New Year and Christmas holidays - a happy and peaceful period. At this time, many families unite, enemies forgive each other, children and adults are happy with gifts ...
But, unfortunately, sometimes even dark and mysterious things happen on Christmas Day. The most famous incidents are below.
1. Jane Doe at Pleasant Valley
On the morning of December 18, 1996, the body of an unknown woman was discovered in the territory of the Pleasant Valley Memorial Park in Virginia. Apparently, the unfortunate committed suicide by suffocating a cellophane bag. When she was found a little cash, a player with cassettes, a small Christmas tree, decorated with golden garlands. The deceased also found a tiny message in which she reported that she was going to commit suicide and asked to be cremated without an autopsy. The woman signed her note briefly: "Jane Doe." Several decades passed, and the secret of her personality remains a mystery.
2. The Death of Jonbenet Ramsey
Johnbenet was only 6 years old, and she has already won the title of Queen of Beauty. On the morning of December 26, 1996, the baby's body was found in the basement of a house belonging to her family. The hands of the girl were tied, on the head they found a few bruises, and on the neck - a stranglehold. Next to the body was also a letter written by alleged kidnappers. But the police do not believe in its authenticity. Mainly because the Ramsey family celebrated Christmas on a visit the previous evening, and about 22 hours the parents put the sleeping daughter in her crib. That is, it was not enough to steal her opportunities. The relatives of the deceased were the main suspects, but it was not possible to find the real killer yet.
3. The enigmatic death of Kevin Showalter
On Christmas Eve in 1973, 20-year-old Kevin Showalter accompanied the girl to a party. On the way, the pair pierced the tire, and young people had to stop in the middle of the road to put a spare. Continue the path to Kevin and did not succeed, while he was engaged in wheels, the guy was shot to death by a vehicle sweeping along the road. The killer did not stop, and the Showalter girl did not see the driver. Little help in the investigation and the police. That detective worked, after the sleeves, then there appeared some controversial evidence. It is possible that the detectives intentionally hushed up the case, covering one of their colleagues.
4. Tommy Ziegler
He was accused of killing four people, including his wife and parents. The crime took place in a Ziegler furniture store in Florida on Christmas Eve in 1975. Tommy was found guilty and sentenced to death, but the accused himself did not recognize his involvement in the tragedy. The defendant's party was convinced that the main witness was lying under oath to substitute Ziegler, who was repeatedly denied DNA examination and did not really give a chance to justify himself.
5. Murder in a mansion in Los Feliz
On the night of December 6, 1959, a murder was committed in the house of Dr. Harold Perelson. The owner of the hammer killed his wife, and the 18-year-old daughter caused serious injuries. After this, Harold committed suicide by drinking a potent poison. What drove the doctor to do this, no one knows. Strange in his behavior before the attack, no one noticed. Just at one point a man broke off. Perelson's children, who managed to survive, immediately left the mansion, which is still empty.
6. Occurrence in Warminster
Christmas 1964, the inhabitants of this town are remembered for life. Many people woke up from loud sounds and vibrations of incomprehensible origin. One woman even told that she fell because of the noise and could not rise, as if some invisible hand pressed her to the ground. The source of the sound was not named. But local people tend to think that the noise had an extraterrestrial origin.
7. Disappearance of Patty Vaughan
On Christmas Day in 1996, 32-year-old Patty Vaughan left her home in La Vernia and did not return to it. A truck woman was found a few blocks away with a punctured tire and traces of blood inside. But there were no signs of struggle, no other damage. Patty's neighbors are sure that her strange husband is guilty in her death, with whom they broke up shortly before their death, but continued to quarrel often. Nevertheless, the police could not confirm his involvement in the case, and soon after the tragedy he left the state with two children.
8. Murder of Ronda Hinson
December 22, 1981 19-year-old Ronda Hinson was returning home from a Christmas party. But the girl did not get home. Unknown striker shot at her from a powerful rifle. The bullet struck the car and pierced the heart of Ronda. The wound was fatal. Hinson's car was soon found abandoned by the road, alongside a body was found - it was pulled a short distance. How much time has passed, and the circumstances of Ronda's death are still a mystery.
9. The disappearance of Laura Bible and Ashley Freeman
On December 29, 1999, Loria Bible and Ashley Freeman celebrated Ashley's 16th birthday home in Vinita, Oklahoma. Suddenly a fire broke out, which was supposed to kill everyone inside. But when the fire was extinguished, only the body of Ashley's mother was found among the wreckage. The very birthday girl, her father and Loria was nowhere to be found. Investigators suggested that his father killed his wife and kidnapped girls to sell them, but later found him with a bullet in his head, and this version had to be abandoned.
10. The murder of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope
A pair of young New Zealanders went missing on the morning of January 1, 1998. Ben and Olivia celebrated the New Year. Suddenly, a stranger approached them and offered to ride on his yacht. The couple readily agreed. After New Zealanders boarded the ship, no one else heard about them. The police suggested that Ben and Olivia were killed, however, no evidence of this was found. Later the investigators brought charges against Scott Watson, but the man did not admit his guilt. And his yacht, according to witnesses, was different from the one on which the couple sat.
11. Suddenly burnt Matilda Rooney
Christmas 1885 John Larson met with his boss Patrick and Matilda Rooney in Illinois. Having woken up in the morning, the man found his employer dead. Larson rushed to find Matilda, but managed to find only her cut off leg next to a pile of ashes. As it was possible to establish police, Patrick perished, having inhaled a smoke. Matilda was the victim of spontaneous combustion. How it happened, and why the fire did not spread to nearby objects, history is silent.
12. Murder of Tracy Mertens
In 1994, 31-year-old Tracy Mertens was attacked in her home in Rochdale, where she lived with her boyfriend Joey Kavanagh. Attackers were looking for a guy, but since he was not at home, they decided to recoup on the hostess. The unfortunate Tracy was brought to a small church, tied up, doused with gasoline and set on fire. When the police arrived at the scene of the crime, Mertens was still alive, and she managed to tell about all that had happened. But this did not help the investigation in any way. The attackers have not been found so far. And their relationship with Joey is not established. It is possible that all the fuss was due to drugs.
13. The disappearance of Melissa Brannen
On December 3, 1989, Tammy Brannen was at a party with her 5-year-old daughter Melissa. On the way home, the girl decided to come back and take something tasty on the road. After waiting for her daughter for a while, the woman went to her search, but Melissa was nowhere to be found. Later, in the abduction of the girl, Caleb Hughes was accused. The girl's body was never found, and there is no official confirmation of her death.
14. Murder of the Miyazawa family
The whole family, consisting of 4 people, was killed on December 30, 2000 in a suburb of Tokyo. The murderer burst into the house suddenly, and after committing the crime he did not hurry to leave him. He spent a lot of time in the mansion, ate food from the refrigerator, left a lot of personal things, and left only in the morning. And yet, his personality was never established. Even numerous DNA samples did not help the investigation.
15. The disappearance of Samuel Todd
Samuel Todd was at New Year's festivities in New York with his brother and a few friends. Suddenly, the guy left the crowd, leaving his jacket and purse. Since Samuel was drunk, one can assume that he decided to get out into the fresh air where he was attacked. Perhaps Todd was kidnapped, but the more likely version is that he was deafened, which resulted in the guy losing his memory and unable to return to his family and friends.
16. The head of Anthony Michalowski
She was found in a garbage can behind a shopping center near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 27, 1988. In the next few days in the vicinity, the lower jaw of the deceased, several of his teeth, was found. The ID of the murdered man was shown on TV so that his relatives could identify him. But the one who killed the unfortunate and why, the investigation did not find out.
17. The lost trio from Fort Worth
Three young women Rachel Trlitsa, Renee Wilson and Julie Moseley were kidnapped from a shopping center in Fort Worth, Texas. There are no witnesses to the abduction, but the next day Rachel's husband received a letter stating that the girls had gone to Houston for a week. After the examination it became clear that in fact the missing woman had nothing to do with this message. None of the trinity after the disappearance was no longer seen.
18. The Disappearance of Nicole Betterson
Nicole was only 2 years old when her mother died in a car accident. Soon after, the girl's father Jarrett Betterson contacted a woman named Barbara. After meeting for a while, the couple took the girl and moved somewhere, explaining nothing to anyone from their relatives and friends. Jarrett and Barbara found in almost 20 years in Vegas, but Nicole was not with them. When Jarrett was pressed, the man promised to tell about the fate of his daughter. But the recognition did not follow - the couple committed suicide just before Christmas on the anniversary of the disappearance of Nicole.
19. The murder of Latrisia White
38-year-old Latrisia celebrated Christmas with her young man Lee and his 9-year-old son Chance. The same evening, she stopped contacting relatives and friends. White was found dead - the woman was killed by six aimed shots in her bed. Lee and Chance at the same time in the house was not. In the murder of Latrisia, Lee Walkerhagen was accused, but neither the police nor the police could find him. They have fallen through the earth. After some time, the investigators found an abandoned truck of the suspect, and soon unknown to the grandfather Lee with a voice similar to Chance, and asked for help. But from a dead point of the matter and has not moved.
20. The Death of Debbie Wulff
Debbie was a nurse and disappeared from her home in Faitville, returning from work on December 25, 1985. After thoroughly searching all the surrounding territories, the parents turned to the police. But the guards said that they would begin the investigation only three days after the disappearance. Eventually, the search began only five days later. And then, the investigation caused a lot of questions. The police categorically refused to look for Debbie in the lake behind the house. Then relatives Wolf had to hire private divers. As it turned out, not in vain. The body of Debbie was in a barrel at the bottom. And although the police described the incident as "accidental drowning," parents are sure that this is a murder.
21. The Washington Killers
On August 14, 1985, the tourists found the body of Stephen Harkins in the area of Taleleik. In the same year on December 12, Mike Rimer with the girl Diana and daughter Crystal went to the same area to find a Christmas tree for the holidays. Soon the girl was found wandering through the forest alone. All that the frightened little girl could say: "Mum in the trees." Two months later Diane's body was found in the depths of the forest, not far from Rimera's car. Mike was accused of all the murders, but the charges had to be lifted - in 2011 the man's skull was found. And this means only one thing: a real killer is still at large.
22. The Children of Sodder
The house of George and Jenny Sodder burned on Christmas Eve in 1945. in the mansion lived 9 out of 10 children of the family, and only four of them managed to escape from the fire. Betty, Maurice, Martha, Louis and Jenny are considered dead. But the parents do not believe in this, because the remains of the children were not found. And even the decision of the coroner did not force the parents to believe in the death of the children. Until the end of their lives, they believed that their children were simply kidnapped, the fire was just a cover.
23. "Visit of St. Nicholas"
This work is also known as "One Night Before Christmas". Clement Moore wrote it, although some literary critics are convinced that the authorship belongs to Henry Livingstone, Jr.. Who actually wrote the world-famous lines is another Christmas mystery.
24. The Randlesham incident
In 1980, a few strange lights were seen in the Randshamshom forest area. Eyewitnesses are sure that it was a UFO. Lights descended into the forest from the sky. For the first time this happened on December 26. The police at first thought it was a crashed plane, but when the detachment began to approach, the object "ran away" into the depths of the forest.
25. The death of the Lawson family
On Christmas Day 1929, the head of the farmer's family, Charlie Lawson, shot and killed his wife and six children from the shotgun, and then took a fancy to himself. The motives of the man remain unknown. Perhaps the frustration was caused by problems at work. Perhaps it was all about the relationship between Charlie and his eldest daughter Marie, who could become pregnant. Lucky only the elder son Lawson - on that day Arthur went to the city, thanks to which he remained alive.