Marienville, PA – Pennsylvania State Police are renewing their push for information in a decades-old missing person case, offering a $5,000 reward for tips that could help solve the disappearance of Jennings Lee Hart, who vanished in January 1980.
According to Pennsylvania State Police Troop C in Marienville, Hart was 50 years old when he was last seen sometime after 3 p.m. on Monday, January 21, 1980. Investigators say Hart was last observed at a gas station in Marienville, where he purchased fuel for his vehicle before heading home.
State police later received a call reporting Hart missing and responded to his residence along Route 899 in Marienville, a heavily wooded area in Clarion County, northeast of Pittsburgh. At the home, troopers located Hart’s vehicle parked inside the garage. The car keys were found inside the house, and coins were scattered across the driveway, raising immediate concerns.
Initially, authorities believed Hart may have become lost in the surrounding woods while walking his dogs. However, investigators later learned that Hart had recently sold the dogs, casting doubt on that theory.
Police organized a search the weekend following Hart’s disappearance. Volunteers conducted extensive foot searches of the wooded terrain around the home, and bloodhounds were brought in, but authorities say the dogs were unable to detect Hart’s scent.
According to state police, foul play is strongly suspected, but Hart’s body has never been recovered.
Hart was born September 5, 1929. The case remains open more than 45 years later.
Anyone with information is urged to contact PSP Marienville at 814-927-5253 or submit an anonymous tip through PSP Tips at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=107. Tips may be eligible for a cash reward.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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