Decades after a young man was killed on a quiet stretch of Covert Road near New Castle, Pennsylvania State Police say new leads have surfaced in the unsolved Lawrence County homicide, and they want the public’s help.
The victim, 22-year-old Frank DeWayne Iwanejko, was killed on June 9, 1973, after a date while sitting in his car on Covert Road. Investigators say the woman who had been with him fled into nearby woods when the encounter turned violent, and that details she recently provided have now produced fresh investigative leads.
According to state police, two men approached the pair and attempted to rob them, sparking a struggle that left Iwanejko fatally wounded. Investigators have released physical descriptions of both suspects and are offering a $5,000 reward.
One suspect is described as a white man, about 22 years old, with a thin build, long, dark, curly hair, roughly 5 feet 6 inches tall, and about 130 pounds. The other is described as a white man, about 24, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, and 190 pounds, with a heavy build and medium-length brown hair. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pennsylvania State Police crime unit in New Castle at 724-598-2211, as reported by WTAE.
Where It Happened
The killing took place on a rural stretch of Covert Road near the Mahoning River, in an area historically known as Covert's Crossing, east of New Castle. Local histories have long described that stretch as secluded and wooded, conditions that likely made it harder for troopers in 1973 to find witnesses or collect strong physical evidence.
The history and isolation of Covert's Crossing and the adjacent bridge are noted in local records and recollections, which help explain why investigators are still looking for anyone who may have seen or heard something as files are re-examined and new tips surface. For a deeper local background on the area, see Lawrence County Memoirs.
How To Help
Anyone with information, no matter how minor it might seem, is urged to call the New Castle Crime Unit at 724-598-2211. The Pennsylvania State Police have placed a $5,000 reward for tips that lead to an arrest or charges in the case.
Tips can also be submitted through the Pennsylvania State Police reporting options and statewide tips hotline, per the Pennsylvania State Police. Investigators told WTAE that even seemingly small details, including memories about vehicles, nicknames or movements around New Castle in 1973, could help and will be handled confidentially.
