Lots of people talk and yearn for closure on life’s biggest problems. We ask ourselves why we lost our jobs, didn’t get that promotion or what we did wrong if a significant other has left us. The truth is more often than not, no one ever gets closure, or at least the closure they want. Then ask yourself if the unresolved issue is far more serious, and involved the loss of a child, or loved one that in every part of your body you feel that you could have prevented if you could only go back in time. But you can’t go back in time. Then realize the pain that happens when you can never get justice or know who took that loved one away. In moments like these what can we do? We showcase 5 famous murders or deaths that have gone unsolved for decades and in some cases forever, making one realize that you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime you get what you need.
"We have to enjoy those (grandchildren) in our life... It'll be a joyful Christmas .. You’ve got to remember what Christmas is all about, and that helps solidify our view of life and what life’s all about... you’ve got to move on and create new memories.”
Has there ever been a more adorable picture to capture the tragic loss of a young child who became famous, for all of the wrong reasons. This 6-year-old girl was found dead in her basement in 1996, eight hours after her parents found a ransom note asking for a six-figure payout. Alas, they were too late, as their daughter was already dead. Almost 30 years later, even with tons of new DNA evidence, the killer remans free.
Jon and Patsy Ramsey underwent the unthinkable when they became prime suspects in their daughter’s case. This suspicion arose from a ransom note written with their pen, discovered within their home, and the absence of any forced entry signs. Over a decade later, they were finally cleared based on DNA evidence – an investigative method that only gained acceptance in 1999. Additionally, their 9-year-old son, Burke Ramsey, was also under suspicion based on fingerprint evidence. It was a drama that seemed almost unreal. Imagine the pain of losing your child, coupled with being suspected of her death for more than a decade. Imagine, too, a young boy facing the kind of scrutiny typically reserved for adults.
In a family of six children, somehow the family moved on. During a Christmas interview in 2023, her father Jon demonstrated how he had to move on, with so many grandchildren spawned from his other five other children.
"We made a mistake, but we are paying more for it than anyone could ever possibly imagine."
Back in 2007, Madeleine was a three-year-old child when her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, both British physicians, took her on vacation to Portugal along with her two other younger twin siblings. Unfortunately for the parents, they returned home without their eldest not knowing what happened to her. The worst part about this is the regret the parents must have felt, having left their children alone, with no supervision, in an unlocked room, while they had supper. Key witnesses stated that the parents had left their children alone for three hours for four consecutive nights, however, others mentioned that the parents checked up on them during regular intervals. Unfortunately, if their child was being stalked for whatever reason, this made their children easy prey.
Most likely due to the circumstances above, Both Gerry and Kate were made suspects in the abduction of their child, four months after her disappearance. In 2008, the suspicion was lifted, but the case’s senior detective Goncalo Amaral never dropped his suspicion, even after being dropped from the case because of his criticism of British police. Much like a typical Hollywood detective who never quits, no matter which higher-ups are holding him back, Goncalo wrote a book detailing his suspicions, for which he was sued by the parents. The case through all its appeals and processes, and within all the appropriate courts of law, finally ended in 2022 with Goncalo being found innocent of damaging the parent’s reputation through his accusations that they planned the abduction.
We can all understand and appreciate the grief and turmoil that both parents still go through, especially in the court of public opinion and social media. However, they admitted what many would feel, that they made a mistake by leaving their children, all under the age of 3, alone in an unlocked hotel room for hours on end for four consecutive nights. Hence many might feel that they were mostly responsible for any loss of reputation, or any ‘theories’ that arose. At this point, all they can do is turn off social media and take solace and comfort in their family and friends. We wish them all the best because they paid the ultimate price for their mistake and no one wants a parent to suffer that much when their children lose everything due to such an error. Portuguese police did apologize to them for the way the case was handled, so there’s not much more they can expect. The case is still unsolved, and Madeleine’s body has yet to be found.
"I have no memory of my dad, but I've been told so many stories about him and how much we are similar ... Now that I'm 25, it's really starting to sit with me that I was able to pass the age that he died."
Let’s go back in time to the late 90s, and think Gangsta rap, a then decade old musical genre made wealthy, partly by angry youth with nothing to get angry about, and sung by a bunch of musical artists some of whom did. Two names reigned supreme in 1996. First was 2Pac, gunned down in cold blood in a case ‘solved’ just last year with the murder suspect currently in court. Six months later in 1997 his biggest rival, Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls, followed suit and was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, California. Biggie Smalls case though is no where near any answers having been closed shut with no new leads since 2010.
Celebrity deaths often spark conspiracy theories that linger on, capturing the public’s interest. But in this article, we’re focusing on the experiences of the families left behind. His real name was Christopher Wallace, more famously known as Notorious B.I.G., who died at just 24. He left behind a young wife, R&B singer Faith Evans who he’d been married to for three years, a son named after him, and a daughter from a previous relationship, T’yana. The most persistent voice seeking answers for his untimely demise is his mother, Voletta Wallace. She faced the heart-wrenching tragedy of outliving her own child, a pain no parent should ever bear. Let’s not forget that he also left behind his lover, fellow rapper Lil’ Kim.
In a twist of irony, let’s look at his children who today have now outlived their father as they’re both older than Biggie was when he died. Let’s start with his daughter T’yana who at 3 was barely old enough to remember her dad. Now in her early 30s, T’yana is now a successful fashion designer who sells her line of clothing in her own shop on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. What’s her clothing line called? Notoriouss of course, in honor of her late father. Her marquee items are hoodies, socks, hats, and fanny packs.
In his own journey forward, his son, C.J. never fails to commemorate his father’s legacy. His company, Frank White (a name that pays homage to one of Biggie’s pseudonyms) is a business focusing on health, wellness, and performance. Part of their profits, are channeled towards his Think BIG initiative. This initiative is on a mission to champion equitable cannabis legalization, rigorously push for criminal justice reform, and promote economic reinvestment into communities that bore the brunt of the drug war. C.J. feels that his dad would have loved this.
“You are a killer, ... I want you to remember that every time that jail door slams.”
Understanding the complexities of a police investigation becomes even more nuanced when the chief suspect resides in a foreign nation. If you’ve ever found yourself needing law enforcement to probe a potential criminal living across jurisdictional lines, you know all too well the hurdles such scenarios present.
The bad news about Natalee Holloway, an 18-year-old American who disappeared in Aruba, is that maybe due to such delays, she has yet to be found 19 years later, but in October 2023, her family received closure, albeit horrible closure when the prime suspect all those years ago finally confessed to the murder of Natalee. More on him later.
The good news. In 2010, the Natalee Holloway Resource Center was created by her mother, as a resource for people looking for missing persons providing lawyers, retired police, and forensic specialists that would otherwise be unavailable to those seeking help. This way Beth Holloway was able to learn from the lessons that failed her daughter to help others.
We draw our focus back to the mystery. Holloway was last spotted departing from a bar located in Aruba with the company of Joran van der Sloot, an individual of Dutch heritage dwelling in Aruba. Initially, van der Sloot rejected any association with the case, however, his narrative fluctuated repeatedly, peppering suspicions over his role in Holloway’s vanishment. However, due to an absence of substantial evidence, he managed to side-step any official charges associated with her disappearance and believed demise. Fast-forward to 2010, van der Sloot found himself in handcuffs, subsequently convicted for the murder of Stephany Flores in Peru. This incident remarkably occurred on the fifth anniversary of Holloway’s vanishing. This incident sparked a renewed investigative fervor into Holloway’s case, yet failed to unearth any fresh evidence implicating Van der Sloot in her disappearance. In a turn of events in 2023, Van der Sloot confessed to the murder in a court of law.
Lucky for these parents, they received closure.
"And it seems to me you lived your life Like a candle in the wind Never knowing who to cling to When the rain set in And I would've liked to known you But I was just a kid Your candle burned out long before Your legend ever did"
Let’s throw a bone to conspiracy theorists, and remember perhaps the most well-known icon of the 50s, Marilyn Monroe. In 1962, famous actress Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home. The authorities said the cause of death was probable suicide by taking a deadly mix of drugs so large it could have killed her several times over. Despite appearing successful and glamorous, Marilyn’s life was often controlled by others. She had a secret wish to become a mother. However, due to a medical condition called endometriosis, she had fertility issues. This, along with numerous miscarriages, caused her a lot of emotional distress. So it’s not a stretch to think that she finally had enough, but because of how people controlled her, it also led to multiple conspiracy theories implicating the Kennedy family, the mafia, and one of her three husbands.
That’s the keyword isn’t it, ‘probable’ suicide, which many interpret as probably committed suicide, hence the conspiracy theories. Seventy years later is there any way to overrule this analysis? Probably not. Even though she never left a legacy for her children as she wanted, there will always be people who remember her, long after many of us pass away. So if legacy is the purpose of our existence, then she succeeded, albeit not how she expected.
Yahoo News (JonBenét Ramsey), BBC News (Madeleine McCann), Daily Mail (Madeleine McCann), Daily Mail (Madeleine McCann), Legit (T’Yanna Wallace and Notorious B.I.G), People (C.J Wallace and Notorious B.I.G), CBS News (Natalee Holloway), Associated Press (Natalee Holloway)
All images are AI-generated using Fotor and are not meant to describe the subject matter they portray factually, but figuratively.
