5 Unsolved Disappearances That Still Baffle Police in 2025
Some mysteries refuse to be solved, no matter how much time passes or how advanced our investigative techniques become. These are 5 unsolved disappearances that still baffle police in 2025. Each one carries its own disturbing details and unresolved questions, reminding us how easily people can vanish without explanation.
Bryce Laspisa: The College Student Who Vanished Without a Trace
In August 2013, 19-year-old Bryce Laspisa was supposed to drive from his apartment near Sierra College to his family home in Laguna Niguel, California. That simple road trip became one of the 5 unsolved disappearances that still baffle police in 2025.
The Strange Behavior:
Bryce’s girlfriend had already raised red flags. He’d been acting erratically, possibly linked to his use of Vyvanse, a medication for ADHD. On the day he disappeared, Bryce gave away his Xbox, emptied his bank account, and made strange stops along the way. He even spent hours sitting in his car near Castaic Lake.
The Last Known Movements:
Police tracked his location through cell data and surveillance footage. He told his parents he was on his way, but he never arrived. His car was later found overturned near the lake. No sign of Bryce.
Why It Still Baffles Police:
Despite intense searches, nothing conclusive has ever surfaced. Some think he drowned. Others believe he may have started a new life. In 2025, private investigators and sonar experts continue searching.
More on this case: Bryce Laspisa Missing Person Info
The Sodder Children: A Christmas Night That Never Ended
On Christmas Eve 1945, the Sodder family’s West Virginia home caught fire. George and Jennie escaped with four of their children. The other five? Gone. This is one of the oldest cases among the 5 unsolved disappearances that still baffle police in 2025.
The Suspicious Evidence:
No remains were ever found. A ladder George always kept nearby was missing. A family truck wouldn’t start. Someone had also cut the phone lines. All strange for a house fire that burned for under an hour.
The Ongoing Investigation:
The Sodders believed their children were kidnapped. Over the years, they received mysterious letters and a photo allegedly showing one of the sons as an adult. The parents never gave up hope.
Why It Still Baffles Police:
Experts say a fire might destroy bones, but combined with all the other oddities? Something doesn’t add up. In 2025, forensic analysts are still trying to trace leads from old evidence using modern DNA tools.
More background: Smithsonian Magazine’s take on the Sodder mystery
Brian Shaffer: A Night Out with No Way Back
March 31, 2006. Brian Shaffer, a medical student in Columbus, Ohio, went out to celebrate spring break. He was seen entering the Ugly Tuna Saloona. He was never seen coming out. His is one of the more modern entries in the 5 unsolved disappearances that still baffle police in 2025.
The Impossible Disappearance:
Surveillance footage showed Brian entering, but not exiting. Every possible doorway was covered by cameras. Authorities reviewed hours of video. Nothing.
The Investigation Challenges:
His phone went dead. His credit cards were never used again. Friends said he was in good spirits. There’s no evidence he was drunk or planning to vanish.
Theories and Dead Ends:
Some believe he was attacked inside and removed through a blind spot. Others think he left via an unmonitored staff exit. In 2025, facial recognition software is being used on old footage to look for missed clues.
You can read more here: Brian Shaffer’s Case on The Charley Project
Asha Degree: The Girl Who Walked into the Night
On a stormy night in February 2000, 9-year-old Asha Degree left her home in North Carolina. She walked out while everyone was asleep. Witnesses saw a child walking alone near Highway 18. Then, she was gone. This is perhaps the most heartbreaking of the 5 unsolved disappearances that still baffle police in 2025.
The Puzzling Circumstances:
Asha was afraid of storms and the dark. She wasn’t the type to run away. Her family was loving and stable. Her departure made no sense.
Evidence Found:
Her school supplies were found scattered near the highway. Years later, her bookbag turned up buried at a construction site 26 miles away. It was wrapped in plastic and contained unfamiliar clothing.
Why It’s Still a Mystery:
Thousands of tips have poured in, yet no solid leads. The FBI continues to pursue DNA testing on recovered items. In 2025, they’re using ancestry databases to explore possible abductor profiles.
More details: FBI’s page on Asha Degree
Maura Murray: The Vanishing Point
On February 9, 2004, Maura Murray’s car was found crashed along a snowy stretch of Route 112 in New Hampshire. A bus driver offered help. She declined. Minutes later, police arrived. She was gone. Her story is one of the internet’s most-discussed mysteries and a key case among the 5 unsolved disappearances that still baffle police in 2025.
The Mysterious Context:
Before her disappearance, Maura lied to her professors, saying there was a family death. There wasn’t. She withdrew cash, packed her things, and vanished into a rural landscape.
The Crash and Aftermath:
The car was locked. Her belongings were inside. No footprints in the snow. Search teams, dogs, helicopters—all found nothing.
Why It Still Haunts Investigators:
From possible foul play to voluntary disappearance, theories abound. In 2025, digital forensics experts are analyzing her online activity from archived internet data, trying to build a better profile.
More coverage: Maura Murray’s Official Missing Website
Each case leaves behind more questions than answers. Despite decades of technological advancement, these mysteries remain. But why?
Lack of Physical Evidence:
Search teams, cadaver dogs, drones, divers. Still, nothing. It’s hard to believe.
Behavioral Clues That Go Nowhere:
Each missing person acted out of character before vanishing. But none left clues that made their motives clear.
Vanishing Points in Time:
Storms, late nights, lonely highways, and second-floor bars. They all disappear at moments when you’d expect someone—anyone—to notice.
Tech That Was Just a Step Behind:
A few years later and we might’ve had better surveillance, GPS, or digital footprints. These 5 unsolved disappearances that still baffle police in 2025 happened in those blurry years where tech wasn’t quite ready.
How Modern Tech Could Still Crack These Cases
Genealogical DNA searches have already helped solve some cold cases once thought hopeless. In 2025, investigators rely heavily on social media activity, crowd-sourced tips, and artificial intelligence to comb through old records and surveillance footage.
The persistence of amateur detectives, online forums, and podcasts keeps these cases alive. Someone out there might still know something. Sometimes it just takes one person willing to come forward.
Final Thoughts
These 5 unsolved disappearances that still baffle police in 2025 remain active, open, and deeply unsettling. For families, each passing year hurts—but hope never fades entirely.
If you know anything, even a fragment of information, consider reaching out to local authorities or national hotlines. You never know what piece of the puzzle might finally fit.
Resources:
Have a case you think belongs on Cryptic Confessions? Get in touch and share the stories that still haunt you. We’re always looking for the next mystery to explore.
Because as these 5 unsolved disappearances that still baffle police in 2025 prove—some people just vanish, and the world never quite moves on.
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