10 Most Notorious Unsolved Crimes of the 1990s

#10: Penny Bell (1991)

The day before her June 1991 murder, Bell, a partner at Kilburn-based employment agency Coverstaff Ltd, was described by those around her as acting relatively normally. But Bells seemingly unremarkable behavior was belied by inconsistencies. She told builders renovating her kitchen that she was late for an appointment, but it remains unclear as to who she was meant to be meeting with. Furthermore, the excessively violent nature of her death was, according to authorities, in line with a crime of passion. That is, as hypothesized by Bells daughter Lauren, someone who wanted her but couldn't have her. While former Bell family neighbour John Richmond has claimed that he knows the identity of Pennys killer, police interviews with him were fruitless.

#9: Fat Pat (1998)

Coming to prominence as part of the Houston-based rap collective the Screwed Up Click, Patrick Fat Pat Hawkins was yet another heartbreaking admission into the 27 Club. In February of 1998, Hawkins traveled to a promoters apartment in order to collect the payment he was owed for performing a concert. After finding that the promoter wasnt home, Hawkins left, under the impression that he would return later. Tragically, Hawkins was shot dead just outside the apartment. Hawkins debut album Ghetto Dreams was released the following month, cementing his legacy as a respected and influential figure in the Houston hip hop scene. No one was ever charged with killing Fat Pat, and leads to who would have wanted to do so have long since gone cold.

#8: Big L (1999)

Beloved by critics and hip hop fans alike for his deft wordplay, Big L born Lamont Coleman was arguably cut down in his prime. Four years after the release of Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, the only studio album Coleman released during his lifetime, he was killed in a drive-by shooting in Harlem. His passing was widely mourned, with his peers going so far as to speculate that he could have become one of the greatest rappers of all time had he not died aged just 24. While Colemans childhood friend Gerard Woodley was initially arrested for his murder, a lack of concrete evidence resulted in Woodleys being set free. Woodley himself was fatally shot in 2016.

#7: Joe Cole (1991)

The son of 70s TV star Dennis, Joe Cole was a roadie associated with punk rock legend Henry Rollins; Rollins is perhaps best-known for fronting the California hardcore band Black Flag. The two were close friends and roommates, but that came to a disturbing end in December of 1991. On December 19th, Cole and Rollins were accosted by armed robbers outside of their Venice Beach residence. The assailants ordered the two to enter the house and retrieve as much cash as they could find. While Rollins managed to escape, Cole was shot point-blank in the face, and the robbers were never conclusively identified.

#6: Las Cruces Bowling Alley Massacre (1990)

One of New Mexicos deadliest ever mass shootings also stands as one of its most confounding. Decades after it occurred, no one appears to be any closer to understanding what exactly happened in Las Cruces on February 10, 1990. On that day, an unknown number of perpetrators burgled the Las Cruces Bowling Alley at 1201 East Amador Avenue. After stealing as much as $5000 from the alleys safe, the gunmen shot their seven hostages and burned the building down. Although police attempted to intercept the attackers, along with help surveilling the area from a number of federal agencies, no one was apprehended, and local authorities are still investigating the case as of 2025.

#5: Juvénal Habyarimana & Cyprien Ntaryamira (1994)

Perhaps the single most crucial moment of the Rwandan Civil War, this political assassination ushered in the devastating Rwandan genocide, which saw nearly 800,000 Tutsis systemically killed. Habyarimana was then Rwandas president, and at the time of his assassination was accompanied by Burundian president Ntaryamira. On April 6, 1994, Habyarimanas Dassault Falcon 50 was hit by two surface-to-air missiles, exploding upon impact with the surface and killing everyone onboard. A declassified U.S. State Department report from the day after the assassination asserted that rogue Hutu elements of the militarypossibly the elite presidential guardwere responsible for shooting down the plane. However, that characterization has been disputed, with others suggesting that the Tutsi-backed Rwandan Patriotic Front was responsible.

#4: JonBenét Ramsey (1996)

Born in 1990 to businessman John Ramsey and beauty pageant winner Patsy, JonBenét was just 6 years old when her lifeless body was discovered on Christmas Day. The circumstances leading up to JonBenéts disappearance are just as shrouded in mystery: earlier that morning, a rambling, long winded ransom note had been discovered by Patsy on the stairs of the family home. The ransom note demanded the strangely specific amount of $118,000 for JonBenéts safe return. This note has proven to be the most puzzling part of her murder, with forensic experts torn as to whether or not Patsy or an outsider wrote it. Although DNA evidence suggests that no one in the Ramsey household was involved in JonBenéts death, authorities are no closer to determining who ultimately took her life.

#3: The Notorious B.I.G. (1997)

Routinely acclaimed as one of the greatest rappers who ever lived, you may be surprised to learn that Christopher Biggie Wallace was only 24 years old at the time of his murder in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, California. At a quarter to 1 in the morning, while on the way to an afterparty in the Hollywood Hills, the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban that Wallace was traveling in was fired upon by an unknown assailant. The rapper was struck with four bullets, the fourth of which proved to be the fatal shot, having penetrated several of his vital organs. Since then, relevant authorities have been unable to make any arrests, and despite numerous theories, Wallaces murder remains unsolved.

#2: Tupac Shakur (1996)

Just six months prior to the Notorious B.I.G.s murder, his arch-rival and onetime friend Shakur was assassinated in Las Vegas, Nevada. While on the way to perform at a charity concert, the rapper was also killed in a drive-by, while his associate Marion Suge Knight sustained critical injuries but ultimately survived. A 2002 Los Angeles Times story by journalist Chuck Phillips reported that the shooting was carried out by a Compton gang called the South Side Crips to avenge the beating of one of its members by Shakur a few hours earlier. However, as Phillips points out, alleged shooter Orlando Anderson was killed just two years later in an unrelated shooting. In 2023, Andersons uncle Duane Davis was arrested and charged with Shakurs murder; Davis trial is currently set for 2026.

#1: Nicole Brown Simpson & Ron Goldman (1994)

Chances are youve heard of this one. After all, its perhaps the most infamous unsolved crime of all time. Brown was the ex-wife of former NFL running back and media personality O. J. Simpson. Goldman, a casual acquaintance of Browns, had met her just six weeks before their double murder. On the evening of June 12, 1994, Goldman drove to Browns condo to drop off a pair of sunglasses that she had left behind at Mezzaluna, the restaurant at which Goldman worked. Shortly thereafter, Brown and Goldman were found stabbed to death in the condo buildings walkway. Although Simpson was deemed the primary suspect, he was controversially acquitted, and eventually died in 2024, aged 76.

Which unsolved crime shocked you the most? Are there any we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.