Featured Image Credit: YouTube/ wgaltv
Topics: Science, World News
Poppy Bilderbeck
A coroner's office has confirmed the identity of a man found frozen in a Pennsylvanian cave all the way back in 1977.
On January 16, 1977, a man's frozen body was discovered in a cave near The Pinnacle - a peak on the Blue Mountain ridge of the Appalachian Mountains - in Berks County, Pennsylvania by a group of hikers.
For over 47 years, the identity of the man remained unknown - and subsequently dubbed the 'Pinnacle man' - however, last month, officials made a breakthrough in the case.
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The initial autopsy on the body when it was first discovered didn't lead to a positive identification, CNN reports.
It was ruled the man had passed away from a drug overdose with no foul play suspected.
The man's belongings, clothes and appearance offered little indication of who he was and despite dental records and fingerprint samples being taken, the fingerprint records were later misplaced.
The dental records were later linked to two missing person cases and so the body was exhumed in 2019.
However, DNA samples showed the body wasn't a match to either case.
It wasn't until August earlier this year when it's reported Ian Keck of the Pennsylvania State Police found the lost fingerprint card which had been taken during the 1977 autopsy of the body.
On August 12, the fingerprint was submitted to NamUs - 'a national information clearinghouse and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases across the United States'.
The Pinnacle Man's fingerprints were matched to a missing man named Nicolas Paul Grubb from Washington, Pennsylvania and his identity was later confirmed by a family member.
WGAL TV reports Nicolas as being honorably discharged in 1971 from the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
It adds Nicolas was returned to his family and buried in the family plot.
In a news conference last week, Berks County Coroner John Fielding told reporters the cold case 'posed significant challenges' given how 'the passage of time often erases the traces that lead us to the truth'.
He resolved: "This identification is a testament to the advances of forensic science and the unwavering commitment of the professionals involved.
"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."
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