State police identify 1979 homicide victim after nearly 50 years
Investigators say the victim, whose remains were found in Cumberland County, has been identified as a Baltimore man who disappeared in 1977.
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New Jersey State Police have identified the victim in a decades-old homicide investigation using investigative genetic genealogy and are asking for the public's help in solving the case.
The skeletal remains of an unidentified man were found on Nov. 21, 1979, in a wooded area off Hall Avenue in Lawrence Township, Cumberland County. Investigators determined the man had been the victim of a homicide and estimated he died sometime between 1977 and 1979.
The New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation in 2024 and partnered with the FBI to use investigative genetic genealogy to identify the victim. Authorities said the victim was identified in 2025 as Robert L. Waith Jr., of Baltimore, Maryland.
Waith was 20 years old when he disappeared and was last seen by family members in August 1977 after leaving his Baltimore residence. His whereabouts remained unknown until his identification, according to state police.
Detectives are seeking anyone who knew Waith, had contact with him before his disappearance or has information about the circumstances surrounding his death.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit at ColdCase@njsp.gov or call 1-833-4NJCOLD (1-833-465-2653). Anonymous tips are accepted.
