Missing 19-year-old man killed and left in woods, Pennsylvania cops say. Seven charged

A 19-year-old man with autism was found dead in a wooded area days after he was reported missing, according to police in Pennsylvania.

His death has been ruled a homicide.

Hayden Robert Garreffa was reported missing from his home in Wheatfield Township on Oct. 20, according to an Oct. 24 news release from Pennsylvania State Police.

At about 4 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, state troopers found his body in a remote area of Brush Valley Township, about 150 miles west of where he disappeared from.

An investigation revealed Garreffa was kidnapped, then killed about 2:30 p.m. the same day he was reported missing, according to the release. An autopsy was scheduled to determine his cause of death.

“You deserved so much better in life, you deserved endless happiness,” cousin Kaitlin Smith said in a Facebook post. “Rest In Peace. It’s so unreal right now that I don’t know the right words besides that I’ll miss you so much.”

In a GoFundMe, family members described the 19-year-old man as a “beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, and cousin.”

Authorities said all suspects involved in Garreffa’s kidnapping and homicide have been identified and taken into custody.

Garreffa was lured by a cousin who had “ill will” against him over an incident with the cousin’s girlfriend, according to court documents obtained by WTAJ. They got into a fight at about 11 a.m. Oct. 20.

A few hours later, the cousin came back with several others and got Garreffa into a van, WTAJ reported. That was the last time he was seen alive.

The cousin told Garreffa’s sister he would be dead by end of day, WTAE reported.

Garreffa’s grandmother told authorities he never would have left home without his phone or medication, according to WTAE. Seven people, including Garreffa’s cousin, face kidnapping charges.

The investigation is ongoing, police said.

This story was originally published October 25, 2022 at 11:13 AM.