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

[Trackergd]

If you're still in the area, I recommend you eat at Gram's.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Thanks for the suggestion. I am currently back home but intend to go back to dig a bit deeper.

 

[Trackergd]

If anyone has specific questions about the park, bridges or far side of the river, feel free to ask.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

First, you photos are excellent. I was there in the summer, so you have something that is much closer to 4/15/05 than mine are.

View attachment 132606
Bridge Pilings

This one is absolutely brilliant!

Tony Gricar said that the high of the water was up to the first discoloration mark. You have enough detail to show that the river was 3 1/2 "stone blocks" on 4/16/05. As you noted, the islands were under water on 4/16/05, and that looks consistent with the water being at about that spot.

Brilliant!!!!

 

[J. J. in Phila]

If anyone has specific questions about the park, bridges or far side of the river, feel free to ask.

How likely would it have been for someone forcing RFG in the parting lot to have been seen? In your opinion, of course.

 

[Ozoner]

If anyone has specific questions about the park, bridges or far side of the river, feel free to ask.

Does there appear to have been any new construction in that area? Do the homes appear to pre-date Ray's disappearance?

 

[SeekingJana]

The Packwood House from the park

Tracker,
This photo is so lovely and serene. Is this the park bench where it's stated Ray sat for some time? I hate to ask trite questions, because I'm starting to feel like a stalker in absentia, ha, but " Every picture tells a story" and we've had so many holes for so many years.

Each of us has specific talents regarding what I guess are our personal " validity meters" and these photos are such a gift which add almost immeasurably to the facts as they were stated: Ray was seen in Lewisburg, he wasn't stressed, he shopped, he ate, perhaps had a shopping companion for a bit or something more, did things he loved to do on pretty spring days when he could get away and have a day to himself. ( and maybe with a special lady, we don't really know about). Not that he was some crazed maniac with a gun or knife to his neck in his car for 50 miles during which he phoned Patty about the elderly dog, paraded around in a public place ( just insane), and taken to an old mine shaft, well, or hole in the ground after a pleasant day of shopping with his abductor or abductors. Oh, and one of the mob jobs smoked in his pristine car and managed to force him OUT of his own vehicle and into " stranger danger zone".

Safety 101- Never leave YOUR personal place of safety to get into someone else's car or home. He'd know that as easily as he'd know his name, and he'd know how to get attention and help if he was needing it.

I find the Packwood House to be authentic and not a tourist trappy kind of thing, the SOS to be a seriously inclined antiques storehouse/ showcase, and, strangely, the river to be what I can only describe as " an afterthought' or " not as connected" to Ray that day or that weekend.

 

[SeekingJana]

The Helper

I believe that if Ray did have a helper or helpers on the weekend of April 15, 2005, he was very comfortable with the person and they with him.
I also think this person may have been given the laptop to take apart and distribute in the Susquehanna River at some point when the weather was warm and the tourists were extremely sparse in Lewisburg. This would assign a geographical area convenient to Lewisburg to the helper, I'd think. OR the relationship was important enough to drive a hundred miles or more for Ray.

One of the things I've been wondering about were the first reports we had regarding the computer and HD being found. Am I recalling correctly that there was said to be more than one HD recovered from the same riverbank?
I know it was part of a news report because I remember laughing at what seemed to be such an obvious planting of evidence ( or non- evidence).
Evidence because Ray's laptop was in the Susquehanna, but non- evidence because we are told nothing could be recovered from the HD. Rusty muddy pieces of junk- I can believe it.
What about the second HD? Did it exist or was a news reporter incorrect in the naming of computer parts? How/ why did it get on the same riverbank at the same time, if the presser was correct?

 

[J. J. in Phila]

There are several benched. One faces the river and is within 50' of where the drive was found; it could have been tossed from standing in front of the bench. There has never been a clear description of which bench.

Snipped from brevity only.

What about the second HD? Did it exist or was a news reporter incorrect in the naming of computer parts? How/ why did it get on the same riverbank at the same time, if the presser was correct?

There was a drive found sometime in the summer of 2005. IIRC it was several miles upstream, near Milton. It was one that could not be used with the laptop. It was not close to where either to the laptop or the drive was found and we don't know when this was tossed. In theory, it could have been tossed a year before RFG disappeared.

 

[Trackergd]

There is another place the drive could have been tossed from, and it's location could have given RFG the idea to toss the laptop from the bridge. Keep in mind that while today's laptops are featherweight, even just a few years ago, laptops were heavy, little improved from their portable ("luggable") predecessors.



In the picture above, there is a small wedge that is part of the bridge. It is elevated to the level of the roadway and is grass covered. It contains two historical markers. It would be another good place to toss the drive from.

 

[Trackergd]

As to turning around and coming back across the bridge to toss the laptop, the intersection on the far side is active, even early in the morning.

 

[Trackergd]

Another point. I seem to remember J.J noting that RFG was seen in town. I have two theories. One is that there are lawyers offices on both St Mary's and St John's streets. Were any of these lawyers friends or classmates of RFG? Might be a nice research project for one of us. Second, there is another large Antiques Mall the "Roller Mills" located 10 blocks West of the SOS. I did not get a chance to go in, but it is on my list for the next trip.



This could have been a secondary spot to visit during RFG's stay in town. It is visible from Rt15 as the red paint on the exterior does not completely hide the Purina Feed sign painted underneath.

 

[Trackergd]

All of the houses along Water Street and most if not all for many blocks West, predate RFG going missing.

 

[Trackergd]

How likely would it have been for someone forcing RFG in the parting lot to have been seen? In your opinion, of course.

As the SOS sees traffic all day, breakfast crowd and antique hunters all day, I would say unlikely. The parking lots are in sight of the front door of the SOS and the homes around them. If it were done, it would have to be quick and involve more than one actor in my opinion.

 

[Trackergd]

North of the SOS is the Lewisburg Community Garden, then the Saint Anthony Street Park with ball fields. I am not sure if the land was a park at the time or wooded, however a body would have been found during construction of the ball fields. I do not see RFG taking a hike to a wooded area where he would not be found. From fall to spring, all the wooded areas are quite open and visible. I had no problem getting a good view of the woods on both sides of the river with binoculars. To find a remote are to commit suicide would have been a long walk indeed.

 

[Trackergd]

There is a Greyhound Bus Stop on Market Street. A quick walk from both the SOS and the Roller Mills.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Another point. I seem to remember J.J noting that RFG was seen in town. I have two theories. One is that there are lawyers offices on both St Mary's and St John's streets. Were any of these lawyers friends or classmates of RFG? Might be a nice research project for one of us. Second, there is another large Antiques Mall the "Roller Mills" located 10 blocks West of the SOS. I did not get a chance to go in, but it is on my list for the next trip.

View attachment 132619

This could have been a secondary spot to visit during RFG's stay in town. It is visible from Rt15 as the red paint on the exterior does not completely hide the Purina Feed sign painted underneath.

As far as I know, the only Lewisburg reports were either driving toward the SOS or adjacent to Water Street. I have heard a source say that RFG (in the Mini) was seen on the east side of the Susquehanna, but I don't know the details or even if the sighting was ruled out; I take it with a grain of salt.

All that said, TG indicated that there was a restaurant RFG liked someplace east of the Susquehanna; nobody remembered seeing him there on 4/15. He did know about that area. There is a May's Drive-in about 150' south of that intersection; it has a parking lot and is easily visible from the intersection. RFG could have turned there or even drive a mile to Montandon and turn there. I'm not seeing that a barrier (no pun intended) to RFG crossing the river, turn around someplace, recross the Susquehanna.

The state does list the lawyers in Lewisburg. 70 are listed, including deceased, but about half can be eliminated. 3 are for Lewisburg, WV, and a sizable portion are either not in private practice, i.e. they work for Bucknell, or the Penitentiary, or were not lawyers on 4/15/05. None of them have an office on either of those streets. There are a number within walking distance on Market Street. https://www.padisciplinaryboard.org/for-the-public/find-attorney

Now, that doesn't show any that were there on 4/15/05, and moved.

If RFG met an attorney, on what was a clandestine trip, I would it very suspicious, especially if the lawyer didn't tell the police that RFG had been there.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

There is a Greyhound Bus Stop on Market Street. A quick walk from both the SOS and the Roller Mills.

I don't know if LE canvassed at the Roller Mills. They did check the bus station.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

There is another place the drive could have been tossed from, and it's location could have given RFG the idea to toss the laptop from the bridge. Keep in mind that while today's laptops are featherweight, even just a few years ago, laptops were heavy, little improved from their portable ("luggable") predecessors.

View attachment 132614

In the picture above, there is a small wedge that is part of the bridge. It is elevated to the level of the roadway and is grass covered. It contains two historical markers. It would be another good place to toss the drive from.

I look a look at both baseball and footballs, and there lighter than a drive. A baseball weighs under half a pound and a football just under a pound. Drives, even for laptops today, weigh a bit over a pound; they are not as aerodynamic as either a baseball or football. A drive could be thrown as far as either. (Yes, I had to look that up.)

Vinnie Testaverde threw a football 240' at the1988 "Quarterback Challenge." Even at his prime, I doubt that he would have been able to throw the drive from the bridge, or even from wedge; the distances are about 240' and 220' respectively. While RFG was in very good shape, he certainly could not have thrown the drive those distances.

Also, in regard to the wedge, there may have been intervening brush and trees between the landing spot and the wedge. I'm not entirely sure that if the vegetation had been cut back or not.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

North of the SOS is the Lewisburg Community Garden, then the Saint Anthony Street Park with ball fields. I am not sure if the land was a park at the time or wooded, however a body would have been found during construction of the ball fields. I do not see RFG taking a hike to a wooded area where he would not be found. From fall to spring, all the wooded areas are quite open and visible. I had no problem getting a good view of the woods on both sides of the river with binoculars. To find a remote are to commit suicide would have been a long walk indeed.

Wolfe Field, that ball field, was constructed in 1967.

http://cur2014communitypartnerships...s/2014/04/SusqRiv-floods-poster-A-7-18-13.pdf

Lewisburg Community Garden was established in 2011. That is probably the newest thing along Water Street.

http://wnep.com/2013/07/13/lewisburg-community-garden/

There has been some post 2005 construction across the river to the north of that intersection on the east side of the river. There is a dock and a church.

 

[Ozoner]

All of the houses along Water Street and most if not all for many blocks West, predate RFG going missing.

What about the houses across the river whose backyards are along the old rail right of way (if I understand your previous post correctly)? I was wondering whether there had been any major housing projects in that area. I know that around here, before they begin any kind of construction project, the first they they do is go in and tear up everything (even uprooting large trees) with bulldozers. Skeletal remains could easily get churned into the soil and hidden.