Officials reveal identity of Pinnacle Man found in Appalachian cave

In January 1977, hikers discovered a frozen body in a cave near the Pinnacle in Albany Township, Pennsylvania. The deceased was later identified as Nicholas Paul Grubb, a 27-year-old man from Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. An autopsy revealed that Grubb died from a drug-induced overdose, with no signs of foul play. Despite the collection of dental records and fingerprints, the case went cold for over four decades due to misplaced fingerprint evidence. In 2019, authorities exhumed Grubb's body to update his records in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) after dental records linked him to two missing person cases. However, DNA samples did not match these cases, leaving the investigation unresolved. It wasn't until August 2022 that a significant breakthrough occurred when Ian Keck of the Pennsylvania State Police found the lost fingerprint card from Grubb's autopsy. Keck submitted the fingerprint card to NamUs, and within an hour, an FBI expert matched the fingerprints to Grubb's identity. This discovery allowed the Berks County Coroner's Office to notify Grubb's family, who expressed gratitude for the resolution of the long-standing mystery. The family requested that Grubb's remains be placed in their family plot, providing a sense of closure after nearly fifty years. The identification of Nicholas Paul Grubb highlights the importance of diligent investigative work and the impact of modern forensic techniques, even when traditional methods initially fail. This case serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to bring closure to families of missing persons and the significance of giving a name and story to the unidentified.