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Defrosting Cold Cases

Est. 2009

  • Cold Case Database: Index and Summaries
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You are here: Home / Archives for Unsolved

Unsolved

Break in 1998 Nicky Verstappen murder

August 22, 2018 By Alice

Nicky Verstappen Photography Dutch Police

On Aug 10, 1998 Nicky Verstappen (March 13, 1987 – Aug 10, 1998) disappeared from camp. The camp, organised by local youth groups, was located at De Heikop, Brunssummerheide, Limburg, the Netherlands. The night before he went missing, all camp activities ended at 10pm. Then the kids went back to their tents and it was […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: DNA, familial DNA, Jos Brech, Netherlands, Nicky Verstappen

Remembering Leslie Sue Zaret 

August 17, 2018 By Alice

Leslie Sue Zaret - Grid AdS

It was 44 years ago today that 17-year-old Leslie Sue Zaret (Sept 22, 1956 – Aug 17, 1974) was murdered in Bayside, Queens County, New York. Her case remains unsolved. Leslie, a recent graduate of John Bowne High School in Flushing, Queens County, had spent the night hanging out with friends. Shortly after 11:30 p.m. […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: DNA, Leslie Sue Zaret, New York, sexual assault, Strangulation

Break in 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders

August 10, 2018 By Alice

Alexander Christopher Ewing

Alexander Christopher Ewing (57) is accused of using a hammer to kill Bruce, Debra, and Melissa Bennett  and Patricia Smith. He faces charges for six counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of sexual assault on a child, burglary and five counts of committing a violent crime for the January 1984 killings of Bruce […]

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Filed Under: Forensics, Unsolved Tagged With: 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders, Bennett Family, Colorado, DNA, Patricia Louise Smith, phenotyping

Teresa Sue Hilt’s 45th anniversary

August 4, 2018 By Alice

Teresa Sue Hilt uniform

August 4th, 2018, marks the 45th anniversary of Teresa Sue Hilt’s murder. Working on her case has been a roller coaster. Mildred, Teresa’s mom, was very grateful for what we did to keep her only child’s case in the media. She passed away in March 2016. I spoke with her about Tess. She told me about […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Bardole DNA Collection Method, DNA, M-Vac Systems, Missouri, Missouri State University, monilethrix, stabbing death, Strangulation, Teresa Sue Hilt

Who killed Beth Ann Brown Patterson?

July 9, 2018 By Alice

Beth Ann Brown Patterson

Beth Ann Brown Patterson (July 4, 1949 – March 27, 1978) was found strangled to death on Monday March 27, 1978. She was 28 years old. Beth was divorced and lived with her parents. She left behind a son, Ronald J. Brown. She had one brother, William J. Patterson. Her mother was the one who […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Beth Ann Brown Patterson, DNA, New York, Strangulation

Margaret Lightfoot: more details

June 18, 2018 By Alice

margaret lightfoot

Thanks to a UK reader we have these two newspaper clippings about the 1975 cold case of Margaret Lightfoot. I posted about her here. The clipping on the left is hard to read when I enlarge it. From these two clippings, I got the following details that I missed in my earlier post. Cause of […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Margaret Lightfoot, Strangulation, UK

Arrest in 1986 Bastian case

May 11, 2018 By Alice

Jennifer Marie Bastian

Police have arrested the man who might be responsible for the murder of Jennifer Marie Bastian in 1986. His name is Robert D. Washburn (60) of Eureka, Illinois. Police declined to talk about the suspect, other than to say he lived out-of-state and was taken into custody. Washburn will be taken to Pierce County to […]

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Filed Under: Cold Case News, Unsolved Tagged With: DNA, Jennifer Marie Bastian, phenotyping, Strangulation, Tacoma, Washington

Remembering Cherilyn Ann Gartin Hawkley

May 4, 2018 By Alice

Cherilyn Ann Gartin Hawkley grid Ads

Cherilyn Ann Gartin Hawkley (Mar 19, 1954 – Oct 31, 1993) was murdered on Halloween night in 1993. Two days later, she was found just off Elmhurst Drive less than a mile from Eureka Elementary School where she taught fifth grade, in Granite Bay, California. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: California, Cherilyn Ann Gartin Hawkley, DNA, Strangulation, touch DNA

Arrested: Joseph James DeAngelo, Jr

April 26, 2018 By Alice

Joseph James DeAngelo, Jr was arrested yesterday (April 25, 2018) in the early morning hours. It was a fitting ending to his reign of terror to be arrested on National DNA Day. DeAngelo, Jr was brought down by a tip from the public and by DNA. Joseph James DeAngelo, Jr is known as the Golden […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: California, East Area Rapist (EAR), Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo, Jr.

In loving memory: Cheri Domingo and Greg Sanchez

April 16, 2018 By Alice

Cheri Domingo and Greg Sanchez, courtesy Debbie Domingo

This guest blog post about Cheri Domingo and Greg Sanchez was written for us by Debbi Domingo, Cheri Domingo’s daughter. I met Debbi last year. We spoke about her mom, trying to find new ways to review the cases, and how we can make sure that Cheri and Greg are not forgotten. I asked her to write […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: California, Cheri Domingo, Debbi Domingo, East Area Rapist (EAR), Golden State Killer, Greg Sanchez

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Dina Fort

Author Notes

Since 2009, I write about unsolved cases that need renewed media attention. I only do research and leave active investigations to the authorities.

My posts cover homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to unsolved cases.

On book reviews: I only review select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction/mysteries. The stories have to fit my website's theme, tone, and research. It is my prerogative to not review a book. Please check the FAQ page for more.

My databases are free to the public. Cases are sorted by the victim’s last name.

If you have any questions about my website please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the About page, and the tabs in both menu bars. If you cannot find the answers there, please contact me.

Thank you,

Alice de Sturler

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