PA PA - Cpl. Robert Corriveau, 20, Downington, 18 Nov 1968

[J. J. in Phila]

Exactly, so we could assume, no peacoat. I think it unlikely he would buy one at the px at Willow Grove. Which BTW didn't get mentioned. Coatsville also had a VA hospital, but I don't think it would have been an option for an active marine.

It would be an option for your brother, but he have visited someone he served with who was there.

 

[jacksonbrown]

It would be an option for your brother, but he have visited someone he served with who was there.

Do you mean Willow Grove or Coatsville?Either way he would have had to hitched a ride (which I feel unlikely) or was driven by someone most likely from PNH.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Do you mean Willow Grove or Coatsville?Either way he would have had to hitched a ride (which I feel unlikely) or was driven by someone most likely from PNH.

Coatsville, and even today, you can get their by train from Phila. It would been the old Penn Central at the time. I'm not even sure that, in 68, there was public transportation between WG and Phila.

 

[Richard]

Another unsolved murder with several factors similar to this case was that of US Army Private Roger Alan Gaddis, age 20, whose body (with no identification) was found 26 January 1968 on or near US highway 40 in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

He was married, but separated from his wife. Their infant son had died shortly before he enlisted in the Army during the VietNam War.

Roger had recently undergone surgery in a military hospital and had been granted a 12 day leave of convalescence to visit his family in St. Paris, Ohio. It was theorized by investigators that he may have been hitchhiking and picked up by his killer(s).

Pennsylvania State Police had jurisdiction in Roger's case. They were successful in identifying him through fingerprints, news releases, and family assistance. His killer was never apprehended.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Another unsolved murder with several factors similar to this case was that of US Army Private Roger Alan Gaddis, age 20, whose body (with no identification) was found 26 January 1968 on or near US highway 40 in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

He was married, but separated from his wife. Their infant son had died shortly before he enlisted in the Army during the VietNam War.

Roger had recently undergone surgery in a military hospital and had been granted a 12 day leave of convalescence to visit his family in St. Paris, Ohio. It was theorized by investigators that he may have been hitchhiking and picked up by his killer(s).

Pennsylvania State Police had jurisdiction in Roger's case. They were successful in identifying him through fingerprints, news releases, and family assistance. His killer was never apprehended.

The MO was different. The cause of death was beating and strangulation, correct?

 

[Richard]

The MO was different. The cause of death was beating and strangulation, correct?

I wouldn't say that the MO was different. There are at least 15 to 20 known similarities between the two cases. Of course, there are some unknown factors as well.

I have not seen the autopsy report on Roger Gaddis, so I can't say for certain what the official cause of death was. Some news accounts do mention strangulation and beating, an indication that the perpetrator(s) exerted physical violence close to the victim.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I wouldn't say that the MO was different. There are at least 15 to 20 known similarities between the two cases. Of course, there are some unknown factors as well.

I have not seen the autopsy report on Roger Gaddis, so I can't say for certain what the official cause of death was. Some news accounts do mention strangulation and beating, an indication that the perpetrator(s) exerted physical violence close to the victim.

What do you see as the similarities.

I would note that Route 40 in that area is exceptionally rural, not well traveled, and that it is not a direct route to Philadelphia.

Also, was Gaddis found nude?

 

[Richard]

What do you see as the similarities...

Without seeing both case files, it would be difficult to draw solid conclusions regarding whether or not these two unsolved murders are connected. Just looking at the limited information available I noticed the following similarities:

Both victims white.
Both male.
Both age 20.
Both military active duty.
Both enlisted and served during Vietnam War.
Both patients treated at and assigned to military hospitals.
Both on authorized leave/liberty from military hospital.
Both believed to have been hitchhiking.
Both violently murdered in close contact with attacker.
Both killed in Pennsylvania.
Both killed in 1968.
Both killed at cold time of year.
Both bodies left in the open on/near a US highway where quickly found.
Both were left with no identification.
Both victims were married, but separated.
Both had families in states away from Pennsylvania.
Both murder investigations were in the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania State Police.
Both victims were eventually identified - primarily by family members.
Both murders remain unsolved.
Both buried with military honors.
Both graves marked with bronze Veteran headstones.

A close comparison of these two murders might find even more similarities. Perhaps only coincidence, but maybe a connection?

US Route 40 in Pennsylvania might not be well traveled today (due to the newer turnpike) but it is a well maintained section of the historic National Road which stretches from Baltimore to Indianapolis.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Without seeing both case files, it would be difficult to draw solid conclusions regarding whether or not these two unsolved murders are connected. Just looking at the limited information available I noticed the following similarities:

Both victims white.
Both male.
Both age 20.
Both military active duty.
Both enlisted and served during Vietnam War.
Both patients treated at and assigned to military hospitals.
Both on authorized leave/liberty from military hospital.
Both believed to have been hitchhiking.
Both violently murdered in close contact with attacker.
Both killed in Pennsylvania.
Both killed in 1968.
Both killed at cold time of year.
Both bodies left in the open on/near a US highway where quickly found.
Both were left with no identification.
Both victims were married, but separated.
Both had families in states away from Pennsylvania.
Both murder investigations were in the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania State Police.
Both victims were eventually identified - primarily by family members.
Both murders remain unsolved.
Both buried with military honors.
Both graves marked with bronze Veteran headstones.

A close comparison of these two murders might find even more similarities. Perhaps only coincidence, but maybe a connection?

US Route 40 in Pennsylvania might not be well traveled today (due to the newer turnpike) but it is a well maintained section of the historic National Road which stretches from Baltimore to Indianapolis.

A sizable portion of the US population was white male in 1968. Neither could be known to have come from a hospital. PA is a big place.

Route 40 is much less traveled that the PATP. They were not positioned similarly. Route 40 would not necessarily be under the PSP jurisdiction (though they would be called in, likely).

Burial is ex post factor

 

[NancyDrewInPA]

I’ve read the published articles and followed the lengthy comments on this web sleuths chain. These are my thoughts/questions:

Summary
- His body was left in an area where it could be found, though no identification was with the body. So perhaps the killer wanted the body found, but needed to ensure identification was delayed, possibly giving him time to escape the area and detection.
- The peacoat was left covering part of his body, suggesting the killer experienced some sense of remorse and/or wanted to show respect for his body. Maybe this was because the killer knew he was a serviceman, and his national pride compelled him to.
- The peacoat was Navy issued, yet Robert served in the Marines. A reasonable conclusion is that the coat belonged to the killer who, in 1968, would have no thoughts of his personal attire being linked to him by virtue of DNA.
- The only of Robert’s personal effects left at the hospital was a shaving kit. His identification, wallet and dog tags are stated as seen is his parents home prior to his hospitalization, then vanished with him, only to be mailed to the home address at a later point in time.

Here is my theory, that I’ve yet to seen captured anywhere else…

What if his identity, and identification documents, were the motive for the crime? What if the killer wanted his military ID, for the sake of altering and assuming the valor associated? What if the motive was all about stolen identity and valor?

This theory would not have been commonplace during the era in which it happened. In fact, identity theft only became a recognized crime as technology advanced decades later. From what my preliminary research has uncovered, military identification cards from this era may have only have contained basic descriptors of the soldier, with their service number and an expiration date. All of this information could have been easily altered by the right person.

Additionally, it was around this time in history that the military transitioned from using service numbers as primary identification numbers for soldiers, to SSNs. A DD214 from the late 1960’s may, or may not, have contained both identification numbers, as these were the years the requirements transitioned.

If a killer had a military ID card and DD214 altered to match their credentials, in the late 1960’s, this would have given someone all they needed to not just validly proclaim a record of valor, but gain access to a government system they, perhaps, had been excluded from. They would have been able to access not only the government benefits afforded to veterans, but could have also infiltrated the reservist system to continue a military career they may have been denied due to their own physical or mental shortcomings. It appears the military didn’t actually adopt practices to deter this for another 40 years…

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/new-enlistment-procedure-after-man-faked-way-into-army/1870707/

Would this oversight in administration practice not have laid the foundation for a new theory to this crime? Would it not also make connection to the death of Roger Alan Gaddis? Perhaps not the same killer, but the same motive? Couldn’t this theory help explain unsolved murders of serviceman across the country from this era? Wouldn’t it also explain the “hush-hush” from the military, since they likely developed a knowledge of the potential, or actual, existence of this type of crime and their acknowledgment of it would only expose these weaknesses in their administrative practices that allowed potentially hundreds of individuals to infiltrate our military system, without qualification, completely undetected for decades?

Curious to know anyone’s take on this.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Stolen valor was not an issue in the 1960's. Nobody used his ID to infiltrate or to avoid the draft.

 

[Richard]

I’ve read the published articles and followed the lengthy comments on this web sleuths chain. These are my thoughts/questions:

Summary
- His body was left in an area where it could be found, though no identification was with the body. So perhaps the killer wanted the body found, but needed to ensure identification was delayed, possibly giving him time to escape the area and detection.
- The peacoat was left covering part of his body, suggesting the killer experienced some sense of remorse and/or wanted to show respect for his body. Maybe this was because the killer knew he was a serviceman, and his national pride compelled him to.
- The peacoat was Navy issued, yet Robert served in the Marines. A reasonable conclusion is that the coat belonged to the killer who, in 1968, would have no thoughts of his personal attire being linked to him by virtue of DNA.
- The only of Robert’s personal effects left at the hospital was a shaving kit. His identification, wallet and dog tags are stated as seen is his parents home prior to his hospitalization, then vanished with him, only to be mailed to the home address at a later point in time.

Here is my theory, that I’ve yet to seen captured anywhere else…

What if his identity, and identification documents, were the motive for the crime? What if the killer wanted his military ID, for the sake of altering and assuming the valor associated? What if the motive was all about stolen identity and valor?

This theory would not have been commonplace during the era in which it happened. In fact, identity theft only became a recognized crime as technology advanced decades later. From what my preliminary research has uncovered, military identification cards from this era may have only have contained basic descriptors of the soldier, with their service number and an expiration date. All of this information could have been easily altered by the right person.

Additionally, it was around this time in history that the military transitioned from using service numbers as primary identification numbers for soldiers, to SSNs. A DD214 from the late 1960’s may, or may not, have contained both identification numbers, as these were the years the requirements transitioned.

If a killer had a military ID card and DD214 altered to match their credentials, in the late 1960’s, this would have given someone all they needed to not just validly proclaim a record of valor, but gain access to a government system they, perhaps, had been excluded from. They would have been able to access not only the government benefits afforded to veterans, but could have also infiltrated the reservist system to continue a military career they may have been denied due to their own physical or mental shortcomings. It appears the military didn’t actually adopt practices to deter this for another 40 years…

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/new-enlistment-procedure-after-man-faked-way-into-army/1870707/

Would this oversight in administration practice not have laid the foundation for a new theory to this crime? Would it not also make connection to the death of Roger Alan Gaddis? Perhaps not the same killer, but the same motive? Couldn’t this theory help explain unsolved murders of serviceman across the country from this era? Wouldn’t it also explain the “hush-hush” from the military, since they likely developed a knowledge of the potential, or actual, existence of this type of crime and their acknowledgment of it would only expose these weaknesses in their administrative practices that allowed potentially hundreds of individuals to infiltrate our military system, without qualification, completely undetected for decades?

Curious to know anyone’s take on this.

An interesting theory.

While the disappearance of his ID card might have been done by the killer, it was more likely done to delay his identification and to prevent a possible connection between the killer and victim - rather than an attempt to steal and assume his identity.

There have been a number of disappearances and murders of servicemen and women covered in the threads of Websleuths.