Stephen Morin

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Vote up the cases you most want to see cracked.

Science and technology enhance humanity’s collective knowledge, but the world is still full of unsolved mysteries. Some of them involve discoveries from prehistoric or medieval civilizations that elude the scope of what modern scholars and society understand.

Other mysteries involve more recent murder cases that might never get resolved, while still others involve parts of the planet that seem to possess inexplicable properties that induce bizarre physiological and psychological effects. Some people point to alien intervention or the supernatural, while others believe the explanation must be grounded in science.

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The Isdal Woman Was Found In 1970 Norway, Her Body Burned And The Labels On Her Clothing Missing

Video: YouTube

On November 29, 1970, a man and his two daughters were hiking in a remote valley in Isdalen, Norway, when they stumbled upon a human corpse. Almost the entire front of her body was burned, and jewelry, bottles, a watch, and an umbrella were lying next to her. According to forensic investigator Tormod Bønes, the placement of these items was strange, as if some sort of ceremony had taken place. The autopsy revealed that the woman died from a combination of sleeping pills and carbon monoxide poisoning, which might have come from the campfire beside her.

The Isdal woman’s identity has eluded investigators for over 50 years. After hikers discovered her body, police traced her fingerprints back to luggage checked into the Bergen railway station. They discovered a notepad with handwritten number/letter combinations. Once cracked, these codes revealed names of hotels where the woman had stayed and the dates she was at each one. Further investigation informed police that she used a different alias to check into each hotel. Theoretically, she would have needed a number of fake passports to accomplish this, but none of those passports were ever found.

While some officers were reluctant to let the case go, the police closed the case just a few weeks after the woman’s body was discovered. Some people suspect the authorities know more than they’re sharing and the woman might have been a spy or a member of a local or foreign intelligence agency. Many were dissatisfied with the decision to close the case, but the Isdal woman’s remains were placed in a zinc coffin in case any of her relatives came to claim the body.

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In 1980s Belgium, The Brabant Killers Claimed 28 Lives, But Their Identities – And Motivations – Are Still Unknown

Video: YouTube

During the early 1980s, Belgians were fearful of a gang called the “Brabant Killers.” Three men, known as “the Giant,” “the Killer,” and “the Old Man” murdered 28 people – including children – between 1982 and 1985. They were usually armed with shotguns and held up small businesses like supermarkets, hostels, and stores. They were known to open fire without provocation and didn’t care whom they shot. They murdered eight people during their final robbery in Alost, then ceased their killing sprees and vanished for no apparent reason.

Part of the mystery revolves around their motivation. Though the Brabant Killers stole modest amounts of money and cheap consumer goods, money didn’t seem to be their motive. They had professional knowledge of weapons, leading some to believe they were part of an anti-government organization.

Police haven’t been able to track down any of the killers, and time is running out – according to Belgian law, a statute of limitations prevents anyone from being convicted and punished for a crime that took place more than 15 years ago unless the charge is renewed. This case was given a special extension until 2025, but if police cannot identify the killers before then, there is a good chance the Brabant Killers will never see justice.

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Russia’s Anomalous ‘M-Zone’ Can Reportedly Cause Dizziness, Nosebleeds, And Other Ailments

Photo: Const st / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

Russia’s Anomalous M-zone – also referred to as the Triangle Molebsky or the Perm Anomalous Zone – brings together tales of intergalactic visitors, magnetic anomalies, and strange healing properties. The M-zone lies 600 miles east of Moscow in a dense forest near the village of Molyobka. This area was heralded as the home of the gods by the native Mansi people, and it attracted many curious visitors.

Electrical equipment (including smartphones) either dies or stops working in this area, and some people have seen the hands on their watches spin backwards. Visitors also often notice a strange effect on their bodies: Those entering this zone often experience dizziness, nose bleeds, and sometimes hallucinations. Despite these unpleasant effects, the zone can seemingly heal those who stay longer. Some people’s ailments have supposedly been cured, and many people report feeling “enhanced,” stating they left with more vigor and intellect than when they entered.

While the M-zone’s precarious effects might be the result of a magnetic anomaly, there have also been countless UFO sightings in the area, something that doesn’t seem to shock or phase locals. In 1983, an expedition said they saw a purple ball rise from the forest. They also claimed they were chased by orbs of light that burnt them with “some sort of rays.”

The American TV show Sightings visited the zone, despite the Russian government warning them it was dangerous to stay in the M-zone more than 24 hours. Inexplicably, orbs of light surrounded the crew’s campsite.

Nobody has been able to fully explain the M-zone thus far, and it remains a popular place for tourists hoping to encounter UFOs and the supernatural.

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The Voynich Manuscript Is A Piece Of Italian History With No Definitive Explanation

Photo: Unknown author / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

In 1912, a Polish rare book dealer named Wilfred Voynich received a 240-page medieval text written in the 15th century. The manuscript contained vivid images of plants, dragons, naked women, and astrological symbols. Based on the pictures alone, scholars deduced it was divided into six sections – herbal, astronomy, biology, cosmology, pharmaceutical, and recipes – but they still aren’t positive.

The language used in the text has yet to be deciphered, even with countless efforts undertaken since the book’s discovery. Voynich tried to hire translators in the early 20th century, but nobody could decipher the language. Even modern code breakers such as William and Elizabeth Friedman, who cracked codes in both world wars, were unable to parse the text’s meaning. The book’s legacy has attracted everyone from medieval scholars to linguists specializing in arcane Middle-Age languages.

Technology might have the best chance of cracking the manuscript’s secret meaning, though. Researchers fed the first 10 pages of the manuscript to an AI that specializes in translating anagrams to modern text. It computed that 80% of the text was written in Middle-Age Hebrew, but the remaining 20% could be a combination of other languages, some of them esoteric and undecipherable to modern scholars.

The Voynich Manuscript may or may not be cracked, but it will continue to attract the attention of scholars and people interested in esoteric – and potentially supernatural – history and literature.

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Naoyuki Kanno’s Body Was Found In A Septic Tank In Japan, And No One Is Sure How He Got There

Photo: 浪速丹治 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Elementary school teacher Yumi Tanaka had an extra day off in February 1989 due to the passing of the venerated Emperor Hirohito. Tanaka lived in an all-girls dorm, and when she returned home one Friday night, she was shocked to see a man’s leather shoe floating in one of the squat toilets. The toilets’ cleaning system operated via two pipes outside the building; when Tanaka checked outside, she saw not only that the pipes were open, but that two feet were sticking out of them.

Police were unable to pull the man out, so the entire toilet had to be dug out and cut open. The body was half naked, and autopsies revealed no significant trauma besides minor abrasions.

Investigators believed the cause of death was either suffocation or hypothermia from being stuck in the toilet.

The deceased was identified as 26-year-old Naoyuki Kanna, who was by all accounts a bright, productive young man known to help people in his community and run a youth club. He was also a friend of Tanaka’s, which led to a disturbing theory of voyeurism. His body was positioned in such a way that he could have seen up out of the toilet at somebody using the bathroom. Kanna’s neighbors and relatives did not think this was possible since he was not the type of man to spy on unsuspecting women.

Another theory suggests he was intentionally killed. Kanna’s village was mired in a heated conflict over the construction of the Fukushima nuclear plant. This caused factions, and Kanna initially supported the current village head, whom he wrote speeches for – that is, until Kanno suddenly withdrew his support. Whether he discovered something suspicious or witnessed illegal activity, he may have suddenly found himself at odds with some powerful people.

Two people central to his case took their own lives, leading some to believe all three deaths were targeted, but to this day, people still theorize about what might have happened. Some have even suggested that Kanna and Tanaka were in a relationship or had previously broken up, though this has never been confirmed.

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Giant Circles In The Middle East Have Stumped Archaeologists For Years

Video: YouTube

British Commander Lionel Rees flew over the desert in Jordan and noticed a series of giant circles belonging to a science fiction novel. He took some aerial photographs and wrote that he discovered three giant circles that stood out from their surroundings. This was in the 1920s, and it would be another 40 years before anyone else really took notice of his discovery.

Today, archaeologists still puzzle over who made these circles and what their purpose was. They’re at least 2,000 years old, and researchers believe they pre-date the Roman empire since an old Roman road cuts across one of them. The circles stretch an impressive 400 meters (1,312 feet) in diameter, and they’re made of stones piled up several feet high.

Researchers have discovered 12 circles in Jordan, two in Turkey, and one in Syria. They have only conducted limited research so far, but they acknowledge the circles are too vivid and abstract to be a natural phenomenon. Some have suggested aliens as the circles’ source, but evidence points toward an ancient or even prehistoric civilization.

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Greenland’s Vikings Vanished Around The 15th Century, And All We Have Are Theories

Photo: Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

The Norse inhabited Southern Greenland for nearly 500 years, but they suddenly vanished in the 14th century. Scientists and historians have speculated that their disappearance could have been due to plague, pirate raids, cold temperatures, or even drought, but no theory is conclusive.

The Vikings established two settlements in Southern Greenland around 985 AD, and at the peak of their power, there were 3,000 Norse farmers on the island. New research suggests that Greenland’s climate became drier over time, which would have prevented them from growing enough grass to feed their livestock. Modern farmers corroborated this possibility, stating that if they don’t get enough rain in the summer, feeding their livestock during the winter months becomes challenging.

However, modern farmers drain and fertilize their land, leaving it more prone to drought. Evidence suggests Norse farmers handled the land differently using farming methods that evolved over time. One factor experts consider is their switch to a more marine diet. The Norse took dangerous voyages to the Northwest to acquire walrus tusks to sell in Europe. Their fishing and ivory expeditions would have taken many of their best farm hands away from the island.

Nothing has been proven, and while many theories exist, the disappearance of the Norse settlements still perplexes experts and piques the curiosity of history lovers and scholars alike.

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The Marree Man Was Etched Into Australian Soil In 1998, But No One Knows Who Did It – Or Why

Photo: Peter Campbell / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

Pilot Trevor Wright was the first person to spot the giant aborigine etched into the rural plains of South Australia, but it wasn’t long before local businesses started receiving faxes announcing its existence. The 2.5-mile-long aborigine, dubbed the Marree Man, is so large, it’s visible from space.

Whoever decided to create the giant structure has never been identified. Experts believe such a large design would have required the use of GPS, which was still new-fangled technology in the late 1990s. This apparent anachronism makes the artistic creation all the more incredible.

At the time, some believed the structure was American-made since the faxes used American English. A plaque with an American flag and Olympic rings was also left on site, but many people think these were intentional misdirection.

The Marree Man is a major tourist attraction that can only be seen from above, and it was partially restored in 2016 since it had faded over the years. To this day, nobody knows who created the Marree Man or why they still wish to remain anonymous.

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‘The Eye’ Is A Piece Of Rotating Land In Argentina That Seemingly No One Can Explain

Video: YouTube

An island resembling a perfect circle in a similarly round body of water has baffled the world and defied immediate explanation for years. Though the anomaly has been visible on Google Maps since the early 2000s, the odd landform in Northeastern Argentina wasn’t spotted for over a decade; Sergio Neuspillerm, an Argentine director, discovered it while hunting for areas with potential supernatural occurrences.

The tiny island, known colloquially as “El Ojo” or “The Eye,” has earned its supernatural reputation in part because it’s situated right in the middle of a number of other circular pools that do not appear to be natural.

Neuspilllerm took a team of filmmakers to investigate and found that the piece of land in the middle seems to float independently. They also said the water was unnaturally cool with a hard floor that felt out of place in the marshy terrain. Although the team tried to earn $50,000 on Kickstarter to fund a second expedition with scientists and other experts, they ultimately fell short.

Nobody has explained “The Eye” as of now, but some people believe its explanation might be ordinary; floating pieces of earth can become rounded, and other circular ponds and floating structures have been located in other parts of the world.

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