NY State Police renew interest in decades old trucker homicide mystery

The New York State Police recently announced that they are still investigating the rest stop shooting of a truck driver forty-five years after it occurred.

On April 17, 2018, the New York State Police issued a press release stating that they are still working on solving the cold case murder of truck driver Rudy Allen Rothberg, who was shot to death on November 8, 1972.

From the release:

Mr. Rothberg, 52, of Evans Mills in Jefferson County, New York, was employed as a truck driver for Whitaker Trucking Company located in Deposit, NY. 

Rothberg was operating a tractor trailer northbound on I-81 when he stopped at about 1:45 AM at a rest area about one mile south of US-20, just south Lafayette, NY. 

Mr. Rothberg was sleeping in the cab of the truck in the driver’s seat when he was shot in the head with a shotgun. 

Another truck driver found the body still located in the cab of the truck and reported this murder at 3:05 AM. 

The investigation revealed that Mr. Rothberg’s wallet containing a small amount of cash and some credit cards had been stolen.    

New York State Police are asking anyone with information on Rothberg’s death to contact Investigator Eric Costello or Senior Investigator Reece S. Treen of the Troop D Major Crimes Unit at (315) 366-6000.