MetaFilter posts tagged with mystery and suicide

The most kissed girl in the world

blahblahblah — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 09:43:05 -0800

In the 1890s, an unknown woman was found drowned in the Seine. Known as the l'Inconnue de la Seine, her death mask became a fixture in the homes of artists and writers, and her look the ideal of the age. Many have speculated on her identity, and she has inspired a long list of artistic works by Nabokov, Rilke, Man Ray, and others. She has since become the "most kissed girl in the world" thanks to the Norwegian toymaker that used her mask to create Resusci Anne, the standard CPR doll.

Who Killed Father Ryan?

matteo — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 08:59:33 -0800

"In those days, there wasn't a lot of talk about gay priests. People didn't want to believe it." On Dec. 4, 1982, a deeply suntanned man, about 40 years old, walked into the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Boise, Idaho, and readied himself for confession. As he waited, the man swallowed a cyanide capsule. A few minutes later, he was dead. He had no identification, and a note in his pocket said only that the $1,900 he carried should be used for his burial, with any remainder donated to the church. The note was signed with what turned out to be a false name. To this day, no one has been able to identify the man, nor to determine why he had come to the church to absolve himself of his sins. On the answers to that mystery may hang the fate of a small, quiet, meticulous man who now lives in South Austin, and who spent 20 years in a Texas prison for a murder he says he did not commit, but which investigators believe may be connected to the dead man at the Boise Sacred Heart Catholic Church. More inside.

Let Her Dance, Let Her Dance, Ket Her Dance All Night Long....

jonmc — Fri, 07 May 2004 20:23:16 -0800

Bobby Fuller was a Texas based rock and roll singer best known for the immortal rebel anthem "I Fought The Law,". Considered by many to be the heir to Buddy Holly as the king of Texas Rock, he built on Holly's style with songs like the aforementioned "...Law," "Jenny Lee," "Love's Made A Fool Of You," and the 2 1/2 minute masterpiece "Let Her Dance." And then it ended, at age 22, in very weird circumstances. Over the years, interest in Fuller and his work has ebbed and flowed, and plenty of archival material surfaced, but the mystery of his death remains unsolved, although many have speculated. Ann odd end for a footnote character in rick history, but who was bound for more

A questionable demise?

trondant — Tue, 02 Dec 2003 00:04:24 -0800

Kenneth Michael Trentadue was found dead in his cell in 1995, and ruled a suicide despite sloppy handling of evidence and other eyebrow-raisers. DOJ's Civil Rights Division punted in 1997, and it was again ruled suicide in 1999 by their Office of the Inspector General. Last week, an AP story said the DOJ's Public Integrity Section would be taking the matter up yet again. While there are plenty of fringe sources in a google search on his full name, there seems to be enough in the mainstream to support the notion that something doesn't add up.