True Crime: Untold Cases

The Sharron Prior Murder (Canada, 1975)

On March 29, 1975, 16-year-old Sharron Prior left her home in the Montreal suburb of Pointe-Saint-Charles to meet friends at a local pizza parlor. She never arrived. Her body was found three days later in a field across the river. Despite intensive investigations, the case went unsolved for decades.

The Bitsevsky Park Maniac (Russia, 2001–2006)

Alexander Pichushkin, dubbed the “Bitsevsky Park Maniac,” operated in Moscow’s Bitsevsky Park area, targeting people with whom he would often share a drink before attacking. His goal, by his own admission, was to “surpass” the body count of infamous Russian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo.

The Göhrde Murders (Germany, 1989)

In the summer of 1989, two separate couples were found murdered just weeks apart in the Göhrde State Forest in Lower Saxony. Both incidents occurred close in time and place, suggesting a single killer. The forest became a place of fear; local authorities struggled to identify a suspect.

The Faith Hedgepeth Murder (North Carolina, 2012)

Nineteen-year-old Faith Hedgepeth, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student, was found brutally beaten to death in her off-campus apartment in September 2012. A bizarre note left at the scene and a partial DNA profile led to countless theories.

The Delphi Murders (Indiana, 2017)

Best friends Abigail Williams (13) and Liberty German (14) were murdered while hiking on the Monon High Bridge in Delphi, Indiana. Liberty managed to capture audio and grainy video of a man believed to be the killer. In 2022, an arrest was finally made—yet many details remain sealed.

The Murder of Tristan Brübach (Germany, 1998)

On March 26, 1998, 13-year-old Tristan Brübach was found murdered in an underpass near the train station in Frankfurt-Höchst. He had been attacked in broad daylight, yet no eyewitness accounts led to a solid suspect.

The Timmothy Pitzen Disappearance (Illinois, 2011)

Six-year-old Timmothy Pitzen disappeared in May 2011 after his mother checked him out of school and took him on a three-day road trip. She then died by suicide in a motel, leaving behind a note saying Timmothy was safe with people who loved him. He has never been found.

“Black Jack” Ketchum (New Mexico & Texas, Late 1890s)

Tom “Black Jack” Ketchum was a notorious outlaw who robbed trains and ranches in the late 1890s. He and his gang operated primarily in New Mexico and parts of Texas. After being captured for attempting a lone train robbery, Ketchum was tried, convicted, and hanged in 1901—famously in a botched execution that ended gruesomely.

The Beverly Smith Murder (Canada, 1974)

In December 1974, 23-year-old Beverly Lynn Smith was found shot to death in her home in Raglan, Ontario. Initially, few leads emerged, and the case went cold for decades.

The Lane Bryant Shooting (Illinois, 2008)

On February 2, 2008, an unknown gunman entered a Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park, Illinois, took several women hostage, and ultimately shot six of them—killing five and wounding one. The survivor provided a description, and police released a sketch. Despite multiple leads, extensive media coverage, and a reward, the killer has never been identified. The case remains open, with sporadic new leads but no firm resolution.