(Photo : Public Domain Pictures)

Murder cases and strange disappearances often have curious details that hook in crime enthusiasts and obsessives. Some cases are solved after years of exhaustive investigations. Unfortunately, other cases do not see the light. 

Jesse Galganov

Jesse Galganov was a 22-year-old Canadian citizen who mysteriously disappeared while on a solo trip to Peru in 2017. 

Jesse had just graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut when he flew to Peru to hike the 31-mile Santa Cruz trail through the Cordillera Blanca Mountains. He spent a good part of his summer planning for his trip, including conducting research and mapping out his travel. 

The Jewish Montrealer left Montreal on September 24, 2017. He soon arrived in Peru and checked himself in at a backpackers' hostel.

On September 28, he told his mother he would be unable to communicate with her for a few days as he planned to start his venture along the hiking trail. He repeatedly assured his mother he will connect with her after October 2. 

That was the last anybody ever heard from him. 

His mother, who was a lawyer, flew to Peru and worked with local police to investigate her son's disappearance. The ensuing investigation brought to light sketchy details about Jesse's disappearance.

The hostel he stayed in initially confirmed seeing Jesse, but later changed the statement and said Jesse had never checked in. However, investigators received a Snapchat from Jesse's friend that allegedly showed he was at the hostel. 

(Photo : Bookmundi)
An overview of the Santa Cruz hiking trail

Investigators also found the registration log of the Santa Cruz trail was missing. It was later found out the people working on the trail that day were not employees of the park. 

Mule drivers who frequented the trail were also reluctant to help in the investigation, largely due to their fear that their community would be blamed should Jesse's body be found on the trail. 

A search-and-rescue team was requested to help scour the trail for any evidence of disturbance, but they found nothing. 

A search through social media yielded two French hikers who were on the trail the same day Galganov was. The travelers said Jesse seemed disoriented and dehydrated when they saw him. They also claimed he was suffering from diarrhea and visual issues. Jesse reportedly spent a night at the campsite. 

The travelers said Galganov continued his journey on the trail the next morning. Several other hikers confirmed seeing the Canadian along the trail. He was last seen at the Punta Union pass. 

To this day, no one knows what happened to Jesse Galganov. 

Rainbow Maniac

(Photo : Unsplash)

A wave of homophobic murders hit Sao Paulo in 2008, casting a shadow on one of Latin America's most tolerant cities. 

The LGBTQ+ community in Sao Paulo were filled with fear after local authorities revealed they were hunting for a serial killer who was linked to as many as 16 murders involving the gay community. 

The Rainbow Maniac was said to be responsible for the murders of 13 men in Carapicuiba. The victims were killed in a park widely known as a gay meeting point. 3 other men were killed in the city of Osasco using the same murder weapon. 

Most victims were found dumped in the undergrowth with a .38 bullet lodged in the back of the head. The authorities also discovered the victims with their trousers wrapped around their knees.  

Authorities arrested a 46-year-old retired police sergeant after witnesses saw him shooting the 13th victim twelve times. He was also said to be a frequent visitor to the park. 

The suspect was released on August 23, 2011, after a jury declared him not guilty. No one has been arrested since.

Parallel Universe

(Photo : Pixabay)

Perhaps the most mind-boggling case of disappearance happened in the early 1970s when a professor vanished without a trace.

According to reports, a professor from the University of Andes was seen by multiple witnesses walking to his car. Witnesses who were on campus that day said the unnamed professor chatted with people on the way to his car.

Police say he waved at a group of students before climbing into the driver's seat. He has never been seen since. 

The students became curious after the car remained stationary after a while. When they went to investigate, they were surprised to find the car empty. Investigators who were brought in did not find any possible clue to the professor's whereabouts.

Various theories surfaced, with the most popular theory involving a "parallel universe." Many believe the professor was pulled into a parallel universe when he got in his vehicle, a theory backed by scientists in 2015 when they allegedly found evidence of "eternal inflation." 

Eternal inflation means other universes, including ours, float in and out of reach of one another. Scientists who conducted the search said this proves parallel universes exist. 

The professor remains missing to this day.

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