Buzz
Humans have an innate fascination with the unexplained. The same curiosity that fuels legends like Bigfoot has also driven scientific breakthroughs and innovations throughout history. With that in mind, there’s no better way to spend your time than pondering the world’s greatest unsolved enigmas. Mysteries such as . . .
10. Michael Boatwright
One of the most peculiar cases of amnesia in recent years involves Michael Boatwright. On February 28, 2013, the 61-year-old was discovered unconscious in a Motel 6 in Palm Springs, California. Upon waking in the hospital, the American—who possessed a driver’s license bearing his real name—could only speak Swedish and insisted his name was Johan Ek. He had not only lost his ability to speak English but also failed to recognize his own reflection. Boatwright’s sister later came forward, describing her brother as a “nomad” and revealing she hadn’t seen him in ten years. Despite his memory loss, Boatwright remains in excellent physical health.
Diagnosed with 'transitive global amnesia,' medical experts speculate that Boatwright experienced some form of psychological trauma. Some theorize he could be feigning his condition to evade aspects of his past, though this seems improbable given the intense public attention his case has attracted. The full truth behind Michael Boatwright’s story may remain a mystery forever.
9. Einstein’s Last Words
Throughout history, individuals have often shared profound insights on the brink of death. For instance, Humphrey Bogart famously quipped, 'I should have never switched from Scotch to martinis,' a piece of advice that holds wisdom regardless of the context.
Albert Einstein, the renowned physicist, needs little introduction. Beyond his groundbreaking scientific achievements, he was celebrated for his sharp wit and insightful remarks on topics ranging from politics and war to religion and the human spirit. At 76, Einstein experienced internal bleeding due to an abdominal aneurysm and was admitted to Princeton Hospital. He declined surgery, accepting that his time had come. He passed away the next morning, but not before speaking a few final words in his native German. These words were overheard by a nurse who did not understand the language, and thus, they have been lost to history.
8. The Austin Yogurt Shop Murders
On the night of December 6, 1991, a 'I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt!' shop in Austin, Texas, was discovered ablaze. Inside, firefighters found four teenage girls, each tied up with their own clothing and executed with gunshots to the head. Among the many suspects, notorious serial killer Kenneth Allen McDuff was considered the most likely culprit. McDuff had been convicted of murder in 1968 and sentenced to death row, but was freed in 1989 due to overcrowding in Texas prisons. Another suspect, Maurice Pearce, was killed during a traffic stop after stabbing an officer. Two other individuals confessed to the crime but were exonerated when DNA evidence from an unidentified male was discovered on one of the victims. The full truth of what transpired in the shop may remain shrouded in mystery.
Today, the site of the yogurt shop has been transformed into a nail salon, with a memorial plaque nearby to honor the victims.
7. Benjaman Kyle
Benjaman Kyle’s case is another baffling tale of amnesia, even more peculiar than Boatwright’s. In the early hours of August 31, 2004, a middle-aged man was discovered unconscious near dumpsters behind a Burger King in Georgia. Assumed to be homeless, he bore signs of severe head trauma. Like Boatwright, he couldn’t recognize his own reflection. However, unlike Boatwright, he carried no identification and had no memory of his identity.
Initially referred to as 'BK' for 'Burger King,' he later adopted the name Benjaman Kyle. Estimated to be in his mid-sixties, Kyle is a bald white man, uniquely listed as a missing person despite living publicly. Diagnosed with dissociative amnesia, his condition appears permanent after nearly a decade. Despite living in an era of advanced communication, Kyle remains an enigma. His fingerprints have been checked against every major database, including the FBI, US military, and government records. DNA tests only reveal Scottish ancestry, offering no further clues. He has been featured in countless news articles and media appearances, including a notable segment on Dr. Phil in 2008.
Today, Benjaman Kyle works as a dishwasher, and his true identity remains a mystery.
6. Las Cruces Bowling Alley Massacre
On February 10, 1990, two men carried out a brutal massacre at a bowling alley in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They shot seven people, killing four, before disappearing without a trace. Employees of the bowling alley, including two who had brought their children, were preparing to open that Saturday morning when the assailants stormed in with robbery on their minds. The victims were forced into the office and shot at close range. The gunmen stole between $4,000 and $5,000, set the office on fire, and fled. Despite being shot five times, 12-year-old Melissia Repass managed to call the police. The fatalities included 26-year-old Steve Teran, the bowling alley mechanic, his two-year-old daughter Valerie, Melissia’s friend Amy Houser, also 12, and six-year-old Paula Hoguin.
The suspects were described as Hispanic men, one approximately 30 years old and the other between 45 and 50. They were never apprehended. Whether the massacre was driven by revenge or simply an effort to eliminate robbery witnesses remains unclear. A civil lawsuit was filed against the bowling alley’s owner by Amy Houser’s mother, but the jury ruled he was not responsible. A documentary titled A Nightmare in Las Cruces was released in 2010.
5. The Adelaide Oval Abduction
On August 25, 1973, during a South Australian National Football League match, 11-year-old Joanne Ratcliffe took four-year-old Kirste Gordon to the restroom. When they hadn’t returned after 20 minutes, Ratcliffe’s grandmother alerted the stadium office, but they delayed making an announcement until the game ended. Witnesses later reported seeing a man carrying Kirste, with Joanne trailing behind, appearing to tug at him. Observers assumed he was their father. Neither child was ever seen again.
Arthur Stanley Brown is suspected of abducting the girls, as he was linked to other child murders and disappearances, including the infamous Beaumont case, where three siblings aged 10, seven, and four disappeared from Glenelg Beach near Adelaide, Australia, in 1966. Brown was arrested in 1998 after his wife’s cousin, whom he had molested, reported him for pedophilia. He was tried for the 1970 murders of two sisters, seven-year-old Judith and five-year-old Susan. The first trial ended in a hung jury, and by the time a retrial was considered, Alzheimer’s disease had made him unfit to stand trial. He died in a nursing home in 2002 at age 90, taking the secrets of countless children’s fates to his grave.
4. Dum Dum Pops
The 'Mystery Flavor' of Dum Dum Pops is always evolving, ensuring you’ll rarely taste the same flavor twice. But what’s the story behind it?
While the company’s official website hints at mystery, uncovering the truth behind the flavor isn’t as complex as decoding KFC’s 11 herbs and spices or Dr Pepper’s 23 flavors. The mystery pops are simply created when one flavor batch ends and another begins. Instead of cleaning the equipment, the company allows the two batches to mix, resulting in a constantly changing taste.
3. The Keddie Murders
The gruesome Keddie murders evoke images of masked killers wielding machetes in the wilderness. On April 11, 1981, Glenna Sharp, two of her children, and a family friend were brutally killed in their cabin while vacationing near the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The next morning, Sharp’s 14-year-old daughter, who had been staying in a nearby cabin, returned to discover her mother, her brother John, and their friend Dana dead. Her 13-year-old sister Tina was missing. Cabin 28 was a scene of devastation: blood covered every surface, furniture was shattered, and walls bore deep gashes. The victims were bound with tape and horrifically disfigured. Three younger children in the cabin were unharmed and reported that two attackers had tortured the family with kitchen knives and a claw hammer for 10 hours before abducting Tina.
Despite another cabin being just five meters (15 ft) away, neighbors claimed they heard nothing during the brutal attack. A large-scale investigation involving the FBI yielded no suspects or leads. In 1984, Tina Sharp’s skull was found at a campsite 80 kilometers (50 mi) away. Over the years, rumors of Cabin 28 being haunted spread. The resort deteriorated, attracting squatters and vandals. Witnesses reported seeing shadowy figures in the windows and hearing eerie moans from the cabin. The owner demolished the building in 2004.
2. Little Miss 1565
The devastating Hartford circus fire has been featured on Mytour previously: On July 6, 1944, a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus show was engulfed in flames, claiming over 160 lives. Among the victims was 'Little Miss 1565,' a young blonde girl whose identity remains a mystery. Despite decades of police investigations and nationwide newspaper coverage of her photograph, she was never identified. The number '1565' was simply the tag assigned to her body at the morgue.
Over time, some have speculated that she might have been Eleanor Emily Cook, a victim of the fire whose body was never formally identified. Eleanor was likely one of two children severely burned beyond recognition. Although Eleanor’s mother strongly denied that the unknown girl was her daughter, the body was eventually exhumed and buried beside Edward Cook, Eleanor’s brother, who also perished in the fire. The true identity of Little Miss 1565 may forever remain unknown.
1. The Beautiful Cigar Girl
Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Mystery of Marie Rogêt stars his brilliant detective C. Auguste Dupin and is one of his few works inspired by real events: the death of Mary Rogers. Rogers, who worked at a New York City tobacco shop, was famous for her numerous male admirers. On July 25, 1841, she disappeared after informing her fiancé she was visiting her family. Three days later, her body was discovered in the Hudson River. The coroner’s report revealed she had been strangled, with a thumb-shaped bruise on her neck.
The press dubbed the young woman the 'Beautiful Cigar Girl,' and her death became a sensational news story. Yet, over 170 years later, the circumstances of her demise remain unresolved. Some theories propose she died during a failed abortion, while others believe she was an unintended victim of gang-related violence.
Spoiler alert: Much like in real life, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt concludes with Dupin unable to identify the killer.
