So many to choose from, ranging from the girl smashing the window with the baseball bat, to the exploding church, to the man on the run with lights behind him

But to me, there is one image that just screams UNSOLVED MYSTERIES.

It was taken from the episode about life after death.

We zoom in on the silhouette of a man with lights streaming out behind him. It's chilling and hopeful at the same time with the possibility of the afterlife. I love that image and never get tired of seeing it as I watch all the episodes that are now available to view.

So what's yours?

now I have to go back and watch some of the originals from the early days. mine is the guy getting handcuffed on the bottom of the stairway and he is yelling at the cops. also I think there is one of a Pasadena, Texas cop car doing a spin around. that one is from the Ed Bell segment, that one is personal to me because I lived in that area when UM debuted and all of the cop cars in Houston looked like that. and Houston was a scary place for me back then in the part of town that I lived in. of corse UM did nothing to make me feel safer.

now I have to go back and watch some of the originals from the early days. mine is the guy getting handcuffed on the bottom of the stairway and he is yelling at the cops. also I think there is one of a Pasadena, Texas cop car doing a spin around. that one is from the Ed Bell segment, that one is personal to me because I lived in that area when UM debuted and all of the cop cars in Houston looked like that. and Houston was a scary place for me back then in the part of town that I lived in. of corse UM did nothing to make me feel safer.

LOL beat me to it -- Ron Rushton(?) getting arrested on the steps works for me. I also thought that shot of the guy running out of the trailer with that big gun from the Todd McAfee segment was pretty wild.

But the two shots they always used over and over again were the church explosion and that car getting run off the highway and flipping thru the air.

LOL. This topic just reminds me of the frustration I felt as a kid to see these shots in the opening credits. The word "SOLVED" shot out slowly at the audience in that classic UM font. So that always led me to believe that all of these moments being shown were of featured cases that have been solved. I'd get excited when they were updated to show Tammy Leppert breaking the window or the car being run off the road or Veronica Jefferson's killer in silhouette running away from the crime scene. This made me eagerly wait for updates that never came. None of those cases (other than Veronica Jefferson) have been solved to this day.

Iconic moments, yes. Not "SOLVED."

I always liked the one of the robber getting arrested on the hood of the police car and his ski mask getting ripped off.

I think that was from the Leo Koury segment where he facilitated the hit at the pinball machine.

Off topic, but people always mention how spooky the intro to UM was, but as a child the Sightings intro (https://youtu.be/pWrinpM32qE?t=55) always creeped me out far more, especially the howl during the ESP part

Veronica Jefferson's killer in silhouette running away from the crime scene. That image is burned into my brain and was super frightening to me as a child, for whatever reason.

I know the NEW UM is not super well-regarded, but I love the brief silhouette of Robert Stack over the piano theme.

In the very early episodes did they ever use footage from Jerry Strickland's arrest in the opening credits? Or did I completely imagine it?

He was being escorted into (or out of) a Cop Car. :eek:

In the very early episodes did they ever use footage from Jerry Strickland's arrest in the opening credits? Or did I completely imagine it?

He was being escorted into (or out of) a Cop Car. :eek:

You're not imagining it! It was definitely used. If you watch the 100th episode special (I believe) Robert Stack also mentions that Strickland proudly proclaimed UM was his favorite show when he got arrested (after watching the broadcast himself and waiting for the police to arrive). :lol:

The trucker dumping a body in a sleeping bag on the side of the road.

The man getting arrested on the stairs, or the woman in the car fighting off the man behind her in the backseat.

The bank robber in a Ronald Reagan mask smashing a glass door with a fire axe.

A combination of the silhouette as mentioned by the OP (scared the f&%k out of me as a kid) and the exploding Nebraska church which was timed perfectly with the music changing.

Veronica Jefferson's killer in silhouette running away from the crime scene. That image is burned into my brain and was super frightening to me as a child, for whatever reason.

I know the NEW UM is not super well-regarded, but I love the brief silhouette of Robert Stack over the piano theme.

I can't watch the Veronica Jefferson segment anymore...it's just so depressing.

also I agree with the new theme, I like it and the first time I saw the RS silhouette it gave me chills. Great tribute!

LOL. This topic just reminds me of the frustration I felt as a kid to see these shots in the opening credits. The word "SOLVED" shot out slowly at the audience in that classic UM font. So that always led me to believe that all of these moments being shown were of featured cases that have been solved. I'd get excited when they were updated to show Tammy Leppert breaking the window or the car being run off the road or Veronica Jefferson's killer in silhouette running away from the crime scene. This made me eagerly wait for updates that never came. None of those cases (other than Veronica Jefferson) have been solved to this day.

Iconic moments, yes. Not "SOLVED."

I never thought of it that way. Now I wonder why they put the solved caption on there in the way that they did.

Veronica Jefferson's killer in silhouette running away from the crime scene. That image is burned into my brain and was super frightening to me as a child, for whatever reason.

I know the NEW UM is not super well-regarded, but I love the brief silhouette of Robert Stack over the piano theme.

Thank you so much for identifying the episode with the man running away. It was in my top picks but I had no idea what ep it actually came from!

Oh and Robert Stack's ghostly image as if he were still overseeing the proceedings from beyond the grave is the ONLY good thing about the new UM.

I'd say Marie Hilley with the syringe always came off particularly unnerving amongst the quick cuts.

Michaela Garecht being abducted from her bicycle.

Charles Mulet being locked in the prison cell.

Charlie Sigman watching his wife doing rituals

The guy in the Leo Koury segment having his mask taken off by police

For me, it has to be "Dennis DePue" pushing "Marilyn" down the stairs.

Marie Hilley of course preparing the syringe!
But there's also one I think in the third and final stack series with this pretty lady with long hair and she's holding her hand up looking in shock at some kind of bright light

Marie Hilley of course preparing the syringe!
But there's also one I think in the third and final stack series with this pretty lady with long hair and she's holding her hand up looking in shock at some kind of bright light

I believe that "pretty lady" is ... her first name is not coming to me ... but the last name was Cash I think. It was a UFO segment.

Marie Hilley of course preparing the syringe!


That's a very iconic image (for the show) as well. However, the producers made it seem as if Marie Hilley's crimes were one of their "SOLVED" mysteries. Well, yeah, they were solved all right -- but not by UM, lol!

I always liked the one of the robber getting arrested on the hood of the police car and his ski mask getting ripped off.

I think that was from the Leo Koury segment where he facilitated the hit at the pinball machine.


This is my pick as well

I believe that "pretty lady" is ... her first name is not coming to me ... but the last name was Cash I think. It was a UFO segment.

Betty Cash.

LOL beat me to it -- Ron Rushton(?) getting arrested on the steps works for me. I also thought that shot of the guy running out of the trailer with that big gun from the Todd McAfee segment was pretty wild.

But the two shots they always used over and over again were the church explosion and that car getting run off the highway and flipping thru the air.

oh the Todd McAfee segment, yikes. that scene scares me every time that I see it. I can only imagine the way he must have felt driving up on that. I'll have to look out for that one on the opening.