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Autopsy In 2003 Jonathan Luna Case Unsealed, Confirms Homicide

Officials say releasing the coroner’s file will not hinder the active investigation.

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In 2004, the FBI offered a $100,000 reward for information regarding the mysterious death of US Attorney Jonathan Luna, who was found stabbed and drowned in a creek in Lancaster County on Dec. 4, 2003. The task force considered various scenarios, including homicide and suicide, and were keen to find out more about two chunks of time that could not be accounted for during Luna's last hours. They believed Luna had contact with someone that night and appealed to the public for any information about his or his vehicle's whereabouts before his death.
Slain federal prosecutor Jonathan Luna is shown in the Law Library at his first law job at a law firm in Washington D. C.......(handout photo courtesy Luna's parents scanned 12/05/03)

Overview

  • Judge David Ashworth lifted a court seal imposed around 2020–2021 after the Lancaster County District Attorney moved to unseal the records following a Pennsylvania State Police reexamination.
  • The report lists the cause of death as freshwater drowning with multiple stab wounds to the neck and the manner of death as homicide, documenting 36 wounds, including 23 to the neck.
  • Injuries included cuts to the hands and a wrist bruise, and scene notes describe extensive blood inside and outside the car near the creek where Luna was found.
  • Items on Luna included a watch, wedding band, a UNC Law class ring, and small amounts of cash; investigators noted no cellphone or wallet was recovered.
  • The release follows a yearslong transparency fight by LNP/LancasterOnline with support from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, as debate over earlier suicide suggestions and an Inspector General finding of FBI misconduct persists; no suspects have been identified and the case remains open.