A murder-for-hire scenario also remains in play. There are only a couple of ways to get rid of that truck. Its like were standing at the center of a circle, John Ottobre says, creating a picture of a vast, snowy field. Now I know what real love is, she told friends. Through her best friend, Christine, she reconnected with her high school crush, Christine's older brother, thirty-five year old, single father Richard Petrone. In a city like Philly, people go missing all the time, for all kinds of reasons. That means everybody, even people who saw something or heard something unusual but didn't understand how important it was. Unfortunately, none of them had their heads in that place. Paraphrasing Occams Razor, all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be true. The statement reiterated the facts of the case, then mentioned a reward. However, one of the least-appreciated and often overlooked reasons a case goes cold is simply perspective. They were last seen at Abilene's bar and restaurant on South Street in Philadelphia, and Richard's best friend Rick Bellezzi told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the couple "left the club happy at about 11:45." But that was the last time they were seen. Not to mention, a killer who dumps and burns a truck in the wilderness has to get back to town somehow. We can go in any direction at all, because there are no tracks or markers. The sun set hours ago. In the early hours and days after Richard Petrone and Danielle Imbo disappeared, their families banded together, frantically phoning each other the next morning when Danielle didnt turn up for her hair appointment and both her cell phone and Richards kicked straight to voicemail. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. Hangin with cops at the time of the disappearance? Somewhere in the city of brotherly love there had been a dark conspiracy. But the FBI agent never followed through. Danielle's estranged husband has been questionedbut never considered a suspect. Adventures With Purpose - COLD CASE: 2005 Disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr. (Part 3). Facebook, 2 March 2022, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=972861123603259. But again, coming back to 2005, how much fencing was up here? At 23, he had a daughter out of wedlock, raising her in an apartment above his parents pastry shop. Every detective, every agent, has their case, the one that haunts them, he says. The murder-for-hire scenario, he admits, was only one possibility among many. Thats a theory that has been recently investigated more thoroughly, but well get to that later. Their case was featured on the podcast Crime Junkie on May 11, 2020. In 2008, the FBI would issue a press release to this effect, suggesting that Imbo and Petrone were victims of a murder for hire scheme. The most we can say is that they were alive on the sidewalk as they left the bar. It would be a simple matter from there to slide right into the truck with the two of them and force them to drive to wherever they met their end. Only reports and accounts and theories. RICHARD PETRONE SR., 64, wakes each night around 2 a.m., dresses quickly, and steps outside to start his workday at the bakery as the bars close. "He said "I got, like . The sudden and mysterious disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr. on February 19, 2005, has left investigators and the public with more questions than answers. Nine vehicles were pulled out of the river yesterday, police said. The easiest way to hide a vehicle with the lowest effort is a body of water. When his son lived upstairs, he would hear slow footsteps before Richard Jr. came down to start his own workday. They have not been seen nor heard from since this last sighting. What it was like to speak to John Ottobre, Danielle's brother (29:30). But I felt like I had to do it for my mother.. Place of suicides. Its possible a perpetrator could just get lucky, Roselli says today, but its more likely just what it looks like: Someone behind this knew what they were doing., JOHN OTTOBRES FATHER, John Sr., a former boxer and doo-wop singer, died in 1999, at age 62. He still saw her several days a week, still served as her chief chauffeur. Not what is it but what could it be? But Richard suddenly found himself with vast amounts of free time. There was no doubt that there had been some tension between Joe Imbo and Richard Petrone, though. There are a million Hollywood reasons like that. That night, John and Richard Petrone Sr. set out on a nightlong drive, John behind the wheel, rolling slowly along darkened city streets, tracing and retracing every major highway route and side road leading from Philly to Mount Laurel. In fact, some 20 minutes after we part, he will call me. When I ask him about Danielles singing voice, his eyes brim with tears. It was a normal kind of night, Valentino said. Accessed 24 May 2022. Much of the speculation centers around the possibility that a hit was ordered on Danielle. Depending on where the truck was parked, an attacker would risk losing control of the situation or being witnessed by a reveler on South Street if he attacked at that moment. Were in so much pain, she says, that we could kill ourselves tomorrow. In April, police said publicly they did not believe the couple simply ran away, which eliminated one possibility. A grand jury convened at least 6 years ago, interviewing people close to Joe, but took no action. In the Careaga case, that suspects name is known. All of those things considered, the million dollar question then becomes is it foul play? She wasnt all that serious about him, but he treated her well. Imbo was employed as a loan processor for a mortgage company at the time of her disappearance, working out of her home. Petrone channels his pain into writing, posting poetry, prose and song lyrics, liberally referencing Springsteen, on the memorial website Richardpetrone.com: Nothing to sayEven less to feelTheres no more leftFor this sorrow to steal. If theres any hope of finding answers in a case like this, we have to narrow the scope of the investigation. Its awful. He just cant find the trail leading from the crime back to its perpetrators. Neither the couple, nor the truck, were ever seen again spark Of course, Agent Roselli wont reveal more than that, but its beginning to sound a little bit familiar; a little bit like the Careaga murders in Washington State which I covered in a recent episode A case where it seems like the authorities might have a strong suspect, but cant prove it. Police: dredging isn't search for missing couple. Philadelphia Inquirer, 29 08 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102493641/police-dredging-isnt-search-for-missin/. Joe Imbo has dealt with a lot of pressure in the past nine years. until John Ottobre intervened. The message was that he needed to be civil, says Ottobre. The two clicked instantly. That first Sunday Richard Jr. went missing, Marge Petrone felt her sons death lodge, as a certainty, in her gut, even as Richard Sr. sat down and called every hospital and police station in the region. We have to increase the probability of success by chasing down the most likely solutions first, and as such, we need to know what is the nature of this disappearance? On February 26th, 2005, the Camden Courier-Post ran a story with the headline Mt. On The Night They Vanished, Imbo Met Up With Petrone To Watch Live Music At A Bar When asked if their son could still be alive somewhere, Marge waved a hand. It leaves us with only one explanation that makes sense. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Richard Petrone Sr. considered the admission from the FBI a small victory. the undercover economist chapter summary. Weve all seen Philadelphia depicted on the screen a thousand times; the steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art so famous from the Rocky movies, Independence Hall where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed, and more commonplace but equally character-defining rowhouses shoulder-to-shoulder in working class (and some would say gentrified) neighborhoods. Richard Petrone was described as 59 and about 150 pounds. How the FBI thinks the truck was disposed of (28:10). Is it just me or is that alibi almost too perfect? What is known about Anthony Rodesky, a convicted murderer who has not been ruled out in this case (24:50). You know, he says, theres only one person in the world that knows I didnt do it, and its me.. Unfortunately, their search did not find Richard Petrones 2001 Dodge Dakota.. Weve covered everything now from Dave & Busters all the way down from Ben Franklin Bridge down to the Whitman Bridge. Imbo, circa 2005; Petrone's truck; Petrone's truck's license plate. Christine said no. As I told you earlier, Danielles brother, John Ottobre, showed up looking for her at her condo that morning when he heard she had missed her hair appointment. From the inside out, with guilt and suspicion and shame and resentment. The authorities have since come out and expressed suspicion of their own. Im not a mastermind. If the person driving the truck was consumed with homicidal and suicidal intent, he or she could have easily driven the truck into the icy February waters of the Delaware River in a spot where we havent found it yet. She fronted a rock band around New Jersey and boasted a singers outgoing personality, and after the trouble shed had with her estranged husband, shed responded to Richards gentler approach. Shortly before she disappeared, Imbo told her husband and Petrone that she wanted "space" from both of them; she was reportedly considering ending her relationship with Petrone altogether. It didnt appear to him that she had been home the previous night. It could be a case of a willful disappearance on the part of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone. That there was foul play. He also believes multiple people know. But Leisek searched all the obvious areas in that particular stretch of the river and didnt find the car in the search in March of 2022. And he worked alongside his father at Viking Pastries in Ardmore, attending culinary school to learn how to build towering wedding cakes. Until you or someone like you comes forward with the tip that brings this case to a close, the disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr. will remain Unresolved. She smoked a pack of Marlboro Lights a day. Their case remains unsolved. Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. This search result is here to prevent scraping, Hop Sing Laundromat Charging $75 for Bar Reservations, Exciting I-95 Capping Project Finally Begins In Philadelphia, Those Gummies May Not Have Contained Fentanyl After All, Why I'm Boycotting the Roots Picnic This Year. Their case was episode 11 of season 8 of the TV show Disappeared with the episode named "A Bridge Too Far". But people who knew him say he was more of a bruiser, lumping enemies up rather than killing them. He readily acknowledges that people looked at him like a monster in the wake of his wifes disappearance. They saw each other sporadically. Richard loved music, and never missed a Springsteen show. The visits, he says, are both amazing and awful, because the boy sings like his mother, and his face is so much like hers that he seems to project her like a hologram back out into the world. They were still hoping for the best. But Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone didnt fit the profile. Here's everything we know about what happened to Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone. However, panic didn't truly set in until 3 pm, when her husband Joseph arrived at her condo to drop off their son, "little Joe," and Imbowas absent. Richard was in the wrong place at the wrong time, she said. Danielle has a tattoo on her lower back of "flowers." In February 2005, Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone walked out of a South Street bar and disappeared. His mom had called and said Danielle missed her hair appointment at 11 am. Danielle and Richard were not the type to abandon their kids, and nobody had any reason to suspect either of them were depressed or considering suicide in any way. Laurel home looking for her. By early-March, a reward fund had already grown to $12,000 for information on the whereabouts of Danielle and Richard. They were last seen walking on South Street toward Petrone's parked vehicle, a 2001 Dodge pick-up truck. But the bereaved confronted by a more conventional death, even a homicide, can mourn beside a grave, a crypt, an urn. While Danielle's estranged husband was never publically announced as a person of interest, the authorities have maintained that nobody has been ruled out as a suspect. Danielle Imbo And Richard Petrone Both Disappeared Without A Trace - Heres What We Know. Photographs of the truck and license plate are posted with this case summary. On the night of Saturday,February 19, 2005, Imbo and Petrone met with friends at Abilene's, a South Philadelphia Tex-Mex restaurant that has since closed. Something was wrong. Friends, family search for missing couple. Allentown Morning Call, 09 04 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102491020/friends-family-search-for-missing-coupl/. Imbo was carrying a two-handle black purse at the time of her disappearance. Accessed 24 May 2022. "I can't look into my son's eyes and think she's not coming back," he [said]. > we hope to be able to bring her home and say goodbye the right way. She lives her entire day with a sick feeling in her stomach, like something is wrong. When Richard Sr., the writer, tries to talk about his son, he breaks down, sobbing, hiding his face behind his hands until he can regain his composure. It felt like something was about to happen, but nothing did. They later told investigators that Imbo and Petrone appeared to be having a good time - they weresitting close together, smiling, and kissing throughout the evening. Investigators stated that very little evidence is available to indicate what happened to Petrone and Imbo, but they have ruled out kidnapping and think a random act of violence is also unlikely. There may be a NASCAR sticker in the rear window. When a song his son loved floods the vehicle, his loss arrives with every line. It was not a willful disappearance. Danielle Imbos loved ones wondered about Richard Petrone, claiming he was rough around the edges and suggesting he perhaps bore some gambling debt or Mob tie that could have gotten him and Danielle killed. I wish I had more to say, says Roselli. Neither of them have been heard from again. I dont have evidence to arrest Joe is all he says. In the days after their disappearance, Richards then 14-year-old daughter Angela gave an absolutely heart wrenching public plea for the return of her dad that is very hard to watch. That is our setting, because thats where Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone disappeared. I dont talk about this a lot, he says. "Tips throughout time have indicated logically that this is not a kidnapping case. Authorities have questioned associates of both people. John would later tell ABC7 Joe Imbo seemed surprised to find a bunch of Danielles family at her place, but she wasnt there. Maybe theres a totally different explanation for the disappearance; an alternate chain of events that we havent even considered. NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN FOUND not a bolt, not a screw, not a purse or a hair, no clue at all to explain what happened that night more than nine years ago. Imbo also said he tried to win his estranged wife back. He never thought Danielle Imbo would be interested. Danielle's ex-husband, Joe Imbo, had a rock-solid alibi for February 19th, one that placed him 50 miles away at a kids' party with his stepfather, an ex-NYPD officer, and multiple active police. Since she was separated, though, and seeking a divorce, he took his shot. In August, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a story on a police dredging operation that generated some buzz and prompted a denial from the authorities: Police denied reports yesterday that a crew was dredging the Delaware River in search of a vehicle belonging to Richard Petrone Jr., who with his girlfriend disappeared from the vicinity of a Philadelphia bar six months ago. He learned how to dress a little girl. She'd begun dating Richard during a long separation from her husband a separation she was intending to. Shed started dating another man, Richard Petrone. At ages 34 and 35, they both had lives that appeared to be angled up good jobs, loving families, wide circles of friends. He doesnt cry like the Petrones passionately and unstoppably. by Anna Orso February 17, 2015 When Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone left a South Street bar 10 years ago Thursday, they left no trace. Again, as they had so many times before, investigators vowed to redouble their efforts on the anniversary reanalyzing old files and evidence for anything they had overlooked, interviewing old witnesses, and again, they came up empty. You may have been wondering earlier, where was Danielles son while she was out Saturday night? [12], In 2016, their case was profiled on the podcast The Vanished.[13]. Investigators monitored the couples bank accounts, credit cards and cell phones, looked for evidence that either had a secret life. Nothing has ever been found to guide us. The fear among these families is that the mystery draws so much attention that Danielle and Richard get lost as people. Nobody could say. It was, perhaps, a lost opportunity for the family to, at the very least, get a gauge for Joe Imbos body language. Danielle, five-foot-five, trim and pretty, looked like the real thing. By Tuesday, he, too, was sure his son was dead. You cant imagine outliving your child.. THE DEATH OF A SIBLING or child felled short of a natural lifespan is always tragic. Details: Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone were last seen leaving a. But I think youre involved in some way. Roselli, he adds, even called an old roommate of his, maybe a year ago, to try and arrange an interview. It is clear that this is a murder, right? Accessed 24 May 2022. But hes getting older, and I dont know how long that can last., VITO ROSELLI, THE FBI AGENT charged with ending all of this, doesnt try to hide his feelings. Youd have to make sure the fire completely erased anything identifiable about the truck the distinctive black over silver paint scheme for example and youd have to clip the VIN number from the dash, take the license plates, and even those measures would only buy time. So when Danielle disappeared, I felt like I was the man of the family, the younger Ottobre says. Joe Imbo has never been declared a suspect in the case. The reward is being administered by the Philadelphia Citizens Crime Commission. John immediately called Mount Laurel detective Ed Pincus, who was still working on the case. And thats what keeps me going now. Joe Imbo - Danielle's former husband John Ottobre - Danielle's brother Robert Carey - arrested in pill ring investigation in Kensington; hanged himself in prison Anthony Rodesky -. It is possible whomever was driving the vehicle was a little impaired and just made a costly error a wrong turn, a slip of a foot off the brake pedal. Danielle has a tattoo on her lower back of "flowers." There is a saying in law enforcement circles: Its always the ex-husband. So sitting down with Imbo is portentous a journey to the one man who might possibly hold an answer. Imbo, 34, of Mount Laurel, and Petrone, 35, of Philadelphia, disappeared without a trace after leaving the Abilene bar on South Street on Feb. 19, 2005. The former covergirl, 39, detailed her troubled past and battle with mental health . Now, lets be honest. Danielle Lloyd has revealed that she considered taking her own life during the height of her modelling career.. He even learned how to do her hair. He reached his sister, Christine, and found her enjoying a ladies night out with their mother, Marge, and two longtime friends, Felice Ottobre and her daughter. If I was them, I wouldnt want to be around me either.. And its because of this., At this, he gestures toward the audio recorder sitting on the table between us the whole mystery surrounding the vanishing of his estranged wife. The disappearance of Richard and Danielle actually has several reward funds, including one administered by the Petrone family that has grown to more than $100,000. Police often wait as long as 48 hours to consider adults missing. 215-686-3013, Camden County Sheriff's Office
The two were dating. Petrone's friends, Anthony Valentino and his wifeMichelle McLaughlin, joined Imbo and Petrone at the restaurant. No way.. She had an appointment with a hair salon at 11:00 a.m. the day after she vanished, but never arrived. Danielles family believed the bad blood between the Petrones and Joe Imbo was counterproductive. As is often the case in a missing person investigation, police have considered Imbo's estranged husband as a suspect, and the FBI has questioned Joe Imbo many times. "I don't have evidence to arrest Joe" is all he says. He moved out, relocating to Georgia, but the new relationship didnt last; months later, in the middle of their divorce proceedings, Joe asked Danielle for another chance. In April, 2005, the Allentown Morning Call reported: Joseph Imbo has said he made it clear in telephone conversations with Petrone that he did not like that his wife was involved with him. Many people have been suspicious of Danielle's soon-to-be ex-husband Joe Imbo but he appeared to have a solid alibi. Today would be [Richard] Petrone's 36th birthday, according to a family website. In Philly, they give it a while, to see how it shakes out. Not likely. Hundreds of cars and trucks were parked up and down the street. I wait till hes nearly finished, just moving bits of egg around with his fork, before I ask, flat out: You had nothing to do with the disappearance of your wife? His life only shifted in 2004, when Angela, then 13 and developing a womans interests, decided she wanted to live with her mother. As reported by the Philadelphia Daily News: Danielle's estranged husband, Joe Imbo, says he believes he'll see her again. He wants to get this out there again in the hopes that someone, somewhere, will come forward with new information. In 2010, Robert Carey, the alleged leader of a Kensington-area prescription pill ring, killed himself in prison; rumors abounded for years that he had been the hit man. As John Ottobre tells it, Joe left Danielle with a sick infant and a cold of her own to attend the 2004 Super Bowl, only to return and announce that hed met someone else on the plane to New Orleans. Joe Imbo, on the surface, seemed to be saying the right things, though. "[11], In March 22, 2022, a private search and recovery dive team, Adventures with Purpose, announced they were actively working on the case. 856-225-5470. 856-234-1414, Philadelphia Police Department
Like maybe it was even up to me to find my sister., The family received lots of calls from psychics. Laurel woman, 34, missing since Feb. 19th.. If you call in the tip and it leads to a resolution, youre gonna get paid. According to Petrone Sr., his son told him prior to his disappearance that he received several threatening phone calls from Joe. The people who love them remain stuck inside that vast circle of snow, looking in every direction for a trace, track or footprint they will never find. Richard, a NASCAR fan, planned to watch the Daytona 500. Shouldnt this be solved by now? But whats also brought him to the table is the chance, he says, to reminisce to contribute to a story that will recall Danielle as a person., The good times cause a torrent of happy memories: their first meeting at the car dealership, a first date that went on all night and meandered all over Philly and New Jersey. It also doesnt escape my attention that if this is a murder-for-hire plot, Joe Imbos alibi does not exclude him from suspicion. He looks me straight in the eye. I cant help but feel the answer is the truck. Many people have been suspicious of Danielle's soon-to-be ex-husband Joe Imbo but he appeared to have a solid alibi. No bloodstains. I have a conscience. Accessed 24 May 2022. Did he cruise the streets outside Richards frequent hangout until he located the vehicle? She was wearing a black jacket, a cream-colored sweater, blue jeans and carrying a two-handle black purse. And if so, who and why? Their loved ones stated they would never have voluntarily abandoned their families, whom they were close to. It was brutally cold that night. They compared notes on what their ensuing Sundays entailed: Danielle had a hair appointment at 11 a.m.; her ex-husband was scheduled to return their son after that. Witnesses stated that the couple left the bar at about 11:45p.m. en route to Imbo's New Jersey home. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours.
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