Over the years, Kansas has seen its fair share of unexplainable murders and various phenomena that have baffled both law enforcement and the general public alike. Today, we will take a look at five of these disturbing unsolved mysteries in Kansas that happened right here in our backyards. Maybe you know something about these frightening cases:

1. Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible
Unsolved Mysteries Wiki
On the evening of December 29th 1999, teenaged best friends Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible went missing after Freeman's family home was set on fire. When authorities arrived, they were only able to find Kathy and Danny Freeman's (Ashley's parents) bodies, with apparent gunshot wounds to their heads. At this point, it was speculated that Ashley and Lauria shot the couple, set the house on fire, and then fled--that is, until a death row inmate later came forward, saying he killed the Freemans over a drug debt, took the two girls to Kansas, shot them and threw their bodies into an abandoned mine. He later recanted his story, saying he lied to get better food and phone privileges. The girls have never been found.
2. Henry Plummer and His Treasure
Wikimedia Commons
During the Montana gold rush in the mid-1800s, notorious town-sheriff-gone-bad Henry Plummer lead a gang of ruthless robbers and murderers in an attempt to steal miners gold. Once word got out that Plummer was the leader of the so-called "Road Agent Gang," he was hanged--before he could tell anyone the whereabouts of his stolen treasure. It is speculated that his bounty was buried in either Colorado, Kansas or California.

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3. I-70 Serial Killer
Unsolved Mysteries Wiki
During the early 1990s, nine separate women were shot and killed in shopping malls across I-70, including Wichita bridal shop workers Patricia Smith and Patricia Magers. To this day, the so-called "I-70 Serial Killer" is still at large.
4. Gary Simmons
Unsolved Mysteries Wiki
In October 1991, Independence, Missouri bus driver Tyrone Rollins discovered the body of Overland Park businessman Gary Simmons inside a hidden cave behind his bus barn. It is speculated that Simmons, who went missing 17 years prior, was murdered by Tom Dixon after a horse deal gone bad. Dixon went missing shortly after Simmons's disappearance in 1974 and has not been heard from since.
5. Jodie Bordeaux
Unsolved Mysteries Wiki
After receiving mysterious phone calls for several weeks, Powhattan resident Jodie Bordeaux was shot and killed in her family's home. The expectant mother and her unborn child are thought to have been murdered by a disgruntled employee of the Kickapoo Indian reservation casino that she and her husband managed, but there has never been enough evidence to convict anyone.

Do you have any theories about these unsolved Kansas mysteries? Which mysteries in Kansas would you like to see us cover more in-depth?

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Unsolved Mysteries in Kansas

Tori Jane | June 07, 2022

What are some eerie unsolved murders in Kansas?  

Kansas has an unusually high murder rate per capita, which isn’t necessarily something folks expect when thinking of America’s heartland. One of Kansas’s creepiest unsolved mysteries is that of Kelly Lynn Albright, who, at 12 years old, went missing from her home and was found dead four days later. Though there were suspects, there have never been any arrests made in her disappearance or death. The only suspect considered most likely to have done it died in prison in the 1990s and is no longer able to talk. We’ll never know what exactly happened to Kelly Lynn Albright, and it’s one of those cases that haunts Kansans to this day.  

What are some creepy Kansas unsolved mysteries?  

There are numerous Kansas unsolved mysteries to pour through, from homicides to disappearances and arsons and everything in between. Some cases are a bit more chilling than others, though, even in cases of solved crimes (see: Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer, who was from and operated in Wichita). Some creepy unsolved mysteries in Kansas include the terrifying saga of the Interstate 70 Killer, who murdered and dumped numerous people in places surrounding the I-70 in several states, including Kansas. There are at least four known victims, separated by 1200 miles. It was thought that perhaps Indiana serial killer Herb Baumeister might have committed these crimes, but with his death of suicide during the investigation, it’ll never really be known.  

What are the most notorious Kansas unsolved murders?  

In May 2004, the body of a man named Alonzo Brooks was found in La Cygne, Kansas, one month after he had been reported missing. Facts surrounding the case are unclear, and the FBI is still investigating to this day. It is not known whether Alonzo’s death was a hate crime or not. In June of 2020, the cold case was formally re-opened. In 2021, the FBI announced officially that Brooks’s death was, in fact, a homicide, though additional details have yet to surface. A cause of death was not determined, and to this day, Brooks’s family is searching for answers they may never have.   

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