Christmas is often pictured as a time of warmth, joy, and family gatherings. Snow falling gently, carols in the air, and presents under the tree – it’s a magical season. Yet, beneath this festive veneer, the holidays have also been the backdrop for some truly dark and perplexing events. Prepare to unwrap ten unsettling Christmas mysteries that continue to haunt us, proving that sometimes, the most wonderful time of the year can hold the deepest secrets.
1. The Spontaneous Combustion Of Matilda Rooney
Christmas 1885 took a horrifying turn for John Larson, a farmhand in Seneca, Illinois. After sharing Christmas Eve drinks with his employers, elderly couple Patrick and Matilda Rooney, Larson went to bed. He awoke on Christmas morning to a house filled with soot. Patrick Rooney was found dead in his bedroom from smoke inhalation. But Matilda was gone.
In the kitchen, Larson discovered a large, blackened hole in the floor. Inside, amidst a pile of ash, lay what appeared to be a charred human foot. It seemed Matilda Rooney had been a victim of spontaneous human combustion. The fire that consumed her was estimated to be incredibly hot, around 1,400 degrees Celsius (2,500 °F), yet the surrounding area showed little fire damage. Larson’s own coughing fit during the night was attributed to the smoke. Despite speculation, it was deemed impossible for Larson to have started such a concentrated, intense fire. Local legend whispered it was divine retribution for her Christmas Eve drinking, but the true cause remains a fiery mystery.
2. The Hit-And-Run Of Kevin Showalter
On Christmas Eve 1973, 20-year-old college student Kevin Showalter was changing a flat tire in New London, Connecticut, when a passing vehicle struck and killed him. His mother’s quest for answers quickly hit a wall of lost evidence and suggestions of a cover-up. Harvey Mallove, a former mayor, was a suspect as he drove through the area, but his testimony contradicted eyewitnesses. A grand jury found him the likely culprit, but lacked evidence to charge him.
Years later, in 1979, Paul Hansen confessed to the hit-and-run, but the statute of limitations had expired. Another grand jury found no evidence to support Hansen’s claim. The case grew colder until 2005, when Hansen committed suicide, leaving another note claiming responsibility. When police reopened the case, the original 3,000-page grand jury transcript on Mallove had vanished. Kevin Showalter’s death remains officially unsolved.
3. The Pleasant Valley Memorial Park Jane Doe
It’s always tragic when someone dies unidentified, but one Jane Doe in 1996 seemed determined to keep her identity hidden. On December 18, a woman, around 60, was found dead in Pleasant Valley Memorial Park cemetery in Annandale, Virginia. She lay on a plastic sheet, a plastic bag taped over her head, having died from asphyxiation due to brandy and Valium.
A note read, “Deceased by own hand… prefer no autopsy,” signed “Jane Doe.” She even left two $50 bills for cremation. Beside her was a decorated miniature Christmas tree and a portable tape player with comedy tapes; she died listening to Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner’s “2000-Year-Old Man.” Most poignantly, she was found in the section for deceased infants. Her identity and her reasons for choosing this lonely, specific end remain unknown.
4. The Murder Of Rhonda Hinson
Nineteen-year-old Rhonda Hinson was driving home to Valdese, North Carolina, on December 22, 1981, after a company Christmas party. Tragically, she never made it. A high-powered rifle fired a single shot from an unknown location. The bullet pierced her car’s trunk and driver’s seat, striking her in the heart. Her car was found by the roadside, driver’s door open, Rhonda’s body lying nearby.
In the weeks prior, Rhonda had hinted at a terrible secret and asked her mother about dating a married man. A motorist reported seeing an unidentified man next to Rhonda’s car, with Rhonda slumped over the wheel, and a Trans-Am parked nearby. If the shot was fired from a distance, why did this man approach her car and move her body? Was it a targeted killing or a tragic accident? The questions linger, unanswered.
5. The Disappearance Of Patty Vaughan
Christmas Day, 1996, marked the last time 32-year-old Patty Vaughan was seen. She left her La Vernia, Texas, home and vanished. Her van was found the next day, 15 miles away, with a flat tire, blood traces, and a red workman’s jumpsuit inside. Patty had reportedly argued with her estranged husband, J.R., just before disappearing. They had separated two months earlier, and J.R. filed for divorce the day after she went missing.
Bloodstains, confirmed as Patty’s, were found in her bedroom and on a mop, suggesting a cleanup. The van’s carpet had also been recently shampooed. J.R. was working on a school construction site in Natalia at the time, leading to speculation her remains might be encased in concrete. Years later, DNA from items in the van was found to be female but not Patty’s, adding another layer to this disturbing Christmas mystery.
6. The Murder Of Tracy Mertens
Two days before Christmas in 1994, Tracy Mertens, 31, returned to her former home in Birmingham, England, from Rochdale. Two Black men burst in, restrained her, blindfolded her, and abducted her. They drove her to the town of Eaton, left her on church steps, doused her with gasoline, and set her on fire. Tracy was found with burns on 90 percent of her body but was alive long enough to describe her attackers before dying on Christmas Eve.
Crucially, her assailants reportedly asked, “Where’s Joey?” upon entering her home. Joey Kavanagh was Tracy’s boyfriend, with whom she had two children and a strained relationship. Joey had issues with heroin addiction and owed money. He denied any connection to her murder and claimed to have no idea who was responsible. The motive behind this brutal Christmas crime remains elusive.
7. The Warminster ‘Thing’
Christmas morning 1964, in the small English town of Warminster, residents were jolted awake by strange, powerful, pounding vibrations—sonic attacks. One woman heard something repeatedly falling on her roof and a strange humming, despite clear weather. Many others, including 30 soldiers at a nearby base, reported similar experiences without seeing any cause.
The most bizarre account came from Marjorie Bye. While walking to Christmas service, she was overwhelmed by vibrating noises, feeling “pinned down by the invisible fingers of sound.” These unexplained sounds, nicknamed “The Thing,” continued for a year. By summer 1965, UFO sightings began. While Warminster became a UFO hotspot for a time, the origin of those initial Christmas Day sounds has never been explained, leaving behind an auditory enigma.
8. The Disappearance Of Nikole Betterson
Two-year-old Nikole Betterson’s life took a tragic turn in 1977. Her mother, Susan Klingel, died in a car accident. Soon after, her father, Jarrett Betterson, became involved with a woman named Barbara. Around Christmastime, they announced to Susan’s family their plans to move out west with Nikole, giving conflicting stories about their destination. Then, they vanished. Nikole was never seen again.
Twenty years later, the Klingel family hired a private investigator who found Jarrett and Barbara in Las Vegas. They had been collecting Nikole’s Social Security benefits but there was no trace of the child after 1977. Police got involved, and Jarrett promised to reveal what happened. However, shortly before Christmas, on the 20th anniversary of Nikole’s disappearance, Jarrett shot Barbara dead and then killed himself. A letter from Barbara apologized but offered no details about Nikole. If alive, Nikole would be 39 today; her fate is a heartbreaking Christmas mystery.
9. The Murder Of Latricia White
Christmas 1994 was spent by Latricia White, 38, with her boyfriend Lee “Dub” Wackerhagen and his nine-year-old son, Chance, in Lockhart, Texas. Chance was due back with his mother on Christmas Day but called to stay a few more days. On December 27, Latricia’s father found her dead in her bed, shot six times. Dub and Chance were gone.
Dub, known for a violent temper and a recent argument with Latricia, became the prime suspect. Three days later, Dub’s pickup truck was found abandoned 30 miles away, containing his wallet, checkbook, and unopened Christmas presents, some bloodstained. The blood didn’t match Latricia, suggesting Dub and Chance might also have been victims. Months later, Chance’s grandmother received an anonymous call from a boy saying, “Help me.” Whether Dub murdered Latricia and fled with Chance, or if all three were victims, remains a dark puzzle.
10. The Author Of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas’
Almost everyone knows “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” famously known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” But did you know its authorship is a Christmas mystery? Published anonymously in New York’s Sentinel on December 23, 1823, its writer was unknown for years. In 1844, professor Clement Clarke Moore claimed authorship, saying he was initially hesitant as he deemed it unscholarly.
However, some historians, notably Professor Donald Wayne Foster in 2000, argue the true author was Major Henry Livingston Jr., who died in 1828. Foster pointed to similarities with Livingston’s other works and differences from Moore’s usual style. Moore was described as sour, unlike the poem’s jovial tone. A key piece of evidence for Livingston is the original reindeer names “Dunder” and “Blixem” (Dutch for “thunder and lightning”), later misprinted as “Donder” and “Blitzen.” Moore, who didn’t speak Dutch, used the misprinted names in later copies. Livingston, however, was of Dutch descent. The debate over who truly penned this iconic Christmas verse continues.
These ten cases serve as chilling reminders that even during a season meant for celebration, mystery and darkness can prevail. The unanswered questions surrounding these events leave a haunting echo long after the Christmas lights are taken down.
Which of these unsolved Christmas mysteries do you find the most perplexing? Do you have any theories? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
