BERKS COUNTY, Pa. — Authorities in Berks County believe a human skull discovered in an Amity Township pond in 2022 is that of a man charged with trying to kill his wife back in 2004.
Roger Hart, of Pottstown, was charged with the attempted murder of his wife in their Pottstown home in April 2004, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office.
Soon after the alleged crime occurred, investigators found Hart's vehicle abandoned with his car keys and wallet inside near Pine Lane in Amity Township, which is close to the pond where the skull was found by a youth in April 2022.
Around the time Hart's car was found, a neighbor reported seeing a man walking in the woods near the pond, authorities said.
Hart has not been seen since April 2004, according to District Attorney John T. Adams.
After the skull was found, investigators sent it to Mercyhurst University in Erie for analysis, according to the DA's office. The analysis determined the skull belonged to a male, and that it had been exposed to the elements for more than 10 years.
Advanced DNA analysis was then conducted on the skull by the Pennsylvania State Police Forensic Laboratory and the FBI Laboratory Division, Quantico, Virginia, the DA said.
Based on the investigation conducted, as well as the results of the DNA testing, investigators have concluded that the skull is that of Hart. Based on the condition of this skull and the lack of additional skeletal remains, a cause of death cannot be determined, authorities said.
