENDEL_APPLICATION_ID": "1","TOPIC_CONTENT_AJAX_URL": "/topic-content/topic","ENV_BRANCH": "branch","ERROR_URL": "/error","MAIN_VERSION": "mainVersion","DEFAULT_S3_REGION": "US_EAST_1","TOPIC_COLLECTION_URL": "/summary","LOGINBOX_URL": "/auth/loginbox","ONE_GOOD_FACT_BROWSE_URL": "/one-good-fact/all-good-facts","QUIZ_BROWSE_URL": "/quiz/browse","BIO_BROWSE_URL": "/browse/biographies","LIST_URL": "/list","TIGHTROPE_QUIZ_URL": "/quiz/tightrope","ALPHA_BROWSE_URL": "/sitemap","CONTENT_TYPE_JSON": "application/json","DICTIONARY_URL": "/dictionary","COBRAND_IMAGE_URL": "/image/cobrand","PROCON_IN_THE_NEWS_URL": "/procon/pro-and-con-issues-in-the-news","PROCON_BROWSE_URL": "/procon","QUIZ_BROWSE_VOCAB_QUIZZES": "vocabulary-quizzes","SUBMISSION_URL": "/submission","EB_LOG_OUT": "/auth2/logout","ENV_PRODUCTION": "production","EXPLORE_PORTAL_URL": "/explore","TOPIC_AJAX_URL": "/ajax/topic","TOPIC_SUMMARY_BROWSE_URL": "/summaries","WTFACT_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/wtfact","VIDEO_CHANNEL_URL": "/videos","GALLERY_BROWSE_URL": "/gallery/browse","CACHE_URL": "/cache","PROCON_ABOUT_URL": "/procon/About-ProCon","COMPANION_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/companion","MEDIA_FOLDER": "/eb-media","SHOW_ALL_CONTRIBUTORS": "/additional-info#contributors","BRITANNICA_EDITORS_ID": "4419","ENV_CACHE_DISABLED": "mendelCache","CALCULATORS_BROWSE_URL": "/calculators","STORY_URL": "/story","DEFAULT_COUNTRY": "US","NAVBAR_URL": "/ajax/navbar","EB_LOGIN_URL": "/auth/eb-login","NEW_ARTICLES_URL": "/new-articles",}; window.CDN = "https://cdn.britannica.com"; window.CAM_LOGIN_URL = "https://cam.britannica.com"; window.CAM_SIGN_UP_URL = "https://cam.britannica.com/registration" window.Mendel = { "config" : { "domain": "britannica.com", "page": "List", "videoPlayerId": "UyMCoK2v", "sharedUrl": "https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved", "amuselabsUrl": "https://cdn3.amuselabs.com", "resourcesPrefixUrl": "https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/[url]?v=3.130.14", "date": 20241124, "userInfo": { "type": "ANONYMOUS" ,"currency": "AUUS" ,"country": "SG" ,"state": "XX" ,"timezone": "Asia/Singapore" ,"bcomId": "2599666890020010809" ,"hasAds": true ,"testVersion": "A" ,"adsTestVersion": "A" ,"consumerId": "" ,"instId": "" ,"consumerUserName": "" ,"instUserName": "" ,"cognito": null }, "tvs":{ "r":[25,25,25,25], "a": [25,25,25,25]}, "isLoggedInAsUser": false, "isPhone": false, "isDesktop": true, "logoutUrl": "/auth2/logout", "selfServiceUrl": "https://myaccount.britannica.com", "cdnUrl": "https://cdn.britannica.com", "chatbotApi": "https://www.britannica.com/chat-api", "fetchOffset": 800, "mendelCookieName": "__mendel", "mendelCookie": {"surveyShown":false,"visitedTopicId":0,"currentDate":20241124}, "autocompleteToSearchPage": false,"listId": 10243 ,"pagesInfo": [{"url":"americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved","title":"America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)"},{"url":"10-famous-artworks-by-leonardo-da-vinci","title":"10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci"},{"url":"12-novels-considered-the-greatest-book-ever-written","title":"12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”"},{"url":"secret-service-code-names-of-11-us-presidents","title":"Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents"},{"url":"11-egyptian-gods-and-goddesses","title":"11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses"},{"url":"inventors-and-inventions-of-the-industrial-revolution","title":"Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution"},{"url":"7-of-historys-most-notorious-serial-killers","title":"7 of History's Most Notorious Serial Killers"},{"url":"9-things-you-might-not-know-about-adolf-hitler","title":"9 Things You Might Not Know About Adolf Hitler"},{"url":"10-greatest-baseball-players-of-all-time","title":"10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time"},{"url":"timeline-of-the-american-civil-rights-movement","title":"Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement"}] }, "GA": {"leg":"A","adLeg":"A","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"List","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} }; </script> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="1887621861548296"/ <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@britannica" /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/196471-131-8FEA8DDD/Daily-Police-Bulletin-Elizabeth-Short-Black-Dahlia-January-1947.jpg" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Not every murder gets solved. We’ve collected five of the most notorious cold cases in American history, ranging from 1892 to 1996."/> <meta property="og:type" content="ARTICLE"/> <meta property="og:title" content="America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved) | Britannica"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Not every murder gets solved. We’ve collected five of the most notorious cold cases in American history, ranging from 1892 to 1996."/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Encyclopedia Britannica" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/196471-131-8FEA8DDD/Daily-Police-Bulletin-Elizabeth-Short-Black-Dahlia-January-1947.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg" /> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="init opengraph"> Mendel.openGraph = {"type":"ARTICLE","title":"America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)","description":"Not every murder gets solved. We’ve collected five of the most notorious cold cases in American history, ranging from 1892 to 1996.","imageUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/71/196471-131-8FEA8DDD/Daily-Police-Bulletin-Elizabeth-Short-Black-Dahlia-January-1947.jpg","imageType":"image/jpeg","pageUrl":"https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved"}</script> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/" > <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/icon?family=Material+Icons"> <link href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/vendor-bundle.css?v=3.130.14" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/mendel-css.css?v=3.130.14" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/list-page.css?v=3.130.14" rel="stylesheet" /> <script type="text/javascript"> if (self !== top) { top.location = self.location; } // if ('scrollRestoration' in history) { history.scrollRestoration = 'manual'; } </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/at.js?v=3.130.14" async ></script> <script> dataLayer = []; </script> <script type="text/javascript">(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= '//www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-5W6NC8'); </script> </head> <body data-leg="A" class="list-page user-ANONYMOUS user-ads md-desktop leg-ab-ie">  <script>Mendel.config.adProvider='ay';</script> <script async src="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js"></script> <script> window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot('/15510053/CMP_1x1', [1, 1], 'div-gpt-ad-1709766812090-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script> <script async defer src="https://launchpad-wrapper.privacymanager.io/0ccc6fe8-1870-4ad8-b47b-6d029ac116fc/launchpad-liveramp.js"></script> <script async src="https://JRyhoywLYXNLYMAhs.ay.delivery/manager/JRyhoywLYXNLYMAhs" type="text/javascript" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" ></script><div class="ie-warning d-flex align-items-center align-self-center justify-content-center site-alert bg-orange"> <div> You are using an <strong>outdated</strong> browser. Please <a class="text-white text-underscore" href="https://browsehappy.com/">upgrade your browser</a> to improve your experience and security. </div> </div> <script id="json-navbar-info" type="application/json"> {"topSectionLinks":[{"title":"Ask the Chatbot","url":"/chatbot","navbarId":"CHATBOT"},{"title":"Games & Quizzes","url":"/quiz/browse","navbarId":"QUIZZES"},{"title":"ProCon","url":"/procon","navbarId":"PROCON"},{"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society","selected":true,"navbarId":"HISTORY"},{"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech","navbarId":"SCIENCE"},{"title":"Biographies","url":"/Biographies","navbarId":"BIOS"},{"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature","navbarId":"ANIMALS"},{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/Geography-Travel","navbarId":"GEOGRAPHY"},{"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"/Arts-Culture","navbarId":"ART"},{"title":"Money","url":"/money","navbarId":"MONEY"},{"title":"Videos","url":"/videos","navbarId":"VIDEOS"}],"selectedSuperCategory":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"History-Society","description":"Explore history and society; accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","keywords":"accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","classId":"HISTORY","sortOrder":1},"selectedNavbarLink":{"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society","selected":true,"navbarId":"HISTORY"}} </script> <script id="json-hamburger-menu" type="application/json"> {"britannicaMenu1":[{"title":"Home","url":"/"},{"title":"ProCon","url":"/procon"},{"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society"},{"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech"},{"title":"Biographies","url":"/Biographies"},{"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature"},{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/Geography-Travel"},{"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"/Arts-Culture"},{"title":"Money","url":"/money"}],"britannicaMenu2":[{"title":"Games & Quizzes","url":"/quiz/browse"},{"title":"Videos","url":"/videos"},{"title":"On This Day","url":"/on-this-day"},{"title":"One Good Fact","url":"/one-good-fact"},{"title":"Dictionary","url":"/dictionary"},{"title":"New Articles","url":"/new-articles"}],"browseByCategory":[{"title":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society"},"links":[{"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"/browse/Lifestyles-Social-Issues"},{"title":"Philosophy & Religion","url":"/browse/Philosophy-Religion"},{"title":"Politics, Law & Government","url":"/browse/Politics-Law-Government"},{"title":"World History","url":"/browse/World-History"}]},{"title":{"id":6,"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech"},"links":[{"title":"Health & Medicine","url":"/browse/Health-Medicine"},{"title":"Science","url":"/browse/Science"},{"title":"Technology","url":"/browse/Technology"}]},{"title":{"id":3,"title":"Biographies","url":"/Biographies"},"links":[{"title":"Browse Biographies","url":"/browse/biographies"}]},{"title":{"id":1,"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature"},"links":[{"title":"Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates","url":"/browse/Birds-Reptiles-Vertebrates"},{"title":"Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates","url":"/browse/Bugs-Mollusks-Invertebrates"},{"title":"Environment","url":"/browse/Environment"},{"title":"Fossils & Geologic Time","url":"/browse/Fossil-Geologic-Time"},{"title":"Mammals","url":"/browse/Mammals"},{"title":"Plants","url":"/browse/Plants"}]},{"title":{"id":4,"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/Geography-Travel"},"links":[{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/browse/Geography-Travel"}]},{"title":{"id":2,"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"/Arts-Culture"},"links":[{"title":"Entertainment & Pop Culture","url":"/browse/Entertainment-Pop-Culture"},{"title":"Literature","url":"/browse/Literature"},{"title":"Sports & Recreation","url":"/browse/Sports-Recreation"},{"title":"Visual Arts","url":"/browse/Visual-Arts"}]}],"browseByFeature":[{"title":"Companions","url":"/stories/companion"},{"title":"Demystified","url":"/stories/demystified"},{"title":"Image Galleries","url":"/gallery/browse"},{"title":"Lists","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Podcasts","url":"/podcasts"},{"title":"Spotlight","url":"/stories/spotlight"},{"title":"Summaries","url":"/summary"},{"title":"The Forum","url":"/stories/the-forum"},{"title":"Top Questions","url":"/question"},{"title":"#WTFact","url":"/stories/wtfact"}],"moreFromBritannica":[{"title":"Britannica Kids","url":"https://kids.britannica.com/","newTab":true}],"menuType":"DEFAULT"} </script> <header id="header" class="bg-navy-dark"> <div class="global-nav-top-bar"> <div class="grid gx-0 h-100 justify-content-between align-items-center container-lg mx-auto p-0 position-relative"> <div class="d-flex align-items-center"> <button class="d-flex align-items-center justify-self-start js-toggle js-toggle-hamburger btn btn-link link-white btn-sm rounded-0 p-10"> <div class="hamburger-tooltip"> <em class="material-icons d-inline-block font-24" id="nav-toggle" data-icon="menu"></em> </div> <em class="material-icons d-inline-block font-24 global-nav-search-icon" id="nav-search-icon" data-icon="search" ></em> </button> <a href="/" class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center ml-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel/eb-logo/MendelNewThistleLogo.png" alt="Encyclopedia Britannica" class="global-nav-logo global-nav-logo-left" /> </a> <div class="global-nav-top-search-bar global-nav-top-search-container global-nav-search-container" id="global-nav-top-search-bar"> <form method="get" action="/search" id="global-nav-search" class="md-search-form m-0 global-nav-search-bar-small"> <div class="search-box position-relative col-100"> <label class="sr-only" for="global-nav-search-query">Search Britannica</label> <input name="query" id="global-nav-search-query" placeholder="Search Britannica..." class="form-control form-control-lg rounded-lg font-16 search-query pl-20 pr-70 shadow-sm" maxlength="200" autocomplete="off" aria-label="Search Britannica" /> <button class="search-reset-btn btn btn-link px-10 position-absolute top-0 h-100 d-none" type="reset"> <em class="material-icons" data-icon="close"></em> </button> <button class="search-submit btn btn-link text-blue px-10 position-absolute top-0 right-0 h-100" type="submit" disabled> <span class="sr-only">Click here to search</span> <em class="material-icons search-icon" data-icon="search"></em> </button> </div> </form> </div> </div> <a href="/" class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel/eb-logo/MendelNewThistleLogo.png" alt="Encyclopedia Britannica" class="global-nav-center global-nav-logo non-homepage-logo" /> </a> <form method="get" action="/search" id="global-nav-search" class="md-search-form m-0 global-nav-search-bar-small global-nav-center search global-nav-center-search-container"> <div class="search-box position-relative col-100"> <label class="sr-only" for="global-nav-search-query">Search Britannica</label> <input name="query" id="global-nav-search-query" placeholder="Search Britannica..." class="form-control form-control-lg rounded-lg font-16 search-query pl-20 pr-70 shadow-sm" maxlength="200" autocomplete="off" aria-label="Search Britannica" /> <button class="search-reset-btn btn btn-link px-10 position-absolute top-0 h-100 d-none" type="reset"> <em class="material-icons" data-icon="close"></em> </button> <button class="search-submit btn btn-link text-blue px-10 position-absolute top-0 right-0 h-100" type="submit" disabled> <span class="sr-only">Click here to search</span> <em class="material-icons search-icon" data-icon="search"></em> </button> </div> </form> <div class="col-35 col-sm-auto text-right order-3 mr-lg-15 align-items-center d-flex justify-content-end"> <div class="d-none d-md-inline-block"> <SPAN class="marketing-HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_DESKTOP2 marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_DESKTOP2"><a href="https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_Black_Friday_AUUS" class="subscribe-link btn btn-sm btn-outline-white-orange py-5 mr-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Subscribe </a></SPAN></div> <div class="d-inline-block d-md-none mr-5 mr-sm-10"> <SPAN class="marketing-HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_MOBILE marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_MOBILE"><a href="https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_Black_Friday_AUUS" class="subscribe-link btn btn-xs btn-orange-dark p-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Subscribe </a></SPAN></div> <button class="js-toggle-user-dropdown js-toggle btn btn-sm btn-link link-white rounded-0 px-md-15 pl-5 pr-5"> <span class="d-none d-md-inline-block mr-5">Login</span> <em class="material-icons d-inline-block d-md-none font-16 font-sm-20" data-icon="account_circle"></em> <div class="d-none dropdown-menu-subscription-link">https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_Black_Friday_AUUS</div> <em class="material-icons inactive-icon d-inline-block font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_down"></em> <em class="material-icons active-icon d-inline-block font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_up"></em> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="d-none hamburger-menu-subscription-link"><DIV class="marketing-HAMBURGER_MENU_CTA marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HAMBURGER_MENU_CTA"><a href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=hamburger-menu&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024" class="subscribe-link btn btn-sm btn-orange py-5" target="_blank"> Subscribe <span class="d-none d-md-inline"> Now</span> </a></DIV></div> <div id="global-nav-react"> <div class="d-none"> <ul> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/procon">ProCon</a></li> <li><a href="/History-Society">History & Society</a></li> <li><a href="/Science-Tech">Science & Tech</a></li> <li><a href="/Biographies">Biographies</a></li> <li><a href="/Animals-Nature">Animals & Nature</a></li> <li><a href="/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a></li> <li><a href="/Arts-Culture">Arts & Culture</a></li> <li><a href="/money">Money</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="/quiz/browse">Games & Quizzes</a></li> <li><a href="/videos">Videos</a></li> <li><a href="/on-this-day">On This Day</a></li> <li><a href="/one-good-fact">One Good Fact</a></li> <li><a href="/dictionary">Dictionary</a></li> <li><a href="/new-articles">New Articles</a></li> </ul> <a href="/History-Society">History & Society</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Lifestyles-Social-Issues">Lifestyles & Social Issues</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Philosophy-Religion">Philosophy & Religion</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Politics-Law-Government">Politics, Law & Government</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/World-History">World History</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Science-Tech">Science & Tech</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Health-Medicine">Health & Medicine</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Science">Science</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Technology">Technology</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Biographies">Biographies</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/biographies">Browse Biographies</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Animals-Nature">Animals & Nature</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Birds-Reptiles-Vertebrates">Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Bugs-Mollusks-Invertebrates">Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Environment">Environment</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Fossil-Geologic-Time">Fossils & Geologic Time</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Mammals">Mammals</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Plants">Plants</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Arts-Culture">Arts & Culture</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Entertainment-Pop-Culture">Entertainment & Pop Culture</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Literature">Literature</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Sports-Recreation">Sports & Recreation</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Visual-Arts">Visual Arts</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="/stories/companion">Companions</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/demystified">Demystified</a></li> <li><a href="/gallery/browse">Image Galleries</a></li> <li><a href="/list/browse">Lists</a></li> <li><a href="/podcasts">Podcasts</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/spotlight">Spotlight</a></li> <li><a href="/summary">Summaries</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/the-forum">The Forum</a></li> <li><a href="/question">Top Questions</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/wtfact">#WTFact</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="https://kids.britannica.com/">Britannica Kids</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </header> <div class="bg-navy-dark"> <div class="container-lg p-0 d-flex justify-content-center global-nav-categories-bar overflow-hidden"> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 global-nav-slider category-snap-slider"> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex font-14 overflow-hidden text-nowrap mx-5"> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-CHATBOT " href="/chatbot">Ask the Chatbot</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-QUIZZES " href="/quiz/browse">Games & Quizzes</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-PROCON " href="/procon">ProCon</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-HISTORY selected selected" href="/History-Society">History & Society</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-SCIENCE " href="/Science-Tech">Science & Tech</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-BIOS " href="/Biographies">Biographies</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-ANIMALS " href="/Animals-Nature">Animals & Nature</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-GEOGRAPHY " href="/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-ART " href="/Arts-Culture">Arts & Culture</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-MONEY " href="/money">Money</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-VIDEOS " href="/videos">Videos</a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <main> <div class="md-page-wrapper"> <div id="content" class="md-content"> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"headline":"America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)","image":{"url":"https://cdn.britannica.com/71/196471-131-8FEA8DDD/Daily-Police-Bulletin-Elizabeth-Short-Black-Dahlia-January-1947.jpg","@type":"ImageObject"},"author":[{"name":"Meg Matthias","url":"https://www.britannica.com/editor/Meg-Matthias/12593612","@type":"Person"}],"keywords":"America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)","url":"https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved","description":"Not every murder gets solved. We’ve collected five of the most notorious cold cases in American history, ranging from 1892 to 1996.","publisher":{"name":"Encyclopedia Britannica","@type":"Organization","logo":{"url":"https://corporate.britannica.com/wp-content/themes/eb-corporate/_img/logo.png","@type":"ImageObject"}},"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"article"} </script> <div class="list-content"> <div class="md-article-container list-container qa-content" data-feature-id="10243"> <div class="feature-container container-lg p-0 pb-40 p-md-20"> <aside class="d-none d-lg-block feature-left-rail p-20 pb-60 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="feature-section"> <div class="label mb-15 font-serif">Discover</div> <div class="mobile-carousel-items"> <ul class="pl-0 lr-image-list font-14 m-0 mb-30 d-flex flex-md-column slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden discover"> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/order-in-the-court-10-trials-of-the-century" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/15/119115-131-2D9A2C6A/photo-people-courtroom-hands.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Black and white photo of people in courtroom, hands raised, pledging" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/order-in-the-court-10-trials-of-the-century">Order in the Court: 10 “Trials of the Century”</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/what-are-the-differences-between-first--second--and-third-degree-murder" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/11/238411-131-2CBFE7E4/scales-of-justice-gavel.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Law legal system crime concept with gavel and scales of justice with books in the background. (mallet, judicial system)." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/what-are-the-differences-between-first--second--and-third-degree-murder">What Are the Differences Between First-, Second-, and Third-Degree Murder?</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/lizzie-borden-took-an-ax" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/08/195408-131-2D17F268/Lizzie-Borden-1890.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="American murder suspect Lizzie Borden, 1890." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/lizzie-borden-took-an-ax">Lizzie Borden Took an Ax...</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/quiz/famous-serial-killers" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/52/189352-131-763E692C/graphic-person-knife-murder-serial-killer-stab.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="graphic of a person standing holding a knife. murder, kill, serial killer, stab" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/quiz/famous-serial-killers">Famous Serial Killers</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/5-famous-battle-axes" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/00/134100-131-AD51F844/Carry-Nation.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Undated photograph of American temperance reformer Carry Nation." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/5-famous-battle-axes">5 Famous Battle-Axes</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/modern-corporate-criminals" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/141350-131-D28373DE/view-oil-spill-coast-BP-Deepwater-Horizon-May-6-2010.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Aerial view of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Mobile, Ala., May 6, 2010. Photo by U.S. Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft. BP spill" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/modern-corporate-criminals">9 Modern Corporate Criminals</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/quiz/american-mobsters-quiz" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/77/134777-131-BD10490B/Frank-Costello-committee-US-Senate-Estes-Kefauver-1951.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Frank Costello testifying before the U.S. Senate investigating committee headed by Estes Kefauver, 1951." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/quiz/american-mobsters-quiz">American Mobsters Quiz</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/causes-of-the-great-depression" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/45/197245-131-26E0911C/Depositors-American-Union-Bank-New-York-York-1932.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Groups of depositors in front of the closed American Union Bank, New York City. April 26, 1932. Great Depression run on bank crowd" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/causes-of-the-great-depression">Causes of the Great Depression</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/why-is-ireland-two-countries" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/43/148643-131-2B2237A6/example-landscape-Irish-Ireland-Sligo.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/why-is-ireland-two-countries">Why Is Ireland Two Countries?</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/11-egyptian-gods-and-goddesses" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/52/196952-131-0665E4EE/Egyptians-hieroglyphics-carvings.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/11-egyptian-gods-and-goddesses">11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/why-do-we-eat-turkey-on-thanksgiving" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/72/201772-131-C576ED87/Turkey-sides.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/why-do-we-eat-turkey-on-thanksgiving">Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/secret-service-code-names-of-11-us-presidents" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/45/189145-131-45FF672E/Secret-Service-Agent-Earpiece.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/secret-service-code-names-of-11-us-presidents">Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/10-famous-artworks-by-leonardo-da-vinci" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/06/200006-131-ABB681CF/Leonardo-da-Vinci-Italian-Renaissance-Florence-Engraving-1500.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/10-famous-artworks-by-leonardo-da-vinci">10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/why-is-it-called-black-friday" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/218073-131-D8DF29B6/Macys-Herald-Square-New-York-Black-Friday-Thanksgiving-2018.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="New York NY/ USA- November 23, 2018 Hordes of shoppers throng the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York looking for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/why-is-it-called-black-friday">Why Is It Called Black Friday?</a> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </aside> <div class="reading-channel list-type-REGULAR"> <div class="grey-box w-100 grey-box-middle"> <div class="grey-box-content mx-auto w-100"> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement" : [ { "@type" : "ListItem", "position" : 1, "item" : { "@id" : "https://www.britannica.com/list/browse", "name": "List" } } , { "@type" : "ListItem", "position" : 2, "item" : { "@id" : "https://www.britannica.com/list/browse/World-History", "name": "World History" } } ] } </script> <nav class="breadcrumb mt-20 mb-30"> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a href="/" class="link-gray-600">Home</a> </span> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a class="link-gray-600" href="/list/browse">List</a> </span> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a class="link-gray-600" href="/list/browse/World-History">World History</a> </span> </nav> <div class="mb-5"> <a class="HISTORY font-weight-semi-bold super-category-badge rounded font-14" href="/History-Society"> History & Society </a> </div> <div> <div class="d-block d-md-none md-feature-tools float-right mb-15" style="right:20px" data-feature-id="10243"> <button class="js-tooltip-actions ml-10 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="more_vert"></em> Actions </button> <div class="md-actions-popover popover popover-sm py-5 px-0 dropdown-menu"> <div> <button class="js-modal qa-cite-modal-button btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool " data-modal="[data-feature-id=10243] .sm-cite-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="verified"></em> Cite </button> <div class="sm-cite-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom mb-15"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10">verified</em>Cite </div> <div class="font-serif"> While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="Meg Matthias" data-title="America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)" data-published-date="22 Sep. 2021" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool " data-modal="[data-feature-id=10243] .md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved">https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h1 class="content-title mb-5">America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)</h1> <div class="d-none d-md-flex my-15"> <div class="mr-5"> <a href="javascript:window.print()" class=" btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="print"></em> Print </a> </div> <div class="mr-5"> <button class="js-modal qa-cite-modal-button gtm-topic-tool btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" data-modal="[data-feature-id=10243] .md-cite-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="verified"></em> Cite </button> <div class="md-cite-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom mb-15"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10">verified</em>Cite </div> <div class="font-serif"> While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="Meg Matthias" data-title="America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)" data-published-date="22 Sep. 2021" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal gtm-topic-tool btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" data-modal=".md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved">https://www.britannica.com/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing font-14"> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/Meg-Matthias/12593612" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Meg Matthias</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Meg Matthias is Senior Video Production Manager at Encyclopædia Britannica.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Meg Matthias</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div></div> </div> <article class="topic-content content"><div class="topic-paragraph font-serif md-list-intro pt-15 pb-20"><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/196471-131-8FEA8DDD/Daily-Police-Bulletin-Elizabeth-Short-Black-Dahlia-January-1947.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*0"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/196471-131-8FEA8DDD/Daily-Police-Bulletin-Elizabeth-Short-Black-Dahlia-January-1947.jpg?w=1000" alt="Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that" data-width="900" data-height="675" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">FBI</cite></figcaption></figure> <p class="topic-paragraph">Cryptic codes. Threatening notes. Romantic rendezvous gone wrong.</p><span class="MOD1"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Not every murder gets solved.</p><span class="MOD2"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">For all the amateur sleuths out there, we’ve collected the United States’ five most notorious cold cases:</p><span class="MOD3"></span> </div><ul class="list-unstyled md-mendel-list"><li><h2>The Zodiac killer</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">Those newspapers published not only the killer’s letters but also the ciphers he sent along with them. The papers encouraged the public to help decode the secret messages. One text, known as the “408 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/cipher" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">cipher</a>,” contained the message “I like killing people because it is so much fun.” Another, the “340 cipher,” wasn’t decoded until 2020. It began, “I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me.”</p><span class="MOD4"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">But the letters and the decoded ciphers haven’t been enough to crack the case. Though several suspects have been investigated, the Zodiac killer’s identity has never been proven. (The most scrutinized suspect, schoolteacher Arthur Leigh Allen, was institutionalized in 1975 for unrelated crimes.) And when we consider the theories that the killer was active before 1968 and well into the ’80s, we have to admit that we don’t even know for sure how many people he killed.</p><span class="MOD5"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-1"></span></li><li><h2>JonBenét Ramsey</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">No suspects have ever been arrested for the murder of JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant winner found dead in the basement of her family’s Boulder, Colorado, home on December 26, 1996. Early that morning JonBenét’s mother, Patsy, had called 911 and stated that her daughter was missing and that a ransom note found in the house demanded $118,000 for her return.</p><span class="MOD6"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">A few hours later, though, the family and the police discovered that JonBenét had never actually left the house. When prompted to conduct a second search of the house, her father, John, found her body in the basement. She’d been bound and gagged and killed with a blow to the head and a garotte fashioned from one of Patsy’s paintbrushes and a length of cord. Investigators later revealed that JonBenét had also been sexually assaulted.</p><span class="MOD7"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Suspects soon emerged, including a random intruder, a family friend who had dressed as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Santa-Claus" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Santa Claus</a> for the Ramseys’ Christmas parties, JonBenét’s parents, and her nine-year-old brother, Burke. One reason the case remains in the public imagination is that much of the investigation was bungled. Soon after the police first arrived at the Ramsey home, before it could be thoroughly combed for physical evidence, friends of the Ramseys arrived to show support for the family, and the police allowed them to traverse the house freely. Some of the friends even helped Patsy clean the kitchen. If conclusive physical <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/evidence-law" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">evidence</a> had existed, it was almost immediately destroyed.</p><span class="MOD8"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-2"></span></li><li><h2>The Black Dahlia</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">On January 15, 1947, 22-year-old <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/the-black-dahlia" data-show-preview="true">Elizabeth Short</a> was found dead in residential Los Angeles. Her body was so mutilated that the woman who discovered it—a mother on a walk with her young daughter—thought she had stumbled upon a mannequin.</p><span class="MOD9"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The case was an immediate sensation. Short was soon nicknamed the Black Dahlia—in reference to her alleged penchant for sheer black dresses and to the 1946 film noir <em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Blue-Dahlia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">The Blue Dahlia</a></em>, which featured the murder of an unfaithful housewife. Short was characterized as a flighty party girl with a record of underage drinking. Apparently, developing a catalog of a young woman’s exploits was more exciting than mourning her loss. Letters the alleged killer sent to the police only exacerbated the media frenzy.</p><span class="MOD10"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Ever since Short’s murder was deemed a cold case, amateur sleuths have presented their own solutions. One former police detective publicly <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/26/black-dahlia-murder-steve-hodel-elizabeth-short" data-show-preview="true">accused his late father</a> of the murder, inspiring the TV miniseries <em>I Am the Night</em>. A British researcher suggested that California police had <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/has-the-black-dahlia-murder-finally-been-solved-198247/" data-show-preview="true">conspired with the killer</a>. </p><span class="MOD11"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">But because most of the physical evidence in the case has been lost to time and police mishandling—and because most of the key players are now deceased—no theory is likely to ever be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.</p><span class="MOD12"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-3"></span></li><li><h2>The Hall-Mills murders</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">The murders of a pastor and a choir singer on a makeshift lovers’ lane shocked a small town—and brought forth rampant accusations, inconsistent witness testimony, and more than one false confession.</p><span class="MOD13"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The year was 1922, and New Brunswick, New Jersey, minister Edward Wheeler Hall was having an extramarital affair with a member of his congregation: the also-married Eleanor Mills. On September 14 the two left their respective family homes to meet each other. When Hall didn’t return home that night, his wife, Frances, and one of his brothers-in-law began a search, but neither Hall nor Mills was found until two days later, when another couple walking lovers’ lane found their bodies under a crab apple tree. Hall had been shot once through the head, but Mills’s body had been brutalized: she had been shot in the face three times, and her throat had been slashed so deeply that she had nearly been decapitated. Later an autopsy revealed that her tongue and larynx had been cut out. After they were killed, the couple’s bodies had been arranged in a near-embrace.</p><span class="MOD14"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The case was clearly personal. Though Hall and Mills’s affair had apparently been common knowledge around town, both of their spouses claimed to have been in the dark—an assertion that struck investigators (and the tabloids, which seized upon the story immediately) as highly suspicious. Frances, along with her brothers William and Henry Stevens, were considered prime suspects.</p><span class="MOD15"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">But try as it might, the prosecution could find no evidence to convict the siblings. Witness statements kept changing, likely influenced by the press coverage; attention-seekers kept confessing to the murders; and physical evidence was destroyed when sightseers trampled the crime scene, looking for “souvenirs.” As a result, Edward and Eleanor’s murders were never solved.</p><span class="MOD16"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-4"></span></li><li><h2>Lizzie Borden</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph"><em>Lizzie Borden took an axe / And gave her mother forty whacks; / And when she saw what she had done, / She gave her father forty-one.</em></p><span class="MOD17"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The famous rhyme makes it seem as if there has never been any doubt as to whether <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lizzie-Borden-American-murder-suspect" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lizzie Borden</a> killed her father and stepmother on August 4, 1892. Officially, though, the identity of the murderer remains a mystery.</p><span class="MOD18"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Lizzie and a maid, Bridget Sullivan, were alone in the Borden house with Mr. and Mrs. Borden when Lizzie—according to her testimony—discovered her father dead. He had been repeatedly struck in the head with a blunt instrument. Upstairs she found the body of her stepmother. Initially, the evidence against Lizzie looked damning: she had recently attempted to purchase prussic acid (a poison) and was alleged to have burned a dress in the stove. What’s more, Sullivan, her suspected accomplice, was seen on the evening of August 4 carrying a parcel out of the house.</p><span class="MOD19"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">But at Lizzie’s trial in 1893 the court determined that all that evidence was merely circumstantial. Lizzie wasn’t convicted, and no other suspects were ever arrested.</p><span class="MOD20"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-5"></span></li></ul><span class="AM-END-OF-ARTICLE am-inline"></span></article> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="cm-rightrail d-none d-md-block ad-rail"></aside> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col"> <div class="md-loading hidden display-4 font-weight-normal"></div> <div class="text-center my-20 mb-100"> <button class="md-infinite-load-next btn btn-blue" data-value="next-page">Load More</button> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-da-320 hidden-xs"> </div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"List","templateName":null,"pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":10,"pageId":10243,"pageLength":null,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/list-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"A","adLeg":"A","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"List","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":null,"gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved) | Britannica