Lecture Summary

Marfa Lights

• Location: Marfa, Texas, desert area
• First Sighted: 1883 by cattle driver Robert Reed Ellison
• Characteristics: Visible at night, appear a few dozen times a year
• Theories:
  • Related to aliens
  • Spirits of long-dead people
  • Hoax by locals

Disappearance of Marilyn Berson

• Background: 24 years old, fluent in multiple languages
• Last Seen: February 17, 2008, in Quebec, Canada
• Behavior: Reportedly fearful, anxious, appeared depressed and anxious in ATM and cafe footage
• Family's Concerns: Feared for her life, involved with a bad crowd
• Theories/Leads: Involved in illegal activities or under threat?
  • Multiple sightings reported in Ontario
  • Family's push for case to be handled by SQ/ Montreal Police
  • New leads in 2022 with eyewitnesses
• Current Status: Still missing.

Plague of Athens

• Period: Around 430 BCE
• Impact: Estimated 75,000-100,000 lives lost
• Symptoms: Headaches, inflammation, sneezing, severe coughing, diarrhea, blindness, necrosis
• Theories on Cause:
  • Bubonic plague
  • Typhus
  • Smallpox
  • Viral hemorrhagic fever

Roslin Ballingall Disappearance

• Background: Born 1949, enrolled at University of Cape Town
• Activity Before Disappearance: Substance use, hanging out with suspicious group
• Disappearance: Left a cottage in the forest on August 12, 1969, purportedly seeking a church
• Theories: Started a new life or was attacked by wildlife
• Current Status: Remains unexplained
• Relatives/Friends' Input: Noticed depressed appearance, Trail may have led to National Road
• Search Efforts: Extensive search in dense forest but results inconclusive

1994 Queen's Jane Doe

• General Info: Woman found dead in Queens, New York, mid-to-late teens estimated age
• Details: Little information, case remains unsolved

The Secret by Byron Preiss

• Published: 1982
• Content: 12 cryptic poems and paintings, each pair leading to a buried treasure (cask)
• Discovered Casks: 3 (Chicago, Cleveland, Boston)
• Unsolved: Remaining 9 puzzles

Springfield Three Disappearance

• Date: June 7, 1992
• Victims: Cheryl Levitt, Susie Streeter, Stacy McCall
• Circumstances: Last seen at Cheryl and Susie’s home
• Suspects/Theories: Robert Craig Cox, random abduction, involvement of criminal associates
• Key Investigation Leads: Initial mishandling of crime scene, peculiar crime scene details like dog’s condition
• Current Status: Case remains unresolved

Sea Peoples

• Period: Around 1200 BCE
• Impact: Contributed to collapse of multiple Mediterranean civilizations
• Mystery: Origins unknown
• Theories: Northern origins, environmental change, pirate or raider group
• Historical Accounts: Descriptions of chaos in Medinet Habu

Sleepy Hollow Killer

• Location: Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
• Period: Late 1990s to 2007
• Victims: Estimated 12 women, known for strangling with their own underwear
• Suspects: None conclusive, case unresolved
• Investigation: Special task force formed, but no significant leads

William Tyrrell Disappearance

• Date: September 12, 2014
• Location: Kendall, New South Wales
• Victim: 3-year-old boy
• Circumstances: Disappeared while playing in foster grandmother's yard, extensive search but no traces
• Theories: Abduction, death by accident, foster family involvement?
• Investigation: Case ongoing, various persons of interest, but no conclusive evidence

Giant Scuttles

• Description: Large, squid-like creatures, sightings in Caribbean
• Origin of Legend: Potentially sparked by large pythons or misinterpretations of marine life

Kristen Smart Disappearance

• Date: May 25, 1996
• Location: California Polytechnic State University
• Victim: 19-year-old college student
• Prime Suspect: Fellow student Paul Flores
• Recent Developments: Paul Flores guilty of first-degree murder in 2022
• Investigation Efforts: Extensive local and FBI involvement, case declared legal death in 2002

Dino Bravo Murder

• Background: Former wrestler, involved in cigarette smuggling
• Date: March 10, 1993
• Circumstances: Found shot multiple times in his home in Laval, Quebec
• Theories: Involvement in smuggling led to targeted killing
• Current Status: Case unsolved

Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting

• Date: December 14, 2012
• Location: Newtown, Connecticut
• Perpetrator: Adam Lanza
• Victims: 26 killed (20 children, 6 staff)
• Impact: Led to debates on gun control and mental health

Fake Social Workers

• Incidents Worldwide: Reports of fake social workers attempting to abduct children, often unverified and inconsistent
• **Key Cases: **Elizabeth Copin, Anne Wylie, Lenise Stewart
• Outcome: No arrests or solid explanations, ongoing fear and speculation

Case of Colin Michael Good

• Background: Former gardener, moved to Great Barrier Island
• Date of Death: June 30, 1999
• Circumstances: Found dead, regarded as suspicious due to missing hand
• Investigation: Alleged assault links, no solid evidence, case cold

Cape Ripper

• Location: Cape Town, South Africa
• Period: Early 1990s
• Victims: 26 women, primarily sex-workers
• Method: Strangulation and mutilation
• Prime Suspects: Varied over time, none conclusively linked
• Current Status: Case remains unsolved

Disappearance of Maura Murray

• Date: February 9, 2004
• Location: Woodsville, New Hampshire
• Victim: 21-year-old nursing student from UMass Amherst
• Circumstances: Car found abandoned, personal items inside
• Theories: Voluntary disappearance, foul play, accident in wilderness
• Investigation: Extensive searches and media coverage, case ongoing

Simon Cadeno Case

• Location: Christ Church, New Zealand
• Date: January 9, 1871
• Victims: Margaret Burke and Katarina Glenn
• Circumstances: Cadeno attacked both women, motivation speculated on mistreatment
• Outcome: Cadeno convicted and hanged, case closed but historical context debated

Great Sheep Panic of 1888

• Date: November 3, 1888
• Location: Southern counties of England
• Incident: Thousands of sheep panicked, causing mass confusion
• Theories: Natural phenomena, seismic activity, supernatural explanations

Disappearance of John Lackie Klein Brothers

• Date: February 17, 1968
• Location: Monroe City, Missouri
• Victims: Klein brothers (Kenneth, David, Danny)
• Circumstances: Truck found abandoned, items inside
• Theories: Abduction, drowning, involvement of known individuals
• Investigation: Extensive searches, case remains unsolved

Disappearance and Murder of Jennifer Mary Beard

• Date: December 31, 1969
• Location: South Island, New Zealand
• Circumstances: Hitchhiking, body discovered under bridge
• Suspects: Multiple over time but no conclusive evidence
• Investigation: Detailed investigation but case remains unsolved

Great Sheep Panic of 1888

• Date: November 3, 1888
• Incident: Thousands of sheep in England panicked spontaneously
• Theories: Natural phenomena, seismic activity, supernatural explanations

Count of Saint Germain

• Biography: Enigmatic historical figure from early 18th century, rumored to possess ancient wisdom and alchemical knowledge
• Alleged Abilities: Immortality, transformation of base metals into gold
• Involvements: Diplomatic missions, influential at European courts
• Mystique: Origins debated, numerous legends, extensive influence

Missing Diamond at Monaco Grand Prix

• Date: 2004
• Team: Jaguar Racing
• Incident: Diamond installed on car for promotional stunt went missing after crash
• Theories: Lost in debris, stolen in chaos

John Lawson House

• Location: New Hamburg, New York
• Mystery: Mannequins regularly changed positions and outfits
• Theories: Art project, supernatural involvement