Unsolved criminal cases with unsolved encryptions
Unsolved criminal cases involving unsolved ciphers are among the most popular topics on Cipherbrain. Today I present a list of all such cases I know.
True crime has been booming in the media for years. There are countless books, documentaries, podcasts, videocasts and articles about it. Even a magazine dedicated exclusively to true crime cases is on the market.
On Cipherbrain, too, true-crime articles always work brilliantly. Unsolved crime cases involving unsolved encryption are particularly popular. There are quite a few of those. However, the overall situation is quite confusing. Sometimes it is not clear whether there is a crime at all, in other cases the crime may have already been solved. Some cryptograms are already partially decrypted, in others it is not clear if it is an encrypted message at all.
Below, I list all the unsolved crimes I know of that involve unsolved encryption. Nearly 20 of them have ended up together. I’ll start with the clear, particularly interesting cases, and then work my way to those stories that belong in this section only with limitations or possibly not at all. In some cases, the coded text (if it is any) consists of only a few letters.
The list only includes cases where manual encryption was used. Nowadays, criminals usually prefer to use computers. I have already blogged about that, too.
By the way, there are also already solved criminal cases in which unsolved encryption plays a role. Maybe I’ll write a separate blog article about this topic someday.
Ricky McCormick’s notes
Suspected drug mule Ricky McCormick was found murdered in 1999. He was carrying two encrypted notes that were never deciphered.
Quelle/Source: FBI
The letters of the Zodiac Killer
The Zodiac Killer, a serial killer in the San Francisco area, sent four encrypted messages to regional newspapers. Two of them were cracked – the second by readers of this blog. The remaining two messages remain as unsolved as the entire case.
Quelle/Source: Wikimedia Commons
Henry Debosnys’ Notes
Henry Debosnys was executed in 1883 for allegedly murdering his wife. He maintained his innocence to the last. Both of his previous wives had died under strange circumstances. Four coded notes Debosnys made before his death remain unsolved.
Quelle/Source: Public Domain
The Tamam-Shud Cryptogram
In 1948, the body of a man was found on Somerton Beach in Adelaide, Australia. He was never identified. A note that could be attributed to him, presumably consisting of the first letters of English words, was never solved.
Quelle/Source: Wikimedia Commons
Paul Rubin’s Notes
Chemistry student Paul Rubin was found dead in 1953. Whether he was murdered or took his own life has never been determined. A coded note he carried with him has never been deciphered.
Quelle/Source: Craig Bauer
The Ohio Cryptogram
In 1916, an unknown person robbed a ticket office in Lima (US state of Ohio). A few days later, a newspaper published an encrypted text (probably a telegram) that was supposed to have come from the perpetrator. The perpetrator was never caught, the text never decoded.
Quelle/Source: Schmeh
The note of the Isdal woman
In 1970, the body of a woman was found in Isdal near Bergen, Norway, who could never be identified. A cryptic note was assigned to her, which the police were able to decipher for the most part – but not completely.
Quelle/Source: Public Domain
The Gun-Wa Cryptogram
William Hale, a businessman who immigrated from Ireland, sold a miracle cure in the USA in the late 19th century that was supposed to have come from China. He ran afoul of the law, was sentenced to prison, and fled to Europe. In 1889, when he was still a blameless citizen, Hale published a coded newspaper advertisement, the solution to which is unknown to me.
Quelle/Source: Denver Times
Alessio Vinci’s notes
In 2019, the Italian student Alessio Vinci died under circumstances that are not exactly clear. He left behind two short coded (?) texts, which have not been solved yet.
Quelle/Source: Reddit
The YOG’TZE Case
The death of food technician Günter Stoll is undoubtedly one of the most puzzling criminal cases in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. Shortly before his death, Stoll allegedly wrote the letters YOG’TZE on a piece of paper.
Quelle/Source: Schmeh
The Rey Rivera Case
US journalist Rey Rivera was found dead in 2006. He left behind (encrypted?) computer printouts. What these mean is completely unclear.
Quelle/Source: Mystery on the Rooftop
Randy Kraft’s code words
Serial killer Randy Kraft compiled a list of 61 code words, 41 of which can be assigned to a specific crime. The meaning of the remaining terms is not known.
Quelle/Source: California Police
Bruno Borges’s cipher
Brazilian Bruno Borges disappeared without a trace in 2017, leaving behind numerous encrypted texts and then suddenly reappearing.
Quelle/Source: Reddit
The XTRA cryptogram
In 2013 the sequence of numbers 5785/43293091 played a role in a criminal case. As far as I know, the case is still unsolved and the meaning of the numbers is unknown.
Quelle/Source: Aktenzeichen XY ungelöst
The confession letter in the case of JonBenét Ramsey
Six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey was found dead in her parents’ home in 1996. Naturally, the parents fell under suspicion, but nothing could ever be proven. An alleged confession letter is signed S.B.T.C. – whatever that means.
Quelle/Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Lelele Cryptogram
The US deciphering expert Gary Klivans provided me with a cryptogram that played a role in a criminal case: the Lelele cryptogram. Whether it is really an encryption is questionable.
Quelle/Source: Klivans
Alessandro Fiore’s note
In 2019, Italian Alessandro Fiore died under unexplained circumstances in Turkey. Allegedly, shortly before his death, Fiore passed a note to a cab driver that can be translated as “No airport bcd no train station.” Speculation is rife as to whether this was a coded message.
The confession letter in the Kaspar Hauser case
According to his own account, Kaspar Hauser (ca. 1812-1833) had grown up in a dark dungeon, with almost no contact with other people. However, this creepy story has long since been disproved. Presumably, the assassination attempt, from the consequences of which Hauser died (possibly from blood poisoning), was also staged by him. An alleged letter of confession is signed M.L.Ö.. The meaning of these letters is not known.
Quelle/Source: Wikimedia Commons
More cases?
Have I forgotten anything? If so, please let me know.
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Further reading: Wer löst diese verschlüsselte Nachricht aus dem Zweiten Weltkrieg?
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