The following press release was issued today from the office of James B. Martin, who is a district attorney in Lehigh County in Pennsylvania:
SEVENTH INVESTIGATING GRAND JURY IN LEHIGH COUNTY TO REVIEW 1983 DEATH OF NEW YORK WOMAN
Lehigh County District Attorney James B. Martin has directed that evidence in the 1983 death of Nancy L. Argentino of New York be presented to the Seventh Investigating Grand Jury.
Argentino, 23, of Brooklyn, N.Y., died on May 11, 1983, in Allentown.
District Attorney Martin has issued the following statement regarding the death:
“Several months ago, I was contacted by the surviving sisters of Nancy L. Argentino, who died under unusual circumstances. I directed Chief Deputy District Attorney Charles F. Gallagher III to conduct a preliminary review of the investigative file and any and all evidence that was gathered over the past 30 years by the lead Detective, former Whitehall Township Detective and now Lehigh County Detective Gerald Procanyn, and others.
“Chief Deputy District Attorney Gallagher has recommended that the District Attorney’s Office utilize the power and resources of the current Investigating Grand Jury in this matter.
Accordingly, I directed that the circumstances surrounding the death of Nancy L. Argentino, and all evidence related thereto, be presented to the Seventh Investigating Grand Jury, which is currently empanelled.
“Grand Jury proceedings are a time-consuming process, and it will take months before the Grand Jury concludes its work on this case.
“Under the Investigating Grand Jury Act, 42 Pa.C.S.A. §4541 et seq., the proceedings of the Grand Jury are secret and may not be disclosed. Accordingly, I will have no further comment on this matter until the Investigating Grand Jury concludes its work.”