Ray Gricar LINKS AND TIMELINES [no discussion]

[day2day]

***Posting links to news stories about Ray Gricar...***

CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/17/missing.prosecutor.ap/
Sunday April, 17 2005
Ray Gricar 59
Took Friday off work
Called gf at 11:30 am from Union County
NO activity on his cell phones or credit cards (what about his bank account)
State police found Gricar's red-and-white Mini Cooper on Saturday evening in a dirt parking lot on the outskirts of Lewisburg
NO signs of foul play
Police said Gricar was last seen wearing a blue fleece-type jacket, jeans and sneakers.
Gricar, the county's district attorney for 20 years, recently decided not to seek a sixth term and said he planned to retire in December at age 60. He inherited a part-time office when first elected in 1985 but campaigned successfully to make the job full-time.
Among the more high-profile cases Gricar handled was the prosecution of a 21-year-old woman who opened fire with a hunting rifle on Penn State's campus in 1996, killing one person and wounding a second.

[day2day]

Sun, Apr. 17, 2005
Centre Daily Times

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centr...y/11419283.htm

The car was brought to state police barracks in Milton today. But after traveling to Milton to meet with state police, Bellefonte Police Chief Duane Dixon said that there were no signs that someone may have broken into the car and that no blood was found inside the vehicle.

NO mention of fingerprints ????

The car was then turned over to Gricar’s longtime girlfriend, Patty Fornicola, a clerk in the district attorney’s office who filed the missing-person report Friday night. Police said he was last heard from at 11:30 a.m. Friday when he called Fornicola to tell her he was going for a drive on a road that led to Lewisburg. Gricar had taken the day off.

[day2day]

CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/18/mis....ap/index.html

Same things but info about brother

Gricar's 53-year-old brother, Roy J. Gricar, vanished under similar circumstances in May 1996, and was later ruled to have drowned himself, The Centre Daily Times reported.

The West Chester, Ohio, resident told his wife he was going out on an errand and never returned, according to an account at the time in the Dayton Daily News. His car was found abandoned near a river, and his body was later pulled from the water.

[day2day]

Tuesday April 18, 2005
The Digital Collegian
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive...05dnews-02.asp

Dropped Rape Charges?

Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar dropped charges against a Philadelphia sheriff's deputy accused of raping a State College woman in a hotel in 2003.

[day2day]

Missing DA called dedicated prosecutor who kept low profile
April 20, 2005
Penn Live. com
http://www.pennlive.com/newsflash/pa...xml&storylist=

FBI investigators are helping to analyze Gricar's bank and credit car records. On Wednesday, police officials in Bellefonte, who are heading the investigation, announced that an anonymous donor posted a $5,000 reward for information on Gricar's whereabouts.

Police have applied for a search warrant to look at Gricar's medical history. Gricar's girlfriend, Patty Fornicola, said the prosecutor had been complaining the last three weeks of fatigue and would often take naps at lunch or after work, according to a copy of the warrant application obtained Wednesday by WJAC-TV in Johnstown.

Colleagues heap praise on Gricar for his work in prosecuting domestic violence and sexual assault cases. Gricar's career dates back to the 1970s, when he worked as an assistant city prosecutor in Cleveland and then as an assistant prosecutor for Cuyahoga County, Ohio. There, he prosecuted dozens of homicide cases.

He moved to Centre County in 1980 to become an assistant district attorney before being elected DA in 1986.

[day2day]

Gricar Biography
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centr...s/11428973.htm
April 19, 2005
Name: Ray Gricar

Age: 59

Address: Bellefonte

Personal: Gricar is single and has a daughter from a previous marriage.

Background: Spent 10 years as assistant prosecuting attorney in Cleveland before joining the Centre County district attorney's office as an assistant district attorney. He was elected district attorney and assumed the part-time office in 1985. He lobbied to make the job a full-time position, which it became in 1996. He announced in January 2004 that he planned to retire and would not seek re-election this year.

High-profile cases: Gricar prosecuted a 21-year-old woman who opened fire with a rifle on Penn State's campus in 1996, killing one person and wounding a second; the trial of two brothers, who were acquitted of charges of involuntary manslaughter in the 2003 choking death of a Penn State student during an altercation outside the bar where they worked. Pending cases include prosecution of a woman charged with homicide-by-vehicle in a 2003 crash that caused the death of a motorcyclist; the trial of a man charged with murder the 2002 death of his infant son.

[day2day]

Fri, Apr. 22, 2005
Third witness says she saw Gricar

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centr...s/11457629.htm

Five fingerprints found in or on the Mini Cooper have been sent to the state police crime lab in Harrisburg and will be compared with Fornicola's and Gricar's prints, Dixon said. Cigarette butts found in the parking lot also will be analyzed, although Dixon said it's unlikely they are connected to the case.

Investigators said they have found no activity on Gricar's credit cards or bank account since he's been missing. They also said there were no unusual withdrawals before he disappeared. They have not looked into the district attorney's office finances, Dixon said Thursday.

[AJandTam]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155634,00.html

Transcript of Lara's appearance on GVS.

For anyone just popping in.
http://www.raygricar.com/

6/2/2005

article from pittsburgh cbs affiliate re: http://www.raygricar.com :

http://kdka.com/local/local_story_153103536.html

6/8/2005 Centre Daily article:

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centr...s/11839696.htm

6/8/05
Police investigate Michigan sighting of missing prosecutor

http://www.timesleader.com/mld/times...l/11847115.htm

profilergirl posted this one earlier, very good article, TY!

Psychic's Leads Investigated -

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb247770.php

Baron also has told investigators that at some point during Gricar's drive, the opportunity presented itself and a move was made to get Gricar into the tailing tan car. Baron believes someone leaned into the passenger side window of the Mini Cooper while smoking a cigarette to coerce Gricar from his car.

State police reports of witness accounts also note a similar scene, Zaccagni said. They describe someone leaning in to talk to the driver before the car pulls away abruptly.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05154/515191.stm
Friday, June 03, 2005

A new Web site has been created to aid in the search for missing Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar.

The site, created by Gricar's nephew, includes photographs of Gricar, as well as information on how to contact the Bellefonte police with tips on the 59-year-old's disappearance.

Web site set up for missing Centre County DA
http://www.raygricar.com/

The Centre Daily Times Special Gricar Section (an archive of the RG articles)

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centr...es/ray_gricar/

A couple of weeks ago I heard a story about a sighting in TX where the woman took a picture and sent it to authorities.

Here's the link:
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/12392625.htm

today's 9/13/2005 Penn State Daily Collegian:

---Gricar's girlfriend and housemate, Patty Fornicola, his daughter Lara, his ex-wife and his nephew Tony Gricar met with Holliday and Officer Darrel Zaccagni at the end of last week.

"We just kind of went over things and had a little brainstorming session to try to stay on top of the investigation," Holliday said.---


http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive...05dnews-06.asp

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005 ]

Police 'fairly confident' body found not Gricar's


http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive...05dnews-03.asp

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/12778413.htm

I havn't heard anything about this case in months. What is the status? Are they still actively working on it? Sure is a mystery and rather sad. Hope everything is O.K. with him.

6 months missing, tomorrow:

Family coping in missing DA case
By Halle Stockton
Collegian Staff Writer
It has been almost six months since the disappearance of Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar and police still have no new leads and the family is continuing through the difficult times....

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive...05dnews-08.asp

hard drive found articles - 10/27/05:

Centre Daily Times

PSU Daily Collegian

[starling]

Questions & Answers

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centr...ay&action=&typ

October 28, 2005
Computer hard drive may yield data

LEWISBURG — Whatever data there is on the hard drive of Ray Gricar's computer, found recently in the Susquehanna River near Lewisburg, may be recoverable, an area computer expert said...

http://www.dailyitem.com/archive/200...es/02local.htm

Originally posted by Saunterer
I wish we knew exactly where the hard drive was found relative to the Route 45 bridge. Might it have been tossed from the bridge (as it appears the laptop was), or from the park bank ... or neither?

it was apparently found approximately 100yds up-stream from where the laptop was found, which would likely indicate it went in from the park. i say from the park as to get down to the riverbank itself seems to have been a difficult thing due to the debris field.

the laptop was discovered under the 45 bridge, almost directly underneath and next to and abutment.

Originally posted by Saunterer
1.) OK, I'm confused!

2.) In early August on Fox, TG said the laptop was found on the upstream side of the bridge, and the Sunbury Daily Item reported it was "found near the third support of the bridge, on the Montandon side". That would put it near the middle of the river. Were these reports right or wrong?

3.) And if the hard drive was found about 100 yards upstream from where the laptop was found, that would still be about the middle of the river, not to mention a very peculiar location (inaccessible from either the traffic bridge or the park). But according to some reports it was found about 100 yards from the laptop and within 15 feet of the bank (meaning I suppose the bottom of the creek/river bank, which was an exposed area due to low water conditions).

1.) i'll add you to the official list.

2.) actually, i believe that tg said that the location of the laptop would indicate that it would have gone into the water from the upstream side, as it would be difficult for an object to be thrown from the downstream side and end up under the bridge. and yes, the location was towards the center of the bridge. i believe there are 6 or 7 supports.

3.) if i read you correctly, i think that 100 yds "as the crow flies" would be about right. the location near the bank is correct. the hard drive was found in the more recently developed/revealed river bank (read: receded water-line).

[day2day]

Police wait for Data in Gricar Case
11/14/05

But weeks after turning the drive over to the FBI, Bellefonte police officer Darrel Zaccagni said, authorities still have no word on whether any data can be salvaged. They don't even know if FBI analysts have begun examining the drive or when they might be able to expect a report.

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/13161301.htm

i'm thinking that either someone knew his routine,; followed him and abducted him. i'ts probably some one that he put away.
or , they hired someone to do the deed.
i wonder if the fbi are investigating his gilfriend...... then again whoever did it must know something about how this whole process works; since he is still 'missing ' 7 months later. poor guy if htere are no signs of foul play- was there a gun involved, forcing him peacfully to their wishes? who can say?

[day2day]

I would love an hour with just Nancy Grace and the "good" detective

ZACCAGNI: Well, there is some evidence from what his girlfriend told us towards the end before he disappeared. He was a little more depressed in the sense that he wasn`t as active as he had been, he was not feeling well, he was taking longer naps, a little more moody. You know, and I`m by far not an expert in this field.

uhuh...i wonder just what he IS an expert in

New year, fresh faces draw new attention to missing DA case

By GENARO C. ARMAS
The Associated Press

-----------------------------

BELLEFONTE, Pa. - In more than 30 years as a prosecutor, Ray Gricar had a hand in sending hundreds of people to prison for crimes ranging from domestic violence to drug dealing to murder.......

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/ne...06-596957.html

Very interesting, Saunterer. Wonder which is true - Dixon's statement (4/17/05 article link) that there was no cell phone activity after the 4/15 AM call to the DA Office, or Zaccagni's later statements that there were no other calls OUT on the phone, but that there was calls IN to the phone, indicating they were the office and family members.

This is a very unusual link about Gricar.

http://www.prisoners.com/gricari.html

Editorial piece from Chambersburg, written by a former Centre Countian.

Editor's view: It will take community leadership to tackle domestic violence problem

Excerpt: "Prior to becoming editor here, I was managing editor of the newspaper in Centre County and I also served for seven years on the board of a women's center and shelter for abuse victims.

What I saw there was a commitment at the highest level to take domestic violence seriously. Then-District Attorney Ray Gricar worked closely with the women's center to provide (and fund) a strong support system for abuse victims. In addition, he made vigorous prosecution of domestic violence cases a priority in his office during the decades he served as DA."

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/opinion/ci_4139082

Not "new" news, but a new version of it from the Digital Collegian:

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive...06dnews-01.asp

The much-anticipated meeting of Pennsylvania State Police criminal investigators reviewing the investigation into the disappearance of former Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar has been postponed until the week of Nov. 15.

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centr...s/15904503.htm

"I don't believe it's by any means an active investigation at this point," said a clearly frustrated Tony Gricar, the missing prosecutor's nephew and family spokesman. "I think it's [the PSP's review] been postponed enough. It seems to be a vicious cycle, just like everything else in this case to this point."
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centr...l/15906878.htm

[sherrijean981]

Originally posted by UndertheRadar
Editorial piece from Chambersburg, written by a former Centre Countian.

Editor's view: It will take community leadership to tackle domestic violence problem

Excerpt: "Prior to becoming editor here, I was managing editor of the newspaper in Centre County and I also served for seven years on the board of a women's center and shelter for abuse victims.

What I saw there was a commitment at the highest level to take domestic violence seriously. Then-District Attorney Ray Gricar worked closely with the women's center to provide (and fund) a strong support system for abuse victims. In addition, he made vigorous prosecution of domestic violence cases a priority in his office during the decades he served as DA."

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/opinion/ci_4139082

Here then is probably where RG's money had been going!!! This former editor and board member of the Women's Center and Shelter for abuse victims said "RG worked closely with the center to provice (AND FUND) a strong support system for abuse victims."

Maybe if someone on the board there could go over the books from the time RG was involved there they would see all the donations. Probably RG's tax records recorded it too. JMO

[tonyGricar]

This is actually one of the reasons that I find it interesting where people question/speculate on the amount of money that Ray had in his cash accounts. People speculate without knowing the whole story, or more likely, as we see with various far-fetched scenarios here, people don't know the whole story, therefore they speculate (not a bad thing, just an observation).

I thought it was pretty widely known that even though Ray was not full-time (even though he worked the hours, plus many, many more) for much of his Centre County career, when he looked to become full-time, salary-wise, he took an interesting step with the salary differential. He donated the first year's differential to help establish a certain women's resource. Why? Because he was not able to get/or assist in getting a grant for such an entity. (Ironic side-note: anyone remember a certain person who did not like his attempts to become full-time?)

Thanks for bringing this up, Sherrijean. I think it's safe to say that we hope that his fight against domestic violence is his true legacy.

[sherrijean981]

Originally posted by tonyGricar
This is actually one of the reasons that I find it interesting where people question/speculate on the amount of money that Ray had in his cash accounts. People speculate without knowing the whole story, or more likely, as we see with various far-fetched scenarios here, people don't know the whole story, therefore they speculate (not a bad thing, just an observation).

I thought it was pretty widely known that even though Ray was not full-time (even though he worked the hours, plus many, many more) for much of his Centre County career, when he looked to become full-time, salary-wise, he took an interesting step with the salary differential. He donated the first year's differential to help establish a certain women's resource. Why? Because he was not able to get/or assist in getting a grant for such an entity. (Ironic side-note: anyone remember a certain person who did not like his attempts to become full-time?)

Thanks for bringing this up, Sherrijean. I think it's safe to say that we hope that his fight against domestic violence is his true legacy.

I hope you don't think I was thinking he ran off and had put his money away to do it. At first I did question it but from all I heard of him and read about his retirement it didn't make sense. I was glad I found the link that told he funded the Women's Resource Center so the community and this board could see he was putting his somewhere of value. If you read the next site I wrote on I am questioning about the centers in Lewisburg and whether he might have been helping Mrs. Vargas and she was only helping her husband. Being a Mom and grandmother if I even suspected my spouse of abusing one of my babies they couldn't have saved him from me. Maybe she was scared of him!!
JMO

[tonyGricar]

Originally posted by sherrijean981
I hope you don't think I was thinking he ran off and had put his money away to do it.

I didnt think that at all. I was glad you brought it up, because I think people do not likely realize how much he donated as they attempt to analyze how much he should apparently have in his checking account.

[sherrijean981]

Originally posted by tonyGricar
I didnt think that at all. I was glad you brought it up, because I think people do not likely realize how much he donated as they attempt to analyze how much he should apparently have in his checking account.

I didn't know RG except in passing in the courthouse and I think I saw him in the Antique Mall in Bellefonte one of the times I was there, but it was a long distance look.

I have read so many articles on him it is just impossible for me to believe some of the nasty things people say. The article that he showed the newsperson the picture of LG and said he was into photography and collected old cameras and talked about his retirement and he and PF going together sounded very heartfelt and he looked happy talking about it. He had great plans and knew what he wanted to do and when.

By the way Tony, did you check his camera to see if there might be undeveloped film in any? I know I have a couple from a couple years ago that have rolls in them. Just a thought.