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State police seek help on 16 area cold cases

State police have detailed 16 cold cases on a new Crime Stoppers website.

The unsolved homicides occurred in Lehigh, Northampton and Bucks counties, and have been made available on the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers website.

Some of the cases are decades old, with one dating back as far as the 1950s.

Richard Stewart Wimbish

On Jan. 13, 1973, Richard Stewart Wimbish, 49, was found dead in Trout Creek, Slatington.

Wimbish had been shot to death. His body was discovered by several local youths who were walking along the creek. He had been wrapped inside a sleeping bag.

Wimbish was last seen on Dec. 29, 1972, as he was leaving work.

He was employed as a driver for the Pennsylvania Trucking Company located at 49th Street and Parkside Avenue in Philadelphia.

His normal delivery route took him from Philadelphia to Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Stroudsburg areas of northeastern Pennsylvania.

Wimbish resided in the Franklin Court Apartments in Philadelphia.

He was supposed to spend the New Year’s Eve holiday with a female friend in Pleasantville, New Jersey, but never showed up.

His 1967 green Cadillac sedan was located in the 100 block of Duval Street, Philadelphia on Jan. 23, 1973, just blocks from his home.

Ryan Kemp

Foul play is suspected in the 1981 disappearance of Ryan Kemp, who was last seen at the King’s IGA Supermarket on Route 873, Schnecksville, on Sept. 17, 1981.

Kemp, was renting a home in Germansville, Heidelberg Township.

At the time of his disappearance, Kemp was described as a 30-year-old, white male, about 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches; 135-140 pounds; full, wavy brown hair; mustache; hazel eyes; and prescription glasses and/or contacts.

Kemp graduated from Slatington High School in 1969 and attended Penn State University in State College for two years before dropping out.

He also worked at the New Jersey Zinc Company in Palmerton for a short time.

Additional information on this case is available on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System website at www.findthemissing.org (NamUs Missing Person Case #9151).

James Harrison Lloyd Sr.

On March 18, 2003, James Lloyd was found dead inside his vehicle in front of his Bake Oven Road home in the Germansville area of Heidelberg Township.

Lloyd was shot to death. He was 65 at the time.

John Alvin Bealer

On July 30, 1993, 50-year-old John Alvin Bealer left his place of employment at noon, and traveled to his residence in the Germansville area of Heidelberg Township.

His wife returned home from work on the same day at about 4 p.m., and found Bealer to be missing.

Evidence at the scene suggested that Bealer disappeared in the middle of working on his vehicle.

Nothing from the home was missing and Bealer has not had contact with family or friends since his disappearance.

Bealer was an accomplished automobile mechanic who was very involved in the racetrack circuit.

Investigation suggests Bealer may be in the Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach Florida area living under an alias.

Anyone with information can submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers website, or by phone at 800-4-PA-TIPS.