Almost fifty years ago, in the deep, snowy mountains of the Appalachians, a body was found frozen in a cave. The man, whom no one could identify, became known as “Pinnacle Man”, named after the mountain peak near where he was discovered by hikers in 1977. His face, possessions and clothing provided no clues. And his fate and identity remained a mystery that plagued both the authorities and the local community for decades. The authorities quickly concluded that there were no signs of criminal activity, and assumed that the man had taken his own life by overdose. But who was this man? During the autopsy, dental information and fingerprints were collected – but the fingerprints were misplaced – and all investigators were left with was a simple sketch and little else to go by. The Appalachian Trail is among the longest hiking trails in the world. More than 2 million people are said to walk parts of the trail in a year. The trail passes through 14 states, six national parks and several other protected areas. Photo: Robert F. Bukaty / AP Missing fingerprint solved the mystery Then, in August 2024, the police finally made a major breakthrough in the case. Ian Keck of the Pennsylvania State Police was digging through old archives when he found the long-missing fingerprint from the 1977 autopsy. Keck sent it to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), and in just 53 minutes, a fingerprint expert matched the fingerprints of Nicholas Paul Grubb. Nicholas Paul Grubb, a 27-year-old man from Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, had disappeared without a trace after a trip in 1977. When he was found, he was dressed in light clothing, without camping equipment or food, and there were clear signs that he had tried to light a fire to keep warm. – It is bittersweet, said Keck after the discovery. – The family has been looking for their loved one for over 40 years without knowing what happened to him. I am glad to have had a small part in giving them answers. Grubb had been a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard in the early 1970s, and had had a “police interaction” in Colorado two years before his death. Which led to his fingerprint being stored in the automated fingerprint system. New Investigations After nearly 50 years, the Berks County Coroner’s Office was finally able to inform one of Grubb’s relatives that they had confirmed his identity. The relative requested that Grubb’s remains be buried in the family burial ground. – The identification provides a long-awaited answer to the family, who have been notified and have expressed their deep gratitude for the effort that made it possible. It is in moments like these that we are reminded of how important our work is to provide answers, bring closure and give the unidentified a name and a story, said Berks County Coroner John Fielding. Although Grubb’s identity is now known, authorities continue to investigate his cause of death to come to a final conclusion. Published 03/09/2024, at 22.50 Updated 03.09.2024, at 23.02
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Man found frozen in a cave almost 50 years ago identified – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
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