Living among the elite might seem desirable from the outside, but stardom has its own dark price to pay. These celebrities met an untimely end—and their deaths remain shrouded in mystery...
Princess Diana
There are countless theories surrounding the death of Princess Diana. On the night of August 31, 1997, Princess Diana was killed in a fatal car crash in Paris, France. Unwilling to accept that her death was a coincidence, people began to suspect foul play. Diana herself said that she believed the establishment had it out for her.
Conspiracy
In an eerie letter disclosed by Diana's butler, Paul Burrell, she appeared to predict her own death:
"I am sitting here at my desk today in October, longing for someone to hug me and encourage me to keep strong and hold my head high. This particular phase in my life is the most dangerous. [...] is planning 'an accident' in my car, brake failure, and serious head injury in order to make the path clear for Charles to marry," it read.
Nicole Brown Simpson
On June 12, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson was murdered in her home along with restaurant waiter Ron Goldman. She had been divorced from O.J. Simpson for two years at the time. Simpson had a history of physical abuse, stalking, and making death threats against his ex-wife. The wound on Brown's neck was so severe that it nearly decapitated her.
If the Glove Fits
Simpson was tried for the murders of both Brown and Goldman. After a nine-month trial, Simpson was acquitted. However, in a 1997 civil trial, he was found liable for their deaths and awarded $19.5 million in damages to their respective families. Simpson maintained his innocence, but he still authored a book, infamous for its title: If I Did It.
Prince
In 2016, the world was rocked to its core when Prince suddenly passed away. His death was thought to be an accidental overdose caused by consuming multiple types of prescription pills at the same time—a tragic addiction had taken the lives of many celebrities before him. However, an investigation revealed the Prince was only taking one prescription medication at the time: Vicodin.
Alone and in Pain
At the time of his death, Prince was supposedly "isolated, addicted and in pain." A week before his death, a friend warned him that he would need to quit popping pills, but Prince said no. His most recent piano tour had caused him severe hand pain. If he stopped taking Vicodin, he could no longer perform.
According to authorities said that Prince likely had no idea that the painkillers he was taking were fake—they contained a lethal level of fentanyl. The source of the painkillers that killed Prince is still unknown.
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee paved the way for martial arts. The cultural icon has been credited with helping to change the perception of Asians in America cinema. In 1973, Lee suffered seizures and headaches and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with cerebral edema. Several months later, Lee died in his sleep. Although Lee was taking several medications, it was unclear what had caused Lee's brain to swell 13% larger than normal.
Death by Misadventure
Many people, including his wife, believed Bruce's death was due to an allergic reaction. Others thought Lee could have been murdered, or even fallen victim to a family curse. His death was officially ruled a "death by misadventure."
Mary Pinchot Meyer
Mary Meyer didn't gain notoriety for her time spent in front of a camera. Rather, the painter had been thrust into the limelight for a reason unrelated to her craft. Meyer was once married to C.I.A. agent Cord Meyer. They divorced in 1958, at which point she became romantically involved with President John F. Kennedy.
Murdered in Cold Blood
On October 12, 1964, a mechanic was trying to fix a car when he heard a woman cry out for help. Two gunshots rang out. He then saw "a black man in a light jacket, dark slacks, and a dark cap standing over the body of a white woman."
Meyer had disagreed with the findings of the Warren Commission Report—the official report on JFK's assassination. Three weeks later, she was shot and killed while on a walk along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath in Georgetown.
Meyer's contentious relationship with the C.I.A. was the subject of speculation. Many people questioned whether the organization had anything to do with her death.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe became a household name in the 1950s. Although the actress and model's unparalleled beauty made her the original "blonde bombshell," her sudden demise has been speculated for decades. Monroe died in 1962 of a drug overdose. Her cause of death was listed as "probable suicide," but not everyone agrees.
Suspicious Circumstances
It has been theorized that Monroe didn't commit suicide. Instead, many people believe that the 36-year-old was murdered. Monroe's longtime involvement with John and Robert Kennedy might have landed her in hot water. Was Monroe poisoned to keep her quiet?
Brittany Murphy
In the days before Brittany Murphy's death, she exhibited flu-like symptoms. Suddenly, on December 20, 2009, the 32-year-old actress collapsed and died. Her death was ruled an accident after the autopsy revealed a number of substances found in her body. These over-the-counter medications, combined with pneumonia and severe iron deficiency, reportedly lead to the actress' death. However, six months later, something strange happened.
Strange Sickness
Murphy's husband, Simon Monjack, died at the age of 40 only a few months later from the same cause—anemia and pneumonia. Although Monjack's death was also ruled an accident, Murphy's family believes that these conclusions were ultimately bogus. Some think that Murphy and Monjack were poisoned; others wonder whether toxic mold killed the unsuspecting duo. Either way, their deaths were a tragedy.
Natalie Wood
At the age of 43, Natalie Wood was found dead in the water one mile from her husband Richard Wagner's yacht Splendour. Her body was covered in mysterious bruises. Wood had been on the yacht with Wagner and her co-star Christopher Walken; the pair were filming Brainstorm together. At 1:30 a.m., Wagner called the police to inform them that his wife had gone missing.
Foul Play
There was no indication as to how or why Wood ended up in the water, nor any explanation for the bruises on her body. Wood could not swim, and Wagner admitted that he and his wife argued prior to his disappearance. The autopsy revealed that she was above the legal limit of intoxication and had also consumed a motion sickness pill. Two witnesses nearby claimed that they heard a woman scream for help during the night.
Wood's sister Lana was suspicious because Wood had been "terrified" of the water her whole life. Lana alleged that Wood would have never voluntarily left the yacht on her own. Years later, Wagner was named a person of interest, but the investigation never probed further.
Thelma Todd
If you've ever had a Hot Toddy, meet the origin: Thelma Todd. Todd was a comedic actress who shot to stardom during the rise of talkies. Todd was 29 years old when she was found dead in her Lincoln. At first, her death was determined to have been caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. The only problem? The car's engine wasn't running.
Raising Questinos
The coroner proposed that Todd had been dead behind the wheel for some time before she was found. However, various witnesses came forward, testifying that Thelma had been seen with a man that day. She had also called a friend. Perhaps most peculiarly, Todd's autopsy revealed damage to her throat, fueling the theory that something—like a hose—had been jammed into her mouth.
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix was undoubtedly a guitar legend, referred to by the Rocka and Roll Hall of fame as "the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music," but the facts surrounding his death remain murky. Hendrix spent September 17, 1970 with his alleged girlfriend Monika Danneman, who was the only witness when he died. They shared a bottle of wine after dinner and stayed awake talking until 7 a.m. A few hours later, Danneman found Hendrix unconscious beside her. He died at the hospital.
Possible Murder
Although Hendrix battled substance abuse for the duration of his life, fans dispute the cause of his death, which was ruled asphyxia after Hendrix choked on his own vomit. However, the doctor who attempted to save Hendrix's life said that murder was a "plausible" theory.
The Black Dahlia
The Black Dahlia, otherwise known as Elizabeth Short, is a moniker likely known by many true ccrime enthusiasts. In 1947, the aspiring actress was found murdered in an empty Los Angeles lot. Her body had been mutilated, scrubbed clean, and meticulously posed. The investigation only turned up a single lead: a witness saw a black sedan nearby.
Was He the Killer?
Due to a lack of forensic evidence, Short's case went cold. However, in 2013, author Steve Hodel accused his father of killing Short. Hodel found photos resembling the actress among his father's possessions, and his father's handwriting matches that of the killer. Still, the murder of Elizabeth Short remains unsolved to this day.
Tupac Shakur
When Tupac Shakur was killed in 1996, he had risen to the height of success as a rapper—much to the chagrin of his rival Christopher Wallace, also known as The Notorious B.I.G. Tupac was fatally shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 25.
Who Killed Tupac?
Tupac died six days after he was shot by an unknown assailant. Two years earlier, Tupac had survived a different attempt on his life. Authorities originally suspected that Wallace, Tupac's known enemy, had something to do with the rapper's death. Wallace denied the allegations. Clearly, someone had it out for him—but Wallace himself died six months later in another drive-by shooting.
The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G., otherwise known as Christopher Wallace and Biggie Smalls, was murdered less than a year after the death of his adversary Tupac Shakur. The shooters' identities in both cases remain unknown. Was it retaliation for Tupac's untimely death, or just a sad coincidence?
Eerie Similarities
Both Tupac and Biggie died at the age of 25; both rappers had managed to achieve tremendous fame and success in their field. Their deaths caused upheaval in the rap community—rapper Nas said that Biggie and Tupac's combined death "was nearly the end of rap." Nobody was ever formally charged in either murder.
Bob Crane
Emmy Award-nominated actor and drummer Bob Crane was found bludgeoned to death his Scottsdale apartment while performing in dinner theaters on tour. While Crane was certainly a victim of homicide, the investigation unearthed some fishy business: Crane had frequently videotaped and photographed his sexual exploits. Many of the women had no idea they were being filmed.
Secret Life
It was suspected that the killer was Bob's friend John Henry Carpenter, a regional sales manager for Sony Electronics. Both Crane and Carpenter videotaped their joint sexual encounters. Crane's son claimed that Carpenter had become a nuisance to Crane, who often spoke of his wish to sever ties. Other possible suspects were the numerous women who had been subjects of Crane's videos without their consent, or perhaps an angry boyfriend or husband.
Case prosecutor DA Rick Romley said, "I am convinced John Carpenter murdered Bob Crane."
George Reeves
Allegedly, George Reeves shot himself in the head in the early morning of June 16, 1959—but it doesn't quite add up. Why would Reeves commit suicide at the height of his career? Why hadn't any fingerprints been recovered from the gun? Why were Reeves' hands clean from gunpowder residue? And, perhaps most confusingly, how did he manage to silently put a bullet in his head while his wife and three friends were downstairs?
Holes in the Story
Not only did Reeves' companions delay calling the police, but by the time they finally got around to it, none of their stories lined up. This might have had something to do with the fact that they were all extremely intoxicated. Regardless, Reeves' supposed suicide raised significant suspicion within the community.
Peter Ivers
Peter Ivers' death was particularly strange. Ivers was a jack of all trades—he hosted an experimental music television show New Wave Theatre and scored David Lynch's 1977 film Eraserhead. Ivers was found blugeoned to death with a hammer in his loft.
Who Killed Peter Ivers?
Following Ivers' death, LAPD officers failed to secure the scene, meaning that many of Ivers' friends and acquaintances contaminated the crime scene. Several people pointed at David Jove for the murder. Jove and Ivers were known enemies, but no arrests were made.
A private investigator said of the case, "I do not believe it was a break-in. I do not believe it was just someone off the street that Peter brought in because he was a nice guy that night and fell asleep trusting them. I'm not buying it."
Peg Entwistle
Peg Entwistle's tragic story cemented itself in Hollywood history. Entwistle was an up-and-coming actress who earned a starring role in the slasher film Thirteen Women. At first, Entwistle was thrilled—only to learn that the movie had been brutally panned by critics. Not only had Thirteen Women bombed, but the studio re-edited the film without her knowledge, cutting Entwistle from nearly every scene.
Hollywood Leap
Distraught and miserable, Entwistle left her uncle's house and climbed up the Hollywood sign, leaping to her death below. Days later, the deceased actress received a letter in the mail offering her the role of a character who committed suicide. Entwistle's ghost has been "sighted" numerous times near the Hollywood sign, always followed by the smell of gardenias.
Jill Dando
Jill Dando was a journalist, television presenter and newsreader for the BBC. On the morning of April 26, 1999, Dando was shot and killed outside her London home, prompting the most prolific murder investigation since the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper. Her neighbor was the only one to see the killer, a six-foot white man aged around 40 years old, leaving the crime scene.
Charged with Murder
For over a year, the investigation turned up zero leads. Barry George, a convicted sex offender who lived nearby, was eventually charged with her murder. However, George was acquitted for the crime in 2008. While it remains unclear who killed Jill Dando, some people believe that her murder was connected to a Yugoslavian or Serbian hitman.
Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons was both a solo artist and also part of The Byrds. While on a trip to Joshua Tree National Park in California, he was found unresponsive by his friends after a morphine overdose. His death was neither ruled accidental nor intentional.
Stealing Back the Body
In a strange turn of events, Parsons' family arranged for his body to be returned to Louisiana for his funeral. However, Parsons' friends believed that his father was simply attempting to inherit his estate. In an effort to stop this from happening, his friends stole his body from the hospital and tried to cremate him in Joshua Tree using gasoline. Their attempts were unsuccessful, and his remains eventually ended up buried in Louisiana.
Gary DeVore
Gary DeVore was once a notable Hollywood screenwriter who worked with the likes of Janet Jackson and Arnold Schwarzenegger. At the time of his death, DeVore had finished a screenplay for The Big Steal, a film that brought to light the unknown details of the U.S. invasion of Panama.
Idle Hands
Soon after, DeVore went missing for a full year. His remains were found inside of his vehicle, which was submerged below a bridge in Palmdale California. The strangest part? Both of Devore's hands were missing. When police recovered what they believed were his hands, they discovered that the hands they found were over 200 years old.
Jason Mizell
Jason Mizell, better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, was the DJ of famous hip hop group Run-D.M.C. Mizell's label, Jam Master Jay Records, originally signed 50 Cent and Onyx, but the label folded after his death in 2002. Mizell was fatally shot the day before Halloween by an unknown assailant inside of a Merrick Boulevard recording studio.
Strange Behavior
Police reports describe Mizell having greeted the shooter as though he was a friend. The only other person in the room at the time of Mizell's death was his friend Urieco Rincon. Rincon survived, having only been shot in the ankle. Apparently, not a single witness at the scene could provide any discernible details about the shooter, inciting theories of a cover-up.
Virginia Rappe
Blossoming silent film star Virginia Rappe died in 1921 at the age of 26. Even though it was the Prohibition era, Rappe's death came after a night of partying. Rappe and another actor, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, were in a bedroom together—guests reported hearing her shrieks. Upon entering the room, Rappe was found completely clothed and screaming agony.
Naming a Suspect
Days later, Rappe died of a ruptured bladder. She had suffered chronic bladder infections throughout her life—but Arbuckle was accused of being complicit in her death. He was later exonerated after three separate manslaughter trials.
Andy Kaufman
While Andy's Kaufman's cause of death seemed totally legitimate, people didn't believe he was gone for good. Kaufman was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer and died in 1984 after attempting to remedy his illness holistically. However, Kaufman's friends allegedly claimed that Kaufman said he would fake his death and return 20 years later. If this were true, he should have shown up in 2004—but everyone is still waiting.
Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley was a singer-songwriter and guitarist who recorded only one studio album, Grace, in 1994. In 1997, while working on his second album, Buckley drowned during a spontaneous evening swim in the Mississippi River. He was fully clothed. Keith Foti, a roadie in his band, had moved some musical materials out of reach of the wake from a passing tugboat when he looked up to find that Buckley had been disappeared. His body was found two days later.
Neither drugs nor alcohol was in Buckley's system—so what caused him to drown?
Jack Nance
Fans of David Lynch, particularly Twin Peaks and Eraserhead, may or may not know about the suspicious circumstances of Jack Nance's death. Nance met some friends at a coffee shop in 1996 with a "crescent-shaped bruise" beneath his eye. When he asked about it, Nance mentioned that he got in a fight outside of a donut shop and "got what [he] deserved." The injury caused a subdural hematoma, and examiners determined that Nance's death was caused by blunt force trauma to the head—but who was responsible?
An autopsy revealed that at the time of his death, Nance had a blood alcohol level of 0.24%.
Bobbi Kristina Brown
The daughter of Whitney Houston met a tragic fate that was drawn out for six agonizing months. Brown was found unconscious in her bathtub and subsequently slipped into a coma for six months. Brown passed away, but the medical examiner was unable to determine whether or not Brown's death had been an accident.
Brown's family suspected her boyfriend was responsible, but there was no evidence indicating he had something to do with her death. The cause of Brown's death was ruled "undetermined." To this day, it remains unclear as to what killed Bobbi Kristina Brown.
David Carradine
David Carradine was known for his role in the Kill Bill film series, and his death was equally as violent. While shooting Stretch in Thailand, Carradine was found naked and hanging by a rope in the closet of his hotel room. Although his death was ruled autoerotic asphyxiation, it's speculated that Carradine may have committed suicide.
"There was a dark side to David, there was a very intense side to David," said Marina Anderson, one of Carradine's former wives. "People around him know that."
Dolores O'Riordan
When the frontman of the Cranberries was found dead in her bathtub, her death was ruled an "accidental drowning" as a result of excessive alcohol consumption. However, a toxicology report found that her blood alcohol level was within a normal range. O'Riordan's death appeared to be an unfortunate accident.
Anna Nicole Smith
Anna Nicole Smith first rose to fame in Playboy magazine when she won Playmate of the Year in 1993. One year later, the reality TV star married 89-year-old billionaire J. Howard Marshall. Many believed she married the octogenarian for his wealth. The following year after his death, she engaged in a legal battle over his estate that made its way to the Supreme Court. In 2007, Smith overdosed on prescription drugs in a Florida hotel room. Two doctors and her boyfriend at the time were accused of enabling her addiction and obtaining drugs for her under false names.
Jim Morrison
The lead singer of The Doors passed away in 1971, found dead in his Paris apartment. Although the official reason for Jim Morrison's death was ruled heart failure, there was no official autopsy, since the procedure was not required by French law. Morrison's death has been the subject of wide speculation, noting the change in behavior leading up to his death—he had written letters in which he described himself walking the streets of Paris alone, shaved his beard, and lost a substantial amount of weight.
Brandon Lee
The controversy surrounding Brandon Lee's tragic death has yet to simmer down. Lee, only 28 years old, was accidentally shot on the set of The Crow and died from his abdominal wound. Rather than using dummy cartridges, the props department decided to create their own cartridges by taking out the powder charge from real bullets. However, they left the liver primer at the back of the cartridge in place, causing the bullet to become stuck part of the way down the barrel.
The homemade dummy cartridge had been removed and replaced with blank rounds. When Michael Massee fired the gun, the bullet that had been lodged in the gun was shot directly into Lee, who later died as a result of his injuries.
Richey Edwards
It remains unknown whether Richey Edwards disappeared or died mysteriously. Edwards, the rhythm guitarist for The Manic Street Preachers, was last seen in 1995 after withdrawing £2,800 from his bank account. Edwards parked his car near the Severn Bridge. His body was never recover and his family denied that he had died for a number of years. In November 2008, he was officially declared "presumed dead," but many alleged sightings of Richey Edwards have occurred since then.
Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger was at the height of his career when he was found dead in his New York apartment. Ledger's official cause of death was listed as cardiac arrest triggered by prescription drug intoxication. It is unknown whether Ledger committed suicide or if the overdose was accidental. Federal investigators interviewed Ledger's close friend Mary-Kate Olsen, who they believed had connections to the source of Ledger's pills.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley's death has been the subject of rumors since its occurrence in 1977. At the age of 42, Elvis was found dead in the bathroom of his Graceland estate. Officially, his death was caused by a heart attack, but many theories suggest this wasn't true. Elvis was no stranger to prescription drugs, which may have played a part in his early demise. A number of people believe that "The King" is still alive and well, having simply faded into obscurity and away from the public eye.
Jon-Eric Hexum
While filming the seventh episode of Cover Up, Jon-Erik Hexum picked up a prop gun that was lying on set, and began unloading all of the blank rounds aside from one. He then put the gun to his temple and fired. The blank round did not penetrate his skull, but it did shatter a portion of the bone, causing skull fragments to become embedded in his brain. Hexum died five days later at the age of 26. It was unclear whether he understood that blanks were dangerous, or if he was agitated and intended to cause himself harm.
Stephen Gately
33-year-old Stephen Gately's sudden death shocked the public. Gately was found on October 10, 2009, at his home in Majorca. He was found sitting in his pajamas on the couch with his body positioned at a strange angle. The previous night, Gately had spent the evening at a club with his partner. Police found no evidence of an attack or substance abuse.
Brian Jones
Brian Jones was the original guitarist and a founding member of the Rolling Stones. At the peak of their career, Jones was found dead in his swimming pool after a party was held at his home. He was only 27 years old. While his death was ruled a misadventure, many theories suggest that Jones may have been the victim of a crime. In 2009, his case was reopened.
Ronni Chasen
Ronni Chasen was a well-known publicist who worked with several A-list actors and musicians like Morgan Freeman and Hans Zimmer. On the way home from a movie premiere in 2010, Chasen was shot four times in her car. Police believe the shooter was an expert marksman who did not leave behind casing or live rounds. The gun was never found. It is likely that someone knew who murdered Chasen, but no suspects were taken into custody.
Georgette Bauerdorf
Georgette Bauerdorf might not be a name that rings many bells, but her murder was so unsettling that people today are still parsing for clues. Bauerdorf was a dancer and singer; she had moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. In 1944, she was found dead in an overflowing bathtub with multiple violent injuries. Her killer was never identified.
Bobby Fuller
In 1966, Bobby Fuller was riding high with his rock band, the Bobby Fuller Four, who were responsible for the hit single "I Fought the Law." Right after signing off on a big distribution deal, Fuller received a phone call and left the apartment in his mother's Oldsmobile. Later that day, he was found suffocated in the front seat. He had been soaked with gasoline and his body was covered in bruises. Although the responding officers ruled his death a suicide, Fuller's family believe someone killed him in cold blood.
Barbara Colby
Broadway and television actress Barbara Colby was found dead in a parking lot with her colleague James Kiernan. Kiernan was able to describe the shooters before succumbing to his injuries, but neither was brought to justice. The killers did not rob them, leading authorities to label the shooting a random drive-by—but it seemed like quite the coincidence.
Billy London
Billy London, also known as Billy Porter and Bill E. London, was a successful actor and producer of gay pornographic movies. London established an adult film production company with his lover David Rey Toward the end of 1990, London's dismembered body was found in a dumpster near Santa Monica Boulevard. The LAPD handled the case poorly, and although it was reopened in 2005, it remains unsolved. London's supporters believe the case was purposefully neglected because of London's sexual identity and profession.
Albert Dekker
Albert Dekker was a successful character actor until 1968, when his fiancée found him kneeling in their bathtub blindfolded, handcuffed, with a noose tied around his neck. Dekker's body had been desecrated in several ways, including explicit drawings and phrases that were scribbled on him in lipstick. He had two hypodermic needles sticking out of his arm.
Dekker's death was ruled "autoerotic asphyxiation." The coroner didn't find any signs of foul play, but that doesn't explain how Dekker ended up in such a compromising position.
Christa Helm
Christa Helm was an aspiring actress who was beaten and stabbed to death outside her agent's home in West Hollywood. Helm allegedly kept a diary detailing sexual encounters with a number of powerful Hollywood pundits. It is possible that someone may have murdered her to keep word from getting out, or that one of her lovers became jealous and killed Helm in a fit of rage.
Johnny Stompanato
Johnny Stompanato and Lana Turner had quite a turbulent relationship. Rumors speculated that Stompanato, a mobster, behaved abusively toward Turner—until he was stabbed to death in their home. Turner's daughter came forward and admitted to the crime, but it's believed that she was covering up for her mother, or that Lana had her daughter take the fall in order to maintain her career.
William Desmond Taylor
Silent film director and actor William Desmond Taylor was found dead inside his apartment. After returning from his military service, Taylor had directed some of the era's most popular stars. At the time of his murder, a crowd gathered in Taylor's bungalow, and a man claiming to be a doctor examined Taylor's body. He declared that Taylor had died from a stomach hemorrhage before disappearing forever.
Later, police rolled Taylor over—and found a gunshot wound in his back.
Thomas Ince
Thomas Ince was, like many other Hollywood stars of his time, murdered during the era of silent films. Ince was known as the "Father of the Western," making over 800 films throughout the course of his life. Ince, at the age of 44, died of "heart failure" after experiencing acute indigestion on a cruise with his business colleagues. However, many people claim to have seen Thomas being wheeled away from the scene with a bleeding head, and several newspapers published a story stating that Ince had been shot. Due to the inconsistent media coverage, Ince's demise was thought to be a result of foul play.
JonBenét Ramsey
JonBenét Ramsey was a famous six-year-old beauty pageant queen who went missing in 1996. Ramsey's parents reportedly found a ransom note asking for $118,000. Later, Ramsey's body was found in the basement of her home. Her parents and brother were longtime suspects, but evidence revealed DNA from a male person outside the family. Ramsey's mother passed away in 2006; the case is still unsolved.
Wonderland Gang
The Wonderland Gang were notorious cocaine dealers in Laurel Canyon and Los Angeles' during the 1970s and '80s. In 1981, three of the gang members and their girlfriends were found brutally murdered in their home. John C. Holmes, the most popular porn star at the time, confessed to his wife that he had played a role in their murders. Holmes was tried and acquitted despite admitting to his involvement in the attack.
Geneva Odelia Hilliker Ellroy
Famous crime novelist James Ellroy has a harrowing tale of his own. Ellroy's mother was a drunk who took him away from his father in the wake of his parents' divorce. In 1958, James returned home from visiting his father to find that his mother had been strangled to death. Over the years, two separate women claimed that their ex-husbands murdered Mrs. Ellroy, but the case remains unsolved.