It's too tedious to do a statistical count, but one of the things I've recently noticed is that many UM cases took place in certain states far more often than others. From the looks of it, I would say the state of New Mexico seemed to have been the location of more notorious cases than any other state. Some of these cases which took place within the Land of Enchantment include numerous UFO cases, numerous fugitives, the bowling alley massacre, Tara Calico, Anthonette Cayedito, Steve Sandlin and Father Rivera.

What's your guys' take? Which state would you say had the most notorious cases?

It's too tedious to do a statistical count, but one of the things I've recently noticed is that many UM cases took place in certain states far more often than others. From the looks of it, I would say the state of New Mexico seemed to have been the location of more notorious cases than any other state. Some of these cases which took place within the Land of Enchantment include numerous UFO cases, numerous fugitives, the bowling alley massacre, Tara Calico, Anthonette Cayedito, Steve Sandlin and Father Rivera.

What's your guys' take? Which state would you say had the most notorious cases?

I'm in the process of doing a complete statistical breakdown of UM. Stay tuned for that.

In the mean time, talking hypothesis, I am going to guess cases are roughly distributed by population, but with states having higher missing persons rates (large western states in many cases) featuring more cases than expected. New Mexico definitely has some of the more well known cases, but I'm not convinced its truly a statistical outlier.

I'm not sure how accurate the UM Wiki is, but it has categories for the states. They may list some duplicates or unrelated cases.

I'm surprised Utah had so few cases featured. They have a higher population than New Mexico today at 30th ranked. I'm not sure where they ranked in the 1980s and 1990s.

I think the cases on the west coast were easier for them to film, especially in the later seasons when they had a lower budget. Arizona and Nevada also had quite a few cases featured.

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Category:United_States

Related threads:

Unsolved Mysteries "MVP" states
https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=198634

Under the Radar States where, surprising to you, many cases happened?
https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=287872

Michigan has had a few cases, which continues to surprise me. I think honestly the higher the pop, more cases. However, I do agree that NM had had its share of cases.

I think California wins this by a landslide...

I think California wins this by a landslide...

California is definitely up there but I think Florida has a slight edge...

Some notable cases in Florida -

*Amy Billig
*Armondo Garcia
*Beverly McGowan
*Bonnie Haim
*Church Arsonist
*Colleen Wood
*Debra Poe, Darlene Messer & Donna Callahan (Convenience Store abductions)
*Dimitric Moore
*Eileen Mangold
*Fumbles the bank robber
*John Harden and his haunted house
*James White (Drunk driver)
*Jim & Annette Burnside
*Joan, Michelle and Cristy Rogers triple murder and torture
*John Pervis
*Judith Hyams
*Katie the "gold sweating" weirdo
*Little Miss Panasoffkee
*Louis Carlucci
*"Haunted" Mann house
*Melvine Aprile (First UM segment I ever saw as a kid)
*Moses & Lila (Bird sanctuary abductions)
*Pamela June Ray abduction
*Rebecca Young
*Tammy Lynn Leppert
*Bird Road Rapist
*Russell & Jean Johnson (Heartwarming Christmas segment)
*Todd MacAfee
*William John Wood
*Tommy Ziegler (Furniture store murders)

And this is just SOME of the most notable cases from the sunshine state. It's doesn't matter if it was 50 years ago or ten years ago, there's always extra crazy in Florida.

California is definitely up there but I think Florida has a slight edge...

Some notable cases in Florida -

*Amy Billig
*Armondo Garcia
*Beverly McGowan
*Bonnie Haim
*Church Arsonist
*Colleen Wood
*Debra Poe, Darlene Messer & Donna Callahan (Convenience Store abductions)
*Dimitric Moore
*Eileen Mangold
*Fumbles the bank robber
*John Harden and his haunted house
*James White (Drunk driver)
*Jim & Annette Burnside
*Joan, Michelle and Cristy Rogers triple murder and torture
*John Pervis
*Judith Hyams
*Katie the "gold sweating" weirdo
*Little Miss Panasoffkee
*Louis Carlucci
*"Haunted" Mann house
*Melvine Aprile (First UM segment I ever saw as a kid)
*Moses & Lila (Bird sanctuary abductions)
*Pamela June Ray abduction
*Rebecca Young
*Tammy Lynn Leppert
*Bird Road Rapist
*Russell & Jean Johnson (Heartwarming Christmas segment)
*Todd MacAfee
*William John Wood
*Tommy Ziegler (Furniture store murders)

And this is just SOME of the most notable cases from the sunshine state. It's doesn't matter if it was 50 years ago or ten years ago, there's always extra crazy in Florida.

Oh I agree they are extra crazy down there :lol:

I went to the UM Wiki and according to them 315 cases took place in California and 133 in Florida (granted this is including all the lost loves as well).

Oh I agree they are extra crazy down there :lol:

I went to the UM Wiki and according to them 315 cases took place in California and 133 in Florida (granted this is including all the lost loves as well).

Yeesh. I stand corrected. I'm actually surprised there were *ONLY* 133 cases in Florida.

I think California wins this by a landslide...

:crying: in Californian.

But when you're in the most populous state, it's not too surprising :lol:

South Carolina had only a handful. 8, technically. And I think all of them are solved.

One of them.. Really had nothing to do with SC.. Kari Lynn Nixon (New Kids on the Block video girl) there was a.. Probably random letter saying look in SC.. She was never in SC.

Michelle Whittaker was a weird case, she disappeared herself and was found in Oregon years later, but was thought to have been killed by Jonathan Vick who killed..

Dana Satterfield. Solved and Vick was convicted.

Superbike Murders.. They got Todd Kohlhepp a few years ago on that

Roy Caffrey.. Highway Patrol officer killed in '72, solved in '97, though, most responsible had died by that time.

Jessica Gutierrez.. Suspect arrested and awaiting trial

Thomas Dixon, who held up a grocery store that one of our local NBC news anchors (Still on the air) was at.. Carol Clarke, now Carol Goldsmith who was featured on the UM episode. He was killed by police shortly afterwards.


So.. Yeah.. A pretty perfect record.. Except for..

Walter Rice. Which.. As has been discussed here.. Is.. Likely solved. A somewhat distant relative of Jim Rice.. And.. A whole lot of misinformation on that one..

Oh, and of course, Lori Jane Eblin Reeves Richardson.. Who I found down at the Richland County cemetery.. Though this was a web-exclusive case.. So.. Put that one in whatever bucket you want.


The last two actually have some connection to UM helping solve them.

In stark contrast to South Carolina, we have New Mexico...and they have an abysmal record in solved cases. The most notable ones being Jarred Peters being reunited with his mother after Satanic grandma kidnapped him and Kaitlyn Arquette's killer finally being arrested in 2021.

Notable cases still unsolved - Anthonette Cayedito, David Stone, Father Reynolda Rivera, Steve Sandlin, Las Cruces Bowling Alley massacre, Tara Calico and Wadada.

I've always been shocked Washington has had as many.

Yeesh. I stand corrected. I'm actually surprised there were *ONLY* 133 cases in Florida.

Florida definitely has something weird going on, maybe being so close to the Bermuda Triangle????

In stark contrast to South Carolina, we have New Mexico...and they have an abysmal record in solved cases. The most notable ones being Jarred Peters being reunited with his mother after Satanic grandma kidnapped him and Kaitlyn Arquette's killer finally being arrested in 2021.

Notable cases still unsolved - Anthonette Cayedito, David Stone, Father Reynolda Rivera, Steve Sandlin, Las Cruces Bowling Alley massacre, Tara Calico and Wadada.

that's a good observation. I do think there is an unsolved element to David Stone's death. there are still a lot of questions and UM left out critical details. his body was found many years later. They talked about vision quests in the segment and I think it is common knowledge that people fast from food and water in an attempt to see a vision. the weather was also too cold to spend the night without shelter or proper covering. The rock stacks were cairins aka trail markers for navigation or marking significant locations.