WHP580 Newsroom

WHP580 Newsroom

Top headlines from Central PA's Newsroom

 

Body Pulled In 1998 Identified

The identity of a man found dead in the Susquehanna River over 25 years ago has been confirmed as James Gibson, a 39-year-old man who went missing from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1998. The body was discovered by a fisherman in the Turkey Point area of the river in Manor Township, Lancaster County, on April 18, 1998. At the time, significant postmortem changes made the man unrecognizable, and despite an autopsy and dental exam, his identity remained unknown. The cause of death was determined to be freshwater drowning, with no evidence of trauma found.

Efforts to identify the man included multiple press releases and a facial reconstruction by the FBI in 2018. However, it was not until September 2023 that the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office began working with the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying unidentified decedents using forensic genealogy. A single tooth from the unidentified man was used for DNA analysis. By November 2023, a potential match was found with Gibson, who had been reported missing in February 1998. In March 2024, the DNA Doe Project confirmed a familial match between the genetic profile of the unidentified man and DNA provided by Gibson's family. The dental charts also matched, officially confirming the identity of the man found in the Susquehanna River as James Gibson. The manner of his death remains undetermined.(fox43.com, pennlive.com, dailyvoice.com)


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