POINT TWP., NORTHUMBERLAND CO. (WOLF) — Pennsylvania State Police Troop F detectives are renewing their appeal for information in a decades-old homicide investigation, offering a $5,000 reward for any leads that could finally help solve the case.
Authorities say the badly decomposed remains of an unidentified Black man were found on October 27, 1969, on what is now 1883 Susquehanna Trail in Point Township, Northumberland County. The victim was located near a former seasonal camp for migrant workers, approximately 1,000 feet south of where the living quarters once stood.
Investigators reported that the body was clothed only with a pair of men’s grey work pants wrapped around the legs; no shoes or other clothing items were located at the scene. Because of the advanced decomposition, forensic examiners believe the man had likely been deceased for several months before discovery. Law enforcement described the victim as a middle-aged, muscular Black male, about 5 feet 10 inches tall.
Despite extensive efforts at the time and in subsequent years, no identification has been established and the homicide remains unsolved more than five decades later. Cold case archives list hundreds of unresolved homicides in Pennsylvania, including deaths from the 1960s and 1970s that continue to confound investigators and families alike.
State Police officials are urging anyone with information—even small details—to come forward. Tips can be reported directly to Trooper Watkins at the Montoursville, Pennsylvania State Police Barracks at (570) 368-5700, PSP Tips toll-free at 1-800-472-8477, or submitted online through the Pennsylvania crime reporting portal.
The reward and renewed appeal aim to generate fresh leads in this long-cold case and bring answers to a mystery that has lasted more than half a century.
1883 Susquehanna Trail in Point Township, Northumberland County