Top 10 Strangest Unsolved Mysteries Ever
#10: Circleville Letters
In 1977, residents of Circleville, Ohio began receiving threatening and harassing anonymous letters. The letters had very distinctive handwriting, and contained accusations of embezzlement, affairs, and even murders. Ron Gillispie died under mysterious circumstances after receiving a phone call and announcing that he was going to confront the writer. His wife was nearly killed by a gun in a booby trap attached to a sign. It turned out that Paul Freshour, Ron’s brother-in-law, bought the gun, and his handwriting was deemed to match the letters. Yet, during his time in prison, people in town continued receiving them - even while Freshour was in solitary confinement. If Freshour was the writer, he wasn’t working alone. We’re “writing this off,” as an unsolved mystery.
#9: Havana Syndrome
Havana Syndrome: Conspiracy Theory or Genuine Threat? | Unveiled
Since 2016, U.S. officials and military personnel have been experiencing strange symptoms. These include pain, ringing in the ears, as well as difficulty with cognitive processes. Named for the location it was initially reported, the embassy in Havana, Cuba, Havana syndrome has since been reported at US bases and embassies in various countries. While some of those suffering from it have existing head injuries that could explain the symptoms, not all of them do. Proposed explanations have included a psychogenic illness, the sound of crickets, or even a microwave weapon. While the CIA has concluded that most cases were probably not caused by a foreign power, two dozen cases remain unexplained. Accidental or targeted, Havana syndrome is yet to be fully understood.
#8: Max Headroom Hijackings
Top 10 Unsolved Mysteries Across America
On November 22nd in 1987, the broadcast of two Chicago TV stations was interrupted. Both interruptions featured an unidentified man dressed as the British A.I. character, Max Headroom. The masked man disparaged the local station he was interrupting, made several pop culture references, and got spanked with a flyswatter. The heavily distorted audio, rotating background, and masked man gave the hijackings an eerie, almost David Lynchian feel. The hijackers couldn’t be identified, nor did they come forward after the statute of limitations on their crime expired. These broadcasts seem destined to remain as mystifying as their contents.
#7: Salish Sea Feet
Since 2007, residents of Washington, USA and British Columbia, Canada, have found some rather morbid jetsam washed up on their beaches – detached human feet. Most of them were found still inside shoes. Foul play has been ruled out, as most of the identified victims were involved in accidents or took their own lives. It’s been speculated that the feet detached as the bodies decayed, and that the air pockets and buoyant foam in sneakers floated them to the surface. But it still seems extremely odd that there have been so many, and all around the same area.
#6: Roman Jars in a Brazilian Bay
Top 10 Unsolved Roman Mysteries
The historical consensus is that the first European visitors to Brazil were Portuguese, who arrived in 1500 A.D. However, it’s possible that the Romans beat them to it. In 1976, several amphorae, or Roman jars, were uncovered from the bottom of Guanabara Bay off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. This caught the attention of archeologist and treasure hunter Robert Marx, who explored the area further and claimed to have found up to 200 more amphorae. Experts dated fragments to around the third century. However, the idea that Romans arrived before the Portuguese deeply upset many Brazilians, and the government banned underwater exploration. So the depths of this mystery remain unknown!
#5: Gloria Ramirez’s Death
While suffering from cervical cancer, Gloria Ramirez was admitted to an emergency room in California in 1994. While treating her, the medical personnel noticed odd symptoms, including a greasy polish to her skin, a strange odor from her mouth, and oddly shaped particles in her blood. Then, several of the people in the room began passing out. Overall, 23 people were affected by these strange symptoms, and Ramirez passed away, with the initial diagnosis being from kidney failure. The most common suggestion for Ramirez’s apparent “toxicity” was that she was taking dimethyl sulfoxide, a home pain treatment, which combined with several of the treatments turned into an acidic substance. Another suggestion is exposure to methylamine. But no one knows for sure.
#4: Tromp Family Breakdown
No, Tromp! With an “O!” In 2016, Mark and Jacoba Tromp took their three adult children on an impromptu road trip hundreds of miles north, leaving their house unlocked. Mark seemed convinced that people were out to get them and forbade phones. Their son Mitchell brought one anyway, but it was later thrown out the car window. He left, not understanding his parents’ paranoia. Later, the daughters left too, stealing a car before splitting up. One, Riana, was found in a catatonic state. Ultimately, all returned safely, but no explanation has been given specifically for what happened. Whether it was shared psychosis, or someone was out to get the Tromps, the case has fascinated the world ever since.
#3: Oakville Blobs
In 1994, Oakville, Washington experienced perhaps the strangest weather phenomenon of the last few decades – it rained blobs. Strange goo fell from the sky over a period of several weeks, blanketing the town in ooze. What’s even more bizarre is that the residents experienced a widespread illness that lasted for several weeks too. So what could this goo have been? Was it evaporated bits of jellyfish that reformed in a cloud? Or maybe waste from an airplane? The most troubling theory is that the event was a military experiment on U.S. soil. There are a whole mess of theories about this messy, and weird weather.
#2: Disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370
Top 20 Creepiest Disappearance Stories
On March 8th, 2014, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 vanished while flying from Malaysia to China. After a loss of communications and its disappearance from civilian radar, Flight 370 reappeared on military radar, having deviated from its planned flight path. The disappearance has fascinated the public for years and led to several expensive searches. It seemed impossible for an entire airplane to just go missing in an age where everything can be seen by satellites. Although a few pieces have washed ashore, the bulk of the aircraft and the reason for its deviation remain unclear. Speculations have run the gamut from a hijacking, to it being shot down, to some kind of equipment failure.
#1: Dyatlov Pass Incident
What Happened At the Dyatlov Pass? | Unveiled
In 1959, nine Russian hikers were found dead in the Ural Mountains. All were severely injured, several were undressed, and they had cut their way out of their tent from the inside. Some were burned, and others slightly radioactive. Most seemed to have died of hypothermia or their injuries. The case has baffled the public and authorities for over half a century. Theories include an avalanche, an animal attack, or military involvement. The most plausible theory involves the group camping against a heavy snowbank, which collapsed, leading them to assume an avalanche and freezing after they escaped the tent. But, unless there really was outside involvement, only the victims know the truth.
