A time of holiday festivity was shattered for the Proviano family of Baldwin Borough. It began with worry, hope, and tragedy, yet ultimately, ended with grief and mystery.

When Anthony Proviano, a 29-yearold medical student failed to show up during for the family's annual Christmas Eve celebration. He was reported missing on Christmas Day. The Proviano family was worried, and prayed to their son's namesake, St. Anthony of Padua, in hopes for some sort of miraculous sign.

All wories became tragic when the family received word from Baldwin Borough Police Chief Chris Kelley, who notified them that he had found Proviano's red Z-28 Camaro in Ohio's St. Clairsville Days Inn parking lot. Kelley had found Proviano's luggage and Christmas gifts for the family still in the car.

According to a hotel receipt, Proviano checked into the room at 6 pm on December 23rd, and paid $36 in cash. Inside the room, police found half a bottle of Crown Royal whiskey, a box for a .25-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a box of ammunition. A short time after the the car had been found, Anthony Proviano's body was found as well. The pistol was found 100 feet from it, while his coat, hat, right shoe, a pair of leather gloves, a spent bullet casing and one unfired bullet were six to eight feet away in the opposite direction.

His wallet, complete with money, and his car keys were still with him.

To make matters worse, Belmont County's coroner refused to perform an autopsy and deemed the case a suicide. This has caused disbelief among officials and family alike.

Instead, the Proviano family have hired Allegheny County coroner Cyril Wecht to conduct an autopsy.

Friends close to Anthony Proviano have stated that he had not expressed any kind of distraught, and was looking forward to spending time with his family for the holidays.

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