what ever happened to the district attorney in pa that went missing

by Mr. Bradly Shields 10 min read

Ray Gricar, the Centre County district attorney who failed to prosecute Jerry Sandusky in 1998, is missing and his case is still unsolved. Conflicting theories proliferate the Internet about what happened to Gricar. Some say he intentionally disappeared. Others say he was murdered as a cover-up or that he committed suicide.

On April 15, 2005, Gricar went missing under mysterious circumstances and has not been heard from since. After he had been missing for over six years with no trace of his whereabouts, Centre County authorities declared Gricar legally dead on July 25, 2011.

Full Answer

What happened to district attorney Ray?

Jan 24, 2018 · Former Pennsylvania Centre County district attorney Ray Frank Gricar left his office one day in 2005 and went missing without a trace. 13 years later,

Who is the current district attorney of Centre County PA?

May 15, 2006 · Missing district attorney. Pennsylvania DA takes a day off work, and is never seen again. Sara James reports. When Ray Gricar vanished near the quaint town of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, clues were ...

Who ran for district attorney in 1985?

Nov 10, 2011 · This district attorney had “a bitter taste in his mouth for the [Penn State] program, and its coach,” according to his nephew, and never prosecuted Sandusky.He disappeared on …

Did the local da know about the Sandusky case back in 1998?

Ray Gricar, the Centre County district attorney who failed to prosecute Jerry Sandusky in 1998, is missing and his case is still unsolved. Conflicting theories proliferate the Internet about what happened to Gricar. Some say he intentionally disappeared. Others say he was murdered as a cover-up or that he committed suicide.

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Has Ray Gricar ever been found?

Another missing piece of the puzzling case is the body -- a body was never found. A Centre County judge declared Gricar deceased in 2011. The body was reportedly discarded on game land outside of Lewisburg, according to reports from the account from the prisoner with whom Buehner was corresponding.Feb 25, 2021

When did Ray Gricar go missing?

April 2005The desk of former Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar's desk in April 2005, as it was the day he disappeared.Apr 15, 2020

What happened to District Attorney Ray Gricar?

On April 15, 2005, Gricar went missing under mysterious circumstances and has not been heard from since. After he had been missing for over six years with no trace of his whereabouts, Centre County authorities declared Gricar legally dead on July 25, 2011.

Did they ever find Cindy song?

Police and volunteers searched a wooded area near the campus. However, no trace of Cindy was found. Authorities don't believe that she ran off on her own. Two Britney Spears concert tickets were found in her apartment.

What TV show was the disappearance of Gricar?

Gricar's disappearance was the subject of television documentary programs, including episodes of Haunting Evidence on Court TV in June 2006, Disappeared on Investigation Discovery in February 2011, news magazine Dateline NBC in December 2011, and an episode of Crime Junkie podcast in January 2020. An episode of the drama Without a Trace on CBS referred to the case.

When did Ray and Barbara Gricar divorce?

She moved to Cleveland with him after graduation and they married in 1969. They adopted a baby girl, Lara, in 1978. Ray and Barbara Gricar divorced in 1991; Ray married again in 1996, but divorced in 2001.

When did Gricar call Fornicola?

At 11:30 a.m. ( EDT) on April 15, 2005, Gricar called Fornicola to inform her that he was driving through the Brush Valley area northeast of Centre Hall. Gricar failed to return home, and late that evening, Fornicola reported him missing.

Where did Gricar live?

He was living with Fornicola in her childhood home in Bellefonte at the time of his disappearance. Gricar's older brother Roy disappeared from his West Chester, Ohio, home in May 1996.

Where was Gricar's car found?

Gricar was reported missing to authorities after failing to return home from a road trip. His car was found in Lewisburg with his cell phone inside, and at a later date his laptop computer and the laptop's hard drive was found in the adjacent Susquehanna River.

Where was Ray Gricar born?

Early life and career. Ray Gricar was born in Cleveland, Ohio , and grew up in the city's Collinwood neighborhood.

How many votes did Gricar get?

He won the election by a margin of 600 votes. Gricar's office was part-time when he was elected, and he successfully campaigned to make it full-time in 1996. He was re-elected in 1989, 1993, 1997, and 2001.

What happened to Jerry Sandusky?

In 2011, the former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was arrested and charged with sexually abusing boys. When it came out that it was Ray who had decided there was not enough evidence to charge Sandusky, armchair detectives worked hard to try to link the case to Ray’s disappearance.

What road did Ray go alone on?

Ray then set out alone down scenic Route 192 in his red Mini Cooper. Source: The Charlie Project. Fornicola reported Ray missing at 11:30PM that evening when he failed to answer her numerous phone calls or return home.

Who was Ray Gricar's girlfriend?

On the morning of Friday April 15, 2005 long-time Centre County, Pennsylvania district attorney Ray Gricar called his girlfriend, Patty Fornicola, and told her he was playing hooky from work. The pair said, “I love you,” to each other as they ended their call.

What happened to Ray Gricar's brother?

In May 1996, Roy J. Gricar, Ray’s brother, committed suicide in the Great Miami River. Roy suffered from serious depression, which can be genetic. Some of Ray’s friends and colleagues thought he was acting emotionally distant in the time leading up to his disappearance.

Where was the hard drive of Ray's Mini Cooper found?

However, the hard drive was not found. Two months later, a woman stumbled upon the hard drive on the banks of the Susquehanna River. It was within walking distance of where Ray’s Mini Cooper had been located. No information could be retrieved from the badly damaged and waterlogged hard drive.

Was Ray's body found?

Even more, Ray’s body was never found. Investigators conducted an extensive search that included the use of helicopters, dive teams, patrol cars, and search dogs.

Did Ray's girlfriend have anything to do with his disappearance?

Honestly, though, it is very doubtful Ray’s family or girlfriend had anything to do with his disappearance. His girlfriend and several family members were polygraphed but no person of interest developed. Ray’s home was searched, and no evidence indicating foul play was discovered.

Who was the assistant district attorney under Gricar?

However, Anthony De Boef, who had worked as an assistant district attorney under Gricar for five years, strongly disagrees: “No one got a bye with Ray. He didn’t care who you were; he had a job to do.”. Gricar’s daughter, Lara, issued a plea for her father at a news conference three days after his disappearance.

Where was the laptop that Gricar was missing?

In July, Gricar’s laptop, which was missing its hard drive, was pulled from the water under the PA-45 bridge between Lewisburg and Milton, Pa.

What did Gricar do?

Gricar prosecuted many notable cases, included the perpetrator of the Hetzel Union Building shooting in which a woman opened fire with a rifle at Penn State in 1996, killing one student and wounding another.

Is the Gricar case open?

While his body has not been found, Gricar was declared legally dead on July 25, 2011. However, the Pennsylvania State Police consider the case to be open and active.

How much was the reward for Gricar?

On April 22, the Bucknellian reported that an anonymous donor had promised a $5,000 reward for information regarding Gricar’s whereabouts. It is unclear whether the money was ever awarded to anyone. The case has been the subject of many television documentary programs including “Dateline NBC” and CBS’s “Without a Trace.”.

Who is Ray Gricar's girlfriend?

The prosecutor, Ray Gricar, had awoken on Friday, April 15 and told his girlfriend, Patty Fornicola, that he would be skipping work that day to enjoy a drive down to Lewisburg. It was one of the first warm days of the year, and Gricar told Fornicola he was hoping to enjoy the weather.

Where was the Mini Cooper found?

By early the next day, his Red Mini Cooper was found by a state trooper in the parking lot of the Street of Shops, about 50 miles from his home in Bellefonte, Pa. Many witnesses reported seeing or speaking to Gricar on Market Street. His phone, turned off, was found within the car.

When did Ray Gricar go missing?

Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar went missing in 2005 while driving to work. In 1998, Gricar was informed about sexual abuse allegations against Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, but he decided not to press charges. After the sex abuse scandal came to light in 2011, some believed that his disappearance may have something ...

Who was the football coach who abused his children?

The mother of one of the children abused by football coach Jerry Sandusky, reported the crime to DA Ray Gricar in 1998 but he decided not to bring up charges. Gricar, 59, was never able to explain why he let Sandusky slip away, since Gricar himself vanished in 2005. After the sex scandal revelation, some hypothesized that Gricar's disappearance was ...

Where is Gricar buried?

He had his 'knee caps spun' and his throat slit. His body is allegedly buried in a shaft on a property in Pennsylvania. Since contacting the authorities and the paper, the source has hired a Harrisburg-based lawyer to represent him.

Is Hell's Angel still alive?

He has since learned that the Hell's Angel is actually still alive and living in another state. Revenge: The latest lead comes from a former ranking officer with the Hell's Angels (above, unrelated file photo) who says it was a former member who killed Gricar out of revenge for a long prison sentence.

Who carried out the killing of Ariel Castro?

The man who carried out the killing was also an FBI informant. According to a statement read by a judge at a sentencing hearing, the former Hell's Angel reported information to the FBI on illegal activities by the motorcycle gang after his release. Ariel Castro had a Bible open next to him and a list of his...

Is the Jerry Sandusky scandal ongoing?

He also said speculation that Gricar's disappearance had something to do with the Jerry Sandusky scandal was 'especially annoying'. According to Bellefonte police Detective Matthew Rickard, the investigation into Gricar's disappearance is 'ongoing' but both the FBI and local police have questioned the source.

Who was the Penn State coach who disappeared?

By David Lohr. The criminal case against former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky has put the media spotlight back on the missing persons case of Ray Gricar. An esteemed district attorney, Gricar failed to prosecute Sandusky for sex crimes in 1998, and later disappeared without a trace. “We’ve had a lot of twists and turns.

Why is Penn State being criticised?

Since Sandusky’s arrest, Penn State has been the subject of widespread criticism because of an alleged cover-up of the former coach’s alleged illegal activities. Recently, that criticism has also fallen on Ray Gricar, the man who opted not to prosecute Sandusky in 1998. The former DA, however, is not around to defend his actions.

How did Roy Gricar die?

The coroner later ruled Roy Gricar’s death a suicide by drowning. He reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder. Fearing Ray Gricar might have taken his own life, investigators conducted an extensive search of the Susquehanna River but were unable to locate any sign of the district attorney.

When did Ray Gricar vanish?

Ray Gricar has been missing since 2005, when he vanished under mysterious circumstances. Ray Gricar was 59 years old in April 2005. He had served as the district attorney of Centre County for nearly 20 years and was preparing to retire at the end of the year. His career was a success, he was involved in a happy relationship with a woman who worked ...

Where was Roy Gricar's car found?

In May 1996, Roy J. Gricar — Ray Gricar’s brother and Tony Gricar’s father — disappeared in Dayton, Ohio. His car was found abandoned across the street from the office where his son worked. A search of the area was conducted, but authorities found no trace of Roy Gricar.

How old was Gricar's daughter?

His career was a success, he was involved in a happy relationship with a woman who worked in his office, and he was close to his 27-year-old daughter, Lara. By all accounts, Gricar had lived a pleasant life and was looking forward to an ideal retirement. Advertisement. On the morning of April 15, 2005, Gricar called his girlfriend, Patty Fornicola, ...

How many victims of the Sandusky case?

According to the grand jury report, there are eight victims who were targeted between 1994 and 2009.

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Overview

Ray Frank Gricar was an American lawyer who served as the district attorney of Centre County, Pennsylvania, from 1985 until 2005. On April 15, 2005, Gricar went missing under mysterious circumstances and has not been heard from since. After he had been missing for over six years with no trace of his whereabouts, Centre County authorities declared Gricar legally dead on July 25, 2011.

Early life and career

Ray Gricar was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up in the city's Collinwood neighborhood. He attended high school at the Gilmour Academy, a prestigious Catholic school in Gates Mills, and enrolled at the University of Dayton (UD), where he became interested in studying law after working as an intern for the prosecutor's office. After graduating, Gricar moved back to Cleveland to study law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He obtained his Juris Doctorand subsequ…

Personal life

Gricar met Barbara Gray during his undergraduate study at UD. She moved to Cleveland with him after graduation and they married in 1969. They adopted a baby girl, Lara, in 1978. Ray and Barbara Gricar divorced in 1991; Ray married again in 1996, but divorced in 2001. In 2002 or 2003, Gricar moved in with his girlfriend Patty Fornicola, an employee of the Centre County District Attorney's office. He was living with Fornicola in her childhood home in Bellefonteat the time of h…

Disappearance

At 11:30 a.m. (EDT) on April 15, 2005, Gricar called Fornicola to inform her that he was driving through the Brush Valley area northeast of Centre Hall. Gricar failed to return home, and late that evening, Fornicola reported him missing.
The following day, investigators identified Gricar's red Mini Cooper in the parking lot of an antique store in Lewisburg. The car contained his county-issued cell phonebut not his laptop computer, k…

Theories

There are three main theories as to what happened to Gricar. The primary theory is he committed suicide just as his brother had done, something supported by the similarities between the two cases. Police working on the case believed this theory to be most likely, although his family did not believe this. Although Gricar was a poor swimmer, he had no medical history of depression or of suicidal thoughts. He was also reportedly looking forward to his upcoming retirement.

In popular culture

Gricar's disappearance was the subject of television documentary programs, including episodes of Haunting Evidence on Court TV in June 2006, Disappeared on Investigation Discovery in February 2011, news magazine Dateline NBC in December 2011, and an episode of Crime Junkie podcast in January 2020. An episode of the drama Without a Trace on CBS referred to the case.

See also

• List of people who disappeared

External links

• FBI Missing Persons Listing
• Missing Persons: Ray F. Gricar at America's Most Wanted
• Ray Gricar special section at Centre Daily Times
• Ray Gricar mystery