Original Case Files Page 4

Indianapolis, Indiana

12 victims · unsolved

Horace Van Vaultz

Horace Van Vaultz Jr. is an American serial killer convicted of the first-degree murders of two women, with confirmed killings occurring in Southern California between 1981 and 1986. He was apprehended on November 15, 2019, after DNA evidence linked him to the murders, and was subsequently sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole in 2022. The case is considered solved, with Vaultz currently incarcerated at California State Prison, Corcoran.

California

6 sources cited

Southern California, United States

3 victims · Solved

Source-Backed Case Summary

Hart Family Murders

On 2018-03-26 in Mendocino County, California, Jennifer and Sarah Hart drove their SUV off a coastal cliff, killing themselves and six adopted children. Jennifer was the driver and forensic analysis of the vehicle's data recorder showed the SUV accelerated from a stop and was intentionally driven over the cliff; five children's bodies were recovered and one child (Devonte) was later declared dead though his body was not recovered. A coroner's jury unanimously ruled the deaths a murder–suicide; criminal prosecution was not possible because the alleged perpetrators died at the scene. Key evidence includes the SUV 'black box' data, toxicology showing Jennifer over the legal alcohol limit and Sarah and two children with diphenhydramine, and Sarah's pre-crash internet searches about lethality and drowning.

Mendocino County

2 sources cited

Mendocino County, California, U.S.

6 victims · unsolved

Gypsy-Rose Blanchard

In June 2015, Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard was found stabbed to death in her Springfield, Missouri home. Her daughter, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, and Gypsy's online boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, fled Missouri and were arrested days later after social-media activity and neighbor tips led investigators to them. Gypsy-Rose pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a ten-year sentence; Godejohn was convicted of first-degree murder and given life without parole. The case drew national attention after revelations that Dee Dee had falsified and inflicted illnesses on Gypsy-Rose, a pattern described as Munchausen by proxy, and key evidence included online communications, surveillance footage, and the traced IP address from Facebook posts.

Springfield, Missouri

6 sources cited

Springfield, Missouri

1 victims · Solved

Gypsy Hill Killings

The Gypsy Hill killings refer to a series of five homicides of young women and girls in San Mateo County, California, occurring between January and March 1976, attributed to the "San Mateo Slasher." While Rodney Halbower was convicted for the murders of three victims, Leon Seymour was convicted for one, leaving two cases unresolved and one murder still unsolved. The investigation remains partially open as authorities continue to seek closure for the remaining victims.

California

San Mateo County, California

5 victims · Solved

Golden Years Murders

The Golden Years Murders refer to a series of at least thirteen unsolved homicides of elderly women in the West End of Richmond, Virginia, occurring between 1990 and 1996. The victims, aged 55 to 89, were targeted in a similar manner, with the first six being stabbed and the remaining seven strangled, raising significant community concern and prompting increased safety measures among residents. Despite various suspects emerging over the years, including one controversial conviction, the case remains officially unsolved.

Serial Killer

4 sources cited

Richmond, Virginia

13 victims · unsolved

Gilgo Beach Serial Killings

The Gilgo Beach serial killings involved the murders of at least 11 individuals, primarily sex workers, whose remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway in Suffolk County, New York, between December 2010 and April 2011. The investigation, which began with the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert in May 2010, has led to the arrest of suspect Rex Heuermann, who faces multiple charges including first-degree murder. The case is currently in the judicial process following his capture.

New York

Long Island, New York

11 victims · Open Case

Louis C.K.

Multiple women accused comedian Louis C.K. of sexual misconduct, alleging incidents including an encounter in a hotel room during the 2002 US Comedy Arts Festival. The allegations were publicly reported in The New York Times on 2017-11-09, after which Louis C.K. issued a statement admitting the behavior and apologizing. The revelations triggered industry fallout — film distribution canceled, networks and studios cut ties — but no criminal conviction is recorded and the matter remains unresolved in court. Key elements include the accusers' accounts, contemporaneous reporting to industry figures, and Louis C.K.'s public admission.

Aspen

6 sources cited

Source-Backed Case Summary

Aspen, Colorado

5 victims · unsolved

Kevin Spacey

Multiple people accused a prominent actor of sexual assault and harassment beginning in October 2017, prompting criminal investigations in the United States and the United Kingdom and the actor's removal from film and TV projects. The first public accusation came from Anthony Rapp on 2017-10-29, followed by several additional accusers including current and former colleagues; investigations took place in Los Angeles, New York and London. The actor was found not liable in a 2022 New York civil suit and was acquitted by a London jury in 2023; no criminal conviction resulted. Key evidence included witness statements from accusers and workplace complainants, and the cases resulted in dropped charges and acquittal rather than a criminal conviction.

London

London, UK

12 victims · unsolved

Faryion Wardrip

Faryion Edward Wardrip is an American serial killer and rapist who committed a series of murders between late 1984 and mid-1986, targeting five young women in Wichita Falls and Fort Worth, Texas. He was apprehended on May 9, 1986, and subsequently convicted of multiple counts of capital murder, currently residing on death row. The case is considered solved, with Wardrip's crimes leading to significant law enforcement collaboration across multiple jurisdictions.

Texas

4 sources cited

Wichita Falls, Texas

5 victims · Solved

Emanuel Lovell Webb

Emanuel Lovell Webb, known as The East End Killer, is an American serial killer who raped and murdered four women in Bridgeport, Connecticut, between 1990 and 1993, before committing an additional murder in Vidalia, Georgia, in 1994. He was apprehended in November 2005 after DNA evidence linked him to the Bridgeport murders, leading to his extradition and subsequent conviction in 2008, for which he received a 60-year prison sentence. The case is considered solved, with Webb currently incarcerated at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution.

Connecticut

4 sources cited

Bridgeport, Connecticut

5 victims · Solved

Edward Surratt

Edward Arthur Surratt, an American murderer and rapist, was convicted of one murder and multiple rapes in 1978, with crimes occurring in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and South Carolina between 1977 and 1978. Despite serving 29 years in prison and confessing to six additional murders in 2007 and six more in 2021, he has not been charged for these confessions, and the case remains officially unsolved. Surratt is currently imprisoned in Florida, where he is serving multiple life sentences.

Pennsylvania