What is the longest solved cold case?
Asked by: Favian Kshlerin | Last update: February 11, 2026Score: 4.1/5 (26 votes)
The longest cold case solved is often cited as the 1967 rape and murder of 75-year-old Louisa Dunne in Bristol, UK, solved in 2025 after 58 years through DNA evidence, with 92-year-old Ryland Headley convicted, setting a record for the oldest case solved by conviction. Other contenders include older unsolved cases or those solved after decades, but the Dunne case stands out for its length and conviction.
What is the longest cold case ever solved?
The longest cold case solved is often cited as the 1967 murder of Louisa Dunne in Bristol, UK, with the killer, Ryland Headley, convicted in 2025 after 58 years, using DNA and palm print evidence that linked him decades later. In the U.S., the double murder of Patricia Kalitzke and Duane Bogle from 1956 was solved through genetic genealogy in 2021, making it one of the nation's oldest cases solved by that method.
What is the longest missing person case ever solved?
The longest solved missing person case is difficult to pinpoint definitively, but recent examples include Norman Prater (solved after 52 years in 2025/2026 when identified as a hit-and-run victim) and Ralph Stutzman (solved after 71 years in 2023, revealing he lived under a new name in Florida). Cases solved after decades often rely on DNA, genealogy, or new evidence linking old records to modern databases, with many involving people who left voluntarily or were victims of unsolved accidents or crimes.
What is the longest anyone has been on death row?
The longest-serving death row inmate in the world was Iwao Hakamata of Japan, who spent 47 years on death row before being released and later acquitted in 2024, though he was exonerated in 2014 and received compensation for his wrongful imprisonment. In the U.S., Raymond Riles was the longest-serving, with over 45 years on Texas death row before being resentenced to life in prison in 2021 due to mental incompetence.
What is the oldest cold case in history?
Using all the information scientists know about the extraordinary Copper Age mummy Ötzi the Iceman, a police detective assembled a detailed picture of his murder. For more than 5,000 years, the victim's body would be frozen on the spot where he died, trapped in a glacier.
Cold case solved: 92-year-old convicted after 58 years
What was the oldest case on Cold Case?
Lilly and her team investigate their oldest case yet, the murder of a woman who was killed in 1919. They soon learn that she may have been murdered because of her activism for woman rights. Lilly and her team investigate their oldest case yet, the murder of a woman who was killed in 1919.
Who is the longest serving prisoner alive today?
While it's hard to name one definitive person globally due to varying records, Francis Clifford Smith (released in 2020) was considered the longest-serving U.S. prisoner, but the title of longest-serving currently incarcerated person likely belongs to someone like Walter H. Bourque Jr., serving since 1955, or other inmates whose exact status needs confirmation, as Francis Smith was paroled in 2020, though records focus on the U.S. and historical cases.
What is 25 years in jail called?
Individuals sentenced to LWOP are not eligible for parole and are expected to spend the rest of their lives in prison. Life With the Possibility of Parole: This sentence allows for the possibility of release after serving a minimum number of years, typically 25 years in California.
Who has the shortest time on death row?
The shortest time on death row in modern U.S. history is often cited as Joe Gonzales in Texas, who was executed in 1996 after 252 days (about 8 months), having waived appeals to speed up the process. In a notable historical case, Gary Gilmore was executed in Utah just over three months after sentencing in 1977, marking a very swift execution post-resumption of capital punishment.
Has anyone on Disappeared been found alive?
Yes, people featured on the show Disappeared have been found alive, with some found after accidents, some starting new lives, and others located through ongoing investigations, though many remain missing, as seen on resources like the show's Wikipedia page and fan updates. For example, Scoop Daniel (featured in Season 1) was found alive and arrested years later, and another person was found alive after a car crash, as noted on Reddit discussions.
What car was found in the river after 66 years?
After 66 years, a submerged Ford station wagon believed to belong to the missing Martin family has been recovered from the Columbia River. (AP/Archer Mayo) Diver's discovery leads to retrieval of 1950s station wagon from Columbia River, potentially solving 66-year-old mystery.
Was Morgan Nick's body ever found?
No, Morgan Nick's body has never been found, despite her 1995 abduction from an Alma, Arkansas ball field and recent DNA evidence linking her disappearance to suspect Billy Jack Lincks, who died in 2000. While investigators have identified Lincks as the abductor and found physical evidence connecting him to the crime, her remains remain missing, leaving her family without closure on her final resting place.
What is the biggest unsolved mystery in human history?
There's no single "biggest" mystery, but top contenders include the collapse of the Bronze Age, the Indus Valley Civilization's undeciphered script, the disappearance of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, and the true identities behind famous crimes like the Zodiac Killer, with many historical puzzles like the Voynich Manuscript or Cleopatra's tomb also remaining unsolved. The choice often depends on whether you prioritize ancient civilization enigmas, unexplained disappearances, or infamous crimes.
What is the hardest crime to solve?
Burglary is probably the most difficult to solve because its perpetrators do not have a motive that makes the victim's identity relevant. In most cases, they will elect to steal from an unoccupied home or dwelling, which may leave few, if any, witnesses.
What does 22 55 mean in jail?
22-55 is a federal inmate back down to a local jail for a hearing or re-sentencing. Like if he was in prison already another investigation put new charges on him. Or he stabbed someone in there and went down for a trial.
How long is a lifetime in jail?
As its name implies, an offender who is given a life sentence is sentenced to spend the rest of their life in a prison cell as a punishment for committing a crime. This type of sentence is reserved for the most heinous of crimes, such as murder.
What is the slang for a year in jail?
BULLET: A one-year prison sentence. BUNDLE: A small package containing drugs or tobacco. BUNKIE: A cell roommate.
Who is the oldest person in jail right now?
Francis Clifford Smith is currently the oldest living prisoner still in jail. Smith is serving a life sentence at the Osborn Correctional Institution for murdering a night watchman named Grover Hart on July 23, 1949. At the time, he was only 23 years old and he has been in prison for 71 years.
Can 70 year olds go to jail?
A 2022 study called Nothing But Time detailed the reality of prison for elderly prisoners. Some, of course, were sentenced to life in prison while young and have grown old in prison. Others received a life sentence when they were already over the age of 70.
Who is the most escaped prisoner?
While there's no single definitive "most," notorious repeat escape artists include Forrest "Woody" Tucker (claimed 18 successful escapes), Mark DeFriest (7-time escapee), and figures like Richard Lee McNair and Michel Vaujour, each known for multiple successful breakouts, showcasing incredible ingenuity in evading capture, from tunnels to disguises, highlighting humanity's persistent drive for freedom even from incarceration.
Have they ever found Jennifer Kesse?
No arrests have been made, and Kesse's whereabouts remain unknown. In October 2025, her father announced that investigators had identified new DNA evidence and significantly narrowed the pool of suspects, and the case is no longer considered cold.
Was Baby Holly found alive?
Baby Holly's story shocked the world in 2021 when she was found alive. She'd been missing for more than 40 years. Her story started back in 1981 when a young couple was found murdered, and no one knew who they were.
Has Samantha Murphy's body been found?
Ms Murphy, aged 51 at the time she went missing, was last seen alive on February 4, 2024, when she left her home in Ballarat for a morning run. Her body has not been found despite a number of police and community searches.