Albert Crazy Buffalo: Scranton's Longest Cold Case
An unidentified American Indian male was admitted to a hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania on September 25, 1992, and died the following day.[1] He had been hitchhiking through upstate New York and gave the name "Albert Crazy Buffalo" along with a date of birth and a South Dakota address, but investigators have since concluded that name is almost certainly an alias.[2] The case has remained open for more than three decades and is the longest-running unresolved case in the Lackawanna County Coroner's Office.[3]
Discovery and Circumstances
On September 25, 1992, the unidentified man was transported to Community Medical Center (CMC) in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and died there on September 26. Prior to admission, he had been hitchhiking in the region and was picked up near Binghamton, New York, at a bar called "Davy's Last Chance" in Chenango Falls, New York.[1]
At the time of admission, he gave his name as Albert Crazy Buffalo, his date of birth as January 16, 1937, and his address as PO Box 546, Mission, South Dakota.[1] Patrons at the Chenango Falls bar described him as an American Indian who would paint motorcycles in exchange for drinks.[3]
Description
The decedent was an American Indian male estimated to be between 40 and 75 years old, with an estimated minimum height of 6 feet. He had thin, dark black hair and dark eyes of unknown color. His condition of remains was described as a recognizable face, and all parts were recovered.[1]
He had two notable tattoos: the words "Indian Chief" on his right forearm, and the name "Leslie" on his left arm. Scarring consistent with two prior stab wounds was also noted by the coroner.[1]
He carried a wallet containing three items: a United Health Services Hospitals business card from Johnson City, New York; a UHSH VIP patient insurance card; and a business card for Asylum Studios with a New York-area phone number but no address.[1]
Known and Reported Aliases
The decedent used a number of names across various encounters. In addition to "Albert Crazy Buffalo," the following aliases have been associated with him: Edward Danforth, Edward Sampson, William Sampson, Al White, Edward Simpson, James Badhorse, Broken Leg, Bear Doctor, and Menny Kills.[1]
The Lackawanna County Coroner's Office is "almost certain" that "Albert Crazy Buffalo" is not the decedent's real name.[2] The systematic use of multiple aliases, several of which appear to be names of real Indigenous individuals, has significantly complicated efforts to identify him through reverse missing persons lookups.
Investigation
Then-Coroner Joseph Brennan actively worked the case in the years following the 1992 death. He traced the decedent's movements to the bar in Chenango Falls, New York, using the business card found in the wallet, and interviewed patrons there. He also pursued the South Dakota reservation connection linked to the Mission, SD address. By 2008, those investigative leads had been exhausted.[2]
Brennan made a deliberate decision in 1992 to bury the remains rather than cremate them, specifically to preserve the possibility of future forensic identification.[2] The remains were interred in an unmarked grave at Cathedral Cemetery in the Diocese of Scranton.[3]
As of November 2004, the case was identified as the Lackawanna County Coroner's longest-running open case, with active investigation being conducted by Coroner Brennan and Ann Berardelli.[3]
Forensic Analysis
In approximately June 2025, anthropologists from the University of South Florida (USF) exhumed the remains from Cathedral Cemetery using federal grant funding.[2] The USF anthropology team initiated DNA extraction from the exhumed remains. DNA extraction is expected to be complete by Summer 2026.[4]
In December 2025, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the South Dakota Attorney General's office held a voluntary DNA collection event called "Voices for the Unnamed" at the Rapid City Civic Center on December 18 and 19, 2025.[4] The event was designed to build a familial reference DNA database that could be matched against unidentified individuals, including this case.
No confirmation has been made that isotope analysis, forensic odontology, or investigative genetic genealogy have been performed. DNA profile generation from the exhumed remains is a prerequisite for those methods and is currently in progress.
How to Help
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Lackawanna County Coroner's Office in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The NamUs case number is UP10315.
The case is listed on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System: namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/10315
Information that may be relevant includes knowledge of any individual matching the physical description or tattoos, familiarity with the aliases listed above, or any connection to the bar "Davy's Last Chance" in Chenango Falls, New York, in the late summer of 1992.
References
- "NamUs Case UP10315." National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. namus.gov
- "Exhumation in Scranton aims to solve decades-old mystery." WNEP-TV. wnep.com
- "Coroner searches for clues." Pocono Record, November 29, 2004. poconorecord.com
- "DNA testing event could help identify missing, murdered victims." Dakota News Now, December 13, 2025. dakotanewsnow.com