Simple FBI Check Cracks Case of ‘Pinnacle Man’ Found Frozen in Pennsylvania 40 Years Ago
The cold remains of a man from Pennsylvania were finally identified many decades after their discovery. On January 16, 1977, Hikers notified authorities about a man's frozen remains in a cave below the Pinnacle on the Appalachian Trail, the Independent reported.
The body was given the name "Pinnacle Man" by the public, the Independent reported. Forensic analysts described the person to be a white male between the ages of 25 and 35 with blue eyes and reddish curly hair. They also estimated his height to be around 5’10 to 5’11 and he weighed approximately 155 pounds.
The body was taken for an autopsy on January 17, 1977, at Reading Hospital, the Independent reported. The autopsy revealed the cause of death to be an overdose of Phenobarbital and Pentobarbital. Authorities concluded that the man committed suicide and there was no foul play involved.
Officials tried to find the man's family, but their efforts did not bear immediate results, The Independent reported. As officials failed to trace any relatives and acquaintances, they buried the body at the Berks County Potter’s Field.
The cold case was reopened in 2019 and the body was exhumed from the grave for further analysis, the Independent reported. The body was taken to the Reading Hospital where a forensic anthropologist, forensic pathologist, and forensic odontologist worked in collaboration to find more information.
The experts took dental samples from the body and passed them on to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, the Independent reported. The department had gained a reputation for solving cold cases with dental samples but failed to do so in this case.
In 2024, a cold case officer submitted the man's fingerprint to the FBI for matching, The Independent reported. An agent found the match within an hour on August 27 and identified the "Pinnacle Man" as Nicolas Paul Grubbs.
"For 47 years, this man remained unidentified. A nameless figure in a long-forgotten case," Berks County Coroner John Fielding III said during a press conference, Daily Mail reported. "But today I'm honored to announce that through the unyielding determination of federal, state, and local agencies, the Berks County Coroner's Office has confirmed the identity of this individual.
His name is Nicolas Paul Grubb, a 27-year-old man from Fort Washington, Pennsylvania."
An individual related to Grubb confirmed the identification and submitted the required documents to the authorities, The Independent reported. His family has been informed and wants to bury Grubbs in their family plot. The coroner's office at present, is collaborating with the family to make it happen.