Most Fascinating Unsolved Serial Killer Cases of the 20th Century Poll

[STANDREID]

My interests tend toward the opposite.

 

[STANDREID]

There is supposedly a new book out on Bible John. I haven't found out whether it's self published or not.

 

[STANDREID]

A person who has seen the book has communicated to me that the book does not appear to be self published.

 

[asp17061]

I had to go with Other
The I-70 Killer segment on Unsolved Mysteries scared the heck out of me as a kid.

The CT Valley Killer was also a scary one.

 

[STANDREID]

I had to go with Other
The I-70 Killer segment on Unsolved Mysteries scared the heck out of me as a kid.

The CT Valley Killer was also a scary one.

I think the Valley Killer was on UM as well.

 

[STANDREID]

The Original Night stalker had to be the most brazen serial rapist\killer in United States History. 50 rapes in Sacramento alone.

The man even would even ride a bicycle to some of his crime scenes. He even showed up to one of his victim's house with a german shepherd. He would stay and eat tthe food within the house for hours before leaving!

It boggles my mind Law enforcement was unable to catch such a prolific serial offender! Terrible Police work!

Being the most recent, I suppose it's the one most likely to be solved but that fades every day.

 

[ctaylor]

There is supposedly a new book out on Bible John. I haven't found out whether it's self published or not.

Hi Stan, yes a book was published last year. This article contains an interview with the author, who believes "Bible John" was actually a policeman who was pensioned off and went to the north of Scotland and who may still be alive. He says the sister of one of the victims picked out a policeman when giving evidence at a police station and that the man who killed her sister had a police warrant card. The author also rules out Tobin...

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/bible-john-police-officer-says-2218723

 

[chlban]

So the Zodiac still takes the lead. Anyone think there is any chance that will actually be solved, Officially?

Or any of these cases listed for that matter? I was recently under the impression that the Boston Strangler had been solved based on the new DNA tests (although I personally never beleived DeSalvo was the strangler, that certainly caused me to re-think my position), but it seems it remains officially open.

 

[Bargle]

So the Zodiac still takes the lead. Anyone think there is any chance that will actually be solved, Officially?

Or any of these cases listed for that matter? I was recently under the impression that the Boston Strangler had been solved based on the new DNA tests (although I personally never beleived DeSalvo was the strangler, that certainly caused me to re-think my position), but it seems it remains officially open.

I think any of the ones from the 60s at least stands a chance of being solved. Most likely to me is the Original Night Stalker case since it went on for so long.

 

[STANDREID]

I can't think of any case more than 60 years old that was solved to the satisfaction of the majority.

 

[Xara]

I am from the SF Bay Area, so predictably I voted Zodiac.
There are many on list I haven't heard of.....wiki here I come!

 

[STANDREID]

This year, we're in the 50th anniversaries for Boston Strangler and Jack the Stripper.

In 2018-19, we'll be in the 50th anniversaries for Bible John and Zodiac plus the 100th anniversary for New Orleans Axeman.

 

[STANDREID]

In 2018-19, we'll be in the 50th anniversaries for Bible John and Zodiac plus the 100th anniversary for New Orleans Axeman.

I wonder if any of those will be a big deal.

 

[Dragonfyree]

I think Zodiac is the most likely to be solved and that is if (And it's a big if). The DNA they have which came off the stamp actually belongs to him.

Although in the 1960's there would have been no reason to have someone else lick your stamp.

I don't think they will get a direct hit on him, but possibly on a relative who commits a crime and their DNA gets entered and the police get a hit on that.

I don't think the New Orleans Ax Man can ever be solved, because it has come down with so much folk lore, I'm not sure if anyone has published the true facts.

 

[STANDREID]

Yes, I think the cases from the last half of the century have a fair chance of being solved. I strongly doubt that any before 1950 will ever be solved but that doesn't mean that we won't continue to get new suspects on a regular basis.

 

[Dragonfyree]

I've often wondered how often after someone has died that a family member has gone into that trunk or box that grandpa always kept locked and hidden and found souvenirs?

What if that trunk contained the medieval costume, the rest of Paul Stine's shirt, practice letters with the codes. Or things from the Black Dahlia's purse.

Do you say something?

What if grandma suffering from Alzheimer suddenly starts talking about how she killed that first husband everyone thought had ran off.

I don't know what I would do, I think it would depend on the person. I think most serial killers are tyrannical with their family, such as Dr. Hodel, so his son didn't have any problem with coming forward with his theory his dad killed the Black Dahlia, but some, such as the "Happy Face Killer" was a great father.

I think with really old cases we may have to rely on family members who find something and go to the police.

 

[Pettibon Junction]

I voted for "Other."

The Zodiac fascinates me and it was that case that got me interested in true crime to the extent I am in the first place but since he wrote so voluminously and left so many witnesses and survivors, it's hard not to feel like we already know everything about him (save for his real name).

Personally, being a New Englander, I'm most haunted by the Connecticut River Valley murders in New Hampshire/Vermont. There's some disagreement over which cases are actually linked (with some folks maintaining that they weren't a series at all) but the fact remains that between 1978 and 1988, unspeakably violent things happened in that region with alarming frequency.

The last of the generally-accepted CT River Valley crimes was the Jane Boroski attack in August of 1988 but there are a staggering number of unsolved murders and disappearances up there to this day that make me wonder whether the killings, even if they weren't all linked, ever really stopped.

 

[STANDREID]

I think it was Unsolved Mysteries that did a particularly creepy account on the Valley Killer.

 

[STANDREID]

Focusing particularly on a presumed survivor.

 

[Dragonfyree]

If this is the case I think it is - I believe it was also profiled on Dark Minds - with M. William Phelps on Discovery.

I like this show except the interaction with the serial killer. The current killer and the previous guy never tells them anything that I couldn't have told them just from reading a lot of books and the profiler isn't too swift either, he also doesn't add anything to the show. I'd just have Phelps investigate them by himself. It would be interesting if he investigated the unsolved murder of his sister-in-law.