39 Mysterious Disappearances That Remain Unexplained

In 1585, the Roanoke Colony attempted to establish the first English settlement in the Americas. However, by 1590, when an English ship visited the site, the settlers had mysteriously vanished. The only thing found were the inscriptions “Croatoan” carved into a gatepost and “Cro” etched into a tree, possibly referencing the local Croatan Native American tribe, or Croatoan Island (now Hatteras Island), where the settlers might have relocated. Various theories, including disease outbreaks and conflicts with indigenous peoples have been proposed to explain the disappearance, but modern investigations suggest that the colonists may have just split up into smaller groups and dispersed.

Henry Hudson

The famous English navigator and explorer, Henry Hudson, vanished during an expedition that started in 1610 into Hudson Bay in northeastern Canada. Fighting among the crew led to mutiny. As documented in the ship’s log by the navigator, Hudson, his son, and seven other people were cast adrift in a small boat in June of 1611. Their fate is still a mystery, and no one knows what happened to them.

Theodosia Burr Alston, daughter of Aaron Burr, vanished in 1813 while aboard the schooner Patriot on a trip from South Carolina to New York. Despite her being in poor health and mourning the loss of her young son, she longed to reunite with her father, who had recently returned from a self-imposed exile in Europe. There have been a number of theories surrounding her disappearance, ranging from capture or murder by pirates to the ship’s potential destruction in a storm off Cape Hatteras.

Solomon Northup, a free-born African-American from New York, was abducted and sold into slavery in 1841 after being deceived into traveling to Washington D.C., where slavery was legal. His remarkable ordeal and traumatic experiences were chronicled in his autobiography, “12 Years a Slave,” which was later adapted into an Oscar-winning film. Following 1857, Northrup disappeared and the details of his life are still a mystery. Some research suggests he passed away in 1863 or 1864. Some theories speculate that he may have been re-enslaved, killed as a Union Army informant during the Civil War, or possibly died of natural causes.

On November 5, 1872, the merchant brigantine Mary Celeste left New York City traveling to Genoa, Italy. A month later, the British brig Dei Gratia found the Mary Celeste adrift near the Azores, completely deserted. The vessel’s navigational charts were scattered, one of its pumps was dismantled, its lifeboat was missing, and water had flooded into the bottom of the ship. Surprisingly, the ship’s cargo and food supply were largely undisturbed. Despite numerous theories, the disappearance of the Mary Celest crew members was never solved.

On December 12, 1910, 25-year-old American socialite and heiress Dorothy Arnold disappeared without a trace. She was last spotted leaving her residence with $30 in hand (equivalent to about $800 today) on her way to go shopping. Despite exhaustive search efforts and investigations, her vanishing remains a mystery. Theories about her fate range from abduction to voluntary disappearance. Arnold’s case is the oldest unsolved missing persons cast in New York City’s history.

Known for his work “The Devil’s Dictionary,” journalist and author Ambrose Bierce embarked on a journey in 1913, touring Civil War battlefields before heading south to Mexico. Once there, he aligned himself with Pancho Villa’s revolutionary army as an observer. After watching the Battle of Tierra Blanca in November, he went to Chihuahua where he mysteriously vanished. The last trace of Bierce was a letter he had written to a friend on December 26th. Speculations about his fate range from suicide to execution by Villa’s forces, death at the hands of Mexican federal troops, or dying of pneumonia after his return to the United States.

British explorer and cartographer Percy Fawcett, accompanied by his son Jack and Jack’s friend Raleigh Rimell, embarked on a quest from Cuiabá, the capital of Brazil’s Mato Grosso state, on April 20, 1925, in pursuit of the legendary Amazonian city of “Z.” Despite cautions of danger, the trio pressed on into uncharted territories. Upon reaching the ominously named Dead Horse Camp, they sent their guides back with their final communications before venturing alone into the wilderness. They were never heard from again, and some theorize they may have either been killed by local tribes or died from starvation.

Known for his association with the corrupt political machine Tammany Hall in New York City, Judge Crater vanished under mysterious circumstances in 1930 after getting into a cab in midtown Manhattan. He became known as “the missingest man” in New York City, and triggered one of the most sensational manhunts of the 20th century. Decades later, a letter discovered after the death of a woman in Queens alleged that her late husband, an NYPD cop, had confided in her about the involvement of another officer and the officer’s cab-driving brother in Crater’s death. The letter claimed Crater was buried in Coney Island, beneath what is now the New York Aquarium. However, excavations conducted in the 1950s at the supposed burial site found no remains.

Renowned aviator Amelia Earhart, the first woman to complete a solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic, vanished during her 1937 attempt to circumnavigate the globe. Departing from Oakland, California, on June 1 alongside navigator Fred Noonan, they aimed for Howland Island, midway between Australia and Hawaii, for refueling. Hindered by overcast skies, radio communication issues, and low fuel, they never reached their destination. Despite extensive search efforts, neither Earhart nor Noonan were ever found. Declared legally dead by the U.S. Navy on January 5, 1939, eighteen months after their disappearance, various theories persist regarding their fate.

On Aug. 16, 1942, the U.S. Navy blimp L-8 crashed onto a suburban street in Daly City, California, following a period of aimless drifting over San Francisco. Fire crews rushed to rescue the two-man crew, Lieutenant Ernest DeWitt Cody and Ensign Charles Ellis Adams, neither man was ever found. The blimp was discovered to be missing a depth charge, which was recovered on a nearby golf course, along with the crew’s lifejackets, which never turned up. Despite exhaustive search efforts, all signs of the crew had vanished.

On Christmas Eve, 1945, a fire engulfed the home of George and Jennie Sodder in Fayetteville, West Virginia. While George, Jennie, and four children managed to escape, their five other children – Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jennie, and Betty – were never found. Despite authorities attributing the fire to faulty wiring, the Sodders suspected foul play due to several unusual events leading up to the fire, the lack of remains in the ashes, and reported sightings of the missing children afterwards. Despite investigations and a significant reward for information, the case remains unresolved.

On Dec. 5, 1945, five U.S. Navy TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, known collectively as Flight 19, took off from Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale for a routine combat and navigation training exercise. Led by Lieutenant Charles Carroll Taylor, an experienced pilot, the flight included 13 other airmen. With the first part of the exercise complete, Flight 19’s pilots reported being lost. Despite attempts to guide them back, the planes went missing. No trace of the airmen or their bombers was ever found. Everything from the Bermuda Triangle to alien abductions was blamed – and in fact, Steven Spielberg’s 1977 sci-fi movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” imagines that the latter theory was true, with the planes being discovered in perfect condition in the desert and the airmen, no older than they were when the disappeared, being returned by the aliens.

During the 1990s, Vermont-born author and folklorist Joseph A. Citro used the term “the Bennington Triangle” to describe a region of southwestern Vermont marked by a series of unresolved disappearances that occurred there over five years in the mid-20th century. The individuals who went missing – Middie Rivers, Paula Jean Welden, James Tedford, and Paul Jepson – all vanished under mysterious circumstances, leaving very little evidence behind. (Additionally, two other mysterious disappearances from the area – Carl Herrick in 1943 and Freida Langer in 1950 – ended with the discovery of their bodies.) Theories regarding the cause of the disappearances range from UFOs and ancient curses to unpredictable weather phenomena. While there was once a website dedicated to this phenomenon, BenningtonTriangle.com, it has since vanished as well.

In 1961, Michael Rockefeller, the son of New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, disappeared during an expedition to study the indigenous Asmat people and their art. On Nov. 17, the boat he was aboard capsized off the coast, leaving Rockefeller and a Dutch anthropologist clinging to the vessel while the local guides swam for help. After two days without help, Rockefeller decided to swim for shore and was never seen again. The anthropologist was rescued the next day. Despite extensive search efforts, Rockefeller’s fate remains a mystery. While some speculate he drowned attempting to reach land or was attacked by tribespeople, others believe he may have been subjected to ritual cannibalism, though there’s no conclusive evidence. He was declared legally dead in 1964.

On either the late evening of June 11, 1962, or the early morning of the next day, three Alcatraz inmates – burglar Morris and the bank-robber Anglin brothers – disappeared from their cells. Making dummy heads from plaster, paint and real hair, they tricked the guards and used primitive tools to loosen the air vents at the back of their cells, and gained access to an unguarded utility corridor. Scaling the cell block roof, they escaped through a ventilator and boarded an inflatable raft. Despite numerous alleged sightings and reports of accomplices, there’s no credible evidence suggesting they survived. The event was dramatized in the 1979 movie, “Escape from Alcatraz.”

On July 2, 1966, three young Illinois women — Patricia Blough, Renee Bruhl, and Ann Miller — vanished from Indiana Dunes State Park, on the shores of Lake Michigan. Last seen sunbathing, swimming, and talking, they boarded a boat with a young male. Items belonging to the women were found on the beach, but extensive searches never located them. Investigators explored various theories including a boating accident, abduction, repercussions from a botched abortion on board the boat, or links to a racehorse Patricia had bought, but no solid leads or suspects were discovered.

Sean Flynn, the son of legendary actor Errol Flynn, disappeared in Cambodia on April 6, 1970, at the age of 28. He was working as a freelance photojournalist covering the Vietnam War at the time. Flynn and another photographer were allegedly captured by Viet Cong guerrillas, marking the last time either man was seen alive. They were reportedly later handed over to the Khmer Rouge. Flynn’s mother, actress Lili Damita, had him declared legally dead in 1984. Despite numerous reports and search efforts, neither man’s remains have ever been found.

On November 24, 1971 an unknown man using the alias “D.B. Cooper” hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft during a domestic flight in the Pacific Northwest. Cooper, who claimed to have a bomb, demanded $200,000 in cash and four parachutes. The plane landed in Seattle and Cooper released all passengers after receiving the ransom. The plane took off again with Cooper and a few crew members. Somewhere over the rugged terrain of the Pacific Northwest, Cooper parachuted out of the aircraft, vanishing without a trace. Despite extensive investigations and searches, no definitive evidence of his whereabouts or fate was ever found.

On Oct. 16, 1972, Democratic House Majority Leader Hale Boggs of Louisiana vanished during a campaign trip in Alaska, accompanied by Alaska Rep. Nicholas Begich and a Begich aide. They were en route from Anchorage to Juneau when their twin-engine Cessna disappeared in adverse weather conditions. The incident triggered the largest search-and-rescue operation in American history up to that point, involving 90 aircraft, covering a search area of 325,000 square miles, and totaling over 3,600 hours of search time. Despite these efforts, the search was called off after 39 days with no sign of wreckage or survivors.

Jim “Sweet Jimmy” Robinson, who once faced off against Muhammad Ali when he was still Cassius Clay, disappeared in 1979 and has never been found. Robinson, who fought Clay in 1961 on short notice and was knocked out in the first round, was last seen in a 1979 interview. Despite efforts to find him, including a search by ESPN in 2009, his whereabouts remain a mystery. His disappearance has also posed a challenge for Ali collector Stephen Singer, who has autographs from 49 of Ali’s 50 opponents, with Robinson’s being the only missing signature.

On July 30, 1975, Jimmy Hoffa, a prominent figure in the labor movement and former teamster boss, went missing, leaving behind a legacy of admiration and controversy. Hoffa was revered by many workiing Americans for his union leadership, but also had powerful enemies and ties to organized crime. Despite serving time in prison for conspiracy and fraud, he was later pardoned by President Richard Nixon. He was last seen leaving a restaurant in Bloomfield Township. Ongoing investigations into his disappearance suggest possible Mafia involvement. Hoffa has been portrayed in movies by actors Robert Blake, Jack Nicholson, and Al Pacino.

InWorld War II, the SS Poet served as the USS General Omar Bundy, transporting troops. On October 25, 1980, the merchant vessel vanished under mysterious circumstances. It was carrying grain from Philadelphia to Port Said, Egypt, but failed to reach its destination, and issued no distress signals. Despite extensive searches by the Coast Guard and others, no sign of the ship or its crew of 34 has ever been found. Numerous theories have been proposed, spanning from piracy to storms or mechanical breakdown because of its advanced age.

On June 22, 1983, Emanuela Orlandi, the teenage daughter of a Vatican City employee, vanished while returning home from a music lesson in Rome. The Vatican’s response to the case drew scrutiny, prompting them to gather all accessible evidence and gave it to the Rome city prosecutor, in an unprecedented move by the Vatican. Over the past four decades, numerous searches for Orlandi’s remains have been conducted. An official investigation was reopened at the request of Pope Francis.

 On Aug. 20, 1984, Badaracco, who had been having marital problems, disappeared from her home in Sherman, Conn. The next day, her relatives discovered her car keys and wedding ring in the kitchen, and her 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier parked in the driveway. Her family is convinced that she was murdered, perhaps by her husband, who alleged that she had taken $100,000 he had stashed in the house. Despite inquiries, her disappearance remains unsolved, making it one of Connecticut’s most notorious cold cases.

19-year-old university student and bank employee Tara Calico vanished on Sept. 20, 1988, while cycling near her home. Witnesses reported seeing an older model pickup truck following her closely along the highway, but if she was kidnapped, no witnesses to the abduction came forward and neither she nor her bicycle were ever located. Recently, authorities have announced they have enough evidence to turn the case over to the district attorney’s office for possible prosecution. Despite this development, the suspects remain unnamed, and court records remain sealed, leaving Calico’s disappearance a mystery for now.

Keith Reinhard, a writer who relocated from Chicago to the Rocky Mountain village of Silver Plume, established antique shop in the same location previously occupied by Tom Young’s bookstore. Young and his dog vanished mysteriously in 1987, their remains discovered later, both victims of gunshot wounds. Reinhard became fascinated with Young’s disappearance and began writing a novel about it. On Aug. 7, 1988, he closed his shop and went for a hike up a nearby mountain, asking friends to send a rescue team if he failed to return. Reinhard never reappeared. Despite extensive search efforts, no trace of him was found. Some speculate Reinhard orchestrated his own disappearance, while others theorize that he, too, was a victim of foul play.

On June 7, 1992, Levitt, her daughter Streeter, and Streeter’s friend McCall – who became known as the “Springfield Three” – disappeared from Levitt’s home in Springfield, leaving all their belongings behind. Streeter and McCall had attended graduation parties the previous night and were last seen around 2:15 a.m. before arriving at Levitt’s. Police found no signs of struggle at the house, except for a shattered porch light. Despite investigations and public appeals for information, the women’s disappearances remain unsolved. A reward of $43,000 is still being offered for information leading to the resolution of the case.

On June 27, 1995, Lori Huisentruit, a television news anchor from Mason City, disappeared under strange circumstances. Scheduled to anchor the morning news, she failed to arrive at work. Police discovered signs of a struggle near her car, including a bent car key. No suspect has ever been named in the case. A private investigator named Steve Ridge, who has been leading the investigation, believes there are still people who can help solve this cold case. However, Huisentruit was legally declared dead in 2001, and no suspects or remains have ever been identified.

On the night of Feb. 9, 2004, Maura Murray, a 21-year-old University of Massachusetts Amherst student, was driving north from the school, possibly to Vermont, for reasons unknown when she crashed her car into a snowbank on Route 112 in Woodsville sometime after 7 p.m. A passing driver saw the wreck, with Murray outside, and offered to call the police, but she declined and claimed she’d already called AAA (which was not true). Police arrived shortly thereafter to find the vehicle locked and abandoned, with no sign of Murray. Theories suggest she disappeared on the road rather than in the nearby woods. Investigations as recent as 2022 turned up no evidence of what happened, but Murray’s family is still looking for leads, most recently through a billboard campaign this year.

Ray Gricar, only a few months from retirement as Centre County’s district attorney, vanished without a trace. On April 15, 2005, he told his girlfriend he was driving toward Lewisburg, but he never returned. His car was discovered there, but there was no sign of him. His county-issued laptop, with the hard drive ejected, was found in the Susquehanna River nearby. Despite numerous leads and much speculation, the case remains unsolved. Gricar has not used his email, cellphone, banks, or credit cards since his disappearance and was declared legally dead in 2011.

Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway vanished during her high school graduation trip to Aruba. Last seen leaving a club with a group of local young men, including Joran van der Sloot – who was later convicted of murdering a woman in Peru. Van der Sloot’s accounts of the night changed over time, and he and his companions were arrested multiple times but released without charges. In 2010, van der Sloot allegedly demanded money from Holloway’s mother in exchange for information about her daughter’s remains. Despite this, the case remains unsolved. This year van der Sloot was extradited from Peru to the U.S. to face charges of extortion and wire fraud related to Holloway’s disappearance. He finally confessed to killing Holloway, although the whereabouts of her remains are still unknown.

On Jan. 24, 2006, Jennifer Kesse disappeared from Orlando, Florida. She was last seen walking to her car to go to work at Central Florida Investments. A $1 million reward was later offered for information. Initially led by the Orlando Police Department, the investigation was criticized by the Kesse family, and the family later took over the investigation, spending over $80,000 on case files. New leads have been reported recently, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is also involved in the case.

Last seen hiking with her friend Jim Ramaker, Bolick, aged 55 disappeared on July 18, 2007. Ramaker briefly turned away to admire a view, estimating no more than 45 seconds, while Bolick was approximately 20 or 30 feet away. Upon turning back, she had vanished. Despite extensive searches, neither Bolick nor her belongings were ever found. Ramaker fully cooperated with investigators and was not implicated. Bolick, an experienced hiker familiar with the local terrain, was carrying a .357 magnum pistol. There were no indications of an animal attack, and her financial assets remained unaffected by her disappearance. Two potential witnesses were never found.

Three-year-old English girl Madeleine McCann vanished from an apartment during a family vacation, sparking what the Daily Telegraph called, “the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history.” McCann and her twin siblings were left alone in the apartment while their parents and their friends dined in a nearby restaurant, checking in on the children frequently. When her mother Kate checked at 10 p.m., Madeleine was missing. Police were called, and initiated extensive searches. The authorities initially believed that the girl had died accidentally and her parents had covered up the tragedy, but there was insufficient evidence to pursue the theory. Despite many subsequent leads, investigations, and suspects, the disappearance remains unresolved.

Indiana University student Lauren Spierer, aged 20, went missing on June 3, 2011. Surveillance footage showed her at 4:30 a.m., visibly intoxicated, walking back to her apartment, after a night of partying at Kilroy’s Sports Bar and a visit to a friend’s apartment. Despite receiving thousands of tips, no suspect has ever been identified in her disappearance. Theories surrounding her disappearance range from abduction to a drug overdose and subsequent coverup.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 239 people, predominantly Chinese nationals, vanished on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The initial search, led by Australia, scoured 118,000 square miles for the aircraft or any survivors. Subsequent efforts ended in 2017. A search by a private firm, Ocean Infinity, extended into the following year, spanning another 46,000 square miles. The company has expressed intentions to resume its search in 2024, pending approval from the Malaysian government. Despite discovering plane debris on islands in the Indian Ocean and the African coast, the plane has never been located.