10 Biggest Mistakes That Damaged Investigations Into Unsolved Cases
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Date: 2024-05-08
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Comments and reviews: 20
watchmojo
Others:
-Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon. 2 Dutch college students who went to Panama to study abroad. They hiked a trail there, and were never seen alive again. Months later, some of their belongings were found, and some bones were found that were proven to be their bones. But, because of police mishandling, the case has never been solved. Their backpack has 30 fingerprints on it and they never made an effort to find out who they belonged to. They waited too long to even start the investigation. The host mom initially concluded that they just stayed out for the night and an investigation wasn't started until the next day. If you wait to start an investigation, it reduces your chances of finding them alive and solving the case. There's a ton of conflicting evidence and there have been conflicting reports about the case. No one has ever been able to solve it.
-Brian Shaffer. A student in medical school and a die-hard Pearl Jam fan. He went to a bar. Cameras showed him going into the bar. They didn't show him leaving the bar. He was never seen or heard from ever again. No one knows if he is alive or dead. Police failed to search the building and the construction site next-door, though his body is likely in one of those 2 places. His friend Clint is believe to know what happened but has never been questioned. Pearl Jam tried to raise awareness of his disappearance by bringing it up during their shows that year, but that led to nothing.
-Andrew Gosden. A boy in England who skipped school and took a train to London and was never seen again. Last seen wearing a Slipknot shirt. Police didn't take this case seriously for about a month. By the time they did, critical camera evidence was destroyed or lost. The last confirmed footage of him is at the train station in London. No one knows where he went after that.
-Summer Wells. A 5-year-old girl who mysteriously disappeared. The parents are considered the prime suspects, police never actually dug up their yard to see if she was buried on their property. She has never been found.
-Casey Anthony. She murdered her daughter, but got away with it somehow
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Others:
-Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon. 2 Dutch college students who went to Panama to study abroad. They hiked a trail there, and were never seen alive again. Months later, some of their belongings were found, and some bones were found that were proven to be their bones. But, because of police mishandling, the case has never been solved. Their backpack has 30 fingerprints on it and they never made an effort to find out who they belonged to. They waited too long to even start the investigation. The host mom initially concluded that they just stayed out for the night and an investigation wasn't started until the next day. If you wait to start an investigation, it reduces your chances of finding them alive and solving the case. There's a ton of conflicting evidence and there have been conflicting reports about the case. No one has ever been able to solve it.
-Brian Shaffer. A student in medical school and a die-hard Pearl Jam fan. He went to a bar. Cameras showed him going into the bar. They didn't show him leaving the bar. He was never seen or heard from ever again. No one knows if he is alive or dead. Police failed to search the building and the construction site next-door, though his body is likely in one of those 2 places. His friend Clint is believe to know what happened but has never been questioned. Pearl Jam tried to raise awareness of his disappearance by bringing it up during their shows that year, but that led to nothing.
-Andrew Gosden. A boy in England who skipped school and took a train to London and was never seen again. Last seen wearing a Slipknot shirt. Police didn't take this case seriously for about a month. By the time they did, critical camera evidence was destroyed or lost. The last confirmed footage of him is at the train station in London. No one knows where he went after that.
-Summer Wells. A 5-year-old girl who mysteriously disappeared. The parents are considered the prime suspects, police never actually dug up their yard to see if she was buried on their property. She has never been found.
-Casey Anthony. She murdered her daughter, but got away with it somehow
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watchmojo
Incompetent police work, untrue statements, failure to follow-up statements. These are some of the major reasons why murders and disappearances go unsolved. One case that comes to mind is the case of Steven Truscott, who was convicted at 14 for killing his 12yo friend, Lynne Harper. He was sentenced to death and just two hours before he was due to be executed, he was commuted to life in prison. He spent 10 years before he was released. He was convicted in 1959 and his name wasn’t cleared until 2007. 48 years. That’s almost half a century.
Literally the only evidence detectives had was the eyewitness accounts of 10 year olds and the fact he was the last known person to see Lynne alive.
Truscott stated he rode his bike (with Lynne sitting on the handlebars) from the school, passed a wooded area called Farmer Lawson’s Bush (where Lynne’s body was found a day or two later, crossed a bridge and dropped her off at a highway intersection. When Truscott turned around and stopped at the bridge, he looked back and saw a Chevy car stop beside Lynne. Lynne got in and the car drove off.
Truscott maintained that’s what he saw but the police did little to investigate and didn’t even check the area for the car Steven described.
This case was one of many tragic cases. Truscott lost a majority of his life with killer over his head and Lynne Harper’s murder remains unsolved.
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Incompetent police work, untrue statements, failure to follow-up statements. These are some of the major reasons why murders and disappearances go unsolved. One case that comes to mind is the case of Steven Truscott, who was convicted at 14 for killing his 12yo friend, Lynne Harper. He was sentenced to death and just two hours before he was due to be executed, he was commuted to life in prison. He spent 10 years before he was released. He was convicted in 1959 and his name wasn’t cleared until 2007. 48 years. That’s almost half a century.
Literally the only evidence detectives had was the eyewitness accounts of 10 year olds and the fact he was the last known person to see Lynne alive.
Truscott stated he rode his bike (with Lynne sitting on the handlebars) from the school, passed a wooded area called Farmer Lawson’s Bush (where Lynne’s body was found a day or two later, crossed a bridge and dropped her off at a highway intersection. When Truscott turned around and stopped at the bridge, he looked back and saw a Chevy car stop beside Lynne. Lynne got in and the car drove off.
Truscott maintained that’s what he saw but the police did little to investigate and didn’t even check the area for the car Steven described.
This case was one of many tragic cases. Truscott lost a majority of his life with killer over his head and Lynne Harper’s murder remains unsolved.
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TheCr1msonfuckr
There's a couple that should be mentioned:
Death of Adam Walsh: Police lose the car, car mat, and machete belonging to Otis Toole, costing them evidence that could have tried and convicted Toole. While Toole did confess, he recanted, though his niece has claimed he was responsible.
1991 Austin Yogurt shop murders: forced confessions, no records of the actual interrogations, and violating the Confrontation Clause ruined the legitimacy of the case against the suspects in the crime.
Disappearance of Charlene Downes: Downes vanished in 2003 in Blackpoole, UK. While numerous suspects remain to this day, the focus of the police investigation was on the owners of a kebab store who were believed to have killed her and disposed of the remains in food. Police conducted surveillance operation, but due to the abysmal quality of the microphones, the suspects were able to go free.
I feel these 3 cases really warrant a mention for how infuriatingly botched they were.
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There's a couple that should be mentioned:
Death of Adam Walsh: Police lose the car, car mat, and machete belonging to Otis Toole, costing them evidence that could have tried and convicted Toole. While Toole did confess, he recanted, though his niece has claimed he was responsible.
1991 Austin Yogurt shop murders: forced confessions, no records of the actual interrogations, and violating the Confrontation Clause ruined the legitimacy of the case against the suspects in the crime.
Disappearance of Charlene Downes: Downes vanished in 2003 in Blackpoole, UK. While numerous suspects remain to this day, the focus of the police investigation was on the owners of a kebab store who were believed to have killed her and disposed of the remains in food. Police conducted surveillance operation, but due to the abysmal quality of the microphones, the suspects were able to go free.
I feel these 3 cases really warrant a mention for how infuriatingly botched they were.
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watchmojo
I think the most likely killer of Jonbenet Ramsey is the brother. He has a couple of motives. He was jealous that she got more attention than he did. She also ate pineapple out of his pineapple bowl. He could have killed her and then his mother could have written the ransom note so they could frame it as a kidnapping. The ransom note was incredibly long (a kidnapper wouldn't spend the time in there writing a lengthy ransom note. He'd want to get out of there is quickly as possible, it mentioned the dad's Christmas bonus (how would a random kidnapper know that) and it was in the mom's handwriting. Plus, the ransom note said that the kidnappers had her and she was still alive, when in fact no kidnapper had her (she was found in the basement) and she was dead. Plus, the Ramseys could have invited a lot of people into their home on purpose to contaminate the crime scene so that they'd get away with it. Plus, the brother doesn't seem sad about it.
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I think the most likely killer of Jonbenet Ramsey is the brother. He has a couple of motives. He was jealous that she got more attention than he did. She also ate pineapple out of his pineapple bowl. He could have killed her and then his mother could have written the ransom note so they could frame it as a kidnapping. The ransom note was incredibly long (a kidnapper wouldn't spend the time in there writing a lengthy ransom note. He'd want to get out of there is quickly as possible, it mentioned the dad's Christmas bonus (how would a random kidnapper know that) and it was in the mom's handwriting. Plus, the ransom note said that the kidnappers had her and she was still alive, when in fact no kidnapper had her (she was found in the basement) and she was dead. Plus, the Ramseys could have invited a lot of people into their home on purpose to contaminate the crime scene so that they'd get away with it. Plus, the brother doesn't seem sad about it.
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anthonyperno1348
Jack the Ripper: The Metropolitan Police learned fast over the 15-week period.
They made many, many mistakes but learned from each one.
By the time of what would turn out tobe the last murder, Mary Kelly, the crime scene can be considered the first modern crime scene.
Now, on the other hand, their handling of the early crime scenes can be used as a check off list of things you DON'T do to a crime scene.
In reaction to one of the very early murders, Polly Nichols, the police, within the first hour, striped and washed the body, threw away the victim's clothes, and scrubbed away the blood. Then, the CID detectives were called in. Lol
With no blood, CID assumed the body had been dumped. They spent the first 24 hours searching carriages for blood.
It took the next day for the uniforms to tell the plain clothes guys. They had washed away the blood.
But by the end, Scotland Yard learned quickly from each mistake.
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Jack the Ripper: The Metropolitan Police learned fast over the 15-week period.
They made many, many mistakes but learned from each one.
By the time of what would turn out tobe the last murder, Mary Kelly, the crime scene can be considered the first modern crime scene.
Now, on the other hand, their handling of the early crime scenes can be used as a check off list of things you DON'T do to a crime scene.
In reaction to one of the very early murders, Polly Nichols, the police, within the first hour, striped and washed the body, threw away the victim's clothes, and scrubbed away the blood. Then, the CID detectives were called in. Lol
With no blood, CID assumed the body had been dumped. They spent the first 24 hours searching carriages for blood.
It took the next day for the uniforms to tell the plain clothes guys. They had washed away the blood.
But by the end, Scotland Yard learned quickly from each mistake.
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Cibzo
in 1995, a woman was found dead at the Oslo Plaza hotel. the police ruled it as a suicide, which didn't make sense due to the gun used. this caused the case to be cold and untouched for 21 years.
there has been renewed interest in the case, as the gun used in the supposed suicide would've torn her fingers off with the recoil, which it didn't.
I think it is an episode about it in season one of Netflix's unsolved mysteries.
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in 1995, a woman was found dead at the Oslo Plaza hotel. the police ruled it as a suicide, which didn't make sense due to the gun used. this caused the case to be cold and untouched for 21 years.
there has been renewed interest in the case, as the gun used in the supposed suicide would've torn her fingers off with the recoil, which it didn't.
I think it is an episode about it in season one of Netflix's unsolved mysteries.
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watchmojo
They're trying to say that those boys smoked 20 joints! Lol that is a hell of a lot of weed and although I know teenagers who can smoke a lot, 20 joints seems excessive. This is definitely some kind of cover up and they are just trying to blame the boys saying they smoked too much and fell asleep on the tracks. Something else definitely happened to them. I hope for the grieving families that the truth is found.
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They're trying to say that those boys smoked 20 joints! Lol that is a hell of a lot of weed and although I know teenagers who can smoke a lot, 20 joints seems excessive. This is definitely some kind of cover up and they are just trying to blame the boys saying they smoked too much and fell asleep on the tracks. Something else definitely happened to them. I hope for the grieving families that the truth is found.
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martinboyle9163
Police searched Ramsey's house three times and finally her father asked if they had looked behind the central heating unit, and lo and behold, there she was.
Then they brought her body upstairs into the living room and everyone who was at the house looking for her had a prayer circle around her body.
It wasn't until much later that several practice ransom notes were found in the home.
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Police searched Ramsey's house three times and finally her father asked if they had looked behind the central heating unit, and lo and behold, there she was.
Then they brought her body upstairs into the living room and everyone who was at the house looking for her had a prayer circle around her body.
It wasn't until much later that several practice ransom notes were found in the home.
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JessePerez-vr7nn
Another case is the Setagaya family murders, in Japan. The dad, mom, daughter were brutally stabbed to death and the son was strangled. What's weird is the killer left behind so much EVIDENCE! Even his in the toilet! And it happened at the end of 2000. DNA was already way more advanced.
By the way, I 100% agree that SOMEONE in the house killed Jon Benet!
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Another case is the Setagaya family murders, in Japan. The dad, mom, daughter were brutally stabbed to death and the son was strangled. What's weird is the killer left behind so much EVIDENCE! Even his in the toilet! And it happened at the end of 2000. DNA was already way more advanced.
By the way, I 100% agree that SOMEONE in the house killed Jon Benet!
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petermontoya1796
There is a reason why crimes like these aren't solved. The police are instructed to mishandle evidence or misplace or flat out throw evidence away. Why Because the killer/s are somehow involved in the family of the police or local government, or that the Federal Government was involved in the deaths and they are using the local police to cover up these crimes.
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There is a reason why crimes like these aren't solved. The police are instructed to mishandle evidence or misplace or flat out throw evidence away. Why Because the killer/s are somehow involved in the family of the police or local government, or that the Federal Government was involved in the deaths and they are using the local police to cover up these crimes.
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leobacelli3459
Truth be told the Ramsey case and of course, the O. J. Simpson case is one of the many many unsolved cases of the years that caught my attention, others being the zodiac case, and of course, unsolved case about that poor girl who got knife wound to the back and nobody recognized that she was deceased because she was wearing a red sweater
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Truth be told the Ramsey case and of course, the O. J. Simpson case is one of the many many unsolved cases of the years that caught my attention, others being the zodiac case, and of course, unsolved case about that poor girl who got knife wound to the back and nobody recognized that she was deceased because she was wearing a red sweater
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mojo3318
It's scary how cases go cold. People should not mess with any evidence and should investigate before concluding anything. They sure did make the biggest mistakes. Also, I learned about the fire at an amusement park ride in Australia. I didn't know that was one of the cases unsolved. The guy who built the ride didn't make it safe for people.
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It's scary how cases go cold. People should not mess with any evidence and should investigate before concluding anything. They sure did make the biggest mistakes. Also, I learned about the fire at an amusement park ride in Australia. I didn't know that was one of the cases unsolved. The guy who built the ride didn't make it safe for people.
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SirAsdf
5: 20 You conveniently leave out quite a few things from this entry. Namely how Tiffany had a history of CPS visits against her family, how she'd had a confrontation with them earlier that night, and how a sniffer dog proved she'd taken the exact route the police expected, all but confirming she'd taken her own life.
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5: 20 You conveniently leave out quite a few things from this entry. Namely how Tiffany had a history of CPS visits against her family, how she'd had a confrontation with them earlier that night, and how a sniffer dog proved she'd taken the exact route the police expected, all but confirming she'd taken her own life.
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greatfilmmaker
People won't like what I say. But because they rushed in OJ Simpson's house and messed up the crime scene.
We'll never know who killed them because, according to the guy that created d. DNA evidence, the d. N A evidence was inconclusive Cause the cops were rushing on a big black man
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People won't like what I say. But because they rushed in OJ Simpson's house and messed up the crime scene.
We'll never know who killed them because, according to the guy that created d. DNA evidence, the d. N A evidence was inconclusive Cause the cops were rushing on a big black man
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richardhoehn9922
The Yogurt Shop Murders in Austin Texas remain unsolved. The local fire department mucked up the crime scene before realizing there were four bodies. Two individuals were wrongly convicted, and one of the (female) bodies had a DNA sample from an unknown individual.
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The Yogurt Shop Murders in Austin Texas remain unsolved. The local fire department mucked up the crime scene before realizing there were four bodies. Two individuals were wrongly convicted, and one of the (female) bodies had a DNA sample from an unknown individual.
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trillioncrowns
Jon benet Ramsey was crazy! It was a cult killing and rape! What money, power and lack of fear of god will do. scum of the world! Even the police force was in on it! Its a cold world! But god is real.
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Jon benet Ramsey was crazy! It was a cult killing and rape! What money, power and lack of fear of god will do. scum of the world! Even the police force was in on it! Its a cold world! But god is real.
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batgurrl
The picture of poor little Ramsey in the thumbnail drew me in, but Other than Jack The Ripper and The Black Dahlya, Zodiac Killer and her, I never heard of any of these other cases and I am 64
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The picture of poor little Ramsey in the thumbnail drew me in, but Other than Jack The Ripper and The Black Dahlya, Zodiac Killer and her, I never heard of any of these other cases and I am 64
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garethtudor836
Regarding the Luna Park fire, a quick look at the New South Wales police force's reputation in the '70s and '80s will make the mishandling of any major crime seem like business as usual
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Regarding the Luna Park fire, a quick look at the New South Wales police force's reputation in the '70s and '80s will make the mishandling of any major crime seem like business as usual
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watchmojo
I feel that a proper and detail investigation should have been done over the death of act George Reese.
To this day I do not believe he committed suicide, he was murdered.
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I feel that a proper and detail investigation should have been done over the death of act George Reese.
To this day I do not believe he committed suicide, he was murdered.
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alicedelgado955
Vilisca Axe Murders
The whole neighborhood went into that house to oogle the crime scene! All of them picked up the murder weapon and it was just a complete mess.
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Vilisca Axe Murders
The whole neighborhood went into that house to oogle the crime scene! All of them picked up the murder weapon and it was just a complete mess.
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