These days, you often hear cautionary horror stories about Craigslist, where innocent victims will either post or answer an advertisement on the website and end up crossing paths with a psychopath who used the ad to lure them to a meeting and do them harm. However, this type of thing occurred long before Craigslist even existed. There have been numerous frightening tales of unsuspecting victims who were lured to a meeting with an unknown individual and wound up being murdered or vanishing without a trace. In many of these unsolved cases, the identity and motive of the person who arranged the ill‑fated meeting is unknown, and it’s possible that the victim was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Victims Lured Into Mysterious Meetings
10 The Disappearance Of Leonard Dirickson
Leonard Dirickson, a 39‑year‑old divorcee, lived on a dairy farm in Strong City, Oklahoma with his teenage son, Jared. On the crisp morning of March 14, 1998, a stranger in a pickup truck rolled up to the farmhouse. Leonard stepped outside to chat, and after a few minutes he returned and told Jared that the visitor was interested in buying one of his horses—something Leonard had never advertised.
Despite the oddness, Leonard left with the unknown man in the pickup to show the horse. That would be the last time Jared saw his father. A waitress later reported spotting Leonard and the stranger at a nearby coffee shop a couple of hours later. Six months on, police received an anonymous tip that Leonard had been seen at a bar in Amarillo, Texas. When officers arrived, the caller had vanished and Leonard was nowhere to be found.
Leonard was wrestling with serious financial strain from his divorce and a collapsed dairy operation, leading some to wonder if he’d vanished voluntarily. Yet friends and family are convinced he would never abandon his son. To this day, Leonard Dirickson remains missing, and the identity of the man who visited that fateful morning is still a mystery.
9 The Murder Of Dorothy Miller
In 1969, 48‑year‑old Dorothy Miller was the sole female real‑estate agent in Burlington, Iowa. On the night of August 15, she received a call from a man identifying himself as “Robert Clark,” who wanted to view a house for sale. Because Dorothy disliked showing houses alone after dark, she brought her husband, Fred, along.
The couple met Clark, who claimed he was moving his family from Des Moines. The next morning, Clark called again, asking to photograph the property for his wife. Dorothy wasn’t available, so she scheduled a new showing for August 18. Neighbors later saw the pair entering the house together.
When Fred awoke the following morning, Dorothy was missing. Police found her body in an upstairs closet, having been knocked unconscious, tied, sexually assaulted, and stabbed 22 times. Robert Clark vanished without a trace, leading investigators to suspect the name was an alias. The cold, calculated nature of the crime hinted at a possible serial offender, but the perpetrator has never been identified.
8 The Murder Of Penny Bell
In June 1991, 43‑year‑old Penny Bell ran a thriving employment agency in Denham, England, sharing a home with her husband and two children. At about 9:40 AM, builders renovating the house saw Penny leave, telling them she was late for an appointment. Two hours later, her car was discovered parked at the Gurnell Leisure Centre in Greenford, London, with Penny’s body slumped in the driver’s seat, bearing 50 stab and slash wounds.
Penny never recorded any details about the mysterious appointment, and her diary held no entry for it. Just three days earlier, she had withdrawn £8,500 from the joint account—a sum that was never recovered, and no one knows what she intended to spend it on. Inside the back seat lay a stack of design samples, suggesting she was showing something to a client before the attack.
Witnesses reported seeing Penny’s car driving through Greenford with an unidentified male passenger, visibly struggling, and the victim mouthing “help me.” The prevailing theory is that Penny met her killer elsewhere, was forced to drive to the leisure centre, and was murdered there. The identity and motive of the assailant remain unknown.
7 The Disappearance Of Carmen Hallock
On December 18, 1969, 22‑year‑old Carmen Hallock, a waitress and junior‑college student from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, met her former sister‑in‑law, Nancy Bauer, for lunch. Carmen mentioned she had an evening meeting about a lucrative employment opportunity. She claimed a college teacher had reached out, saying he did undercover government work and could offer a well‑paid position.
After that day, Carmen vanished. Nancy grew concerned when she didn’t hear from her over Christmas. A search of Carmen’s apartment revealed an unfed dog, and her car was later found abandoned in a nearby lot, prompting an official missing‑person report.
Gerard John Schaefer Jr., convicted of two murders in 1973, was suspected of having many more victims. Among his possessions were two gold‑filled teeth and a shamrock pin believed to belong to Carmen. Schaefer had briefly worked as an intern teacher in Fort Lauderdale in 1969 and authored a bizarre story about a woman in a black dress and high heels. On the day she disappeared, Carmen bought black high heels for the supposed meeting. Schaefer was murdered in prison in 1995, taking any possible involvement in Carmen’s case to his grave.
6 The Murder Of Lindsay Buziak
On February 2, 2008, 24‑year‑old real‑estate agent Lindsay Buziak received a call from a woman requesting a showing of an expensive home in Saanich, Vancouver. After agreeing to meet at 5:30 PM, Lindsay got another call from a man claiming he would meet her instead, which made her uneasy. She asked her boyfriend, Jason Zailo, to check in while she showed the house.
Jason and a friend arrived at 5:45 PM, reported seeing two figures moving inside. When Lindsay failed to reply to a text, the pair entered the house and discovered Lindsay’s body in an upstairs bedroom, stabbed more than 40 times.
A call was placed from Lindsay’s Blackberry at 5:41 PM, likely an accidental dial during the attack. Witnesses said she entered the house with a man and woman shortly before the call. The cell phone used for the crime was purchased under the name “Paulo Rodriguez.”
In December 2007, Lindsay had visited her father in Calgary and befriended someone who was later arrested in the largest cocaine bust in Alberta’s history. Some speculate the murder was linked to that bust. In February 2016, Lindsay’s father claimed a person involved in the case threatened him, suggesting drug dealers targeted Lindsay to send a message. No charges have ever been filed.
5 The Disappearance Of Revelle Balmain
In 1994, 22‑year‑old Revelle Balmain, a Sydney‑based aspiring model and dancer, landed a six‑month dance tour in Japan. On the night of November 5, she called a friend saying she had just finished an appointment and wanted to meet for drinks, but she never showed up. She had planned to visit her parents the next day, yet she disappeared.
Later, her belongings—including her bag and keys—were scattered around Kingsford, a suburb of Sydney. Police learned Revelle had taken a side job as an escort to earn extra cash. The “appointment” she mentioned was with a client hired through her escort agency, intended to be her final gig before heading to Japan.
The client, Kingsford resident Gavin Owen Samer, claimed he dropped Revelle off at a nearby pub before heading home. However, Samer was later seen with noticeable injuries and scratches, which he attributed to a surfing accident. In 2008, forensic evidence suggested Revelle may have been killed inside Samer’s house the night she vanished, but the evidence wasn’t strong enough for charges. Revelle Balmain remains missing.
4 The Murder Of David Merrifield
In 1995, 42‑year‑old real‑estate attorney David Merrifield was a partner at Smith, Merrifield, and Richards in Dallas. At around 7:30 AM on February 2, two female employees summoned the building’s elevator, only to find David’s body inside, shot in the back of the head execution‑style.
Initially, investigators thought robbery might be the motive because David’s wallet was missing, but it was later recovered a few miles away with cash and credit cards intact. A closer look at David’s desk revealed a scheduled 6:30 AM meeting that morning with someone named “Sam Jones.” The firm had received four phone calls the day before from a man using that name. David eventually spoke with the caller, who claimed he wanted to do something for him.
David typically arrived at the office around 9:00 AM, making the early meeting highly unusual. It’s theorized the killer arranged the 6:30 AM slot so David would be alone in the building. “Sam Jones” was almost certainly an alias, and his true identity and motive remain unknown.
3 The Disappearance Of Mary Shinn
In 1978, 25‑year‑old Mary Shinn ran an art studio in Magnolia, Arkansas, and dabbed in real‑estate on the side. She placed a newspaper ad to sell a home she owned. On July 19, Mary showed the house to an unidentified man who wanted to trade her property for a piece of land he owned outside town.
The next day, the man called again, saying his car was being repaired and asking Mary to meet him at the EZ Mart across from her studio so she could give him a lift to view the house again. Mary agreed, and then vanished.
Later that afternoon, Mary’s unlocked car was found in a grocery store parking lot, containing her keys, purse, sneakers, and a wallet full of money. Traces of seeds and grass inside indicated the vehicle had been driven through a meadow before being abandoned. A witness at the EZ Mart reported a young man asking for a quarter to use the payphone that morning—likely the same caller. The theory is that the meeting was a lure to a different location where Mary was murdered. Her body has never been recovered, and the caller’s identity remains unknown.
2 The Murder Of Joanna Parrish
In 1990, 20‑year‑old Joanna Parrish, a language student at Leeds University, was originally from Newnham on Severn, Gloucestershire, England. She traveled to Auxerre, France, for a work placement teaching English at a local school. To supplement her income, she placed a newspaper ad offering English lessons.
On the evening of May 16, Joanna received a call from an unidentified man who wanted to hire her to teach his son English. She arranged to meet him in the town centre, which turned out to be the last time she was seen alive. The following day, her nude body was discovered in the River Yonne, having been sexually assaulted, beaten, and strangled.
The case went cold for years until investigators linked it to Michel Fourniret, a serial killer convicted of raping and murdering seven young women. Fourniret’s wife, Monique Olivier, was also sentenced for assisting in luring victims. She initially provided details suggesting they were involved in a murder in Auxerre, then later recanted. Complicating matters, DNA evidence from Joanna’s case was lost, making it difficult to formally charge Fourniret. The murder remains officially unsolved.
1 The Disappearances Of Nick And Lisa Masee
In 1994, 55‑year‑old Nick Masee, a recently retired banker, lived in Vancouver with his 39‑year‑old wife, Lisa. On August 10, they declined a night out with friends, claiming they had an appointment with an unidentified man who needed Nick’s help investing $10 million. Nick booked a table for four at his favorite restaurant, but no one showed up, and he never called to cancel.
There were reports of the couple being seen that night at another venue in the nearby Westin Bayshore hotel. The next day, Lisa used Nick’s cell phone to call her boss and Nick’s business partner, saying they would be away for a few days due to a court case—this was the last anyone heard from them.
A week later, their house was found unlocked with the car parked in the driveway. Two plastic zip ties lay near the front door, their passports remained inside, and the money in their bank accounts was untouched. Earlier that year, the Masees had taken an unexplained trip to the Cayman Islands, opening a bank account with $50,000 worth of stock and drafting new wills.
Nick’s long banking career had intersected with many controversial figures, sparking rumors that he might have become entangled in illegal activities that led to their disappearance. None of these rumors have ever been substantiated. Nick and Lisa Masee remain missing, and the mysterious investor who arranged the meeting is still unknown.