Cold Cases

Get full access to The Daily Beast for $1

SUBSCRIBE

Cold Cases

The fisherman who found the key to the case
LOTS ON THE LINE

Minnesota Fisherman Catches Key to Unlock 1967 Cold Case

He called his hook of a lifetime “100% luck.”

Harry Thompson

Photo illustration of Louis Scarcella on a blue background
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

Meet the NYC Cop Who Became the Champ of Wrongful Arrests

Detective Louis Scarcella was once one of the Big Apple’s most celebrated cops. But that was four decades ago. A lot has unraveled in the meantime.

Steve Fishman

A collage of photographs of Reeves Johnson.
COLD CASE

Grainy Pic Was Only Clue in 40-Year-Old Cold Case—Until Now

Reeves K. Johnson vanished from his cabin in 1983. A mystery man picked up his last paycheck.

Pilar Melendez

Jacqueline Lard and Amy Baker
DNA STRIKES AGAIN

Family Tree Leads Cops to Suspect in 2 Cold-Case Murders

Jacqueline Lard and Amy Baker were both killed and dumped in Virginia in the 1980s.

Tracy Connor

A black-and-white photo from the 1970s of a U.S. Army installation in Germany.
COLD CASE

U.S. Soldier Nabbed in German Woman’s Mysterious 1978 Murder

A 35-year-old woman in Germany was raped and murdered in the middle of the night nearly four decades ago. Thanks to DNA, authorities say they’ve finally found her killer.

Justin Rohrlich

Joyce Malecki
BURIED CLUES?

FBI Set to Exhume Murder Vic From Netflix’s ‘The Keepers’

Joyce Malecki was found strangled after she went shopping at a mall—days after the similar disappearance of a nun.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Rashell Ward
HE DID IT

Hair Strand and DNA Sleuths Crack 1983 Murder of Teen Girl

A serial killer confessed. A sheriff was rumored to be the culprit. Now police have determined who killed Rashell Ward.

Tracy Connor

Rex Heuermann
NEW CLUES

Victim Lawyer: Gilgo Beach Suspect Tied to 2 More Dead Women

And Rex Heuermann’s wife was allegedly in the house when he had escorts over for basement sex sessions.

Pilar Melendez

Suzanne Kjellenberg, Keith Jesperson
AND HE CONFESSED

‘Happy Face’ Serial Killer’s Victim ID’d After 29 Years

Genetic genealogy determined she was a 34-year-old hitchhiker named Suzanne Kjellenberg.

Tracy Connor

A photo illustration of Sophia Koetsier with a magnifying glass laid over
exclusive
FIND SOPHIA

New Twist May Solve the Mystery of the Girl Lost in Africa

A young medical student went missing while on safari in Uganda. The authorities at the time assumed it was an accident—but exclusive new evidence may point to foul play.

Jeremy Kryt

Pearl Barnes, Gary Davis, Christina King
SERIAL KILLER?

Trucker Charged in 2 Cold-Case Murders—and There May Be More

DNA tied the brutal deaths of two women in the 1990s to Gary Davis of Kansas City, police said.

Tracy Connor

ADVERTISEMENT

GET THE APP
Subscribe
Log In
Newsletters
Podcasts
AboutContactTipsJobsAdvertiseHelpCode of Ethics & StandardsInclusionTerms & ConditionsCopyright & TrademarkPrivacy

© 2026 The Daily Beast Company LLC