Skull found in Pennsylvania mining pit belonged to man family thought was in prison

LOST CREEK, Pennsylvania -- A skull found years ago has been identified as belonging to a man whose family thought he was in prison.

When talking about this case, Pennsylvania State Police investigator Daniel Womer simply says, "There's a lot of unanswered questions."

Womer is talking about the mystery surrounding a man named Jason Gold who was originally from Easton.

It was more than three years ago when a human skull was found somewhere in a mining pit in Schuylkill County.

Trooper Womer says, "We had it sent to Mercyhurst University out near Erie, Pennsylvania and confirmed, yes, it is human remains. It is a male."

Further DNA testing determined the skull belonged to Gold, who was approximately 34 years old at the time of his death, living in the rural town of Lost Creek in Schuylkill County.

Investigators would not elaborate, but they said Gold had a few run-ins with the law over the years and that, partially, explains why no one ever reported him missing.

"His family members believed he was in prison. I think some of that may have had to do with his father. His father told them he was in prison and his father passed away two years ago," says Womer.

Authorities scoured the mine pits where the skull was found, but neither his body nor any other clues have ever been found.

Now, state police are reaching out to the public with the hope of determining what happened to Jason Gold.

As far as they know, state police say the last time anyone heard from Gold was six years ago in the year 2014.

Gold was 6'1" tall with brown hair and blue eyes. He also had several tattoos on his arms.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact state police in Reading.