Groves Charged in 1991 Heckel Disappearance

LOCK HAVEN – A former employee at the International Paper plant has been arrested and charged with murder in the July 1991 disappearance of coworker Katherine D. Heckel.

State police early today returned Loyd W. Groves from Beaver County in western Pennsylvania where he had been residing after the Heckel disappearance. Groves was detained initially at the state police barracks then transported to the Clinton County Correctional Facility for video arraignment on charges of first and third degree murder. Police said he would be detained there as there is no bail allowed on homicide charges.

The arrest is the latest development in a nearly quarter-century old case. Groves’ apprehension followed a statewide investigating grand jury report based on a renewed probe conducted by state troopers Curtis Confer and Michael Hutson and FBI special agent Kyle Moore.

Their work led to the grand jury findings which determined sufficient evidence existed to charge Groves with Heckel’s murder.

The grand jury findings noted that the victim’s body was never found after she left the papermill for lunch on the afternoon of July 15, 1991:

“The Grand Jury considered and rejected any argument that Groves’ success in disposing of Kathy’s body should be an impediment to his prosecution or allow him to escape justice any longer. The Grand Jury concludes that Loyd Groves murdered Kathy on or about July 15, 1991. We conclude he disposed of her body and clumsily attempted to conceal and destroy other evidence of his crime. In short, Kathy was alive and well until she left to meet Groves for lunch, an appointment from which she never returned. Within days, her blood was found in Groves’ van around the area where he inexplicably and hastily removed the destroyed upholstery in his van. Groves never expressed dismay or concern that his girlfriend was missing, but rather immediately set about recruiting friends and co-workers to help him manufacture an alibi. He could not account for his whereabouts during the period when Kathy disappeared or explain his sudden and total memory loss. His behavior in the period leading to and following Kathy’s disappearance shows a consciousness of guilt. Indeed, we conclude that he believed in 1991 that he had been caught and would be arrested, and we recommend that an arrest taken place in the near future.”

The arrest took place Jan. 29, 2015. Groves’ case will be heard in Clinton County Court.

The grand jury report runs 28 pages and goes into great detail as to the police probe of the Heckel disappearance.