True Crime: Untold Cases

Belle Gunness (La Porte, Indiana, Early 1900s)

Often dubbed the “Lady Bluebeard,” Belle Gunness was a Norwegian immigrant who lured suitors through personal ads, then robbed and killed them. She’s believed to have murdered her children, stepchildren, and numerous men. Her farm was eventually discovered to be a burial ground for her victims—but Belle herself disappeared.

The West Mesa Murders (Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2009)

A woman walking her dog discovered a human bone on Albuquerque’s West Mesa. Police uncovered a mass grave containing the remains of 11 women—most of whom had been involved in drug use or sex work, leading many to believe a serial killer was targeting vulnerable women.

The Murder of Julia Bulette (Virginia City, Nevada, 1867)

Julia Bulette was a well-known figure in Virginia City, a booming silver-mining town. In January 1867, she was found murdered in her home under mysterious circumstances. A French drifter was eventually tried and executed for the crime, but some in town doubted his guilt.

The Doodler (San Francisco, 1974–1975)

Between 1974 and 1975, at least five men were stabbed to death—allegedly lured from bars in the Castro district by a suspect who sketched their portraits before killing them. Despite multiple surviving victims, the killer—known as “The Doodler”—was never definitively identified or apprehended.

The Sumter County Does (South Carolina, 1976)

In August 1976, a teenage girl and a young man were discovered shot to death on a deserted South Carolina road. They lacked identification and were simply called “Jock Doe” and “Jane Doe” for over 40 years. In 2021, authorities finally identified the couple using genealogical DNA.

The Orange Socks Murder (Williamson County, Texas, 1979)

On Halloween 1979, the body of an unidentified woman—later nicknamed “Orange Socks” for the only clothing she wore—was found in a culvert off Interstate 35. Infamous serial killer Henry Lee Lucas confessed to the murder but later recanted, complicating the case. It wasn’t until 2019 that her true identity was established through DNA.

The Case of Alferd Packer (Colorado, 1874)

Alferd (often spelled “Alfred”) Packer was hired as a guide for a group crossing the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. When he re-emerged alone, he claimed the other men had either died from exposure or turned on each other. Evidence, however, suggested Packer had resorted to cannibalism and possibly murdered them.

The J.B. Beasley & Tracie Hawlett Double Homicide (Ozark, Alabama, 1999)

In July 1999, teenagers J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were found shot to death in the trunk of Beasley’s car after a night out. The case remained unsolved for nearly two decades. A breakthrough arrest came in 2019 thanks to genealogical DNA, but it generated even more twists, and the legal proceedings are still unfolding.

The Redhead Murders (Southern U.S., 1980s)

A series of murders in the 1980s involved young women with red or reddish hair whose bodies were found abandoned near highways across several states (Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi). Most of the victims remain unidentified, known only by Jane Doe monikers, and all were believed to have been hitchhiking or drifting.

Tami Lynn Leppert’s Disappearance (Florida, 1983)

Tami Lynn Leppert was a model, actress, and beauty pageant contestant from Cocoa Beach, Florida, who vanished under suspicious circumstances in July 1983. She had exhibited erratic behavior in the weeks prior to her disappearance, telling friends and family she feared someone wanted to harm her. She was last seen with a male acquaintance who claimed to have dropped her off at a parking lot—beyond that, no trace of Tami has been found.