The Bain Family Murders
Five members of the Bain family were shot dead in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1994. The surviving son was convicted, then acquitted at a retrial 15 years later.
Read case file →Editorial collection · 39 case files
Famous Cold Cases
Explore 30 documented Crime by Region case files grouped under famous cold cases.
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39 case files
Collections help you browse the archive; each individual file retains its own documented legal status and sources.
The Beaumont Children Disappearance
A sourced timeline of the 1966 disappearance of Jane, Arnna and Grant Beaumont from Glenelg Beach, the investigation and the questions that remain.
Read case file →The Black Dahlia Murder
Elizabeth Short's 1947 murder became a media phenomenon, but the surviving record still contains no charged or convicted killer.
Read case file →The Bowraville Murders
A respectful, sourced account of the disappearances and murders of Colleen Walker-Craig, Evelyn Greenup and Clinton Speedy-Duroux in Bowraville.
Read case file →The Murder of Christine Jessop
DNA exonerated Guy Paul Morin and, decades later, genetic genealogy led Toronto police to identify Calvin Hoover as Christine Jessop's killer after his death.
Read case file →The Claremont Serial Killings
A sourced account of the Claremont serial killings, Taskforce Macro, forensic evidence, 2020 verdicts and the unresolved disappearance of Sarah Spiers.
Read case file →The D. B. Cooper Hijacking
A passenger using the name Dan Cooper vanished after taking ransom money and parachuting from a Boeing 727 into a stormy Pacific Northwest night.
Read case file →The Murder of Emilie Meng
A factual case file about The Murder of Emilie Meng, Denmark.
Read case file →The Golden State Killer
A former police officer committed at least 13 murders and dozens of rapes across California in the 1970s and 80s, evading capture for over 40 years until genetic genealogy identified him in
Read case file →The Hwaseong Serial Murders
A series of murders that terrorized South Korea in the late 1980s went unsolved for over three decades, until DNA technology identified the killer in 2019.
Read case file →Jack the Ripper
An unidentified killer murdered at least five women in London's Whitechapel district in 1888, in what remains one of the most famous unsolved cases in history.
Read case file →The Murder of Jill Dando
The killing of broadcaster Jill Dando produced a vast investigation, a conviction later quashed and an acquittal that left the murder unresolved.
Read case file →The Murder of Kyllikki Saari
A factual case file about The Murder of Kyllikki Saari, Finland.
Read case file →The Lake Bodom Murders
A factual case file about The Lake Bodom Murders, Finland.
Read case file →The Murder of María Marta García Belsunce
A factual case file about The Murder of María Marta García Belsunce, Argentina.
Read case file →The Murder of Marianne Vaatstra
A 16-year-old was raped and murdered in rural Netherlands in 1999. The case went unsolved for 13 years until a mass DNA testing effort identified her killer.
Read case file →The Monster of Florence
A series of double murders of couples in the Tuscan countryside between 1968 and 1985 has never been fully resolved, despite several convictions along the way.
Read case file →The Moors Murders
Five young victims, two convictions and a decades-long search for answers made the Moors murders one of Britain's most painful criminal cases.
Read case file →The Nithari Killings
Human remains found behind a house in Noida, India, in 2006 led to a case involving a domestic worker and his employer that ended, after 17 years of trials, in full acquittal.
Read case file →The Port Arthur Massacre
A victim-centered account of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, the criminal case and the National Firearms Agreement that followed.
Read case file →Robert Hansen, the "Butcher Baker"
Robert Hansen was an Alaska serial killer who abducted, hunted, and killed at least seventeen women near Anchorage between 1971 and 1983.
Read case file →The Murders of Barry and Honey Sherman
The targeted killings of philanthropists Barry and Honey Sherman remain an active Toronto homicide investigation with no publicly announced charge or conviction.
Read case file →The Son of Sam Case
A citywide investigation, witness information and a parking record led police to David Berkowitz after a year of attacks and intimidating letters.
Read case file →The Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier
A factual case file about The Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, Ireland.
Read case file →The Chicago Tylenol Murders
Seven deaths from cyanide-contaminated capsules triggered a nationwide recall, transformed packaging standards and left an unresolved criminal investigation.
Read case file →The Wanda Beach Murders
A factual timeline of the 1965 Wanda Beach murders of Marianne Schmidt and Christine Sharrock, the investigation, forensic reviews and current status.
Read case file →The Evandro Case
A child’s 1992 murder led to convictions later overturned after courts recognized that key confessions had been obtained through torture.
Read case file →The Murder of Araceli Cabrera Crespo
The 1973 murder of eight-year-old Araceli became a symbol of impunity and later inspired Brazil’s national day against child sexual abuse and exploitation.
Read case file →The Rua Cuba Murders
A São Paulo couple were found shot dead on Christmas Eve 1988. Competing theories, a failed prosecution and prescription left the case unresolved.
Read case file →The Murder of Ana Lídia Braga
The 1973 kidnapping and murder of seven-year-old Ana Lídia became a defining Brasília cold case, marked by investigative failures and censorship.
Read case file →The Dupont de Ligonnès Murders and Disappearance
In 2011, five members of the Dupont de Ligonnès family were found buried at their Nantes home. Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès vanished and remains sought in connection with the killings.
Read case file →The Murder of Grégory Villemin
Four-year-old Grégory Villemin was found dead in the Vologne River in 1984. The investigation became one of France’s most famous and controversial unsolved cases.
Read case file →The Setagaya Family Murders
A family of four was killed in Setagaya, Tokyo, at the end of 2000. The offender left extensive physical evidence, yet the case remains unsolved.
Read case file →The Brabant Killers
The Brabant Killers carried out a series of violent robberies in Belgium between 1982 and 1985, leaving 28 people dead. The identities of the core perpetrators remain unknown.
Read case file →The Stoneman Murders
A series of killings of people sleeping outdoors in Mumbai and Kolkata during the 1980s became known as the Stoneman murders. No perpetrator was conclusively identified.
Read case file →The Death of Nicky Verstappen
Eleven-year-old Nicky Verstappen disappeared from a summer camp in 1998. A large-scale DNA project two decades later led investigators to Jos Brech, who was convicted on appeal.
Read case file →The Putten Murder Case
The 1994 murder of Christel Ambrosius led to two wrongful convictions in the Netherlands. DNA later identified Ronald P., who was convicted of the killing.
Read case file →The Assassination of Olof Palme
Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot dead in central Stockholm in 1986. Prosecutors closed the investigation in 2020 without a conviction, and the case remains unresolved.
Read case file →The Catrine da Costa Case
Catrine da Costa’s remains were found in the Stockholm area in 1984. Two doctors were acquitted of murder, and no one has been convicted of causing her death.
Read case file →Pedro López, the “Monster of the Andes”
Colombia · Solved · Serial Killer / Fugitive Mystery
The Harvey and Jeannette Crewe Murders
New Zealand · Unsolved · Double Homicide / Wrongful Conviction
The “Monster of Armendáriz” Case
Peru · Unsolved · Child Homicide / Wrongful Conviction
The Hinterkaifeck Murders
Germany · Unsolved · Family Homicide / Cold Case
The Femicide Crisis of Ciudad Juárez
Mexico · Unsolved · Serial Femicide / Multiple Homicides
The Death of Debanhi Escobar
Mexico · Unsolved · Suspicious Death / Femicide Investigation
The Murder of Elisa Claps
Italy · Solved · Homicide / Cold Case
The Via Poma Murder
Italy · Unsolved · Homicide / Cold Case
The Station Strangler
South Africa · Solved · Serial Killer
The Gert van Rooyen Disappearances
South Africa · Unsolved · Disappearances / Suspected Serial Crime
The Murder of Nora Dalmasso
Argentina · Unsolved · Homicide / Cold Case
The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
Portugal · Unsolved · Child Disappearance
The Disappearance of Joana Cipriano
Portugal · Solved · Child Disappearance / Homicide
The Murder of Raonaid Murray
Ireland · Unsolved · Homicide / Cold Case
The Disappearance of Jo Jo Dullard
Ireland · Unsolved · Disappearance / Suspected Homicide
The Disappearance of Philip Cairns
Ireland · Unsolved · Child Disappearance
The Stardust Fire
Ireland · Unsolved · Mass Fatality / Inquest
The Murder of Birgitte Tengs
Norway · Unsolved · Homicide / Wrongful Accusation
The Disappearance of Therese Johannessen
Norway · Unsolved · Child Disappearance
The Murder of Kristin Juel Johannessen
Norway · Solved · Child Homicide / Cold Case
The Fritz Moen Wrongful Convictions
Norway · Solved · Wrongful Conviction / Unsolved Murders
The Scandinavian Star Fire
Denmark · Unsolved · Mass Fatality / Arson Investigation
The Tulilahti Murders
Finland · Unsolved · Double Homicide / Cold Case
The Murder of Rabbi Abraham Grünbaum
Switzerland · Unsolved · Homicide / Cold Case
The Crystal Cave Murders
Switzerland · Unsolved · Double Homicide / Cold Case
The Murder of Kirsty Jones
Thailand · Unsolved · Homicide / Cold Case
The Chiong Sisters Case
Philippines · Solved · Kidnapping / Homicide / Contested Conviction
The Murder of Nida Blanca
Philippines · Unsolved · Celebrity Homicide / Cold Case
The Disappearance and Murder of Ruby Rose Barrameda
Philippines · Unsolved · Disappearance / Homicide
Joshua Wade
Alaska · Solved · Serial Killer
The Murder of Sophie Sergie
Alaska · Solved · Cold Case Homicide / Genetic Genealogy
The Murder of Mackenzie Howard
Alaska · Solved · Child Homicide / Rural Justice