CrimeSolversCentral

Elizabeth "Liz" Barraza, a 29-year-old woman from Tomball, Texas, was tragically shot to death on January 25, 2019, while setting up a garage sale outside her home. The incident occurred just before 7 a.m., when an unknown assailant approached Liz and shot her multiple times before fleeing in a dark-colored Nissan Frontier pickup truck. Despite the shooting being captured on video, her killer has never been caught.Liz's husband, Sergio Barraza, was not home at the time of the shooting but was able to view the surveillance footage afterward. The Harris County Sheriff's Office has been actively investigating the case, believing it to be a planned murder. They have received numerous tips from around the world but have yet to make any arrests. The investigation has involved advanced technology, including Google search maps, phone records, and surveillance footage, but the case remains unsolved.

Ben Tyner was a 32-year-old professional cowboy and ranch manager who had recently moved from his close-knit family home in Wyoming to Merritt, British Columbia, to take a management position at Nicola Ranch in late 2018. Described by his family as selfless, hardworking, and deeply devoted to ranch life, he had built a reputation as a respected horseman, working in various places, including as far away as Russia, before settling in the Nicola Valley. His loved ones speak of a man whose identity was wrapped up in caring for livestock, working long days in difficult conditions, and living what he considered a dream as a cowboy.On January 26, 2019, Ben was last seen at Nicola Ranch, where he had been working as manager. He reportedly left the ranch on horseback that afternoon, possibly to check on cattle in the surrounding hills near Merritt. Two days later, alarm grew when his saddled horse was discovered wandering alone on a logging road off Highway 97C near an area known as Winnie Flats, northwest of Merritt. The horse was fully tacked but riderless, an immediate red flag in the ranching community, where a loose working horse usually signals that something has gone very wrong.Investigators later confirmed that the horse, named Gunny, appeared nervous but uninjured, and one of the reins was broken. At the same time, other troubling details emerged: Ben had not told anyone he was going away, he left behind his wallet and cellphone, and even his beloved dog, Sioux, remained at the ranch. For someone whose life revolved around animals and responsibility, leaving suddenly without his dog or his basic personal items appeared deeply out of character, increasing fears that his disappearance was not voluntary.In the days that followed, an extensive search effort unfolded across the rugged backcountry north of Merritt. RCMP, local search and rescue teams, air services, police dogs, and numerous volunteers on horseback, on foot, in vehicles, and on snowmobiles combed the wilderness around where Gunny had been found. After nearly a week of intensive searching in harsh winter conditions, no trace of Ben was located, and the physical search was reluctantly suspended. The absence of footprints, discarded equipment, or any clear trail only deepened the mystery and the worry felt by those who knew him.As the search shifted into a longer-term investigation, the RCMP Southeast District Major Crime Unit joined the case, and the tone of official updates changed. In February 2019, police appealed for dash-cam footage from drivers who had been in the Highway 97C and Winnie Flats area around the time Ben vanished, hoping that even a small detail caught on video might offer a lead. By March 2019, after reviewing available evidence, RCMP publicly stated that the circumstances of his disappearance were suspicious and that they believed criminality might be involved.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) is a national crisis—yet so many stories remain untold. In this episode, we focus on the Yakama Nation and a series of missing and murdered Indigenous women whose cases remain unsolved. We walk through known timelines, last sightings, investigative gaps, and the impact these losses have had on families, loved ones, and the community.Our goal is to raise awareness, honor the victims, and keep these cases in the public eye. We are not law enforcement, and we are not accusing anyone—everyone is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. If you know anything that could help in any of these cases, please contact local law enforcement, Yakama Nation authorities, or an appropriate tip line. Even a small detail might make a difference.🟥 Trigger Warning: This episode discusses violence, homicide, and missing persons. Please care for your mental health and only watch if you feel safe doing so.🙏 How You Can HelpShare this video to help keep these cases from being forgottenLearn more about the MMIW crisis in your own areaSupport Indigenous-led organizations working on justice, safety, and reform🔔 Subscribe to CrimeSolversCentral for more deep-dive coverage of unsolved cases and advocacy-focused true crime content.👍 Like, comment, and let us know which cases you’d like us to cover next—respectfully and without naming unverified suspects.#MMIW #YakamaNation #MissingAndMurderedIndigenousWomen #TrueCrime #UnsolvedCases #CrimeSolversCentral

On June 7, 2024, at approximately 7:45 p.m., 28-year-old Robert Abdelkader III was fatally shot while catering a pool party in the 800 block of East Greenleaf Boulevard in Compton, California. The event, attended by an estimated 200 to 300 guests, was disrupted when multiple shooters opened fire, resulting in Abdelkader's death and injuries to five others—two men and three women—who sustained non-life-threatening wounds.

Asha Degree, a 9-year-old girl from Shelby, North Carolina, vanished under mysterious circumstances on February 14, 2000. In the early hours of that day, Asha reportedly left her home of her own accord. Despite stormy weather, she packed her bookbag and left the house on foot around 4 a.m., as witnessed by a passing motorist. The driver noted that she was walking along Highway 18, just outside of Shelby, but did not stop to approach her. This sighting was the last confirmed instance of Asha being seen by anyone.

Brian Shaffer, a 27-year-old medical student at Ohio State University, was last seen in the early hours of April 1, 2006, in Columbus, Ohio. On the evening of March 31, 2006, Brian had gone out to celebrate the beginning of spring break with friends. After having dinner with his father, Randy, he met up with his friend, William “Clint” Florence, at the Ugly Tuna Saloona, a bar in the Arena District. Over the course of the night, the group visited several bars in the area, taking shots and enjoying the night. They eventually returned to the Ugly Tuna Saloona around 1:15 a.m.

The term "I-45 Killer" refers to the unsolved murders of over 30 young women and girls along the Interstate 45 corridor between Houston and Galveston, Texas, since the early 1970s. This area, particularly a 25-acre patch in League City, has been notoriously dubbed the "Texas Killing Fields" due to the high number of bodies discovered there.

Madalina Cojocari, an 11-year-old girl from Cornelius, North Carolina, was last seen on November 21, 2022, when surveillance footage captured her getting off a school bus near her home. Despite this, her disappearance was not reported until December 15, 2022, when her mother, Diana Cojocari, informed school officials. Diana claimed she had last seen her daughter on November 23, but there are inconsistencies in the accounts provided by both Diana and Madalina’s stepfather, Christopher Palmiter.

Fifteen-year-old Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers vanished from his mother’s home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, on the night of February 25, 2024, and was reported missing the next morning, February 26. He was last seen in the area of Stafford Court wearing a black sweatshirt, black sweatpants, and black, square-framed prescription glasses. Authorities have emphasized that Sebastian has medical conditions, including autism, that may affect his ability to return home without assistance. The FBI lists him at approximately 5'5" and 120 pounds, with hair described on federal materials as blond or brown and eyes noted as brown or hazel.

On February 2, 2009, a woman walking her dog in the West Mesa area of Albuquerque, New Mexico, stumbled upon a human bone. This grim discovery led authorities to unearth the remains of eleven women and an unborn child buried in shallow graves across a 92-acre area. The victims, aged between 15 and 32, had disappeared between 2001 and 2005. Most were Hispanic and had connections to drugs and sex work, making them vulnerable targets for a predator who became known as the "West Mesa Bone Collector."

Teon Wiley, a 37-year-old Black/African American man, left his Memphis home on January 30, 2020, for a quick walk to a convenience store on Overton Crossing in Frayser. The errand unfolded into a fatal encounter. A man asked the 37-year-old male for a dollar; he refused, stepped inside the store, and then walked back out toward the parking lot. Moments later, the same man followed and opened fire at close range. Teon, age 37, collapsed near the storefront, an ordinary night ended by sudden gunshots within a few hundred feet of home.Detectives canvassed for witnesses and video as the neighborhood absorbed the shock. Early on, police characterized the killing as a robbery gone wrong, but those closest to Teon saw something colder at work. His husband, Robert Wilkins-Wiley, spoke publicly about the case and the emptiness that followed, insisting the scene looked more like an execution than a theft. In interviews and remembrance pieces, Robert described Teon as kind and soft-spoken, a presence who loved his family and animals, and whose final walk was measured in yards.

Keith Allen Singleton, a 49-year-old Black/African American man from Providence, Rhode Island, was shot multiple times on the evening of Sunday, November 24, 2024, on Monticello Street. Police and rescue rushed him to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The killing marked Providence’s 11th homicide of the year and unfolded around 7:30 p.m., drawing officers to the North End neighborhood and leaving the block cordoned off as detectives canvassed for evidence and witnesses.Relatives and neighbors later pieced together the moments before the gunfire. According to family members, the 49-year-old male victim had been in his driveway, working on a vehicle tire, when he was ambushed. The shooting shattered a quiet Sunday night and left loved ones reeling; an aunt described how he had “changed his life around,” running roofing and landscaping work, only to be struck down steps from his home. Police said the shooter fled and remained at large.

Sean Daugherty, age 12, was found on April 14, 2022, in the backyard of his family’s home in Yorktown, Virginia. According to investigators and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, he was discovered hanging from a swing set, suspended from a shoelace-type string. When first responders arrived, they documented that a bag covered his head and his arms were secured by his sides with a belt; he was wearing his stepfather’s clothing and was without shoes or glasses. The Chief Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death a suicide, a determination that immediately collided with the grief and disbelief of his family and community.

Randy Steven Kraft, also known as the "Scorecard Killer," was a notorious American serial killer active from 1971 to 1983. He was convicted of murdering 16 young men but is suspected of killing as many as 67. Kraft targeted young men, often hitchhikers, military personnel, or individuals he picked up at bars, subjecting them to torture and sexual assault before killing them.

Cieha Annette Taylor, a 28‑year‑old biracial woman from Plant City, Florida, went missing under deeply troubling circumstances on February 6, 2020. Born November 16, 1991, she stood approximately 5'6" tall and weighed around 170 pounds. At the time she vanished, she was described as having brown‑red hair, brown eyes, pierced ears, and several distinctive tattoos—including an infinity symbol on her upper chest, two X’s on her shoulder blade, a rose on her inner forearm, a sun on her upper right thigh, and a ladybug on her left calf—along with scars on both inner forearms and her right upper arm. That day, she wore a blue, gray, red, and white striped short‑sleeved minidress, tan knee‑high boots, and possibly a pink cardigan sweater.Earlier that afternoon, around 4 p.m., Taylor dropped off her boyfriend at his residence on Cowart Road in Plant City and left the scene. By approximately 7 p.m., her black two‑door Toyota Solara—with faded paint—was located abandoned on railroad tracks along East Trapnell Road, just west of Jap Tucker Road, roughly a mile from her boyfriend’s home. The vehicle was found unlocked and still running, with her personal belongings inside, including her debit card and wallet; her cellphone was discovered on the ground nearby.

In the early morning hours of April 18, 2016, Missy Bevers left her home and arrived at Midlothian's Creekside Church of Christ just after 4:00am to lead an early morning fitness class which was scheduled to begin at 5:00am. It was raining but she had updated Facebook with a post stating: “If it’s raining, we’re still training,” so class was on. Unbeknownst to Missy, an unknown person, wearing unofficial, tactical police riot gear, had already forced their way into the church prior to her arrival. Security cameras inside the church first see this person at 3:50am. This unknown individual was seen by security footage roaming the dark halls of the church, and they appear to be searching for something or someone while breaking windows and going through offices in the building. One of her students arrived shortly after 5am and discovered Missy's body.

The Jamison family was last seen on October 8, 2009, in Red Oak, Oklahoma. They had traveled to the remote Sans Bois Mountains in Latimer County to view a 40-acre plot of land they were considering purchasing. Eight days later, their white pickup truck was discovered abandoned on a dirt road near the area they had visited. Inside the vehicle were the family’s cell phones, IDs, wallets, a GPS device, and a bank envelope containing $32,000 in cash. Their dog, Maisie, was found alive but severely malnourished. On November 16, 2013, hunters discovered the skeletal remains of two adults and one child in a remote wooded area approximately three miles from where the truck had been found. The remains were confirmed on July 3, 2014, to be those of Bobby Jamison, his wife Sherilynn, and their daughter Madyson.

Jason Jolkowski, a 19-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska, disappeared on June 13, 2001, under puzzling circumstances. He was last seen by a neighbor at 10:45 a.m., helping his younger brother bring in trash cans outside their home. Jason was supposed to meet a coworker at his former high school, Benson High, just eight blocks away, to get a ride to his job at Fazoli's restaurant. However, Jason never made it to the meeting point, and no one saw him after he left his home.

Between 1971 and 1973, the city of Rochester, New York, was shaken by a series of brutal child murders, infamously known as the "Alphabet Murders" or "Double Initial Murders." The moniker stems from the chilling pattern observed: each victim was a young girl whose first and last names began with the same letter, and their bodies were discovered in towns starting with that same letter. Despite extensive investigations, these heinous crimes remain unsolved.

Amy Lynn Bradley was 23 years old when she disappeared during a family cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas on March 24, 1998. She had been vacationing with her parents—Ron and Iva—and her brother Brad. Earlier that night, Amy and Brad danced late into the evening at the ship’s nightclub. Brad returned to their cabin at approximately 3:35 a.m., followed five minutes later by Amy. They conversed briefly on the balcony before Brad went to sleep and Amy remained outside in a lounge chair. Between about 5:15 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., their father woke and saw Amy asleep on the balcony. But by roughly 6:00 a.m., she was gone—vanished without a trace.

On the day of her disappearance, Bianca finished her shift, reportedly dropped off food to her mother, and then disappeared from her apartment near Middlebelt Road and Brandt Street. She left behind her car, apartment furnishings, clothes, and even her 4‑year‑old son, Jamere Jr., in the care of his father—her on‑again/off‑again boyfriend, Jamere Miller Sr.. Blood‑relative sources and the Charley Project note that it was uncharacteristic of her to leave without explanation.

Samuel Little, also known as Samuel McDowell, was an American serial killer who was convicted of eight murders and confessed to committing 93 murders between 1970 and 2005. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program has confirmed his involvement in at least 60 murders, making him the most prolific serial killer in United States history by the number of confirmed victims.

Cottingham's criminal activities spanned from 1967 to 1980. He was convicted of six murders in New York and twelve murders in New Jersey. His modus operandi involved picking up prostitutes or drugging women in bars, bringing them to hotels, and subjecting them to prolonged torture sessions. Cottingham was known for mutilating his victims, earning him the nicknames "The Torso Killer" and "The Times Square Ripper."

On February 3, 2024, Justin Parker, a 37-year-old resident of North Attleborough, Massachusetts, was fatally shot while driving his Mercedes-Benz on Interstate 95 South in Foxborough. The incident occurred near exit 17 on I-95 South, where Parker's vehicle swerved into a Lexus SUV after being shot, and then struck a guardrail. Despite the collision, the family in the Lexus SUV did not suffer serious injuries. Parker was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Austin Lee Winn was a 26‑year‑old White male from Tecumseh, Oklahoma, working as a livestock and horse transporter. On Sunday morning, May 12, 2024—Mother’s Day—he was traveling back from a routine haul of horses in Midland, Texas. Between approximately 9 and 11 a.m., deputies responded to a call at the 10,000–10,400 block of West I‑20 and discovered Austin lying outside his parked 18‑wheeler. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. Foul play was immediately suspected and the case was classified as a homicide.

On October 5, 2018, 26-year-old Terrence Shamel Woods Jr., a television production assistant from Maryland, vanished under mysterious circumstances while working on a documentary series in the remote wilderness near Orogrande, Idaho. He was part of a 12-person crew filming “Gold Rush: Dave Turin’s Lost Mine,” a Discovery Channel series produced by the UK-based company Raw TV. The shoot took place in the rugged Nez Perce National Forest, near the Penman Mine, an area characterized by dense forests, steep terrain, and limited accessibility.