District Attorney Ray Gricar: Mystery is Still Unsolved
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. Whatever the theory, authorities are no closer to discovering what actually happened to Gricar today than they were on April 15, 2005 when Gricar went missing.
The last time the district attorney was seen was when he left his office and drove away in his red Mini Cooper. Around 11:30 a.m. that same day, he called his girlfriend, Patty Fornicola, to say he was on Route 192 and that was the last anyone ever heard of Gricar again.
The next day, Gricar’s Mini Cooper was found in a parking lot near an antique store in Lewisburg, PA with his cellphone inside. Several months later his county-issued laptop was found in the water nearby where his car was found. This was promising, however, the hard drive was missing. Three months after the laptop was found, police found the the hard drive but no data could be recovered due to water damage.
Investigators found Internet searches on his home computer about how to wreck a hard drive, how to fry a hard drive, and water damage to a notebook computer. This was compelling evidence that he or someone with access to his home computer was intentionally trying to destroy his hard drive.
Gricar’s disappearance continues to baffle those who knew him. Ironically, his disappearance came right after he had broken up the county’s biggest drug ring.
On July 25, 2011, the court approved the petition of Gricar’s daughter, Lara Gricar, to have her father declared legally dead. Although Gricar is declared legally dead, he is still considered missing.
According to an FBI flyer, Ray “Frank” Gricar was born on October 9, 1945 and is 6 feet tall. At the time of his disappearance, his hair was brown and graying and he weighted 170 pounds. He has green eyes. Ray may also use the names Ray Lange or Ray Gray. He was last seen wearing a blue fleece jacket, jeans, and tennis shoes. He has ties to Ohio and California.
What do you think happened to Ray Gricar?
