US man's death ruled homicide 40 years after attack

Authorities in Pennsylvania have ruled the recent death of a 64-year-old man a homicide, saying he died from injuries suffered when he was assaulted 38 years ago.

Craig Tschudy died in a nursing home last week from a traumatic brain injury that he suffered in 1986 at age 26.

He was beaten with a baseball bat by “unknown assailants at the time” in "a case of mistaken identity," officials said.

No arrests were ever made and those who beat him were never identified.

The assault happened in York, a city of around 44,800 people in central Pennsylvania that lies 160 kilometers (100 miles) west of Philadelphia.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the York County Coroner’s Office said the man, who died on 5 June, was permanently injured after the assault.

“This is ruled a homicide in manner of death as the injuries eventually contributed to Tschudy's death 38 years later,” said the coroner’s office

A homicide ruling means someone else caused a person’s death.

The coroner’s office, however, said that no charges will be laid due to police’s inability to identify those who assaulted him nearly 40 years ago.