Amtrak crash
Real Name: Arizona Amtrak Derailment
Case: Murder, Attempted Murder, Terrorism
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Date: August 9, 1995
Case
Details: In the fall of 1995, an Amtrak train derailed near Phoenix, Arizona and left many injured and left train car attendant Mitchell Bates dead. Police later determined that an unknown person layed out a spike strip on the tracks prior to the accident to purposely derail it and cause injury and harm to those aboard the Amtrak. The investigation into the crime found parallels to an unsolved 1939 train derailment in Nevada. A book that covered the similar 1939 Nevada train derailment was published not long before the Arizona Amtrak derailment which led investigators to suspect that the book might have inspired someone to commit the same heinous act. Despite their theory, investigators never concluded whether or not there was a link between the 1939 Nevada crash and the 1995 Arizona crash.
Mitchell Bates
Suspects: The only clues found near the crash were several identical copies of a printed letter that attacked the Federal Government and mentioned a group called "The Sons of the Gestapo". However, investigators never found any further evidence that the group even existed. There are still no suspects in this case.
Extra Notes: This case ran on the May 10, 1996 episode of Unsolved Mysteries.
Results: Wanted
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