Can Unsolved Lost Love Cases on UM be solved today?

[GDAWG]

With the technology today and social media, can the lost loves cases on UM that were not solved be solved today?

[Killarney Rose]

I believe that if someone took the time and the money to research and do DNA testing, if the families would participate many could be solved.

[TheCars1986]

I am optimistic that any case featured on UM that is still unsolved is solvable.

[Labonte18]

Originally Posted by GDAWG

With the technology today and social media, can the lost loves cases on UM that were not solved be solved today?

The cases from yore.. Yes. They're probably MORE solvable today than in the past for various reasons. The lost love cases specifically due to so much more information being at your fingertips. Other cases due to DNA and the like.

One that is in my craw is the black soldier in Germany in WWII "Alexander".. I think that someone with the right knowledge and the right gumption could solve that one. They'd have to have knowledge of what units were integrated, correlate to units that would have been in that town in Germany at the time.. Probably would have to have good knowledge of 'other circumstances' that would have someone there.

I just think that one, everything is out there to solve it. It just needs the right person to get a bug up their butt to look into it.

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

I am optimistic that any case featured on UM that is still unsolved is solvable.

Magic Rock.

But.. Taking that style case out. I both agree and disagree. Amelia Earhart. Yes, I think that can be solved, but it involves finding the plane. Which, everyone knows, I think is on the bottom of the Pacific in the vicinity of Howland Island.

DB Cooper.. Tougher, but I do think there's a possibility. Being definitive on it would require that DNA on the tie clip to actually be his. Otherwise, the best you could likely get is a strong consensus as to who he was, which is not proof.

Some of the 'suicide or murder' cases we discussed previously.. Those are much the same. I don't think there's going to be a way to PROVE them one way or the other.

And.. A few cases that just have so little evidence. Oh, the kidnapping with the truck with the fish mural on the window (Help me out with the name). Short of a confession, that'll be tough. Even if a body is found.. Maybe if the truck is found, but.. What are the odds on that after all this time? That thing, there's probably as much left of it as the Breaking Bad RV.

[DALLASTEXAN!!]

I definitely agree with TheCars on this one. Lost Loves can be revived if they want to revive it.

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by Labonte18

Magic Rock.

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

that is still unsolved

[Labonte18]

You think it's solvable?

Frankly.. I do think it's solved. it's a friggin' rock. That's it. A rock.

[DALLASTEXAN!!]

Originally Posted by Labonte18

You think it's solvable?

Frankly.. I do think it's solved. it's a friggin' rock. That's it. A rock.

some of the treasure segments are also still unsolved. and I think some of them are ridiculous. Yet, I also love the outdoors and think that environmentalists and naturalists can be positivly impacted by geology and nature in general. some experiences can lead to spiritual gain or in the case of gold it has monetary value for some cultures. UM didn't always do itself favors with how they presented segments, but they tried to cover a lot of material especially with religion, tall tales, and spiritualism.

[MediaHoarder]

In my seemingly never ending project to do an in depth statistical analysis of UM, one issue I have pondered is the "solvability" of cases for the purpose of calculating success rates.

To classify each case, or type of case, as solvable or not can be difficult. A priori, I would think of missing persons, wanted fugitives, and crimes to be solvable at least theoretically. Some of them are unsolved and very unlikely to be solved, but in principle there is no reason they could not be.

On the other hand, something like the UFO segments may seem unsolvable by nature of the phenomenon. But arguably some, such as Gulf Breeze and Guardian were presumptively solved. However, it may be that the solvability of UFO cases depends on the type of resolution, ie. hoaxes can be solved, but government or extraterrestrial activity cannot be.

The same seems to apply to miracles, psychic phenomena, etc. in that such cases are not solvable in the general sense, but may be solved if the case proves not legitimate to start with.

Treasure cases seem to be an odd third category, along with historical mysteries. In principle, all of these can be solved but none of them have been.

In any case, when I go to calculate solve rates, I intend to classify the solvency of the case and thus ensure a fair denominator for whatever rate is calculated.

[Jon]

Originally Posted by DALLASTEXAN!!

some of the treasure segments are also still unsolved.

I think all of them. Not the slightest update over all these decades to even one

[TJ]

According to a 1996 press kit release/memo, 63% of the Lost Loves cases were solved as a direct result of the program.

The treasure segments were considered not solvable.

some interesting statistics from a press kit/memo

From the Unsolved Mysteries Official Site:

Of the more than 1,300 mysteries profiled in over 230 episodes, half the cases featuring wanted fugitives have been solved, more than 100 families have been reunited with lost loved ones, and seven individuals who were wrongly convicted of crimes, have been exonerated and released. Cases involving missing persons, missing heirs, murder, fraud, and amnesia have also been solved following UM broadcasts. That adds up to over 260 solved cases.

[Labonte18]

Originally Posted by MediaHoarder

In my seemingly never ending project to do an in depth statistical analysis of UM, one issue I have pondered is the "solvability" of cases for the purpose of calculating success rates.

To classify each case, or type of case, as solvable or not can be difficult. A priori, I would think of missing persons, wanted fugitives, and crimes to be solvable at least theoretically. Some of them are unsolved and very unlikely to be solved, but in principle there is no reason they could not be.

On the other hand, something like the UFO segments may seem unsolvable by nature of the phenomenon. But arguably some, such as Gulf Breeze and Guardian were presumptively solved. However, it may be that the solvability of UFO cases depends on the type of resolution, ie. hoaxes can be solved, but government or extraterrestrial activity cannot be.

The same seems to apply to miracles, psychic phenomena, etc. in that such cases are not solvable in the general sense, but may be solved if the case proves not legitimate to start with.

Treasure cases seem to be an odd third category, along with historical mysteries. In principle, all of these can be solved but none of them have been.

In any case, when I go to calculate solve rates, I intend to classify the solvency of the case and thus ensure a fair denominator for whatever rate is calculated.

Here's something else that I think would be worthwhile to figure in.. Did UM play a part in solving the case?

Some of the cases profiled on UM were solved, but them being profiled had nothing to do with them being solved. You take Dennis Depue.. UM was instrumental in his 'capture'.. He was watching himself profiled when he ran.

Reggie DePalma.. He was profiled on UM in 1993, but it wasn't until he was profiled (again?) on AMW in 2000 that he was captured thanks to a viewer tip from that show. So.. Should that count?

Other cases have been solved over the years, and UM had nothing to do with it.

It's all going to come down to your opinion on many cases, tho. What do you consider solvable? Which cases should UM get credit on?

[DALLASTEXAN!!]

Originally Posted by Jon

I think all of them. Not the slightest update over all these decades to even one

yes! what a gaffe that was lol.

[schmave]

I remember Stack saying at the end of the Victorio Peak segment in particular that if digging resumed at the site, "Unsolved Mysteries will be there." And it was never mentioned again for the rest of the series.

[MediaHoarder]

Originally Posted by Labonte18

Here's something else that I think would be worthwhile to figure in.. Did UM play a part in solving the case?

Oh yes that is also a field I have given a lot of thought to. In addition to flagging solvency status (which is a mix of solvability and status, there are situations between unsolved and solved) flagging the role of UM in attaining that status.

The most clear example of "UM solved it" would be a tip or call via their hotline or right after a broadcast to local authorities. In a decent number of cases someone will have said "I saw it on UM" or whatever. Those are clearly UM solves.

Generally, cases that were not solved after a broadcast, but years later and without a direct connection to the show I would not mark as "solved by UM" although the show contributing to the awareness of the case is still clearly a factor on some level.

We also have a handful of cases that were later solved by trace evidence, I wouldn't classify those as UM either.

Originally Posted by Labonte18

It's all going to come down to your opinion on many cases, tho. What do you consider solvable? Which cases should UM get credit on?

Yes and no. The best practice in working with this kind of data is to establish a set of fixed criteria, possibly in the form of a flow chart, that is used to classify the cases. That is what I have been working towards. So while it is still an opinion as to how to structure that decision rule set, it is at least a fairly consistent way to rule on each case and thus makes whatever statistics drawn from it internally self consistent.