Luis Armando Albino, 79, has finally been reunited with his biological family thanks to his niece's hard work, which proved pivotal in solving the seven decade mystery of what had happened to him.
In 1951, he was playing in Jefferson Square Park with his brother Roger, 10, in West Oakland, California, when a woman approached the young boy and lured him into her clutches by promising to buy him sweets.
The then-six-year-old Luis was then flown across the country to New York, where he was raised by a local couple as though he was their own son - while his real family were left without any answers.
Luis' mother never gave up hope that he would return, but sadly, she passed away in 2005 at the age of 92 without ever finding out his fate.
But thankfully, it seems the determination to uncover what transpired following that fateful day in the park runs in the family, as Luis' niece, Alida Alequin, decided to get on the case.
Luis Armando Albino was abducted when he was six years old (NBC Bay Area)
And thank god that she did - as Oakland Police say she 'played an integral role in finding her uncle'.
The 63-year-old remained in the US city to work alongside the force, as well as the FBI and the Department of Justice, to piece together what occurred after the woman lured Luis away.
Cops, soldiers and the Coast Guard were called in to assist with search efforts surrounding the San Francisco Bay after the alarm was raised about the abduction of the little boy, but they found no trace of him.
Instead, they hoped his sibling Roger could provide some clues.
The 10-year-old was questioned on several occasions and each time, he recited the same story, explaining that a woman with a bandana wrapped around her head had approached them before making off with Luis.
The case eventually went cold.
Alida explained that her grandmother would attend the police's missing person bureau on a daily basis in hopes of an update on her son, but eventually, this turned into weekly, monthly, and then annual visits.
"She always felt he was alive," she told Mercury News. "She took that with her to her grave. All this time the family kept thinking of him. I always knew I had an uncle. We spoke of him a lot."
And thank god that she did - as Oakland Police say she 'played an integral role in finding her uncle'.
The 63-year-old remained in the US city to work alongside the force, as well as the FBI and the Department of Justice, to piece together what occurred after the woman lured Luis away.
Cops, soldiers and the Coast Guard were called in to assist with search efforts surrounding the San Francisco Bay after the alarm was raised about the abduction of the little boy, but they found no trace of him.
Instead, they hoped his sibling Roger could provide some clues.
The 10-year-old was questioned on several occasions and each time, he recited the same story, explaining that a woman with a bandana wrapped around her head had approached them before making off with Luis.
The case eventually went cold.
Alida explained that her grandmother would attend the police's missing person bureau on a daily basis in hopes of an update on her son, but eventually, this turned into weekly, monthly, and then annual visits.
"She always felt he was alive," she told Mercury News. "She took that with her to her grave. All this time the family kept thinking of him. I always knew I had an uncle. We spoke of him a lot."
His mother never gave up hope that her son would return, but she sadly passed away before he was tracked down (Oakland Tribune Archives)
"My grandmother carried the original article in her wallet, and she always talked about him," Alida added. "A picture of him was always hung at the family home."
In 2022, Alida ended up setting off a chain of events which would finally bring Luis back home.
She decided to take an online DNA test for fun and the results informed her that she had a 22 percent match with a man, who later turned out to be her missing uncle.
But after getting in touch with him, she didn't receive a response - and it was only earlier this year that she again decided to delve deeper into Luis' kidnapping again with her own daughters.
Her children looked up their missing relatives name online and found pictures of him on microfilm at the Oakland Public Library, which they believed confirmed the fact that he was still alive.
They took their findings to the FBI and the Department of Justice, who opened a new missing persons case.
Luis was then tracked down on the East Coast and provided a DNA sample which confirmed his identity, before officials visited Alida's mother's home to inform the family that Luis had finally been found.
"My grandmother carried the original article in her wallet, and she always talked about him," Alida added. "A picture of him was always hung at the family home."
In 2022, Alida ended up setting off a chain of events which would finally bring Luis back home.
She decided to take an online DNA test for fun and the results informed her that she had a 22 percent match with a man, who later turned out to be her missing uncle.
But after getting in touch with him, she didn't receive a response - and it was only earlier this year that she again decided to delve deeper into Luis' kidnapping again with her own daughters.
Her children looked up their missing relatives name online and found pictures of him on microfilm at the Oakland Public Library, which they believed confirmed the fact that he was still alive.
They took their findings to the FBI and the Department of Justice, who opened a new missing persons case.
Luis was then tracked down on the East Coast and provided a DNA sample which confirmed his identity, before officials visited Alida's mother's home to inform the family that Luis had finally been found.
Luis (right) was finally reunited with his brother Roger after a whopping 73 years (Alida Alequin)
"In my heart I knew it was him and when I got the confirmation, I let out a big 'YES!'" Alida beamed. "We didn't start crying until after the investigators left. I grabbed my mum's hands and said, 'We found him'. I was ecstatic."
Although this development meant the missing persons case could be closed, the FBI said the investigation into Luis abduction remains open - despite the fact the couple he was raised by have since passed away.
After being brought up in New York, Luis went onto become a firefighter as well as serving in the Marine Corps while also becoming a father and grandfather himself.
Much to Alida's joy, her long lost uncle was finally able to reunite with his brother Roger, now 83, in August this year - but it was bittersweet, as Luis' sibling had been diagnosed with cancer and passed away just one month later.
Speaking of Luis' reaction when they met for the first time, Alina said he hugged her, gave her a kiss on the cheek and emotionally said: "Thank you for finding me."
"I'm so happy that I was able to do this for my mom and uncle," she added. "It was a very happy ending. I was always determined to find him, and who knows, with my story out there, it could help other families going through the same thing. "I would say, don't give up."Featured Image Credit: Alida Alequin/Oakland Tribune Archives
Updated 09:15 3 Jun 2024 GMT+1Published 09:16 3 Jun 2024 GMT+1
Missing woman who was declared dead found 1,700 miles away from home decades later
It took more than three decades for authorities to track her down
A woman who was declared missing, and later dead, has been found decades after her disappearance, more than 30 years later.
Patricia Kopta was a devout Roman Catholic who lived in North Hills, Pittsburgh, US and was reported missing by husband Bob on 27 November 1992, months after her disappearance on 20 June 1992.
She was a 'free spirit', known for preaching and having spiritual visions, while telling strangers that the world was going to end in a nuclear war.
After reporting the case to the police, her husband said that it wasn't unusual for Patricia to disappear for periods of time. But as she was soon classified as a 'critical missing person', as an urgent search was launched.
"In my heart I knew it was him and when I got the confirmation, I let out a big 'YES!'" Alida beamed. "We didn't start crying until after the investigators left. I grabbed my mum's hands and said, 'We found him'. I was ecstatic."
Although this development meant the missing persons case could be closed, the FBI said the investigation into Luis abduction remains open - despite the fact the couple he was raised by have since passed away.
After being brought up in New York, Luis went onto become a firefighter as well as serving in the Marine Corps while also becoming a father and grandfather himself.
Much to Alida's joy, her long lost uncle was finally able to reunite with his brother Roger, now 83, in August this year - but it was bittersweet, as Luis' sibling had been diagnosed with cancer and passed away just one month later.
Speaking of Luis' reaction when they met for the first time, Alina said he hugged her, gave her a kiss on the cheek and emotionally said: "Thank you for finding me."
"I'm so happy that I was able to do this for my mom and uncle," she added. "It was a very happy ending. I was always determined to find him, and who knows, with my story out there, it could help other families going through the same thing. "I would say, don't give up."Featured Image Credit: Alida Alequin/Oakland Tribune Archives
Updated 09:15 3 Jun 2024 GMT+1Published 09:16 3 Jun 2024 GMT+1
Missing woman who was declared dead found 1,700 miles away from home decades later
It took more than three decades for authorities to track her down
A woman who was declared missing, and later dead, has been found decades after her disappearance, more than 30 years later.
Patricia Kopta was a devout Roman Catholic who lived in North Hills, Pittsburgh, US and was reported missing by husband Bob on 27 November 1992, months after her disappearance on 20 June 1992.
She was a 'free spirit', known for preaching and having spiritual visions, while telling strangers that the world was going to end in a nuclear war.
After reporting the case to the police, her husband said that it wasn't unusual for Patricia to disappear for periods of time. But as she was soon classified as a 'critical missing person', as an urgent search was launched.
Patricia was last seen by her loved ones in 1992. (WPXI)
A poster released by the Pennsylvania Emergency Response Centre read: "Her family believes she took a flight to Puerto Rico after her disappearance and spent a week or two there before returning to Pittsburgh. She has not been seen or heard from since."
After going completely radio silent, Bob - who never remarried - was worried sick, thinking that every body discovered by the police had a chance at being his wife.
He even began seeing a psychic and placed adverts in Puerto Rican newspapers, as she loved holidays in the territory prior to their marriage, according to her sister Gloria.
Seven years following her disappearance, the family got a legal declaration that considered her to be dead.
However, in 2023, there was to be a twist in the tale.
The 83-year-old was found alive and in a nursing home in the territory of Puerto Rico, 1,700 miles from home.
A poster released by the Pennsylvania Emergency Response Centre read: "Her family believes she took a flight to Puerto Rico after her disappearance and spent a week or two there before returning to Pittsburgh. She has not been seen or heard from since."
After going completely radio silent, Bob - who never remarried - was worried sick, thinking that every body discovered by the police had a chance at being his wife.
He even began seeing a psychic and placed adverts in Puerto Rican newspapers, as she loved holidays in the territory prior to their marriage, according to her sister Gloria.
Seven years following her disappearance, the family got a legal declaration that considered her to be dead.
However, in 2023, there was to be a twist in the tale.
The 83-year-old was found alive and in a nursing home in the territory of Puerto Rico, 1,700 miles from home.
Patricia was found in Puerto Rico. (WPXI)
In June 1999, she was taken in as a 'person in need' after being found wandering aimlessly near the home.
Despite initially staying quiet about her past life, Patricia began to open up, with it soon being realised she had started to suffer from dementia.
A social worker figured out that she was from Pennsylvania, and so contacted the relevant authorities.
A DNA test would confirm that she was indeed Patricia Kopta, with Bob - who was 86 when news broke - saying he felt relieved at a press conference following the revelation.
"It’s a sad thing, but it’s a relief off my mind. When your wife goes missing, you’re a suspect."
It is rumoured that her mental health began to deteriorate in 1984, and after losing her job she started to roam the streets.
She was also diagnosed with 'delusions of grandeur', with doctors suspecting she had schizophrenia.
Known as being 'eccentric', Patricia married Bob in 1972, but it has been theorised that she left her husband and the country behind when it was revealed that she might be institutionalised.
In June 1999, she was taken in as a 'person in need' after being found wandering aimlessly near the home.
Despite initially staying quiet about her past life, Patricia began to open up, with it soon being realised she had started to suffer from dementia.
A social worker figured out that she was from Pennsylvania, and so contacted the relevant authorities.
A DNA test would confirm that she was indeed Patricia Kopta, with Bob - who was 86 when news broke - saying he felt relieved at a press conference following the revelation.
"It’s a sad thing, but it’s a relief off my mind. When your wife goes missing, you’re a suspect."
It is rumoured that her mental health began to deteriorate in 1984, and after losing her job she started to roam the streets.
She was also diagnosed with 'delusions of grandeur', with doctors suspecting she had schizophrenia.
Known as being 'eccentric', Patricia married Bob in 1972, but it has been theorised that she left her husband and the country behind when it was revealed that she might be institutionalised.
Bob and Gloria expressed their relief at a press conference following the discovery. (WPXI)
"After 30 years, you try to forget about it," Bob answered at a press conference, when asked for a reason for his wife's vanishing.
"Now, I can forget about it. We know what happened, and she is taken care of now. She could have come home any time. But that’s what she wanted. She always said she wanted to go to a warm climate."
Her sister Gloria went straight to Puerto Rico after the DNA test came back positive to see her sister for the first time since 1992.
"We’re very thankful to know that Patty is alive and well," Gloria said to WMTW.
"She’s being well taken care of. We really thought she was dead all those years. It was a very big shock to know that she’s still alive."
Police reported that she told locals that she arrived on a cruise ship from Europe all those years ago, with the rest of her time spent on the island still a mystery.Featured Image Credit: WPXI
Updated 13:58 6 Jun 2024 GMT+1Published 07:27 6 Jun 2024 GMT+1
Mystery woman claims to be missing girl who vanished nearly 40 years ago
The girl's mother is not convinced about her claims
A mystery woman has come forward to claim that she is an eight-year-old girl who disappeared almost 30 years ago.
The heartbreaking story of Cherrie Mahan took place on 22 February, 1985, in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, USA.
Cherrie was getting off a school bus around 100 yards from her home when she vanished, with authorities still unsure about how this happened.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, it is believed that a blue 1976 Dodge van featuring a mountain mural may be involved in her disappearance.
An unnamed woman has recently come forward and claimed that she is the missing girl, posting on 23 May in the Facebook group 'Memories of Cherrie Mahan'.
She did not publicly post a photo so authorities are not certain about what she looks like, though Cherrie's mother is not convinced that the woman is her.
Cherrie's mother, Janice McKinney, said that she doesn't believe that it's her and that the woman had 'thought in her mind' that she was her daughter.
Janice also saw a photo of the woman and said it looked nothing like her long-lost daughter.
"After 30 years, you try to forget about it," Bob answered at a press conference, when asked for a reason for his wife's vanishing.
"Now, I can forget about it. We know what happened, and she is taken care of now. She could have come home any time. But that’s what she wanted. She always said she wanted to go to a warm climate."
Her sister Gloria went straight to Puerto Rico after the DNA test came back positive to see her sister for the first time since 1992.
"We’re very thankful to know that Patty is alive and well," Gloria said to WMTW.
"She’s being well taken care of. We really thought she was dead all those years. It was a very big shock to know that she’s still alive."
Police reported that she told locals that she arrived on a cruise ship from Europe all those years ago, with the rest of her time spent on the island still a mystery.Featured Image Credit: WPXI
Updated 13:58 6 Jun 2024 GMT+1Published 07:27 6 Jun 2024 GMT+1
Mystery woman claims to be missing girl who vanished nearly 40 years ago
The girl's mother is not convinced about her claims
A mystery woman has come forward to claim that she is an eight-year-old girl who disappeared almost 30 years ago.
The heartbreaking story of Cherrie Mahan took place on 22 February, 1985, in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, USA.
Cherrie was getting off a school bus around 100 yards from her home when she vanished, with authorities still unsure about how this happened.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, it is believed that a blue 1976 Dodge van featuring a mountain mural may be involved in her disappearance.
An unnamed woman has recently come forward and claimed that she is the missing girl, posting on 23 May in the Facebook group 'Memories of Cherrie Mahan'.
She did not publicly post a photo so authorities are not certain about what she looks like, though Cherrie's mother is not convinced that the woman is her.
Cherrie's mother, Janice McKinney, said that she doesn't believe that it's her and that the woman had 'thought in her mind' that she was her daughter.
Janice also saw a photo of the woman and said it looked nothing like her long-lost daughter.
Cherrie Mahan disappeared in 1985. (missingkids.org)
A spokesperson from the Pennsylvania State Police said to DailyMail.com: "We are investigating this woman's claim to be Cherrie Mahan,
"We are working with an out of state agency to positively identify the female. They have not made contact with her from the contact information she provided. The out of state agency is attempting to locate her."
Since she made the post, the unnamed woman's posts were deleted by the group's administrator, who alleged that she was 'harassing and bullying' others, DailyMail.com says.
The administrator apologised, and Cherrie's mother commented under the apology post, revealing that she had spoken to police.
Janice posted: "I talked to the police they are investigating this is very hard on me please be aware I see everything."
This is not the first time Cherrie's mother has experienced something like this though, saying that she usually gets a number of claims every February, the anniversary of her disappearance and every August, Cherrie's birthday month.
However, she said that this claim hit her 'different', as someone had to tell her about it before she saw it.
A spokesperson from the Pennsylvania State Police said to DailyMail.com: "We are investigating this woman's claim to be Cherrie Mahan,
"We are working with an out of state agency to positively identify the female. They have not made contact with her from the contact information she provided. The out of state agency is attempting to locate her."
Since she made the post, the unnamed woman's posts were deleted by the group's administrator, who alleged that she was 'harassing and bullying' others, DailyMail.com says.
The administrator apologised, and Cherrie's mother commented under the apology post, revealing that she had spoken to police.
Janice posted: "I talked to the police they are investigating this is very hard on me please be aware I see everything."
This is not the first time Cherrie's mother has experienced something like this though, saying that she usually gets a number of claims every February, the anniversary of her disappearance and every August, Cherrie's birthday month.
However, she said that this claim hit her 'different', as someone had to tell her about it before she saw it.
An age progression photo of what Cherrie could look like today. (missingkids.org)
"People are mean, they are cruel, but this affects me really crazy. It's gonna be 40 years since Cherrie's been missing," she told Butler Eagle.
Janice revealed that she is at peace with the idea that her daughter is dead or alive, as she believes that if her daughter is dead, she will be in heaven with her grandparents and uncles, and if she is alive, she feels like someone is taking care of her, admitting she doesn't know why she believes that.
Back in February, the mother recalled waiting with her husband on the family's driveway for Cherrie to come running over the hill to say hello, even turning down her husband's offer to pick her up, but she never appeared.
Lieutenant Adam Reed of the Pennsylvania Police Department told LADbible: "We are investigating this woman’s claim to be Cherrie Mahan and are currently working with an out-of-state agency to identify her. The out of state agency has not yet made contact with her based on the contact information she provided. The investigation continues."Featured Image Credit: missingkids.org
Updated 09:19 26 Feb 2024 GMTPublished 15:40 25 Feb 2024 GMT
Former mafia boss shares darkest moment of life in crime that still haunts him 25 years later
Michael Franzese walked away from his life of crime, but he wasn't able to shake his memories of it so easily.
"People are mean, they are cruel, but this affects me really crazy. It's gonna be 40 years since Cherrie's been missing," she told Butler Eagle.
Janice revealed that she is at peace with the idea that her daughter is dead or alive, as she believes that if her daughter is dead, she will be in heaven with her grandparents and uncles, and if she is alive, she feels like someone is taking care of her, admitting she doesn't know why she believes that.
Back in February, the mother recalled waiting with her husband on the family's driveway for Cherrie to come running over the hill to say hello, even turning down her husband's offer to pick her up, but she never appeared.
Lieutenant Adam Reed of the Pennsylvania Police Department told LADbible: "We are investigating this woman’s claim to be Cherrie Mahan and are currently working with an out-of-state agency to identify her. The out of state agency has not yet made contact with her based on the contact information she provided. The investigation continues."Featured Image Credit: missingkids.org
Updated 09:19 26 Feb 2024 GMTPublished 15:40 25 Feb 2024 GMT
Former mafia boss shares darkest moment of life in crime that still haunts him 25 years later
Michael Franzese walked away from his life of crime, but he wasn't able to shake his memories of it so easily.
As a former mafia boss, Michael Franzese has probably got plenty of skeletons in his closet - but there is one dark experience in particular that really keeps him up at night.
The ex-mobster, 72, was a respected lieutenant in the notorious Colombo crime family who turned his back on New York's murky underworld and somehow lived to tell the tale.
Dubbed the 'Prince of the Mafia', he ditched his pre-med course at Hofstra University in order to take the reigns from his father Sonny Franzese after he was sentenced to 50 years behind bars for a bank robbery in 1967.
Describing his dad as the 'John Gotti of his day’, Franzese explained that the mob boss' incarceration triggered a chain of events which saw him become fully initiated in the mafia to take his place in a Sopranos-like initiation.
He was officially inducted as a 'made man' on Halloween in 1975 after 'waiting for 20 years', but admitted that he was able to jump the queue ahead of a lot of other gang members 'out of respect for his father'.
And it was as dramatic as the movies - the former mobster took a blood oath and swore he would follow the code of honour and conduct, known as omerta, alongside his five best friends.
Jimmy Angelino, Joseph Peraino Jr, Salvatore Miciotta, Vito Guzzo Sr, and John Minerva also pledged their allegiance to the Colombo gang that night, which was one of New York's 'Five Families' who controlled organised crime in the US city.
But over the next twenty years, Franzese would go on to lose every single one of his pals.
The Brooklyn-born mobster - who notoriously made millions of dollars defrauding the federal government out of gasoline taxes - made Fortune Magazine's list of 'Fifty Most Powerful and Wealthy Mafia Bosses', while Vanity Fair claimed he was 'one of the highest earners the Mob had seen since Al Capone'.
Franzese certainly managed to fill his father's shoes, that's for sure - but those rankings don't exactly impress him.
In an interview with Metro, he said: "What’s kind of sad is that 48 of those men are dead, and number 49 is still in prison. "I’m the only one alive and free out of that list."
Angela Weiss/WireImage
Following the second of two lengthy prison spells, Franzese found God while locked up and decided to quit the Mob, seeing him flee the Big Apple with his family - which was obviously pretty risky for someone of his stature.
But it worked, and the fearless former mafia captain became the only head of a major crime family who was able to walk away without police protection and survive.
Although he left that life behind, unfortunately, he wasn't able to shake his memories so easily.
Discussing the experiences which still haunt him 25 years on, Franzese said: "I think the darkest moment was seeing friends, you know, get killed, especially those that I thought it wasn’t warranted.
"And you know, that happened to quite a few guys around me, unfortunately. And those are dark moments.
You can check out the entire interview here:
"I tell people all the time, murder is a horrible thing and to see it happen, or to know it happened to somebody that you really care about, it’s tough, at least for me.
"One of the real horrors of that life is you make a mistake, or you’re in trouble, your best friend walks you into a room and you don’t walk out again. I mean, that’s part of the life."
The former mobster has now become a motivational speaker who works to inspire youths and vulnerable adults against a life of organised crime.
Franzese will embark on his 'Re Made Man Tour' across the UK and Ireland next month.Featured Image Credit: Angela Weiss/WireImage/Getty Images/Jim Cummins/Newsday/Getty Images
Published 19:15 3 Sep 2024 GMT+1
50-year mystery of 'pinnacle man' found frozen to death in cave finally solved
The fingerprints were missing for decades until just recently
After nearly 50 years of mystery, the case of a man found frozen to death has finally been solved.
Yep, sounds like the plot of rogue flop film, right? Except the story of the ‘Pinnacle Man’ is very much real.
Back in 1977, two hikers discovered the man’s body on 16 January in Pennsylvania, US.
Nicknamed the ‘Pinnacle Man’ in reference to the Appalachian mountain peak, authorities at the time ruled he’d died of a drug overdose, with an autopsy finding no signs of foul play.
However, investigators were unable to identify him from his appearance, belongings, clothing or dental information - leaving them to rely on a brief sketch.
And adding to the film-like nature of all this, the fingerprints collected during examination were later misplaced.
Following the second of two lengthy prison spells, Franzese found God while locked up and decided to quit the Mob, seeing him flee the Big Apple with his family - which was obviously pretty risky for someone of his stature.
But it worked, and the fearless former mafia captain became the only head of a major crime family who was able to walk away without police protection and survive.
Although he left that life behind, unfortunately, he wasn't able to shake his memories so easily.
Discussing the experiences which still haunt him 25 years on, Franzese said: "I think the darkest moment was seeing friends, you know, get killed, especially those that I thought it wasn’t warranted.
"And you know, that happened to quite a few guys around me, unfortunately. And those are dark moments.
You can check out the entire interview here:
"I tell people all the time, murder is a horrible thing and to see it happen, or to know it happened to somebody that you really care about, it’s tough, at least for me.
"One of the real horrors of that life is you make a mistake, or you’re in trouble, your best friend walks you into a room and you don’t walk out again. I mean, that’s part of the life."
The former mobster has now become a motivational speaker who works to inspire youths and vulnerable adults against a life of organised crime.
Franzese will embark on his 'Re Made Man Tour' across the UK and Ireland next month.Featured Image Credit: Angela Weiss/WireImage/Getty Images/Jim Cummins/Newsday/Getty Images
Published 19:15 3 Sep 2024 GMT+1
50-year mystery of 'pinnacle man' found frozen to death in cave finally solved
The fingerprints were missing for decades until just recently
After nearly 50 years of mystery, the case of a man found frozen to death has finally been solved.
Yep, sounds like the plot of rogue flop film, right? Except the story of the ‘Pinnacle Man’ is very much real.
Back in 1977, two hikers discovered the man’s body on 16 January in Pennsylvania, US.
Nicknamed the ‘Pinnacle Man’ in reference to the Appalachian mountain peak, authorities at the time ruled he’d died of a drug overdose, with an autopsy finding no signs of foul play.
However, investigators were unable to identify him from his appearance, belongings, clothing or dental information - leaving them to rely on a brief sketch.
And adding to the film-like nature of all this, the fingerprints collected during examination were later misplaced.
Investigators had to go off a sketch (Berks County Coroner's Office)
And now, nearly 50 years later, the Berks County Coroner’s Office has identified the Pinnacle Man as Nicholas Paul Grubb, a 27-year-old from Fort Washington, Maryland.
“Over the last 15 years, detectives from the state police and investigators from the coroner’s office compared Nicolas’ information to no less than 10 missing persons through fingerprints and dental X-rays,” John Fielding, Berks county’s coroner said, per WGAL.
In 2019, his body was exhumed after dental records tied him to two missing people from Illinois and Florida. However, the collected DNA samples didn’t match either of them.
But a breakthrough came in August when Pennsylvania state police trooper Ian Keck finally found the missing fingerprints.
And within less than an hour of the card being submitted to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), an FBI fingerprint expert matched them to Grubb’s.
And now, nearly 50 years later, the Berks County Coroner’s Office has identified the Pinnacle Man as Nicholas Paul Grubb, a 27-year-old from Fort Washington, Maryland.
“Over the last 15 years, detectives from the state police and investigators from the coroner’s office compared Nicolas’ information to no less than 10 missing persons through fingerprints and dental X-rays,” John Fielding, Berks county’s coroner said, per WGAL.
In 2019, his body was exhumed after dental records tied him to two missing people from Illinois and Florida. However, the collected DNA samples didn’t match either of them.
But a breakthrough came in August when Pennsylvania state police trooper Ian Keck finally found the missing fingerprints.
And within less than an hour of the card being submitted to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), an FBI fingerprint expert matched them to Grubb’s.
The man was identified after nearly five decades (Berks County Coroner's Office)
“It took some digging, looking in our archives. Luckily, going through the archives, along with photos, there happened to be a fingerprint card,” Keck said.
Describing it as ‘bittersweet’, he continued: “The family has been looking for their loved one for over 40 years, not knowing whatever happened to them. For me to have this tiny part in it, I’m glad I was able to help out.”
A family member confirmed the man’s identity and it was requested for his remains to be buried in his family’s plot. Authorities said they are going to continue investigating his cause of death until a final ruling is made.
Fielding said: “This identification brings a long-awaited resolution to his family, who have been notified and expressed their deep appreciation for the collective efforts that made it possible.
“It is moments like these that remind us of the importance of our work to provide answers, to bring closure and to give the unidentified a name and a story.”
“It took some digging, looking in our archives. Luckily, going through the archives, along with photos, there happened to be a fingerprint card,” Keck said.
Describing it as ‘bittersweet’, he continued: “The family has been looking for their loved one for over 40 years, not knowing whatever happened to them. For me to have this tiny part in it, I’m glad I was able to help out.”
A family member confirmed the man’s identity and it was requested for his remains to be buried in his family’s plot. Authorities said they are going to continue investigating his cause of death until a final ruling is made.
Fielding said: “This identification brings a long-awaited resolution to his family, who have been notified and expressed their deep appreciation for the collective efforts that made it possible.
“It is moments like these that remind us of the importance of our work to provide answers, to bring closure and to give the unidentified a name and a story.”
