December 21

10th anniversary

William Wade Jr.

Missing · age 16 · Houston, Texas

Last seen December 21, 2016

William Wade Jr., a 16-year-old from Houston, Texas, was last seen on December 21, 2016. Standing around 5'2" and weighing approximately 160 pounds, William is described as having brown hair and being of African American descent. On the day of his…

Read the case Share

Missing Persons (70)

See all 70 →

Missing5th anniversary

Steven Gantt

Male, age 66 · Redding, California

Last seen Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

Steven Clyde Gantt, a 66-year-old man from Redding, California, was last seen on December 21, 2021. He is described as 5'7", weighing 143 pounds, with gray hair and brown eyes. At the time of his disappearance, Gantt had a full beard and was wearing a dark…

View case Share

Missing5th anniversary

Holly Orwig

Female, age 28 · Lexington Park, Maryland

Last seen Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

Holly Brooke Orwig was 28 years old when she was last heard from on December 21, 2021, in Lexington Park, Maryland. Described as a white female with brown hair and brown eyes, she stood between 5'0" and 5'3" tall and weighed between 110 and 140 pounds. Her…

View case Share

Missing5th anniversary

Maria Lazaro Avila

Female, age 14 · Phoenix, Arizona

Last seen Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

In the winter of 2021, a family's life was changed when 14-year-old Maria Lazaro Avila vanished. A member of the Gila River Indian Community, Maria was last seen in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 21, 2021. The specific area of her last known whereabouts was…

View case Share

Missing15th anniversary

Cheryl Lee Rowe

Female, age 45 · Richmond Hill, Ontario

Last seen Dec 21, 2011 · 15 years ago

In the days leading up to Christmas in 2011, a time typically filled with family and celebration, Cheryl Lee Rowe, a 45-year-old mother of two, vanished from Richmond Hill, Ontario. She was last seen by her family just after midnight on December 22, 2011. The…

View case Share

Missing20th anniversary

Alicia West

Female, age 34 · Burkesville, Kentucky

Last seen Dec 21, 2006 · 20 years ago

In the quiet community of Burkesville, Kentucky, a painful mystery has endured for many years. Alicia Noel West, a 34-year-old woman, vanished on December 21, 2006, leaving behind a life and a community with unanswered questions. The circumstances surrounding…

View case Share

Missing25th anniversary

Shawn James Mcconkey

Male, age 34 · Cobourg, Ontario

Last seen Dec 21, 2001 · 25 years ago

In the winter of 2001, a 34-year-old man named Shawn James McConkey vanished under perplexing circumstances in Ontario, Canada. His last confirmed sighting was on December 20, 2001, as he left his workplace, Country Hearth, located on Northumberland County…

View case Share

Missing30th anniversary

Jeffrey Suttle

Male, age 35 · Reno, Nevada

Last seen Dec 21, 1996 · 30 years ago

In the winter of 1996, a 35-year-old man named Jeffrey Suttle vanished from the Reno, Nevada area, leaving behind a family and a case that would remain unresolved for decades. His last known contact was on December 21 of that year. At the time of his…

View case Share

Missing35th anniversary

Gerald Polk

Male, age 26 · Hudson, Florida

Last seen Dec 21, 1991 · 35 years ago

Gerald Steven Polk, a 26-year-old Gulf War veteran, was last seen on December 21, 1991, at his home on Little Ranch Road in Hudson, Florida. In the time leading up to his disappearance, Polk had expressed feelings of depression and a fear that someone was…

View case Share

Deaths by Force (478)

See all 478 →

Death by Force5th anniversary

Jequaris Jerryll McCann

Male, age 29 · Birmingham, Alabama

Killed Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

In the evening chill of a Birmingham, Alabama night on December 21, 2021, Jequaris Jerryll McCann, a 29-year-old male, found himself in a fatal encounter. Just before 8 p.m. at the Marathon gas station on 19th Street in the Ensley neighborhood, a sequence of…

View case Share

Death by Force5th anniversary

Jeremiah Pruitt

Male, age 13 · Birmingham, Alabama

Killed Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

In the winter of 2021, a tragedy unfolded in a Birmingham, Alabama, home that resulted in the death of 13-year-old Jeremiah Pruitt. On the evening of Tuesday, December 21st, emergency services were called to a residence in the 1500 block of 51st Street in…

View case Share

Death by Force5th anniversary

Jordan Lamar

Male, age 14 · Selma, Alabama

Killed Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

In the winter of 2021, the community of Selma, Alabama, was struck by the tragic death of 14-year-old Jordan Javaris Lamar. A Black male and a freshman at Selma High School, Jordan's life was cut short on or around December 21, 2021. While some accounts…

View case Share

Death by Force5th anniversary

DeAndrae D. Drae Steves

Male, age 30 · Portland, Oregon

Killed Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

On December 21, 2021, the city of Portland, Oregon, was shaken by the tragic death of 30-year-old rapper DeAndrae D. Drae Steves. The incident occurred in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland, where police responded to reports of a shooting around 1 a.m.…

View case Share

Death by Force5th anniversary

Leonard Zimmer

Male, age 53 · Fort Scott, Kansas

Killed Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

On the evening of December 21, 2021, a grim discovery was made in a home on Main Street in Fort Scott, Kansas. Inside, authorities found the body of 53-year-old Leonard D. Zimmerman, a male resident of the city. He, along with 48-year-old Melissa L. Mitchell…

View case Share

Death by Force5th anniversary

Melissa Lynn Hays-Mitchell

Female, age 48 · Fort Scott, Kansas

Killed Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

On December 21, 2021, Melissa Lynn Hays-Mitchell, a 48-year-old White/Caucasian female, and her spouse, Leonard "Dean" Zimmerman, 53, were found deceased in their Fort Scott, Kansas, home. A family member discovered Melissa with gunshot wounds and called 911…

View case Share

Death by Force5th anniversary

Jhovany Maldonaldo

Male, age 27 · Louisville, Kentucky

Killed Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

In the winter of 2021, the life of 27-year-old Jhovany Maldonado, a Hispanic male, was tragically cut short in Louisville, Kentucky. On the evening of Tuesday, December 21st, Maldonado was shot multiple times in the 8100 block of Preston Highway, near the…

View case Share

Death by Force5th anniversary

Terrance Barton

Male, age 20 · Bowling-green, Kentucky

Killed Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

On a Tuesday in late December 2021, the life of 20-year-old Terrance R. Barton was tragically cut short in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The male victim was discovered in the driver's seat of his white car after it had collided with another vehicle at the…

View case Share

Unidentified Remains (41)

See all 41 →

Unidentified and unclaimed photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.

Unidentified10th anniversary

Unidentified Male

Male · Falfurrias, Texas

Found Dec 21, 2016 · 10 years ago

On December 21, 2016 the skeletal remains of an unidentified body were found on Cage Ranch, in Brooks County, Texas.

View case Share

Unidentified5th anniversary

Unidentified Male

Male, est. age 65 · Brunswick, Georgia

Found Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

Decedent found inside a vacant house.

View case Share

Unidentified20th anniversary

Unidentified Male

Male · Gila Bend, Arizona

Found Dec 21, 2006 · 20 years ago

Skeletal remains in Gila Bend found near ME 06-4998, (NamUs # 1995) .

View case Share

Unidentified20th anniversary

Unidentified Male

Male, est. age 40 · Gila Bend, Arizona

Found Dec 21, 2006 · 20 years ago

These human remains were found by U.S. Border agents near Gila Bend Arizona while in the pursuit of persons entering the country illegally. Remained were found near Case # 06-4999. (NamUs # 1994) .

View case Share

Unidentified30th anniversary

Unidentified Male

Male, est. age 47 · Los Angeles, California

Found Dec 21, 1996 · 30 years ago

REMAINS FD BY A HIKER IN GRIFFITH PARK, LA,

View case Share

Unidentified30th anniversary

Unidentified Female

Female · Virginia Beach, Virginia

Found Dec 21, 1996 · 30 years ago

12/21/96, The body of a full term infant female was found wrapped in a red polo shirt in a plastic bag hanging on clothes rod in the employees locker room at Lillian Vernon Warehouse in Va. Beach, Virginia.

View case Share

Unidentified40th anniversary

Unidentified Male

Male, est. age 45 · Elizabeth, New Jersey

Found Dec 21, 1986 · 40 years ago

Body was found in a rooming house fire in Elizabeth, NJ.

View case Share

Unidentified45th anniversary

Unidentified Male

Male, est. age 35 · San Jacinto County County, Texas

Found Dec 21, 1981 · 45 years ago

F0UND IN CLEARED RIGHT 0F WAY BENEATH P0WER LINES 300 YARDS 0FF HWY 1725 IN SAN JACINT0 C0UNTY

View case Share

Unclaimed Persons (72)

See all 72 →

Unclaimed5th anniversary

Steven Wilson

Male · New York, New York

Found Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

In December 2021, the city of New York witnessed a perplexing case concerning an unclaimed individual, identified as Steven Wilson. His body was discovered on December 21, 2021, in the heart of New York City. Despite thorough investigations, details remained…

View case Share

Unclaimed5th anniversary

Pedro Freites

Male · New York, New York

Found Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

On December 21, 2021, the body of an unidentified male, named Pedro Freites, was discovered in New York, New York. Despite efforts to identify him, the case remains unsolved, and he is listed as an unclaimed person with the Namus ID: UCP87912. This case has…

View case Share

Unclaimed5th anniversary

Lauren Schmoldt

Female · Bronx, New York

Found Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

In a perplexing and somber case, the unclaimed remains of Lauren Schmoldt, a female, were discovered on December 21, 2021, in the Bronx, New York. The circumstances surrounding her death remain a mystery as efforts continue to identify next of kin or find…

View case Share

Unclaimed5th anniversary

Melchor Allende

Male · Worcester, Massachusetts

Found Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

On December 21, 2021, the body of a 50-year-old male, later identified as Melchor Allende, was discovered in Worcester, Massachusetts. This case is currently classified as an unclaimed person, and despite efforts by the authorities, no next of kin has been…

View case Share

Unclaimed5th anniversary

Frankie Quinones Avalon

Male · Bronx, New York

Found Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

On December 21, 2021, the body of a male individual, identified as Frankie Quinones-Avalon, was discovered in Bronx, New York. Despite two years having passed since that date, the case remains open as the person is unclaimed. The details surrounding…

View case Share

Unclaimed5th anniversary

Jose Reco

Male · New York, New York

Found Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

On December 21, 2021, an unidentified male body was discovered in New York, New York. The case, registered under the name Jose Reco and assigned Namus ID UCP88359, remains unsolved as authorities work to uncover details about the deceased. The Office of the…

View case Share

Unclaimed5th anniversary

Dennis Schaefer

Male · La Crosse, Wisconsin

Found Dec 21, 2021 · 5 years ago

On December 21, 2021, the body of Dennis Schaefer was discovered in his residence in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The circumstances surrounding his death have led to him being categorized under an unclaimed person case, as Schaefer's legal next of kin remains…

View case Share

Unclaimed10th anniversary

Steven Robinson

Male · San Bernardino, California

Found Dec 21, 2016 · 10 years ago

On December 21, 2016, the body of Steven Martin Robinson was discovered in San Bernardino, California. A 66-year-old resident of the area, Robinson passed away from natural causes at the St. Bernardine Medical Center. Despite his passing, little is known…

View case Share

Serial Killer Victims (6)

Serial Killer Victim

Rhonda King

Victim of Andre Crawford

age 24 · Chicago, Illinois

Killed Dec 21, 1994 · 32 years ago

Rhonda King, a 24-year-old African American woman, tragically lost her life on December 21, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois. Her death was initially attributed to Hubert Geralds Jr., a serial killer known as the 'Englewood Strangler,' who was convicted of six…

View case Share

Serial Killer Victim

Susan Sternfeld

Victim of William Lester Suff

age 27 · Riverside, California

Killed Dec 21, 1990 · 36 years ago

On December 21, 1990, the body of 27-year-old white female Susan Melissa Sternfeld was discovered in Riverside, California. A janitor found her nude and carefully posed body near a dumpster enclosure at the rear of an industrial complex on Iowa Avenue. The…

View case Share

Serial Killer Victim

Susan Sternfeld

Victim of William Lester Suff

age 27 · Riverside, California

Killed Dec 21, 1990 · 36 years ago

On December 21, 1990, the body of 27-year-old white female Susan Melissa Sternfeld was discovered in Riverside, California. A janitor found her nude and carefully posed body near a dumpster enclosure at the rear of an industrial complex on Iowa Avenue. The…

View case Share

Serial Killer Victim

Terry Sims

Victim of Faryion Wardrip

age 20 · Wichita Falls, Texas

Killed Dec 21, 1984 · 42 years ago

Terry Lee Sims, a 20-year-old white female from Wichita Falls, Texas, was murdered on December 21, 1984. At the time of her death, she was a student at Midwestern State University and worked part-time as an EKG specialist at Bethania Hospital. On the night of…

View case Share

Serial Killer Victim

Albert Bolden

Victim of Elroy Chester

age 35 · Port Arthur, Texas

Killed Dec 21, 1997 · 29 years ago

On December 21, 1997, the life of 35-year-old Albert Bolden Jr. was tragically cut short in Port Arthur, Texas. He was found deceased in a residence, having been shot in the head. The circumstances of his death were initially unclear, another violent chapter…

View case Share

Serial Killer Victim

Hannah Knapp

Victim of Alfred Andrew Knapp

Ohio||Indiana

Killed Dec 21, 1903 · 123 years ago

Alfred Andrew Knapp: The Hamilton Strangler Overview Alfred Andrew Knapp was an American serial killer who murdered at least five women and girls in Ohio and Indiana between 1894 and 1902. Frequently called the Hamilton Strangler, the Ohio Strangler, and the…

View case Share

Mass Murder Victims (8)

Mass Murder Victim

Shanta Myers

Mass murder victim of James White

age 36 · Troy, New York

Killed Dec 21, 2017 · 9 years ago

Shanta Myers was a 36-year-old African American woman from Troy, New York, living in the Lansingburgh section of the city in a basement apartment on Second Avenue with her partner and children. In the days leading up to Christmas 2017, family and friends…

View case Share

Mass Murder Victim

Brandi Mells

Mass murder victim of James White

age 22 · Troy, New York

Killed Dec 21, 2017 · 9 years ago

Brandi Mells, a 22-year-old Black woman, had built a life in Troy, New York, alongside her partner, Shanta Myers, in a basement apartment in the Lansingburgh section of the city. In the days before Christmas in 2017, something violent and deliberate unfolded…

View case Share

Mass Murder Victim

Jeremiah Myers

Mass murder victim of James White

age 11 · Troy, New York

Killed Dec 21, 2017 · 9 years ago

Jeremiah Myers was 11, a Black/African American male, when life in the Lansingburgh section of Troy, New York, was torn open by a violence the city’s police chief later said he had never seen in decades on the job. In the days leading up to Christmas 2017…

View case Share

Mass Murder Victim

Shanise Myers

Mass murder victim of James White

age 5 · Troy, New York

Killed Dec 21, 2017 · 9 years ago

Shanise Myers, a 5-year-old African American girl, was killed in Troy, New York, in what authorities later described as a targeted, knife-attack massacre that wiped out nearly everyone inside a basement apartment in the Lansingburgh section of the city.…

View case Share

Mass Murder Victim

Shanise Myers

Mass murder victim of Justin Mann

age 5 · Troy, New York

Killed Dec 21, 2017 · 9 years ago

Shanise Myers, a 5-year-old African American girl, was killed in Troy, New York, in what authorities later described as a targeted, knife-attack massacre that wiped out nearly everyone inside a basement apartment in the Lansingburgh section of the city.…

View case Share

Mass Murder Victim

Jeremiah Myers

Mass murder victim of Justin Mann

age 11 · Troy, New York

Killed Dec 21, 2017 · 9 years ago

Jeremiah Myers was 11, a Black/African American male, when life in the Lansingburgh section of Troy, New York, was torn open by a violence the city’s police chief later said he had never seen in decades on the job. In the days leading up to Christmas 2017…

View case Share

Mass Murder Victim

Brandi Mells

Mass murder victim of Justin Mann

age 22 · Troy, New York

Killed Dec 21, 2017 · 9 years ago

Brandi Mells, a 22-year-old Black woman, had built a life in Troy, New York, alongside her partner, Shanta Myers, in a basement apartment in the Lansingburgh section of the city. In the days before Christmas in 2017, something violent and deliberate unfolded…

View case Share

Mass Murder Victim

Shanta Myers

Mass murder victim of Justin Mann

age 36 · Troy, New York

Killed Dec 21, 2017 · 9 years ago

Shanta Myers was a 36-year-old African American woman from Troy, New York, living in the Lansingburgh section of the city in a basement apartment on Second Avenue with her partner and children. In the days leading up to Christmas 2017, family and friends…

View case Share

Dates are the day last seen (missing), the day of death, or when the date of death is unknown the day found or reported missing (deaths by force), the day found (unidentified and unclaimed), the victim's date of death (serial killers) and the day of the attack (mass murders). Solved, located, identified and claimed cases are not listed.