Cold cases, checked again
Thursday, October 8, 2026Case files updated as they are researched
NEW FILESCase files are published as they are researched. Search by name, place, or keyword, or submit a case.

Every cold case deserves a second look.

Cold Case Checker gathers news, official records, and public databases on the best-known unsolved murders and missing-person cases in the United States. Each file lays out what happened, who the victims or missing people were, every named suspect, and the evidence for and against them. Then it offers a hypothesis and flags the loose ends that may have been missed.

Unsolved cases

The first nine are the best-known unsolved cases in US history, ranked by how widely each is known and how long it has held public attention. The ranking is editorial, not official. Every other file is listed under More cases, in the order it was researched.

Top nine most popular unsolved cold cases in America

+ Submit a cold case

How each file works

1. What happened

A dated timeline built from police, court, and news records.

2. Victims & suspects

Everyone publicly named, with evidence for and against, and what is disputed.

3. Hypothesis

Our reading of the evidence, labeled as opinion, with a stated confidence.

4. Missing links

Leads, tests, and records that look underexplored, plus live news and database links.

Read this. Hypotheses on this site are editorial analysis of public information. They are not findings of fact, and nobody named here has been convicted of these crimes. If you have information about a real case, contact the investigating agency listed on that case's page.