famous murders in north carolina famous murders in north carolina

Susan Smith is a child murderer who claimed a black man had carjacked her at gunpoint and drove off with her two sons in the car in 1994. A regrettable aspect of this is that occasionally killers go uncaught. Another murder that gained media attention was of 19 years old Kathy Bonney who was brutally killed by her father in Camden County, North Carolina. Some believe the mark to be proof of a UFO landing while others believe it to be sacred yet most believe that there's something undeniably spooky about this patch of land. On Dec. 3, 2004, she was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. WebNews of Rufus King, the Clinton, NC, farmer who murdered his six children, made newspapers across the country in October 1956. The estate has been passed down through the family and eventually became open to the public. Later at 2 PM the same day, another 911 call was made reporting that Zahra was missing. Laughing, splashing, and yelling are frequently heard from this room. On December 20, her phone was discovered close to Camp Lejeunes main entrance. The first two victims' remains, those of an adult woman and young girl, were found in a 55-gallon metal drum by a hunter on November 10, 1985. Due to his youth, he was tried as a minor, which would have made him eligible for release at age 21 with a sealed conviction. Souers was a student from St Louis and was studying civil engineering as well as participating in charity work. From unsolved cases dating back more than a century to the most high-profile court cases of the last few decades, here is the most notorious crime from each state in the U.S. The case of Taco Bell Strangler Henry Louis Wallace: in Her mother, Antoinette Davis, told officials she last saw her daughter ina blue sleep shirt and pink panties about 5:30 a.m. At her sister's urging, Antoinettecalled police to report her child missing some 90 minutes later. As North Carolina's wealthiest ghosts, can you really blame them for never wanting to leave? She said surveillance cameras captured a guest carrying a child who lookedlike Shaniya into a room the same morning she disappeared. Anderson was convicted of kidnapping and killing Larisa Dumansky of Sioux Falls in 1994 and Piper Streyle of rural Canistota in 1996. The women were subjected to a decade of unspeakable abuse and rape. Photo by Cottonbro Studio on Pexels. In the early 1970s, airline hijackings were rampant, but one incident in particular stands out from the rest: the cast of D.B. However, due to numerous assaults on other inmates, Price's sentence continues to lengthen. WebB Murder of Kathy Bonney C Carthage nursing home shooting E Eastburn family murders G Green Beret murders K William Kreutzer Jr. R 1996 Raleigh murders S Shelby bookstore Lanza completed suicide as first responders arrived. Jacob Wolf and his family, plus a son of a neighbor who did chores for the family, were found dead on their Turtle Lake farm in 1920. Her laid-back, fun spirit is known to play pranks and take a particular fascination with room 545. Support local journalism with a subscription to The Fayetteville Observer. need your help for this. While still married to Girly, Diazien got engaged to Linda Henning, a woman who shared his interests in UFOs and conspiracy theories. In 1912, eight people were murdered in the night, bludgeoned to death in their beds with the blunt end of an axe. Burmeister's goal, prosecutors said, was to get a skinhead spiderweb tattoo on his elbow, a feat accomplished only by the killing of a Black person. Read more about the story here. Certainly there are killers with higher body counts in the Grand Canyon State, but their notoriety is eclipsed by that of Jodi Arias, who killed her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in cold blood and tried to convince a jury that the grisly crime was in self defense despite the overkill and clear signs of premeditation. Her mother, Mary Lauterbach revealed that L.Cpl. From a Special Forces doctor in the 1970s, who to this day denies butchering his wife and two daughters in their Fort Bragg home to a missing 5-year-old girl whose body was found two days after her mother was arrested for trading the girl to a killerfor a drug debt here are some other infamous Fayetteville crimes that captured international attention. At first, the killer was unknown by law enforcement. Elizabeth shared the chocolates with her sister and some others on the porch of her father's home. While an Alford plea is treated the same as a guilty plea, the defendant doesn't admit guilt but concedes the state has enough evidence for a conviction. A mysterious man challenged the overconfident and undefeated Jesse Elliot to a horse race one day. Police believe he was a serial killer who would have taken more victims had he not been captured. When his friends didn't come back to his car, Meadows sauntered up to the police to get a closer look. Illinois is yet another state with plenty of good candidates for the "most notorious crime" superlative. French wounded at least seven others and likely would have kept going if an off-duty police officer who was working part-time at the grocery store across the street hadn't run over and shot French through a window of the restaurant, police said. A few hours later, her nude body was found dumped in a wooded area not far from her home. For related content, check out this road trip to North Carolinas most abandoned places. More:Fort Bragg murders: Photos of the Jeffrey MacDonald case. He killed eight employees and injured 12 others before taking his own life. In the past 42 years, he's filed numerous appeals in a bid to gain his freedom, including his last motion for compassionate release in the wake of the coronavirus. WebMurders and mysteries: North Carolinas 12 most famous true-crime cases The Jeffrey MacDonald case: Acid is groovy. Though they were high school sweethearts in their hometown of Denver, Colorado, Air Force Capt. She enlisted her hired hand, Ray Lamphere, with setting fire to the farm to obscure the identity of her remains. However, the hit podcast Serial made Adnan Syed a household name. Maria Frances was a US Marine who had disappeared from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina on 14th December 2007. What happened the night of the Murdaugh murders? Between the ages of 13 and 15, Craig Price killed four female victims. That man had checked in under his real name: Mario Andretti McNeill. While Jordan was asleep in his car, Green fired one round into his chest, instantly killing him. (L) Illustration of Charles Jr. on the cover of Time magazine on May 2, 1932; (R) Bruno Richard Hauptmann faces trial in Flemington, NJ. In the woods near a campground on September 7, 1997, hunters in the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina discovered human bones, clothing, and several other objects. This abduction of 11-year-old Jacob was a mystery for nearly 30 years, until his killer, Danny James Heinrich, led authorities to where he left him as part of a plea bargain. He was convicted for nine murders in 1997 and sentenced to death. Once inside the kitchen door, he shot a cook who survived. In the end, however, the jury found French guilty of four counts of murder, eight counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of discharging a firearm into occupied property. A judge released them after serving 18 years in jail. On August 3 in a swamp in McColl, South Carolina, his body was discovered. But five months later, after an evidentiary hearing, those charges were dismissed. The house that served as his victims' prison has been demolished. Though Hilton was already on Death Row in Florida for those murders, he pleaded guilty in 2012 to killing the North Carolina couple and received an additional four life sentences, to be held consecutively. 1 The murder of Tiffany Marie Souers Crime Scene tape by Kat Wilcox- Pexels Jerry Buck Inman, stood trial for kidnapping, raping and murdering Tiffany Marie Souers. Their bodies were found on a trail leading to the camp's showers. Shortly after 10 WebCharlie killed his family with a shotgun, the bodies were found with rocks placed beneath their heads and their arms crossed. Brenda Sue 2. Police Logo Painted on the Police Car Doors. Henry Louis Wallace aka The Taco Bell Strangler. Florida is another state with plenty of candidates for most notorious crime. They inspired many films, most notably Natural Born Killers. He was shot twice with a 12-gauge shotgun, once in the chest and once in the back of the head, seemingly at point-blank range, and his keys were still within the lock. On the day of the girl's disappearance, as Antoinette was outside purportedly looking for her daughter, Shaniya's 7-year-old brother told his aunt that he'd seen McNeill in the home early that morning. As the race began, the stranger, who was riding a large black stallion, stayed back the majority of the race. Distractify is a registered trademark. Jesse's horse, frightened, dug its hoofs into the ground and threw Jesse into a tree killing him instantly. Appearing after sunset, the lights change in size, color, and shape. At trial, which was moved to New Hanover County to avoid defense concerns that pretrial publicity would make it impossible for their client to a fair trial here, French admitted the shooting but said he had no recollection of it. Then, when the heat turned up, she killed her three children and staged her death by decapitating an unidentified female victim. Frederick Rober Klenner Jr. was considered a mass murderer who killed several victims between 1984 and 1985. Lawson then went into the woods and shot himself. Detectives would learn of the affair; the splits and reconciliations; the trip to the Caribbean; that Michelle talked to her boss about Marty's $500,000 life insurance policy through the military. The saw spotted Eve heading to her vehicle and forced themselves into her car with Lovette getting into the drivers seat. Cumberland County prosecutors pointed to Michelle and Diamond's intense love affair and plans to run off together, the life insurance policy on Marty, and her flight from the law to prove Michell's guilt to a jury. According to the FBI, a murderer becomes serial when they kill two or more people in separate events. A criminologist in gloves zipping a bag with a dead body. Perhaps we'll never have answers as to what happened to this 6-year-old pageant princess though plenty of people obsessed with the case are convinced they've solved it but the strange circumstances around the death of JonBenet have made it one of the most talked about child murders in history. The story even spawned an FX docuseries in 2020 called A Wilderness of Error. What Do the Families of Ted Bundy's Victims Think of the Netflix Documentary? After attending a boxing match at the MGM Grand on September 7, 1996, Tupac was gunned down while riding in a white Cadillac with Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight. The tale starts in Old Salem, when this house was used as a communal house for single men, known as the Single Brothers House. In In 1935, three bodies presumed to be a mother and her two children were dumped on the roadside five miles from downtown Middlebury. When Wright appealed, the dismissal was affirmed. He was sentenced to spend a minimum of 59.5 years to a maximum of 74.5 years in prison. Jeffrey MacDonald's Fort Bragg home was unmatched at the nation's most populated Army installation. The two friends drove Eve towards a wooded place where she asked them to pray with her before the killing. Being completely nocturnal and living in underground caves, the Cherokee named them the 'moon-eyed' people. An hour later, the video showed, the man emerged. Freddie Brown was an American football running back who played for the Carolina Panthers. Witnesses even resorted to blaming a time-space break where they became witnesses to the not-so-distant Revolutionary War. No explanation ever surfaced for the sudden familicide. Curious to explore these places and more? The three killed Owen when he tried to flee by shooting him twice in the head and then dumped his body in the Eno River, where it was discovered on February 21, 2004. They questioned sex offenders in the area. James Joseph "Whitey" Bulger is one of the most notorious gangsters, hit men, and rats in mobster history. Military & Crime Editor F.T. Speculation as to what happened has kept him alive in true crime fans' memory all these years, with the prevailing theory for many years holding that he was buried underneath Giants Stadium in New Jersey, though when no human remains were found when the football venue was demolished in 2010. WebJust minutes after Alex Murdaugh was convicted for the murders of his wife and son, his former law firm released a statement. WebThe Worst Murders To Ever Take Place In North Carolina. The cries began to multiply and all at once there were deafening screams and cries throughout the field. Kicking off this list with one of the most infamous, and mysterious NC legends, The Devil's Tramping Ground is a 40-foot diameter circle completely absent of life. All are believed to have died by blunt force trauma. It was through that internet posting that Michelle had rendezvous with several men, including, Staff Sgt. He was acquitted, and no one else was tried afterward. McDonald's guilt and in 1974, a North Carolina grand jury was convinced as well. Click the "subscribe" link at the top of this article. You will receive your first newsletter soon. The only survivor was his eldest son, 16-year-old Arthur, whom he had sent on an errand just before committing the crime. The defense argued for a second-degree murder charge or involuntary manslaughter, saying there was no evidence the rampage was planned. Smith will be eligible for parole on November 4, 2024, after serving a minimum of 30 years. Bundy was executed by the state of Florida 30 years ago, yet he remains one of the most intriguing serial killers of all time. Oh, please dont hurt these nice people! Pete Parrous pleaded. The two are currently serving life sentences. After a fire destroyed an orphanage outside of Raleigh, and sadly, killed several children who called this place home, locals began to notice something strange. The murder weapon was found beside a 4-pound slab of bacon. In 2016, Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her boyfriend murdered her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. Hart died in prison in 1979, where he was serving a sentence for unrelated kidnapping and rape charges. Matthew was a student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die on a fence near Laramie on the night of October 6, 1998. A final ruling is expected in August of this year. The charred corpses of Maria Lauterbach and her unborn child were discovered by authorities in a fire pit in Corporal Cesar Armando Laureans backyard. She failed to return home which prompted her family to begin a door-to-door search and ask neighbors whether they saw her. Is it just some type of 'marsh gas?' Listen online or download the iHeart App. Weeks after, in the field where the fire took place, the smell of smoke was so strong it would fill up their lungs and they would violently cough. In March 2002, she was indicted in the killing, but six days before the indictment came down, she'd disappeared from New Orleans. Eventually, it came out she was in hiding after having killed her mother after enduring years of abuse. Antoinette Davis was sentenced to at least 17 years, six months in prison. She later confessed to letting the car roll into John D. Long Lake with 14-month-old Alex and 3-year-old Michael inside. Earl Richmond (serial killer) Marcus Robinson (prisoner) Raymond Dayle Rowsey. Check out our custom road trip to some of North Carolina's most abandoned places. On Dec. 16, 2000, as that January deadline drew near, Diamond borrowed a 9 mm handgun from a friend while Michelle played the role of doting wife. However, as the couple drove home, prosecutors said, Michelle came up with a ruse to stop at her office at 2500 Raeford Road. During an August 2001 court-martial, Diamond was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Jeffrey MacDonald case intrigues 50 years later, Jeffrey MacDonald murder case through the years at The Fayetteville Observer, MacDonald innocent in killings, wife says, Fort Bragg murders: Photos of the Jeffrey MacDonald case, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. As Jesse neared the finish line, confident in his victory, the other horse flew with evil speed past Jesse. Though Girly's body was never recovered, significant blood and forensic evidence ensured her killers will spend the rest of their lives in jail. Maine has its share of murderers, but perhaps the most intriguing criminal in the state's history is Christopher Knight, who evaded police for 27 years as he committed more than 1,000 burglaries of homes in the North Pond area. Lydia's date died instantly, but she managed to pry herself out of the car and in the pouring rain and a blood-soaked prom dress, begged and pleaded for passersby to help. Following his conviction,Michelle who Fayetteville police said was still a suspect in her husband's murder left North Carolina and moved to Louisiana. I have been stabbed," according to published reports. In 2003, Deidra Lane admitted to committing voluntary manslaughter. Rachel Shoaf also pleaded guilty and received a sentence of 30 years in prison, and will be eligible for parole after 10 years. You can learn more about the origin of Devil's Tramping Ground. One guest even left a note at the front desk, thanking the "lady in pink" for playing with his children during his stay. Accounts of what the young boy did or said are unclear, as Bryant's account changed each time she gave it. The four others who ate the poisoned candies lived. After the coughing subsided, a quiet cry floated through the air. (L) a photo on the plaque marking Till's grave in Aslip, Illinois; (R) a photo of Till's mangled body as part of an exhibit at the Chicago Historical Society. As soon as they reach for her, her warm skin becomes scaly cold flesh and in one instant they are yanked into the water by a "monster.". In 2012, 16-year-old Skylar Neese snuck out of her home and disappeared. Legend says the mysterious 'rider' carried Jesse's soul to hell. As for why he left the baby alive: "The reason I did not kill the baby was, I believe, because I did not go into the room in which the baby lay," he said. WebFORT MILL, S.C. (WTVD) -- A convicted serial killer who was just released from prison is moving to South Carolina. It was during that drive that Burden and James were spotted walking on Hall Street. Daniel Andre Green and Larry Martin Demery spotted the posh vehicle Michael had bought for him (a red Lexus SC400 with a North Carolina license plate that read UNC0023). Photo by Cottonbro Studio on Pexels. Diamond was still in the picture, however. WebThe former South Carolina attorney has been convicted of killing his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul. Pounds and pounds of steel were no match for Joe, and his head was decapitated, tumbling down into the swamps never to be found again. Some of these assailants have been arrested and are serving life sentences, while other cases remain to be mysteries. McNeill, 29, knew Shaniya and her mother because he had dated Shaniya'saunt, Brenda Davis. Their goal was to rob Owen and steal his car. A funeral for three of the four girls was attended by Rev. Less than a week after Shaniya's disappearance and with her whereabouts still unknown,McNeill surrendered to police on a kidnappingcharge. The murders led the secretary of the Army to order an investigation into extremist activities in the ranks. It wasn't until DNA technology was advanced enough that California investigators discovered the same serial rapist who terrorized Northern California in the '70s had moved south and escalated to murder, taking the lives of at least 13. In May 2000, two more girls were discovered in a second metal drum. Cordelia Botkin is not only the most notorious killer in Delaware history but the first to commit murder by mail. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Edith would summon George to one of her pool parties, and to this day, she is still throwing some AWESOME parties because visitors and guests have heard her calling for 'George." Forensic psychologists and criminal profilers state that the murderers showed no reasonable regard for human life. But if you're curious about the single most haunted place in North Carolina, the answer is a bit complicated. Not long after the family was annihilated, Lawson's brother Marion turned the murder house into a tourist attraction. Police Investigators Working at the Crime Scene. Also, it seems Edith still has a knack for nagging George in the afterlife. Together with Joseph, she was reported missing on 15th March 2015 after her family failed to reach out to her. An autopsy would reveal the child had been molested and suffocated. Despite an Army jury ruling there was not enough evidence to proceed to trial, Collette MacDonald's mother and stepfather were convinced of Capt. The coroner had earlier incinerated his body because there wasnt enough room for it, but his jaw and hands were kept for identification. While in the professional world she was a licensed psychologist known as Dr. Michelle Theer, unbeknownst to Marty, she went by another name on internet dating boards where she trolled for extracurricular fun: "Married Brunette.". MacDonald, who became a cause celebre, was honorably discharged from the Army and made a much-panned appearance on a nationally televised talk show where he reportedly cracked jokes about the investigation into the slaughter of his family. Gary Michael Hilton, a serial killer sentenced to death for the 2007 murder of Crawfordville nurse Cheryl Dunlap is in court today for an evidentiary hearing for his sentence appeal. The affair resulted in each leaving their spouses in June 2000 and moving in together. She killed anywhere from 25 to 40 victims and was never caught. He said he had no idea where she was. Nothing will grow here. However, the high-profile trial and endless documentary specials and movies of the week pushed this technically unsolved crime to the top of the list. Blandenboro Fire Poltergeist, Bladenboro, 1932. News of a 5-year-old girl missing from the Sleepy Hollow Mobile Home Park off Murchison Road greeted Fayetteville residents on the morning of Nov. 10, 2009. Jayson got to the backseat with Eve while brandishing a gun at her. The youngest, an 8-month-old baby girl, was in her crib, alive, but the rest of the home's residents were found either shot to death or bludgeoned with a hatchet. The most notorious crime of the Aloha state is an unsolved string of serial murders of women whose bodies were found in lagoons around Honolulu and neighboring Waipahu from 1985 to 1986. This murder gained worldwide media coverage due to its nature. WebAll that remained when a homemade explosive went off under the front passenger seat of a Chevrolet Blazer on a North Carolina highway in 1985 was a mangled mother of two and Though authorities doubt he survived the risky jump, DB Cooper has been a source of endless intrigue and speculation ever since, with a long string a possible suspects. Sole survivor Arthur died in a car accident 16 years later at age 32. It starts with grandparents or uncles trying to get a good spook in, but then, for me at least, it turned into me having to know the WHOLE story. His appeals thus far have been denied. Source: Arizona Department of Corrections, Orange Couty Dept of Corrections, Florida Dept of Corrections, Source: Arizona Department of Corrections, Source: FBI, United States Marshals Service, Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Marshals approached her for the arrest, she denied being Michelle Theer and gave them the name Lisa Pendragon under which she'd been living. New Hampshire's most notorious crime is an unsolved serial murder case involving four female victims killed between 1977 and 1985. He was nicknamed the Taco Bell Strangler due to several of his victims working for the fast food chain where he was also employed. Before long they had all the evidence they thought they would need and on May 1, 1970, the Army had filed murder charges against MacDonald. A handwriting comparison of the note that accompanied the candy to previous correspondence from Botkin linked her to the crime. At his execution he simply had three words for spectators: "Kiss my ass.". He first told police he lived in the neighborhood, then said he lost his license and was driving side streets to avoid law enforcement because he'd been drinking, the court record states. Susan Bonney, sister of Kathy saw them in the car at a 7-Eleven store. In March 2015, Owens pleaded guilty to two counts of dismemberment of human remains. Meadows said that as the men left his car, Burmeister remarked, "You never know. Eve Carson who was a student at the University of North Carolina was abducted and murdered by Lovette and Jayson McNeil. A raisin cake Lawson's wife Marie had baked for Christmas dinner was displayed on the tour and visitors would take raisins as souvenirs until the cake was eventually protected with glass. As she was schooling in a public school, there were reports about mental and physical abuse of Zahra by Elisa, her stepmother. Now 78 years old, MacDonald is currently serving his sentence in medium-security federal prison in Maryland coincidentally, in a town called Cumberland. But within a month, the Theers were in counseling to repair their marriage, and by September, Michelle had moved back to 8620 English Saddle Drive with her husband. He did not join the others in the search for Kathy. The two masked killers used a handcart to wheel the store safe out of the building and fled in Reeses car. Four years of legal wrangling would ensue and such debates would mark the case up until today. For the supposed offense of hitting on a white and asking her on a date, Carolyn Bryant's husband Roy Bryant and his brother kidnapped the boy from his great uncle's house and tortured, mutilated, and killed him in one of the most infamous lynchings of the Jim Crow era. Maybe, North Carolina just has so much history, and mystery, the ghosts; the monsters, the sirens, and the headless feel just at home here as we do. Wallace would sexually assault, beat, and strangle his victims, including once in front of the woman's son. The Little Red Man got his name from appearing in a red cap; similar to the one Brother Kesmer was wearing at the time of his death. George would often retreat to his library before a big storm; his ghost has been spotted continuing this habit. If everyone has a jazz band going, well, then, so much the better for you people. Poor Joe Baldwin. Two of the remaining three bombers, Thomas Blanton and Bobby Cherry, weren't convicted until the early 2000s and the fourth suspected participant, Herman Cash, was never charged and died a free man. The sounds of clashing metal were heard. WebIn the early morning of July 25, 1988, in the Smallwood subdivision of Washington, North Carolina, Lieth Von Stein and his wife Bonnie were attacked in their bedroom by an intruder He evaded police for 16 years until a neighbor in Santa Monica, CA, recognized him and helped federal agents take him down. French, loaded for bear and with a sack of ammo slung over his shoulder, entered the dining room and was met by owners Pete Parrous, 73, and his wife Ethel, 65. All rights reserved. Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her home in Salt Lake City at age 14 and held captive for 9 months by Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. They were killed simply because they existed," the Raleigh News and Observer quoted prosecutor John Dickson as saying in opening statements at the April 1997 murder trial of former Fort Bragg soldier PFC Malcolm Wright Jr. Wright's trial came two months after fellow Army paratrooper Pvt. The Parrouses children carried on the legacy created by their parents. WebJackie Burden, 27, and Michael James, 36, were simply walking along a then-unpaved Hall Street near Campbell Avenue on Dec. 7, 1995, when neo-Nazi skinheads shot and killed New episode alert. The GSK seemed motivated by inflicting terror on his victims. Read on 10 famous murders that happened in Kentucky. Maybe its our states backdrop of spooky, ever-expansive marshes to the east, and mysterious, enchanted mountains to the west. On April 25, 2018, police announced the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, whose DNA matched samples found at crime scenes. A string of murders of young black boys terrorized Atlanta families from 1979 to 1981. California has a lot of candidates to consider and honestly, we mulled it over for a long time, considering the unsolved Zodiac Killer case, the Manson Family murders, and even the most famous unsolved case of all time, the Black Dahlia murder. This Montana serial killer murdered three children and one 19-year-old woman between 1967 and 1974 in Gallatin County, MT. plans and enthusiasm Some victims were children as young as 6. To this day, on a rainy night beneath a full moon, if you travel down to the tunnel you will see Lydia trying to flag down a ride. That's perhaps because the state is home to so many of these paranormal sites that it can be difficult to discern which is truly the most haunted. On 27th July 1966, Brenda was asked to walk her 6-year-old sister to a Head Start class. The sisters and their children all lived together. As summarized in the article above, there's a ton of mystery surrounding the infamous Pink Lady who fell to her death at the hotel in the 1920s. Curious to learn more about the most haunted places in North Carolina? Christopher Reeses 2014 murder in Notus, Idaho remains unsolved. They were never identified nor was their killer, but true crime sleuths in the state are still trying to unlock the mystery.