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Cold case solved: Suspect arrested for Robert Baron's murder

Investigators announced a major breakthrough in the six-year-old disappearance of Old Forge businessman Robert Baron with the arrest of Justin Schuback.

OLD FORGE, Pa. — Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell was joined by several law enforcement agencies at his office in downtown Scranton to announce the arrest of 37-year-old Justin Schuback.

Schuback is charged with the 2017 murder of Robert Baron. 

"No one in law enforcement ever gave up trying to solve this mystery," said Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell.

Powell says it was a burglary gone bad back in January of 2017. 

Baron's family had reported him missing, and police found evidence of a crime in the family's restaurant, Ghigiarelli's Pizza, in Old Forge, but Robert was missing. 

Police interviewed several people in the early days of the investigation, including Schuback. 

Credit: WNEP
JUSTIN SCHUBACK

When police interviewed Schuback, he confirmed he had a problem with Bobby Baron Jr., claiming Baron Jr. ripped him off in a drug deal.

"A lot of the information we had against Mr. Schuback was developed in the early stages, but we needed more, and we needed a body," said Powell.

This past week, several agencies converged on two areas of Old Forge.

Human remains were found and were sent out for DNA testing. 

Results came back, proving the remains were those of Robert Baron. 

The district attorney says the renewed search effort was because of advances in forensic analysis. 

"Areas around that area had been searched pretty thoroughly, but the advancement with the forensic analysis allowed us to pinpoint where and get a more specific finding as to where the body could be found."

The DA says they are continuing this investigation to decide if more arrests could be made in the future.

Watch Newswatch 16 coverage of the Robert Baron disappearance case on YouTube:

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