A man found frozen in a Pennsylvania cave in 1977 has finally been identified, ending a nearly 50-year mystery.
The Berks County Coroner’s Office has identified the missing man’s remains as Nicholas Paul Grubb, 27, of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.
Surprisingly, advanced technology played no role in identifying “Pinnacle Man,” a nickname inspired by the peak in the Appalachian Mountains near where Grubb was found.
Instead, Berks County Coroner John Fielding told reporters at a news conference that a Pennsylvania State Police detective discovered the missing link to the cold case by combing through files.
Hikers find the man
On Jan. 16, 1977, hikers found the frozen body of a man in a cave just below the Pinnacle in Albany Township, Fielding said at the news conference.
During the autopsy, he could not be identified based on his appearance, clothing or belongings, according to George Holmes, chief deputy coroner for Berks County.
The cause of death, according to Holmes, was determined to be a drug-induced overdose. There were no signs of trauma to Grubb’s body suggesting foul play, the coroner’s office said.
Dental records and fingerprints were collected from the man’s body during his autopsy, according to Holmes, who added that the fingerprints were missing.
A break in the case
More than 42 years passed before authorities revisited the cold case, according to the CNN WFMZ, which reported that Grubb’s body was exhumed in 2019 after dental records linked him to two missing persons cases in Florida and Illinois.
Berks County forensic experts conducted an examination in 2019, and DNA samples were collected to update his record in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs. But they did not match the two missing persons cases, the coroner’s office said.
In early August, there was a major twist in the cold case. Ian Keck of the Pennsylvania State Police found the missing fingerprint card from Grubb’s 1977 autopsy.
Keck sent the fingerprint card to NamUs on Aug. 12, according to Holmes, and within an hour an FBI fingerprint expert matched the Pinnacle Man’s fingerprints to Grubb’s.
One of the man’s relatives was notified by the Berks County Coroner’s Office, which confirmed Grubb’s identity. The relative asked the office to place his remains in the family plot.
“This identification brings long-awaited resolution to his family, who have been notified and expressed their deep appreciation for the collective efforts that made this possible. It’s moments like these that remind us of the importance of our work to provide answers, bring closure, and give the unidentified a name and a story,” Fielding said.
This content was originally published in Man frozen in US cave is identified after almost 50 years on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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