Current: Cold case in the USA: Body identified after 47 years

Almost 50 years after the discovery of a frozen man's body in a mountain cave in the northeast of the USA, forensic scientists have been able to identify the dead man. The man is 27-year-old Nicolas Paul Grubb from Fort Washington in the state of Pennsylvania, the responsible coroner announced. “This identification brings the family the long-awaited clarification,” said chief forensic scientist John Fielding.

Hikers discovered the body in January 1977 in a cave on the famous Appalachian Trail. The dead man was far too lightly dressed for the cold season, police said at the time. An autopsy at the time determined that the man had died of a drug overdose and that no third party had been at fault.

Years-long mystery surrounding the «Pinnacle Man»

However, he could not be identified and the case became an unsolved cold case. Since the location where he was found in Berks County near the Pinnacle mountain peak became known, the mystery of the “Pinnacle Man” has been discussed ever since.

In 2019, the last ones were even exhumed because a clue seemed to lead to two missing persons cases. DNA samples were taken at the time – but were unsuccessful. The attempt to reconstruct the man's face as a drawing using modern technology also failed.

The persistence of an investigator ultimately led to success, as the forensic medicine department announced a few days ago: Among stacks of old files, the officer recently found the file containing the man's original fingerprints, which had been thought to be lost for decades.

The police only had copies, which investigators said were not sufficient for a comparison. The prints were entered into the missing persons database – and Grubb was identified in less than an hour. “That was good, old-fashioned police work,” said a spokesman for the coroner's office.

Investigations continue nonetheless

It turned out that the 27-year-old had served in the National Guard for a while. Much remains a mystery, however – including the exact circumstances of his death. At the time, investigators believed it was a drug-related suicide, but today's forensic scientists doubt this, as the deputy chief of the medical examiner's office in Berks County told the Washington Post (Wednesday edition). The investigation into the case is therefore continuing.

SDA