", An image of "Little Miss Nobody," a girl discovered in a remote Arizona desert more than 60 years ago. . Dukat was only 8 years old, grabbed by a stranger and killed with a 20-pound rock in a shallow stream on her short walk home from school, according to the Columbus Dispatch. But James never saw or spoke with his recent bride ever again. Richard Cottingham, nicknamed the "Torso Killer" or "Times Square killer," allegedly admitted in December to killing five women on Long Island, New York, in the late 60s, early 70s. Leads fail to pan out, witnesses change their tunes or disappear altogether, and collected evidence fails to provide the iron-clad proof required for an arrest and conviction; for mere mortals, it can all become exceedingly frustrating. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. "It felt great because for the first time in 65 years we finally had a direction and a place to take the investigation," Kadner told NPR. According to Garden Grove Deputy Police Chief Amir Al Farra, she was sexually assaulted and strangled to death. Both men were freed in the early 1970s and are now connected to the deaths of Nesson and Adams. Greg Harder of the Elkhart County Police noticed a possible piece of DNA evidence that was missed. 2021 at 12:01 p.m. Unrelenting determination coupled with advancing technology helped solve one of Spokane's most heinous and haunting crimes: the rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl, 62 years ago. The case was cracked after new testing was done on DNA. According to WRDW News, the case is believed to be the first time that both a murder victim and perpetrator were identified using DNA technology in the same case. In addition to providing closure for the families and friends of the victims, every closed cold case serves another important purpose: Letting those who commit murder know that homicide investigators are the Terminators of law enforcement, and that (to paraphrase Kyle Reese) they will not stop EVER! The Cascade County Sheriff's Office announced on Tuesday that it has closed the file on the 1956 double homicide of Patricia Kalitzke and Lloyd Duane Bogle, resolving the . In December 1996, police stumbled upon a mystery fit for a detective novel. . The case now appears to have finally been solved - but the killer can't go to jail. In 2017, the sheriff's office reopened its investigation, and in early 2021, the Texas Rangers Unsolved Crimes . If you've ever thought that you may make a good homicide investigator, there is one important qualification (other than having an exceptionally strong stomach) that you should know about. Traci Rosenbaum/USA Today Network via Reuters Co. FOUND: MELISSA HIGHSMITH'S FAMILY 'OVERJOYED' AFTER BEING REUNITED WITH SISTER ABDUCTED IN 1971. It is unclear how Love actually came into contact with Reed; regardless, Love was arrested for the murder of Robert Reed in 2022 based on the DNA evidence.[5]. Originally from Rochester, New York, Drexel was spending her spring break vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and was last seen walking from one hotel to another. Unsolved cases mean mounting caseloads,. A DNA sample taken at the time of that arrest was eventually used to connect him to the Lloyd and Cuevas slayings. He died in the hospital three days later, and his murder would become the oldest such unsolved crime in the history of the county, according to the New York Post. She wanted her son back. Highsmith was only 21 months old when shewas kidnappedby a woman purporting to be a babysitter more than a half a century ago. 25, 2022 at 9:15 PM PDT FOLEY, Ala. ( WALA) - Twenty-two years ago, a man's body was pulled from Styx River in. Richard Cottingham makes a remote appearance in a courtroom in Mineola, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2022. In April 1986, 32-year-old Janet Love was found raped and murdered in her Bedford, Texas, apartment. 2) A case that could realistically be resolved in 2021, cases that are maybe not as cold or just missing one or two nuggets that could wrap it up. You'll see how forensics techniques help to bring closure to many cases, but also how, occasionally, other things propel a case toward resolution. She had been shot in the head, just as Bogle had been, but she had also been sexually assaulted. Jul 02, 2021 at 2:30 pm A dead blond boy found fully dressed and wrapped in a blanket more than 50 years ago has been an identified through genetic genealogy, bringing an end to one Oregon's . 26 November 2021 26 Nov 2021. . Publish Date 11/11/2020. We're starting with a distant relative and trying to work back toward our unknown sample.". Raymond Moody, 62, pleaded guilty Oct. 19, 2022, in Georgetown, South Carolina, to raping and killing 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel in 2009. REYNOLDSBURG, OH A 45-year-old cold case has been solved in Ohio, Attorney General Dave Yost and Reynoldsburg Police Chief Curtis Baker announced Wednesday. Unfortunately, the 62-year-old mystery has only been partially solved the cops are still on the lookout for Gallegos' abductor, although it seems a safe bet that if they're still alive, the extremely long, doggedly determined arm of the law will catch up to them eventually. "Because it was all theories up to that point we finally had a match and we had a name. Technology that would help solve the killing was nearly half a century away from development, Yost said. Most cold cases do not get solved, soit is still fairly a spectacular occurrence when one is. From there unraveled the solution to cold cases spanning decades-and the identity of a serial killer. Through further testing and genealogical research, the blood on Madgers clothing was identified as matching the DNA of one Stephen Simcak. That same night, Clarence killed them both, authorities now say. A man named Steve Branch was identified as a person of interest. A spot of blood on the victims shirt that seemed to suggest the culprit stood over the body and bled on the shirt as he ransacked the victims pockets. That is, until 2022, when police identified a suspect. Investigators have solved a 28-year cold case and a Texas man is in custody. 5 Minutes On. The sheriff held a news conference . The case was revived in 2021 when Sgt. Investigators said they determined Robert Meyer of Cincinnati, and Charles Webber of Columbus killed Lori Nesson in 1974. (The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children). Jessica Baggen, a 17-year-old from Sitka, Alaska, disappeared in early May 1996. Missing Melissa Highsmith's mother poses next to a composite sketch of her daughter's suspected kidnapper in a Fort Worth Star Telegram newspaper article. In October 2020, [sheriffs investigator Dale] Weaver contacted Barbara Krusen who advised that she met Angela Mack Cox in the fall of 2002 while Angela was working for her husband Clarence on their farm. 1 of 2. Here is a look at some of the top cold cases solved in 2022. By U.S. Army CID July 13, 2021. Another victim of a brutal murder who went unidentified for decades, Lina Reyes Geddes was found near a spring in the vicinity of Lake Powell, Utah, in 1998, shot, bound, and wrapped in a sleeping bag. Initially, the evidence against Lizzie looked damning: she had recently attempted to purchase prussic acid (a poison) and was alleged to have burned a dress in the stove. The duo were convicted of those crimes in 1977 and again incarcerated. DNA genealogy was used to compare the sample to public databases to find familial matches. The case now appears to have finally been solved but the killer cant go to jail. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Lori Nesson's cold case went unsolved for 46 years. Hope to see the resolution to all and have a great new year. "They're excited, but at the same time, it has brought up a lot of memories," Kadner said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. That changed the whole dynamic of the case.". We're essentially going backwards. "If there's new technology and we are able to potentially solve something, we want to keep working at it, because ultimately we're trying to do it for the family," he said. The subsequent investigation led Santa Cruz County police to a man named Eric Drummond, who had reportedly previously asked Smith on a date and was declined. No one knew he was the killer until 2003, when a new FBI national database matched his fingerprints to those found at the scene almost half. The case eventually went cold. [W]e were able to close this case as of April 7, 2021, Sheriff Roork said. [10], 1980s cold case murders solved, O.C. Nesson was a 15-year-old student at Columbus' Eastmoor High School in 1974. According to the Fulton County Sheriffs Office in Arkansas, the mother and child were murdered in late 2002 or early 2003 before being placed in a furnace and burned away into nothing. That detail was a small mole on Geddes' right ear, which was enough for police to make a tenuous connection to Geddes. Show. Investigators determined Drexel was strangled. REMAINS OF NY TEEN BRITTANEE DREXEL FOUND 13 YEARS AFTER GOING MISSING IN SOUTH CAROLINA, SUSPECT CHARGED, Her mother, Dawn, called the discovery of Brittanees remains "the beginning of a new chapter. 40 year old Kara Vaughn disappeared from Natchitoches, Louisiana on November 3, 1993. The U.S. currently has 250,000 unsolved murders, a number that increases by about 6,000 each year, according to the FBI's Uniformed Crime Report data. But there was one big problem: Gould had died in 2007 and his remains had been cremated, according to the Tribune. These case files range from unsolved murders, missing people, and suspicious deaths, but they are all unsolved mysteries and disappearances overall. By Jill Sederstrom On January 7, 1969, 23-year-old Jane Britton failed to show up for an exam. Investigators agreed and asked the Franklin County Coroner's office to again evaluate the 15-year-old's autopsy. Armed with this knowledge, Kadner in 2019 sought out the assistance of Bode Technology. Recent Unsolved Murders 2021 On Uncovered's website, you can view over 100 real unsolved case files put together by our amazing community members. While police determined the murders to be connected and despite following many leads, the case eventually went cold. Wise died in a car crash in 1999, but that fact did nothing to diminish the power of the statement given by the FBI's Atlanta office in the wake of the resolution of the case. More than 260, to be specific. The serial killer committed at least 12 murders and 120 residential burglariesthen he disappeared without a trace. Bur was charged after DNA evidence allegedly placed him at the scene of her death, according to police. Her boyfriend, who went to her apartment to look for her, discovered her dead of blunt force trauma. Both were signed "Jane Doe," and despite their best efforts, police were unable to identify the woman who would become known as the "Christmas tree lady" (via DC News Now). This time, it wasn't advances in DNA technology that helped crack the case, but in technology of a different sort: GPS. 2 min. She told her family and friends that another soldier was sexually harassing her. Updated: Jul 27, 2021 / 08:28 PM CDT. [image via screengrab/Justice for Angie/Facebook], Have a tip we should know? Prisoner with a conscience helped St. Louis' cold-case unit cross one off the list. The hope is that they'll be able to provide more families with the answers they deserve and, in many cases, have spent years waiting for. Solid forensic evidence finally came in May 2020. Decades after the fact, family members of Hank Wise, a trucker with an extensive criminal history spanning three states, came forward to provide DNA that would be matched to evidence found at the scene. During Kalitzke's autopsy in 1956, coroners had taken a vaginal swab, which had been preserved on a microscopic slide in the years since, according to the Great Falls Tribune report. Raymond Moody, 62, pleaded guilty Oct. 19, 2022, in Georgetown, South Carolina, to raping and killing 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel in 2009. Georgette Banks - May 9, 2021; 2600 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE James Beckham - August 7, 2021; 200 block of 49th Street, SE Jeremy was looking for some cattle work. Blood pooled around his misshapen head, with his neck and head sustaining multiple injuries. Using data from Brittanee's cell phone, authorities were finally able to pinpoint the location of Brittanee's disappearance more effectively than in previous attempts, which led to the discovery of a surveillance video implicating Moody in the crime, as reported by Democrat & Chronicle. According to CNN, police were bereft of leads despite the local newspaper running a front-page story seeking information from the public until 15 months later, when a mysterious letter from a "concerned citizen" appeared on the editor's desk. Sheriff Al Roork. Five People That Have Become Cold Cases in 2021 | by Natasha Mullins | The Mystery Box | Medium Write Sign up Sign In 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. Upon further testing, Loves blood was found to be mixed in with other samples of Reeds blood taken from the scene of the murder. The next day brought another disturbing discovery: A county road worker found 16-year-old Patricia Kalitzke's body in an area north of Great Falls, the paper reports. In September 2022, Drummond died by suicide as the police were closing in a life that almost certainly would have been lived out in the slammer otherwise. Months after the murder, Clarence Krusen was indicted and served time in a federal penitentiary on unrelated weapons charges. She left her Point Place home between 8-9 pm in her white 1978 Honda Civic without her diabetes medication and less than $10 in cash. Fortunately, Kadner had something to work with. The case was revived in 2020 with new DNA technology and the help of Eric Schubert, an expert in genetic genealogy. Cold Case Solved: Widow Says Her Late Husband Killed and Incinerated Mother and Child in 2002 Colin Kalmbacher Apr 10th, 2021, 7:51 pm Angela Mack-Cox and her four-year-old son Thomas Michael "Mikey" Rettew were killed and disappeared in 2002. Police determined that Mr. Smith had indeed lived in the area at the time and had, in fact, been arrested for but never convicted of sexual assault and attempted murder in Las Vegas in 1998. That is, until 2019, when Detective Sgt. officials say In May 1987, 23-year-old Shannon Lloyd of Orange County, California, was murdered in her apartment. Investigators tracked every lead they could, but the case grew cold. A lengthy press release recounts a cast of characters, compounded tragedies, violence, and lies over the course of nearly two decades. The body of a young child tragically known as "Little Miss Nobody" was identified in February after remaining a mystery for over 60 years. Missing Melissa Highsmith reunited with family. Highsmith disappeared from Fort Worth, Texas, Aug. 23, 1971, when she was just 21 months old. Clarence and Barbara Krusen got to know Angela and Mikey pretty well during this time period, however, and the three adults came to an ultimately abortive adoption agreement. In 2021, however, police confirmed that Farley's family had been correct: DNA evidence showed that George Smith, the liquor store worker, was the killer. Due to a lack of physical evidence, however, this unknown man was acquitted of the crime. Nesson's family urged Reynoldsburg police to reexamine the cold case in August 2019. This case was solved by pure determination by investigators, the application of modern DNA technology to a decades-old case and a well-timed tip from the public that proved to be true.. By searching public records (such as death certificates and newspaper clippings), forensic genealogists are then able to construct a family tree that can point them right to the suspect, even if that suspect has never provided their DNA to any public database. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! It was only by surfeit of circumstance, terrible and banal, that led Mack-Cox and her son to Missouri in the first place. or redistributed. But their love story was brutally cut short by the actions of a killer whose identity would not be revealed for more than 60 years. An undated image of Sharon Gallegos. The newlyweds were hurt and needed time to recuperate. Going over the old case files, they zeroed in on Larry David Smith, who had been interviewed in connection with the slaying in 1973 but was never seriously considered a suspect. Even the farmhouse furnace used to remove their bodies from the earth along with all evidence of the crime is no longer available. Sep 15, 2021. Fortunately, the profession seems to attract those who have this quality, as proven by the many decades-old cases which finally see their resolutions every single year. Bogle, an airman hailing from Texas, and Kalitzke, a junior at Great Falls High School, had fallen for each other and were even considering marriage, the Tribune reports. 14 Creepy Missing Persons Cases That Were Eventually Solved. A man named Michael Louise, who was the Peacocks son-in-law, was identified as a suspect a few weeks later. Evidence from the case was then submitted to the Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation in January 2020. Missing Melissa Highsmith reunited with family (Highsmith family Facebook page). Here are a dozen of the most stubbornly unresolved cold cases that were finally put to bed in 2022. Cates had developed a habit of borrowing and pawning power tools from Stagner, a city maintenance worker, in order to support this habit; even Cates' own family members had long suspected his involvement in the killing, but police were never able to gather enough evidence to support a probable cause warrant for his arrest. The next day, Angela was briefly reunited with her son. The 25-year-old was stabbed over 40 times with her infant son in the room. With the killer finally identified, Kadner was able to reach out to the victims' surviving relatives and deliver the closure that had taken more than 60 years to procure. TheYavapai County Sheriff's Office said witnesses reported that a man, woman and child approached Sharon in a dark green sedan. March 30, 2021 April 22, 2021. . It was January of 1980 when 21-year-old Helene Pruszynski was kidnapped, raped and murdered in Douglas County, Colorado. She stated when they moved from the farmhouse to the house in Alton, that Clarence told her that they had to move the furnace out of there since it was used to destroy both Angela and Mikeys bodies.. Four-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarellis remains were discovered inside a box and abandoned in Philadelphias Fox Chase neighborhood Feb. 25, 1957. In November 2021, Joseph Martinez, 49, was arrested in her death after police possibly matched his DNA to semen found on Soriano's sweatshirt. The family of Melissa Highsmith provided this photo of her as a baby. Police said Josephs parents have since died, and no one claimed the child or reported him missing at the time his remains were discovered. Richard Cottingham and victim Diane Cusick. In a post polygraph interview, she advised the agents that Clarence had told her he had done away with both Angela Mack Cox and Thomas Michael Rettew (Mikey) by killing them and destroying their bodies in a furnace that they had attached to their farm house, the press release continues. While his identity was a major break in the case, police are still working to determine who killed Joseph and why. In a statement announcing the closure of the investigation, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office stated its confidence that "the evidence in this case would support a conviction of Drummond for the murder of Joette Smith.". As later reported by the Great Falls Tribune, 18-year-old Lloyd Bogle was found shot in the head with his arms tied behind his back with his own belt. These two cases were investigated separately until 2003, when the national DNA database CODIS revealed that samples from both crimes matched the same man. The technique is used to create family trees based on genetic similarities to hopefully lead back to the owner of the unknown sample. The police found four bodies in the usually tranquil park.