Instructions

Overview on Templates

This site is in the early stages of development and I'm really sorry for not creating a much easier way of adding cases, but until I can get this site working correctly and easier, I'm sorry. There will be a instruction page for adding links eventually, but to write future case-files (until I can get a template page going), the easiest thing to do to paste/click one of the already established case files and alter the info to the new case. Originally, I had several page templates to use, but over time, they've been updated and revised. Right now, the best way is to use one of the already established cases as templates (altering and renaming it to the new case) until I can get the bugs fixed. The various templates are nearly identical with obvious variations, but here's a general over view of how the standard template works, erasing the instructions in <...> :

Real Name: <full name of the character(s) here>
Nicknames: <known nicknames or aliases>
Location: <US State, Canadian province, country or area the case occurs, no abbreviations preferred>
Date: <date or dates of the cases>

Details: <main body of text except for the following>
Suspects: <in this case, suspects in the case or theories thereof>
Extra Notes: <any and all notes not directly tied to the case: date of episode, behind the scenes facts, other series the case has appeared on - check out this case for Amy Bradley>
Results: <Unsolved/Solved/Unresolved/Wanted/Captured with accompanying facts>
Links: <any possible exterior links or exterior links used to create the case file>

Please be aware that for cross-referencing purposes, all cases are provided with category links by:

Year
State or Country or Region
Case Status
Case Themes (themes prevalent through several episodes in the series)

Category links are meant to be used in the linking of cases, not the results. Do not use category links relating to the updates. Furthermore, in addition to cases being Solved, Unsolved, Wanted or Captured, this site uses the category Unresolved for cases where certain circumstances have to yet be answered; particularly where fugitives have taken their lives before brought to justice or where the fates of lost loved ones have been answered, but their remains have yet to be found.

Naming Convention

Case Names: Be sure you have a decent name for the case that isn't too vague (rejected: "Case of the Missing Heir" better: "Heirs of Katherine Bennett") and therefore can't be confused with another case. In other words, use a name that definitely identifies the case. When in doubt, peruse the case file lists for what name is already being used. A few examples:

Brayman Road Attacker
Shannon Davis
Michael Scott Martin
Tami Leppert
The Signal Mountain Murders

Note I am using the simplest most basic name for the file. It is acceptable to describe the same case under different categories. The Shannon Davis case can be listed under Unsolved Murders as: Shannon Davis or under Most Wanted as David Davis as long as they are cross-linked. When the spelling of the character name is in doubt, include the extra notes under comments in the case description or use the variant name under aliases, as in Mafuz Huck. (Due to time in trying to get this site user friendly, I'll still be adapting as things go on.) If you think a case can be better identified by another title, you can contact me and we can discuss it. Bear in mine, several cases have been grouped and linked together under one name even though they are listed separately. See Obia-Man.

Case Themes: Be sure to include as many links to cross-reference and identify cases as possible for visitors to the site to identify cases they might only have a few details on. For example: the The Signal Mountain Murders includes:

Category: Tennessee
Category: 1990
Category: Solved
Category: ATV-Related cases

Eventually this site will have categories to cross-reference cases with common states, years, vehicles and objects as well as by status (Solved, Unsolved, Unresolved, Wanted, Captured, et al) Hopefully with your help we can put together a site that will list every segment from the series and cross-reference for easy identification.

If you do not have immediate full details for a detailed case file here, please provide as much as you are aware of that someone else can recognize the case and add to it. If you are the type easiliy offended by others editing your work, this is not the site for you.

Watch your grammar and spelling and do not include any profanity. There is no excuse for this.

Case Placement

For clarity and aesthetic purposes, I have summarized the cases in the series into the following categories:

Most Wanted - This page lists all the fugitives and people wanted for questioning for crimes they were connected to.
Unsolved Murders - This page lists all the unsolved deaths and murders lacking identification of the killers.
Lost Loved Ones - This page lists missing persons, lost loved ones and friends lost from the lives of others.
Unsolved Mysteries - This page is for all the cases that don't fit in the first three: lost identity cases, harassment cases, criminal mysteries...
Legends - This page is for all the Ghosts, UFO stories, Buried Treasure and Historical Cases featured in the series. (Athough, two murder cases with paranormal connections and one disappearance with UFO overtures have been included.)

During the series, there were cases identified as "Sci/Med" or "The Investigators." Since even those segments featured unsolved cases, I have placed them under the previous four categories. For example, the Jack Davis Jr. from the profile on Dr. Cyril Wecht is under the Unsolved Murders category with an accompanying note on the case file.

However, several cases I have cross referenced under more than one category for convenience state. The theft of the Stahl Paintings, for example, has been featured under Lost Loved Ones since it is the disappearance of a physical object, under Unsolved Mysteries since the case was so unique for category placement and under Most Wanted since the thieves that perpetrated the theft still remain uncaught.

Pictures and Photos

I do hope to add more photos soon. You are welcome to add them if you are already familiar with how Wikia works. I'd much prefer if anyone adds photos to promise they are your own and not stolen from other websites. I don't need that kind of trouble.

I'd much prefer anyone who adds to this site to create an account to keep track with their additions and for contact purposes, but I'm not making this mandatory. Having an account is useful, but I'm not going to force you to do it. It's your choice.

Note: Cosgrove-Meuer Productions, The NBC Network, Lifetime-TV or Spike-TV recently reviving the series does not recognize this site. Please describe cases in your own words only; do not repeat copied material from the Unsolved Mysteries website or any other website.

Other Case Files

At this time, I've included a few cases not listed in the Unsolved Mysteries episode list, which: 1) have been connected to other cases on the series, such as the Natalee Holloway case to the Amy Bradley disappearance, or 2) have been credited as appearing on Unsolved Mysteries, but can't be confirmed, such as the Kerri Culberson case. If there is reason to believe that such a case may not have been on the show, please indicate this under Notes in the case file. Since there is a finite number of cases even for the series for this site, I've created a separate page for Suggested Unsolved Mysteries Cases under Suggestions in an effort to get more fans of the show interested in the site. In order to add such a case, write the case in the format style of the case files already on the site, substituting the site or reference of the material in Notes for the episode date, and don't forget to use the proper tags (those cross referencing tools at the bottom linking cases). The suggested order is by Location, Case Type, Case Theme(s) and Status. If you don't know how to create the links and tabs, send me a message and I'll help you through it.

For any other questions, please contact me on my Talk Page.