Murder Mysteries

The FBI has estimated that nearly 40% of all murders in the United States go unsolved every year. In 2018 alone this means that over 6,000 killers were never apprehended and remained free to walk the streets. Even with the advancements in DNA testing and evolving crime scene techniques investigators are still filing cases as cold every day. They are haunted by the mystery surrounding the victims and hoping for the break in the case they need to finally get them justice.

#5. Ben Bradley

​Ben Bradley was an avid snowboarder and adventurer, there was nothing he loved more than being outdoors. In June 2006 the 28 year old made plans to hitchhike to

Jackson Hole, Wyoming from Tabernash, Colorado to celebrate his birthday on June 4th with friends at a ski resort.

On June 2nd Ben was dropped off in Rocksprings, Wyoming, just three hours south of his destination. Phone records show he tried to call his parents to check in, but poor reception in the area prevented the call from going through. Later on that evening, at approximately 9:00 pm he phoned his friends at the resort asking if they could meet him in the town of Pinedale, halfway between Rocksprings and Jackson Hole. This arrangement was never solidified and it was the last time they would hear from Ben.

Witnesses recall seeing the 6'3" snowboarder holding a sign saying "Jackson Hole" leaning into a yellow pickup truck and speaking to the driver outside of a local motel. He was wearing a backpack and carrying his custom designed Never Summer split board that he had paid over $1000 for.

At first Ben's parents weren't worried when they hadn't heard from him for a few days. It wasn't unlike him to get caught up in the excitement of a good time with friends and not call. But when they were contacted by his friends in Jackson Hole stating that he hadn't shown up for his own birthday celebration and no one could reach him they knew something was horribly wrong. They immediately traveled from their home in California to Wyoming to hand out fliers and search for their son. They passed out fliers in Rocksprings and drove all the way up the highway that led directly to Jackson Hole, hoping someone would recognize him and offer any kind of information. Their efforts didn't turn up any clues as to where Ben had gone.

Three months later a Rocksprings man named Tommy Bowman walked into the police department with a backpack containing a vehicle title belonging to Ben Bradley. He stated that he had found the bag floating in the nearby Flaming Gorge Reservoir while riding jetski's with friends.

On October 1st, just two days after his backpack was found, the body of Ben Bradley was located just thirty miles north of Rocksprings in a remote area called Boars Tusk. He had suffered blunt force trauma to his head and he had been stabbed repeatedly in the chest. His cellphone was still in his pocket, as well as his wallet containing his ID and $100 in cash.

With the missing person investigation shifting to a homicide investigation Tommy Bowman was formally questioned and he spoke to news reporters about his discovery. When recounting how he stumbled across the belongings of Ben Bradley he named friends who were there with him and witnessed him pull the bag from the water. These friends however say they were not with Bowman at all that day and were shocked to hear their names on the evening news.

A Rocksprings resident and friend of Tommy Bowman named Eric Conn was incarcerated in Missouri at the time and came forward saying that himself, and two other men, Tracy Warren and Chris Dove, were partying with Ben on June 2nd before he disappeared and that they were responsible for his murder. Giving details the police believed only a person involved would know, Conn, Warren and Dove were charged for the crime.

Friends and family of Ben Bradley were anxious to get answers and justice. But with the trial approaching, just days before Conn was scheduled to see the judge, he said he had an alibi. He claimed he couldn't have been involved because he was serving time in LA on the 2nd of June. With this alibi the entire case fell apart and charges were dropped against all three men.

Because Ben's body was found months after he was last seen it is impossible to pinpoint exactly what day he was killed. If he was alive after the 2nd it is very possible Conn was indeed responsible. Ben's snowboard was never recovered and multiple people related to Conn's alleged accomplice, Tracy Warren, claimed it was in Warren's possession that June. This unique snowboard, which has still not been located, may hold the answers to finally solving the mystery of what happened to Ben Bradley.

#4. Wil Hendrick

Wil Hendrick was a 25 year old student attending college in Moscow, Idaho. He had a love for theater and performing arts, even landing a small role in a Hollywood action film. Wil had been with his partner, Jerry Shutz, a shuttle company manger, for five years and on the night of January 9, 1999 the couple was busy doing renovations to their small home.

With midnight approaching and in need of a break Wil asked Jerry if he wanted to stop by his friend Katie's party across town. Jerry declined and decided to stay home and clean up before going to sleep, and Wil made the short drive alone.

When Wil arrived at Katie's there were parties on both the 2nd and 3rd floor of her apartment complex. She was hosting theater friends in her 2nd floor apartment, while the school athletes were enjoying the night above them. Not long after he arrived one of their mutual friends, Karen, became distraught over her relationship with her boyfriend, who was on the 3rd floor. Wil was known to be very opinionated and sometimes aggressive when he was drinking so Katie took it upon herself to stop any kind of confrontation until Karen left for the night a few hours later. Katie says she left Wil's side on the balcony for just a minute to use the phone inside to make sure Karen made it home safely and upon returning to the balcony Wil was gone. She noticed his car was still in the parking lot and assumed he went upstairs. The next morning when she woke up his car was gone.

At 11am on January 10th Jerry called Katie asking her to wake Wil up to finish the work left over from the night before. When she informed him that he wasn't there Jerry checked with their other friends before going to the police station to report him missing.

Just hours later Wil's 1984 Pontiac sedan was spotted downtown. There were no signs of foul play and Wil's work keys and portfolio were still inside. Jerry noticed however, that the driver's seat was pushed all the way back and there was mud caked in the wheel wells of the car, indicating that it had been driven by someone other than Wil in an area outside of town.

Wil's friends and family would wonder what happened to him until September 7, 2002 when two hunters stumbled across a skull and jawbone in a rural area outside of Moscow. They were identified as Wil Hendricks, no other remains were found.

Jerry believes a man he fired from his shuttle company due to a heated confrontation two months before Wil's disappearance is responsible. The man took a job as a truck driver soon after being let go and had checked out a refrigerated truck just thirty miles away at 4:30 am the morning Wil went missing. The following day he packed up his house, located in the same trailer park as the couple, and moved to Florida. He has never cooperated with police.

Katie believes something could have possibly happened upstairs at the party and it was covered up, but everyone who was there that night agreed to a polygraph test and passed.

The police have not named a suspect and Wil's case remains unsolved.

#3. Vickie Lynn Harrell

​Vickie Lynn Harrell was a 25 year old single mother raising her young daughter in Bloomington, Indiana in 1972.

On August 12 she was seen in the parking lot leaving her job at Kmart in her dark blue 1965 Plymouth Valiant. When she didn't arrive home the next day her roommate reported her missing. Because Vickie was an adult the report wasn't taken seriously and not much effort was put into finding her.

Two days later on August 14, 1972 her car was discovered abandoned in a mall parking lot. At 1:30 pm the same day the Owen County Highway Department spotted her lifeless body in a ditch just 15 miles from Bloomington near Spencer, Indiana. None of her clothing or personal items were found and she had the initials "KN"carved into her chest.

Because the local sheriff's department was short staffed and had been hit with a fire at the jail, an escape from the jail, and someone taking their own life at the jail, all at the same time, little was done to investigate Vickie's case. Three surrounding departments offered little to no help and nearly 50 years later her case is still cold.

#2. April Sorensen

​ April Sorensen and her husband Josh moved to Rochester, Minnesota in 2003. The 27 year old aspiring dental hygienist worked the morning shift at the local UPS and

attended college courses at Rochester Community college while her husband enjoyed a career at IBM.

​On the morning of April 17th, 2007 April worked her shift from 4am to 8am as usual and headed to class until approximately 10:50.​ ​She then headed home so she could meet a cable technician for a scheduled service.

When the cable technician walked to April's door at 12:30 that afternoon he could see and smell smoke coming from the house through the screen door. He immediately called 911.

First responders located Sorensen strangled in her bedroom with the door closed, containing the fire inside to presumably destroy evidence.

Both her husband and the repair man were cleared of any involvement and investigators have no solid leads in her case.

#1. Douglas Cleves

Douglas Cleves was described as someone who got along with everyone. Strangers weren't intimidated by his 6'4" frame and he would often strike up conversations with people he had just met like he was catching up with an old friend.

He settled into life in Anchorage, Alaska after moving from his family's farm in New Jersey. He served in the US Army from 1977 to 1980 as a paratrooper and artillery man. When he received an honorable discharge with a good conduct medal he joined the National Guard.

In 1983 he married his girlfriend Charlotte Palmer who was 6 months pregnant with his son. The marriage was turbulent however, and Charlotte filed for divorce less than a year later. The couple fought in court over custody of Robert, then 2, until Douglas was finally awarded primary custody, giving Charlotte visitation to the child on a standard schedule.

Three weeks later on July18th, 1985, celebrations were cut short when Douglas was unloading steel beams at a construction site in nearby Eagle River. A crane hit a 115,000 volt power line which struck him, causing so much damage his legs had to be amputated below the knee.

Douglas spent 2 months in the hospital recovering and could not wait to be back home with Robert. His sister Susan came to Anchorage to take care of him and moved in with him and his son. Neither of them expected the tragic turn of events that would take place just weeks later on October 19th, 1985.

Douglas, Susan, and two female friends were sitting on the living room floor watching movies while Robert was visiting his mother. There was a loud banging on the front door. It was after midnight and no one was expecting company, so Susan hastily went to answer the door. At first she thought it was a prank, a man stood before her with only his eyes and mouth visible. He was wearing a trench coat, combat boots and gloves. He was holding a rifle. Susan tried to slam the door but the man pushed through.

Douglas put his hands up and said "Hey, don't shoot. I understand what's going on, don't shoot, we can work this out" before the masked man fired 5 shots, the first missing Douglas, the other 4 striking him in the head and chest killing him instantly. The man then lowered the rifle and walked away.

Terrified Susan and her friends hid in the closet and called 911, only coming out when the operator assured them that the knock on the door was the police and they were safe.

There are no suspects in this case and police have been sifting through rumors that Douglas was involved in drug activities, which his family and friends persistently claim are false. It's been over 30 years and they are no closer to finding justice for Douglas and his family then they were that late October night.