The 6 most mysterious unsolved murders of all time

Murders have always caused a great deal of disturbance and trauma in the lives of people. These brutal killings are at times unimaginable and the motive behind it remains unknown at times.

These crimes have left unanswered questions after stumping police and horrifying communities because they were never solved. Hence the trust has not been attained about them.

TIME took a look back at some of the most high-profile killings from the past 150 years. They all have one thing in common:  A killer who has never been found.



Here are the six most exasperating murder mysteries of all time;

1. Jack the Ripper

London’s most notorious serial killer was known as “Jack the Ripper” who preyed on prostitutes before killing t and terrorising the area by mutilating them. His murders were described as barbarous and the manner of murder was too horrible to describe.

Jack confused the authorities by his skill with the knife and made them wonder if he might be a butcher or a doctor. The victims, who were Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly, had their throats slit and organs ripped out before being thrown out onto the streets.

“Each victim was known to be a heavy drinker and a prostitute. They were all targeted “because they were readily accessible” and were killed swiftly in the early morning hours,” said the FBI.

Police were never able to find the killer as forensic technological advancements were non-existent during those days.

2. The Black Dahlia

Elizabeth Short was known as “Black Dahlia” because of her dark hair and preference for black clothing. Her body was found naked, sliced in half at the waist without a drop of blood anywhere.

She came to California in pursuit of fame before being found dumped in an empty plot. According to the FBI, her body was professionally dissected with one breast cut off. Even though many people confessed murdering her but none of them seemed to be telling the truth and case remains unsolved.

This murder became the subject of a 1987 novel and a 2006 movie.

3. The Zodiac Killer

He was famous for taunting police with clues as he craved media attention and loved to be in the spotlight. Responsible for murdering five people between 1968 and 1969 in California, the zodiac killer claimed there were dozens of more victims but these claims could not be verified.

His deadly rampage included shooting two teenagers in a parking lot, followed by killing another one seven months later. This is when newspapers started receiving anonymous letters claiming the slayings. According the San Fransisco Examiner, the letters contained coded messages which explained the killer’s motives.

In one letter written in August, he said, “This is the Zodiac speaking.” “I like killing people because it is so much fun,” he added, according to FBI records. “It is more fun than killing wild game in the forest because man is the most dangerous animal of all.”

Authorities failed to catch the killer and he ended up committing two more murders. Days later, he mailed a piece of his victim’s bloody shirt to the Chronicle newspaper.

 

4. Rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G were killed six months apart

The music world was stunned with shock when these two rappers were gunned down within a span of six months. Both rappers were top artists for their record companies and the killings came at a time when their intense rivalry had reached a new high.

Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on 13^th September 1996 whereas six months later Christopher Wallace, known as Notorious B.I.G was killed in a similar fashion when he was leaving a music industry party.

The two superstars became friends when bad boy signed them but they became distant when Tupac landed in jail and Biggie rose in popularity. The murder mysteries prompted conspiracy theories such as the rappers faked their own deaths and are still alive.



 

5. JonBenet Ramsey

JonBenet Ramsey, a beauty pageant winner’s smiling face used to stare out of newspapers and televisions until the beauty queen was found dead in the basement of her home. It was discovered that she was beaten and strangled to death on the day after Christmas.

According to her mother, JonBenet was missing early in the morning. She called 911 to report to report a kidnapping after she found a ransom note demanding $118,000. A few hours later, JonBenet’s father told police he discovered his daughter’s body in the basement.

Her parents fell under suspicion but no one was ever charged. Twenty years later the police said the investigation was still open and nobody commented on the case.

This article originally appeared on TIME