Top 10 Creepiest Disappearance Stories
#10: He Jiankui
Top 20 Creepiest Disappearance Stories
In November 2018, this Chinese biophysicist made world headlines when he announced he’d created the first genetically-edited human babies. His claim was met with widespread condemnation due to serious ethical issues with his experiment. He’s research was suspended, he was fired from SUSTech, and then...he disappeared. In December it was reported that he was sequestered in an apartment under guard. In December 2019, it was announced that Jiankui had been sentenced to three years in prison, but there remains unanswered questions regarding his whereabouts and well being.
#9: Lauren Spierer
In 2011, 20-year-old Lauren Spierer was attending Indiana University and studying textiles merchandising. On the night of June 2, 2011, Spierer went out with some friends to Bloomington’s Kilroy’s Sports Bar. She left the bar around 2:30 AM, and was last seen leaving a friend’s apartment at 4:30. She remains missing to this day. Various theories have been put forth, including abduction and a fatal overdose, as Spierer had reportedly consumed alcohol and drugs. Despite thousands of tips and attempts by police to tie her disappearance to other crimes in the area, Lauren Spierer’s whereabouts remain unknown.
#8: Lars Mittank
One of the strangest and creepiest stories involving a disappearance has to be that of 28-year old German man Lars Mittank. In June 2014, Mittank was vacationing at Bulgaria’s Golden Sands seaside resort with friends. When it was time to leave, Mittank was left in the country owing to a ruptured eardrum, which prevented him from flying. He checked into the Hotel Color Varna by himself, where he reportedly began to act paranoid. He even called his mother and told her that four men were looking to get rid of him. The last time anyone saw Mittank, he was running through Varna Airport in fear, hopping a fence, and fleeing into the nearby woods. He hasn’t been seen since. The source of his fear, and his current whereabouts, remain unknown.
#7: Maura Murray
On February 9, 2004, Murray, a nursing student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, emailed her professors claiming that there’d been a death in the family. Her parents have since stated that no such death occurred. She looked into hotels in Vermont, loaded her car with clothing and toiletries, and packed up her belongings in boxes. After leaving campus, she purchased alcohol and withdrew $280 from an ATM. Murray crashed her car around 7:00 that night, and when police arrived at 7:45, she was nowhere to be found. The responding officer found a few suspect items in the car, including driving directions to Vermont and blank accident report forms. Of Murray herself there was, and has been, no trace.
#6: The Springfield Three
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This missing persons case, in which Sherrill Levitt, Stacy McCall, and Suzie Streeter all disappeared, has remained unsolved since 1992. The story begins at Levitt’s home in Springfield, Missouri, where the women spent the night after attending high school graduation parties. When a friend arrived at the house the next morning, all three were missing - despite their cars being parked outside. The friend found a broken porch light and she reportedly received an obscene phone call while there. Levitt’s dog was also visibly agitated. When McCall’s mother later arrived to investigate, she found a “strange” message on the answering machine, but this was accidentally deleted. Unfortunately, the crime scene was so badly contaminated that it prevented a proper investigation.
#5: Rebecca Coriam
When this 24-year old British woman disappeared the morning of March 21, 2011, she was working for the Disney Wonder cruise ship. Coriam was last seen on CCTV footage, talking to someone on one of the ship’s internal phones at 5:45 AM. She was clad in extra large clothing and appeared visibly distressed by the call. She hung up, walked away, and was never seen again. Investigators believe that Coriam went overboard, but how she went overboard remains a mystery. Some believe she jumped, others believe she was pushed by a rogue wave, and her parents believe that she was thrown into the ocean. The official investigation has received loads of criticism, and Disney Wonder has even been accused of covering up her disappearance.
#4: Zebb Quinn
On January 2, 2000, 18-year-old Zebb Quinn met up with his friend Robert Owens. After Quinn received a notification on his pager, however, he appeared frantic, and allegedly sped away in his car. Two days later, after being treated at the hospital for injuries, Owens called in sick for Quinn. On January 6, Quinn’s car was found abandoned with bizarre lipstick drawings on the back windshield and a live puppy stuck inside. In July 2017, Owens was charged with first degree murder in the death of Quinn and is currently awaiting trial. He is also serving life in prison for ending the lives of the Food Network’s Cristie Schoen and her husband, J.T. Codd in 2015. As for Quinn, his exact fate remains a mystery.
#3: Harold Holt
In December 1967, Harold Holt was serving as the 17th Prime Minister of Australia. Holt was an avid outdoorsman but nearly 60 years old, and his personal doctor had recently advised him against swimming. On the afernoon of December 17, 1967, Holt went for a swim at Australia’s Cheviot Beach,t despite rough waters. He was quickly swept out to sea, and a massive search was undertaken in the area. Despite the country’s best efforts, no one was able to find any trace of Holt. A governmental inquiry was never launched owing to the wishes of Holt’s family. This detail, among other factors, has led to numerous conspiracy theories. Despite countless claims to the contrary, the official ruling stands that Holt died in a tragic drowning.
#2: D.B. Cooper
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The story of D.B. Cooper is one of the most famous unsolved mysteries of all time, a story involving air theft, a cinematic escape, and an ambiguous outcome. Cooper is the pseudonym of a man who hijacked a Boeing 727 in 1971 and extorted $200,000 in ransom. After securing the money Cooper opened the door mid flight and jumped out into the cold, dark night - never to be seen again. The only trace of Cooper remains a small cache of ransom bills that was recovered in 1980. The rest of the money, and D.B. himself, remain missing. Many FBI agents claim that Cooper likely died in the jump, but then again, they could just be trying to save face...
#1: Amelia Earhart
Top 5 Theories About the Disappearance of Amelia Earhart
If there’s one unsolved story more popular than that of D.B. Cooper, it’s that of Amelia Earhart. Earhart was a popular and renowned aviator and the first woman to fly solo over the Atlantic. In 1937, she and navigator Fred Noonan attempted to circumnavigate the globe. However, they disappeared over the Pacific near Hawaii and were never heard from again. Countless theories have been put forth regarding their ultimate fate, but no consensus has ever been made. It’s most likely that Earhart and Noonan ran out of fuel and crashed into the Pacific while desperately looking for Howland Island. It’s a boring answer, but the most realistic often are.
