Famous Unsolved Missing Persons Cases

According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), there are over 100,000 active missing people cases in the United States alone, and there are more than 40,000 sets of unidentified human remains.

Some of the more famous disappearances include the 2004 disappearance of Maura Murray, Natalie Holloway in 2005, the 1995 disappearance of Morgan Nick, the 2011 disappearance of Lauren Spierer, the 2013 disappearance of Brandon Lawson, and the 1982 disappearance of Johnny Gosch, are among many of the famous unsolved missing persons cases.

As the years pass, family members and friends of missing people often find themselves losing hope that their loved ones ‘ cases will be solved and that they will see closure, but there is always hope. Some of the mysterious missing persons cases that have been solved in recent years that prove exactly this include the 2018 disappearance and tragic murder of Molly Tibbetts, the 2002 kidnapping and escape of Elizabeth Smart, and the 1991 kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard, among others.

Chilling Missing Person Cases

If you’re interested in chilling missing person cases, The Vanished podcast covers vanished strange cases of unsolved disappearances and releases new episodes every week. Some of the haunting missing persons cases that have been shared on the podcast recently include the 2020 disappearance of Amanda Grazewski, the 1995 disappearance of Donna Gibson in 1995, the 1984 disappearance of Harry Milligan in 1984, and the 1990 disappearance of Kacey Perry’s disappearance in 1990., among many other true missing persons stories.

Sadly, many of these disturbing disappearances become missing persons cases that ended in tragedy. A few missing persons found dead years later include Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada’s disappearance in 2009, the 1985 disappearance of Cassandra Rhines in 1985, the 1993 disappearance of Kara Vaughn in 1993, and the 2009 disappearance of Philippe Desir, among countless others.

Famous Missing Persons Cases Solved

The greatest hope of family members and friends of missing people is that their loved one will be found alive, or at least their loved one will be found and the case will be solved, so the family can have some form of closure. For many, this is a long, difficult road, but for others, although it may not be the outcome they had hoped for, they at least don’t have to wonder what happened to their loved ones. Platforms such as Reddit have been a great source of information for many of these chilling missing person cases.

Some recent examples of creepy unsolved disappearances transitioning over time to famous missing persons cases solved include the 2020 disappearance of Vanessa Guillen, the 2018 disappearance of Molly Tibbetts in 2018, the 2016 disappearance of Sierah Joughin in 2016, and the 2013 disappearance of Jessica Heeringa, are among a plethora of other chilling missing person cases that have been solved in recent years. As for one of the longest missing person case solved, Russell and Blanche Warren went missing in 1929, and their car containing their remains was found 72 years later in 2002 in Lake Crescent, in Washington.

Mysterious Disappearances

In 2019, a Time Magazine article listed 5 of the most mysterious disappearances of all time that remain unsolved, including the 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the disappearance of D.B. Cooper in 1971, the 1975 disappearance of notorious criminal Jimmy Hoffa in 1975, the disappearance of Amelia Earhart in 1937, and the 2011 disappearance of Lauren Spierer.

Reddit has become a hub for every type of conversation around true crime, including some of the craziest unsolved crimes, tragic missing child cases, craziest unsolved crimes, creepiest missing persons cases Reddit, and solved missing persons cases Reddit. For example, the Unsolved Mysteries subreddit contains conversations with over 350,000 members, where any unsolved murder, disappearance, and other mysterious phenomena are discussed. Additionally, there are subreddits with broader topics of conversation, such as the True Crime subreddit, the Missing Persons subreddit, and many others.

Missing Persons Cases Found Alive

Some famous missing persons cases that have not only been solved but have had the seemingly rare outcome of missing persons cases who are found alive. Some of these mysterious disappearances that have been solved include the 2019 disappearance of Amanda Eller, the 2018 disappearance of Jayme Closs in 2018, the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart, and the 2002 and 2004 kidnappings of Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Georgina “Gina” DeJesus, who were held captive by Ariel Castro in his home for 11 years, are among some of the other recent strange disappearances.

You can find many stories of missing persons cases who have been found alive with a quick search online, even including missing children, and are often some of the creepiest disappearances. Although you may not find a specific result you are searching for, such as a missing child found after 15 years, you can easily find similar stories. For example, Julian Hernandez was found living with his non-custodial father 13 years after he went missing in 2002. Other examples include Tanya Tach, who was held captive by a school security guard for 10 years before she was able to free herself, Jaycee Dugard who was kidnapped and held captive for 18 years before her rescue in 2009, and Kelly and Kimberly Yates, who had been kidnapped by their non-custodial mother and were missing for 30 years before they were finally found.