2 Unsolved Mysteries

1. The first example of an unsolved mystery is the murder of Black Dahlia. "Black Dahlia,"became the nickname given to Elizabeth Short's overly-publicized, gruesome murder.  On January 15, 1947, a local woman, along with her 3-year-old daughter, found Short's severed body--first, mistaken for a  mannequin. Short's body was cut in half at the waist and all her blood had been completely drained. Among other numerous cuts, the corners of her mouth were slit up towards her ears, creating the illusion of smile. Her murder remains one of the oldest unsolved murder cases in L.A.

The unsolved case of Elizabeth Short first interested me while watching the first season of American Horror Story. Portraying just one of the house's unfortunate victims, Short appears in a few quick scenes. A young girl wanting to be famous, visits a dentist (working out of his home office) for repairs on her badly decayed teeth. Nonetheless, Short is accidentally killed during "payment," and the dentist performs the gruesome mutilations before dumping her body. At first, I had no ideas this scene depicted aspects of a true crime. Then, while reading The Poet, I noticed the similar crime details. I did a quick google search, and discovered all the details on the unsolved murder of Black Dahlia--a murder that has been sensationalized and recreated since 1947.

2. The second example of an unsolved mystery is the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. On November 10, 1975, the American Great Lakes freighter sank in the midst of a Lake Superior storm. The mystery lies within determining the cause of sinking. The ship never sent a distress call before sinking, and none of the 29 victims' bodies were ever found. In an attempt to examine and  understand the sinking, multiple theories have been created; "The Fitzgerald may have fallen victim to the high waves of the storm, suffered structural failure, been swamped with water entering through her cargo hatches or deck, experienced topside damage, or shoaled in a shallow part of Lake Superior." The cause of the sinking is still a mystery, and the sinking of the Fitzgerald remains as one of the worst disasters in the history of Great Lakes shipping.

In middle school music class, our class spent weeks on the history of the Edmund Fitzgerald, as well as learning the popularized Gordon Lightfoot song: "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." For some reason, I will never forget the historical disaster, the accompanying song, and the unsolved cause for sinking. Hence, my reasoning for posting this example.