10 Strange Little-Known Unsolved Mysteries

The bizarre, the unusual, the amazing, the unexplained—these strange subjects continue to fascinate us, don’t they? Since we can’t get enough, in a follow up to a previous list, here are ten more unsolved mysteries we don’t hear about every day.

10. Ghost Ship of the Frozen North 1931

The Baychimo, a 1,322 ton steam ship owned by the Hudson Bay Trading Company, regularly traveled to Alaska and British Columbia transporting goods and passengers, and fur trading with the Inuit who lived along the Beaufort Sea.

On October 1, 1931, Baychimo was returning to Vancouver after a successful voyage to Victoria Island, laden with furs. However, winter struck early, bringing freezing temperatures, fierce winds, and the looming danger of blizzards. The ship became trapped in pack ice, leaving Captain John Cornwell and his crew with no choice but to wait.

Fortune briefly smiled on the captain when, two days later, the ice shifted and freed Baychimo. But luck was short-lived. The ship was repeatedly caught and released by the thickening ice. By October 15, the Hudson Bay Company dispatched planes to rescue twenty-two crew members, while the captain and fourteen others remained, constructing a shelter on the ice. To their astonishment, after a fierce blizzard on November 24, they awoke to find Baychimo had vanished.

Days later, a seal hunter informed Cornwell that he had seen the ship drifting approximately forty-four miles (71 km) southwest. Over the years, numerous eyewitnesses reported sightings of the ghost ship. By 1939, there were countless accounts, yet no one could capture Baychimo, which mysteriously evaded all attempts. The last sighting was in 1969, and despite modern searches, the ship’s final fate remains a mystery.

9. Pascagoula’s Phantom Barber 1942

In June 1942, as Pascagoula, Mississippi, experienced a population surge due to wartime shipbuilding, residents faced an unusual threat—a mysterious figure known as the hair cutting phantom haunted their nights.

Dubbed the Phantom Barber by the press, this intruder operated under the cover of darkness, exacerbated by wartime blackout rules. On Monday or Friday nights, he would cut through window screens, enter homes, and snip the hair of sleeping victims, often targeting blonde girls. Sometimes, he removed entire locks of hair, leaving behind only his eerie signature.

His spree began with two young girls at the Our Lady of Victories convent, followed by a six-year-old girl visiting a family. During one break-in, he left a clue—a barefoot print in the sand on an unused bed. Police, baffled by the case, offered a $300 reward for information. Fear gripped the community: women avoided nighttime outings, men sought gun permits, and bloodhounds were deployed, yet the Phantom Barber remained at large.

The pattern seemed to shift when the phantom targeted the home of Mr. and Mrs. Terrell Heidelburg. Instead of cutting hair, he violently attacked the couple, leaving Mrs. Heidelburg unconscious and missing front teeth, while her husband suffered severe injuries from a metal bar. Two months later, police arrested William A. Dolan, a chemist, charging him with attempted murder.

A potential link between Dolan and the Phantom Barber emerged when human hair was reportedly discovered near his home. Despite his persistent denials, Dolan was convicted for the assault on the Heidelburgs—motivated by a grudge against Terrell’s father, a judge—but was never formally charged with the phantom’s hair-cutting crimes. Since the Phantom Barber only ever took hair and never harmed his victims, no definitive connection to Dolan was established. The phantom’s activities ceased as mysteriously as they had begun.

8. The House of Blood 1987

In Atlanta, Georgia, just before midnight on September 8, seventy-seven-year-old Minnie Winston noticed what looked like blood splatters on her bathroom floor and called her seventy-nine-year-old husband, William. Together, they discovered more red, blood-like stains on the lower walls of the bathroom, as well as in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, hallways, and basement. The mysterious substance also appeared in a crawlspace and beneath a television set.

This bizarre phenomenon had never occurred in their rented home before, leaving the elderly couple deeply unsettled. With no pets and living alone, they could not explain the source of the blood. As the strange fluid continued to seep from the floors and walls, Minnie and William contacted the police for help.

Initially, their concerns were dismissed. Although William received regular dialysis at home, both he and Minnie insisted the blood was not theirs. Police investigations confirmed the liquid was human blood, Type O, while the Winstons were Type A. Detectives found no evidence of foul play but were unable to explain the bizarre occurrences, eventually closing the case.

Was the “bleeding house” a prank played on the Winstons, or was it a sign of paranormal activity? The fate of the couple after the 1987 incident remains unclear. Records show that the house at 1114 Fountain Drive is currently occupied.

7. The Guyra Ghost 1921

Beginning around April 8, the Bowen family in Guyra, New South Wales, Australia, experienced terrifying disturbances, including loud thuds and bangs on their walls, followed by showers of stones hitting the roof and exterior of the house, sometimes shattering windows.

The mysterious poltergeist disturbances persisted nightly. Local authorities investigated, patrolled the area, and even encircled the house, but the stone-throwing and loud noises continued unabated. A team of detectives from Sydney placed the Bowen family under constant watch and established a double cordon around the property, yet the phenomena persisted. The relentless thumping and stone showers baffled both the family and the community. Investigators concluded the family was not behind the events.

At one point, twelve-year-old Minnie admitted to tossing a few stones and tapping on a wall to frighten her sibling. However, it became clear she couldn’t have caused all the occurrences. Minnie seemed to be the epicenter of the activity. When she was sent to visit her grandmother in Glenn Innes, the disturbances shifted to that location, with objects falling from shelves and stones appearing out of thin air. After Minnie returned home in early August 1921, the poltergeist activity gradually subsided and eventually ceased.

Minnie Bowen later married and avoided discussing her eerie childhood experiences with the press. The true cause of the disturbances remains unexplained to this day.

6. Eleanore Zugun the Ghost Girl—1925

At twelve years old, Eleanore Zugun began experiencing terrifying events. While staying at her grandmother’s cottage in Romania, stones would inexplicably strike the building. Pins and needles flew across rooms, scratching her and embedding themselves in her arms. Dishes shattered without explanation, and one witness claimed to see a water jug float through the air before landing several feet away. Her grandmother was convinced Eleanore was under the influence of an evil spirit.

Months later, Eleanore was taken to a monastery for an exorcism, which had no effect. The priests then sent her to a mental asylum. By then, her story had gained media attention, catching the interest of Fritz Grunweld, a renowned researcher. After observing her, he concluded the supernatural phenomena surrounding her were genuine.

Eleanore was later invited to live with Countess Zoë Wassiliko-Serecki in Vienna. The countess became her guardian and arranged for thirteen-year-old Eleanore to train as a hairdresser. However, the strange occurrences persisted, with objects materializing and vanishing inexplicably. Eleanore endured physical attacks, including being knocked down, slapped, bitten, and having her hair pulled. The countess even reported seeing a mysterious shadow near Eleanore before some of these events.

Eleanore was brought to London for further examination by the National Laboratory of Psychical Research and later to Munich, where she was caught cheating. Upon her return, the phenomena gradually diminished, though the attacks on her continued. By the age of fourteen, all supernatural activity ceased, and her life returned to normal.

5. Angelo Faticoni the Human Cork—Early 20th Century

Angelo Faticoni, known as the Human Cork, was a freak show performer and contortionist with an extraordinary ability. His unique power earned him his nickname, as he was unsinkable and showcased this talent for a living.

Faticoni could float on his side in water for hours, even with twenty pounds of lead attached to his ankles. He could maintain any position in the water effortlessly. Once, he was sewn into a sack with a cannonball chained to him and thrown into the water, yet he floated for up to eight hours, occasionally peeking out of the sack. He even crossed the Hudson River while tied to a weighted chair.

Harvard University doctors examined Faticoni and found no unusual internal organs but could not explain his incredible buoyancy. He continued to amaze crowds with his performances in various bodies of water. Despite numerous investigations, no signs of deception were ever discovered.

Faticoni passed away in 1931 while visiting family in Jacksonville, Florida. Although he vowed to disclose the secret behind his talent, he never did, leaving his abilities shrouded in mystery.

4. Lost Boy Larry August 1973

On August 7, CB radio operators in New Mexico were startled by a young boy named Larry, who desperately called for help. He claimed to be trapped in a red and white pickup truck with his possibly deceased father.

Larry explained that his father had taken him hunting when an accident occurred, causing the truck to flip into a gully. The doors were jammed, leaving him trapped without food or water. He had no idea of their location and, in his panic, kept switching channels. He feared his father had died from a heart attack.

Larry’s signal fluctuated, frustrating operators. Atmospheric conditions allowed his pleas to reach California, Wyoming, and beyond. Authorities launched a search in New Mexico’s mountains, believed to be the signal’s origin. Thousands of volunteers joined, but unofficial efforts caused confusion.

As the story spread through newspapers and TV, Larry’s signal weakened, indicating a dying battery. Pranksters mimicked his voice, worsening the chaos. By August 12, no truck or boy was found, no missing reports surfaced, and Larry’s signal vanished. Authorities declared it a hoax, but no one claimed responsibility or was named as a suspect. Was Larry’s plea a fraud, or did a boy perish alone? The mystery remains unsolved.

3. The Phantom Whistler 1950

In February, 18-year-old Jacquelyn Cadow from Paradis, Louisiana, heard wolf whistles outside her window at night. Her home was also burglarized. Despite reporting to authorities, nothing changed. The whistles persisted until she announced her engagement to State Trooper Herbert Belsom, after which the whistler shifted to a menacing funeral dirge.

During this period, Jacquelyn received threatening phone calls, with a voice vowing to harm her if she proceeded with her marriage. Her nights were filled with eerie whistling and terrifying moans. The story gained media attention, drawing crowds hoping to spot the mysterious whistler or his target.

Jacquelyn collapsed after she, her mother, her aunt, and a reporter from the New Orleans States-Item heard the whistler. Despite searches by the reporter and Belsom, no one was found. State police and the sheriff’s office also found no leads. Seeking refuge with relatives, Jacquelyn was pursued by the whistler, who even called her mother to reveal he knew her location.

On October 1, Jacquelyn and Belsom married. The whistler, who had threatened to attend, never appeared or acted on his threats. The sheriff closed the case, labeling it a hoax by unnamed individuals. The identity and motives of the phantom whistler remain a mystery.

2. The Black Flash of Provincetown 1939

Just before Halloween, the residents of Provincetown, Massachusetts, were shocked by the sudden appearance of a strange Black Flash—a towering, lightning-fast figure dressed entirely in black, with a black face, pointed ears, and glowing silver eyes. Witnesses reported the creature emitted a loud buzzing noise. It terrorized the town by leaping at people, laughing wildly, and evading capture with incredible speed and agility.

Reports of the Black Flash came from multiple locations almost simultaneously. Some believed he was a Peeping Tom, while others thought he was a demon with supernatural abilities. The town was so frightened that children avoided trick-or-treating that year.

Police suspected the Black Flash was a prank. Chief Anthony Tarvers claimed to know the culprits but refused to reveal their identities. “The Black Flash is dead and buried,” he stated. The terrifying figure never reappeared, and Tarvers took the secret of its identity to his grave.

1. The Methuen Water Demon 1963

In October, the Martin family in Methuen, Massachusetts, first noticed a damp spot on their den wall. As they watched, the spot expanded, and soon after, a loud pop was heard, followed by a sudden gush of icy water shooting from the wall.

Francis Martin dismissed the idea of frozen pipes, as temperatures were mild and the drains had recently been cleaned. The unexplained water spout lasted only seconds before stopping. The next day, another spot in the house erupted with water, lasting less than 30 seconds. Over the following days, icy streams appeared every 15 minutes in different rooms, soaking everything in their path. A deputy even witnessed a jet of water shooting two feet into a room from the wall.

After moving to a relative’s home, the Martins found the same phenomenon occurring there. Returning home, Francis shut off the main water supply, but the next day, water burst from the walls in multiple spots simultaneously, flooding the house in 20-second intervals. The source remained a mystery. The family moved again, but the water demon followed them, forcing their return to Methuen.

Eventually, the strange occurrences diminished and ceased entirely. The family never uncovered the cause of the terrifying events. Authorities attributed it to moisture build-up.