r/coldcases

May 2nd, 2001. A woman is beaten in the foyer of her own home in Chevy Chase, Maryland — then dragged upstairs, into her own shower, where her killer tries to wash away what he's done. She fights back hard enough to leave his blood under her fingernails. Police have his DNA. They just don't have his name. For 23 years, her husband lives under a cloud of suspicion he can never shake — and dies never knowing the truth. Her daughter grieves, moves on, builds a life. What nobody in that family knows is that the killer never really left. He'd sat at their dinner table. He'd gone on their family trips. He was her daughter's boyfriend — for five years. And the thing that finally caught him, after two decades of nothing? A water bottle. Thrown in a trash can. At an airport.

I didn't just read words; I bled into them. I narrated this story to leave a mark. Do me a favor and subscribe, because this level of effort deserves a following.

https://youtu.be/dzEteqf0QzQ

SEEKING INFORMATION — Justin Pollari

Missing from Hilton Beach, St. Joseph Island, Ontario — December 7, 2001

Justin Pollari was 14 years old when he disappeared from Hilton Beach on St. Joseph Island on December 7, 2001. He has never been found. He would be 39 years old today.

We are a licensed private investigator working on behalf of Justin’s family, and we are actively investigating this case. New information has recently come to light that we believe can move this investigation forward — but we need your help.

What we know:

On the evening of December 7, 2001, Justin was at the Hilton Beach Community Hall with a group of friends. He was last seen there that night. Earlier that same day, he was seen at a local restaurant called Chez Janine’s in Hilton Beach.

Who we are looking for:

🔹 Anyone who was at the Hilton Beach Community Hall on the evening of December 7, 2001

🔹 Anyone who saw Justin at Chez Janine’s or anywhere else in Hilton Beach on December 7, 2001

🔹 Anyone who knew Justin, his friends, or his family during the time they lived at Hilton Beach on St. Joseph Island

🔹 Anyone who knew Justin from school, the skating community, or anywhere else on the island

🔹 Anyone who has any information about Justin’s whereabouts after the evening of December 7, 2001

🔹 Anyone who saw Justin riding a bicycle through the Echo Bay area at any point after his disappearance

🔹 Anyone who may have seen a young man matching Justin’s description in the Sault Ste. Marie area in December 2001 — Justin had blonde hair worn in a Mohawk style, blue eyes, stood approximately 5’9”, and was known to skateboard

Justin’s family has waited 24 years for answers. His friends have never stopped thinking about him. If you know anything — no matter how small or insignificant it might seem — please reach out.

All information is treated in complete confidence. You do not need to go to police to share what you know — you can come directly to us first.

📩 Contact Jay Nicoll, Nicoll Investigations:

jaynicoll@protonmail.com

289-923-7302

nicollinvestigations.ca

You can also submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers:

1-800-222-TIPS (8477)

or online at canadiancrimestoppers.org

OPP case reference: RM01176313

This appeal is posted on behalf of Justin’s mother, Lori Smith, who has never stopped searching for her son.

https://gofund.me/71f18404f

I've recently been researching the Setagaya Family Murders, and it's honestly one of the most unbelievable unsolved cases I've ever come across. Unlike many cold cases where investigators have very little evidence to work with, this one is the complete opposite. The killer left behind DNA, fingerprints, blood, clothing, shoe prints, personal belongings, and even remained inside the victims' home for hours after the murders. Despite all of this, more than two decades have passed, and no one has ever been identified or arrested.

The case took place on the night of December 30, 2000, in the quiet Setagaya district of Tokyo, Japan. The victims were the Miyazawa family: Mikio Miyazawa (44), Yasuko Miyazawa (41), their daughter Niina (8), and their son Rei (6). They lived in a detached home and were preparing to celebrate the New Year. By all accounts, they were an ordinary family with no known enemies.

Investigators believe the killer entered the house by climbing a tree beside the property and removing the screen from a second-floor bathroom window. According to police, the first victim was likely six-year-old Rei, who was asleep upstairs. When Mikio confronted the intruder, a violent struggle followed. The attacker initially used a sashimi knife, but it broke during the fight. The killer then took a knife from the family's own kitchen and continued the attack. Yasuko and Niina were also murdered inside the home.

The following morning, Yasuko's mother became concerned after she couldn't contact the family. When she entered the house, she discovered all four victims dead. Police were called immediately, beginning what would become one of Japan's largest and most perplexing murder investigations.

What makes this case so extraordinary is what happened after the murders. Instead of fleeing, the killer stayed inside the house for several hours. Investigators believe the person used the family's computer, ate ice cream from the refrigerator, drank tea, treated an injury using the family's first-aid supplies, changed clothes, and even used the toilet without flushing. Every minute spent inside the house resulted in more evidence being left behind.

Police recovered DNA believed to belong to the killer, along with fingerprints, bloodstains, and shoe prints. The blood indicated that the attacker had been injured during the struggle with Mikio. Investigators also found clothing, a hip bag, shoes, a scarf, gloves, and other personal belongings that had apparently been left behind by the offender. The shoe prints were traced to a specific model of Slazenger athletic shoes, approximately 27.5 cm in size, which had only been sold in limited quantities in Japan.

Another unusual discovery was sand found inside the suspect's hip bag. Investigators traced it to material associated with the Mojave Desert region of California through manufacturing or distribution, although this did not prove the killer had personally traveled there. Police have also publicly stated that DNA analysis suggested the suspect may have had mixed ancestry, possibly including East Asian and European heritage. However, investigators have emphasized that this estimate is not conclusive and does not identify a specific individual.

Over the years, Japanese investigators have compared the DNA and fingerprints against millions of records, followed thousands of leads, and re-examined the evidence using advances in forensic technology. Despite the remarkable amount of physical evidence available, the investigation has never produced a confirmed suspect. Every year, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police continue to appeal to the public for information, and the case officially remains open.

One of the reasons this case continues to fascinate people around the world is because it seems almost impossible that someone could leave behind so much evidence and still remain unidentified. Unlike many unsolved murders where there are no witnesses, no DNA, or no physical clues, this investigation contains an extraordinary amount of forensic material. Yet, after more than twenty years, the identity of the killer remains one of Japan's greatest mysteries.

For anyone interested in examining the official evidence, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have made a considerable amount of information publicly available, including photographs of items left behind by the killer, shoe prints, maps, floor plans, and details from the investigation.

Wikipedia Case Overview

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setagaya_family_murder

BBC Coverage

https://www.bbc.com/search?q=Setagaya+family+murder

The Japan Times Coverage

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/search/?q=Setagaya+family+murder

After reading through the evidence, I'm curious to hear other people's thoughts. Is there anything in the publicly available information that stands out? Is there a detail that seems overlooked, or a piece of evidence that deserves more attention? Please keep the discussion focused on verified facts and avoid accusing private individuals without evidence.

Check out this true crime documentary on 6-year-old Morgan Nick, who vanished from a Little League baseball game in Alma, Arkansas — and for nearly 30 years, her case went unsolved. This is the full story of how one mother never stopped fighting, and how a single strand of blonde hair finally broke the case wide open. yt: https://youtu.be/EozDhvkpl2U?si=csCmIDDDRqF_5jEH

Please like and leave a comment to support the creator on YouTube.

Check out this true crime documentary on 12-year-old Mary Teresa Simpson here: https://youtu.be/AjHnmJPKo-A?si=Rj9E-GBWqE_Ygkok and share your valuable thoughts, and leave a like.