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

[ThePhantom]

Was wondering if there was anyone in particular you feel may have helped him?

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I have a funny feeling this is a man who kept many things hidden inside, and did not want to share those thoughts and feelings with others. He had his "public" side, and his "real" side -- and maybe, the "real side" said, "I'm sick of living like this, I'm getting older, so I may as well go for it now while I'm young enough and healthy enough."

RFG did not reveal his private side to too many people. He lived in Centre County for 25 years and had a total of two friends that he was reasonably close to, apart from his wives/girlfriend.

The former president judge described him as "a hard guy to know."

One ex-wife had not spoken to him since his divorce.

Mr. Gricar is a smart, good looking, (probably charming?) man -- I imagine he could make good for himself just about anywhere.

I have never heard of him described as "charming." I've referred to him as "reserved" and "standoffish."

Just trying to get inside his mind and follow what he may have been thinking in the years/months leading up to his disappearance.

Well, he did have an interest in the 1985 voluntary disappearance of Hinckley Township, OH police chief Mel Wiley. http://www.centredaily.com/2009/02/22/2397093/wiley-and-gricar-the-timing.html

RFG had been interested in destroying the data on the drive for around a year prior to his disappearance. The thing is, I found out who one of the people he talked to was. It was not one of his friends, his nephew (who runs a tech company), anyone on staff, or the county internet technology person. I was not for a case either.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Was wondering if there was anyone in particular you feel may have helped him?

I've suggested looking at what I refer to as the "inner circle."

1. His girlfriend (she was polygraphed), two close male friends, SS and EW, and his private attorney (who he defeated for DA in 1985).

2. His ex-wives (though he is not close to one), and all old girlfriends (at least two, one who met the vague description of the Lewisburg Mystery Woman).

3. The remainder of the staff (about 13 people), plus maybe a recent retiree.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

One of RFG's close friends, Steve Sloane, was interviewed extensively for Disappeared.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

An index of all the blogs on the evidence in the Gricar case is here:

http://www.centredaily.com/2011/02/26/2545798/index-of-the-known-evidence-february.html

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Ray Gricar story on Disappeared on the ID Channel right now!

 

[strawberry]

Ray Gricar story on Disappeared on the ID Channel right now!

Oh man I wanted to see this one and I missed half the show! I don't know much about his disappearance but I believe he was the DA when Dana Bailey was murdered at Penn State when I was there.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

We found out two thing, one not too important.

1. Another witness, a Courthouse employee saw RFG that morning turning onto Route 192 at Centre Hall.

2. He googled the trip to Lewisburg, a route he knew well.

There are two reasons I can fathom why he'd do that.

A. He wanted to check the mileage.

B. He wanted to check the time it would take.

In either case, the trip was not random.

The show will be rerun tonight. All that I can say about is:
WOW!

 

[cluciano63]

Oh man I wanted to see this one and I missed half the show! I don't know much about his disappearance but I believe he was the DA when Dana Bailey was murdered at Penn State when I was there.

They replay it 3 hours after the first time and then again Sunday at 6pm EST.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I have a blog up on it.

 

[arielilane]

We found out two thing, one not too important.

1. Another witness, a Courthouse employee saw RFG that morning turning onto Route 192 at Centre Hall.

2. He googled the trip to Lewisburg, a route he knew well.

There are two reasons I can fathom why he'd do that.

A. He wanted to check the mileage.

B. He wanted to check the time it would take.

In either case, the trip was not random.

The show will be rerun tonight. All that I can say about is:
WOW!

I'm looking forward to watching the show tonight. I was unaware it had been shown before tonight.
Wasn't a Ray look-a-like also spotted in Texas? However, I don't recall the details. I do remember the photo looked just like Ray. jmo

 

[cluciano63]

FBI ruled out the Texas photo, saying facial characteristics did not match.
I don't know what to think; he clearly wanted his hard drive destroyed. And apparently was with a woman that day, in the shops, who has never come forward.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

FBI ruled out the Texas photo, saying facial characteristics did not match.
I don't know what to think; he clearly wanted his hard drive destroyed. And apparently was with a woman that day, in the shops, who has never come forward.

I agree with computer, though that is not necessarily related to his disappearance.

RFG might have just happened to have been going the same direction as the woman. It just might have been someone he struck up a conversation with or who asked him for directions or the time. Conversely, it could have been the person who helped him walk away or murdered him later.

The FBI used facial identification softwareon the photo and concluded it wasn't him.

 

[arielilane]

I was thinking today is Monday and airing tonight. :waitasec: I have it dvr'd from yesterday and hopefully can watch it soon. lol... good grief...

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Here is a list of the witnesses that I have so far:

Brush Valley Area:*
11:12 AM. Ms. Fornicola receives a brief call from Mr. Gricar; call carried by a cell tower in the Rebersburg area.

Lewisburg: 4/15/05 (Prior to 4:00 PM)*
Around noon:
Ms. Snyder, saw Mr. Gricar and the Mini across from the Packwood House Museum.
Afternoon (possibly before 1:30 PM):
At least two other witnesses saw Mr. Gricar moving the car across from the Packwood House Museum.

Bellefonte: 4/15/05**
3:00 PM:
Ms Fenton sees Mr. Gricar in a metallic colored car behind the Centre County Courthouse. (Judge Grine is unsure of the day).



Lewisburg: 4/15/05 (After 4:00 PM)*
4:00 PM-5:00 PM:
McKnight’s witness saw Mr. Gricar, driving the Mini, on Route 15 near the Country Cupboard.
Circa 5:30 PM:
At least two witnesses saw Mr. Gricar moving the Mini in the parking lot across from the Street of Shops. The Mini was seen parked there later.
Two people, Mr. Alvey and another person saw Mr. Gricar in the Street of Shops at about the same time; one saw him with the “Mystery Woman.”

Lewisburg: 4/16/05***
11:00 AM to Noon: Two employees, owner Mr. Bennett, see Mr. Gricar in Street of Shops.
6:30 PM
State Police Trooper spots the Mini Cooper in the parking lot across from the Street of Shops.

Wilkes-Barre: 4/18/05***
After 5:00 PM: An off duty police officer and bartender spot Mr. Gricar in an establishment (possibly a Bennigan’s) on or near Highland Avenue in Wilkes-Barre.


Southfield, MI: 5/27/05***
Time unknown: A retired police officer (who is also a composite sketch artist), and his adult daughter see a man they later that day identify as Mr. Gricar while eating at a restaurant.

*Police say that there is a "consensus" this was Mr. Gricar. It might include the 4/16 sightings as well.

**Police discount this sighting as not fitting the time line.

***Police call these sightings "credible."

There is another 4/15 witness, in Centre Hall, but I don't have a time.

 

[cluciano63]

I agree with computer, though that is not necessarily related to his disappearance.

RFG might have just happened to have been going the same direction as the woman. It just might have been someone he struck up a conversation with or who asked him for directions or the time. Conversely, it could have been the person who helped him walk away or murdered him later.

The FBI used facial identification softwareon the photo and concluded it wasn't him.

They did say they went in and out of a few shops together, not just seen in one shop.

By her not coming forward, it makes me very suspicious but I can't decide in what way.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

They did say they went in and out of a few shops together, not just seen in one shop.

By her not coming forward, it makes me very suspicious but I can't decide in what way.

Actually, they said that they went into the shops separately.

If you check the blog, however, I've been talking about looking at old girlfriends and questioning Mr. Gricar's close associates about if they may have been another girlfriend.

I was there with someone, and we went into shops separately. In my case, however, the someone was the District Attorney of Montour County.

 

[MaryLiz]

I've only posted once on this thread but have been following the case since Mr. Gricar went missing. I thought Monday night's episode of Disappeared was very good. I do find it suspicious that the woman who was seen with him at the antique mall has not come forward. Unless she went to live under a rock afterwards, she knows he has disappeared. If it was a totally innocent meeting, and she had absolutely no knowledge of WHY he went missing, she should have come forward with the info of what they were doing there together, what they talked about, etc. JMO.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I've only posted once on this thread but have been following the case since Mr. Gricar went missing. I thought Monday night's episode of Disappeared was very good. I do find it suspicious that the woman who was seen with him at the antique mall has not come forward. Unless she went to live under a rock afterwards, she knows he has disappeared. If it was a totally innocent meeting, and she had absolutely no knowledge of WHY he went missing, she should have come forward with the info of what they were doing there together, what they talked about, etc. JMO.

The thing is, she might not even realize she is the "Mystery Woman." She could have someone who asked him for the time or about a product and the one reported witness thought they were together.

I would not call it conclusive.

 

[cluciano63]

Except that it was said they were seen together in more than one antique shop or shop in the area. Surely they must know one another and she would have had to read about it, it was big news.