Netflix’s unsolved mysteries were released on July 1 and have already made viewers speak.
The 12-part series, which is a reboot of the original NBC and CBS docuseries that first aired in 1987, looks at a series of unsolved mysteries, from the trauma of unexplained disappearance to the horrible death of a loved one. to the shock of a strange paranormal encounter.
The first episode, titled “Mystery on the Rooftop”, explores Rey Rivera’s death in 2006.
The 32-year-old newlywed was last seen alive on May 16, 2006, before his body was found six days later in an abandoned room in the second-floor annex of the Belvedere Hotel in Baltimore.
So what exactly happened to him? What was in the note Rey left? And who exactly is Porter Stansberry?
Here are all the theories behind the unsolved case, and some of the unanswered questions.
Theory one: “Rivera was killed”
One of the main theories, and toward which Baltimore officials seemed to lean, is that Rivera died of suicide.
Having broken through the ceiling of the room where he was found, Rivera was assumed to have been killed.
On the Reddit page Unsolved Mysteries, one user pointed to the “strange” note that Rivera had left as evidence that he was someone with an undiagnosed mental illness.
It began with a wording related to Freemasonry: “Brothers and sisters, volcanoes are erupting all over the world now, what an amazing sight”, and it also contained a long list of family and celebrities that Rivera wanted to do “five years younger ” The note had been folded very small and taped to the back of his computer.
However, a number of factors led to his death being declared “unexplainable” and many doubted whether he had actually committed suicide.
In the episode, his loved ones insist that he would have been misplaced and emphasized that he exhibited no signs of mental distress at the time of his death.
Rivera had just had a new lease on life: a beautiful wedding with his wife Allison and a steady job with his friend Porter Stansberry.
There is also a possibility that the letter was written in code, if Rivera really had ties to the Freemasons, so many cannot make sense of it.
Theory two: “Things were staged”
In the first episode, reporters and detectives expressed doubts that Rivera fell through the ceiling. There were three potential jump points at the hotel: the upper roof, the parking lot, and the 11th floor ledge.
Many were skeptical of the first two, as it would have been too high or too far for him to land through the ceiling of the meeting room.
The 11th floor theory would only be possible if Rivera walked through a room or office since none of the hallways led to the ledge. Still, the windows in the room were very small and no one mentioned seeing it.
In addition to this, the rooftop camera was also disconnected, adding more mystery to the case.
Some other evidence didn’t make sense either, two of which were that Rivera’s phone and glasses were intact when they found it.
The forces that killed Rivera caused serious damage to his body, making it seem strange to people that no scratch was found on those items, leading many to speculate that they were staged and that someone had also placed the Rivera’s body below the hole.
The coroner also told Rivera’s wife that the way his shins were broken was not consistent with a fall.
Theory three: “Rivera lost someone money”
Another important theory revolves around Rivera’s work with Agora Inc, with whom the Stansberry company is affiliated.
Rivera wrote the Rebound Report for an Agora division, but according to WBAL-TV Baltimore, he was not happy with his work because some of the actions he wrote about were not rebounding, which meant loss of money for anyone who bought them due to your Council.
In the fall of 2005 Rivera left Agora full time and began producing videos for the company under contract.
Because his film career was not paying the bills, Rivera and his wife moved from Southern California to Baltimore.
Here, he worked with his old high school water polo friend, Porter Stansberry, who had his own financial newsletter business.
Rivera assisted with the Stansberry business in various capacities as a freelance writer and cameraman.
Before hiring Rivera, the Stansberry company was already under investigation. According to The Baltimore Sun, the company was ordered to pay $ 1.5 million in restitution and civil penalties for “disseminating false information about stocks and defrauding public investors through a financial bulletin.” Stansberry denied wrongdoing.
In the week of his disappearance, Rivera’s house alarm went off twice. And the night he disappeared, Rivera received a call from work, but it was impossible to determine who had called him because the call came from a switchboard.
As the case unfolded, Stansberry was said to have obtained a gag order to prevent employees from legally speaking about Rivera.
No one from Agora has been implicated in Rivera’s death. According to Unsolved Mysteries, company personnel were advised not to discuss the case with the media or the police, and Stansberry has continuously declined to be interviewed.
Rivera’s brother Angel suggested that someone powerful might have lost a lot of money after one of his posts came out.
What exactly was in Rivera’s note?
Different theories have led viewers to ask questions, one of them being the content of the letter Rey left behind.
According to 11 News, the note was directed at brothers and sisters and referred to a well-played game.
He named the people who had died, including actor Christopher Reeve and filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. It also contained a long list of people Rivera knew and was related to, with a request that she and they be five years younger.
The note introduced an element of the case that involved Rivera’s apparent interest in Masons, as it began and ended with phrases used in the Masonic order.
Was Rivera connected to the Freemasons?
Another question that Rey’s death has raised is whether he was connected to the Freemasons, due to the “coded” element of his letter.
Rivera’s family and friends said his fascination with the Freemasons focused on his reputation as an organization with secrets, and in the Netflix episode, Rivera’s interest in the group is covered.
However, according to WBALTV, there were more details about Rivera’s interest in the Masons.
In a report, the publication stated that Rivera had spoken to a member of the Maryland lodge to ask about joining.
And the weekend before his disappearance, he spent time reading the book The Builders, a bricklaying studio.
They add that on the day of Rivera’s disappearance, he went to a bookstore and bought the book Freemasons for Dummies.
Who Is Porter Stansberry? And where is the now?
Born in 1970, Stansberry was Rivera’s childhood friend and is known as an author and financial editor.
After they both set different paths later in life, The Cinemaholic notes that Stansberry did not want to part ways with his friendship with Rivera. He persuaded Rivera to move to Baltimore with his wife to join his company.
Stansberry, who is now in his 50s, continues to live in Baltimore, Maryland, as the founder of Stansberry Research.
He is also editor of the online magazine American Consequences, which launched in 2017.
Viewers of Unsolved Mystery have been interested in whether he spoke about Rivera’s death.
At the beginning of the episode, Rivera’s wife, Alison, mentioned that she offered a £ 1,000 reward for anyone who may have seen Rivera during the days of her disappearance.
However, the program suggests that it has made no further comment and that it maintains your privacy.
Unsolved Mysteries is available to stream on Netflix. See our lists of the best TV shows on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix, or see what else is in our TV Guide.
