There were double digit homicide deaths in Cambria County last year for the second time in three years.
Authorities say all Cambria County homicide cases from 2024 now an arrest and charges filed after last week a man was charged for the death of another man who’s burned body was found along Haws Pike in November.
There were 11 total homicide deaths in the county in 2024 according to Cambria County coroner Jeff Lees.
He said that is up from eight homicide deaths in 2023 and the same amount as the 11 in 2022. Each of the previous three years are up from the five homicide deaths coming out of the covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
Lees said seven of last year’s homicides in the county were in the Johnstown area, five of the eight homicides in 2023 were in Johnstown, and all 11 in 2022 were in Johnstown.
But all 2024 cases do have charges filed and an arrest made.
“It’s unfortunate that we have the cases to clear, but we do have a statistically higher clear rate in homicides than you see in other areas”
“I think that that sends a message that if you come into our area and you commit a crime like this, law enforcement is going to do everything that they can to solve a case and then the DA’s office is going to do everything that we can to prosecute cases.”
There are however unsolved cases from the previous couple years, including a double homicide in the Hornerstown section of Johnstown in April 2022.
“It’s a loved one, it’s a sibling, so that’s a daily process, It’s a daily battle and something you have to struggle with every day and say thank you Jesus for the time that I did get to share with him.”
“I feel more for my mother knowing that she doesn’t have that closure, Her son is lost, and we don’t know who did this.”
Neugebauer said investigators are often talking about unsolved homicides and mentions the 2024 conviction of Christopher Rowe for a murder from 2016 as to why investigators and victim’s families should not give up hope.
Neugebauer also adds to reach out to law enforcement with any information on open investigations.