The man, who was found frozen in a cave at Pinnacle, a popular destination along the Appalachian Trail, has been identified as Nicholas Paul Grabb, a 27-year-old from Fort Washington. This identification brings relief to his family, who for 47 years had no idea what happened to him, although many questions remain about the last days of his life.
The mystery started on January 16, 1977, when two hikers came across the body of a man inside a cave at Pinnacle. Authorities who arrived at the scene determined that the man was between 25 and 35 years old, with blue eyes and red curly hair. While there was no evidence of foul play, the cause of death was ruled as suicide by drug overdose.
The unidentified man, as reported by The New York Times, was buried in a cemetery for anonymous dead after no one came forward to identify him. Over the years, the original fingerprints taken during the autopsy were lost, and the remaining copies were of poor quality, making identification impossible.
The identification of the man as Nicholas Paul Grabb was made possible after a long process that included DNA extraction and fingerprint searches. In 2009, the Berks County Coroner’s office reopened the case of the “Pinnacle Man.” Despite efforts to match fingerprints and dental records with those of other missing persons, no positive results were found.
In 2019, Grabb’s body was exhumed for DNA extraction, but two attempts to analyze the samples were unsuccessful. The breakthrough came in August 2023, when Pennsylvania State Police Officer Ian Keck discovered the original fingerprints from 1977, which were thought to be lost. These fingerprints were sent to the FBI, where they were analyzed and identified within 53 minutes, confirming that they belonged to Nicholas Paul Grabb.
Authorities located a relative of Grabb, who confirmed his identity and provided the necessary documentation. His family now plans to bury his remains in a family plot.
Nicholas Grabb’s life had been shaped by his service in the Pennsylvania National Guard in the early 1970s and his time living in Colorado. An incident with the police in 1975 had led to the taking of his fingerprints, which were entered into the Automated Fingerprint Identification System.
Although Grabb’s identification solved part of the mystery, many questions remain unanswered about the circumstances of his death. Grabb was found wearing light clothing and had attempted to start a fire, yet he was not equipped for the harsh weather conditions. There were no food or camping supplies at the site, leaving the question of what really happened open.
The police continue to investigate the case, hoping to shed light on the final hours of Grabb’s life and provide answers to the remaining questions.
