2019 has whizzed past like a fleeting shadow. In just a little over a month we’ll be decking the halls for Christmas again, then ringing in another brand‑new year. As the calendar speeds ahead, a cascade of baffling mysteries continues to amass across the globe. Some of these puzzles will eventually be cracked, but many appear destined to linger forever, keeping investigators and armchair detectives alike guessing.
10 The Murder of Aarushi Talwar
On 16 May 2008, the lifeless body of 13‑year‑old Aarushi Talwar was found in her Noida home, her throat brutally slit. When police could not locate the family’s live‑in domestic worker, 45‑year‑old Hemraj Banjade, he immediately became the prime suspect. The next day, 17 May, Banjade’s own corpse was discovered on a terrace of the same house, turning the investigation on its head.
With Hemraj out of the picture, suspicion swung to Aarushi’s parents. One theory suggested that Rajesh Talwar might have stumbled upon his daughter and Hemraj in a compromising situation and killed them both. Another conjecture held that Rajesh was involved in an affair, was blackmailed by Hemraj, and consequently eliminated both to protect himself.
The case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, which failed to prove the parents’ guilt. The CBI also probed two other domestic staff members and a personal assistant, but nothing materialised. Eventually, a different investigative team convicted Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, sentencing them to life in November 2013. However, in 2017 the couple were acquitted after appealing the verdict. To this day, no fresh leads have emerged, the double murder remains unsolved, and the perpetrator roams free.
9 Smiley Face Murders
Over a span exceeding two decades, roughly 350 young men have been found dead, drowned in lakes and rivers across the American Midwest. Detectives uncovered a series of graffiti smiley faces near at least twelve of the sites, sparking a theory that a serial killer—or perhaps a group—was responsible. Detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte believe the victims were likely drugged after abduction, murdered, and their bodies dumped in water.
Among the victims, 21‑year‑old Brian Welzien vanished on New Year’s Day 2000, his remains recovered eight weeks later from an Indiana lake. In 2009, 24‑year‑old William Hurley disappeared for six days before his body was found floating in a Boston river, a smiley face graffito spotted nearby.
The FBI remains skeptical, attributing most of the drownings to alcohol‑related accidents, yet private investigators press on. A documentary released in early 2019 reignited interest, but whether the elusive killers will ever be identified remains uncertain.
8 Jennifer Beard Murder
Two days after New Year’s celebrations in 1970, a couple traveling near the Haast River in New Zealand stopped at the bridge so their young daughter could use the bathroom. When the 8‑year‑old returned, she claimed to have seen a naked woman. The parents dismissed it as imagination and drove on.
On 19 January, police discovered the “naked lady” beneath the bridge. She had been raped and strangled; later identified as 25‑year‑old Jennifer Beard, who had been reported missing by her fiancé days earlier. Witnesses reported seeing a woman in a blue‑green Vauxhall driven by a middle‑aged man. A truck driver fitting that description was questioned but never charged. A pair of trousers found nearby was sent for analysis, then forgotten for months. When finally examined, a receipt bearing the truck driver’s name was found in a pocket, yet the Crown declined to press charges, citing insufficient evidence.
The truck driver maintained his innocence until his death in 2003. In 2008, police revisited leads, but nothing progressed. To this day, Jennifer Beard’s murder remains officially unsolved.
7 Death of Ashley Turner
Airman 1st Class Ashley Turner was stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik in Iceland when, in 2005, she was brutally murdered close to her dormitory. An Icelandic newspaper posted online revealed that military investigators simply listed her cause of death as trauma to the head and neck.
Ashley, aged 20, had been stabbed in the head and neck—details that constitute the only straightforward information about her killing. The investigation was plagued by multiple erroneous death certificates, a lack of death‑benefit assistance, and scant information from the military.
It later emerged that Ashley was slated to testify against a man accused of stealing from her. She was forced to share a dorm with this suspect. Calvin Eugene Hill was charged with her murder but was acquitted in 2007; he did plead guilty to the theft. Consequently, Ashley’s killer remains at large.
6 Ryan Singleton Disappearance
Twenty‑four‑year‑old model Ryan Singleton left Las Vegas after a vacation and headed back to Los Angeles in July 2013. His car broke down in the Mojave Desert, and a Highway Patrol officer offered to escort him to a rest stop in Baker. Once at the stop, Ryan called a friend for a ride. The friend arrived promptly, but Ryan was nowhere to be seen.
Nearly three months later, two joggers discovered Ryan’s body two miles from the rest stop. His eyes and internal organs were missing. An autopsy could not determine a definitive cause of death due to advanced decomposition. Authorities suggested scavenging animals accounted for the missing organs, while Ryan’s mother insisted on illegal organ‑trafficking as the cause.
By December 2018, the case was still under investigation. Public opinion leans toward murder, regardless of the animal‑scavenging theory. The investigation has stalled, leaving Ryan’s fate a chilling mystery.
5 The Wickenburg Massacre
On 5 November 1871, seven passengers boarded a stagecoach in Wickenburg bound for California. An hour after departure, the coach was ambushed; five passengers and the driver were slain, leaving only two survivors.
Survivor William Kruger claimed a “band of Indians” carried out the attack, while fellow survivor Mollie Sheppard blamed “Mexican bandits.” General George Crook dispatched an officer to investigate, concluding that raiders at Date Creek were responsible. This led to an attempted attack on Crook, after which his cavalry killed around forty Indigenous people and forced many Yavapai and Tonto Apache residents onto the San Carlos Apache Reservation.
The true perpetrators were never identified. Some theorise that white criminals disguised as Indians carried out the robbery, while others suspect the survivors themselves staged the massacre to disguise a robbery.
4 Little Girl Blue
Eight‑year‑old Helen Bailey, nicknamed “Little Girl Blue” for the blue clothing she wore, left her Birmingham home on 10 August 1975 to play outside. When she failed to return at the agreed time, her mother alerted the police. The following morning, Helen’s body was discovered in dense woodland at Booth Farm, her throat cut—identified as the cause of death.
Initially, the pathologist deemed the death accidental, noting no signs of struggle and lacking hallmarks of an attack. However, a 2014 review revealed she had been strangled before the throat cut. In 1979, someone allegedly confessed to the killing, yet no prosecution followed. In July 2019, coroner Louise Hunt considered asking the CPS to revisit a suspect already convicted on an unrelated charge, as he remained the sole viable lead.
To this day, Helen Bailey’s murder remains unsolved.
3 Dorothy Scott Disappearance
On 27 May 1980, 32‑year‑old Dorothy Jane Scott attended a company meeting after dropping her son at her parents’ house. During the meeting, a colleague complained of severe pain. Dorothy offered to drive the colleague, Conrad Bostron, to the emergency room, accompanied by another coworker, Pam Head.
Doctors diagnosed a black‑widow spider bite, treated Conrad, and discharged him at 11 p.m. Dorothy left the hospital to retrieve her car, and Pam saw the vehicle exit the parking lot, but Dorothy never returned. Two hours later, Pam alerted hospital security that Dorothy was missing and called her parents.
Subsequent investigations revealed Dorothy had been stalked by an unknown male who repeatedly called her home, claiming knowledge of events only a witness could know. After her disappearance, the stalker continued calling, asking for Dorothy or boasting of having killed her. When Dorothy’s father answered in 1984, the calls ceased. In August 1984, Dorothy’s remains were found buried beneath a dog in Anaheim Hills along Santa Ana Canyon Road. The stalker made two final calls, again demanding Dorothy, before disappearing forever. The killer remains at large.
2 The Disappearance of Amy Billig
Seventeen‑year‑old Amy Billig lived in Coconut Grove, Florida, with her parents Ned and Susan and younger brother Josh. On 5 March 1974, around noon, Amy returned home from school for lunch, planning to meet friends later. She called her father to borrow money, then vanished while hitchhiking to his office.
Days later, twins Charles and Larry Glasser claimed to have kidnapped Amy, demanding a $30,000 ransom. Police quickly uncovered the ruse, arresting them for extortion. Investigators interviewed family, friends, and neighbours, finding no evidence of a voluntary disappearance. Amy’s camera was recovered at the Wildwood exit on the Florida Turnpike; most photos were overexposed, and the few clear ones offered no clues.
Twelve days after her disappearance, Susan received tips suggesting Amy had been taken by the Outlaws motorcycle gang and moved across the country. Susan chased leads from Oklahoma to Seattle to England, meeting several bikers who offered contradictory information. Over the next two decades, she received sporadic calls from a “Hank Johnson” claiming to have Amy, describing her alleged training as a sex slave. Eventually, police traced the calls to U.S. Customs agent Henry Johnson Blair, who confessed to the harassment. In 1996, Blair was sentenced to two years for stalking and ordered to pay a settlement. Despite these twists, Amy’s fate remains a mystery. Susan Billig passed away in 2005, still hoping for answers.
1 Kanika Powell’s Murder
After completing her military tour, 28‑year‑old Kanika Powell secured a position as a security contractor at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory. Two years later, her role became permanent, involving work on national‑security projects for the Department of Homeland Security.
Because of the sensitivity of her job, Kanika remained vigilant. One evening, a man posing as an FBI agent attempted to enter her apartment; she refused and called the police, informing her loved ones of the incident.
Four days later, another stranger arrived, claiming she needed to sign for a delivery. Kanika again refused entry and called her mother. Later that day, as she returned from errands, someone waited in the hallway; as she approached her door, the assailant opened fire, striking her multiple times. She succumbed to her injuries the following day.
Three months later, 31‑year‑old Sean Green was ambushed at a red light, shot nine times, and later identified as another national‑security contractor murdered 25 miles from Kanika’s residence. Both killings remain unsolved.