With the arrival of volumes four and five of Netflix’s hugely popularUnsolved Mysteriesafter a two-year hiatus, true-crime-hungry fans are looking forward to a new set of unexplained deaths or perplexing disappearances to get their teeth into. TheoriginalUnsolved Mysteriesshow, which ran from 1988 to 2010, famously had a hand in solving hundreds of the cases it featured, naturally raising the question of whether, since its reboot under Netflix’s banner in 2020, the new show has had a similar impact.
Solving cases takes time, effort, and often the public’s cooperation. Five volumes and four years after the reboot,Unsolved Mysterieshas yet to solve as many casesas the original, but there remains plenty of time to do so. The new Netflix show’s time will come, but to date,there’s just one case the series can justifiably claim to have brought to a close, while a couple more have been significantly impacted.
One Case From Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries Episodes Has Been Solved So Far
Kayla Unbehaun Has Been Reunited With Her Family
The one case that Netflix’sUnsolved Mysteriescan claim to have helped resolve involvesKayla Unbehaun (series 16, episode 19- “Abducted by Parents”). Nine-year-old Kayla was abducted by her mother in 2017 and disappeared;Unsolved Mysteriesused age-progression imaging to screen a picture of how Kayla would look in 2022,prompting an individual to recognize her at a North Carolina store,alerting the authorities and leading to the arrest of her mother and a reunion with her father.
Netflix’sUnsolved Mysterieshas contributed to moving other cases forward- that ofRey Rivera (season 15, episode 1–“Mystery on the Rooftop”)who was suspected to have thrown himself from the roof of Maryland’s Belvedere Hotel in 2006.Unsolved Mysteriesprompted forensic scientist Miryam Moya to discover Rivera’s injuries were more consistent with having been pushed; similarly, in the case ofJoAnn Romain (season 15, episode 11–“Lady In The Lake”),Unsolved Mysteries’episode caused Tim Matouk, chief suspect and the deceased’s cousin, to come forward with an unassailable alibi.
Over 250 Cases From The Original Unsolved Mysteries Show Have Been Solved
Netflix’s Reboot Has Plenty of Time To Catch Up
It’s thought that the originalUnsolved Mysteries,aired by NBC, contributed to the resolution of more than 250 cases. Hosted by Robert Stack, it was must-watch television in the 1980s and 1990s.Much of that success involved the dedicated telephone line it offeredto viewers to come forward with information, which was still in operation during the frequent reruns of the shows. Murderers like Alan Lee Phillips were brought to justice 30 years after his crime was aired; the missing Craig Williamson came forward years after his case was examined on the show when he recognized himself on a rerun.
Still, hundreds of the originalUnsolved Mysteriesremain frustratingly unsolved.Netflix’s reboot has had a slow start, but the show’s enduring popularity suggests there will be several seasons to come, with many deaths and disappearances to be resolved.
Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries (2020) is a revival of the classic documentary series, exploring various unresolved cases involving disappearances, shocking events, and unexplainable occurrences. The series offers a combination of reenactments, interviews, and archival footage, inviting viewers to contribute any information they might have regarding the featured mysteries, aiming to bring closure to long-standing questions.
