Halloween cold cases: Decades of tragedies that remain open cases
Halloween is usually associated with costumes, decorations and children collecting candy. But for some families, the date carries a very different meaning. Over the years, several disturbing crimes have taken place around October 31, leaving victims dead and investigators with questions that have never been fully answered.
Some of these cases involve children taken from their homes. Others concern young adults who were violently killed in circumstances that left investigators searching for a motive. Although the cases differ, they share one painful reality: families have spent years waiting for answers.
Here are five victims whose stories remain connected to unresolved questions surrounding Halloween.
Martha Moxley: The Greenwich Murder That Shocked Connecticut
Date of attack: October 30, 1975
Location: Greenwich, Connecticut
Fifteen-year-old Martha Moxley was last known to be alive on the evening of October 30, 1975. The following day, her body was discovered beneath a tree on the grounds of her family’s property in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Martha had been beaten to death with a golf club. The brutality of the killing and the location of the crime quickly drew attention to the case. The Skakel family, who lived across the street, became part of the investigation. Their family connections to the Kennedy family added to the intense public interest.
Years later, Michael Skakel, a member of the Skakel family, was convicted of Martha’s murder in 2002 and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. However, his conviction was overturned in 2018 following years of legal proceedings. Prosecutors later decided not to retry him.
As a result, the case has never reached a final criminal conviction. Martha’s mother, Dorothy Moxley, spent decades seeking justice and keeping public attention on her daughter’s death. She died in September 2026 at the age of 92.
Despite the years of investigation and courtroom proceedings, Martha’s killing remains a case marked by unanswered questions.
Nima Louise Carter: The Toddler Taken From Her Crib
Date of disappearance: November 1, 1977
Location: Fort Sill, Oklahoma
Nima Louise Carter was only 19 months old when she disappeared from her crib on November 1, 1977. Her parents, George and Rose Carter, were asleep when someone entered their home and took the toddler.
For weeks, her family had no explanation for what had happened. The search ended in tragedy when Nima’s body was discovered inside a refrigerator in an abandoned house, only a few blocks from her home.
The discovery was particularly disturbing because the location was close to the neighbourhood where she had disappeared. Children reportedly came across the scene, and a soldier from Fort Sill alerted authorities.
No one has been charged with Nima’s abduction or killing.
Investigators and people familiar with the case have discussed the possible involvement of Jacqueline Roubideaux, a teenage babysitter who was convicted in the death of another child found inside a refrigerator. However, she never admitted responsibility for Nima’s death, and her involvement in this case has not been established.
Nima’s father also questioned whether Roubideaux was responsible. Despite the suspicions and theories surrounding the investigation, the person who abducted and killed the toddler has never been brought to justice.
Ronald Sisman and Elizabeth Platzman: A Double Murder in Manhattan
Date discovered: October 31, 1981
Location: Chelsea, Manhattan, New York
On Halloween 1981, police discovered the bodies of photographer Ronald Sisman, 39, and college student Elizabeth Platzman, 20, inside Sisman’s apartment in the Chelsea neighbourhood of Manhattan.
Both victims had been severely beaten and shot in the back of the head at close range. The apartment had been disturbed, and investigators reported that identifying documents had been removed from the victims.
The condition of the apartment raised questions about what had happened before the killings. Police considered robbery as a possible motive, but the circumstances did not provide a clear explanation.
There was reportedly no obvious sign of forced entry, leading investigators to consider whether Sisman might have known the person responsible. A .25-caliber handgun registered to Sisman was also missing.
Despite the investigation, authorities did not establish a clear motive or identify a person responsible for the double homicide.
The deaths of Sisman and Platzman remain a disturbing chapter in New York City’s crime history, with the reason for the attack still unclear.
Terrie L. Engel: A Fatal Fire on Halloween Night
Date: October 31, 1995
Location: West Allis, Wisconsin
On Halloween night in 1995, firefighters were called to the Windsong Village Apartments in West Allis, Wisconsin, after smoke was reported coming from a second-floor apartment.
Inside, they discovered the body of 26-year-old Terrie L. Engel. The apartment had been partially burned, but investigators found evidence that her death involved more than a fire.
Terrie Engel
Authorities determined that Engel had suffered injuries to her neck. The circumstances surrounding her death prompted a criminal investigation, but the person responsible was never identified.
Decades later, the West Allis Police Department renewed its appeal for information, hoping that someone might come forward with details that could help explain what happened.
The passage of time has not brought the answers Engel’s loved ones deserve. Her death remains an open investigation, and police continue to seek information from anyone who may know something about the case.
Why These Halloween Cases Still Matter
These cases span two decades and involve very different circumstances. A teenager was killed outside her home, a toddler was abducted from her crib, two adults were murdered inside an apartment, and a young woman was found dead after a residential fire.
The investigations also illustrate how difficult it can be to reach justice when evidence is limited, witnesses are unavailable or legal proceedings fail to produce a final conviction.
In Martha Moxley’s case, a conviction was overturned and no retrial followed. In the deaths of Nima Carter, Ronald Sisman, Elizabeth Platzman and Terrie Engel, no one has been held criminally responsible for the crimes described here.
For the families, these are not simply stories associated with a holiday. They are losses that continue to shape their lives long after the crime scenes have disappeared and the headlines have faded.
Halloween may come once a year, but for the families connected to these cases, the questions remain long after October 31 has passed.
Sources and Further Reading
- The New York Times – Police Seek Motive in Deaths of Student and a Photographer
- FOX 6 Milwaukee – West Allis 1995 Cold Case Death Investigation
- The Oklahoman – Reporting on the Nima Louise Carter case
- Associated Press – Reporting on the Martha Moxley investigation and legal proceedings
Editorial note: This article distinguishes between cases with no identified offender and cases in which a conviction was later overturned. Allegations and theories are not presented as proven facts.
