Top 10 90s Mysteries That Were FINALLY SOLVED
#10: The Phoenix Lights
Top 10 Creepiest Canadian Mysteries that Were Finally SOLVED
On March 13th 1997, thousands of people in Phoenix, Arizona and other surrounding areas witnessed a series of unexplained lights hovering in the sky. The observers reported a massive, V-shaped formation of lights, as well as a separate stationary set floating above the city before suddenly disappearing. Even Air Traffic Control saw the lights but couldn’t register them on their radar. The strange event sparked intense speculation and became a subject of interest for UFO enthusiasts and skeptics alike. However, the military soon explained that the lights were flares from their aircraft, which were conducting a training exercise that evening. The planes were simply moving in formation. Multiple scientists who reviewed the pictures and videos of the event also backed up this account.
#9: The “Kevin and Bean” Show Confession
These Insane Robbery Mysteries Were Finally SOLVED...
The KROQ-FM morning show “Kevin and Bean,” received a chilling call on June 13th 1990. The unidentified caller claimed to have taken the life of his girlfriend after discovering her infidelity. This supposed confession stunned listeners and triggered a media frenzy, as well as a police investigation. It was even featured in an episode of “Unsolved Mysteries”. Authorities initially found similarities between the revelation and the unsolved murder of Angela Cummings, which occurred just two months earlier. After a lengthy investigation, it was revealed that the call was a publicity stunt, staged by the hosts of the show and a DJ friend of theirs. They were fined about $12,000 and ordered to carry out 149 hours of community service.
#8: The TWA Flight 800 Tragedy
World War 2 Mysteries That Were Finally SOLVED!
On July 17th 1996, Trans World Airlines Flight 800 took off from New York’s JFK International Airport, headed for Paris. Shortly after its departure, the plane suddenly exploded, killing all 230 people on board. The tragedy quickly set off a flurry of theories, most notably that the aircraft had fallen victim to terrorists. Some witnesses even described seeing what looked like a missile moving towards the plane before the explosion, but this theory was disproved. The resulting investigation, which was one of the longest and most expensive in aviation history, reached a conclusion after four years. The explosion was most likely caused by an electrical short circuit in the center fuel tank, which led to the ignition of the flammable fuel vapors.
#7: Disappearance of Dawn Sanchez
Top 20 Creepiest Disappearance Stories
Dawn Sanchez disappeared on August 30th 1991, after leaving a motel with her boyfriend, Bernardo Bass, in his distinct 1979 Pontiac Grand Prix. Bass became the prime suspect in the case, but with no body, weapon or even his car found afterwards, the charges were dropped. The case was reopened, years later, after a tip came in that Bass’ car was possibly buried in an abandoned lot. As an excavation of the entire lot would’ve been too expensive, authorities received unlikely help from NASA. Using a rover designed to carry out underground magnetic surveys, they were able to unearth car parts that matched the 1979 Pontiac. As a result, Bass pleaded no contest to manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.
#6: The Forgotten Memories of Pierre April
Top 10 Religious Mysteries That Were Finally SOLVED
What could be more unnerving than waking up in a ditch with no recollection of who you are? Well, if you were Pierre April in May 1992, that would’ve been your reality. With just $17, a duffel bag and a library card issued in his name, April wandered to San Diego, where he was picked up and taken to a shelter. Although he slowly began to recollect pieces of his life, they all formed parts of a puzzle that remained incomplete. That changed later that year, when April’s case was featured on “Unsolved Mysteries”. One of his colleagues called the show’s tip line after watching the episode, confirming his identity. April was reunited with his family and eventually recovered his memories.
#5: The Centennial Olympic Park Criminal
Top 10 Creepiest Mysteries That Were Finally Solved
During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, three pipe bombs were detonated in the Centennial Olympic Park, resulting in the deaths of two people. This number could’ve been significantly higher, if not for the efforts of security guard Richard Jewell, who discovered the bomb early on. Jewell was controversially named a suspect in the case, but was cleared by the FBI three months later. After similar bombings occurred in the following years, authorities were led to a man named Eric Rudolph. Rudolph evaded capture for years, but was finally apprehended in May of 2003. He pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges and was sentenced to four consecutive life terms.
#4: Murder of Marlene Warren
Top 30 Unsolved Murder Mysteries
In May of 1990, Marlene Warren was shot dead in front of her Wellington, Florida home by an individual wearing a clown costume. Although the murder was witnessed by her son, police had no major leads and the case eventually grew cold. Years later, Warren’s husband Michael got married to a woman named Sheila Keen, who had worked closely with him in the past and was initially a suspect in his first wife’s murder. The two moved from Florida to Virginia and began a new life together. When authorities reopened the case in 2014, their investigation led them right to Keen. In 2017, she was arrested and charged with the crime. She eventually pleaded guilty in 2023, although she still maintains her innocence.
#3: The Bloop
10 Creepiest American Mysteries that Were Finally Solved
With a large part of it still unexplored, the deep ocean holds many puzzling mysteries. This, however, is no longer one of them. In 1997, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration captured a strange, low-frequency underwater sound in the Pacific Ocean. This noise was so loud that it was detected by multiple sensors over 3,000 miles apart and possessed a characteristic “bloop” sound. Hence, the name. Once this report made its way into the public, many let their imaginations run wild. Some horror fiction fans even attributed the bloop to Cthulhu, the mythical H.P. Lovecraft creation. That theory was quashed in 2012 when scientists revealed that it was the sound of an ice quake resulting from glacial movements.
#2: The Unabomber
Top 10 Murder Mysteries That Were Finally Solved
Between 1978 and 1995, an unidentified terrorist carried out a series of bombings in the U.S. that killed three people and injured 23 others. The targets were tertiary institutions, aviation companies and individuals in the technological field. The FBI dubbed this individual the University and Airline Bomber, resulting in the nickname ‘Unabomber’. For nearly two decades, the identity of the Unabomber remained a mystery. That is, until his 35,000-word manifesto was published by The Washington Post in September 1995. A man named David Kaczynski discovered similarities between this manifesto and the writings of his brother Ted. After contacting the authorities, Ted Kaczynski was eventually arrested in April 1996 and sent to prison for life. He died there in June 2023.
#1: The Vampire Clan
Top 20 Creepiest Mysteries That Were Finally Solved
In November of 1996, Jennifer Wendorf returned home from work to find her parents murdered inside their Florida home. The shocking crime initially astounded police, but their investigation led them to the Wendorfs’ other daughter Heather and her unusual group of friends. Heather had befriended Rod Ferrell, who was the leader of a Kentucky cult called the Vampire Clan, made up of a few other young people. This group was attempting to help Heather escape from her parents’ control when Ferrell and another member, Scott Anderson, went into their home and killed them. The clan was later apprehended in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after one of the members’ grandmother led the police to them. Ferrell is currently serving a life sentence for the double murder.
