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Casepin

Decade · 1980–1989

Cases from the 1980s

215case filesUpdated Jul 18, 2026

Casepin holds 215 case files from the 1980s. By legal status, 58 marked unsolved, 16 marked cold, 2 marked ongoing, 134 marked solved and 5 marked overturned.

58unsolved16cold5overturned2ongoing134solved
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Files
215
Unsolved
58
Cold
16
Ongoing
2
Solved
134
Overturned
5
With coverage
61
Map of the 215 case files on this page, pinned by legal status
215 files mappedPins coloured by legal statusExplore live

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The files to open first

  • Credit: https://www.facebook.com/TheTaraCalicoStory/posts/happy-birthday-tara-we-havent-forgotten…Editorial useSourceUNSOLVEDListen

    Belen, New Mexico (near New Mexico State Road 47) · 1980s

    Disappearance of Tara Calico

    Tara Calico, 19, vanished while bicycling near her home in Belen, New Mexico, on September 20, 1988. Despite a widely publicized Polaroid photo, decades of leads, and a 2023 announcement of "sufficient evidence" for possible charges, no arrests have been made and her case remains open.

    4 to watch & hear
  • Image recordEditorial useSourceSOLVEDListen

    Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California · 1986

    Murder of Sherri Rasmussen

    Sherri Rasmussen was beaten and shot to death in her Van Nuys condominium in February 1986; the case went cold for more than two decades before Los Angeles police officer Stephanie Lazarus, her husband's former girlfriend, was convicted of first-degree murder in 2012.

    3 to watch & hear
  • Credit: Wikimedia Commons (investigation surveillance still)Editorial useSourceUNSOLVEDListen

    Chicago metropolitan area, Illinois · 1980s

    Chicago Tylenol poisonings

    In September 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after taking Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules that had been laced with potassium cyanide after leaving the factory. The case remains unsolved as of 2026, though it led to nationwide tamper-resistant packaging reforms and federal anti-tampering laws.

    3 to watch & hear
  • Image recordEditorial useSourceSOLVEDListen

    Citrus grove near Mims, Brevard County, Florida · 1989

    Killing of Charles Flynn

    Charles "Chip" Flynn, 22, was fatally shot in a Brevard County, Florida citrus grove in April 1989. Crosley Alexander Green was convicted of the killing based largely on the testimony of Flynn's ex-girlfriend Kim Hallock, but decades of appeals cited withheld evidence and inconsistencies, leading to his conviction being vacated in 2018 before being reinstated in 2022.

    2 to watch & hear
  • Credit: English WikipediaEditorial useSourceSOLVEDListen

    Mercy Road offramp, Interstate 15, San Diego County, California · 1986

    Murder of Cara Knott

    Cara Knott, a 20-year-old San Diego State University student, disappeared on December 27, 1986, while driving home from her boyfriend's house. Her body was found the next day below a bridge near an isolated freeway offramp. California Highway Patrol officer Craig Alan Peyer was convicted of her murder in 1988 after a second trial.

    1 thing to watch or hear
  • Credit: Bob Gruen / Capitol Records (1974 promotional press photo)Public domainSourceSOLVEDListen

    The Dakota, 1 West 72nd Street · 1980

    Murder of John Lennon

    On 8 December 1980, musician John Lennon was fatally shot outside his Manhattan home, The Dakota, by Mark David Chapman, who was later sentenced to 20 years to life after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

    1 thing to watch or hear
  • Credit: https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/miami-county-sheriff-office-release-new-detail…Editorial useSourceUNSOLVEDListen

    Greenlee Road, Newton Township, Troy, Ohio · 1981

    Death of Marcia King

    A 21-year-old Arkansas woman was found murdered beside a road in Troy, Ohio, in April 1981 and remained unidentified for almost 37 years until DNA analysis and genetic genealogy identified her as Marcia Lenore King in 2018. Her killing remains unsolved.

    1 thing to watch or hear
  • Credit: Family photo via Find A Grave; reproduced by The CinemaholicEditorial useSourceSOLVEDListen

    Pikeville, Kentucky, United States · 1989

    Murder of Susan Smith

    Susan Smith, a young FBI informant from Kentucky, was strangled in June 1989 by her handler and lover, FBI agent Mark Putnam, who later became the first FBI agent convicted of homicide.

    1 thing to watch or hear
  • Credit: Chiara CoetzeeCC0SourceUNSOLVEDListen

    Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (site of first known poisoning; incidents occurred across western and central Japan, including Tokyo) · 1985

    Paraquat murders

    In 1985, an unidentified person or persons placed herbicide-laced energy drinks in and around vending machines across western and central Japan, killing at least ten to thirteen people and sickening 35 more. No suspect was ever identified, and the case remains unsolved.

    1 thing to watch or hear
  • COLDListen

    Alexander, Arkansas, United States · 1987

    Killing of Don Henry and Kevin Ives

    Two Arkansas teenagers, Don Henry, 16, and Kevin Ives, 17, were found dead on railroad tracks in Alexander, Arkansas, on August 23, 1987, after being struck by a freight train. Initially ruled an accident, a grand jury later declared the deaths "probable homicides," and the case remains unsolved amid allegations of witness deaths and official misconduct.

    1 thing to watch or hear

About these files

Cases from the 1980s, in brief

1989 is the year with the most files in the decade, 30 of them. 206 files carry an exact date; the rest are dated to the decade by the record.

They are spread across 47 countries; the most are in United States (78), United Kingdom (29) and Australia (14). By type, the largest groups are murder and homicide cases (163), kidnapping and abduction cases (56) and disappearance cases (23).

61 files of the 215 have coverage attached: 101 videos, podcasts and documentaries from 24 creators. The most covered is Disappearance of Tara Calico, with 4 items to watch or hear. Dr. Todd Grande, Kendall Rae and That Chapter have covered the most of them.

Every file is written from cited sources and pinned where it happened, and every person named carries the legal status the record gives them. If you hold information about an unsolved case, contact the investigating agency named in its file rather than posting it publicly. Families and anyone involved can request a correction from any file.

Every file

Every file from the 1980s

159 files

  • Adam Walsh — Credit: Unknown authorPublic domainSource
    SOLVED AudioKilling of Adam WalshHollywood, Florida (abduction site: Sears, Hollywood Mall) · 1981 · 7 to watch & hear
  • April Tinsley case map — Credit: Federal Bureau of InvestigationPublic domainSource
    SOLVED AudioMurder of April TinsleyFort Wayne, Indiana · 1988 · 5 to watch & hear
  • TaraCalico — Credit: https://www.facebook.com/TheTaraCalicoStory/posts/happy-birthday-tara-we-havent-forgotten…Editorial useSource
    UNSOLVED AudioDisappearance of Tara CalicoBelen, New Mexico (near New Mexico State Road 47) · 1980s · 4 to watch & hear
  • Mark-James-KilroyEditorial useSource
    SOLVED AudioMurder of Mark KilroyMatamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico · 1989 · 4 to watch & hear
  • Jonelle Matthews — Credit: UnknwownEditorial useSource
    SOLVED AudioMurder of Jonelle MatthewsNear Greeley, Colorado · 1984 · 5 to watch & hear
  • Ayers-Rock — Credit: Australien-Links.chCC BY-SA 3.0Source
    OVERTURNED AudioDeath of Azaria ChamberlainUluru (Ayers Rock), Northern Territory, Australia · 1980 · 3 to watch & hear
  • Sherri Rasmussen, the victimEditorial useSource
    SOLVED AudioMurder of Sherri RasmussenVan Nuys, Los Angeles, California · 1986 · 3 to watch & hear
  • Mary Kellerman, Adam Janus, Stanley Janus, Theresa Janus, Mary McFarland, Paula Prince, Mary Reiner — Credit: Wikimedia Commons (investigation surveillance still)Editorial useSource
    UNSOLVED AudioChicago Tylenol poisoningsChicago metropolitan area, Illinois · 1980s · 3 to watch & hear
  • Keddie murders victims (Sharp family and Dana Wingate) — Credit: Via Wikipedia ; portraits published on Find a Grave and Plumas County news outletsEditorial useSource
    UNSOLVED AudioKeddie murdersKeddie Resort, house #28, Keddie, California · 1980s · 3 to watch & hear
  • SOLVED AudioBackpacker murdersBelanglo State Forest, near Berrima, New South Wales, Australia · 1980s · 2 to watch & hear
  • Jgb-Monument to Anita Cobby — Credit: Jgb23CC BY-SA 4.0Source
    SOLVED AudioMurder of Anita CobbyBlacktown / Prospect, New South Wales, Australia · 1986 · 2 to watch & hear
  • Janine Balding — Credit: English WikipediaEditorial useSource
    SOLVED AudioMurder of Janine BaldingSutherland railway station, Sutherland, New South Wales, Australia · 1988 · 2 to watch & hear
  • Rasmussen mugshot — Credit: Roxane Gruenheid/Contra Costa County Sheriff’s OfficePublic domainSource
    COLD AudioBear Brook murdersBear Brook State Park, Allenstown, New Hampshire · 1985 · 1 thing to watch or hear
  • Suzy Lamplugh — Credit: Via WikipediaEditorial useSource
    COLD AudioDisappearance of Suzy LamplughShorrolds Road, Fulham, West London · 1980s · 1 thing to watch or hear
  • Harlem Hospital 5BBT jeh — Credit: Jim.hendersonPublic domainSource
    SOLVED AudioKidnapping of Carlina WhiteHarlem Hospital Center, New York City · 1987 · 1 thing to watch or hear
  • SOLVED Audio1986 Moorhouse murdersWillagee, Perth, Western Australia, Australia · 1986 · 2 to watch & hear
  • Cara Knott — Credit: English WikipediaEditorial useSource
    SOLVED AudioMurder of Cara KnottMercy Road offramp, Interstate 15, San Diego County, California · 1986 · 1 thing to watch or hear
  • Catrine da CostaEditorial useSource
    UNSOLVED AudioKilling of Catrine da CostaSolna, north of Stockholm — where da Costa's remains were discovered in 1984 · 1984 · 1 thing to watch or hear
  • John Lennon — Credit: Bob Gruen / Capitol Records (1974 promotional press photo)Public domainSource
    SOLVED AudioMurder of John LennonThe Dakota, 1 West 72nd Street · 1980 · 1 thing to watch or hear
  • Junko Furuta — Credit: Furuta familyEditorial useSource
    SOLVED AudioMurder of Junko FurutaWakasu, Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan (body recovery site) · 1980s · 2 to watch & hear
  • Beaum Vape, 7 James Street, Cardiff, CF10 5ER — Credit: Seth WhalesCC BY-SA 4.0Source
    SOLVED AudioMurder of Lynette WhiteJames Street, Butetown, Cardiff, Wales · 1988 · 1 thing to watch or hear
  • Marcia King — Credit: https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/miami-county-sheriff-office-release-new-detail…Editorial useSource
    UNSOLVED AudioDeath of Marcia KingGreenlee Road, Newton Township, Troy, Ohio · 1981 · 1 thing to watch or hear
  • Susan Smith — Credit: Family photo via Find A Grave; reproduced by The CinemaholicEditorial useSource
    SOLVED AudioMurder of Susan SmithPikeville, Kentucky, United States · 1989 · 1 thing to watch or hear
  • Cali - Arroyo Grande - Walker Co - Buckskin Girl Poster — Credit: CarlK90245CC BY-SA 4.0Source
    UNSOLVED AudioDeath of Tammy TerrellNear Arroyo Grande wash, south of State Route 146, Henderson, Nevada · 1980 · 1 thing to watch or hear

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Archive files56

These files are published and cited but are kept out of search listings for now, either because they fall outside Casepin’s true-crime scope or because they are still being deepened.

Questions

What people ask

How many cases from the 1980s are on Casepin?

215. By status: 58 unsolved, 16 cold, 2 ongoing, 134 solved and 5 overturned. The count covers published files only and changes as new files clear review.

Which case has the most coverage?

Disappearance of Tara Calico, with 4 videos, podcasts and documentaries linked from its file. Open the file

Which creators have covered cases from the 1980s?

Dr. Todd Grande (9 cases), Kendall Rae (6 cases) and That Chapter (6 cases), among 24 creators in all.

Where are most of these cases?

United States (78), United Kingdom (29) and Australia (14).

How current is this page?

It rebuilds hourly from the published files; the newest file change here is dated Jul 18, 2026. A status changes only when the record behind it does.

Every file cited · legal status from the record · our standards · request a correction