Clinton County, PA – Pennsylvania State Police are renewing calls for information in a decades-old homicide case, offering a $5,000 reward for tips that could help solve the 1981 killing of Wayne Leigh Rifendifer.
The renewed appeal comes as investigators continue to revisit cold cases across the state, urging the public to come forward with any details that may have been overlooked.
According to Pennsylvania State Police Troop F – Lamar Station, Rifendifer’s body was discovered on August 19, 1981, around 8:15 a.m. in a wooded area off Gottschall Road in Crawford Township, near Ravensburg State Park. The site is located roughly six miles north of Interstate 80.
Authorities said Rifendifer had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the back of the head. Investigators believe he was killed elsewhere and his body was later dumped at the location.
At the time of his death, Rifendifer was 30 years old. Police described him as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing about 130 pounds, with dark brown hair, a full beard, green eyes, and a chipped front tooth. He was known to be a hitchhiker, with a last known address in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Investigators later linked the case to the 1982 homicide of Marty James Shook in Heber City, Utah. Ballistics testing confirmed both victims were killed with the same .38 caliber firearm, according to police.
Despite the passage of time, troopers say advancements in forensic technology and renewed public awareness could help generate new leads.
