PA Roger Alan Gaddis, age 20, murdered 26 January 1968. Summerset County, Pennsylvania

[Richard]

US Army Private Roger Alan Gaddis (11 February 1947 - 26 January 1868) was found off Highway US 40, murdered by person or persons unknown on 26 January 1968.

He was married, but separated, and the father of one child.

Roger enlisted in the Army in June 1967. He had recently undergone surgery in a military hospital and was on a 12 day convalescent leave to his home in St. Paris, Ohio. It is believed that he was hitchhiking.

Pennsylvania State Police had jurisdiction in the case. They were successful in identifying him, but his killer was never found.

 

[Zach Ford]

Thanks for bringing these obscure cases to our attention. Seems slightly odd that strangulation and beating was the cause of death. You'd think if someone was planning to waylay a hitchhiker, they would have some sort of weapon. Maybe it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. Also slightly odd that he was nude. Slows down identification I suppose, but still kind of weird. No articles suggested a sexual element, but who knows. Seems like the last reportage on the case quoted the police as saying they had evidence he was killed where he was found, but never said what it was, only that evidence from the scene was being tested. Four Army buttons and part of an Army belt buckle were apparently found somewhere in the vicinity during a search. Police seemed sure two men were involved based at least on footprints at the scene. After that, coverage of the case seems to have permanently evaporated, unfortunately.

 

[Richard]

Bumping this thread up. Roger Gaddis was murdered in Pennsylvania 28 January 1968. It took investigators some time to identify his body, but he was eventually buried by his family in Ohio. His murder remains an unsolved case in the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania State Police.

 

[Richard]

This month marks 57 years since Roger Alan Gaddis was murdered. The case remains unsolved.

 

[Richard]

Piqua Daily Call dated 6-Feb-1968:

Murdered US Army Private Proves St. Paris Area Man
The nude and frozen body of a US Army private, a St. Paris man found in a lane
of US 40 in Somerset County PA has been identified through fingerprints and by
relatives as that of Roger A Gaddis, 20.

Gaddis was married to Mary Taylor of Runkle Road, but the couple is separated.
Before entering the Armed Forces in June of 1967, he had been employed at
Copeland Refrigeration in Sidney.

Piqua Daily Call dated 9-Feb-1968:

Military rites will be conducted at Baker Funeral home here Monday for Pvt
Roger A Gaddis. Graveside servies will be conducted in Spring Grove Cemetery.
The victim was born in Waloby,SD Feb.11, 1947. He was the son Jean an Ann
Cults Gaddis of Mansfield, MO. He was married 4-Dec-1965 to Mary Taylor.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/oh/champaign/obits/g/gaddis851gob.txt