10 Creepy Mysteries of 2023

10 Creepy Mysteries of 2023

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re examining the most captivating mysteries of 2023. We will be including stories both solved and unsolved, including those that predate 2023, so long as they received a significant surge of interest this past year.

Moroccan Earthquake Lights

It’s a sight straight out of a science fiction movie - dazzling lights, varied in color and diameter, dance across the night sky. This was a sight recorded in Morocco shortly before a devastating earthquake hit the country on September 8, 2023. These lights are known, rather uncreatively, as “earthquake lights,” and they tend to occur right before a large piece of seismic activity. Earthquake lights have been reported for more than 1,000 years, with the earliest written account dating to a Japanese earthquake in 869 CE. The phenomenon continues to baffle scientists, and numerous explanations have been put forth regarding ionization and the Earth’s magnetic field. However, no consensus has ever been reached.

The Death of Abby Choi

A prominent influencer and model based out of Hong Kong, Abby Choi was a regular at Paris Fashion Week and appeared in magazines like Vogue. Unfortunately, both her life and career were cut tragically short on February 21, 2023, when Choi was reported missing. A search was conducted for three days, until her body was found in the Tai Po region of Hong Kong. Choi had been the victim of a horrible crime. Her death remains unsolved, but police and investigators are actively working on the case. As of May 2023, seven suspects had been arrested, including her ex-husband.

The Minion Sculptures

Toeing the line between creepy and charming, a series of Minions sculptures have been popping up in the small village of Warrack, Australia. The Minions are rather distinct, being made out of scrap metal and pipes, and they all bear rather large and inhuman eyes. Even creepier - or more joyous, depending on your interpretation - is that each Minion is related to the property on which it stands. For example, one of the Minions also functions as a plant pot, and it’s been given to the president of a local gardening club. The only clue that locals have to go on is CCTV footage showing two people installing one of the Minions. However, they were both dressed in costumes, so identification was impossible.

The Green Canal of Venice

Venice’s Grand Canal is one of the world’s most picturesque locations, attracting millions of tourists every year. And in May 2023, the world-famous canal turned green. Yep, a small spot of the Grand Canal under the Rialto Bridge turned a bright fluorescent green, inviting lots of confusion and many a bewildered onlooker. Some suspected that climate change activists were responsible, leading police to investigate the matter. Samples of the water were also taken, and experts identified the presence of fluorescein. An organic dye used in various medical fields, fluorescein is known to turn water green and is often used in underwater construction. However, it’s unclear exactly how fluorescein ended up in the Canal.

The Highland Abduction

A brutal kidnapping story related to revenge occurred throughout four days of September 2023. On the morning of September 18, one car collided into another in the city of Highland, California. The teenage driver of the hit car was swiftly grabbed and thrown into a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee, which sped away from the scene. The teen’s mother then received horrifying ransom demands, claiming dire consequences if $500,000 was not delivered to a specific address in Nogales, Mexico. His whereabouts remained unknown for the next four days. However, the Cherokee was later identified by investigators, and they used the vehicle to track the suspects. All three were arrested during a raid on September 22, and the kidnapped teen was safely rescued.

The Haunted State of Texas?

Have you ever been to Texas? Well, apparently Texas is the most haunted state in America. In 2023, states were ranked online by different criteria, including paranormal activity, ghost sightings, and number of cemeteries, to crown the most haunted state in the country. Texas won by a landslide, with nearly 14,000 cemeteries and 7,500 ghost sightings per 100,000 people. It also hosts a number of notably haunted locations, including the Yorktown Memorial Hospital, Austin’s Driskill Hotel, and of course the famous Alamo in San Antonio. So, if you fancy yourself a budding paranormal investigator, Texas apparently is the place to be.

The Fate of Yanfei Bao

July 19, 2023 seemed to be just another day for real estate agent Yanfei Bao. Working in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, she was scheduled to show a house and phoned her friend to inquire about the financials of a sale. But when it came time to pick her daughter up from school, Bao was nowhere to be found. Both her car and cell phone were later recovered, but Bao herself remained missing. A 52-year-old man was later arrested for kidnapping Bao and has been charged with her murder. Unfortunately, not much else is known about the case. Bao remains missing and the trial is set to begin in October 2024.

A Rise in UFO Reports

OK, seriously, what’s going on with all the UFOs? While claiming UFOs are not terrestrial in origin has always always been popular in certain circles, it seems like the overall topic of UFOs is now more front and center. In July 2022, the federal government established the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which is tasked with investigating reports and sightings of UFOs. And in 2023, director Sean Kirkpatrick claimed that his office had received hundreds of reports, increasingly up from the previous year. Kirkpatrick says that most of these sightings can be explained, but 2 to 4% are exceptional and require further investigation.

The Disappearance of Ana Walshe

The country watched with horrified interest as the tragic story of Ana Walshe played out through January 2023. The real estate executive was reported missing on January 4, having last been seen on New Year’s Day. Walshe’s husband, Brian, reported her missing, claiming that she had booked an emergency flight to Washington. But police were unable to confirm if she got on the plane, leaving the country mystified. The story got even more unsettling when Brian Walshe was arrested. Brian was ultimately charged with murder, as prosecutors believe that he killed Ana.

The Hunt for Nessie

The Loch Ness Monster has been a worldwide sensation since it was popularized in the early 1930s. Curiosity remains high, and 2023 proved to be a busy year for the mythical monster. Back in August, The Loch Ness Centre and a research group known as Loch Ness Exploration conducted the largest search of the loch in more than fifty years. This included the use of infrared drones, a hydrophone, and never-before-used surveying equipment. And in addition, in October, The Loch Ness Centre reported a new photograph which they claim is “the clearest evidence this year of Nessie’s existence.” So is it a monster? Algae? Seismic phenomena? The myth continues.

What’s the mystery that creeps you out the most? Let us know in the comments.