The daughter of missing Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar took and passed a polygraph test last week, ruling out the possibility that she has any involvement in or knowledge of her father's disappearance.

Bellefonte police officer Darrel Zaccagni said Lara Gricar took the polygraph at the request of Bellefonte police.

"We have no belief that Lara is a suspect, but as close as Ray was to both [girlfriend Patty Fornicola] and Lara, we felt that the two of them would be the most likely people he would contact," Zaccagni said.

The polygraph helped police rule out the possibility that Gricar secretly contacted his daughter after his disappearance, Zaccagni said.

Fornicola, who was also tested by police during the summer, said Lara Gricar took the polygraph test for the same reason she did.

"We had initially said we would do whatever we need to do, and I guess in matters like this, it is typical to give people close to the missing person polygraphs," Fornicola said.

Gricar's nephew, Tony, said Lara Gricar has had no contact with her father and no longer thinks he is alive.

"Ray's daughter is the most important thing to him -- his world," he said. "He hasn't let his daughter know he's OK, so we have to really realize he's probably not alive at this point."

He added that it is possible Bellefonte police gave Lara Gricar a polygraph to help rule out or at least mitigate a "runaway" scenario. Lara Gricar is not currently giving interviews and was unavailable for comment yesterday, Tony Gricar said.

Both Fornicola and Lara Gricar were given the polygraph tests to rule them out as suspects should the case turn to foul play, Zaccagni said.

"We are being a little pre-emptive," Zaccagni said. "If the case turns out as foul play, you would first take a look at those closest to him and now that is out of the way."

Zaccagni said Bellefonte police would probably administer the test next to Gricar's two ex-wives and his two nephews, including Tony Gricar.

"We will work with them and when they take the test, for continuity's sake, the same two secret service agents will administer the test, the same questions will be given, and it will be with the same demeanor," Zaccagni said.

Tony Gricar said he would gladly take the test if Bellefonte police deemed it necessary. He added that he would not hesitate to tell police if he had heard anything from Ray Gricar.

Zaccagni said pictures of a man resembling Gricar that were taken at a Texas Chili's Grill & Bar do not appear to show the missing district attorney, according to early results from an FBI analysis. But he stressed that the FBI is not done looking at the pictures, and they could still determine that the man in the photographs is, in fact, Ray Gricar.

"Basically, what I was told by the FBI is you might want to tell the family not to hold their breath," Zaccagni said.

Tony Gricar said the pictures are probably not the FBI's highest priority.

"I haven't put my hopes on the pictures at all ... we were all really adamant that it was not him, but hopefully we will come up with something official," he said.

Bellefonte police are always looking at different scenarios and different people who could be involved, Tony Gricar said, even though there is probably a "short list."

"I guess you could say, where do you take the investigation with no evidence?" he asked. "Unless my uncle's body turns up, what exactly can happen at this point?"