The Craziest Unsolved Crimes And Mysteries
Throughout history, there are have been tons of strange unsolved crimes. Many people become fascinated by these events and search high and low for the truth. Some even come up with conspiracy theories more outlandish than the actual mystery. This article will dive into a few bizarre crimes and mysteries that remain unsolved.
Lead Mask Case
One of the most intriguing mysteries of modern times is the strange case of the 1966 Lead Mask Case. 2 male electrical engineers were found lying next to each other dead in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The 2 men were wearing formal suits and lead masks that covered their eyes. The masks were similar to the ones used in high radiation areas. There was also a notebook next to one of which contained a note saying “16:30 be at agreed place, 18:30 swallow capsules, after effect protect metals wait for mask signal.”
This unusual scene stumped investigators. There were no signs of struggle causing many different theories to arise. Once the bodies were sent off for toxicology tests, their organs were too decomposed to find any evidence. The 2 men were also not from the area and traveled together from a faraway town making the case even stranger.
The case has still not been solved with many people assuming the 2 men killed themselves. One of the most realistic theories is the 2 men were a part of a cult that tried to contact extraterrestrials by using high doses of psychedelic drugs. They went to Niteroi because there were multiple sightings of UFOs in the area. The 2 men made radiation masks to protect themselves just in case anything toxic came off the spacecraft. They ended up overdosing on the drugs while waiting for alien contact.
While this might sound farfetched, it is one of the only logical explanations of what happened. Other theories include a murder cover-up, suicide pact, and other outrageous claims. We might never know what truly happened to the men, but the story will haunt truth seekers for years to come.
The Flight 305 Hijacking
On November 24, 1971, a well-dressed man named Dan Cooper boarded on Northwest Airlines Flight 305. He seemed like the average traveler that was going out of town for a business trip. He was calm, polite, and treated everyone with respect. Little did they know he was planning on something much more sinister than they could ever imagine.
After lighting up a cigarette and ordering a bourbon, Cooper gave a young stewardess a note. The note demanded that Cooper receive $200,000 (the equivalent to $1 million today), 4 parachutes, and a fuel truck on the runway when the plan arrives in Seattle. The stewardess told the captain and after talking to the president of the airline, he agreed to meet Cooper’s demands. While all of this was happening, the plane’s passengers remained oblivious of what was going on.
Eventually, the plane landed in Settle where the fuel truck was waiting for them. Cooper let all the passengers and some of the plane’s crew go once he received the money but kept a majority of them to run the plane. As the fuel truck filled up the plane, Cooper explained that they were going to fly toward Mexico but stop to refuel again in Reno, Nevada. They did as instructed but once the plane arrived, Cooper was gone along with the $200,000.
Cooper was never seen again. The police searched high and low for answers but found nothing. It is assumed that Cooper jumped off the plane with the money by using one of the parachutes he demanded. No parachute or any clues on Cooper’s location ever came up. A young boy found some ransom money (they could figure this out by the serial number) in 1980 launching a search party for evidence but nothing was found once again. Some people think Cooper died after escaping while others believe he made to Mexico and changed his name. Maybe one day authorizes will figure out what happened to Cooper but that is very unlikely.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Theft
On March 18, 1990, 2 men dressed as police officers approached the side entrance of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts around 1:00 in the morning. They explained they were investigating a disturbance reported in the area. The night watchman was not aware of any disturbance but buzzed them in since they were wearing what he thought to be real police uniforms and rowdy St. Patrick’s day partiers were still in the area.
Once the 2 men were inside, they asked the watchmen to radio any other security guards working in the museum and ask them to come to the entrance. He did so and the other watchmen on duty approached the so-called police officers. The 2 thieves then handcuffed both security guards and took them to the basement where they left them while they raided the museum.
The thieves made quick work ransacking the museum. The heist only lasted around 81 minutes. Before the 2 men left, they stole the security tape in order to cover their tracks. It is estimated that they stole over $500 million dollars’ worth of artwork making it the largest private property theft in history.
The FBI started an investigation soon after the heist was over but failed to find any evidence. There were rumors that the mafia was involved but nothing was found to support that claim. The FBI even looked into legendary Irish Mafia leader Whitey Bulger but found nothing linking him to the crime. No arrests were made and the investigation grew cold. The FBI is offering a $10 million reward to anyone with any information about the art’s whereabouts.
Dyatlov Pass Incident
The Dyatlov Pass Incident took place between the first and second day of February 1959. 9 experienced hikers decided to explore the northern Ural Mountains located in western Russia. Everything seemed normal until later that evening. Sometime during the night, something caused the group to flee their campsite without wearing the proper clothing for sub-zero temperatures. Some of the hikers left without putting on shoes. They were never heard from again.
On February 26, 1959, a search party found the bodies of all 9 hikers a good distance away from their campsite. Some of the bodies were found only wearing underwear. 6 group members were thought to have died of hypothermia while the other 3 showed signs of physical trauma. Once the bodies were examined by medical professionals, more strange evidence appeared that supposedly ruled out hypothermia as a cause of death.
The medical examiners found that one body had third-degree burns, another was missing a tongue, one showed signs of blunt force trauma, with another showing signs of vomiting blood. On top of all this, some of their clothing was found to be radioactive. This stumped the medical professionals as well as the investigators.
Many people thought the hikers were killed by the KGB while others believed they were attacked by a Yeti. Some even think they were killed by aliens. The theory that makes the most sense is hikers fell victim to a natural phenomenon called infrasound. Infrasound is when the wind combines with physical features of an area to create a humming sound that can cause many different physical symptoms such as paranoia, panic, nausea, and much more. No one knows what really happened in Dyatlov pass that night, but the eeriness of the case will live on for years to come.
