Top 10 Unsolved Serial Killer Mysteries

Back in February of 2009, a woman was walking in the West Mesa area of Albuquerque, New Mexico when she stumbled across a human bone. A subsequent investigation unearthed the remains of eleven women, all of whom had been killed between 2001 and 2005. While there have been other possible motives put forward, most believe this to be the work of a serial killer. This theorized killer is known as the West Mesa Bone Collector, and they have never been identified. A number of suspects have been put forth. Much circumstantial evidence linked one person to the murders, and they stopped after that suspect died in 2006. But circumstantial evidence is just that, and nothing conclusive has been proven.

For seventeen months between May 1918 and October 1919, the city of New Orleans was plagued by a vicious serial killer. Known only as the Axeman, he left six people dead and a further six injured. It’s largely believed that the killings were racially-motivated, as most of the Axeman’s victims were of Italian descent. Some also believe that the killings were musically-motivated. The Axeman endorsed jazz music and in one letter claimed that he would spare the customers of local jazz halls. A scholar named Richard Warner posits that the Axeman was a man named Frank Mumphrey who owned a struggling jazz business and hoped to bolster interest in the music. Alas, these are mere theories, as the Axeman was never caught.

Since 2007, dozens of people have died in the canals and waterways of Greater Manchester. 60 deaths were recorded between 2008 and 2016, and the Greater Manchester Police believes that no foul play is involved. According to Detective Chief Inspector Pete Marsh, the leading theory is that these individuals became intoxicated and drowned after falling into the water. Others aren’t as convinced, including Birmingham City University’s Craig Jackson, who argues that a killer has been pushing people into the canals. This theory was seemingly bolstered on April 10, 2018, when a cyclist was pushed into the city’s Bridgewater Canal by an unseen assailant. Luckily, the cyclist survived. So what do you think? Accidents, or a killer?

The United States might have its own drowning killer, at least according to the divisive Smiley Face theory. Between the late 1990s and 2010s, more than 40 young men have been recovered from various bodies of water throughout the Midwest. Like the Manchester police, most experts believe that these were tragic alcohol-related drownings. But two retired New York detectives and a criminal justice professor believe that the deaths are linked. According to them, all the victims shared a similar profile, and smiley face graffiti had been found near various potential dumping grounds. The theory has been met with much criticism, with the FBI saying they have not recovered “any evidence substantiating the theory.”

The Monster of Florence sounds like something out of an urban legend. The Monster attacked during new moons and would kill intimate couples in wooded areas around Florence, Italy. The killings ended in 1985, with the killer sending a body part to the state prosecutor. Three men have come under questioning for the killings. One was convicted in 1994, but the finding was controversial and he was acquitted two years later. Two others were later convicted of the crimes, indicating that the Monster in actuality was not only one man, but a group of conspirators.

When it comes to MOs, the Alphabet Killer had one of the most unusual. Three people were killed around Rochester, New York between 1971 and 1973. Their first names started with the same letter as their surnames, and their bodies were dumped in a town that started with that same letter. Carmen Colón was found in Churchville, Wanda Walkowicz in Webster, and Michelle Maenza in Macedon. Investigators combed through 800 potential suspects but were unsuccessful in finding the culprit, and they remain unknown to this day. Four key suspects have been put forth, but no one was ever charged owing to a lack of strong physical evidence.

One of the most notorious criminals in Scottish history, Bible John killed three women in Glasgow between February 1968 and October 1969. He met all of his victims at the Barrowland Ballroom, an entertainment venue in the heart of the city. The man would charm the women at the venue and offer to take them home, where he would proceed to assault and kill them. He earned the nickname Bible John owing to his propensity for quoting scripture, particularly the story of Moses. A massive manhunt was launched to catch the killer, with thousands of witness statements taken and potential suspects interviewed. But after his last victim in 1969, the killer apparently vanished from history.

This unknown killer has various monikers, each one related to their grisly MO. One name is The Cleveland Torso Murderer, as they were known to dispose of victims’ body parts in public areas in the city. Another name The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, as victims were found in the impoverished neighborhood of the same name. Whoever this was killed at least thirteen people between 1934 and 1938, drawing the attention of the famed Eliot Ness. Unfortunately, his prowess could not solve the case’s many mysteries. Not only has the killer never been identified, but neither have all of the victims.

Many different facets have combined to make the Zodiac killings the most notorious unsolved crime in American history, or at least one of them. The true body count is unknown - the number of victims is at least five, but it may be as high as 37. He taunted the police and media through various letters.. He also played with the public by leaving behind various cryptograms, two of which remain unsolved to this day. The Zodiac Killer is a staple of pop culture, popping up in numerous movies and TV shows. Some of the greatest minds in criminology have attempted to crack this elusive case, but all to no avail.

Unfortunately, solving crimes back in the 19th century was even more of a tall order. They didn’t have the benefits of modern criminology, let alone the technology, and it’s because of this that Jack the Ripper was able to elude capture. Active in 1888, Jack killed five women in the London district of Whitechapel, leaving them in public areas. And like the Zodiac Killer, Jack may have corresponded with the authorities. George Lusk of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee was sent the famous “From Hell” letter, which was purportedly written by Jack and contained half of a human kidney. Over a century later, Jack the Ripper remains a mystery and the target of amateur sleuths the world over.

Do you have the answers to these mysteries? Let us know in the comments below!