PA PA - Ray Gricar, 59, Bellefonte, 15 April 2005 - #5

[J. J. in Phila]

Michael T. Madeira was decisively defeated in his bid for reelection as Centre County District Attorney by Stacy Parks Miller.

http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/story/1608060.html

Madeira's handling of the Gricar case was an issue.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I'm very happy to report that SPM has mentioned renewed emphasis on the RFG case.

http://www.centredaily.com/116/story/1610279.html?storylink=omni_popular

I have some reason to believe it is more than lip service.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

For anyone following the investigation aspect of the case, the only two developments were that PEF was investigated more thoroughly than previously reported and McKnight and Buehner were more involved in the early investigation (i.e. April-May, 2005).

 

[Patience]

Here is the FBI's page on The Ray Gricar case. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family during the holidays and always.

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/gricar_rf.htm


[SIZE=+1]THE DETAILS[/SIZE]

For almost twenty years, Ray Frank Gricar has served as the District Attorney for Center County, Pennsylvania. On the morning of April 15, 2005, he called his girlfriend and told her that he was going to go for a drive in his red and white Mini Cooper automobile along state Route 192 in Penns Valley, Pennsylvania. He was reported missing when he did not return. The car was located in a parking lot in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, near the Susquehanna River, on April 16, 2005; however, Gricar has not been located.
[SIZE=+1]REMARKS[/SIZE]

Ray Gricar 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.

Individuals with information concerning this case should take no action themselves, but instead immediately contact the nearest FBI Office or local law enforcement agency. For any possible sighting outside the United States, contact the nearest United States Embassy or Consulate.

​

| Philadelphia Field Office | Kidnapping and Missing Persons Investigations |

 

[webrocket]

I don't think for one second this was foul play.

 

[dreamweaver]

Here is the FBI's page on The Ray Gricar case. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family during the holidays and always.

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/gricar_rf.htm


[SIZE=+1]THE DETAILS[/SIZE]

For almost twenty years, Ray Frank Gricar has served as the District Attorney for Center County, Pennsylvania. On the morning of April 15, 2005, he called his girlfriend and told her that he was going to go for a drive in his red and white Mini Cooper automobile along state Route 192 in Penns Valley, Pennsylvania. He was reported missing when he did not return. The car was located in a parking lot in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, near the Susquehanna River, on April 16, 2005; however, Gricar has not been located.
[SIZE=+1]REMARKS[/SIZE]

Ray Gricar 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.

Individuals with information concerning this case should take no action themselves, but instead immediately contact the nearest FBI Office or local law enforcement agency. For any possible sighting outside the United States, contact the nearest United States Embassy or Consulate.​

| Philadelphia Field Office | Kidnapping and Missing Persons Investigations |

So the FBI thinks Ray Gricar staged his own disappearance.
He threw his own laptop into the river.
And just walked away.
Interesting. I wonder what else they know that we do not know.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

In case anyone is interested, there are now updated indexes on the Sporadic Comments blog on the CDT website.

http://www.centredaily.com/opinion/blogs/

 

[J. J. in Phila]

So the FBI thinks Ray Gricar staged his own disappearance.
He threw his own laptop into the river.
And just walked away.
Interesting. I wonder what else they know that we do not know.

The report was out for a few years, and the FBI, so far as I know, is not the investigating agency. It is the Bellefonte Police along with the Pennsylvania State Police.

The report doesn't give any indication of that they have formed an opinion.

Even knowing a few (and not much) things that have not been released, I'm aware of any additional evidence that points to walkaway. That said, there are red flags waiving that should be checked, that might point to murder, or walkaway.

 

[dreamweaver]

The report was out for a few years, and the FBI, so far as I know, is not the investigating agency. It is the Bellefonte Police along with the Pennsylvania State Police.

The report doesn't give any indication of that they have formed an opinion.

Even knowing a few (and not much) things that have not been released, I'm aware of any additional evidence that points to walkaway. That said, there are red flags waiving that should be checked, that might point to murder, or walkaway.

When I first read of his disappearance, I thought murder.
For some reason, ... this was my thinking at the time...
he went to meet someone. From his job or his personal live,
didn't matter to the theory....
Then that person killed him and dumped him in the river.

But, if he walked away.
Does anyone know if he took a large sum of money out before that day? If he cashed in a CD?
Was he mixed up in any kind of rumored scandal?

 

[J. J. in Phila]

When I first read of his disappearance, I thought murder.
For some reason, ... this was my thinking at the time...
he went to meet someone. From his job or his personal live,
didn't matter to the theory....
Then that person killed him and dumped him in the river.

But, if he walked away.
Does anyone know if he took a large sum of money out before that day? If he cashed in a CD?
Was he mixed up in any kind of rumored scandal?

Nothing immediate or in the 2.5 years prior to that; his divorce was settled at that point. Over that period, the was about $16,000 that LE could not account for, e.g. money taken in cash from a checking account. That works out to about $100-150 a week, which is not unusual.

The media reported that his assets were just over $100 K when he disappeared.

LE never checked prior to his divorce and since 1998, he had been making, in salary, more than $100 K per year. It is unlikely that he would have lost everything in that divorce (and he did have car prior to buying PEF the Mini). There is a red flag from that period.

I think his financial situation was outlined on the fourth thread posted here and there was a blog on it under the "Known Evidence."

In my year end blog, which should be up this afternoon, I'll be mentioning the odds I give on what happened. There has been no real change this year.

 

[luthersmama]

When I first read of his disappearance, I thought murder.
For some reason, ... this was my thinking at the time...
he went to meet someone. From his job or his personal live,
didn't matter to the theory....
Then that person killed him and dumped him in the river.

But, if he walked away.
Does anyone know if he took a large sum of money out before that day? If he cashed in a CD?
Was he mixed up in any kind of rumored scandal?

It has been awhile, but my recollection is that he had not withdrawn cash, BUT the amount of funds in his accounts was very small considering his salary and his lifestyle. It made me wonder whether he had been systematically stashing money off shore for years with the intention of walking away some day

 

[J. J. in Phila]

It has been awhile, but my recollection is that he had not withdrawn cash, BUT the amount of funds in his accounts was very small considering his salary and his lifestyle. It made me wonder whether he had been systematically stashing money off shore for years with the intention of walking away some day

Your recollection is quite correct. (Boy, do I love being able to say that to a poster on a message board.)

There was an asset liquidation with RFG's divorce in 2001-02; he sold the house, for example. That is common and totally expected.

There is, however, an element there that raised a red flag. Likewise, the titling of the Mini (which was an asset) has raised a red flag, even with those people who think it is murder.

Keep this in mind, this was not an amicable divorce, and one of the causes that I've heard about was money. I have heard other causes.

Something else, the second Ms. Gricar did work, though perhaps well less than full time, but the household income was higher than just RFG's public salary.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

There has been no political or personal scandal suggested; I have not heard about one.

The possibility of a lover has been raised. Mr. Buehner, the DA from Montour County, actually suggested, very early on (May-June 2005), to check motels for someone matching the description of the "Mystery Woman." Mr. Buehner thinks he was meeting someone in Lewisburg.

The occasional poster Tokuen, who is thought to be RFG's first wife, posted this comment:

http://pod01.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=kr-centretm&tid=1192

Gricar had apparently courted a few women over the years.

The impression that I've gotten was that he wasn't exactly a monk. It isn't exactly a scandal for an unmarried male to like women.

 

[webrocket]

This voluntary departure, which I believe it was, is far more complex than skimming some money in the years post-divorce.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

This voluntary departure, which I believe it was, is far more complex than skimming some money in the years post-divorce.

I'm far from sure that it was voluntary departure.

It would be very complex and it would involve those pre-divorce years. It would also take brilliance to pull it off so successfully.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

As of today, I'd give the odds on what explains the disappearance of Mr. Gricar as follows:

Walkaway

48%

Foul Play

42%

Suicide

9%

Something Else

1%

In short, I don't have one theory that I would say is likely.

 

[luthersmama]

I have also expressed the thought before that Ray may have had a really big skeleton in his closet. The same closet he may have been locked in for a long time. He prosecuted sex crimes, and made a name for himself in that arena. His interest in theater and his general appearance sets off my "gaydar". I often wonder whether the person he walked away with was male and/or someone who figured into one of his prosecutions, either as a victim, witness or defendant.

OK, he was married, had a daughter and a girlfriend. That doesn't rule out having a same sex relationship on the side.

In central PA, a gay/bi prosecutor who came out would be tarred and feathered, IMHO. If he had a relationship with someone connected with a case, he would be toast.

 

[carbuff]

Yeah, it kind of seems to have some characteristics of that sort of situation...

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I have also expressed the thought before that Ray may have had a really big skeleton in his closet. The same closet he may have been locked in for a long time. He prosecuted sex crimes, and made a name for himself in that arena. His interest in theater and his general appearance sets off my "gaydar". I often wonder whether the person he walked away with was male and/or someone who figured into one of his prosecutions, either as a victim, witness or defendant.

OK, he was married, had a daughter and a girlfriend. That doesn't rule out having a same sex relationship on the side.

In central PA, a gay/bi prosecutor who came out would be tarred and feathered, IMHO. If he had a relationship with someone connected with a case, he would be toast.

I've communicated with people who know/knew him, and they uniformly say no. RFG was not a monk and his closer friends will say that, but he was married twice and living with his girlfriend at the time he disappeared.

Also, he was retiring in 8.5 months; he wasn't planning to run for anything or even practice law after he retired. Even if he was gay, or bi-sexual, there was no reason to cover it up. It's not illegal. People might look funny at him, but he'd be retired. On top of that, the county contains a college town, and Obama carried it in 2008, and Bush just barely carried it.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

From what I'm hearing, the DA has gotten rid of about half the prosecutors.