The Most Mysterious Deaths in History That Remain Unsolved to This Day

Everyone will eventually face death, but throughout history, there have been individuals whose deaths left behind mysteries that remain unsolved even after years of investigation.

There are many unresolved deaths throughout history, from ancient times to the modern era, with causes that have yet to be determined. These deaths have various theories surrounding them, yet no one has been able to conclusively explain them.

1. The Death of Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe, an American writer, died on October 7, 1849, under mysterious circumstances. On October 3, 1849, he was found in Baltimore, Maryland, in a state of exhaustion and in urgent need of assistance. He was taken to Washington College Hospital, where he died four days later.

Edgar Allan Poe is a well-known American writer and poet, regarded as a central figure in the American Romantic era. He died on October 7, 1849, under unexplained conditions.

When he passed away at the age of 40, on October 3, 1849, a man named Joseph W. Walker found him dressed in shabby clothes lying in a gutter, semi-conscious in Baltimore, Maryland. Walker recognized him immediately as Edgar Allan Poe.

On September 27, Poe left Richmond, Virginia, to edit a poetry collection, and no one heard from him for five days until October 3. He was taken to Washington College Hospital, where he died four days later.

The circumstances of his death raise significant questions: why was Poe found in a strange city, why was he wearing someone else’s clothes, and what caused his delirious state?

2. The Death of Queen Cleopatra

Cleopatra, the last ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt, died on August 12 BC in Alexandria. She reportedly committed suicide by allowing an Egyptian cobra to bite her. Modern scholars continue to debate the authenticity of whether her death was indeed caused by a snake bite. Some scholars suggest that her rival, Octavian, forced her to commit suicide in another manner.

Cleopatra VII was the last ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt and served as co-regent for nearly three decades. She died on August 12, 30 BC, in Alexandria and was the lover of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

After the Battle of Actium, the forces of Antony and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian’s army. Rumors circulated that Cleopatra committed suicide following this defeat. Upon hearing these rumors, Antony took his own life with his own sword, but the rumors surrounding Cleopatra’s suicide were unfounded.

On August 12, 30 BC, after burying Antony and meeting Octavian, Cleopatra locked herself in a room and died, leaving the circumstances of her death unknown. However, Plutarch and other writers hypothesized that she committed suicide by allowing an Egyptian cobra to bite her.

Yet, modern scholars still debate the authenticity of her death being caused by a snake bite. Some claim that her rival, Octavian, forced her into another form of suicide.

3. The Death of Princess Yongtai

Princess Yongtai, a princess during the Tang Dynasty, was executed alongside her brother and husband by Empress Wu Zetian for speaking ill of Wu Zetian’s lovers. However, her epitaph states that she was pregnant at the time of her execution. From a fragment of her pelvis, it is suggested that she died due to childbirth or miscarriage.

Princess Yongtai was a princess of the Tang Dynasty and the seventh daughter of Emperor Zhongzong. She died on October 9, 701 AD at the age of 15 or 16, but the cause of her death remains contentious.

Her epitaph states that she died during childbirth, as her pelvis was significantly smaller than that of other women her age. Another theory suggests she may have miscarried upon hearing the news of her brother and husband’s execution.

4. The Mysterious Death of the Two Boys Found at Westminster Abbey

In 1933, the skeletons of two boys were discovered at Westminster Abbey, where they were reburied in 1674 and placed in the Henry VII Chapel. These remains are believed to belong to two princes who were murdered in the Tower of London in the 15th century.

The King of England, Edward V, and his brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, are known as “The Princes in the Tower” as they were murdered in the Tower of London during the 15th century. It is said they were killed by Gloucester so he could retain power.

In 1674, two skeletons were found, one approximately 10 years old and the other about 13, and these remains are widely believed to belong to “The Princes in the Tower.”

In 1674, the skeletons were reburied in a urn and placed in the Henry VII Chapel at the Abbey.

5. The Death of Kaspar Hauser

The death of the young German man, Kaspar Hauser, remains a mystery. On December 14, 1833, he returned home with a stab wound to the chest and died three days later. He claimed he had been attacked, but the investigating court was skeptical and speculated that he had injured himself to seek attention.

Kaspar Hauser grew up in a dark cell, completely isolated. Many theories suggest he was a member of the Baden Grand Ducal family and was hidden away due to royal conspiracies. However, the circumstances surrounding his death remain controversial.

On December 14, 1833, he came home with a stab wound to the chest. According to him, an unknown assailant stabbed him in the Ansbach Court Garden while handing him a bag. Hauser died on December 17, 1833, due to this deep stab wound.

However, many of Hauser’s statements were inconsistent, leading the Ansbach Court to believe he had inflicted the wound on himself to attract attention. Forensic experts also agreed with the suggestion that his injury might indeed have been self-inflicted, but he had inflicted it more severely than anticipated.

6. The Death of the 12th President of the United States

Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States, died on July 9, 1850. Doctors attributed his death to cholera, but rumors spread that pro-slavery Southerners had poisoned him. In the 1990s, his body was exhumed and tested for arsenic, but only a small amount was found. His death remains a mystery to this day.

Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States and a military leader, died on July 9, 1850, at the age of 65.

Taylor was a U.S. Army officer who rose to the rank of major general and became a national hero after his exploits in the Mexican-American War. However, the circumstances of his death sparked much debate. Some believe he was assassinated.

Doctors blamed cholera for his death, but there were claims that pro-slavery Southerners poisoned him or that the 13th President of the United States, Millard Fillmore, had a hand in his poisoning. Fillmore proposed several new laws, but Taylor opposed them, and Fillmore was sworn in the day after Taylor’s death.

In the 1990s, Clara Rising, a former professor at the University of Florida, suggested arsenic poisoning was the cause of Taylor’s death.

However, only a small amount of arsenic was present, insufficient to substantiate claims of assassination. Consequently, the mystery surrounding his death remains unresolved.

7. The Death of Actress Thelma Todd

Thelma Todd, an American actress, passed away on December 16, 1935. She was found dead in her car. The cause of her death was determined to be carbon monoxide poisoning, but the exact circumstances could not be established, and the case was closed as “accidental, possibly with suicidal tendencies.” It was never determined whether her death was an accident, suicide, or homicide.

Thelma Alice Todd was an American actress known for her roles in numerous films, especially in comedy. She died at the age of 29 on December 16, 1935, inside her parked car in her garage.

Her death was ruled as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning, yet the exact circumstances remain undetermined. A grand jury concluded that Thelma Todd had been murdered; however, no evidence of foul play was found.

The case sparked many theories and speculations but was officially closed with the ruling of “accidental with a possible tendency toward suicide.” We may never know if Thelma Todd’s death was accidental, a suicide, or a murder.

8. The Death of Hacker Adrian Lamo

Adrian Lamo, a computer hacker, was found dead on March 14, 2018, in the guest bedroom of a couple he had been living with. After months of investigation, the cause of his death has not been determined, but theories suggest his death may be linked to the criminal cases of Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange.

Adrian Lamo was a computer hacker who died at the age of 37 on March 14, 2018. He garnered media attention after breaching several high-profile computer networks, including Yahoo and Microsoft.

He leaked hundreds of sensitive U.S. government documents. He was found dead on a pile of bed linens in the bedroom of a couple he had been living with.

After months of investigation, the cause of his death remains undetermined. Various conspiracy theories have emerged, the most popular being that his death is connected to the criminal cases against Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange.

However, evidence suggests he may have died from drug abuse, as multiple pills were found in his home, which could have caused severe health issues when combined with kratom, a substance he was addicted to. His death remains an unsolved mystery.

9. The Death of Alberto Nisman

Alberto Nisman, an Argentine federal prosecutor, was found dead on January 18, 2015, with a gunshot wound to the head. He was investigating the AMIA bombing and publicly accused the Argentine president of covering up suspects. Theories suggest he may have committed suicide, but his friends and family deny this. The case remains under investigation.

Alberto Nisman was the lead investigator of the 1994 AMIA bombing, the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentina. He was found dead in his home with a gunshot wound to the head on January 18, 2015.

This prosecutor had previously accused President Cristina Kirchner and other high-ranking officials of covering up the suspects of the attack for political reasons. He was preparing to present evidence against these officials, including the President, to Congress just a day before his death.

However, Nisman’s death was ruled a suicide by a group of forensic experts, which his friends and family strongly contest. They argue that Nisman showed no signs of depression or suicidal intent. Instead, he was eagerly looking forward to his meeting with Congress. The investigation into Alberto Nisman remains an open case.

10. The Death of Yves Godard

Yves Godard, a French doctor, disappeared with his two children on a sailing trip in September 1999. In 2000, a skull fragment belonging to his daughter was found, and later, several bone fragments of his were discovered. However, there were no traces of his wife and son. In 2012, the case was closed, and prosecutors dismissed accidental death, believing Godard may have murdered his family.

Yves Godard was a French doctor who went missing with his two children in September 1999. He set sail with his children and never returned. As the mystery unfolded, clues were uncovered. Blood traces were found in the family’s home.

In 2000, a skull fragment from one of Godard’s children, likely his daughter, was discovered, and six years later, some bone fragments of Godard himself were found. Over the following years, various items were discovered, such as a life raft, identification papers, credit cards, and other belongings along the northern coast of Brittany.

Prosecutors ruled out accidental death and believed Godard had murdered his family and committed suicide at sea, but they were uncertain about this hypothesis. The case was closed in 2012 without any new leads.

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