It was also featured on the podcast Women & Crime in December 2021. "It was somewhat of a surprise," Petrone Sr. said. Making two people and a truck disappear, with no witnesses and no evidence of any kind for nine years, suggests methodical planning, says FBI special agent Vito Roselli, the investigator in charge of the case. Thirty-four year old Danielle Imbo was going through a divorce and raising her eighteen month old son. Its awful. I dont blame people for not wanting to be around us, says Marge. They were even overheard making plans for the next day. 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. Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania authorities are investigating their disappearances, which remain unsolved. At ages 34 and 35, they both had lives that appeared to be angled up good jobs, loving families, wide circles of friends. Do you have information that could bring resolution to this case? But wait, this was a murder-for-hire, right? He lost a wonderful person in his life.. On February 19th, 2005, Danielle agreed to go out for a night of music in Philadelphia. I wouldnt be able to live with myself this long after such a heinous thing, or look my son in the eye.. On February 6th, 2008, nearly 3 years after the vanishing, the FBI announced they were investigating the disappearance of Danielle and Richard as a hit. Joseph Imbo as well as relatives of Petrone and friends of Danielle Imbo all said that she told both men she did not want to spend her life with either of them not long before she and Petrone disappeared. Really naive. Their case was featured on the podcast Crime Junkie on May 11, 2020. Originally published in the April 2014 issue of Philadelphia magazine. Cold case. "Tips throughout time have indicated logically that this is not a kidnapping case. Danielle was stymied. I cant help but feel the answer is the truck. The place was called Abilene at 429 South Street a skinny little single-lane one-way street; historic, pedestrian-friendly, and lined with souvenir shops and places to grab a bite and a brew. 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. Imbo, age 34, was a resident of Mt. Neither of them have been heard from again. You come out here, Lovers Lane, you know late at night and then you accidentally put it into drive instead of reverse you know, theres a lot of possibilities as to what could happen out here. They were still hoping for the best. John paid $1,200 to get a Camden police officer to take him up in a helicopter to search. 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. Is it either of those things? The FBI announced yesterday that investigators believe that Richard Petrone and his girlfriend Danielle Imbo [] might have been killed in a "murder-for-hire" plot. But the truth is, we dont know what happened.. 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. Her boy, Timothy, the grandson Richard never knew, means everything to the Petrones, whose lives have been mostly blown apart. Danielle later told family members that Joe had bounced the babys high chair off the wall, though Joe has said he doesnt think that ever happened. Some even believe that it was the mob that carried it out. We used to be fun, and now were always sad. Like Richards father, he still speeds up to get a closer view of any black truck. It was a normal kind of night, Valentino said. Joe Imbo, on the surface, seemed to be saying the right things, though. The case remains unsolved. Well have to do the best we can with what we have, to answer one question. What it was like to speak to John Ottobre, Danielle's brother (29:30). 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. But twice a year, his mom or his wife calls Joe, and they arrange to pick up little Joe, now 10, in South Carolina, taking him for one week around Christmas and again in summer for a trip down the Shore. The best detectives will tell you, they consider all options. 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. Place of suicides. Thecomplete lack of evidence has even led the FBI to speculate that they may have been targets of a professional hit. She wanted time to focus on the transition from married woman to single mother. But today, the wind off the beach bears a frosty little snap, and the place is mostly empty when Joe Imbo enters, a few minutes early for our 10 a.m. breakfast. "We're not going to be able to go into great detail, but we thought it would be significant for the public to understand that this hasn't gone away. [2] The couple had been involved in what family and friends describe as an "on again, off again" romantic relationship. [2] The couple had been involved in what family and friends describe as an "on again, off again" romantic relationship. The disappearance of Imbo and Petrone: FBI says people know who did it. ABC7, 19 February 2020, https://abc7.com/true-crime-6abc-cold-case-philadelphia-police-department/5948803/. Only reports and accounts and theories. It was a crowded spot, though. Ill admit, that part makes me a little nervous. He can see shadows out there, flickering across the empty field. On The Night They Vanished, Imbo Met Up With Petrone To Watch Live Music At A Bar Dani's ex-husband, Joe Imbo, was due to drop off their son at Dani's house at 5:00 pm, and it looked like she wasn't going to be there to meet him. From every perspective. We can go in any direction at all, because there are no tracks or markers. He doesnt cry like the Petrones passionately and unstoppably. He slides into the drivers seat of the family car and with a flick of his wrist flips the engine over and the radio on. They kissed. But there remain other leads. The two, family friends. But two people who read the note told me that rumor is false. 215-686-3013, Camden County Sheriff's Office
He has told little Joe that his mother disappeared. 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. And neither wanted to hear that their dearest had been the target. But I felt like I had to do it for my mother.. "Each day is the same. He was mulling going to Abilienes later to see a band. 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. Place of accident. He last spoke to Joe Imbo a few months after his sister vanished. Is it just me or is that alibi almost too perfect? Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone. Sometimes, his son asks random questions about her. In the absence of any discovery by Adventures with Purpose, would you consider it more likely the disappearance of Danielle and Richard was foul play? But that is the legacy of this case: We have yet to learn why Richard Petrone will never see his grandson, or why Danielle Imbo isnt alive to care for her son. 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. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Anthony Valentino and his wife Michelle McLaughlin were the last people to see Danielle and Richard. That such a complicated future awaits an innocent 10-year-old boy seems particularly cruel. At the time, Danielle was married to her husband JoeImbo, but they were estranged, and Danielle was in the process of separating from him. In a disappearance like Danielle and Richards, we have nothing. Authorities have questioned associates of both people. 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. Richard Petrones best friend, Rick Bellezzi, would tell a reporter They left the club happy at about 11:45.. The FBI has questioned Imbo's estranged husband, Joe Imbo, many times. Christine said no. She smoked a pack of Marlboro Lights a day. Then there was this weird bit at the end. At an early press conference after the couple went missing, Marge Petrone even tried to confront Imbo the short Italian mom stepping right into the lean, raven-haired mans face? This investigation into Danielle and Richs disappearance remains open and active, and there is still a $50,000 reward for information on the couples whereabouts or for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for their disappearance. It was brutally cold that night. That there was foul play. He also believes multiple people know. until John Ottobre intervened. He went to his parents for dinner once a week for his favorite meal, chicken cutlets, which his mother breaded and fried, wrapping extras in foil for him to take home. 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. By early 2005, shed told both Joe and Richard that she wasnt interested in seeing either of them anymore. He never thought Danielle Imbo would be interested. [8] Media accounts state that both had close relationships with their children and families and were unlikely to have voluntarily disappeared. They simply vanished. Mt. 215-686-3013, Mount Laurel Township Police Department
Paraphrasing Occams Razor, all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be true. He went in and found the place dark, still and undisturbed. Were missing couple victims of a hit? Philadelphia Daily News, 07 02 2008, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102527418/were-missing-couple-victims-of-a-hit/. He relates to Ottobres feeling of being stuck in the center of that big white circle of trackless snow. Both were single parents - Richard's daughter was 14 at the time, and Danielle's son was oneyear old. When a song his son loved floods the vehicle, his loss arrives with every line. I dont talk about this a lot, he says. It could be, but most agree its unlikely. A few weeks earlier, Danielle Imbo had ended their on-again, off-again relationship. Danielle has a tattoo on her lower back of "flowers." Even four months later, at a concert to benefit Danielles son, John told reporters the family still hoped she would turn up alive. Like maybe it was even up to me to find my sister., The family received lots of calls from psychics. Much of the speculation centers around the possibility that a hit was ordered on Danielle. Unfortunately, as is so common with cold cases, the flow of information in Danielle and Richards disappearance has dwindled to a trickle. At the time of their 2005 disappearance, Richard Petrone, 35, was living in Pennsylvania and working at his parents' bakery. 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. 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. Sitting across from Imbo, I find myself wishing that hed suddenly sprout horns, or a halo, and clear the picture. The piece relates the known facts of the case and gives a physical description of Danielle: She is described as a fair-skinned white woman, about 5 foot 5 and 120 pounds, with hazel eyes and brown hair. At about 11:45 pm, Imboand Petroneleft Abilene's. Shed begun dating Richard during a long separation from her husband a separation she was intending to punctuate with a divorce. Is that how it went down? Nine vehicles were pulled out of the river yesterday, police said. What if Richard slipped up while parking or made a mistake? The next morning members of both families were making phone calls, looking for Danielle and Richard. Philly Couple Who Disappeared In 2005 Latest Case For Famous Rescue Group. Daily Voice, 24 March 2022, https://dailyvoice.com/pennsylvania/bucks/news/philly-couple-who-disappeared-in-2005-latest-case-for-famous-rescue-group/828538/. Thetwo were family friends who had dated as teenagers before they began an on-again, off-again relationship as adults. My experience in a cold climate tells me Richard and Danielle were likely hand-in-hand, or perhaps arm-in-arm on a slippery sidewalk, as they hurried toward the truck. In June, Danielles brother John expressed frustration at a lack of clues. He preferred his Crown Royal straight, his beer Yuengling, and his clothes casual sweatpants and t-shirts. She'd begun dating Richard during a long separation from her husband a separation she was intending to. Joe Imbo has dealt with a lot of pressure in the past nine years. Richard Petrone was described as 59 and about 150 pounds. We can only speculate. Its not hard to imagine South Street in February of 2005. She was the daughter of John Ottobre, a Philly lounge singer who went by Johnny October and gained national fame in the 50s doo-wop group The Four Dates. They have not been seen nor heard from since this last sighting. "He said "I got, like . Danielle and Richard met with friends and watched a live band, then said their goodbyes at about 11:45 PM. 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. Joe reportedly had a rock-solid alibi for the night of the disappearance. But people who knew him say he was more of a bruiser, lumping enemies up rather than killing them. But Ottobre was already driving toward the city. 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. South Street is a single-lane one-way street with a parking lane on each side, bordered closely with business storefronts. 856-234-1414, Philadelphia Police Department
Danielle Imbo, 34, worked from home for a mortgage company andwas the lead singer ofa New Jersey rock band. Richard said he understood; hed raised a daughter on his own. People who got hammered and had a lost weekend at a club. Couple's disappearance leaves families in turmoil. Philadelphia Daily News, 05 03 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102488322/couples-disappearance-leaves-families-i/. There may be a NASCAR sticker in the rear window. Thats a theory that has been recently investigated more thoroughly, but well get to that later. But she put the invitation to Danielle. Likewise, Richards family was worried. She was wearing a jacket, cream colored sweater, blue jeans and carrying a black purse. Now, lets be honest. Danielle was last seen traveling with Richard Petrone in his vehicle, a 2001 black Dodge pickup truck bearing PA registration #YFH2319 on February 19, 2005. Danielles family believed the bad blood between the Petrones and Joe Imbo was counterproductive. The sun set hours ago. A murder-for-hire scenario also remains in play. They get on the phone with old friends from time to time. But the different outlooks between the two families the Ottobres pressing hope, the Petrones, acceptance confused the girl, and tensions arose. When his son lived upstairs, he would hear slow footsteps before Richard Jr. came down to start his own workday. Ottobre stopped paying attention to the psychics. She wasnt all that serious about him, but he treated her well. The case, as a disappearance, had been handled by Philadelphia South Detectives, but was now due to be transferred to the homicide unit. Her husband proved less enamored of their new life. Shed started dating another man, Richard Petrone. 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. The community was engaged but there were no leads to be found. Imbo at the time was in the process of separating from her husband, who according to reports is not considered a person of interest. And if so, who and why? Now I know what real love is, she told friends. Janel Miller 3/23/2022 ALONG THE DELAWARE RIVER A search and recovery team based in Oregon has joined the search for Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone, the Mount Laurel Township woman and. If youre an amateur sleuth like me, you immediately wanna pull up Google Earth and plot the location of the truck on South Street, the path Danielle and Richard walked from Abilene to get to the truck, the driving route they would take to get to Danielles Mt. Every detective, every agent, has their case, the one that haunts them, he says. They hadnt spoken since she broke things off, blowing right through Valentines Day without even a text message. Did the transfer take place on someone elses property? Petrone's vehicle, a 2001 black over silver Dodge Dakota pickup truck with Pennsylvania license plates YFH 2319, is also missing. Disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Danielle_Imbo_and_Richard_Petrone_Jr. There was no doubt that there had been some tension between Joe Imbo and Richard Petrone, though. At present, total reward money is well over six figures for information that leads to Danielle and Richard Petrone or the person or persons responsible for their disappearance. 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. Everyones gut says pretty much the same thing. He says Roselli once told him, I dont think you did this. Tipsters can remain anonymous. By Tuesday, he, too, was sure his son was dead. That is our setting, because thats where Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone disappeared. He realizes now that performing was a big part of her. Before long, they told Richards daughter, Angela, that her father wasnt coming home. With the decision to investigate the case as a potential murder-for-hire came a change of scenery. And while talking about Richard and Danielle seems to cast a great weight on their families, Imbo, as we wrap up our conversation, looks lighter. He learned how to dress a little girl. Imbo was employed as a loan processor for a mortgage company at the time of her disappearance, working out of her home. The two clicked instantly. You may have been wondering earlier, where was Danielles son while she was out Saturday night? A desperate search for answers. Philadelphia Daily News, 06 06 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102529560/a-desperate-search-for-answers/.
Great Lakes Logging Magazine,
Hot Water Bottle Stuck Together Inside,
Is Milkfish Good For Kidney Disease,
Articles D