10 Most Terrifying and Disturbing Unsolved Crimes

10 Most Terrifying and Disturbing Unsolved Crimes

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were looking at some of the most unsettling unsolved crimes.

The Chicago Tylenol Murders

In late 1982, there was a massive recall of Tylenol in the US. It is arguably the most recognizable over-the-counter medication, and millions reach for it daily. This recall wasnt due to a manufacturing snafu, however. It was due to potassium cyanide contamination. It is believed that numerous bottles had been tampered with in pharmacies, with mysterious offenders opening them and tainting the capsules before returning them to the shelves. Before this incident, which took the lives of at least seven individuals, medication bottles did not have secure seals. The Chicago Tylenol murders inspired the implementation of strict laws involving tamper-resistant seals. The perpetrators were never caught, and the crime remains unsolved.

The Monster with 21 Faces

In 1984, an anonymous source nicknamed The Monster with 21 Faces terrorized Japanese food processing companies. It began with the kidnapping of Katsuhisa Ezaki, CEO of Glico. Ezaki managed to escape, but the perpetrator (believed to be male) retaliated by setting fire to several vehicles outside Glicos headquarters. The enigmatic criminal sent letters to police, gloating about his actions and mocking the lawmens incompetence for failing to solve the crimes. He also claimed to have poisoned Glico products with cyanide, forcing a recall worth $21 million. He eventually shifted his threats to other food processing companies, with some poisoned products actually found. The Monster ceased operations after the police superintendent took his own life, citing shame from not being able to solve the crimes.

The Oslo Plaza Woman

In May 1995, a woman checked into a high-end Norway hotel under the false name Jennifer Fairgate. She did not provide ID or a credit card, which wasnt common hotel practice. When sent to claim payment, a security guard heard a gunshot. When guards entered, the woman was found deceased, with a single bullet wound to the head. This seems like a case of taking ones life. However, she was found holding the gun in an illogical position and with no signs of gun residue or blood splatter on herself. Her clothing had all tags ripped out, and no ID in sight. She remains unclaimed, and her case was closed after 1 year, citing self-deletion, but many beg to differ to this day.

The Elisa Lam Mystery

In 2013, a young Canadian tourist, Elisa Lam, checked into the Stay on Main hotel (formerly The Cecil Hotel) in Los Angeles. She was travelling alone, checking in with her parents daily. She had bipolar disorder and depression, for which she was medicated, but sometimes skipped her doses. After failing to check in for a week, her parents reported her missing. Around ten days later, hotel tenants complained about water pressure and quality. Upon checking the rooftop water source, a maintenance worker found the body of Lam in one of the four tanks. This case gained attention when police released security footage of Lam behaving oddly in a hotel elevator. The case was deemed accidental drowning, but the video and circumstances raise many unresolved questions.

The Highway of Tears

A 719 km stretch of Highway 16 in British Columbia, Canada has been the site of an unthinkable amount of crimes. The roads conditions are considered ideal for commitment of crimes - isolated, remote, soft soils for burying evidence or victims, and the stretch shockingly did not have cellular service until late 2024. Since 1970, though the number is debated, upward of 40 indigenous women have lost their lives or gone missing on Highway 16, nicknamed The Highway of Tears in 1996. At least three serial killers have been linked to the area: Edward Dennis Isaac, Brian Peter Arp, and Cody Legebokoff. The last officially recorded homicide occurred in 2023. Many of the cases remain unsolved, the result, some say, of systemic racism in the RCMP.

The Ice Valley Mystery

In 1970, the body of a woman was found in Isdalen (Ice Valley), Bergen, Norway. Though it was initially concluded that she had taken her own life, circumstances render this debatable. She was found next to the remnants of a campfire, burned beyond facial recognition. There were multiple items around her, such as clothing and liquor bottles. All tags had been removed from clothing, similar to the Jennifer Fairgate case. Removing tags is a common practice for intelligence officers to avoid tracing. The autopsy cited the cause of death as incapacitation by sleeping pills (50 to 70 tablets ingested) and carbon monoxide poisoning. The womans suitcases were located at the railway station, containing false passports and IDs. She has never been identified.

The Zodiac Killer

Between 1968 and 69, the Zodiac (nicknamed by himself in his letters) terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area. He had five official murder victims and made his presence anonymously known by sending a series of letters to media outlets. In these poorly spelled letters, he boasted about his crimes, claimed hed taken lives to collect slaves for the afterlife, and included cryptograms, one of which was only deciphered in 2020, 51 years after its conception. He also claimed to have taken 37 lives in one of the messages, though this hasnt officially been substantiated. The Zodiac fell into obscurity after 1974. The SFPD has claimed that around 2,500 suspects have been investigated, but the case remains unsolved.

The Hinterkaifeck Murders

In 1922, a family of five and their maid were murdered on a Bavarian farm in Germany. The circumstances surrounding the murders were odd, as the family had reported hearing footsteps in the attic and finding mysterious prints in the snow, among other things. Four family members were believed to have been lured to the barn one by one and murdered with a mattock (or pickaxe). The killer then entered the house and took the lives of the youngest child in his bassinet, followed by the maid who was on her second day of employment. The bodies were found days later. There was evidence that the perpetrator stayed in the home for a few days post-crime. There were many suspects, but the case remains cold.

The Sodder Family Disappearance

In West Virginia, a house fire devastated the Sodder family on Christmas Eve 1945. Family patriarch George Sodder was an Italian immigrant, having settled down with his wife and ten children, nine of whom were at home on that fateful evening. Sodder was known to have openly criticized Benito Mussolini, drawing ire from acquaintances (a possible motive for arson). The couple and four of their children managed to escape the inferno. The others did not. When the ashes of the home were searched, no remains were found. It was believed by some, including the parents, that they had been removed from the home before the arson. George Sodder searched for until his death in 1969, and the case remains unsolved.

Jack the Ripper

In Londons Whitechapel district in 1888, a number of working girls were brutally murdered. There were five confirmed victims, and many more alleged. Much like the Zodiac, Jack the Ripper letters were received by media and police, though their authenticity was and has been debated - there were many hoaxes about. It was deduced by authorities at the time that the perpetrator must have been a butcher or medical professional, given the wounds sustained by the victims, though this was debated as well. In early 2025, an author and self-proclaimed Ripperologist claimed to have found the identity of the Ripper, but his evidence hasnt been substantiated (DNA from a shawl, though some experts claim this is impossible). The case remains cold.

What other unsolved mysteries should we have mentioned? Let us know in the comments!