Unsolved cold cases refer to criminal investigations that have gone unsolved for many years and have no more viable leads. These cases remain open either because evidence is limited or because new technology that could analyze the evidence has not emerged. Cold cases represent a frustrating challenge for law enforcement as the passage of time often makes it difficult or impossible to find answers. However, cold cases also offer hope that justice may still be served if new evidence or witnesses eventually come to light. Some of the most infamous unsolved crimes have remained mysteries for decades, though advances in forensic technology have recently helped crack a number of them. Still, the oldest cases have stumped generations of investigators and many unsolved crimes from past centuries are likely to remain permanently unsolved.
What Qualifies as an Unsolved Cold Case?
There is no universally accepted definition for what qualifies as a cold case, but most experts say it involves the following factors:
- The crime happened at least one year ago
- No arrests were made or charges filed within the first year
- The case was officially investigated when the crime happened but the leads eventually went cold
- There is new evidence or modern technology that could potentially solve the case
So a cold case is essentially any criminal investigation from at least a year ago where all leads were exhausted and no suspects were identified or apprehended. However, if promising new evidence or forensic techniques emerge, the case can potentially be re-opened and solved despite the passage of time.
The Beast of Gévaudan Murders – 1764-1767
One of the oldest unsolved serial murder cases is the Beast of Gévaudan killings that took place in south-central France in the mid-18th century. Between 1764 and 1767, there were over 200 reported attacks by the so-called “Beast of Gévaudan” resulting in 113 deaths, mostly women and children.
The killings sparked terror throughout the rural province of Gévaudan. The prefect of the province organized hunts for the beast, even bringing in the famous royal huntsman Jean-Baptiste Duhamel with a team of hounds. The killings briefly stopped in 1765 after a large wolf was killed, leading to speculation that the beast had been found. However, more attacks resumed the following year with over 45 people killed.
In June 1767, locals killed a large wolf weighing over 100 pounds. The killings subsided after this, suggesting this wolf may have been the man-eater responsible. However, the theory remains contested even today with other experts suggesting the attacks may have come from multiple beasts or been carried out by human killers. With a lack of forensic evidence from over 250 years ago, the true identity of the Beast of Gévaudan remains one of history’s most intriguing unsolved mysteries.
Servant Girl Annihilator Murders – 1884-1885
In 1880s Austin, Texas, an unidentified serial killer called the “Servant Girl Annihilator” terrorized the city as he brutally killed eight people, mostly servant girls, over the course of a year. The murders were thought to have been committed by the same perpetrator based on similarities in the way the victims were attacked in their beds while asleep.
The first victims were servant girls in December 1884 and early 1885 who were sexually assaulted and killed with an axe. Later victims included the wife of a local reverend in September 1885. After this murder, the killer sent notes to the Austin newspapers mocking the police for failing to stop him. The murders then abruptly stopped in December 1885 after killing two more servant girls.
Police suspected the killer was likely a white male based on witness reports and the racial patterns of his victims, who were mostly African American women. A leading theory focused on Nathan Elgin, a 19-year-old cook with ties to several of the victims. However, the evidence was circumstantial and Elgin denied involvement. While over 400 men were arrested during the investigation, no conclusive evidence linked any of them to the murders. The identity of the killer therefore remains a mystery over 135 years later.
Hinterkaifeck Murders – 1922
One of Germany’s oldest unsolved murder mysteries is the gruesome Hinterkaifeck killings that happened on a Bavarian farmstead in 1922. Six people including women and children were found bludgeoned to death in the barn just outside the farm home. The case shocked the nation and more than 100 people were questioned, but no suspect was ever found.
The murders likely took place on the evening of March 31, 1922, though the bodies were not discovered until April 4, several days later. The victims included a farmer, his wife, their daughter, and two grandchildren as well as a maid. Autopsies suggested the killer or killers lured the family members one by one to the barn to kill them with a pickaxe.
The murders have spawned many theories over the decades. Some suspected the killings were committed by a disgruntled former employee dismissed by the farmer. Others suggested a suspected affair or links to occult groups in the region. But with no concrete evidence, the perpetrator and motives remain unknown. The abandoned farm was demolished in 1923 and the case is considered one that will likely never be solved given how much time has passed. It remains one of Germany’s oldest and most notorious unsolved crimes.
Oldest Unsolved Murder Cases by Decade
Here is a look at some of the other oldest unsolved murder cases decade by decade:
1600s
- 1689 – Captain Nicholas Manning Kidnapping: British Royal Navy captain was kidnapped in England and a £1,000 ransom demanded, but he was killed anyway and the case never solved.
1700s
- 1763 – Julia Martha Thomas Murder: Wealthy widow killed by unknown perpetrator and body mutilated and boiled, leading to the “Barnes Mystery” in England.
- 1773 – Helena Kotlar Murder: 12-year-old girl found brutally murdered in Znojmo, Czech Republic with the killer never identified.
1800s
- 1808 – Holloway Hill Murder: Unidentified skeleton of a woman found with a stab wound to the ribs in London, England.
- 1828 – Dover Mail Robbery: Mail coach robbed and passenger killed by a highwayman on road to London with the culprit never found.
- 1860 – Ewelme Cottage Murder: Unidentified woman found severely beaten at a rented cottage in Oxfordshire, England.
1900s
- 1912 – Villisca Axe Murders: Eight people, including six children, found bludgeoned to death in Iowa with prime suspect tried twice but not convicted.
- 1922 – William Desmond Taylor murder: Silent film director shot to death in Hollywood, California with 110 suspects interviewed but none charged.
- 1945 – The Tamam Shud Case: Unidentified man found dead in Australia with a scrap of paper reading “Tamam Shud” in his pocket.
- 1959 – Walker Family Murders: Christine and Cliff Walker and their two children found shot dead in their Illinois home.
Challenges in Solving Cold Cases
There are many factors that make accurately solving old cold cases difficult after such long periods of time:
- Degraded or destroyed DNA and forensic evidence
- Witness memories fading over time
- Suspects dying before cases get solved
- Evolving technology used to re-analyze any existing evidence
- Records or evidence boxes lost or ruined over decades
- Jurisdictional changes in large unsolved cases
- Lack of public interest or leads
These issues present major roadblocks, especially in cases from before the 19th century when forensic science was lacking. Without substantial physical evidence or witnesses, there is little for modern investigators to go on when re-opening decades or centuries old cases.
Using Modern Forensics on Cold Cases
In recent decades, there have been major technological advancements that have helped crack some long-unsolved cold cases:
- DNA Analysis – DNA evidence at crime scenes was not identified until the 1980s and has since become a pivotal tool for identifying suspects when biological evidence is available.
- Fingerprint Databases – Modern databases make it possible to match latent fingerprints lifted from evidence to known criminals in the system.
- Ballistics Analysis – Firearms forensics now allow comparisons between bullets or shell casings to potentially link weapons to suspects.
- Facial Reconstruction – Reconstructed faces from skulls of unidentified victims provide facial composites that can be publicized to aid identification.
- Genealogical Websites – Consumer DNA websites have recently helped triangulate genetic matches to identify elusive suspects through their familial ties.
However, most technological breakthroughs require some biological material to analyze, underscoring the loss when crime scenes are contaminated or evidence degrades before it can be properly preserved.
Noteworthy Cold Cases Solved in Recent Years
Though challenging, there have been some successful resolutions of quite old cold cases in recent years through determined police work and the aid of modern forensic technology:
- 1952 – In 2002, DNA evidence taken from the exhumed body of Maria Ridulph, 7, linked her neighbor to her kidnapping and murder 50 years after the fact.
- 1957 – Blood pattern analysis in 2007 helped convict the killers of Maria Tilotta, 18, five decades after her murder in Ontario, Canada.
- 1976 – After over 40 years, genetic genealogy was used in 2018 to identify Joseph James DeAngelo as the infamous “Golden State Killer” behind 12 murders and 50 rapes.
- 1987 – Advances in DNA technology helped lead to the 2017 arrest of suspect Joseph James Miller for the assault and murder of April Tinsley, 8.
- 1991 – In 2019, a DNA sample identified the “I-65 killer” as Harry Edward Greenwell, who had assaulted and killed at least three female motel clerks along the Indiana Interstate.
These cases demonstrate that despite the passing decades, old evidence can still potentially yield clues when re-examined with the latest forensic techniques. As technology continues to evolve, more previously unworkable evidence from decades-old cases may eventually become viable.
Conclusion
The world’s oldest unsolved murders and violent crimes represent some of history’s most fascinating and frustrating mysteries. From Jack the Ripper to the Zodiac Killer, these cases have intrigued professional and armchair detectives for ages as they try to piece together clues and finally identify the perpetrators. Though the very oldest crimes lack physical evidence, there are still opportunities to potentially resolve or provide answers in more recent cases from the past century through advances in forensic science. While many of these mysteries will remain permanently unsolved, they will continue to be revisited and re-examined indefinitely as long as there is even a sliver of hope that their secrets may yet be revealed. The dedication of generations of investigators unwilling to let these cold cases go entirely cold sustains this hope that justice may still emerge, even after decades of silence.