Buzz
In modern times, alarming tales frequently surface about Craigslist, where unsuspecting individuals either post or respond to ads on the platform, only to encounter dangerous individuals who exploit these ads to draw them into meetings and cause harm. However, such incidents predate Craigslist by decades. Numerous chilling accounts exist of naive victims who were coaxed into meetings with strangers, resulting in their murder or disappearance. In many unresolved cases, the identity and motives of the orchestrator remain a mystery, leaving the possibility that the victim was merely unfortunate in their timing and location.
10. The Vanishing of Leonard Dirickson
Leonard Dirickson, a 39-year-old divorced man, resided with his teenage son Jared on their dairy farm in Strong City, Oklahoma. On March 14, 1998, during breakfast, an unknown man arrived at their farmhouse in a pickup truck. Leonard spoke with the man briefly and returned to inform Jared that the stranger wanted to purchase one of their horses. Oddly, Leonard had never listed any horses for sale. Despite this, Leonard left with the stranger in the pickup truck to show him the horse. This marked the last moment Jared saw his father.
There was no evidence suggesting Leonard ever went to the barn where his horse was kept. However, a waitress claimed to have seen Leonard and the stranger at a local coffee shop two hours after he departed the farm. The case grew stranger six months later when police received an anonymous tip from a man who claimed to have spotted Leonard at a bar in Amarillo, Texas. Upon arrival, the caller had vanished, and Leonard was nowhere to be found.
Prior to his disappearance, Leonard faced significant financial struggles due to his divorce and the collapse of his dairy business. This led to speculation that he might have chosen to disappear. However, those who knew Leonard well doubt he would ever leave his son behind. Leonard Dirickson has not been seen since that day, and the identity of the man who visited him remains unknown.
9. The Killing of Dorothy Miller
In 1969, Dorothy Miller, a 48-year-old real estate agent, resided in Burlington, Iowa, and was the sole female agent in the region at the time. On August 15, she received a call from a man identifying himself as “Robert Clark,” who expressed interest in viewing a local property for sale. Preferring not to conduct late-night showings alone, Dorothy brought her husband, Fred, along. They met Clark, who stated he intended to relocate his family from Des Moines. The next morning, Clark called again, requesting to take photos of the property for his wife. Dorothy was unavailable that day but arranged another meeting for August 18. That evening, neighbors witnessed the two entering the house together.
The next morning, Fred Miller woke up to find his wife had not returned home and immediately alerted the police. Upon arriving at the property, they discovered Dorothy’s body concealed in an upstairs closet. She had been struck with a blunt object, bound, sexually assaulted, and stabbed 22 times.
Robert Clark became the prime suspect, but authorities found no evidence of his presence in the area. It was highly probable that “Robert Clark” was a fake name and that Dorothy was targeted because she was the only female real estate agent in the vicinity. Clark likely planned to kill her during their initial meeting on August 15 but altered his strategy when Dorothy brought her husband. Given the methodical nature of the crime, investigators believed Robert Clark could be a serial killer, but his true identity remains unknown.
8. The Killing of Penny Bell
In 1991, Penny Bell, a 43-year-old successful employment agency owner, lived with her husband and two children in Denham, England. On June 6, construction workers renovating the Bell home saw Penny leave around 9:40 AM, mentioning she was late for an appointment. Two hours later, her car was found in the parking lot of the Gurnell Leisure Centre in Greenford, a London suburb. Inside the car, Penny’s body was discovered in the front seat, bearing 50 stab and slash wounds.
Penny kept her morning appointment entirely to herself, leaving no trace in her diary. Just three days prior, she had taken out £8,500 from the joint account she held with her husband, yet the funds vanished without a trace, and their purpose remains a mystery. The sole hint was a collection of design samples discovered in the back of her car, suggesting she might have been presenting them to someone before her tragic death.
Prior to her discovery, two individuals reported witnessing Penny driving through Greenford accompanied by an unknown man. They seemed to be in distress, with Penny visibly pleading for help through the car window. It is believed that Penny encountered her assailant elsewhere and was coerced into driving to the leisure center, where she met her untimely end. Despite extensive investigations, the identity and motives of Penny Bell’s killer remain unknown.
7. The Mysterious Vanishing of Carmen Hallock
On December 18, 1969, Carmen Hallock, a 22-year-old waitress and junior college student from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, met her former sister-in-law, Nancy Bauer, for lunch. Carmen mentioned an upcoming meeting regarding a potential job offer that evening. She revealed that a teacher from her college, who allegedly performed undercover government work, had approached her with the opportunity. Nancy never saw Carmen again and grew worried when she didn’t receive a Christmas message. Upon visiting Carmen’s apartment, Nancy found her dog unfed for days. Carmen’s car was later discovered abandoned in a nearby lot, and she was declared missing.
In 1973, Gerard John Schaefer Jr., a Florida man, received two life sentences for the murders of two young women, though many believe his victim count was far higher. Among his belongings, investigators found two gold-filled teeth and a shamrock pin, both thought to belong to Carmen Hallock. Schaefer had worked as an intern teacher in Fort Lauderdale in 1969 and had penned a strange fantasy story about a woman wearing a black dress and black high heels. Notably, Carmen had bought black heels on the day she vanished, telling Nancy she planned to pair them with a black cocktail dress for her meeting. Schaefer was killed in prison in 1995, leaving any potential connection to Carmen’s disappearance buried with him.
6. The Tragic Killing of Lindsay Buziak
On February 2, 2008, Lindsay Buziak, a 24-year-old real estate agent, received a call from a woman requesting a showing of a high-end property in Vancouver’s Saanich district. Lindsay agreed to meet at 5:30 PM but later got a call from a man who said he would attend instead. Feeling uneasy, she asked her boyfriend, Jason Zailo, to check on her. Jason and a friend arrived at 5:45 PM, noticing two figures inside the house. When Lindsay didn’t respond to a text, they entered and found her lifeless body in an upstairs bedroom, brutally stabbed over 40 times.
At 5:41 PM, a call was accidentally made from Lindsay’s Blackberry, likely during her attack. Witnesses reported seeing her enter the house with a man and woman shortly before. The couple had contacted Lindsay using a disposable cell phone registered under the name 'Paulo Rodriguez,' which was used solely for this crime.
In December 2007, Lindsay visited her father in Calgary, Alberta, and met an old friend. A month later, this friend was arrested in Alberta’s largest cocaine bust. Given the timing of Lindsay’s murder shortly after, some speculate a possible link between the two events.
In February 2016, Lindsay’s father revealed that he had been threatened by someone involved in his daughter’s murder. The individual claimed Lindsay was targeted by drug dealers as a warning to anyone who might betray them. Despite this, there remains insufficient evidence to press charges against anyone.
5. The Vanishing of Revelle Balmain
In 1994, Revelle Balmain, a 22-year-old aspiring model and dancer from Sydney, landed a significant opportunity with a six-month dance tour in Japan. On November 5, she called a friend to say she was wrapping up an appointment and would meet for drinks, but she never arrived. She also missed a planned visit to her parents the next day. Soon after, her belongings, including her bag and keys, were found scattered in Kingsford. Her family was stunned to learn she had taken on escort work to earn extra money.
Revelle’s appointment on November 5 was with a client booked through her escort agency, intended to be her final job before leaving for Japan. The client, Gavin Owen Samer, a Kingsford resident, claimed he dropped her off at a nearby pub and went home. However, Samer had visible scratches and injuries afterward, which he attributed to a surfing accident.
In 2008, investigators revealed forensic evidence suggesting Revelle was killed in Samer’s home the night she disappeared. However, the evidence wasn’t strong enough to charge Samer, who continues to deny involvement. Revelle Balmain has never been found, and her case remains unsolved.
4. The Killing of David Merrifield
In 1995, David Merrifield, a 42-year-old real estate attorney and partner at the Dallas law firm Smith, Merrifield, and Richards, was found dead in the office elevator. Two female employees discovered his body at around 7:30 AM on February 2. He had been shot execution-style in the back of the head. While his wallet was initially missing, it was later found a few miles away with cash and credit cards intact, casting doubt on robbery as the sole motive and adding a layer of mystery to his murder.
A notepad on David’s desk indicated he had a 6:30 AM meeting scheduled with someone named 'Sam Jones.' The firm had received four calls from a man using that name the day before the murder. Though no one at the firm recognized the caller, David spoke with him and mentioned Jones wanted to do something for him. David typically arrived at work around 9:00 AM, making the early meeting highly unusual. Investigators believe the killer chose this time to ensure David would be alone in the building. 'Sam Jones' is likely an alias, but his true identity and motive remain unknown.
3. The Vanishing of Nick and Lisa Masee
In 1994, Nick Masee, a 55-year-old retired banker, lived in Vancouver with his 39-year-old wife, Lisa. On August 10, they declined an invitation to spend the evening with friends, citing a meeting with an unidentified man who sought Nick’s advice on investing $10 million. Nick booked a table for four at his favorite restaurant, but no one arrived, and he didn’t cancel the reservation. Oddly, there were reports of the couple being seen at the Westin Bayshore hotel that night. The next day, Lisa called her boss and Nick’s business partner using Nick’s cell phone, claiming they would be away for a few days due to a court case. This was the last communication from them.
It’s unclear if the Masees ever returned home. A week after their disappearance, their house was found unlocked, with their car in the driveway and two plastic zip ties near the front door. Their passports and bank accounts remained untouched. In April 1994, they had made an unexplained trip to the Cayman Islands, where they opened a bank account with $50,000 in stocks and drafted new wills.
Nick’s extensive banking career had connected him with many controversial figures in finance, sparking rumors that he may have been involved in illegal activities leading to his disappearance. However, none of these claims have been proven. The Masees’ whereabouts remain unknown, and the purpose of their meeting with the mysterious investor is still a mystery.
2. The Killing of Joanna Parrish
In 1990, Joanna Parrish, a 20-year-old language student from Leeds University, originally from Newnham on Severn in Gloucestershire, England, traveled to Auxerre, France, for a work placement teaching English. To supplement her income, she placed a newspaper ad offering English lessons.
On the evening of May 16, Joanna received a call from an unknown man who wanted to hire her to teach his son English. She arranged to meet him in the town center, but this was the last time she was seen alive. The next day, her nude body was discovered in the River Yonne. She had been sexually assaulted, beaten, and strangled.
The case went cold for years until the investigation pointed to Michel Fourniret, a serial killer convicted in 2008 of raping and murdering seven young women. Fourniret is suspected of having more victims, possibly including Joanna. His wife, Monique Olivier, also received a life sentence for aiding him. She initially implicated them in a young woman’s murder in Auxerre but later retracted her statement. Compounding the issue, DNA evidence from Joanna’s case was lost, making it difficult to formally charge Fourniret. The crime remains officially unsolved.
1. The Vanishing of Mary Shinn
In 1978, Mary Shinn, a 25-year-old artist and part-time real estate agent in Magnolia, Arkansas, placed a newspaper ad to sell her property. On July 19, she showed the house to an unidentified man who proposed a land swap. The next day, he called again, claiming his car was in repair and asked to meet at the EZ Mart near her studio for a ride to revisit the property. Mary agreed and was never seen again.
That afternoon, Mary’s car was discovered unlocked in a grocery store parking lot. Inside were her keys, purse, sneakers, and a wallet containing cash. Traces of seeds and grass in the vehicle suggested it had been driven through a field before being abandoned.
Earlier that morning, a witness at the EZ Mart observed a young man asking for a quarter to use the payphone. This man is believed to be the same individual who contacted Mary. Investigators theorize he used the meeting as a ruse to lead her to a secondary location, where she was likely killed. Despite extensive searches, her body has never been recovered, and the caller’s identity remains a mystery.
