This Is The Number One Unsolved Mystery In Mississippi And It Will Leave You Baffled
News of any murder is saddening, but when that murder remains unsolved for decades, it’s even more disheartening. And that’s exactly the case when it comes to Norman Ladner. The circumstances regarding the death of the 17-year-old have remained a mystery, forever haunting the Ladner family.
The year was 1989, and high school student Norman Ladner decided to do some hunting on family owned land near Picayune. An avid hunter, Norman was no stranger to hunting on the 122-acre property. At 7:00 pm, when the young boy still hadn’t returned home, his father began to worry. After searching the property, Norman Sr. found his son face down on the ground with a single gunshot wound to the head.
Initially, police believed the death to be accidental, occurring when Norman fell out of a nearby tree, resulting in the gun accidentally going off; however, after further investigation, the coroner ruled the death a suicide. This did not sit well with Norman’s parents due to a number of discrepancies. The young boy had a fresh cut on his head that couldn’t be accounted for, his wallet, which contained about $140, was missing and no bullet was found by investigators nor was Norman’s gun fingerprinted.
The Ladners ended up doing a little investigating of their own, which raised a number of questions. Norman Sr. and his wife did, in fact, locate a bullet covered in blood and hair at the crime scene; however, the type of bullet found would not fit in the gun Norman had been using. Additionally, a radio-like device was found at the crime scene. After speaking to a neighbor that was a former DEA agent, it was concluded that this type of device was often used by drug dealers to signal aircraft for drop-offs.
Since Norman’s death was ruled a suicide, the crime scene was not thoroughly processed; therefore, no critical evidence was collected. This fact, combined with the authorities being unsure of the accuracy of the evidence found by the Ladners, has caused the case to remain closed. Desperate for answers, the Ladners submitted Norman’s story to the television show "Unsolved Mysteries," but the crime has never been solved. Sadly, Norman’s father passed away in 2003. His mother and siblings are still searching for answers as to what happened to young Norman.
Have you ever heard about this case? What do you think happened to Norman Ladner?
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