Brother hopes reward will help solve 44-year-old cold case
Another year has passed with no more answers in a 44-year-old cold case.
Earl 鈥淛ay鈥� Wolfe, 17, and Stanley Warzinski, 65, were killed Feb. 3, 1973. Police believe the teen and his brother, Mark Wolfe, became entangled in the robbery and homicide of Uniontown jeweler Warzinski, who lived near the Wolfe蘑菇视频 family business on East Main Street.
Mark, now 60, is hoping to reopen a $20,000 reward fund to increase the amount for anyone who comes forward with information that would lead to solving the case.
鈥淚 just need somebody, please, to talk to me, to talk to the state police,鈥� Mark said.
He was 16 when he noticed a suspicious Lincoln parked on his father蘑菇视频 business, Wolfe & Wolfe Trucking. He approached the driver and told him he needed to leave, but the Lincoln returned. State police believe the man in the Lincoln was a getaway driver for the robbery.
Mark changed vehicles and continued watching the Lincoln, and later saw one or two men run passed him into the car. When his older brother arrived, Jay suggested chasing down the Lincoln to get a plate number. Mark joined in the chase, but was unable to keep up with the faster vehicles.
Jay蘑菇视频 body was found in his car, pushed to the side of Bennington Road in North Union Township, with two bullets shot into his left eye.
The day of the teen蘑菇视频 funeral, Warzinski蘑菇视频 house was burned, and the jeweler蘑菇视频 body was found inside.
鈥淭he case is not closed. It will never be closed,鈥� Mark said.
Police believe the men misidentified Jay as his brother, and killed him so that he could not reveal information that would lead to an arrest. But even though Mark spoke to the man and formulated a composite sketch, no charges were ever filed.
Mark said he believes the linchpin in the case is the missing murder weapon. His father paid to drain a pond to find the gun, but nothing was found.
He said in the 70s, the area was known as 鈥淟ittle Chicago鈥� because of crime families that protected their own.
He speculates that $20,000 is not enough for a person with information to come forward.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 want to end up like my brother 鈥� dead, murdered. They鈥檙e just afraid,鈥� he said.
He said he struggles with blaming himself for getting his brother involved in the chase, and not getting a license plate number himself. But neither teen had any inkling of what they had witnessed.
Mark had a long battle with alcoholism that ended nearly three years ago. He said he is finding peace through his church, Abundant Life Church in Uniontown and pastor Nicholas Cook.
鈥淚鈥檓 not afraid to die because I鈥檒l see my brother again and I鈥檒l see my mother again,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat蘑菇视频 what蘑菇视频 keeping me grounded 鈥� my faith. Without that, I don鈥檛 know where I鈥檇 be.鈥�
He said he wishes his mother lived to see the case closed, but he is hoping his father, Laverne Wolfe, will find closure. He is 86-years-old and suffering for Alzheimer蘑菇视频.
Mark said he struggles with reliving Feb. 3, 1973 every year for about a month around the anniversary of his brother蘑菇视频 death. If the case was solved, he believes he could finally move on.
鈥淚 try not to do it, but my mind just goes back to that night, that horrible night,鈥� he said. 鈥淪omebody knows. I need closure.鈥�
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