Obviously we just got the word about the revamp, and there are similar “what cases” threads, but with the Netflix announcement, I wanted to begin a thread dedicated to that. So, with the Netflix reboot, what cases would you like to see on Unsolved Mysteries? Old cases, new cases, whatever.

Off the top of my head:

-The Boy in the Box (it’s all over YouTube and other social media, but I’d love to see it get the UM treatment).

-The Jamison Family

-Maura Murray (has been all over other crime shows but it’s such an intriguing case, I think UM would almost have to do it)

-Teekah Lewis disappearance

-The Brown Lady of Rainham Hall (good old fashioned ghost segment).

Kyron Horman

It's an old case now, but Amber Haggerman from Arlington Texas.

Also would like to see them do some spin offs of older cases. For example, the IH 70 Killer was linked to a murder in Arlington that is still unsolved, but that murder was only mentioned in the segment.

Brian Shaffer, the Ohio State med student who walked into a bar, and apparently never walked out. It's one of those cases where there's multiple theories but all of them have holes in them. It's the most baffling case I've ever read about, including any that were featured on UM before.

The Saudi journalist case should get the U.M Treatment.

Brand-new cases that I've never heard of. I don't want a rehash of something that's been recently been done on another true crime show.

I am excited to see what they get for the ghost/UFO cases.

The Saudi journalist case should get the U.M Treatment.

it may not be a bad idea. that murder still makes me sick and I hope our country fights for him more than they have. things seem to have gotten conveniently quiet now. in its heyday UM did not fear taking on famous cases that confronted political topics. If they can get inside information and bring it to public light with a mysterious twist I think it would work.

Brand-new cases that I've never heard of. I don't want a rehash of something that's been recently been done on another true crime show.

I am excited to see what they get for the ghost/UFO cases.

I agree. I like that UM had this mindset for the most part and would mix in the more famous cases every so often.

Cases nobody's heard of. Including the internet websleuths.

Brian Shaffer, the Ohio State med student who walked into a bar, and apparently never walked out. It's one of those cases where there's multiple theories but all of them have holes in them. It's the most baffling case I've ever read about, including any that were featured on UM before.

Is that the one where there was literally only one door in or out of the bar and it had a security camera recording it, the guy goes into the bar but is never seen leaving?

Is that the one where there was literally only one door in or out of the bar and it had a security camera recording it, the guy goes into the bar but is never seen leaving?

That's the one.

Boston's vanishing men.

At least 12 men have mysteriously disappeared/washed up in the Charles River or nearby waterways since 2003.


Police are denying there's a serial killer:
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/what-is-really-going-on-in-boston

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/04/03/seaches-missing-persons-cases-often-look-waterways/mH2cV5cLtaAW6sqTiNZK9K/story.html

https://www.whio.com/news/national/serial-killer-loose-boston-police-say-another-man-vanishes/3QKZ9dPMEzg5FNj8O6xAwM/

Brian Shaffer, the Ohio State med student who walked into a bar, and apparently never walked out. It's one of those cases where there's multiple theories but all of them have holes in them. It's the most baffling case I've ever read about, including any that were featured on UM before.

That would be a terrific case for them to do. Still one of the biggest unsolved case in Columbus, for sure.

Unsolved mystery: 10 years later, Brian Shaffer still missing
(https://www.dispatch.com/article/20160401/NEWS/304019782)

https://www.wkrn.com/news/brother-sister-still-missing-4-years-after-deadly-bedford-county-fire/1057671296

I only learned about this story last night when it was featured on LivePD.

The basic summary: House fire, remains of grandparents and pets are found, brother and sister are never located.

JUST SAY NO to ghosts, UFOs, fertility statues, rocks, et. al. :D I don't mind mysterious/creepy supernatural stuff, but the goofy haunting/magic ones are just silly. The last few seasons of UM were overrun with these type of stories.

That said, I really hope they get back to the classic unresolved murders, missing people, and unsolved crimes that made the show what it was.

I second the notion to skip the cases that have been overdone or are high profile. Those have been covered to death (no pun intended) and I would like to see some stories that we don't know much about.

I don't care if they are a little longer, but I agree with Kane that the best format is still 3-4 stories per episode.

I don't care if they are a little longer, but I agree with Kane that the best format is still 3-4 stories per episode.

Thank you, Todd. But I am even more thankful that we are not the only ones who are partial to the 3-to-4-stories-per-episode method, and for good reasons. Although there are many legitimate reasons why the show needs to be the usual 3-4 stories per episode, I will name two:


REASON #1: Better service for law enforcement and people who need help in bringing national attention to their stories, especially the most urgent ones. Although it is disappointing enough that UM has had to inevitably turn down many cases (as a large of volume their mail makes it impossible for them to accommodate everyone), relegating the number of stories per episode to just one will only make the problem worse. That will mean more and more stories for UM to turn down. And that will lead the show to profiling - and solving - cases.


REASON #2: Conciseness. Although it wasn't uncommon for UM to feature double-length segments when it was really called for (Son of Sam, Robert Kennedy assassination, Martin Luther King assassination, etc.), most segments were effective in providing a lot of details in 12 to 15 minutes. This offered plenty of time for relevant details and less time for extraneous details. As the old saying goes, less is more.


Going back to the subject of this thread, as you may or may not recall, I have occasional spoken of a case that would make a good UM segment: The 1988 disappearance of Virginia Douglas. I wrote UM to suggest that story back in 1996 or 1997, but to no avail. The case is a little over three decades old, and although Virginia is likely dead, it shouldn't keep anyone from wanting to know the truth behind her disappearance.


Virginia Douglas was a resident of Lexington, MA who disappeared during an alleged trip to Maine during the Labor Day weekend in 1988. Evidence found in her house, including a piece of blood-stained carpet and a clump of her hair, suggested fould play. The police were suspicious of her husband's story. The case created division among Virginia's loved ones, with some believing her husband Frank was involved in her disappearance and others believing otherwise.

http://charleyproject.org/case/virginia-c-douglas

The disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen.

I’d like to see more John and Jane Doe cases. Even though the original UM briefly mentioned the Sumter County Does as part of a larger segment about such cases, I always thought it would be interesting to see a full re-enactment of the case since there are several clues and possible sightings.

I'll think of more later, but they should cover Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 for "modern day mysteries".

We have a missing person/possible murder case of a local woman, Shelley Desrochers, that could do with the signal boost.

That's the kind of case I hope to see on the new UM. Something that would benefit from the exposure. I hope they shy away from the already over saturated true-crime favs.

This seems like an obvious one for "Legends"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamam_Shud_case

https://ptpimg.me/fz9342.jpg

The 2002 unsolved murder of tv reporter Jennifer Lynn Servo in Abilene, Texas. Jennifer's murder is eerily similar to the disappearance of reporter Jodi Huisentruit who was on the February 18, 1996 episode.

https://ptpimg.me/znp624.jpg

A WANTED segment for Yaser Abdel Said wanted for the honor killings of his teenage daughters. These girls were murdered 11-years ago now. Yaser remains on the FBI's top 10 list.

I don't think they'll do any UFO/Bigfoot ones because it seems odd to me that both Bigfoot and Aliens now know about the existence of smart phones, so they don't make any more appearances anymore.

The Peak Family Slaying

https://www.theindependent.com/news/local/slaying-of-local-family-remains-unsolved/article_02a595f8-579d-52e2-a676-9756a2cc215b.html


There's actually a web form you can fill out on their site to submit cases. I submitted the one above - everyone else feel free if you're so moved

https://unsolved.com/submit-stories/

Kyron Horman

I thought that initially, but that case was leading the news for several months when it happened. I don't think profiling that case will put it in front of any new eyes.

That's where they're going to have a tough time. Determining which cases haven't had the exposure and putting it in front of more eyes could lead to a resolution.

Kyron.. I think there's one person who could solve that case, and she's been under investigation since the beginning. A TV show likely won't convince her to tell what she knows.

With only 12 stories to air.. There's going to be a very high standard, hopefully, to get them filmed. Things with a reasonable chance of success by putting them in front of more eyes.

The disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen.

I concur on this one. I think the boy is alive, possibly in Canada. Netflix could bring him back to his Dad where he belongs.

The Holly Piirainen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly_Piirainen) case.

I am actually surprised this case was never featured during UM's original run. It was a huge story here in MA and is still talked about to this day.

The 1999 murders of local teens, JB Beasley and Tracie Hawlett in Ozark, AL. Long cold and botched by local LE.

I hope they don't do anything on already "popular" cases like Teresa Halbach or Hae Min Lee.

If we get some paranormal episodes - psychics, bigfoot, etc., I do hope Michael Shermer gets invited back as a guest. He's as active as ever in the skeptic community today.

If we get some paranormal episodes - psychics, bigfoot, etc., I do hope Michael Shermer gets invited back as a guest. He's as active as ever in the skeptic community today.

Arrrggghh.... I don’t think that guy believes that “air” exists...

Elsa Lam!

A couple of local murder cases that could probably use the help:

#1. The murders of Maggie Meyer and her son, Amos, from my hometown. Both died in a house fire in the fall of 2016, and the authorities have determined that it was arson.

#2. The deaths of Natasha N. Cleary and her sons Marquwon Owens and Katarion Friar. Natasha and her boys were shot and killed in their home in 2011, and the house was then set on fire to cover up the crime.

Elsa Lam!

No mystery there, IMO. She was mentally ill and crawled into the water tank herself. If you research online there is plenty of information to lead you to this conclusion.

Kyron Horman

Missy Bevers

Brandon Swanson

and

Asha Degree

No mystery there, IMO. She was mentally ill and crawled into the water tank herself. If you research online there is plenty of information to lead you to this conclusion.

I would tend to agree, however, I have yet to hear of an explanation for how she got onto the roof and into the water tank. Everything I’ve read on the case states that both areas were secure. While I can believe she may have gotten access to the roof, the water tank itself is still a bit of a mystery to my knowledge

I now have no idea where I saw this but some people went to the hotel to try and see what was going on. They had no trouble getting on the roof. Of course the hotel is going to claim that was secure, they are trying to keep their butts covered. I know I read about at least one other person who was able to get up to the roof (before this happened) with no problem.

They did different experiments to see if they could get up there themselves, and if someone could have got to the water tank while carrying someone. Conclusion, carrying someone up there was pretty impossible, but getting up there alone was completely possible.
As for getting in the water tank, they posted some pictures where you could see a pipe that ran next to the lid of the tank, so when the lid was open it would lean against the pipe, standing nearly straight up and down. IMO Lam was trying to hide in there, lifted up the lid, then closed it on herself as she went into the tank, not realizing (or not even thinking about it) that she would not be able to get back out. I think her clothes were off but in the tank because they became heavy and she removed them while possibly trying to get out.
Another thing I read or heard that led me to this conclusion is that when she was in the elevator, she was gesturing and looking to the right, which made everyone assume she was looking toward the lobby at someone outside of there. Apparently though the lobby would be outside the elevator to the left, to the right is a wall. She was just going through psychological problems.

I now have no idea where I saw this but some people went to the hotel to try and see what was going on. They had no trouble getting on the roof. Of course the hotel is going to claim that was secure, they are trying to keep their butts covered. I know I read about at least one other person who was able to get up to the roof (before this happened) with no problem.

They did different experiments to see if they could get up there themselves, and if someone could have got to the water tank while carrying someone. Conclusion, carrying someone up there was pretty impossible, but getting up there alone was completely possible.
As for getting in the water tank, they posted some pictures where you could see a pipe that ran next to the lid of the tank, so when the lid was open it would lean against the pipe, standing nearly straight up and down. IMO Lam was trying to hide in there, lifted up the lid, then closed it on herself as she went into the tank, not realizing (or not even thinking about it) that she would not be able to get back out. I think her clothes were off but in the tank because they became heavy and she removed them while possibly trying to get out.
Another thing I read or heard that led me to this conclusion is that when she was in the elevator, she was gesturing and looking to the right, which made everyone assume she was looking toward the lobby at someone outside of there. Apparently though the lobby would be outside the elevator to the left, to the right is a wall. She was just going through psychological problems.

Interesting. I had not heard that about the water tank. I had always assumed that those things were actually sealed so that the kids couldn’t just off up. Either way, sad and crazy story

Hopefully they nail the host and ambiance correctly. We saw with the Spike reboot that even the most compelling cases can be ruined by presentation.

Interesting. I had not heard that about the water tank. I had always assumed that those things were actually sealed so that the kids couldn’t just off up. Either way, sad and crazy story

The hotel has since changed all their security and lock the tanks, etc... I'm not sure if it was sold but they did change the name. I've read a lot about it and they are having some legal troubles with zoning and such that have kind of left it in limbo. Definitely a sad and crazy story! I can't imagine what those people who were using that water felt like afterward.

As for the new incarnation of this show... I am apprehensive. I really hope they can do it justice. And I really hope it can work in the Netflix format. It just seems odd that people will binge it and all call in tips with potentially all cases being solved in a matter of a week or a month. I anxiously await. Weekly shows on TV do still work, look at The Masked Singer of all things. People will still check in weekly and like the anticipation. I know someone argued that only "old farts" watched "regular" TV these days, I don't think that's necessarily true. We'll see how this goes.

Well Charles Horvath's mother is still alive. He's never been found and it's never been discovered what's happened to him. Her and I are facebook friends and everyday she posts things about him.

She hasn't been in the best of health for awhile so I'd like her to find out what happened to her son.

The hotel has since changed all their security and lock the tanks, etc... I'm not sure if it was sold but they did change the name. I've read a lot about it and they are having some legal troubles with zoning and such that have kind of left it in limbo. Definitely a sad and crazy story! I can't imagine what those people who were using that water felt like afterward.

As for the new incarnation of this show... I am apprehensive. I really hope they can do it justice. And I really hope it can work in the Netflix format. It just seems odd that people will binge it and all call in tips with potentially all cases being solved in a matter of a week or a month. I anxiously await. Weekly shows on TV do still work, look at The Masked Singer of all things. People will still check in weekly and like the anticipation. I know someone argued that only "old farts" watched "regular" TV these days, I don't think that's necessarily true. We'll see how this goes.


The nature of Unsolved Mysteries would allow them to release small batches of cases every few months if the show is successful enough. In less than 12 months there have already been 3 seasons of Nailed It.

I don't think the binge element is a negative.

The 1979 murder of an unidentified woman known as Orange Socks. Back in late '90s, in one of my letters to UM, I suggested they do a story on the Orange Socks case. The murder victim was a young woman who was discovered dead near Interstate 35 in Texas on Halloween in 1979. She was nicknamed "Orange Socks" because that was the only article of clothing she was wearing when her body was found. Serial killer Henry Lee Lucas confessed to the murder, and was convicted and sentenced to death. But his death sentence was commuted in 1998 following increasing doubts about his guilt, with evidence suggesting that he was in Florida at the time of the homicide. But he remained in prison for other homicides until his death in 2001. America's Most Wanted profiled the Orange Socks case at least twice. There has been a recent development in the case, offering hope that the near-40-year-old case can be solved.

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/wilco-sheriff-dna-evidence-being-processed-from-orange-socks-murder-cold-case

What about a passing of the torch?
The new series would have all new segments, with one classic Stack segment every episode. I don't know about you folks, but there are a few cases that don't have updates, and I just shudder when it fades to the next segment.

There is no end to to available true crimes to feature, regardless of this instant-communication, surveillance society that we have now.

Also, I completely disagree with all of the Unexplained Segment hate around here. Supernatural cases are still out there, and actually have more interesting explanations now then they did thirty years ago. I'm considering a UFO thread to discuss things that have changed since Gulf Breeze and Missing Time.

Elisa Lam (mentally ill or not) would be a good one to feature.
Skinwalker Ranch has a ton of stories, and has never been featured.

This completely slipped my mind, but it gave me the classic spine chills like old UM when I first heard about it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island_serial_killer

I agree Elisa Lam is an interesting story, but there is no unsolved mystery about it.
LISK would be good. I do wonder why they have stopped.

Weekly shows on TV do still work, look at The Masked Singer of all things. People will still check in weekly and like the anticipation. I know someone argued that only "old farts" watched "regular" TV these days, I don't think that's necessarily true.

I totally agree, Atomicfizz (although I have never seen The Masked Singer). The argument that only "old farts" watch "regular" television nowadays is bull. Just because a new method has come along and become popular doesn't mean you have to give up on older methods. Did people give up on boats or trains altogether when airplanes were invented? Of course not. Just as an airplane is another way to travel, a streaming service is another way to watch programs. Although I generally couldn't care less if someone prefers a streaming service over regular (or even cable) television, it vexes me when people display an elitist attitude against those who are not part of the streaming crowd. Some people might be quick to accuse you of not being open-minded about streaming services, but such an accusation is usually meaningless, especially when they degrade regular TV viewers.

I totally agree, Kane. I don't think that streaming and "regular" TV need to be mutually exclusive. I do both, probably about equally. I think they both have their merits and their benefits.

But since no networks picked this up isn't something better than nothing?

But since no networks picked this up isn't something better than nothing?

Yes and no. I won't waste my time with the Spike UM.

I'm hopeful that executive producer Shawn Levy (Stranger Things) will
approach this from a continuation stand, rather than a "revamp".

What I want to see: The original theme music and original title sequence.

Who I'd like to host: Jeremy Irons

Here's one that I'm on the fence about. The Blue Ridge Savings Murders.

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Blue_Ridge_Savings_Murders

Happened just up the road from me.. I think I've posted photos of the building here before, but it literally was a bank in a trailer. The area it's in isn't bad so far as crime, but it was just a horrible location from a security standpoint. Right off the interstate.

I felt that when they arrested Todd Kohlhepp, he was the most likely suspect, since he admitted to the Superbike murders, but.. I don't see why he'd admit to one and deny the other if he did it.

The only reason I don't particularly want this case profiled is.. With the limited number of cases.. I think they're on the right track with suspecting Emmerson Wright and there's a low chance of getting additional info to solve this.


I'd really like an update of the Walter Rice case. Not fully profiled, but just 5 minutes talking to a detective down in McCormick to update the case based on what they've found since it was profiled in the 90's. While the money is gone.. I *REALLY* want to find out who this guy was.

Yes and no. I won't waste my time with the Spike UM.

I'm hopeful that executive producer Shawn Levy (Stranger Things) will
approach this from a continuation stand, rather than a "revamp".

What I want to see: The original theme music and original title sequence.

Who I'd like to host: Jeremy Irons


I don't think we're going to get anything like the Spike episodes though. I think the lesson's been probably learned from that one, and it's one of those "once in a lifetime" kinds of things not likely to repeat. The changes were mandated by a specific network, targeting a specific demographic, made in a specific era, with a specific budget (of almost nothing).

Nostalgia's the big thing right now. I don't think we're going to see 1987 title sequences rock up on our screens but I can't see a version of that iconic theme not being there. The impression I get from the press release is a homage to the original but with a good budget, akin to something like The Innocent Man or Murder Mountain.

But "better than nothing", meaning if they're going to make it and broadcast networks aren't going to air it why is Netflix doing so such a ghastly thought? Lets solve some mysteries, yall.

Although I look forward to seeing them cover cases from 2002 (the year the original version ended) to the present day, I also really hope they profile some older cases from the 80s and 90s too. In other words, cases that could easily have been shown on the original run due to the timeframe. With so many cold cases being solved in recent years due to technological advances, it’d be really silly of them not to do this. A few that come to mind are:

http://charleyproject.org/case/laureen-ann-rahn

http://http://charleyproject.org/case/graciela-esquivel

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/457ufca.html

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/865umca.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henryk_Siwiak_homicide

I'm binging season 12 of the original series on Amazon right now, and came across this one while Googling Sneha Philip.

I'd like to see segments on Elisa Lam, Mitrice Richardson, the Springfield Three, Teleka Patrick, and Erik Cross.

Elisa Lam (I live in LA and have been to that hotel and there's no way she could have ended up in that water tank undetected). This case undoubtedly deserves greater attention via an UM profile.

Asha Degree (little girl that went missing after leaving her home in the middle of the night).

Brandon Swanson (kid who went missing while talking on phone to parents on dark, rural road).

Highway of Tears in Canada (missing women on a stretch of road).

Amber Tuccaro (went missing after making a chilling phone call, could be related to Highway of Tears).

These would make excellent episodes.

CBW

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henryk_Siwiak_homicide

I'm binging season 12 of the original series on Amazon right now, and came across this one while Googling Sneha Philip.
While I concur this one was senseless, I tend to think his killing was the result of hysteria of the day it happened. He clearly didn't look like he belonged in that neighborhood and the way he was dressed as well as his almost complete lack of the English language I firmly believe led to his demise. I'd guarantee it'll never be solved.

The Traci Kegley case would be good to profile:

http://charleyproject.org/case/traci-pittman-kegley

I'd watch just about any unsolved true-crime segment/episode hosted by Keith Morrison.

I'd watch just about any unsolved true-crime segment/episode hosted by Keith Morrison.

Same here. Or Bill Hader impersonating Keith Morrison.

the Springfield Three,

Seems weird that this case was never profiled on the original run of UM. Like within 1-2 years after it happened.

Zachary Bernhardt.

Very similar to Anthonette Cayedito and Lauren Jackson disappearances.

Seems weird that this case was never profiled on the original run of UM. Like within 1-2 years after it happened.

It is weird, it is one of the ultimate Unsolved-style mysteries of the era.

I think people used to debate on here whether a segment on them ever existed because some would swear that they saw it (in actuality they were probably remembering one of the shows that covered them back in the day).

It is weird, it is one of the ultimate Unsolved-style mysteries of the era.

Indeed. If it had aired on UM when I was kid, I think it would have been just the kind of case that would have kept me up that night. The circumstances involving people being in bed, safely locked up in their own house yet were still taken by...someone. And nobody knows where you are 25 years later. Add in UM's typical creepy music, Stack's narration and the likely scenarios from reenactment. 12 year old me would have had a sleepless night.

This case still creeps me out the more I think about it.

I am curious if the new series will have old unsolved cases as well. It seems like many of the final episodes done by Lifetime in the early 2000s focused on more recent cases, probably to keep production costs down and with more likelihood of solving them. I know occasionally they would profile something from a few decades back. But personally, I hope to see a good mix of old cold cases too. The Sodder Children, The New Orleans Axe Murderer, The Man From Taured, The Texarkana murders, just to name a few, I think would be great editions to the new series.

I want at least one ghost story.

I want at least one ghost story.

Tallman! Bring back Tallman!

If they do end up including the supernatural, we should expect an Ed & Lorraine Warren segment, due to the popularity of The Conjuring film universe.

The 1999 murders of local teens, JB Beasley and Tracie Hawlett in Ozark, AL. Long cold and botched by local LE.

I am thrilled to update that an arrest was made in this case today. It was due to a DNA match from a genealogy website. The killer had remained off the radar for twenty years until a match showed up at the site. He was never a suspect and had no criminal record. I believe we are going to see more cold cases solved and more UIDs identified due to the technology.

I may be going soft but as I'm rewatching the early shows I wouldn't mind a Lost Loves if it were of that quality.

But it'd have to be something big that you couldn't just resolve with Facebook like so many of the later segments became. I'm talking about stuff like the Orphan Train, Georgia Tann, Canada's lost generation of indigenous children, the miscarriages of the social services system that decimated whole impoverished families, or anything involving WWII. They hold up and the educational/historical aspects are fascinating. (Seriously, who thought the solution to orphans was to throw them on a train for anyone who'd show up at a train depot wanting a kid?)

I may be going soft but as I'm rewatching the early shows I wouldn't mind a Lost Loves if it were of that quality.

But it'd have to be something big that you couldn't just resolve with Facebook like so many of the later segments became. I'm talking about stuff like the Orphan Train, Georgia Tann, Canada's lost generation of indigenous children, the miscarriages of the social services system that decimated whole impoverished families, or anything involving WWII. They hold up and the educational/historical aspects are fascinating. (Seriously, who thought the solution to orphans was to throw them on a train for anyone who'd show up at a train depot wanting a kid?)

I don’t have a problem with an occasional lost love segment. Maybe 1 per season or something?

I honestly feel that lost love cases will be minimal in any event. The lost love segments featured on the show’s initial run were all of course pre-Facebook and mostly pre-internet (for the average person that is).

Also, and I don’t know percentages, but I would have to say most of the segments of lost loves were born out of the WW2 and depression era. This whole time frame in history is unique as many people were still alive from those times (less and less as time goes by of course) who could provide info and such on the cases. But with fewer surviving witnesses, family members and (I guess) “victims”, most of the more recent cases they could profile would be much easier solved today.

So with less people still alive now from those eras to search, provide info or be found, it just doesn’t seem like we will see as many of these on a newer UM. Notice that there were never lost love segments from the civil war era, or from the pilgrim times. No surviving people to search for or locate. So I would say any lost love segments could only reasonably go back maybe 70-80 years at the absolute most. But with WW2 ending almost 75 years ago, it seems unlikely there would be much to profile from that era on a newer series.

Any cases that still are out there from this time become more and more solvable with internet searches and genealogy.

Of course there could always be the random bizarre cases that for whatever reason the internet cannot help, but they will have to be of that nature as well as be an interesting case to present to viewers.

Yes, sorry I wasn't clear enough, I mean big world events like that not specifically just WWII.

Large scale LL type things that are relevant from the perspective of exploring our society's history without being solved with a quick Facebook search or genealogy database like most of the later "I want to find my friend" ones were. (Were they trying to pad their solve stats to compete with AMW?)

Yes, sorry I wasn't clear enough, I mean big world events like that not specifically just WWII.

Large scale LL type things that are relevant from the perspective of exploring our society's history without being solved with a quick Facebook search or genealogy database like most of the later "I want to find my friend" ones were. (Were they trying to pad their solve stats to compete with AMW?)

Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like I was criticizing your comment. I wasn’t. I just mean that a lot of the more “unsolvable” LL cases over the years were probably born out of the WW2 and depression era, so at the time of the original series with little to no internet, there were more to profile is all I meant. But yeah, I completely agree with you. LL segments are probably best kept to a minimum overall unless they are deemed to need more help than just the internet.

It is entirely possible that UM was padding their stats. Who knows? I often got the impression that at times UM tried to branch out a bit more to capture a wider audience and age range in their viewers. Let’s face it, there is an audience for the ready eyed reunions out there. LL are not my favorite segments personally, but I have been guilty a time or two of having something in my eye during a particularly emotional reunion on the show lol.

I'd like to see them take on Joey Lynn Offutt's case. It happened not terribly far from me, and it's a bit of a headscratcher.

Joey was slightly developmentally delayed (she was described as incredibly trusting and naïve), and constantly moved around, and had trouble holding a job. She had 3 kids (2 older kids, and a baby - different fathers). Her boyfriend was the father of her baby, but he had an older son who did something to one of Joey's other kids, so they were sent to live with Joey's mom, while she lived with the baby in a house her mother purchased for her. She liked meeting people on the internet. She had planned to marry the baby's father (he is odd, but police do NOT consider him a suspect).

A complaint had been made about Joey bathing the baby in a dirty sink, and county health workers had been checking in with her. They had showed up at the house, but she didn't appear to be home (her car was sometimes there, sometimes not, and she never answered the door). At one point, they called the boyfriend to come over. She was not there. They looked through the window and saw a car seat on the floor, and one of the notes they had left for her prior with the car seat. Neighbors reported seeing her out with a stoller, but when they attempted to talk to her, she ignored them, and the stroller was empty.

A few days after she was last seen physically (and her car continued to come and go), her house was on fire. They found the body of her baby in the bathtub, deceased. It was determined that the baby died before the fire. The fire was arson. Joey's purse and ID were found in the house. Her car was gone.

Her car was later found parked in the lot of a complex that she once lived in, about an hour away. Her mother says Joey couldn't have possibly put it there, because it was backed in perfectly and she wasn't a great driver, and the seat was "slightly reclined" and Joey was very short. That part never held water with me because my husband had the same car model. It's a 2 door, and when you get in the back seat and release the front seat via a bar, the seat back flips all the way forward, and the seat itself comes all the way up. When you go to put the seat back, you push on it until it clicks - it doesn't go automatically back to the position it was in - you have to adjust it. Those cars are also notorious for the seat backs having stripped mechanisms after many uses - my husband's got so bad that we had to put stuff behind the seats to prop them up, and I had to use a cushion to sit forward enough. As for her not driving well, I'm not a good backer-upper, but I get it right on occasion.

She has not been seen since the fire (July 2007). Some remains were found a few years ago that would have been consistent with her, and the timeframe, but they were determined to not be hers. The most popular theory seems to be that she accidentally killed the baby in some manner (or SIDS), she knew the county health worker was coming, she ducked for several days while she tried to figure it out (as she was developmentally delayed), set the fire, and took off - especially since her car was found somewhere she used to live. I agree with some of it, but starting over is tough for people who don't struggle with learning issues, and I don't think she could have done it without help. I think she met someone online, and something bad happened. Her mother says that the internet had been turned off (possibly because of the bill not being paid) a month or to prior to the fire, but that doesn't mean she couldn't have accessed it somewhere else. She was profiled a number of years ago on ID's Disappeared show, and AMW, but it's been some time, and not everyone watches those shows, so it could get some fresh eyes.


And while it's not technically an unsolved mystery, I'd love to see someone who is tough, yet impartial, and good at getting to the bottom of things take a stab at the Diane Schuler case. She was the mother of the year soccer mom who got baldfaced drunk and high with 5 kids in the car (2 were hers, 3 were nieces), drove at 80+ miles an hour the wrong way down a highway and killed herself, 4 of the 5 kids she had with her (her son survived) and 3 people in an oncoming car. She was the subject of an HBO documenary which was well done, and showed the depths of denial her family was in, and that she had an incredibly mysterious background that no one will speak about. While the accident is not a mystery in and of itself, how that day went from one of leaving a camping trip to how it ended up, is. Lots of conspiracy theories that run the gamut of "she had a medical emergency" from her family (who refuse to believe toxicology reports run several times - she was like 3 times the legal alcohol limit - she had booze in her occular fluid), suicide, psychotic break, and other theories. If you find this being discussed somewhere, there are tons of theories people are passionate about, but no answers. Frustrating.

And while it's not technically an unsolved mystery, I'd love to see someone who is tough, yet impartial, and good at getting to the bottom of things take a stab at the Diane Schuler case. She was the mother of the year soccer mom who got baldfaced drunk and high with 5 kids in the car (2 were hers, 3 were nieces), drove at 80+ miles an hour the wrong way down a highway and killed herself, 4 of the 5 kids she had with her (her son survived) and 3 people in an oncoming car. She was the subject of an HBO documenary which was well done, and showed the depths of denial her family was in, and that she had an incredibly mysterious background that no one will speak about. While the accident is not a mystery in and of itself, how that day went from one of leaving a camping trip to how it ended up, is. Lots of conspiracy theories that run the gamut of "she had a medical emergency" from her family (who refuse to believe toxicology reports run several times - she was like 3 times the legal alcohol limit - she had booze in her occular fluid), suicide, psychotic break, and other theories. If you find this being discussed somewhere, there are tons of theories people are passionate about, but no answers. Frustrating.

That was a crazy documentary... wasn't there a theory that she had a tooth abscess which possibly affected her brain? I vaguely recall that being mentioned.

Yep. That was the theory they were pushing most. Completely ludicrous.

JUST SAY NO to ghosts, UFOs, fertility statues, rocks, et. al. :D I don't mind mysterious/creepy supernatural stuff, but the goofy haunting/magic ones are just silly. The last few seasons of UM were overrun with these type of stories.

That said, I really hope they get back to the classic unresolved murders, missing people, and unsolved crimes that made the show what it was.

I second the notion to skip the cases that have been overdone or are high profile. Those have been covered to death (no pun intended) and I would like to see some stories that we don't know much about.

I don't care if they are a little longer, but I agree with Kane that the best format is still 3-4 stories per episode.

I am with you on that damn fertility statue. Women of child bearing age get pregnant - no big mystery.

No more ghosts or UFO's as well.

Please: NO MORE Ted Bundy, Son of Sam, Green River Killer, John Wayne Gacy, OJ Simpson (not an unsolved mystery), JonBenet Ramsey.

I am with you on that damn fertility statue. Women of child bearing age get pregnant - no big mystery.

To be fair those types of segments are meant to be "comic relief" from all the constant murders, abductions, robberies, etc. Otherwise the show would have just been an America's Most Wanted clone.

I just hope that we don't see any of the late series celebrity cash-in segments like Men in Black, Tupac, Katherine Korzillius (Bon Jovi) or highly publicized cases.

To be fair those types of segments are meant to be "comic relief" from all the constant murders, abductions, robberies, etc. Otherwise the show would have just been an America's Most Wanted clone.

I just hope that we don't see any of the late series celebrity cash-in segments like Men in Black, Tupac, Katherine Korzillius (Bon Jovi) or highly publicized cases.

UM actually predates AMW so it can’t be accused of being a clone. AMW was more sensational while UM was more creepy. If anything, AMW was a fast-action ripoff of UM.

The Lost Love segments provided enough “feel good” stories so UM never needed comic relief. Those segments were just dumb and widely panned by fans of the show. Variety is one thing, but silly non-mysteries were a big mistake.

I get what you’re saying, but if that was the intent of CM it was a huge swing and miss.

UM actually predates AMW so it can’t be accused of being a clone. AMW was more sensational while UM was more creepy. If anything, AMW was a fast-action ripoff of UM.
Good points: I honestly thought AMW came first. Without geting too off topic, I always found that John Walsh was too "angry" to be a host of a professional show unlike the very mellow Stack (not that I blame Walsh one bit given what he went through).

The Lost Love segments provided enough “feel good” stories so UM never needed comic relief. Those segments were just dumb and widely panned by fans of the show.
One thing I have noticed recently from watching the no-longer-forbidden site is that there were a lot more lost loves segments that I remember. I guess my point is that I liked Unsolved Mysteries because it wasn't one endless criminal case after another and hopefully the new UM understands this.

Without supernatural or lost love segments, it ceases to be UM. I don't want UM to be an AMW clone. I'm hoping the producers of Stranger Things keep it creepy.

I'm currently watching the tail-end of Film Rise Season 9, and it's just plain crap (and I consider myself a super-fan). When UM jumped the shark (Season 8) the noticeable difference is the quality of the supernatural segments. Lost Love and True Crime segments continued to be good until the end of Season 9 where they deviated from real people to Jon Benet Ramsey, Kurt Cobain, Tupac, etc.

I don't understand why so many people hate the supernatural stuff. That's what 20th century minds had to say in them days. All of the phenomena featured on the original UM now have drastically different scientific explanations than what scientists proposed in the 80s and 90s. Send UM to debunk stuff as the premise, then watch them walk away with the host asserting that it remains an Unsolved Mystery. <= That is the heart of the show: Public Service + Creepy Theater

UM actually predates AMW so it canÂ’t be accused of being a clone. AMW was more sensational while UM was more creepy. If anything, AMW was a fast-action ripoff of UM.

The accusation of AMW being a clone is unjustified, so I agree with you and reject that accusation. But I don't consider the show a ripoff of UM, as AMW was being conceived in 1987 (a year before its debut), by which time only a handful of UM specials had been shown. In fact, AMW was a rival of UM. The two shows tried to outdo each other in success not only in TV viewership but also in catching fugitives and solving cases. There have been published articles about the competition between UM and AMW, with each camp taking shots at the other. One such article, published in 1989, reported that UM caught AMW "stealing" the Donald Eugene Webb case.

Obviously, the confusion between UM and AMW was not lost on John Walsh, although he seldom mentions UM by name (one known exception was in his 2001 book Public Enemies, in which he mentions the show in passing). Walsh was clearly annoyed by the misunderstanding of AMW, especially since he's on record saying, "We don't do UFOs."

Walsh was clearly annoyed by the misunderstanding of AMW, especially since he's on record saying, "We don't do UFOs."

:lol:

I’m all for the supernatural stuff, but only so long as it is of the quality of the earlier shows. I agree that most of the later segments of supernatural really jumped the shark. When I think of good ufo segments, I think of the Roswell or Kecksburg segments. When I think of good ghost segments, I think of the bunk bed (Tallman’s ghost?) or General Wayne in. Even the “Samuel” ghost segment is one of the creepiest made although much of it is likely a hoax, it was a damn entertaining segment.

But the men in black, the lady that had her cancer healed by a little tiny ufo, and others like them, I can do without those.

I’m all for the supernatural stuff, but only so long as it is of the quality of the earlier shows. I agree that most of the later segments of supernatural really jumped the shark. When I think of good ufo segments, I think of the Roswell or Kecksburg segments. When I think of good ghost segments, I think of the bunk bed (Tallman’s ghost?) or General Wayne in. Even the “Samuel” ghost segment is one of the creepiest made although much of it is likely a hoax, it was a damn entertaining segment.

But the men in black, the lady that had her cancer healed by a little tiny ufo, and others like them, I can do without those.

I couldn't have said it better, Guardian. Later seasons of UM just "phoned-in" the supernatural segments. I guess after hundreds of episodes, the task of finding something to fit the category became a tired task. They did UFOs, but not one segment on cattle mutilations? During the height of the phenomena? Multiple Loch Ness Clones during the series...ugh. One trip to Skinwalker Ranch would likely be a multiple episode segment (ala Son of Sam).