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1970 Decapitated Body in New York Identified as Pennsylvania Man Clyde A. Coppage

Police say the case remains open with no suspects.

Overview

  • New York State Police announced the identification on March 12, 2026, following modern DNA analysis.
  • The remains were discovered on March 20, 1970, along Davis Hill Road in Andover, New York.
  • Investigators exhumed the body in June 2022, and state police and the FBI used DNA and forensic genetic genealogy with assistance from Othram to confirm the identity.
  • Coppage was 35, lived in Genesee, Pennsylvania near the state line, and had never been reported missing.
  • The body was found without a head or hands and with an X carved on the chest, and police are seeking tips at 585-344-6200.