It’s been 10 years since the last season of Unsolved Mysteries aired and now the iconic true crime series is back with six more compelling cases.
The Netflix reboot of the OG Unsolved Mysteries has just as many chilling cold cases, disappearances, and alleged supernatural encounters, and then some.
Here, we dive into each case to serve as a companion to Unsolved Mysteries.
Happy hauntings…
Episode 1: Mystery on the Rooftop
Where / When? Baltimore, Maryland in May 2006.
Who went missing? Newlyweds Rey Rivera.
What happened? Eight days after Rey Rivera disappeared, his body was found in a Baltimore Hotel. While investigators initially thought it may have been a suicide attempt, as the investigation went on, strange details arose that led them to believe that something more sinister had occurred.
Wild facts:
- Rey’s belongings (including his phone and glasses) were found nearby his body. The items were undamaged, which would be impossible if he’d jumped and points to foul play.
- Allison (his wife) believes that Rey discovered something he shouldn’t have which resulted in his alleged murder.
- Rey’s high school friend and boss, Porter Stansberry, is mentioned in connection to the case but refused to be interviewed for the show. He is never said to be an official suspect or person of interest, but when investigators attempted to speak with him at the time, he refused.
- The medical examiner told Rivera’s wife that the way his shins were broken weren’t consistent with a fall.
- The camera on the rooftop was disconnected, adding more mystery to the case.
Episode 3: House of Terror
Where / When? Nantes, France in April 2011.
Who went missing? Count Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès and his wife Agnès along with their four children: Arthur, Thomas, Anne, and Benoît.
What happened? A rich French family mysteriously disappears. Shortly after, they tell friends and family via letter that they were recruited to work undercover for the DEA in the United States. Family and friends find this strange and police go back to the house six times over the course of one week. On the sixth visit, police discover the bodies of Agnès, Arthur, Anne, and Benoît underneath the terrace of the house.
Wild facts:
- The bodies were wrapped in blankets and plastic bags with a small religious artefact.
- Interestingly, Marie Claire reports that there were a few key factors missing from Unsolved Mysteries: 1. Agnès reportedly spoke in an online forum (anonymously) that she was unhappy in her marriage. Apparently she was afraid of her “old-fashioned” husband: “The father is the head, he gives an order, we execute it without seeing to question or understand, period!” 2. Xavier allegedly had a mistress in Paris. 3. His wife’s jewellery was missing from the house, so he could have used it to fund his escape. 4. Shortly before the killings, he also bought quicklime, which was later found on top of the bodies in order to hasten their decomposition. 5. Second-oldest son Thomas’ phone was used in the days following his disappearance, but apparently his messages were suss and didn’t appear to have been written by him. 6. There are local sources who claim to have seen and spoken with Agnès in the days after her presumed death, but those were never confirmed.
Episode 4: No Ride
Where / When? Le Cygne, Kansas in April 2004.
Who went missing? Alonzo Brooks, 23.
What happened? Brooks went missing after attending a party with friends in a rural Kansas town. His mates assumed he got a lift with another friend, likely leaving him stranded at the party at a house surrounded by fields near a creek. When he didn’t return home, his friends drove back and found his hat and boots strewn on the other side of the road.
Wild facts:
- The autopsy results didn’t yield any meaningful results.
- His friends and family believe law enforcement did not do enough.
- Some suspected that Brooks’ disappearance was hate crime-related.
Episode 5: Berkshire’s UFO
Where / When? Berkshire, Massachusetts on September 1, 1969.
Who went missing? Residents of the small town of Great Barrington, MA, and some from the surrounding area of small towns.
What happened? Residents of the Berkshire area in Massachusetts were convinced they spotted a UFO in the night’s sky. Every single one of the residents who came forward with a claim recalled seeing a similar silver, flying object.
Wild facts:
- There is no physical evidence from the alleged UFO sighting (even tape of the local radio broadcast was taped over).
- Some of the children claim they were taken aboard the UFO and cannot account for hours that night.
- The local newspaper refused to report on it, despite the overwhelming testimony, so all that remains are people’s firsthand accounts.
Episode 6: Missing Witness
Where / When? Steelville, Missouri in the Ozark Mountains in February 2006.
Who went missing? Liehnia Chapin.
What happened? After confessing to having helped her mother dispose of her stepfather Gary McCullough’s body in May 1999, Liehnia Chapin disappeared. Her mother claims Liehnia ran off with a man to Florida leaving behind her young son, but Liehnia’s sisters aren’t convinced.
Wild facts:
- Liehnia’s body was never found.
- It has been theorised that Liehnia’s mother had something to do with her murder as payback for ratting her out. However, there seems to be no other physical evidence to support that Sandy may have killed her.
Unsolved Mysteries is now streaming on Netflix.
