A 60-year-old man who had been reported missing in mid-September was found dead days later in a patch of woods behind Melvin Court, and now homicide detectives are trying to figure out what happened to him. Ricci Cloonan had been reported missing since September 14, and his body turned up around 8:40 p.m. on September 18 in a wooded area behind Melvin Court.
Allegheny County detectives are investigating Cloonan’s death as a homicide, according to WPXI. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office had not yet determined his cause and manner of death, the station reported, leaving a key piece of the puzzle still unresolved as the investigation continues. Cloonan’s case was also detailed by WTAE-TV, which confirmed he was found dead in the wooded area behind Melvin Court.
Where the Body Was Found
Melvin Court sits off Beulah Road and less than half a mile from Frankstown Road. Detectives have not released details about what happened in the days Cloonan was missing.
Allegheny County homicide detectives are asking anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be called in to the County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS, and callers are permitted to remain anonymous, per the same account from WPXI.
A Quieter Year for Homicides, But Still Loss
Cloonan’s death comes amid a year in which homicides in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County were outpacing the numbers at the same point last year. There have been 50 homicides in Allegheny County, including Pittsburgh, so far in 2026, compared with 66 across the county in all of 2025, according to CBS Pittsburgh, which reported that homicide numbers were up from the same point last year. Within the city limits alone, Pittsburgh has recorded 25 homicides this year versus 20 at the same point in 2025, the outlet reported, and the overall county total marks the second-lowest count since 2018.
The rising numbers haven’t spared Penn Hills from violence this year. CBS Pittsburgh also reported that four people were killed in shootings around Allegheny County during the week covered by its data, including one deadly shooting in Penn Hills. No further details tying that shooting to Cloonan’s case have been released.
For now, the investigation into Cloonan’s death remains open, with detectives relying on the public for leads while the medical examiner’s office works to determine how he died.
