Untrue Rumors About Double Homicide Cold Case

Despite the local rumor mill, one of Cattaraugus County's most notorious unsolved murders remains unsolved. Law enforcement confirms that no arrests have been made in connection with Allegany's 1978 Ski Wing Resort double homicide. Two nighttime ski slop groomers, 30 year old Stephen Bender and 29 year old Michael Forness, were each shot in the back of the head. Authorities speculate the pair surprised burglars trying to remove a safe. The 175-pound safe was found under the now-closed Vandalia Bridge over the Allegheny River about a month after the murders.