Who amongst us doesn’t love a good mystery?  The correct answer, of course, is “no one.”  I do wonder, however, what your personal favourites may be.  Below are some “real-life” mysteries that have enthralled me fully over the years.

DB Cooper: Possibly my all-time fave.  The simple fact that the suspect has never been identified or caught only adds to my interest.  If you’re not familiar, this is the 1971 story of a man who boarded a “Thanksgiving Eve” commercial flight in Portland, Oregon bound for Seattle, Washington.  Soon after the very short flight began, the man handed the flight attendant a note explaining that he had dynamite on his person.  He demanded $200,000 cash, as well as four parachutes.  Sure to order, the plane landed in Seattle, where Cooper allowed the passengers to disembark but insisted members of the crew remain.  Once the money and parachutes were loaded, Cooper asked to be taken to Mexico City.  The crew informed him that they would need to refuel in Reno, Nevada.  While on route, Cooper – who was alone in the back of the plane  – opened the exit stairs and disembarked, landing somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.  Years later some of the ransom money was found near a river in Vancouver, Washington, but the fate of Cooper remains a mystery.

Amelia Earhart: I remember first hearing about Amelia while I was in grade school.  In the 1930’s Earhart made international headlines with a series of very impressive solo flights.  Of course, true to the times, most of the notoriety bestowed upon her could be credited to the simple fact that she was a female.   Wow.  Novel, right?  Her reputation grew and grew, leading to her most ambitious challenge in 1937: a solo flight across the globe.  It was reported at the time that Earhart sadly perished while crossing the Pacific. To some, that’s where the story begins.  Several theories of her survival began to surface.  The discovery of a jar of freckle cream on a deserted island in the Pacific suggested she may have survived for a time on the small patch of land.  Later, a photo was discovered purported to be Earhart and her navigator as prisoners of the Japanese military.  Is there truth to either theory?  Maybe.

The Zodiac Killer: And then, or course, there’s the darker side of my mystery obsessions, true crime.  If you follow this genre at all, you know about the Zodiac Killer.  The unknown assassin killed at least five victims in the San Francisco Bay area in the late 1960s.  In one case, following the murder of a taxicab driver, witnesses likely saw the assailant casually strolling away from the crime scene, unaware of his identify and unsuccessful in taking him into custody.  His cowardly spree was short, but he continued to taunt the public through a series of cryptic messages sent to various news media outlets.  Over the years, there have been plenty of theories of who this man could be.  However, his identity remains unsolved. 

Of the three stories, I cannot help but notice common elements.  First, in all three, the entire story was never completed.  There remains an element of the unknown and unsolved in each instance.  Second, by necessity, each case contains an element of nostalgia to times past, something that always seems to pique my interest. 

I do feel some scruples drawing attention to what amounts to two cowardly crimes as well as a human tragedy.  I suppose that in the crimes there remains some chance – although slim – that perpetrators could be brought to justice.    I cannot deny, however, that these cases have enthralled my for decades and are party responsible for my love of mystery an the unknown.

I’d be interested in hearing your favourite mysteries.  Leave a comment!