WORTHINGTON TWP, PA – The body of a woman reported missing in September was found this week by a hunter. According to police, the woman is suspected to have been murdered by a man she was in a relationship with. His body was found days after her disappearance. He committed suicide, police said.
A hunter observed a motorcycle over a hillside along Nichola Road in Worthington Township, Armstrong County, on December 5, 2022. The hunter provided the Pennsylvania State Police with the motorcycle’s plate number when reporting the motorcycle. The license plate belonged to Darlene Harbison. Human remains were found near the motorcycle by the State Police who responded to the scene. A detective from the Allegheny County Police Department and a member of the Allegheny County Mobile Crime Unit responded to the scene. In order to determine the identity of the remains, the remains will be taken to the office of the medical examiner.
Harbison has been missing since September of this year. The Frazer Township Police requested that detectives from the Allegheny County Police assist them in locating 59-year-old Darlene Harbison on Tuesday, September 13, 2022. The last time Harbison was seen was on September 11, 2022. When Harbison’s daughter was unsuccessful in contacting her mother, she requested a welfare check from Frazer Township Police Department.
Detectives from Allegheny County Police and Frazer Township Police began an investigation. As a result of the investigation, it was discovered that Harbison was engaged in a volatile relationship with 57-year-old Eric Gibbs. It is believed that Gibbs is responsible for Harbison’s disappearance. On September 17, 2022, Gibbs was found dead in West Deer Township from an apparent suicide.
Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the Allegheny County Police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (1-833-255-8477); callers can remain anonymous. The department can also be reached via its social media sites.