10 Disturbing 1980's Crimes That STILL Haven't Been Solved

10 Disturbing 1980s Crimes That STILL Haven’t Been Solved

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most troubling crimes from the 1980s that were never solved.

The Monster with 21 Faces

No, this isn’t really a “monster”, fear not. It’s the alias of a mysterious criminal group that terrorized Japan in the mid 1980s through blackmail, threats, and alleged food tampering. Their campaign began in 1984 with the kidnapping of a food company executive, followed by letters taunting the police and threatening further conglomerates. They claimed to have poisoned various candies and snacks, leading to massive recalls and public paranoia. The group also sent mocking messages to the authorities, flaunting their ability to evade capture - and that’s exactly what they did. Despite an intense investigation, the culprits were never identified. The group abruptly announced their retirement from crime in 1985, leaving Japan and its authorities utterly bewildered.

The Murder of Adam Walsh

One of the most heinous crimes of the 1980s occurred on July 27, 1981, when Adam Walsh was abducted from a Florida department store and murdered. The crime horrified the nation and pushed his father, John Walsh, to become a leading advocate for missing children. Investigators eventually focused on serial killer Ottis Toole, who confessed multiple times to killing Adam. Although Toole was never formally tried, the case was officially closed in 2008. Still, major doubts linger: there was little physical evidence tying Toole to the murder, his story was inconsistent, he was never formally charged, he was known for making false confessions, and he even recanted said confession. These uncertainties fuel ongoing debate, and many people continue to doubt Toole’s involvement in the murder.

The Abduction of Christopher Abeyta

On July 15, 1986, seven-month-old Christopher Abeyta vanished from his crib in his family’s Colorado Springs home. His parents discovered him missing around 6 AM, and the front door of the house was found partially open. Investigators considered the possibility of an abduction by someone close to the family, especially since his father, Gil, had recently ended an affair with a woman who had a history of break-ins. However, no charges were ever filed. Despite nationwide searches, age-progressed photos, and extensive media coverage, no confirmed trace of Christopher has ever been found, and DNA testing in later years has failed to link him to any potential matches. His parents both passed away without answers, and today, nearly four decades later, the case remains unsolved.

The Murder of Lisa Hession

14-year-old Lisa Hession of Leigh, England was attacked while walking home from a friend’s party on December 8, 1984. She never made it, and her strangled body was found in an alley about two hundred meters from her house. Police launched a large investigation at the time, speaking to hundreds of people and searching the Greater Manchester area. But despite the extensive efforts of the police, her killer was never found. And while recent forensic developments have provided investigators with some new leads, there is still no suspect in the case. Greater Manchester Police still appeal for information to this day, hoping that advances in science or some fresh witness accounts will eventually lead to answers for her family.

The Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi

The story of Emanuela Orlandi is a wild one with plenty of twists. The Italian teenager vanished on June 22, 1983 after leaving a music lesson in Rome. Over the decades, her case has been entangled with theories involving organized crime, secret services, the Vatican, and even the KGB. Shortly after Orlandi’s abduction, anonymous callers associating with a terrorist organization demanded her release in exchange for the freedom of Mehmet Ali Ağca, the attempted assassin of Pope John Paul II. However, investigators learned that this was merely a misdirection and that her kidnapping had nothing to do with Ali Ağca. Despite decades of investigation, alleged sightings, and even the opening of tombs in various Vatican cemeteries, no trace of Orlandi has ever been found.

The Colonial Parkway Murders

Between 1986 and 1989, a series of killings known as the Colonial Parkway murders terrorized the American state of Virginia. At least ten people, often young couples, were murdered along the scenic Colonial Parkway, a dark and remote stretch of road connecting historic sites like Jamestown and Yorktown. The area is known for being a lovers’ lane, and the young victims were typically found in or near their vehicles. In 2024, authorities conclusively linked two of the canonical Parkway murders to a local fisherman named Alan Wilmer Sr., who died back in 2017. However, it’s still unclear who murdered the others, whether it was Wilmer, an accomplice, or some other, unconnected killer altogether.

The Disappearance of Tammy Lynn Leppert

Known for her beauty, Tammy Lynn Leppert was an aspiring actress, briefly appearing in the classic crime drama “Scarface.” However, the movie was released posthumously, as Leppert mysteriously disappeared on July 6, 1983. Leppert’s life took a troubling turn before she vanished. Friends and family reported that she began acting paranoid, convinced that someone wanted to harm her. And on the fateful day of July 6, she was dropped off at a Cocoa Beach parking lot by a friend and was never seen again. However, a local detective received two anonymous phone calls after she disappeared, informing him that Leppert was still alive and that she had gone to school to become a nurse. Unfortunately, there was never a follow-up on these mysterious calls.

The Circleville Letters

Beginning in 1977, residents of Circleville, Ohio, began receiving anonymous and threatening letters that exposed secrets about their personal lives. And while they began in the late ‘70s, the threat really ramped up in the ‘80s. The most infamous case involved school bus driver Mary Gillispie, who was accused of having an affair with the school’s superintendent. In 1983, Mary discovered a booby-trapped gun that was allegedly intended to kill her; the weapon was traced to her brother-in-law, Paul Freshour, who was convicted of attempted murder. But the letters continued while Freshour was in prison, casting significant doubt on his guilt. To this day, the author remains unknown, and the Circleville letters remain one of America’s most baffling unsolved mysteries.

The Keddie Cabin Murders

Back in April of 1981, the small town of Keddie, California was shaken by the brutal murders of Sue Sharp, her son John, and John’s friend Dana Wingate, who were found dead in cabin 28 of the Keddie Resort. Sue’s daughter Tina was also missing from the scene, and her remains were discovered years later in a remote location. The victims were found bound, beaten, and stabbed, yet strangely, some children that were also in the home at the time were left unharmed. Despite multiple suspects, no one was ever convicted. The investigators were heavily criticized for their performance, having mishandled evidence and dismissed potential leads. Even with modern DNA testing and reopened inquiries, the case remains unsolved.

The Chicago Tylenol Murders

Throughout the fall of 1982, the greater Chicago area was shaken by a string of sudden deaths that were traced to Tylenol capsules laced with potassium cyanide. Seven people, including children and adults, died after ingesting the poisoned capsules. Investigators discovered the tampering occurred after the products had already left the factory, indicating that someone had poisoned the bottles in stores. Johnson & Johnson swiftly recalled millions of bottles and introduced tamper-evident packaging, setting new safety standards in the pharmaceutical industry. But despite a massive investigation and even the might of the FBI, no suspect was ever convicted of the murders. A man named James Lewis was convicted of extortion for demanding money from Johnson & Johnson, but he was never traced to the poisonings themselves.

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