A 47-year-old mystery surrounding a body found in a Pennsylvania cave has finally been solved. The Berks County Coroner’s Office has confirmed that the remains, discovered frozen in a cave near the Pinnacle hiking trail in 1977, belong to 27-year-old Nicholas Paul Grubb from Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

Grubb’s identity, previously unknown, was uncovered after a detective traced his fingerprints earlier this year. The prints were submitted to the NamUs database, and the FBI confirmed his identity in under an hour, putting an end to the decades-long mystery.

Extensive Efforts to Identify the “Pinnacle Man

Known as the “Pinnacle Man” due to the location of his body, Grubb’s remains had been compared to over 10 missing persons in recent years, but without success. His body was even exhumed in 2019 in an attempt to extract DNA, but this too yielded no answers.

Officials confirmed that Grubb had died from a drug overdose, with foul play ruled out. Dental records and fingerprints taken at the time of his discovery failed to match any records, prolonging the search for his identity.

A Veteran and a Family Grateful for Answers

Grubb had served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and was honorably discharged in 1971. His family, who referred to him as “Nicky,” expressed their gratitude for the effort made by authorities to finally uncover his identity.

The case’s resolution underscores the dedication of the Berks County Coroner’s Office and law enforcement in identifying long-unclaimed bodies.