'Kill for Thrill' 40 years later: Bullet-Riddled Corpse Found

Editor’s note: The Tribune-Review wrote a series of articles 40 years ago about a murder spree in which four people were killed in eight days across Western Pennsylvania. This is one of the original articles, published Sunday, Dec. 30, 1979.

An unidentified man’s body, shot three times, was found in a wooded area of Loyalhanna Township Saturday morning. Police classified the case as a criminal homicide.

State police at the Kiski Valley substation said an area youngster found the body of a white male, between 55 and 60 years old, five feet ten inches to six feet tall, weighing about 180 pounds. The body was reportedly found shortly before noon near the Loyalhanna Creek reservoir by the youth, who police said was trapping at the time.

The victim had thinning black hair and was wearing a green sweater and red and green plaid trousers when found, police said. There was no identification on the body.

Westmoreland County Coroner Leo Bacha said there were two bullet holes in the back of the man’s head and one in his chest, and blood was found on a tree near the body. Bacha said the man apparently was shot while sitting or standing against the tree.