New York discovery of human remains in refrigerator leaves questions about resident
1 February 2024
BERKS COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) – A human skull found in Pennsylvania has been identified as a missing man wanted for the attempted murder of his wife 20 years ago.
The Berks County District Attorney’s Office said Roger Hart, formerly of Pottstown, disappeared in April 2004 after allegedly attempting to kill his wife at their home.
At the time, Hart’s vehicle was found with his car keys and wallet inside. A resident reported seeing a man matching Hart’s description enter a wooded area.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, the skull was found by a boy in April 2022, in a pond near Pine Lane in Amity Township. The finding led to two searches of the pond for more skeletal remains, but none were found.
The Amity Township Police Department and county detectives began an investigation. The skull was sent to Mercyhurst University in Erie to be examined, and the results came back that the skull was male and believed to have been exposed to the elements for more than 10 years, according to the DA’s office. Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI in Quantico, Virginia, also conducted advanced DNA analysis.
The skull was determined to be Hart’s via DNA testing, though some questions surrounding his death will likely remain a mystery.
“Based on the condition of this skull and the lack of additional skeletal remains, a cause of death cannot be determined for Roger Hart,” the DA’s office wrote.