Dec. 16: 'The Case of the Missing D.A.'

Disturbing news out of Penn State put a cold case back in the spotlight. A decade ago, in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, a tiny town just a few short miles away from the Penn State campus, the accusation that Coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused a child, first came to the attention of Ray Gricar, the local district attorney.

Then, seven years ago Gricar went missing. Investigators uncovered his laptop but the hard drive was unreadable. The question being asked now is – could there be a link between Gricar’s disappearance and the Sandusky scandal? Lester Holt reports.

 

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"DUHHH...!" Ray Charles coulda put those pieces together..!

    Reply#1 - Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:56 AM EST

    There is only one reason a hard drive is destroyed. Child pornography.

      Reply#2 - Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:26 PM EST

      Doesn't the DA's office have a backup procedure? If so, whatever data was on the hard drive should be stored somewhere elso as well...

        Reply#3 - Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:10 PM EST

        Backups can leak. If Gricar was conducting an ongoing probe, highly likely, nothing would have been stored where it was accessible by prying eyes-other prosecutors included.

          #3.1 - Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:37 PM EST
          Reply

          I would think they would. But, honestly, maybe technology hasn't reached that far into the future.

            Reply#4 - Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:17 PM EST

            The girlfriend reveiled lots of clues. The DA had started playing hooky from work. Where did he go during those absent days from work? It wasn't to spend time with her -she went to work. We know what was on his mind - erasing/destroying his hard drive. She said he loved to take long drives w/o her. Where did he go? Ask Chris Hansen how far men have driven [over 300 miles] just to be caught up in his sting operations.

              Reply#5 - Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:17 AM EST

              Why hasn't anyone considered the mother and/or son who filed the first complaint against Sandusky? The boy is now an adult. The mother may be the woman at the Street of Shops; A never gets over the horror of someone abusing her child. The child grows up permanently scarred - all the worse when the pedophile walks free to abuse countless other children. It's enough to take one to Crazy Town.

              PS to Sniff it Out: There are countless, legitimate reasons to destroy a hard-drive. For one: Do you do your banking online, pay bills, enter any kind of personal information that might allow someone to steal your identity?

                Reply#6 - Sat Dec 17, 2011 3:30 AM EST

                I agree with writebend - the child could have been in jail with a tortured life & took revenge. He should be found and questioned.

                  #6.1 - Sat Dec 17, 2011 4:08 AM EST

                  writebend, you do your personal banking on your "work" computer? writebend do you destroy the hard drives on your "work" computers because you don't want your job to have your personal information? Yet numerous arrest are made because people try to conceal their child porn on "work" computers.

                    #6.2 - Sat Dec 17, 2011 1:18 PM EST
                    Reply

                    great and timely newspiece! another 'remote' scenario?? the DA was 8 months from retirement and was sitting on a wealth of damaging information. What about the possibility that in getting prepared for retirement he tried to get a windfall of money thru blackmailing someone involved with the sex abuse allegations back in 1998 when he was in charge as DA and did not pursue the case? was he paid off then? did he use blackmail to ask for $$ in exchange for destroying all info including off his hard drive anything related to Sanduscky, Penn State, ETc?? sure, very remote.. but not totally ruled out. seems like this might be a good time for the current da and grand jury to ask a few more questions, follow some leads, and even offer immunity to someone giving info/testimony to help solve that DA's 'disappearance' even if it leads to someone involved with the current sex abuse cases. to sure the police dept will welcome ANY credible information and leads.

                      Reply#7 - Sat Dec 17, 2011 10:19 AM EST

                      blackmail? keep info from the new DA? case should be given a HIGH Priority and especially considering if the da had been paid off to stop a prosecution years earlier and -- was trying to get more money before leaving office in exchange for destroying files. considering the possibility a DA was murdered, even remote relation to the current penn state/sandusky mess/child abuse charges-- is it possible that somehow the state level law enforcement agency and maybe even the FBI should be asked to cooperate in the investigations?

                        Reply#8 - Sat Dec 17, 2011 10:27 AM EST

                        I still say, someone needs to "BACK TRACK" all he was doing. There are "CLUES" lying all over the place.

                          Reply#9 - Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:45 PM EST

                          Dateline failed to do all their homework on this one. In their zeal to tie another crime to Penn State, they forgot to mention that Ray Gricar & Tom Corbett (then Atty General of PA) had announced a few days before Gricar's disappearance that they had cracked the largest heroin ring in PA, alledgedly run by a mob boss from NJ. They also failed to mention a few others who had disappeared mysteriously; ie. Luna in 2003, Allegheny Cnty DA Robt Duggan in 1974 & State Atty general aid gaylor Dissinger in 1983, all of whom were involved in some way with drug trafficking or the investigation of same. Go to Ray Gricar at the Yardbirds.com website for full story. Penn State '58

                          • 1 vote
                          Reply#10 - Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:52 PM EST

                          thanks Leac. sure worth considering. with my knowledge of other similar things: it's likely that people in law enforcement might know who/what, etc thru the grapevine but can't go public with it. sure would like to read about a resolution in this da case.

                            Reply#11 - Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:03 AM EST

                            if he normally took his laptop with him on these drives, the fact that he had it with him gives no clue as to whether his plans included anything other than a drive in the country. however, if he didn't normally take the laptop with him, the fact that he had it, is a good indicator that on the day in question he knew he was engaging in an activity that was other than a simple drive in the country.

                              Reply#12 - Sun Dec 18, 2011 5:22 PM EST
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