PA PA - Ray Gricar, 59, Bellefonte, 15 April 2005 - #9

[PaulR]

Since this has come up, it looks like the latest the "Cleveland trip" would be September 30-October 1, 2000. That was the season closer and it was on a Sunday. RFG filed for divorce in 3/01, and the Indians didn't start playing until 4/1/01.

Granted, it could have been before that, but that should the latest date.

This lists all games played by Cleveland in 2000. You can find double headers by looking to see if two games were played on the same date, *and* they were both in Cleveland (the sixth column won't say "@" which indicates an away game.)
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CLE/2000-schedule-scores.shtml

Saturday, June 24, vs. Detroit.
Monday, September 25, vs. White Sox and Minnesota. This would not have been a true "double header" but probably rescheduling due to a cancelled game. One was a day game and one was a night game.

In practice double headers aren't very common nowadays.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

This lists all games played by Cleveland in 2000. You can find double headers by looking to see if two games were played on the same date, *and* they were both in Cleveland (the sixth column won't say "@" which indicates an away game.)
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CLE/2000-schedule-scores.shtml

Saturday, June 24, vs. Detroit.
Monday, September 25, vs. White Sox and Minnesota. This would not have been a true "double header" but probably rescheduling due to a cancelled game. One was a day game and one was a night game.

In practice double headers aren't very common nowadays.

Sloane indicated that RFG was "back at his desk Monday morning," after the trip. That would indicate the trip was on a weekend or at least a Friday. 10/1/00 was a Sunday, the game lasted for 2:46 and began at 1:05 PM

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CLE/2000-schedule-scores.shtml"]http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CLE/2000-schedule-scores.shtml

Friday 10/29/00, the game started at 7:05 PM, and it would have been possible to be that one as well. It was over at about 9:45 PM, so that would be candidate as well.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CLE/CLE200009290.shtml

It's possible that he left from work (a bit early), and it would be a 3.5-4.25 hour trip. Emma wouldn't have seen him since that morning. He probably wouldn't have gotten back until 1:00-2:00 AM. He also could have spent the night in a motel and not gotten back until the next morning.

It also could have been a few months earlier.

 

[PaulR]

It's possible that he left from work (a bit early), and it would be a 3.5-4.25 hour trip. Emma wouldn't have seen him since that morning. He probably wouldn't have gotten back until 1:00-2:00 AM. He also could have spent the night in a motel and not gotten back until the next morning.

It also could have been a few months earlier.

It couldn't have been earlier, as those were the only home double headers that Cleveland played.

There were some double headers that Cleveland played in other cities. On Saturday, July 29th, they played two games against Baltimore. Baltimore is a three hour drive away.
Game 1, 1:25pm start time and ending at ~4:20
Game 2, 7:05pm start time and ending at ~9:55

There were also two double headers against Boston at Fenway, but they were mid-week so those seem unlikely.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

It couldn't have been earlier, as those were the only home double headers that Cleveland played.

There were some double headers that Cleveland played in other cities. On Saturday, July 29th, they played two games against Baltimore. Baltimore is a three hour drive away.
Game 1, 1:25pm start time and ending at ~4:20
Game 2, 7:05pm start time and ending at ~9:55

There were also two double headers against Boston at Fenway, but they were mid-week so those seem unlikely.

First, he drove to Cleveland, not Baltimore. Second, there has no suggestion it was a double header.

 

[PaulR]

First, he drove to Cleveland, not Baltimore. Second, there has no suggestion it was a double header.

That statement was made in this article:
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/04/ray_gricar_mystery.html

During Gricar’s second marriage, to Emma, he took off after a fight, drove to Cleveland and watched the Indians play a doubleheader.

 

[Pink Panther]

Sloane seemed to always have given info that lead to "walk away". He seemed to think that that was most likely what happened. JJ - Have you ever summarized his statements re Gricar?

Also - Is the Stephen Sloane that was recently cited for some sort of drug charge (selling or something of that nature) the same Sloane that knew Gricar???

 

[J. J. in Phila]

That statement was made in this article:
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/04/ray_gricar_mystery.html

Either Sloane was referring to two games in the series or it was the previous year. The divorce was finalized before the next double header. The one before that was on 7/3/99. He would been at work the first day of the week, Tuesday, 7/5/99.

It looks like the incident happened well before the divorce, at any rate.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Sloane seemed to always have given info that lead to "walk away". He seemed to think that that was most likely what happened. JJ - Have you ever summarized his statements re Gricar?

Since at least 2006, Sloane has indicated that he thought RFG was alive, at least privately. He has publicly stated that he thinks RFG walked away.

One, in an e-mail in August of 2010, I had written to him: "I have not ruled out murder, but if it was murder, it is more likely to be a personal, as opposed of to a job related, murder." I got an e-mail back from him that said, "He is NOT dead!" That was entire response. That might be wishful thinking on his part.

Also - Is the Stephen Sloane that was recently cited for some sort of drug charge (selling or something of that nature) the same Sloane that knew Gricar???

Yes, and I was completely surprised. RFG, from what I've been able to tell, didn't use drugs, even in college.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Sloane seemed to always have given info that lead to "walk away". He seemed to think that that was most likely what happened. JJ - Have you ever summarized his statements re Gricar?

Respectfully snipped.

Early on, I don't think he was. When RFG was first reported missing, that weekend, prior to the Mini being found, Sloane mentioned the Cleveland Trip to LE and said, in effect, **I bet he took off to a ball game; check Jacobs Field.** That is far from, **He started a new life someplace.**

I think it really began to gel for him in May of 2006: http://www.centredaily.com/2006/05/13/3802/missed-leads.html

The initial reaction from the nephews was suicide, when they heard the car was by Water Street, even before they got to Lewisburg. I think that is natural, considering their father's demise, in a river, by suicide.

When I first heard about it, I thought the body would be fished out of the Susquehanna in a few weeks. My very first comment on it was in November of 2005, because no body turned up. I actually was beginning to think murder was more likely than suicide at that point.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Sloane waived his preliminary hearing this morning. Still stunned by the charges.

 

[CJMAJORGIRL24]

Ok -i am confused. Post 732 Mr. Gricar was diagnosed with depression, post 739 he wasn't. I don't remember ever reading he was diagnosed.

My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Gricar's nephew and daughter. I can't imagine how hard the holidays must be without him. I SO hoped that we would all know the truth before Christmas.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Ok -i am confused. Post 732 Mr. Gricar was diagnosed with depression, post 739 he wasn't. I don't remember ever reading he was diagnosed.

It was a mistyping on my part. Mr. Gricar was never diagnosed with depression.

My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Gricar's nephew and daughter. I can't imagine how hard the holidays must be without him. I SO hoped that we would all know the truth before Christmas.

If 2013 is anything like 2012, I'm not entirely sure anyone will be happy with the truth. Sad, but true.

 

[CJMAJORGIRL24]

Thanks, JJ!!!! I thought We might not be happy-but would still love to know!! Hope you are doing well!

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Thanks, JJ!!!! I thought We might not be happy-but would still love to know!! Hope you are doing well!

A long, long time ago....

... I wrote something.

" The truth, whatever it ends up being, will not satisfy some. It will destroy their image of what happened, and possibly their impression of Mr. Gricar.

In any event, if the truth ever comes out, no matter what it is, Happy Valley will not be entirely happy with the answer."

http://www.centredaily.com/2009/02/12/2397056/no-happy-ending-for-the-gricar.html#storylink=cpy

There might be numerous people very unhappy.

I am doing reasonably well, thank you. How about you?

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I did send out my Christmas letter again and included the term "Central Pennsylvania Gothic."

 

[Datchery]

Do the charges against Sloan seem credible, from what you've heard or read about the case? I ask because we now have two close friends, both men of good character, as far as anyone knew, involved in some sort of intrigue. Is it possible, however far-fetched, that someone with a beef against both Gricar and Sloan framed the latter and had some role in the former's disappearance? Could this person have threatened Gricar in some way that prompted his decision to leave, if indeed he left voluntarily?

 

[J. J. in Phila]

First, I want to say that I have communicated with Sloane over the years, and like the guy. He is a source, but almost never has be been a singular source, except about his own opinions or conclusions; he has, however, been proven to be an accurate one.

Second, I sincerely hope that the charges are a mistake. He is known to have a sense of humor, and I hope that this was just a misinterpreted joke or something like that.

Third, I have not had any known contact with him since the summer of 2011. I think the last time I did, it was because he'd stopped posting on Facebook and I sent him a message asking if he was all right. He posted something general and I saw that he was okay.

Do the charges against Sloan seem credible, from what you've heard or read about the case? I ask because we now have two close friends, both men of good character, as far as anyone knew, involved in some sort of intrigue. Is it possible, however far-fetched, that someone with a beef against both Gricar and Sloan framed the latter and had some role in the former's disappearance?

One thing that I would note about the charges and that is the very small financial gain that is alleged. It is something measured in the 100's of dollars, not the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. That just seems odd for a 52 year old (as he was at the time) with a career to be involved with for so little money. Also, State College is a college town and as an ADA for 17 years, I'm sure that Sloane would have known someone much closer, if he really wanted to buy drugs.

Because he's being charged with selling to others, presumably locally, it seems unlikely if not impossible that this was a frame.

That said, he did have contact with someone over Facebook using the same name as the person who allegedly sent him the drugs. I recognized the name. Now, I exchanged e-mails with the "DC Madam," and there was no criminality in them; it was for one of her legal projects. Just communicating with someone over the Internet does not indicate criminal involvement.

Could this person have threatened Gricar in some way that prompted his decision to leave, if indeed he left voluntarily?

The possibility of a potential, but completely theoretical, threat is one of the reasons that RFG could have left voluntarily. An actual threat could been a reason as well.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I finally dug up the charges. Everything is related to a single day (9/1/11).

 

[Pink Panther]

I finally dug up the charges. Everything is related to a single day (9/1/11).

Can you elaborate? Where does the whole thing sit now?

Is your impression that the charges are legitimate or that he was set up?

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Can you elaborate? Where does the whole thing sit now?

Is your impression that the charges are legitimate or that he was set up?

No, I don't think he was set up, based on the charges.

The amount seems low, however, for multiple charges. From what I'm hearing and from the $250 he allegedly paid, there would not have been a lot of pot or pills. There seem to be large number of charges for one incident, however.