10 Unsolved Prison Murders

10-Unsolved-Prison-Murders

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re exploring our picks for the most infamous times people who were arrested or sentenced to jail were seemingly murdered suspiciously. We’ll examine incidents where the case is formally unsolved and those where severe doubts about the official cause exist.

Ta’Neasha Chappell

In 2021, Chappell was pulled over in Brownstown, Indiana, on suspicion of theft. After briefly trying to escape, she was charged on multiple counts. Unable to afford bail, Chappell had to remain in the small local jail until her trial. During that time, as the only Black woman in her unit, she was racially abused by other inmates. About two months after her arrest, Chappell complained about feeling unwell and began vomiting. However, the staff didn’t take her pleas seriously as her condition rapidly deteriorated. Eventually, they called for an ambulance. However, shortly after arriving at the hospital, she passed away. The autopsy showed she died from “toxicity from an unknown substance,” with many believing inmates poisoned her. Her family is still looking for answers.

The Duluth Tragedy

In 1920, James Sullivan claimed 6 Black circus workers visiting Duluth, Minnesota had attacked him and assaulted his partner, Irene Tusken. However, a doctor couldn’t find evidence of the attack on her. Regardless, the police arrested the accused men. With rumors and a media storm engulfing the white community, a mob of up to 10,000 men went to the jail. They forced their way in and took the suspects. The unhinged group “convicted” Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie and brutally killed them. Yet no one from the mob was convicted for the murders. Max Mason, one of the suspects, was sentenced to 30 years for the supposed assault on Tusken. In 2020, he was pardoned posthumously — a first in Minnesota.

Gunvor Galtung Haavik

While working as a Norwegian nurse during World War Two, Haavik fell in love with Vladimir Koslov, a Russian prisoner of war. This led to her working for the Norwegian Embassy in Moscow, Russia. However, the KGB saw the opportunity to threaten the well-being of Koslov and force Haavik to spy for them. She did for over 27 years, even upon returning to her home country to work at the Foreign Ministry. In 1977, Haavik was exposed by KGB double agent Oleg Gordievsky and was arrested. She immediately confessed. However, before she went to trial, Haavik passed away. According to Norwegian sources, it was reportedly due to a cardiac event. Yet others speculate something more sinister and mysterious was involved.

Lee Bradley Brown

While on vacation in Dubai in 2011, Lee was arrested after apparently getting very violent with a hotel housekeeper. After visiting the prosecutor's office, Lee returned badly beaten. Dubai officials first claimed his cellmates did it, then said the Englishman did it to himself. They stated they had CCTV footage that, in theory, could have proven their claims. But none was released or given to the UK authorities. Lee’s condition deteriorated, and he passed away 6 days after his arrest. UAE’s post-mortem examination concluded he’d died from choking on vomit. However, the UK found no evidence of this during their investigation. During an inquest in 2022, there were reports that the Dubai guards bragged about attacking Lee, which was denied by officials.

Fernando Albán

In 2018, Albán, of the Justice First opposition party in Venezuela, was arrested for an unknown reason. He was taken to the Bolivarian Intelligence Service headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela. Within days, officials claimed he had purposely jumped from the building, ending his life. Later, officials stated he was initially arrested for conspiracy to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro. Rumors and conflicting evidence suggested that Albán had already died before he was thrown from the building. In 2021, the Attorney General admitted the victim hadn’t taken his own life. Two officers were leniently sentenced. However, Albán’s family claimed neither were charged with his “intentional” murder, only neglect, and were barely imprisoned. The family did however win a lawsuit against the Cartel of the Suns.

Alexei Navalny

For years, Navalny had been one of the most prominent opponents of Vladimir Putin’s reign in Russia, which had seemingly resulted in several stints in jail. In 2020, he was hospitalized from a nerve agent and, upon his recovery, blamed Putin. In 2021, after going back to Russia from Germany following treatment, Navalny was arrested for apparently violating parole. Over the years, he was sentenced to prison for various periods on several charges. In 2023, Navalny seemingly vanished, only to turn up in a corrective colony in the Arctic Circle 3 weeks later. In early 2024, it was announced that Navalny had died. The cause is unclear, with officials notably suggesting a blood clot or sudden death syndrome. However, these are disputed.

Otto Warmbier

A student at the University of Virginia, Warmbier went to North Korea for a New Year’s trip in 2015. In early 2016, as he was gearing up to leave at the airport, Warmbier was arrested on charges of stealing a propaganda poster. His sentence was “15 years of hard labor.” The next year, North Korea released Warmbier following negotiations with the US. However, he was in a vegetative state they claimed was triggered by botulism and a sleeping pill. US specialists didn’t see any evidence of the former, and didn’t know what exactly caused his condition. Shortly after his return to America, Warmbier passed away at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Henry VI of England

Due to his ineffective leadership and declining mental health, Henry played a key role in the Wars of the Roses, where the Lancasters and Tudors battled for the English throne against the Yorks. In 1461, he was deposed by York's Edward IV but regained power briefly in 1470 before losing it again the following year. At this point, Henry was a prisoner in the Tower of London. One biased account claimed “melancholy” was the cause of death. However, there were rumors something more nefarious had occurred, that Edward was responsible for Henry’s murder. In 1910, they dug up Henry’s body, with the evidence confirming his end was brutal.

Thor Christiansen

Having moved to the US from Denmark as a child, Christiansen’s life took a turn in 1976. That year, he began picking up young women hitchhikers in California, ending the lives of 4. Each of his victims looked similar, so he was called “The Hitchhiker Slayer” or “The Look-Alike Murderer.” However, in 1979, he met his match when an injured Lydia Preston escaped. When she saw Christiansen in a bar 2 months later, she called the police, leading to his arrest. In 1980, he was found guilty in 2 trials for the 4 slayings and 1 attempted murder, receiving life imprisonment. Not even a full year into his sentence, Christiansen was fatally stabbed by an unidentified inmate.

Albert DeSalvo

In the early ‘60s, Boston was in fear. Not only was an assaulter known as “The Green Man” running rampant, but there was also “The Boston Strangler” serial killer, who took 13 lives. However, an inmate claimed Albert DeSalvo confessed to the slayings after being arrested for the assaults. While there was no physical evidence, DeSalvo admitted his guilt to the authorities. In 1967, he received life imprisonment. In 1973, DeSalvo was fatally stabbed while in prison. Inmate Robert Wilson was tried for the murder, but it ended in a hung jury, leaving the case unsolved. Due to retracting his confession, there were doubts about DeSalvo’s guilt. However, in 2013, his DNA was found on “Boston Strangler” victim Mary Anne Sullivan.

What’s the most famous case of a suspect being killed before they faced trial? Let us know below!