Van Pilgrim, aged 59, was tragically shot and killed on July 16, 1978, in Dayton, Ohio. The incident took place in Montgomery County, where Pilgrim was found deceased on the same day. Details of the case remain limited, but it has been categorized as a homicide, with law enforcement agencies treating it as an active cold case.
The Dayton Police Department is overseeing the investigation, and it is part of the list of unsolved homicides in Ohio.
Despite being on the Ohio Attorney General’s unsolved homicide list, no suspects have been identified, and no arrests have been made. Pilgrim's death remains a mystery, and authorities continue to appeal for public assistance, urging anyone with potential information to come forward to help solve the case.
Pilgrim's memorial can also be found on Find a Grave, where people have left tributes in his memory. His case highlights the challenges of solving older homicides, especially when evidence or witnesses are limited. The Dayton Police Department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) hope that, through increased public awareness, any new leads may help provide some closure for Pilgrim's family and loved ones.
