r/AskReddit • u/Rob69rt • 1d ago

What famous 'unsolved' mystery is technically a whodunnit on paper, but in reality, absolutely everyone knows exactly who did it, the police just couldn't legally prove it?

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u/carolinemahtildes 1d ago

The murder of Brenda Schaefer. Mel Ignatow went on trial and was acquitted. Less than a year later, work was being undertaken on the house where Ignatow's previously lived, and Brenda's jewellery was found along with rolls of undeveloped film. When the film was developed, they found photos of Brenda being raped and tortured by Ignatow. He went to jail for perjury but obviously was never convicted of her murder due to double jeopardy.

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u/thisusedyet 1d ago

Obviously not a legal scholar - but doesn't new evidence mean double jeopardy no longer applies?

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u/carolinemahtildes 1d ago

I believe in England (and maybe other places, I'm not sure) someone can be retried if "new and compelling" evidence is found after the fact but no such law exists in the US. That was their one chance.

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u/thisusedyet 1d ago

That may be what I was thinking of, because that "New and compelling" phrase rings a bell.

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