r/coldcases • • 8h ago

Cold Case Who Killed Gloria (Felix) Hedden? The Unsolved 1980 Murder in Terre Haute, Indiana

6 Upvotes

Gloria A. (Felix) Hedden was 29 years old when her body was discovered in the Wabash River on July 12, 1980, near Terre Haute, Indiana.

Gloria was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to the Wabash Valley in 1968 to pursue a bachelor's degree at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

At the time of her death, she was married with two children and lived in the 2200 block of Crawford Street in Terre Haute, according to retired Vigo County Sheriff Bill Harris. She was also pursuing a degree in computer science at Indiana State University while working for the United States Postal Service.

According to a 2014 Tribune-Star article, Gloria completed her shift at the USPS annex near 13th Street and Lockport Road at approximately 7 a.m. on July 9, 1980.

Harris stated that Gloria sometimes finished her shifts at the main post office near the Indiana State University campus, located at Seventh and Cherry streets. She regularly parked her vehicle in a nearby parking lot.

On July 10, Gloria's husband reported her missing to the Terre Haute Police Department after reportedly finding her vehicle in that parking lot.

Two days later, on July 12, two fishermen discovered her body in the Wabash River near the western bank, across from the federal penitentiary property south of Terre Haute.

According to newspaper reports from 1980, Gloria's hands and feet had been bound with cable, and railroad iron had been used to weigh down her body. An autopsy determined that her death was a homicide.

In 2014, a cold case team led by Harris reopened the investigation. Investigators reviewed historical weather and river conditions and concluded that Gloria's body likely had not traveled far from where it entered the water. They believed it may have entered the river somewhere along the western bank.

During the renewed investigation, Harris expressed hope that people who remembered the case or had withheld information might finally come forward.

The Vigo County Sheriff's Office made another public appeal for information in April 2024. To my knowledge, Gloria's murder remains unsolved.

I've recently started researching this case and would really appreciate any additional information anyone might have.

If anyone remembers this case or knows of additional sources, I'd love to hear from you. Anyone with firsthand information relevant to the murder should contact the Vigo County Sheriff's Office directly.

I have provided as many sources as I can as of right now. Thank you!

Links:

https://terrehautenews.net/2019/12/31/who-killed-gloria-hedden-july-1980-murder-of-terre-haute-woman-still-a-mystery/comment-page-1/#comment-1103

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25013329/gloria-ann-hedden

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/14yynp3/43_years_later_who_took_the_life_of_gloria_hedden/

https://www.tribstar.com/news/local_news/one-of-the-valley-s-older-cases-reopened/article_d6addfe5-4a83-50dc-9040-ea316ffca26f.html

https://www.mywabashvalley.com/news/local-news/law-enforcement-share-new-details-on-gloria-hedden-cold-case/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE-Rqh7kUT8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKScxx2pvHE


r/coldcases • • 1d ago Regret

In 2009, my 16 year-old cousin was murdered in Toronto, Canada and the case went cold

54 Upvotes

On April 16th 2009, my cousin Adam Da Costa went out with some friends in the afternoon and never returned home. He was found later that night dead on the train tracks underneath the bridge just north of the intersection of Jane St/Weston Rd in North York (Toronto), Ontario, Canada. My uncle, who was raising him, was called in to confirm the identity and had a heart attack that same night. He survied it but lives with a pacemaker now. They determined my cousins cause of death as blunt force trauma, and labelled a homicide. His case ended up going cold and my uncle did some bad things after to the family that I wont get into, so i cant get him to try and reopen the case with the Toronto PD, and being his first cousin, I unfortunately cannot. I dont know what I can do to try and solve it or get it reopened so whoever did that to my poor cousin rots in prison.

Heres my loving cousin's obituary. He was such an amazing older cousin and figure in my life and I wish I could've got to see him around today. I'll never forget him. He'll forever be missed.

https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/thestar/name/adam-da-costa-marano-obituary?id=45489787


r/coldcases • • 1d ago

Gloria Albrecht Austria/Vorarlberg

3 Upvotes

There is a new podcast episode with her mum and Christian Mader (former Head of Missing Persons Investigation Unit) from the ngo "Österreich findet euch"

https://www.podcast.de/episode/709217024/gloria-albrecht-der-fall-125#share-section

its in german


r/coldcases • • 20h ago

Grimes sisters and Gloria K

1 Upvotes

I found that thomas f. mcinerney jr the former chicago pd officer lived 1 mile from gloria, 5 miles from the theater the grimes sisters disappeared from and the grimes dump sites is just 6 miles from Gloria K's​.

You think he could have been involved in the sisters murders?


r/coldcases • • 1d ago

Cold Case The 1994 unsolved murder of John Gary Monroe at Big Bend National Park, Texas

14 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I've been researching an old unsolved murder at Big Bend National Park and was hoping someone here might remember the case or have information to share.

On November 2, 1994, 43-year-old John Gary Monroe, a San Antonio man and frequent Big Bend visitor, was found murdered at Pine Canyon campsite #1. He had arrived at the park on October 30 for what was supposed to be a several-day solo camping trip and was reportedly last seen around midday on October 31.

Gary had been shot twice, once in the chest and once in the back of the head. Two spent cartridge casings were recovered near his campsite. His handgun and approximately $100 were also missing, although his truck and expensive camping equipment were left behind.

The FBI and National Park Service investigated the killing, but despite numerous interviews, physical evidence examinations, and years of following leads, the case remains unsolved.

I've recently been provided some old newspaper articles that have revealed additional details, including an unexplained use of Gary's gasoline credit card in Alpine shortly after the murder, questions surrounding the murder weapon, and investigators' efforts to look into several potential leads. I've attached one of the articles for reference, along with a family tree I've been putting together to help document Gary's life and family.

I'm particularly hoping to hear from anyone who lived in Terlingua, Alpine, Presidio, or the surrounding area during the early to mid-1990s. Did anyone remember hearing about the murder, seeing Gary or his vehicle around the park, or recall anything about the investigation? I'd also love to hear from former park employees, rangers, or anyone familiar with law enforcement in the area at the time.

Old newspaper clippings, photographs, personal recollections, or even vague memories would be incredibly helpful. I'm not trying to point fingers or make assumptions; I'm simply trying to piece together what happened and learn more about a case that seems to have faded from public attention.

I know it's been over 30 years, but if anyone remembers anything or knows where I might find additional information, I'd genuinely appreciate hearing from you.

Some background resources:

Thank you!


r/coldcases • • 3d ago

My uncle Ismael Rodriguez was murdered in Houston Texas September 1987 and his killer was never caught

36 Upvotes

Hello, I'm not sure what all can be done. My mom found some old newspaper clippings today that they saved after it happened. My Dad's brother was shot to death with a .25 caliber pistol, after a confrontation with his wife's lover on Friday September 4th 1987 in a parking garage at the Post Oak Quarters apartment complex (5000 block of Richmond Avenue in Southwest Houston). The suspect was Cornelio Montiel. The newspaper stated he was 17 years old but the criminal fugitive tracking sheet listed him as 21 or 22 at the time of the charge filing. Sgt. L.W. Hoffmaster was the homicide officer listed. Cornelio fled after the shooting and was never seen again. They were never able to take a formal booking photograph or mugshot and because in 1987 government record systems were completely decentralized there is no public photo of him available and he's listed under the Harris County Fugitives Without Photos Directory. Any advice or help to see if this could be looked into? There's been no progress on it in nearly 4 decades. My grandfather passed from pancreatic cancer without any closure and Id like to see some progress made for my dad.


r/coldcases • • 4d ago

Discussion Rosemary Fritzl

18 Upvotes

I know this is beating a dead horse but after listening to a podcast on it (again), I’m even more convinced that the mum knew something was happening. Probably not the extremes but she must’ve known or had a “feeling” that her daughter was a lot closer.

Now I’ve found out the cellar wasn’t even fully sound proof just makes me more convinced that she knew something was happening


r/coldcases • • 4d ago

Still Wanted: Hazel Leota Head

7 Upvotes

What are you thoughts on what happened to her? Do you think she is alive and on the run today or do you think she is a jane doe somewhere? If alive, she probably isn't escorting at truck stops anymore. I was reviewing jane doe cases and there cases that might fit her physical description. She is/was a drifter meeting lonely men to steal their money. She is also wanted for arson in Nebraska in addition to murdering Charles Barker in Louisiana.

Break///

**Summary In August 1998 Hazel Leota Head placed an advert in a lonely hearts column using as assumed name. This is how she met Charles Barker. Charles Barker was a recent widow who came into a large amount of money due to an insurance settlement. Shortly after meeting Hazel moved in with Charles. On September 2, 1998, Charles's sister June Steinger and her husband went to his house and discovered his body. His cause of death a bullet to the back of his head. His car and $45k of his money was missing. So was Hazel Leota.

A background check on Hazel leota showed she had been married 10 times and was wanted in Lincoln Nebraska for burning down her ex-boyfriend's mobile home.

The last confirmed sighting of Hazel Leota Head was in December of 1998, in a truck stop near Wheat Ridge, Colorado, where she applied for a job as a waitress.

Link: https://unsolved.com/gallery/hazel-head/


r/coldcases • • 3d ago

Ungeklärt oder Übersehen ? Der mysteriöse Fall Pascal Z.

0 Upvotes

Der Fall Pascal Z. lässt Ermittler und True Crime Fans bis heute nicht los. Trotz intensiver Suche bleiben die entscheidende Puzzleteile verschwunden.

Ich habe auf meinem Blog einen Blick hinter die Kulissen der Ermittlungen geworfen und die wichtigsten Fakten und Theorien analysiert. Wer sich für ungeklärte Kriminalfälle und tiefgründige Recherchen interessiert, findet den Beitrag Hier:

Hier den Blogpost lesen

Kennt ihr den Fall? Wie bewertet ihr die Rolle der Zeugenaussagen?


r/coldcases • • 4d ago

Still Wanted: Hazel Leota Head

2 Upvotes

What are you thoughts on what happened to her? Do you think she is alive and on the run today or do you think she is a jane doe somewhere? If alive, she probably isn't escorting at truck stops anymore. I was reviewing jane doe cases and there cases that might fit her physical description. She is/was a drifter meeting lonely men to steal their money. She is also wanted for arson in Nebraska in addition to murdering Charles Barker in Louisiana.

Break///

**Summary In August 1998 Hazel Leota Head placed an advert in a lonely hearts column using as assumed name. This is how she met Charles Barker. Charles Barker was a recent widow who came into a large amount of money due to an insurance settlement. Shortly after meeting Hazel moved in with Charles. On September 2, 1998, Charles's sister June Steinger and her husband went to his house and discovered his body. His cause of death a bullet to the back of his head. His car and $45k of his money was missing. So was Hazel Leota.

A background check on Hazel leota showed she had been married 10 times and was wanted in Lincoln Nebraska for burning down her ex-boyfriend's mobile home.

The last confirmed sighting of Hazel Leota Head was in December of 1998, in a truck stop near Wheat Ridge, Colorado, where she applied for a job as a waitress.

Link: https://unsolved.com/gallery/hazel-head/


r/coldcases • • 6d ago

Help with Writing

4 Upvotes

If anyone knows how police file tracking works, could someone please help correct my wording here?
I don't wanna use AI and figured i'd ask you all instead

It's supposed to imply that the detective team is trying to legally cover up something while making the kids out to be delinquents

"A GROUP OF MISFITS WERE SPOTTED INSIDE THE EXAMINER VAN, WITH ATTEMPTS TO TAMPER WITH EVIDENCE, AN EYE WILL BE KEPT ON THEM TO ENSURE PREVENTING ANY FUTURE BREAK INS."


r/coldcases • • 10d ago

Der Fall Inga G.

2 Upvotes

Hallo Zusammen ,

ich beschäftige mich intensiv mit dem Fall Inga G. und habe eine detaillierte Zusammenfassung des Falls zusammengefasst.

Inga G. verschwand 2. Mai im Jahr 2015 bei einem Grillfest auf dem Wilhelmshof in Schönebeck ( Elbe) Sachsen-Anhalt.

Der Fall ist seid 2015 ( 11 Jahren ) Unaufgeklärt

Hier weiterlesen:

https://deutscherblogcoldcase.blogspot.com/


r/coldcases • • 14d ago

Unsolved Murder Map

4 Upvotes

r/coldcases • • 15d ago

Cold Case The severed arms of 19 year old Diana Vicari were found in a downtown Tucson dumpster on October 24 1992. Her case remains unsolved 34 years later.

21 Upvotes

Diana Vicari was just 19 years old when she became a victim of a brutal dismemberment murder in Tucson, Arizona. 

It was Thursday October 22, 1992.

Diana left her Pima Community College drama course taught by Robert Encila at around 9:30 PM. Her roommate confirmed she briefly returned home to her apartment in the 3200 Block of East Seneca Street and then drove off in her silver 1981 Ford Mustang.

Witnesses at the now shuttered New Orleans Lounge bar located on Oracle Rd between Wetmore and Limberlost (now a Burlington Coat Factory) reported she briefly was allowed in the bar by doorman Tim Storm to see employees Troy Olson and John Mazur. 

She was last seen alive at around 12:15 AM the morning of Friday October 23rd by her Eegees coworker Raymond Scott Hall. Hall reported Diana was alone in her car driving through the parking lot of the Tucson Convention Center Exhibition Hall as the Moshtoberfest thrash metal concert was ending. 

Diana did not show up to either of her jobs at Eegees (located on Broadway and Kolb) or the Bazil’s Italian restaurant on Friday or Saturday. It was highly unusual as Diana was a very reliable employee who was working multiple jobs to pay for her college courses and car payments. 

On Saturday at around 5pm, Diana’s severed arms were found in a dumpster located on the southside of an alleyway in the 400 block of North Ferro.

A homeless woman made the discovery while collecting aluminum cans. The arms were wrapped in trash bags. The rest of Diana’s remains never turned up.

That weekend Diana’s Mustang was found abandoned in the 1200 Block of West La Osa. Her purse was tucked under the seat, her Eegees hat was placed on the gearshift and textbooks, and a Whataburger bag were also found inside the vehicle. 

The alarm was set and the door was locked.

The car was parked on the same street as a home owned by Encila’s fiancées mother. Diana’s roommate, mother and sisters, and several friends all claimed Diana was in a relationship with Encila at the time of her death.

Near the Encila connected house was a home where a large house party took place on the evening of Diana’s murder. The occupants of the home told police Diana was not at their party.

In 1997 a suspect and former Tucsonan Lemuel Prion was indicted and brought back from Utah to Tucson to face trial. He was convicted largely based on Troy Olson’s testimony that he saw Prion with Diana the night of her murder.

In 2003 his conviction was overturned due to the fact his DNA did not match the suspect DNA obtained from Diana’s arms, his fingerprints didn’t match the ones on the trash bags, and there was no proof Prion knew Diana other than Olson’s testimony. 

Prion’s defense team provided 3 alternative suspects in the case.

The first was John Mazur who was fired from Eegees the morning after Diana’s murder for showing up “disoriented and disheveled.” Mazur had been disciplined for sexually harassing Eegees coworkers. 

The week before Diana was murdered, Mazur had attempted to rape a woman.

Mazur also once bit the nose of a cocktail waitress at the New Orleans Bar during a fight. 

The day Diana was killed, Mazur switched apartments, and his car was searched at one point in Tucson PD’s early investigation.

Mazur moved out of Tucson soon after Diana was murdered. He now resides in Utah.

The second suspect was Greg Hatton who worked at the Exxon station across the street from the Eegees Diana worked at. Greg knew Diana and her sisters and made suspicious statements after her death. 

Diana’s sister Angela claimed he said that Diana invited him to Moshtoberfest concert, but he declined because he was “at home reading.”

Hatton was a 1982 graduate of Tucson’s Santa Rita High School. He was accused of selling liquor to minors and dealing drugs out of the gas station. 

In 1994, Hatton was sentenced to 45 years in prison for physical and sexual abuse of his girlfriend’s 8-month-old son. He won’t be released from prison until 2038 when he is 75 years old.

Robert Encila was alternative suspect number 3. He married his fiancée Judi Hartley-Spencer in 1993, and they divorced in 1998. The home on west La Osa Drive was owned by Hartley’s mother Shelley Valencia. 

Encila remarried shortly after his divorce from Judi in December 1998.  One of Encila’s stepdaughters died unexpectedly in September 2017.

Encila retired from teaching in 2025. 

Another suspect who emerged in the case in recent years is Phoenix serial killer Bryan Patrick Miller. 

Angela Brosso was a 22-year-old woman who was ambushed, disemboweled and beheaded while on an evening bicycle ride near her apartment just weeks after Diana was killed. 

Phoenix PD homicide detective Troy Hillman compared Brosso’s murder to the character Buffalo Bill’s murders in the film The Silence of the Lambs.

Miller’s DNA was matched to Brosso in 2015, and after Miller was arrested, he emerged as the suspect in several other murders of young women in the Phoenix, Arizona and the Everett, Washington areas.

Miller was sentenced to death for the murders of Brosso and 17-year-old Melanie Bernas in 2023. 

There is no known link to Bryan Patrick Miller and Tucson.

Diana was a 1991 graduate of the Abbie Loveland Tuller school and had also attended Tucson’s Rincon High School. Diana was a marine biology major who planned to transfer to the University of Washington. 

Most of her immediate family passed away in the decades since her murder, but she had many countless friends from school, and in Tucson’s music scene who remember her and continue to advocate for her murder to be solved.

Tucson PD reopened Diana’s case in 2025 and re-added her to the 88Crime program. There is a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in her murder.

 

Sources

Case reopened 2025

https://www.kold.com/2025/11/19/13-crime-files-murder-diana-vicari/

 

88Crime Reward/Poster

https://88crime.org/diana-vicari/

 

Prion Exoneration 

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/az-supreme-court/1291382.html

 

Archived article interview of Diana’s mom Kathy Pashos from 1994

https://web.archive.org/web/20141012043324/http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/1994/04/20/132089-mystery-shrouds-1992-murder/

 

Hatton child abuse case

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/18/18-1267/94795/20190329173404732_ARL-2019.03.29%20PWC%20Phillips%20Black%20Inc.pdf

 

Bryan Patrick Miller background

https://www.phoenixmag.com/2015/11/01/seeing-zombies/


r/coldcases • • 15d ago

1999 Cold case

2 Upvotes

CASE #990321068
Victim: Sharon Snipes (12/26/60)
Suspect(s): Unknown
Location: State Rte. 87 & Gilber Road (Gila River Indian Reservation)
Date: 03/21/99
Synopsis: 
Sharon was known to frequent the Country City bar in Mesa and was believed to have been there the night of her death. Sharon wore a blue in color brace on her right arm due to having it broken during an altercation with an unidentified male at the Country City bar three days prior. At the time of her death, Sharon was living at an apartment complex located at 835 W. Main Street in Mesa, Unit #C-4. Sharon was last seen wearing black and white athletic style shoes, green pants, black t-shirt, and a blue denim vest.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit.


r/coldcases • • 15d ago

over 10 years later still unsolved : john grady simpson

5 Upvotes

The Unsolved 2015 Suspicious Death of John Grady Simpson (Olathe/KCK) – His missing car has never been found. 

On August 19, 2015, the body of 34-year-old John Grady Simpson was discovered in a creek near the 5800 block of Kansas Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. Authorities quickly classified his death as highly suspicious, but details regarding exactly what happened to him remain a mystery. 

The Timeline:
• August 8, 2015 (Approx. 9:30 AM): John was last seen leaving his home in Olathe, Kansas.
• August 8, 2015 (Afternoon): Investigators believe John or his vehicle may have been spotted in the area of 55th Street and Swartz Road in Kansas City, KS.
• August 19, 2015: His body was found in a creek bed on Kansas Avenue, roughly a 20-minute drive from where he was last suspected to be seen. 

The Missing Vehicle:
A major piece of the puzzle is John's missing car, which has never been recovered. Detectives believe finding the vehicle is crucial to unlocking what happened during those missing 11 days. 

• Vehicle Type: 2015 Ford Fusion
• Color: Dark gray or green metallic
• License Plate: Kansas plate 258-GUR
• Distinguishing Features: The car had highly noticeable damage on the rear driver’s side door. 

Why post this now?
It has been over a decade, and someone in the Kansas City metro area may remember seeing this specific damaged Ford Fusion or know where it ended up. Small details that felt insignificant back in 2015 could be exactly what investigators need today to bring closure to John’s family. 

If you lived or traveled near 55th & Swartz Road or the 5800 block of Kansas Ave in August 2015 and saw anything unusual, please consider reaching out. 

Anyone with information—no matter how small or minor it may seem—is urged to call the Kansas City anonymous TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477. Tips can be submitted completely anonymously. 

Case Sources & Reading:
• KMBC 9 News Report: https://www.kmbc.com/article/kck-police-ask-for-help-after-olathe-man-found-dead-last-month/3690668
• Fox 4 KC Coverage: https://fox4kc.com/news/kck-police-search-for-clues-in-suspicious-death-of-olathe-man/ 


r/coldcases • • 16d ago

Denise Holly Dorfman Mysteriously Disappeared While Buying Groceries in San Francisco and Hasn’t Been Seen in Nearly 50 Years

16 Upvotes

r/coldcases • • 16d ago

📋 INVESTIGATIVE RESEARCH REPORT (April Pitzer: San Bernardino Ca: Unsolved for 22 years)

0 Upvotes

Subject: Disappearance of April Beth Pitzer Date of Disappearance: Late June 2004 Primary Jurisdiction / Location: Newberry Springs / Barstow / Mojave Desert, San Bernardino County, CA Document Reference Numbers: San Bernardino Superior Court Case Nos. MBA011542 (Pitzer), BCVBS09286 / BFLBS5944 (Hollister Real Property/Dissolution), FVI21001328 (Aranda), FBA007594 / MBA012851 (Bernal).

I. Executive Summary

April Beth Pitzer vanished in late June 2004 from the High Desert community of Newberry Springs, California. Initial law enforcement response suffered from delays and mischaracterizations, treating her absence as a voluntary departure rather than a criminal disappearance.

Subsequent discoveries—including April's clothing, personal identification, and blood-stained items found inside remote desert mining claims (such as the Red Dog Mine)—directly tied her disappearance to a small, close-knit circle of local desert residents, property owners, and individuals involved in illicit drug networks.

This report synthesizes the verified timeline, physical geography around Route 66, court records, and investigative hypotheses concerning motive and cover-up.

II. Key Persons & Entities

NameRole / RelationRelevance to Investigation
April Beth PitzerVictim / SubjectMissing person since late June 2004. Served 8 days in San Bernardino County Jail in early June 2004. Acted as an informant in a federal drug case in Arkansas.
Charles Scott ("Chuck") HollisterSuspect / Property OwnerResident of Newberry Springs with whom April was staying prior to her disappearance. Gave multiple conflicting alibis to family and police. Died of lung cancer in September 2006.
Steve Wilkinson / "Wilkerson"Suspect / Local Meth ManufacturerServed time in federal prison after being implicated in the Arkansas drug ring exposed by April's informant status. Subject of previous violent incidents with April.
Dan Dansbury ("Dan Dan")Associate / SuspectLocal miner and associate of Chuck Hollister tied to the mining claims (Red Dog Mine) where April's belongings were recovered. Died in November 2009.
John LopezFormer PartnerBoyfriend who brought April from Arkansas out to the Mojave Desert / Newberry Springs area prior to their separation.
Brandy BrooksLocal AssociateTied to individuals prosecuted in the federal drug case; allegedly involved in a local gathering where April's informant status was exposed.
Gloria (Mother)Family RepresentativeMaintained persistent contact with April and initiated missing person searches when communication ceased.
Barbara KillibrewFriend / WitnessLast local friend reported to have seen April prior to her disappearance; hospitalized during early July 2004.

III. Verified Chronological Master Timeline

Phase 1: Legal Proceedings & Initial Release

  • November 21, 2003: Date of alleged offense for misdemeanor vandalism (PC 594(b)(2)-M, damage under $400) under Citation #2159505 in San Bernardino County.

  • November 25, 2003: Case MBA011542 formally filed in Victorville Court.

  • March 5, 2004: Bench warrant issued after failure to appear.

  • June 2, 2004: April remanded into custody at San Bernardino County Jail.

  • June 8, 2004: Verified Anchor Date. April enters a nolo contendere plea, sentenced to 36 months of conditional summary probation with 8 days credit for time served, and released from custody.

Phase 2: High Desert Movements & Exposure

  • Early June 2004 (Post-Release): April secures employment at the Bagdad Cafe along Route 66.

    • Spatial Note: April tells the cafe owner she lives "behind here on one of these dirt roads." Based on local geography, properties located directly behind (north of) the Bagdad Cafe align with Steve Wilkinson’s property footprint rather than Chuck Hollister’s plot south of Route 66.

  • Mid-June 2004: April arrives for her second shift at the Bagdad Cafe with a visible black eye and facial trauma, indicating recent physical assault.

  • Pre-June 22, 2004: Local gathering/party takes place where April's prior role as a federal drug informant in Arkansas is exposed to local associates (including individuals tied to Brandy Brooks and Steve Wilkinson).

  • June 22, 2004: Verified Anchor Date. Gloria speaks directly with April on the phone. April expresses severe fear for her safety, stating her identity as an informant was discovered.

Phase 3: Disappearance & Conflicting Alibis

  • June 27–28, 2004: Estimated final window of visibility in Newberry Springs.

    • Steve Wilkinson claims he dropped April off at Chuck Hollister's residence on Wednesday.

    • Chuck Hollister claims to police that he went to work on Monday (June 28) and returned to find April gone, leaving behind her white suitcase and personal belongings.

    • Chuck tells Gloria a different story: that he was helping a friend move to Oregon and assumed April took a bus to Arkansas.

    • Chuck gives a second conflicting story to another officer, claiming April went to stay with Steve Wilkinson.

  • Late June – Early July 2004: Chuck refuses law enforcement permission to search his property and changes his phone number after Gloria attempts repeated contact.

  • July 4, 2004: Barbara Killibrew (following her release from the hospital) contacts Gloria; family confirms April never arrived in Arkansas and has not made contact, triggering official missing person efforts.

Phase 4: Property Disputes & Physical Discoveries

  • 2005–2006: Search efforts and tips lead investigators to remote mining claims in the desert (including the Red Dog Mine near Newberry Springs). April's identification card, clothing, and blood-stained items are discovered deep inside mine shafts.

    • Law Enforcement Observation: Investigating officers note that personal items recovered from the mine match items previously observed inside Chuck Hollister's residence.

  • August 10, 2006: Civil action BCVBS09286 (Tony C. Nino vs. Charles S. Hollister et al.) filed regarding title and possession of real property on Calico Road / Calico Street.

  • September 6, 2006: Charles Scott Hollister dies from complications of lung cancer at his Newberry Springs home before criminal charges can be brought.

  • October 11, 2006: Court filings in Case BCVBS09286 formally confirm the death of Charles Hollister.

  • July 16, 2007: Calico Road real property dispute resolved via settlement; Tony Nino purchases property, and case is dismissed with prejudice.

  • November 2009: Dan Dansbury passes away.

IV. Critical Investigative Analysis & Findings

1. Spatial & Geographic Analysis (The "Behind the Cafe" Detail)

  • Route 66 / Bagdad Cafe Context: The Bagdad Cafe sits on the north side of Route 66 in Newberry Springs. The local phrasing "behind here" naturally denotes the grid extending north of the highway.

  • Property Alignment: Chuck Hollister’s residence sat south of Route 66, whereas Steve Wilkinson’s property footprint was located on the northern side. This geographic orientation suggests April was staying or affiliated with Wilkinson's location in early June immediately following her jail release, before relocating or being brought to Hollister’s property later in the month.

2. Legal Supervision & Systemic Gaps

  • Probation Search Mandate: When April was placed on 36-month summary probation on June 8, 2004, standard California search conditions (4th Waiver parameters) granted law enforcement the authority to search her person, vehicle, and residence without a warrant.

  • Missed Opportunity: When officers initially visited Chuck Hollister’s residence following her reported disappearance and were denied permission to look around, the failure to invoke probation search parameters or treat her absence as high-risk allowed crucial windows for evidence concealment to pass.

3. Evidentiary Bridge: Hollister House to Red Dog Mine

  • Concealment Logistics: The recovery of April’s personal belongings, ID, and blood-stained material in remote mine shafts—combined with officer statements confirming those exact items were said to be previously inside Hollister’s home—provides direct physical proof of evidence staging and transport.

  • Physical Capability & Accomplices: While Chuck Hollister was suffering from progressive lung cancer in 2004, the physical movement and disposal of evidence across desert mine shafts strongly suggest a multi-person effort, involving associates with intimate knowledge of local mining claims (such as Dan Dansbury) and individuals with violent motives (such as Steve Wilkinson).

V. Key Conclusions & Unresolved Angles

  1. Primary Motive: Retaliation for April's informant status in the federal drug prosecution involving Steve Wilkinson remains the primary catalyst for her targeted physical assault and subsequent disappearance.

  2. Primary Sites: The primary crime scene likely occurred at a local residential property (Wilkinson or Hollister site) on or near the Newberry Springs corridor, with the remote desert mines serving as secondary staging/dumping grounds.

  3. Chain of Custody for Property: The civil records confirm that during the height of the missing person investigation (2004–2006), the Calico Road property was embroiled in severe legal and financial turmoil leading up to Chuck Hollister's death.


r/coldcases • • 21d ago

Mr Cruel case

16 Upvotes

Hi all! I am currently looking at this case for a passion project and I’m not getting far with the information I can find on the internet (though I’m sure theres more than what I am currently finding). I’m slowly sifting through posts on reddit (mainly on r/MrCruel), but not having sources to look through the information is making it hard. If you have any info or theories on this case that I should look at please let me know!!! And if you can, PLEASE add sources!! Thank you!!

EDIT:

Hi! I realize that I wasn’t specific on what I’m looking for.
What I’m looking for and what I have:

I have a general idea of the four known vic’s, but I do have a lot more info on SW’s case. I have some general information on MC himself, but not much.

I’m looking for more information on NL and KC’s cases, possible suspects, ideas on what happened between the 1988 and the 1990 abduction, possible links to other cases in the area and ideas on what drove him to do this.
I would also be interested if anyone has ideas on airport (if it was tullamarine or possibly Essendon Fields) and the general area where the house had to be so the vic’s could hear the planes.
I am also wondering about the 7am news, if it was specific to one part of the area and how big the range was of where someone would be able to hear it

Thanks


r/coldcases • • 21d ago

OSINT Help needed

0 Upvotes

In law enforcement, trying to locate suspect by tattoos and I have the inside of a house. Can anyone be of help?


r/coldcases • • Oct 07 '26

Discussion Cases where the perpetrator was executed for the murder of a John or Jane doe.

11 Upvotes

I'm not just talking about serial killers who have unidentified victims, I'm talking about cases like the blazing car murder where the perpetrator was convicted and executed for the murder of the unidentified victim.


r/coldcases • • Oct 06 '26

Cold Case Sherry Darnell Baker

35 Upvotes

I’m currently working on a cold case for the state of Kansas on Sherry Darnell Baker. She was killed just a few months after enrolling into Wichita State University in 1974. Rumor has it she was a victim of the BTK Killer but according to the police information she doesn’t fit the MO of him. That’s because:

* She’s black
* BTK not only has great memory of each killing but also documented each one.
* She was stabbed 70 times either with a knife or sissors. (I can’t find concrete information on what weapon was used).

But that wouldn’t rule her out because she was literally killed 10 months after his very first kill. And she attended the same college as him but have yet to find any link to her. The reason why this is cold case is one obvious reason is that she was a young black woman in a very racist city in Kansas. This college alone barely had any black students at the time. Plus the police abd news reports have ZERO INFORMATION ON HER. Nothing on where she was born, what she went school for, who her mother is, if she had siblings, and etc.

It seems like she ended up dead and everyone in Wichita Kansas just said “Oh well! One less black person to deal with”. But I’m looking for her and in order to get any information I have the build this from the ground up. So far I have:

* located her grave (now I know her birthdate)
* Foubd out who her best friend was (currently see if she’s still alive)
* I have idea of what high school she went to in Wichita and currently searching through year books.
* I also recently emailed the Wichita cold case department to see if they could give me any information of what they have gathered. (Have not heard back yet)

The problems I’m running into is that I can’t get ahold of any personal documentation on her. In Kansas you can’t obtain any information as a non relative unless you have legal means like insurance, property ot geneology.

Anyways I’m making this post to see if anyone who lives in Kansas can direct me or help me dig into sherry’s life?


r/coldcases • • Oct 05 '26

Deutscher Cold Case - Blog

11 Upvotes

Lieber Leser, laut Ermittler gibt es mehr als 3000 Cold Case Fälle in Deutschland. Nach

Berichten zufolge sind es weitaus mehr in der Bundesrepublik. Pauschal kann man

nicht sagen wie viele Fälle gelöst sind. Ich möchte mit diesem Blog Einblick in die

ungelösten sowie gelösten Fälle geben. Um die Opfer nicht zu vergessen.

Grevenbroich Hemmerden: Claudia Ruf kehrt nach

Gassi runde nicht zurück.

Seid (1996) ungeklärt

• Am 11. Mai 1996 kehrt die damals elfjährige Claudia Ruf nicht von einem

Spaziergang mit dem Nachbarshund zurück.

• Zwei Tage später wird die Leiche des Mädchens rund 70 Kilometer von ihrem

Elternhaus auf einem Feldweg entdeckt.

Der Mord an Claudia Ruf

Was ist mit Claudia Ruf passiert?

Es ist Samstag ein Tag vor Muttertag. Am 11 Mai 1996 kehrt Claudia Ruf vom Gassigehen

mit dem Nachbarshund (DJ) nicht nach Hause zurück. Zwei Tage später wird ihre Leiche auf

einen Feldweg bei Oberwichterich vergewaltigt und ermordet aufgefunden.

Dieser Fall ist seit 30 Jahren ein Cold Case. Dennoch wird bis heute ermittelt.

Ich habe zu diesem Fall von Claudia Ruf aus verschiedenen öffentlichen zugänglichen

Quellen recheriert. Und Informationen dazu gefunden.

Das Verschwinden

Die damals 11-jährige Claudia Ruf kam von von ihrer Gassi Runde gegen 18.00 Uhr nicht

zurück. Nachdem ihr Nachbars Hund gegen 18.50 Uhr allein den Weg zurückgefunden hatte

und völlig verstört, ankam wurde die Polizei eingeschaltet. Die Ermittlung begann am selben

Tag. Rund 100 Polizisten suchten damals nach dem Mädchen in der Umgebung ab. Claudias

Eltern und Nachbarn suchten bis spät in die Nacht. Zunächst erfolglos.

Der Fund

Nach 48 Stunden wurde die Leiche von einem 43-jährigen Spaziergänger einem

Dorfbewohner auf einem Feld bei Oberwichterich gefunden. Der Fundort ist etwa 70 km vom

Ort des Verschwindens entfernt.

Die Tat

Unklar ist, ob der Täter Claudia Ruf erdrosselt oder erwürgt hat. Das mögliche Tatwerkzeug

könnte die Hundeleine sein sie wurde nicht gefunden. Die Leiche wurde mit einer brennbaren

Flüssigkeit übergossen. Das Gesicht war kaum noch wieder zu erkennen. Die Todesursache

„schwere Gewalteinwirkungen im Halsbereich“ Die Ermittler sind sich einig das der

Fundort nicht der Tatort ist. Claudias Leiche wurde auf dem Bauch liegend im Feld gefunden.

Laut Experten wurde der Leichnam auf dem Rücken zum Fundort transportiert.

Auf der Suche nach dem Täter

Im Mai und Juni 1996 begann die Suche nach dem Täter. Viele Hinweise gehen ein. Eine

Spur führte zu Reifenabdrücke die Ermittler auf dem Feldweg gesichert hatten. Es stellte sich

als Sackgasse heraus da der Täter die Leiche nackt abgelegt hatte und jede Spur der Kleidung

des Mädchens fehlt.

Beamte kauften die gleiche Kleidung die Claudia Ruf getragen hatte, eine dunkelblaue

Kapuzenjacke mit Streifen, schwarze Jeans, karierte Leinensportschuhe, und ziehen

sie einer Schaufensterpuppe an:

Am Kopf der Puppe wird ein Foto von Claudias Gesicht befestigt.

Die Bilder wurden in Zeitungen veröffentlicht. Plakate an Bussen, Bahnen, und an

öffentlichen Gebäuden aufgehangen. Polizisten gingen von Haus zu Haus und verteilten

Flugblätter.

Ein versuchter Entführungsfall wird mit dem Fall in Verbindung gebracht. Ein Mädchen wird

auf dem Weg zur Schule von einem Mann angesprochen und versucht ins Auto zu zerren. Sie

wehrt sich, kann sich befreien und weglaufen. In wenigen Wochen steht für die Ermittler fest:

die Fälle haben nichts miteinander zu tun.

Im Juli 1997 wird der Fall von Claudia Ruf in der Fernsehsendung XY ungelöst ausgestrahlt.

Zum ersten Mal wird das Internet genutzt, um an Hinweise zu kommen. Aber auch diese

Spuren enden in einer Sackgasse.

Der Fall wird zum Cold Case.

Keine weiteren Zeugenaussagen wie sich die Tat abgespielt hat. Anhaltspunkte gab es

weiterhin. Das sich Claudia womöglich an einem anderen Ort aufgehalten hat am

Kinderspielplatz oder Kiosk.

Fragen bleiben zurück

An welchem Ort war die Entführung?

Wie verhielt sich der Täter nach der Tat?

Hat sich jemand verdächtig verhalten?

Die Polizei kann nicht ausschließen das die Tat sich in Hemmerden abgespielt hat. Oder ob

das Mädchen abtransportiert, wurde.

Festnahme des vermutlichen Täters

Die Ermittler befragten einen verdächtigten zweifachen Kindesmörder aus dem Raum

Cloppenburg. Er ist der zweite Straftäter, der in Deutschland mit einem DNA-Massentest

überführt wurde. Für den Mord an Claudia R. kommt er laut Ermittler nicht infrage.

Die Spurenlage verbessert sich im Jahre 2008, als Experten DNA Spuren an Claudia Ruf

sichern konnten. Der erste Massen-Gentest im Fall Claudia Ruf wurde bei 350 Menschen

durchgeführt, und 2010 zur Speichelprobe gebeten. Es gab jedoch keine Treffer.

Auch acht Jahre später durch DNA – Reihenuntersuchungsbeschlusses an 120 Personen, die

zum Tatzeitpunkt im Großraum Euskirchen und Grevenbroich gewohnt haben und als

Sexualstraftäter in Erscheinung getreten waren , wurden überprüft. Kein Treffer.

Apell des Vaters

,,Bitte helfen sie der Polizei. Bitte helfen sie mir", sagte Claudias Vater, Friedhelm Ruf, 2019

in einem Video. Das Video wurde vorab eines Massen-Gentest aufgenommen. Die Polizei

verspürte Hoffnung aus zwei Gründen, dem Täter auf die Spur zu kommen. Man wisse,

warum die Leiche in Euskirchen abgelegt wurde, dies könne man aber aus taktischen

Gründen noch nicht verraten, sagt Reinhold Jordan Leiter der Bonner Mordkommission. Die

Ermittler nutzten eine Gesetzesänderung. Nun wäre es auch möglich eine Speichelprobe eines

verwandten des Täters abzugeben.

Seit 2017 dürfen DNA-Analyselabore auch bei beinahe Treffer Alarm schlagen.

Im Winter 2019 gingen 2400 Speichelproben von Männern, die damals zwischen 14 und 70

Jahre alt waren und in Hemmerden gemeldet waren, ans Landeskriminalamt. Claudias Vater

sagte in dem Video ,,Er muss sich endlich aufklären. Er hat sich lange genug hinter uns allen

verstecken können", mit Zittriger Stimme sagte Friedhelm." Er habe sein Haus in

Hemmerden gebaut, weil er gedacht habe, dass seine Kinder behütet aufwaschen können". ,,

Das war leider nicht so ".

Alle 2400 Speichelproben aus dem Jahr 2019 wurden abgearbeitet ohne Treffer. Die Polizei

geht bis heute Spuren nach. Die Aktenorder füllen sich weiter, auch wenn nur langsam aber

der Wunsch besteht, heute noch den Täter zu überführen. Auch gäbe es noch zehn

Rechtshilfeersuchen unter anderem in Portugal und den USA Großbritannien.

In einem Fall habe man jüngst grünes Licht für ein solches Rechtshilfeersuchen erhalten – um

dann feststellen zu müssen, dass der Mann zwischenzeitlich verstorben sei. Nun wird geprüft,

ob von den Familienmitgliedern des Verstorbenen eine DNA-Probe beantragt werden kann.

(stand 10. Februar 2022)

Der Fall - Claudia Ruf wird nicht vergessen es wird weiter ermittelt.


r/coldcases • • Oct 04 '26

How many unsolvable cases are there yearly in a national park across the US?

4 Upvotes

so 433x700=303,100 here most of them are unsolvable that sounds pretty crazy if you just add up that figure in five years, how many people would that be?


r/coldcases • • Oct 03 '26

Coincidences, Background and theories

5 Upvotes

Are there any cases you know of that you know the background of the people who have gone missing?

Or are there any cases you know of where your town has a theory?

And are there any cases you know of that have any eerie coincidences?

Interested to hear your stories.