Police have finally discovered the identity of a man whose frozen corpse was found in a cave nearly 50 years ago.
The person, who remained unidentified and was only known as "Pinnacle Man" for 47 years, was found frozen in a cave near The Pinnacle in Albany Township on the Appalachian Trail, Pennsylvania , in 1977. He was discovered by hikers during one of the coldest winters in the state's history, with an average high of only 8C and snow totals reaching 49 inches.
But after nearly half a century, Berks County Coroner John A. Fielding III said the man has finally been identified as Nicolas Paul Grubb, a 27-year-old man from Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. He told reporters during a press conference: "For 47 years, this man remained unidentified, a nameless figure in a long-forgotten case.
"But today, I am 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." Officials believe the young man overdosed on phenobarbital and pentobarbital. While they think he took his own life, they have yet to make a final determination on the cause of death.
Over time, the case went cold as nobody claimed his body, but investigators said that over the past 15 years, at least 10 people were compared to Grubb using fingerprints and dental x-rays. In 2019, his remains were exhumed from Potter's Field in Berks County, but four years later a genealogical analysis failed to uncover his identity, according to county coroners.
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Investigators also tried to perform a facial approximation but found the facial bones to be broken or missing pieces during the exhumation process. However, after submitting the original fingerprint card to the national database for missing, unidentified and unclaimed remains, an FBI expert found a match within one hour. His family were then contacted and confirmed his identity, providing documents.
The coroner's office said: "This case highlights the difficulty in working cold cases, as well as the considerable effort taken to return unidentified and unclaimed persons back to their loved ones. The positive identification of [Grubb] culminates the effort to identify him and locate his family."
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Fielding added: "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."
According to officials, Grubb served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard with Company C 1/111th Infantry before he was honorably discharged in 1971. The coroner added: "Nicky, as he was known to his family, served our nation as a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in the early 1970s. He was also known to have lived in Colorado for a short time."
When he was found frozen, he was wearing a brown suede jacket, Wrangler jeans and hiking boots. He also carried a small amount of cash with him. As authorities continue to work to learn more about the circumstances surrounding the man's death, they said they plan to amend his death certificate and return his remains to his family plot.
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