PA PA - John Chocha, 52, Harrisburg State Hospital, 19 Jul 1969

[CarlK90245]

Starting a new thread at the request of a newbie, who doesn't yet have thread starting capabilities.

John Chocha Jr.

Above: Chocha, circa 1969

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: May or June 1969 from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing
Age: 52 years old
Height: 6'0, 145 - 173 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Gray hair, blue eyes.
Medical Conditions: Chocha suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.

Details of Disappearance

Chocha was confined to the Harrisburg State Mental Hospital in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1969. His sister visited him sometime during May or June of that year. A few weeks kater, Chocha's wife called the hospital to say she was visiting him, and was told that he had disappeared. No one had informed his relatives of this beforehand. Chocha had privileges to visit the town at the time of his disappearance.

Chocha has never been heard from again. There has been no activity on his Social Security number since his disappearance. He was declared legally dead seven years after he vanished, but few details are available in his case and it remains unsolved.

 

[VikingBookLady]

I've often wondered if this UID could be Mr. Chocha. Submitted it to LE a few months ago.

http://doenetwork.org/cases/791umfl.html

 

[Jgrabko]

The big issues with this case are two-fold.

One, there are a LOT of bodies buried around the hospital ground. Not all of the cemeteries were properly marked, and the ones that were have a lot of unsorted/uncatalogued remains. The area back then, and even now to a degree, has some heavy wooden areas. There is the possibility that he somehow ended up in nearby Wildwood Park and drowned. The Susquehanna River is also not too far away.

The other issue is landscape changes. There are a lot more buildings and parking lots in the general area. It could very well be that his remains were paved over. A lot of construction has taken place on the hospital grounds and the general area.

 

[JerseyGirl]

• John Chocha Jr., 52, Harrisburg, missing since July 1969

According to multiple missing persons websites, Chocha was a patient at Harrisburg State Hospital in 1969, but had privileges to leave the hospital campus and visit town. He was last seen by his sister in May or June 1969. A few weeks later, his wife attempted to visit and was told he had disappeared. He was not seen again and was declared legally dead seven years later.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Missing persons: In Pennsylvania, how many are lost and from where?

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for John as we approach the 53rd anniversary...

 

[CastlesBurning]

Sorry, double post!

 

[Caring1]

19 Unidentified Person Exclusions

 

[spartanx]

Surely on one of his outings he either got lost or was kidnapped... perhaps someone offered him something interesting... in any case, the hospital is to blame for its negligence in letting him out and for not notifying them that he had left... I imagine they sued the hospital... but the only victim of all this has yet to be found...
whatever the case
Rest in peace

 

[Pennysmom1]

1477DMPA - John Chocha, Jr.

Identifiers​

Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Available




I found this of interest from Open Records PA

https://www.openrecords.pa.gov/Appeals/DocketGetFile.cfm?id=147332

<< I[] [am] looking for investigation information on the disappearance of John Chocha circa July 9, 1969. He is linked to Polish Royalty, it was during the Vietnam War and during the construction of Three Mile Island. He would have been considered a top diplomat/political dissident and a top priority both with the state and federal government to include internationally. >>

 

[Brightchaser47]

<< I[] [am] looking for investigation information on the disappearance of John Chocha circa July 9, 1969.

RSBM
Wonder how they got that particular date-- date wife showed up to visit?

He is linked to Polish Royalty, it was during the Vietnam War and during the construction of Three Mile Island. He would have been considered a top diplomat/political dissident and a top priority both with the state and federal government to include internationally. >>

Hmmm...
Very fishy that the hospital failed to notify family of his being missing since his family obviously kept in touch. I wonder if he  was actually missing. Could anyone on staff have had political or financial motive for Chocha to "disappear"?

 

[Mfleish]

He is linked to Polish Royalty

This was interesting to me and a brief search of Ancestry confirmed that if I found the correct person, his parents were born in Poland (some say Russia), but they lived in New Jersey, so I'm not sure how close that link to royalty is. I checked Newspapers and only found the legal notices on declaring him deceased.

 

[Mfleish]

I don't know if this is helpful, but the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission will release records after a person has been deceased 50 years. They go by the date the person was declared deceased, which would not be for another ~2 years for Mr. Chocha. However, according to the PHMC, the majority of the records from that time frame were sent to Danville State Hospital, so I'm not sure if the records would be easily found if requested or if they would even be helpful in regard to locating him. JMO