Why Was a Pickle Jar Left Behind?! #unsolvedmysteries #truecrime #crimejunkie | Forensic Files

Here's a question for you. Why would an intruder leave pickles behind? The night
before Rachel Hansen was shot, somebody broke into her apartment while she was asleep. They didn't steal anything. They
didn't hurt her. They just ran when she woke up. But they did leave something behind in the kitchen. This brand new
unopened jar of kosher dill pickles. Now, Rachel thought this incident was strange but harmless. maybe just
somebody who was looking for her former subletter. But then the next night, she's murdered in that same apartment.
And days later, when Rachel's parents were allowed to go back into the apartment, the pickle jar was still
sitting on the counter. So, they assumed that police like fingerprinted it or at
least photographed it. But they hadn't. Her mom later asked detectives about it and they said, "What pickle jar?"
I believe someone within the department at least knew about the pickles because there is this body cam clip where an
officer walks through the apartment at some point and says no pickles and that's it. No evidence log, no photos,
no testing. And I wonder why something like that left behind, something especially something as strange as this
was not treated as evidence.

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Brief Summary

Rachel Hansen was murdered after an intruder left a jar of pickles in her apartment, raising questions about police evidence handling.

Key points

The Mysterious Pickle Jar. An intruder leaves a jar of pickles behind before a murder occurs.
A Shocking Murder. Rachel Hansen is murdered the night after the strange break-in.
The Police's Oversight. Detectives fail to document the pickle jar, raising questions about the investigation.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Why would an intruder leave pickles behind?

Opening question that sets the stage for the mystery.

WatchFeb 25, 2026

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