It wasn’t surprising that the last collection of mysteries was the most popular on GUSC so far; there’ll always be something about the unexplained that speaks to our deepest, most visceral fears. Here in Part 2, we bring you six more mysterious tales of curious disappearances, unexplained deaths and a grim discovery at low tide.
Settle in for the evening and read on…
Death Among the Emperors
Ned Zeman for Vanity Fair – 2000
When Bruno Zehnder froze to death in July 1997 near Russia’s Mirny base in desolate Antarctica, a legend was born – and a mystery created. In this masterful piece, the author investigates Zehnder’s secretive, playboy life in New York City and the questions surrounding his icy grave.
Girl in the Picture
Nile Cappello for The Atavist – 2021
“For most residents of Holland, Michigan, there was nothing remarkable about March 11, 1989, a Saturday. Frost on the ladders of the city’s water towers thawed in the sun – spring was just over a week away. But all was not well in the house on the corner of Lincoln Road and 52nd Street…”
The Obsessive Life and Mysterious Death of the Man Who Discovered the Loch Ness Monster
Paul Brown for Narratively – 2020
“A humble Scotsman saw something strange in the water – and daringly set out to catch it – only to have lecherous out-of-towners steal his fame and upend his quest.”
Who Shot Walker Doherty?
Wes Ferguson for Texas Monthly – 2021
“A shoot-out at a Big Bend ranch captured the nation’s attention: first as an alleged ambush by undocumented migrants, then as a fear-mongering hoax. The real story is much more mysterious…”
Feet Lost and Found in the Pacific Northwest
Christopher Solomon for Outside – 2009
“At first, the feet are all men’s feet, all right feet. Then a woman’s foot appears. Then a left foot. Four of the feet match: one pair of women’s feet, one pair of men’s. That’s seven feet, bow-tied in seaweed, that were once attached to a total of five bodies bodies that don’t turn up…”
An American Boat Sailed to Vietnam During the War. Then It Disappeared…
Nicole Pasulka for Atlas Obscura – 2016
“Feeling ‘the pressure of the world,’ the Phoenix took off June 11. They brought charts, a medicine chest, a radio, and a box of respirators from the Golden Rule. “What a pitiful protection against radioactivity!” Earle wrote. “How does one divide four masks among five people?” He knew he’d never open the box…”
Bonus Long Read:
Who Killed the Bear Lady?
Brandon Sneed for Outside – 2016
“For 28 years, Kay Grayson lived side-by-side with wild black bears in North Carolina’s swampy coastal forests. When she went missing, the only thing the investigators could find were her clean-picked bones. And that’s just the start of the mystery…”
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