Artistic rendering of the victim; Victim's jeans, backpack, camping mess kit, and rifle case
Artistic rendering of the victim; Victim's jeans, backpack, camping mess kit, and rifle case
Date of Discovery: October 9, 1958
Location of Discovery: Bedford Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Estimated Date of Death: 1 year prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only
Cause of Death: Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head
Estimated Age: 30-35 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 6'2" to 6'6"
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Brown to dark brown, straight.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Robust build. Wore plastic contact lenses. Of European ancestry. Cranial vault described as being large, round and with a narrow nasal aperture.
Dentals: Available. Gold dental work.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.
Clothing: From the initial 1958 report: Gray wool hunting socks with red top, blue denim dungarees with a wide black leather belt, white tee shirt, white jockey type shorts, black leather motorcycle type jacket with full length zipper and slant zipper pockets, and black "engineering" boots, length 12 5/8", width of sole 4 1/2", heel 3 1/4 ", top height 10 1/2", with buckles on the outside. Numerous articles of clothing found nearby. No hat was found.
Jewelry: None located.
Additional Personal Items: Right corneal plastic contact lens - specifications (Rx) knownBooks - two poetry and one science-relatedExtensive amount of camping equipment including a canteen and backpack. Most appears new with little to no indication of use.ToiletriesBlack wallet containing $38High-powered .30-06 Springfield rifle and gun caseAmmunitionBrass key with "Active 195 Avenue A" stamped on it. It had been duplicated by Active Locksmiths, 195 Avenue A, New York, NY, but this was a locksmith's stamp and the unidentified person is NOT ASSOCIATED with the property at this address.
The victim's partial skeletal remains were found in an wooded area approximately 1/2 mile north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike's Midway Service Plazas, in Bedford, and about 85 miles east of Pittsburgh. He had died from a gunshot wound to the head, but while authorities believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, they don't know if it was an accident or suicide.
Investigators believe the man was well off because of the gold dental work and the contact lenses, which were unusual for the time. The contact lenses were traced to a Chicago manufacturer and fitted by an Illinois physician, but there are no records of the buyer. The books suggest the victim may have benefited from higher education, or may have been a serious student of poetry or literature.
The rifle was sold in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1939, but no further tracing of the gun's ownership could be found. The brass key hasn't been matched to any location. The dental work has yielded no matches.
While the victim appeared well-equipped for camping, investigators found no eating utensils nor food supplies.
Investigators do not believe the victim was from the Bedford area. Anecdotal information may connect this victim to the state of Kentucky: Prior to the victim's discovery, in September 1957, local police in Bedford Borough encountered a loitering man in possession of a rifle. This unidentified man said he was enroute from Kentucky to Canada.
Anthropologic examinations conducted in 1959 and again in 2003 revealed the victim to have been an adult male of European ancestry, likely between the ages of 30-35 with a living stature of about 6'4" (+/- 2").
Agency Name: Bedford County Coroner's Office
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 814-652-9384
Agency Name: Pennsylvania State Police
Agency Contact Person: Dana Martini
Agency Phone Number: (814) 696-6100
Agency Case Number: LE: 2-C-3-55
NCIC Case Number: N/A
NamUs Case Number: UP #8011
NamUs
The Post Gazette News Archive (February 7, 2004)
The Daily Courier News Archive (October 16, 1958)
Added: Prior to 2011; Last Updated: 7/15/2019
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
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