Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries dropped on July 1st and has already got viewers talking.
The 12-part series – which is a reboot of the original NBC and CBS docuseries which first aired in 1987 – looks at a range of unsolved mysteries from the trauma of a loved one’s unexplained disappearance or horrific death, to the shock of a bizarre paranormal encounter.
The first episode, titled “Mystery on the Rooftop” explores the 2006 death of Rey Rivera.
The 32-year-old newlywed was last seen alive on 16 May 2006, before his body was found six days later in an abandoned room in the second-story annex of the Belvedere Hotel in Baltimore.
So what exactly happened to him? What was in the note Rey left behind? And who exactly is Porter Stansberry?
Here’s all the theories behind the unsolved case, and some of the unanswered questions.
Theory one: “Rivera jumped to his death”
One of the leading theories, and the one Baltimore officials appeared to lean towards, is that Rivera died by suicide.
Having plunged through the roof of the room where he was found, it was assumed Rivera had jumped to his death.
On the Unresolved Mysteries Reddit page, one user pointed to the “bizarre” note Rivera had left as evidence that he was someone with an undiagnosed mental illness.
It began with Freemason-related wording — “brothers and sisters, around the world right now volcanoes are erupting, what an awesome sight” — and also contained a long list of family members and celebrities who Rivera wanted to make “five years younger”. The note had been folded up very small and taped to the back of his computer.
However, a number of factors led to his death being ruled as “unexplained” and many doubted whether he had in fact taken his own life.
In the episode, his loved ones insist that it would have been out of character and emphasised that he exhibited no signs of mental distress at the time of his death.
Rivera had just had a new lease on life — a lovely wedding to his wife Allison and a steady job with his friend Porter Stansberry.
There’s also a possibility that the letter could have been written in code, if Rivera did indeed have ties to the Masons, which is why many are unable to make sense of it.
Theory two: “Things were staged”
In the first episode, reporters and detectives expressed doubt about Rivera falling through the roof. There were three potential jumping points at the hotel: the very top roof, the parking garage, and the 11th-floor ledge.
Many were sceptical about the first two, as it would’ve been either too high or too far for him to land through the meeting room roof.
The 11th-floor theory would only be possible if Rivera went through a room or office since none of the hallways led to the ledge. Even so, the room windows were very small and no one mentioned seeing him.
As well as this, the camera on the rooftop was also disconnected, adding more mystery to the case.
Some other pieces of evidence also didn’t make sense, two of those being that Riveras phone and glasses were intact when he was found.
The forces that killed Rivera did severe damage to his body, so it struck people as odd that not a scratch could be found on those items, leading many to speculate that they were staged and that someone had positioned Rivera’s body beneath the hole as well.
The medical examiner also told Rivera’s wife that the way his shins were broken weren’t consistent with a fall.
Theory three: “Rivera lost someone money”
Another major theory revolves around Rivera’s work with Agora Inc, with whom Stansberry’s company is affiliated with.
Rivera wrote the Rebound Report for a division of Agora, but according to WBAL-TV Baltimore, he was unhappy about his work because some of the stocks he wrote about weren’t rebounding — which meant lost money for anyone who bought them based on his advice.
In the fall of 2005, Rivera left Agora full-time and began producing videos for the company under contract.
Because his filmmaking career wasn’t paying the bills, Rivera and his wife moved from Southern California to Baltimore.
Here, he worked with his old high school water polo buddy, Porter Stansberry, who had his own financial newsletter business.
Rivera helped with Stansberry’s business in several capacities as a writer and freelance videographer.
Before Rivera was hired, Stansberry’s company was already under investigation. According to The Baltimore Sun, the business was ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution and civil penalties for “disseminating false stock information and defrauding public investors through a financial newsletter.” Stansberry denied any wrongdoing.
On the week of his disappearance, Rivera’s home alarm went off two times. And on the night he went missing, Rivera picked up 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 talking about Rivera.
No one from Agora has ever been implicated in Rivera’s death. According to Unsolved Mysteries, the company’s staff was advised not to speak about the case with the media or law enforcement, and Stansberry has continually declined to be interviewed.
Rivera’s brother Angel suggested that someone powerful may have lost a lot of money after one of his publications got out.
What exactly was in Rivera’s note?
The different theories have led to viewers asking questions, one of those being the contents of the letter Rey left behind.
According to 11 News, the note was addressed to brothers and sisters and referred to a well-played game.
It named 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 to make them and himself five years younger.
The note introduced an element of the case that involved Rivera’s apparent interest in the Freemasons, as it began and ended with phrases used in the Masonic order.
Was Rivera connected to the Freemasons?
Another question 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 centred on their reputation as an organisation with secrets, and in the Netflix episode, Rivera’s interest in the group is covered.
However, according to WBALTV, there were more details on Rivera’s interest in the Freemasons.
In a report, the publication stated that Rivera had talked with a member of the Maryland lodge to inquire about joining.
And on the weekend before his disappearance, he spent time reading the book The Builders, a study of masonry.
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 he now?
Born in 1970, Stansberry was Rivera’s childhood friend and is known as an author and financial publisher.
After they’d both established different paths later in life, The Cinemaholic notes that Stansberry didn’t want to part 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 an editor of the online magazine American Consequences, which launched in 2017.
Viewers of Unsolved Mystery have become interested in whether he’s spoken out about Rivera’s death.
At the beginning of the episode, Rivera’s wife Alison mentioned that he offered a £1000 reward for anyone who might have seen Rivera during the days of his disappearance.
However, the show suggests that he hasn’t made any further comments and he maintains his privacy.
Unsolved Mysteries is available to stream on Netflix. Check out our lists of the best TV shows on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix, or see what else is on with our TV Guide.
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