https://www.looper.com/829533/20-best-unsolved-mysteries-episodes/

BY MICHAEL PALAN/APRIL 12, 2022 11:00 AM EDT

"For every mystery, someone, somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that someone is watching. Perhaps it's you."

This invitation from trenchcoat-clad "Unsolved Mysteries" (https://www.looper.com/225119/the-untold-truth-of-unsolved-mysteries/) host Robert Stack cast a spell on audiences for decades. An infamous, entrancing theme song (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-07-03/unsolved-mysteries-theme-song-why-is-it-so-creepy) and a dark, ominous setting for the openers helped, too. What started as a series of NBC TV specials in 1987 became a full-fledged series a year later. Stack presented four or more tales per episode, diving into unsolved murders, missing person cases, wanted criminals at large, conspiracy theories, hauntings, UFO sightings, unexplained phenomena, and even reuniting long-lost family members.

The landmark show (https://unsolved.com/about/) by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer, which moved channels several times, was later hosted by Dennis Farina, Raymond Burr, and Karl Malden. It was revived at Netflix (sans host) in 2020. It has profiled over 1,300 mysteries, and, thanks to tips from viewers, solved 260 of them, even exonerating seven wrongly accused people. It spawned a podcast (https://unsolved.com/podcast/) and even a line of merch. Meurer told the L.A. Times (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-07-01/unsolved-mysteries-revival-netflix) that "the beauty of the franchise is that there's something for everyone."

However, some episodes stand out more than others, and through chilling re-enactments using local actors and even real people involved with the mystery itself, some are loaded with the best of everything for everyone. We present to you the best of the best: the 20 best "Unsolved Mysteries" episodes.


Season 1 - Episode 4

Season 1 - Episode 5

Season 1 - Episode 7

Season 1 - Episode 17

Season 2 - Episode 1

Season 2 - Episode 13

Season 2 - Episode 19

Season 3 - Episode 8

Season 5 - Episode 12

Season 5 - Episode 13

Season 5 - Episode 18

Season 7 - Episode 1

Season 7 - Episode 4

Season 7 - Episode 6

Season 7 - Episode 21

Season 8 - Episode 14

Season 9 - Episode 1

Season 9 - Episode 14

Netflix - Season 1 - Episode 1 - "Mystery on the Rooftop" (https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Rey_Rivera)

Netflix - Season 1 - Episode 3 - "House of Terror" (https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Xavier_Dupont_de_Ligonn%C3%A8s)

"was later hosted by Dennis Farina, Raymond Burr, and Karl Malden."

The writer lost my interest after this. Kind of a glaring error.

Huh..seems they are using the Filmrise episodes, which I guess is the best they can do at this point.

I pretty much enjoy and prefer any episode from the first 3, possibly 4 seasons but from this list my favorite would be Season 2, Episode 13 -- Cynthia Anderson, the Church Explosion they used for every intro forever and the ATV murders.

Definitely do not agree with this list. It relies heavily on episodes which have "famous" segments (Black Dahlia, Tupac, RFK, MLK, etc.) and while some of those segments are good, the rest of the episode is filler. Here would be my top twenty episodes (in chronological order from air date and picking at least one from each season using the Filmrise versions):

Season 1 - Episode 14:
Jeremy Bright, John Martin, Dan Willains, Leo Koury, Michaela Joy Garecht, and the Tatum House

Season 1 - Episode 20:
Don Smith, Brushy Bill Roberts/Billy the Kid, Angelo Desideri, Charles Mule

Season 2 - Episode 2:
Jack Brown, Blinking Crucifix, Garlon "Rusty" Russell

Season 2 - Episode 13:
Cynthia Anderson, Church Explosion, Kathy Power, ATV Murders

Season 3 - Episode 10:
Norman Ladner, Dwayne McCorkendale, Miracle Staircase, Nyleen Kay Marshall

Season 3 - Episode 15:
Russell Evans, William Bradford Bishop, Lost Adam's Diggings

Season 4 - Episode 14:
Larry Race, Jeanne Tovrea, Helen Rose

Season 4 - Episode 15:
Phillip Fraser, Crew of the Casie Nicole, Mac MacDonald, William John Wood

Season 5 - Episode 21:
Danny Casolaro, Jim Burke, Blind River Rest Stop Killer, Jack Purvis

Season 6 - Episode 3:
Anna Anderson, Hilda Craun's children, Jerry Gerbasoni

Season 6 - Episode 23:
Bigfoot, Craig Williamson, The Wackers, Jordan Children, Janie Halliday/Estela Vera, Charlie Anderson, Marilyn Hahnlein, and Brenda Abbey

Season 7 - Episode 6:
Circleville Letter Writer, Agatha Christie, Tommy Burkett, Poverty Island Treasure, Tim Barry

Season 7 - Episode 7:
Jennifer Odom, The Mary Celeste, Michele West & the Good Samaritans

Season 8 - Episode 7:
Tom Keuter, Ira Einhorn, Jim Kimball, Brian Foguth, Grace Brown/Covewood Lodge

Season 8 - Episode 16:
Joan Jeffries, Tony Marabella, Luis Ochoa, Wickenberg Massacre Treasure

Season 9 - Episode 11:
Cancer Dogs, Tommy Zeigler, Kurt Cobain

Season 10 - Episode 4:
Bordello Murders, Amy Bechtel, Delta Queen Riverboat Ghosts, Richard Aderson, Benjamin Baker

Season 11 - Episode 10:
Heather Tallchief and Roberto Solis, Eric Tamiyasu, Rufino Castaneda, Nicqui McCown

Season 12 - Episode 1:
Megan Curl, Margo Freshwater, Stryder Styarfyr, Traci Kenley & Bill Rundle, Susan King

Netflix - Episode 13 Minutes:
Patrice Endres

Great question. I've thought about my favorite cases, but never my favorite episodes as a whole.
Like ghosthouse, if I were to sit down and look, I have to guess most of mine would be from the first four seasons. The show was still very much its original self at that point with the music, production, etc.

Season 2 - Episode 13:
Cynthia Anderson, Church Explosion, Kathy Power, ATV Murders

Great one. I still remember when this episode originally aired. I was 9 and the fact that they ended the episode with the ATV murders segment...I was too terrified to sleep that night.

Great one. I still remember when this episode originally aired. I was 9 and the fact that they ended the episode with the ATV murders segment...I was too terrified to sleep that night.

That episode has everything:

-Creepy missing persons case.

-Actual lighthearted 'feel good' miracle segment.

-Underrated wanted segment.

-Terrifying murder segment.

The total package, IMO.

Hard to argue with the episodes picked in the first 5 seasons. And whatever episode had Garlond Russell had to automatically make it to the top 10 even if the other segments on the show were buried treasures, lost loves and ghosts.

Definitely do not agree with this list. It relies heavily on episodes which have "famous" segments (Black Dahlia, Tupac, RFK, MLK, etc.) and while some of those segments are good, the rest of the episode is filler. Here would be my top twenty episodes (in chronological order from air date and picking at least one from each season using the Filmrise versions):

Season 1 - Episode 14:
Jeremy Bright, John Martin, Dan Willains, Leo Koury, Michaela Joy Garecht, and the Tatum House

Season 1 - Episode 20:
Don Smith, Brushy Bill Roberts/Billy the Kid, Angelo Desideri, Charles Mule

Season 2 - Episode 2:
Jack Brown, Blinking Crucifix, Garlon "Rusty" Russell

Season 2 - Episode 13:
Cynthia Anderson, Church Explosion, Kathy Power, ATV Murders

Season 3 - Episode 10:
Norman Ladner, Dwayne McCorkendale, Miracle Staircase, Nyleen Kay Marshall

Season 3 - Episode 15:
Russell Evans, William Bradford Bishop, Lost Adam's Diggings

Season 4 - Episode 14:
Larry Race, Jeanne Tovrea, Helen Rose

Season 4 - Episode 15:
Phillip Fraser, Crew of the Casie Nicole, Mac MacDonald, William John Wood

Season 5 - Episode 21:
Danny Casolaro, Jim Burke, Blind River Rest Stop Killer, Jack Purvis

Season 6 - Episode 3:
Anna Anderson, Hilda Craun's children, Jerry Gerbasoni

Season 6 - Episode 23:
Bigfoot, Craig Williamson, The Wackers, Jordan Children, Janie Halliday/Estela Vera, Charlie Anderson, Marilyn Hahnlein, and Brenda Abbey

Season 7 - Episode 6:
Circleville Letter Writer, Agatha Christie, Tommy Burkett, Poverty Island Treasure, Tim Barry

Season 7 - Episode 7:
Jennifer Odom, The Mary Celeste, Michele West & the Good Samaritans

Season 8 - Episode 7:
Tom Keuter, Ira Einhorn, Jim Kimball, Brian Foguth, Grace Brown/Covewood Lodge

Season 8 - Episode 16:
Joan Jeffries, Tony Marabella, Luis Ochoa, Wickenberg Massacre Treasure

Season 9 - Episode 11:
Cancer Dogs, Tommy Zeigler, Kurt Cobain

Season 10 - Episode 4:
Bordello Murders, Amy Bechtel, Delta Queen Riverboat Ghosts, Richard Aderson, Benjamin Baker

Season 11 - Episode 10:
Heather Tallchief and Roberto Solis, Eric Tamiyasu, Rufino Castaneda, Nicqui McCown

Season 12 - Episode 1:
Megan Curl, Margo Freshwater, Stryder Styarfyr, Traci Kenley & Bill Rundle, Susan King

Netflix - Episode 13 Minutes:
Patrice Endres
Bumping this as I came across this thread searching for miracle stairs.

I agree with so many of your choices. Circleville writer and Agatha Christie on the same episode! Both of those would be near the top of the best ever produced segments. Also bordello murders and Amy Bechtel is by far my favorite from that season. And UM had some really good segments in their final couple of years as if they were catching a second wind before RS got sick.

The first two Robert stack seasons were so good. It’s harder for me to pick from those. The first UM episode I ever watched was in 1989. It was the carol and Kevin Hughes segments. That episode always stands out for me.