These unsolved American mysteries will make your head spin. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most unsettling, unsolved mysteries that occurred in the United States.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 "In the 1960s, the Zodiac Killer terrorizes the San Francisco Bay Area."
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most unsettling,
00:10 unsolved mysteries that occurred in the United States.
00:13 "We want an answer. We want to know why. We want to know who.
00:17 And until we do, I think there will always be an interest."
00:20 Number 10. Escape from Alcatraz.
00:24 "It's a prison where every inmate learns one thing. There is no way out."
00:30 It was one of America's most infamous prisons, and for good reason.
00:34 Located off the coast of San Francisco, the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was deemed
00:38 inescapable. That is, until 1962, when a group of inmates made it outside the prison's walls.
00:44 According to official reports, they left decoys behind,
00:47 escaped through air vents, and fled on a raft.
00:50 "God damn it, Morris, I said get out of the way!"
00:56 "Jesus Christ!"
00:57 Their bodies have never been recovered, leading some to believe the attempt was successful.
01:02 One of the alleged escapees even sent a note to the FBI claiming that they had made it.
01:06 However, others are less optimistic, and believe that they succumbed to the rough waters.
01:12 With no physical evidence, their whereabouts remain elusive,
01:16 although the event did lead to Alcatraz being shut down.
01:19 "I think they made it. Why they got away was because
01:22 everybody else that tried to get off this island was accounted for.
01:27 Those three guys are still unaccounted for today."
01:29 Cryptos
01:31 This mystery is interesting simply because it was created to be one.
01:35 Erected in 1990, the odd statue sits just outside the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
01:41 It's a large stone covered in characters that make up four different cryptic messages.
01:46 "It is about 12 feet tall and 20 feet long. It has thousands of characters carved into it."
01:53 Although three of these messages have been successfully decoded, the last one remains
01:57 elusive. Countless people have attempted to solve it, with the creator even providing clues to help.
02:02 "It is considered to be one of the most famous unsolved codes in the world."
02:07 While some words have slowly been revealed, the overall message is yet to be solved.
02:11 We can only imagine the public reaction on the day the 97-letter message is finally cracked,
02:16 bringing an end to one of America's most captivating puzzles in recent times.
02:20 "Yes, cryptos will be solved. I couldn't tell you when,
02:23 but it's a real code. It's a real cipher. It's solvable."
02:28 Number 8. The Knights of the Golden Circle
02:30 "A conspiratorial organization that hides its secrets so well
02:34 that it has almost disappeared from history."
02:37 The Civil War was the culmination of disagreement between states,
02:41 but tensions were already high before its outbreak. Prior to the war,
02:45 a group of wealthy Southerners established a secret group called the Knights of the Golden
02:49 Circle. Their goal was to form their own country and continue owning slaves there.
02:53 "Their initial goal was to establish an empire, and they were hoping it would equal the grandeur
02:59 of ancient Rome."
03:00 However, rumors suggest that their motives were even more insidious than they let on.
03:04 President Lincoln's murderer, John Wilkes Booth, was an alleged member of the group,
03:09 leading to speculation that his assassination was planned by them.
03:12 "Supporters include future Confederate President Jefferson Davis, high-ranking Southern politicians,
03:18 many union officers, and a famous actor named John Wilkes Booth."
03:26 Although the Knights dissolved after the war,
03:28 there are theories proposing that the group still exists today. With ongoing tensions,
03:33 one can't help but wonder about the possibility of their resurgence.
03:36 Number 7. Jimmy Hoffa's Disappearance
03:39 The fate of this imposing union leader may not be a mystery,
03:42 but the identity of his killer and the whereabouts of his remains certainly are.
03:46 "It's clear that my father has been assassinated,
03:49 and that we're probably never going to see him again or find the body."
03:55 Jimmy Hoffa made plenty of enemies during his rise to the top,
03:58 which only became worse as he achieved power in the union.
04:01 In 1975, he suddenly disappeared and was never seen again, dead or alive.
04:07 "When I had coffee with him the day before, I warned him, I said, 'Mr. Hoffa,
04:11 there's a lot of people very upset.' And his words to me were, 'My people will never harm me.'"
04:18 An extensive investigation was conducted,
04:20 and besides a single hair strand, hardly any evidence was discovered.
04:24 "The Hoffa family had offered a generous $200,000 reward,
04:29 which helped get people talking from all across the country."
04:32 Seven years after his disappearance, Hoffa was declared legally dead,
04:36 and no additional information has come forward since.
04:39 To this day, his body has never been found,
04:42 although some cryptic hints have been left by former members of the mob.
04:46 Number 6. D.B. Cooper
04:48 "He was the first man in U.S. history to hijack a plane for ransom."
04:55 The events of this night are so intense that they seem more like a movie plot than real life.
05:00 In 1971, a man now referred to as D.B. Cooper hijacked a plane,
05:04 demanded cash and parachutes, then instructed the pilots to continue flying.
05:09 "Passengers describe him as an unremarkable guy.
05:11 He's a Caucasian male, he's got on a dark suit, black tie, carrying a briefcase."
05:17 Soon afterward, he jumped off, while the plane was still in mid-flight.
05:21 People were in sheer disbelief, and there was immediate speculation about his fate.
05:26 Some believed he survived the jump and managed to escape,
05:29 while others are certain he died upon impact.
05:32 With his body having never been recovered, the question remains unanswered.
05:36 If Cooper indeed survived, then he pulled off one of the greatest heists the country has ever seen.
05:41 "The mystery has frustrated the FBI for nearly 40 years."
05:46 "I think he was just a sleazy, rotten criminal."
05:49 "But has given the public a lasting legend."
05:52 Number 5. The Black Dahlia
05:57 While there have, unfortunately, been numerous unsolved murders in the United States,
06:01 this one stands out for its sheer brutality.
06:03 The victim, Elizabeth Short, was found with extreme injuries,
06:07 the most noticeable being macabre slashes across her face.
06:10 "She was a young woman who left her home to come find fame and fortune, maybe, in Los Angeles."
06:17 News of the death quickly spread across the country,
06:20 fueled by the unsettling fact that her murderer was still unidentified.
06:24 "Investigators believe the killer has to be someone with medical training,
06:28 or at least expertise in anatomy."
06:31 Many individuals have since tried to take credit for the crime,
06:34 but the truth has yet to be uncovered.
06:36 Today, speculation about the crime and Short herself still persists,
06:40 with ongoing theories bringing forth new suspects and motives.
06:43 Although her life was tragically cut short,
06:46 the memory of the Black Dahlia lives on through those tirelessly seeking justice in her name.
06:51 "We want an answer. We want to know why. We want to know who.
06:55 And until we do, I think there will always be an interest."
06:58 Number 4. Area 51
07:00 "The CIA's secret. A giant clandestine base that remained unacknowledged
07:06 and disavowed by the U.S. government for almost 60 years."
07:10 At first glance, this long-standing facility may not appear particularly exciting.
07:15 Nevertheless, what lies inside the walls of Area 51
07:18 has fueled one of the country's most popular conspiracy theories.
07:22 But the public can only speculate, as the facility remains off-limits to civilians.
07:27 The prevailing belief is that it serves as a containment site for extraterrestrial beings.
07:32 "Exactly what's going on up there?"
07:33 "Well, there's several, actually nine flying saucers, flying disks,
07:39 that are out there of extraterrestrial origin."
07:43 But some also assert that it's a testing ground for devices
07:46 capable of weather control and time travel.
07:48 Tensions peaked in 2019 when an online campaign urged people to storm the base.
07:53 While some breached the property, no one successfully made it inside.
07:57 "A bunch of random people in weird costumes,
08:01 standing outside of a government base. Why would you want to miss that?"
08:06 The stringent security measures around Area 51 have seemingly resulted
08:10 in one of the biggest Streisand effects in history.
08:13 Number 3 - The Lost Colony of Roanoke
08:16 The fate of the residents in one of America's earliest settlements
08:19 has stumped people for centuries.
08:21 The Roanoke Colony was established in 1585 by Sir Ralph Lane,
08:25 with a population of just over 100 people.
08:28 However, when it was visited five years later,
08:30 the colony was nothing more than a ghost town.
08:33 "All that remained was an earthwork fort that still stands here,
08:37 in the trees, not far from the shore."
08:39 The only message left behind was a single cryptic word - Croatoan.
08:43 To this day, no one is sure what became of the people who lived there.
08:47 While some are optimistic that they integrated with local tribes,
08:50 others fear a more sinister fate.
08:53 As one of the country's oldest mysteries,
08:55 it has remained a staple of pop culture,
08:57 even inspiring a season of American horror story.
09:00 "The Lost Colony remains this mystery that's at the very heart
09:03 of the origin of our nation. People remain fascinated by Roanoke
09:07 because we know so little about the place."
09:10 Number 2 - The Zodiac Killer
09:12 "In the 1960s, the Zodiac Killer terrorizes the San Francisco Bay Area."
09:18 While America has seen its fair share of serial killers over the years,
09:22 this one stands out for his uncanny ability to evade capture.
09:26 Utilizing cryptic puzzles and ciphers,
09:28 the Zodiac Killer was unlike any other killer of his time.
09:31 "It says he likes killing because it is so much fun.
09:37 He claims to be collecting slaves for his afterlife."
09:40 He was responsible for five known deaths during his spree,
09:43 but claimed to have killed 37.
09:46 Despite advancements in forensic technology,
09:48 no conclusive answers to his identity have been obtained.
09:51 The mystery not only became a major facet of pop culture,
09:54 but it even inspired a popular online meme at one point.
09:58 Although decades have passed since his last confirmed victim,
10:01 it's unsettling to think that a murderer could have been roaming free
10:04 for the last 50 years.
10:06 "If the Zodiac is still alive, he's probably laughing
10:09 because he's been watching other people be accused of his crimes for years."
10:13 Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
10:17 The Phoenix Lights, a phenomenon that helped cultivate
10:20 a generation of alien conspiracy theorists.
10:22 "Was it a military mission? A prank perhaps?
10:26 Or visitors from outer space?"
10:28 Mass Bird Death, an odd phenomenon where thousands of birds
10:32 crashed into buildings, trees, and more.
10:34 "To find a large group of dead birds and multi-species like this
10:38 is certainly something that piques our concern."
10:41 The Gurdon Light, a glowing light that many believe
10:44 is powered by a ghost looking for his head.
10:47 "It's like a glowing white light, like a lantern."
10:49 "My mother often said that it was swamp gas, what it would have to be."
10:54 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
10:57 and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
11:00 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
11:04 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings
11:06 and switch on notifications.
11:08 Number 1. Amelia Earhart's Disappearance
11:13 "She was one of the most famous people in the world.
11:15 People hung on her every word and followed her activities."
11:19 A success story turned tragedy, what happened to Amelia Earhart
11:23 remains one of the biggest American mysteries.
11:25 Earhart was considered a trailblazer,
11:28 becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.
11:30 In 1937, she embarked on a flight across the Pacific with her navigator,
11:35 and they were never seen again.
11:36 What made the situation even more unsettling
11:39 was the fact that her plane couldn't be found either,
11:41 almost like it had vanished into thin air.
11:44 Countless theories have popped up since her disappearance,
11:47 ranging from her simply crashing into the ocean,
11:49 to her being a spy for President Roosevelt.
11:51 "There were some stories that emerged after the Second World War
11:57 that suggested that she had been forced down somewhere
12:02 and captured by the Japanese."
12:04 While nothing has been determined yet,
12:06 her disappearance remains one of the biggest unsolved questions
12:09 in the country's history.
12:11 Which American mystery would you love to see solved in your lifetime?
12:14 Let us know in the comments below.
12:16 "A microscopic piece of metal could be the biggest break in years
12:19 in the legendary D.B. Cooper skyjacking case."
12:22 Did you enjoy this video?
12:24 Check out these other clips from WatchMojo
12:26 and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
12:28 to be notified about our latest videos.
12:30 [Music]