As the 10-year anniversary of Ray Gricar's disappearance inches closer, yet public intrigue remains, PA State Police have announced they'll be taking over the oversight of the investigation.

State police spokesman Jeff Petucci confirmed that State police will be "assuming the role as the lead agency" in the investigation into the disappearance of Gricar, the Centre County district attorney who vanished in April 2005. Prior to State police taking over the case, the investigation and tips were handled by Bellefonte police, as well as a task force of officers convened by now-Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller in 2010.

Unsolved mysteries:

The handing over of the case to State Police comes at an interesting time, as

that "State police didn't want the case,"and there had never been a successful argument for handing the case to a higher authority, such as state police or a grand jury.

The change to State police has been in the works since November, and the case will now be handled by the Hollidaysburg-based Troop G, which handles major cases. Officers from both the Rockview and Lewistown barracks will investigate, as well. Petucci said State police will continue to work with members of the task force in Centre County.

Gricar, 59 at the time, disappeared on April 15, 2005. His red Mini Cooper was found abandoned in Lewisburg and his laptop and hard drive were found in the Susquehanna River. Four years later, police revealed that searches on his home computer for "how to fry a hard drive" and "water damage to a notebook computer" had been discovered.

Ray Gricar mystery: DA's privacy adds to intrigue surrounding his disappearance (April 15, 2012)

Since then, there haven't been credible leads coming in. But, though Gricar was declared legally dead in July 2011, there's been a renewed interest in his disappearance since the it became clear the DA played a role in deciding not to prosecute Jerry Sandusky in 1998 after a child sex abuse complaint was made against him.

It took about a decade for the former defensive coordinator to be investigated again for child sexual abuse. Sandusky is now serving out a 30- to 60-year prison sentence for molesting 10 boys on the Penn State campus and in his State College home.

Every now and then, a new lead pops up in the Gricar case and is publicized, sending central Pennsylvania into a frenzy of theories. There were "sightings" in Utah and Texas. Some hypothesized that he was lured to the river by a mistress, or killed by the woman's husband. Last September, an alleged former member of Hell's Angels told police Gricar was murdered by the gang as a retaliatory offense.

But now, in addition to a task force in Bellefonte poring through every twist and turn, State police will be getting their hands dirty.

Any tips regarding the Gricar case should be directed to the State police tip line: 800-472-8477.

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This post was updated to include additional information from Jeff Petucci.