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Unsolved March 15, 1981 Homicide

Philip Testa

Status Unsolved
Type Homicide
Date March 15, 1981
Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Victim Age 51
Gender Male

Philadelphia mob boss Philip 'Chicken Man' Testa was killed by a nail bomb planted under his front porch. The bombing sparked a Mafia war within the Philadelphia crime family. Despite the Mafia connection, no one was formally charged with planting the bomb.

Philip Testa is documented in the ColdCaseIndex database as a homicide case in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The events are dated to March 15, 1981. The victim is recorded as 51 years old and male. The last known information on record places the case at March 15, 1981, his home in Philadelphia, PA.

Within the ColdCaseIndex taxonomy, Philip Testa is filed under Homicide with a status of Unsolved. A homicide entry documents a killing in which the perpetrator has not been identified, has not been convicted, or where the case is otherwise historically notable. The record is cross-referenced under the themes homicide, Mafia, Philadelphia, bombing, Pennsylvania, unsolved, which connect it to related cases across the database.

As of the most recent information compiled here, no arrest has been publicly recorded in the Philip Testa case, and it remains open and unsolved. Cases like this can be reactivated at any time — advances in DNA analysis, forensic genetic genealogy, and renewed public attention have resolved cases that lay dormant for decades.

Primary jurisdiction for the Philip Testa case rests with local law enforcement in Philadelphia, supported by Pennsylvania state investigative authorities. The case sits within a wider national picture: the U.S. homicide clearance rate has fallen from roughly 90% in the 1960s to about 54% today, and more than 346,000 homicides recorded since 1965 remain unsolved. ColdCaseIndex documents individual cases like this one to keep them publicly visible and searchable.

homicide Mafia Philadelphia bombing Pennsylvania unsolved
Last Known Information
March 15, 1981, his home in Philadelphia, PA
Date of Incident
March 15, 1981
Current Status
Unsolved — the case remains open

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  • The local police department or sheriff's office in Pennsylvania, or the state bureau of investigation

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