6. Black Dahlia

Elizabeth Short was a 22-year-old American woman who was the victim of a gruesome and much-publicized murder. 


Nicknamed the Black Dahlia, Short was found cut in half and severely mutilated on 15 January 1947 in Leimert Park, Los Angeles.  

The murder, which has remained unsolved, has been the source of widespread speculation as well as several books and film adaptations.  

Sensational and sometimes inaccurate press coverage, as well as the horrible nature of the crime, focused intense public attention on the case. About 60 people confessed to the murder, mostly men, as well as a few women.  

As the case continues to command public attention, many more people have been proposed as Short's killer, much like London's Jack the Ripper murders of 1888.

7. Andrew and Abby Borden

On August 4, 1892, Andrew Borden left home to conduct his business, leaving in the house, besides his wife, an Irish maid (Bridget Sullivan) and his daughter Lizzie. 


On his return, he settled on a sofa for a nap. About 11:15 AM, Lizzie discovered her father dead, repeatedly struck in the head with a sharp instrument.  

Upstairs his wife's body was found, even more brutally mutilated; examination proved that her death had preceded her husband's by an hour or so.  

It was found that Lizzie had tried to purchase prussic acid (a poison) on August 3, and a few days later she was alleged to have burned a dress in a stove.  

Sullivan, who also has been suspected, later that evening reportedly left the house carrying an unexamined parcel.  

No weapon was found, though an axe found in the basement was suspected. Lizzie was arrested and tried for both murders in June 1893 but was acquitted, given the circumstantial evidence.  

She was nonetheless ostracized thereafter by the people of her native Fall River, Massachusetts, where she continued to live until her death in 1927.

8. The Zodiac

The Zodiac Killer is one of the great unsolved serial killer mysteries of all time, taking only second place to Jack the Ripper. 


Even though police investigated over 2,500 potential suspects, the case was never officially solved. There were a few suspects that stood out, but the forensic technology of the times was not advanced enough to nail any one of them conclusively.  

The Zodiac murdered five known victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa, and San Francisco between December 1968 and October 1969.  

Four men and three women between the ages of 16 and 29 were targeted. Others have also been suspected to be Zodiac victims, but there has been thus far no conclusive evidence to link them to the killer.