If I was them, I wouldnt want to be around me either.. 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. They were last seen walking on South Street toward Petrone's parked vehicle, a 2001 Dodge pick-up truck. DANIELLE IMBO. FBI.gov, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/danielle-imbo. I dont blame people for not wanting to be around us, says Marge. But Ottobre was already driving toward the city. Although several theories have been proposed,the case remains cold, and thefamilies are still searching for closure. So, if it is, how did they do it? Its one of my biggest fears that hes gonna resent me, he told me, drooping forward like a dying flower at the thought that he might one day find his sons judgment placed on him. 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. It was a normal kind of night, Valentino said. There may be a NASCAR sticker in the rear window. I wish I could say someone saw them walk to Richards truck and get in it and drive away, but we cant even say that. Laurel home looking for her. 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. This case is both interesting and unusual becausepolice have found almost no evidence of what happened to them. Laurel Woman, 34, missing since Feb. 19. Camden Courier-Post, 26 02 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102465632/. 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. Danielle, five-foot-five, trim and pretty, looked like the real thing. After host Andy Cohen mentioned a Deux Moi report that claimed a . 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. Every detective, every agent, has their case, the one that haunts them, he says. Place of accident. They kissed. Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. Did someone follow him in another vehicle? 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. That night, Ottobre and Petrone's father, Richard Petrone Sr., begansearching for the missing couple and combed the streets of Philadelphia until the next morning. Is this a potential place to dump vehicles or a dumping ground in general? It's like you're in this awful dream, and you're caught in quicksand.". A police dredging operation rumored to be related. New Details Emerge In South Jersey Missing Persons Case. Patch, 23 March 2022, https://patch.com/new-jersey/moorestown/new-details-danielle-imbo-richard-petrone-jr-case. Their mysterious vanishing has become one of the most intriguing missing person cases in recent history. Then he drives on to the bakery and registers the silence. The case, as a disappearance, had been handled by Philadelphia South Detectives, but was now due to be transferred to the homicide unit. [6][7], Imbo, Petrone, and their vehicle were not seen again after the night of February 19, 2005. Did the transfer take place on someone elses property? None of these efforts produced any leads. 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. Their disappearances are being investigated as a double homicide, possibly a murder-for-hire. If we can find the truck, well find Richard and Danielle. He doesnt cry like the Petrones passionately and unstoppably. Richard and Danielles relationship always bore this extra wrinkle: Danielle was his sisters best friend, dating back to high school. The murder-for-hire scenario, he admits, was only one possibility among many. Thirty-four year old Danielle Imbo was going through a divorce and raising her eighteen month old son. 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. With no arrests and no one officially declared a suspect, friends and family on both sides began to speculate. 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. tipton, iowa obituaries. But the truth is, we dont know what happened.. The two clicked instantly. A desperate search for answers. Philadelphia Daily News, 06 06 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102529560/a-desperate-search-for-answers/. [4][8], Since 2008, the FBI has been investigating the disappearance as a possible murder for hire, but has not named any suspects. Listen to the FBI: Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to call the Citizens Crime Commission tip line at 215-546-TIPS (215-546-8477). Even four months later, at a concert to benefit Danielles son, John told reporters the family still hoped she would turn up alive. Danielle and Richard both had children from previous relationships. Whats really important to me is to know what happened.. A few weeks earlier, Danielle Imbo had ended their on-again, off-again relationship. Their case was featured on the podcast Crime Junkie on May 11, 2020. Cmon, he told me over the phone before I arrived, its been nine years. From every perspective. I learn this from John Ottobre, who finds talking about his sisters disappearance so painful that he often neglects to return my calls. I am a bitter, bitter man, he says. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) 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. Ottobre stopped paying attention to the psychics. 856-225-5470. But inside, he hurt. Just a few miles away, in Cherry Hill, the Petrones had gone a different kind of crazy. 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. Friends and volunteers canvassed neighborhoods for 100 miles in every direction, distributing pictures of Petrone's truck. The feds, he says, put out that release to shake the tree. They got nothing. In a city like Philly, people go missing all the time, for all kinds of reasons. The killer or killers might have been watching as Danielle and Richard approached the truck. 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 -. Through her best friend, Christine, she reconnected w. Police usually wait 48 hours to begin amissing person search, but the families started immediately. If Richards truck was parked down the block a distance, however, there were dark places, in front of temporarily vacant storefronts, where a potential attacker could approach the couple out of the dark and stick a gun in their ribs just as they opened the door to Richards truck. And he seems to understand the predicament he faces: Danielle and Richard came together that night by chance, and a motive could be attributed to him for the disappearance of either. 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/. What if Richard and Danielle decided to go park down on the piers and make out a bit? They had drinks with friends at the establishment before leaving between 11:30 and 11:45 p.m.; they stated they were going to Imbo's home in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. She wouldnt have missed that, John says now. Richard Petrones best friend, Rick Bellezzi, would tell a reporter They left the club happy at about 11:45.. In Philly, they give it a while, to see how it shakes out. By early-March, a reward fund had already grown to $12,000 for information on the whereabouts of Danielle and Richard. "We haven't found anything to indicate foul play, but all of our options remain open," said Capt. Angela now works in the bakery. To most anyone watching, they were just another couple, out on a Saturday night at Abilenes on South Street, drinking a few beers and watching a band. With the decision to investigate the case as a potential murder-for-hire came a change of scenery. 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. "You have to know how to get rid of two bodies and a truck quickly, and it would be hard for one person to do that.. Hangin with cops at the time of the disappearance? 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. Less-than-perfect families are sometimes shamed by investigators or regarded with skepticism in a way that causes them to stop communicating helpfully. A grand jury convened at least 6 years ago, interviewing people close to Joe, but took no action. Christian Zajac, the FBI agent in charge, said, "We feel this was an orchestrated act. Summer House's Danielle Olivera Confirms Mya's Ex-Boyfriend Oliver Cheated as Mya Talks "Red Flags" and Accuses Him of "Faking It". 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. They carried pictures of Petrones black Dodge Dakota truck, knew its license plate YFH-2319 and the image of its NASCAR decal by heart. Laurel, New Jersey, and was separated from her husband at the time of her disappearance. Imbo had a 2-year-old son and Petrone had a teenage daughter. 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. It could also be a car accident that ended in the same way, at the bottom of the river, with Richard and Danielle trapped inside. Everyone loves their sister, he says, but we went out together on Saturday nights, and she was close with my wife.. Not to mention, a killer who dumps and burns a truck in the wilderness has to get back to town somehow. The couple, who had known each other since High School, had only recently started dating after Danielle's split with her estranged Husband. Richard said hed drive Danielle home to Mount Laurel before returning to his place in South Philly. Police seek help finding couple last seen at bar. Philadelphia Inquirer, 03 03 2022, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102466236/police-seek-help-finding-couple-last-see/. At that point, he says, I was hoping theyd been arrested or in some kind of accident, but somehow theyd come back to us. But wait, this was a murder-for-hire, right? They were still hoping for the best. Accessed 24 May 2022. That there was foul play. He also believes multiple people know. Three to five remained in the murky water after the search was stalled by bad weather, but police said none was known to be a Dodge Dakota. That such a complicated future awaits an innocent 10-year-old boy seems particularly cruel. Its not hard to imagine South Street in February of 2005. And when she sang Me and Bobby McGee, all that smoke erupted; she could slay any room with her Janis Joplin wail. But she put the invitation to Danielle. She was wearing a jacket, cream colored sweater, blue jeans and carrying a black purse. 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. Not a fingerprint or a hair, not a sighting on a. But there is no magic here. 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. Nobody could imagine a scenario in which they would abandon their kids willingly. Imbo, age 34, was a resident of Mt. Their moms enjoyed a friendship of their own. 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. By Tuesday, he, too, was sure his son was dead. 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. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Anthony Valentino and his wife Michelle McLaughlin were the last people to see Danielle and Richard. The disappearance of Danielle and Richard will be a case 20-years cold soon and I think this is a good place to ruminate on unresolved cases like this. Were in so much pain, she says, that we could kill ourselves tomorrow. With no bodies to bury and no agreed-upon story to frame and help them understand their loss, they can only stare into empty space, sentenced to always wonder what happened. "He said "I got, like . 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. They were looking for vehicles, they just didnt want people to think they were looking for Richard and Danielle specifically. He reportedly didnt date much until he reconnected with Danielle. I have a conscience. The best detectives will tell you, they consider all options. He confirms that a grand jury convened at least five years ago, interviewing people close to him, but took no action. I know this might sound strange, he says, but justice isnt the important thing to me. He still saw her several days a week, still served as her chief chauffeur. John immediately called Mount Laurel detective Ed Pincus, who was still working on the case. Founder Jared Leisek explains a search of one an area in the Delaware River, where a witness reported a broken gate at a launch ramp two days after the couple went missing: So, these are like the old piers that are down here. Joe Imbo, on the surface, seemed to be saying the right things, though. In the spring of 2022, a privately-funded dive research team from Oregon, Adventures with Purpose, announced they were taking an interest in the case and they were riding high with a surprising success rate considering the cold case nature of the disappearances theyd recently investigated. 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? Both the families and investigators now believe that Imbo and Petrone are deceased. A lot of time had passed but the police were finally making a good show of it. The FBI has questioned Imbo's estranged husband, Joe Imbo, many times. What access did you have? Petrone's friends, Anthony Valentino and his wifeMichelle McLaughlin, joined Imbo and Petrone at the restaurant. Richard and Danielle six months before they vanished. 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. Hundreds of cars and trucks were parked up and down the street. 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. 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. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Richard Petrone Sr. considered the admission from the FBI a small victory. At that point I didnt think there had been any type of foul play I was just trying to cover up for her, he said. Imbo, age 34, was a resident of Mt. You cant imagine outliving your child.. His hair was once coal-black, but hes 42 now, and big patches of gray sprout at the sides of his head. You know, he says, theres only one person in the world that knows I didnt do it, and its me.. It could be a case of a willful disappearance on the part of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone. At dawn, they returned home, exhausted. Thats what the FBI said, and it was a bombshell. They were even overheard making plans for the next day. [9][10][7], In 2021, the disappearance continued to be investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Mount Laurel Police Department, and the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, with the FBI reporting that "an extensive investigation to date has generated some promising leads; however, neither they nor the vehicle have ever been located. Then there was this weird bit at the end. But Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone didnt fit the profile. Likewise, Richards family was worried. 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. Both were single parents - Richard's daughter was 14 at the time, and Danielle's son was oneyear old. Their relationship was going well when Danielle's ex-husband began attempting to rekindle their romance. 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. We used to be fun, and now were always sad. It didnt appear to him that she had been home the previous night. Like maybe it was even up to me to find my sister., The family received lots of calls from psychics. FBI Seeks Information on Disappearance, 15 Years Ago Today, of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone, Jr. FBI. FBI, 19 February 2020, https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/philadelphia/news/press-releases/fbi-seeks-information-on-disappearance-15-years-ago-today-of-danielle-imbo-and-richard-petrone-jr. Accessed 24 May 2022. Accessed 24 May 2022. [1] Petrone, age 35, resided in Philadelphia and worked at his family's bakery. Kimberly Riley & Jeremy Britt-Bayinthavong, Paul Skiba, Sarah Skiba, and Lorenzo Chivers, June & Jennifer Gibbons (The Silent Twins). A single dad, he moved from Jersey to North and then South Carolina, and also from car to condo sales. "He said "I got, like . Accessed 24 May 2022. 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. But what will stay with me is something he said about his son. He walked into a dealership and saw a pretty girl sleek, sporting a bob haircut that accented her high cheekbones and deep dimples from the financial department. Marge and Richard Petrone Sr. have, at times, thrown what some would call thinly-veiled shade at Danielle and the Ottobres. Using maps and accounts of the missing persons last-known whereabouts, their home, and their destination, founder Jared Leisek has been able to locate a surprising number of vehicles (many times with remains still in them) in which the missing simply, for unknown reasons, drove their vehicle into a body of water. 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. So when Danielle disappeared, I felt like I was the man of the family, the younger Ottobre says. She lived on Dunbarton Road in Mount Laurel in southern New Jersey in 2005; Petrone lived in South Philadelphia. Well have to do the best we can with what we have, to answer one question. Now I know what real love is, she told friends. 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. In 2008, the FBI announced that the case was being treated as murder-for-hire. Everyones gut says pretty much the same thing. Oct 10, 2014 - On the night of February 19, 2005, Danielle Imbo, 34, and Richard Petrone, 35, vanished. I cant help but feel the answer is the truck. Just days before he vanished, Petrone told his father he had angry words with Joe Imbo over the phone. Then, a couple of weeks later, shortly after Valentines Day, she received that impromptu invitation from Richard: Come out for a drink? Imbo at the time was in the process of separating from her husband, who according to reports is not considered a person of interest. Danielle (Ottobre) Imbo and Richard A. Petrone Jr. are an American couple who disappeared together on February 19, 2005, after visiting a bar on Philadelphia's South Street. In fact, some 20 minutes after we part, he will call me. Sometimes a family witness might be less-than-forthcoming with information in a criminal case due to a feeling of shame. 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. No way.. Imbo's family first noticed something was amiss when Imbo failed to show up for a hair appointment on Sunday morning at 11 am. Marge Petrone has said if it was murder-for-hire, she does not believe Richard was the target of the hit. Worried, he rushed over and looked around her condo. But Richard suddenly found himself with vast amounts of free time. The pair crossed and recrossed the Walt Whitman, Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross bridges. 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. Richard Jr. had just scored Springsteen tickets and was going to take his dad. That was the last time I saw them.. The couple knew each other in high school and began dating ten months before their disappearances after they separated from their respective partners. Through chance or planning, a criminal pulls off a crime with no witnesses and no evidence. She lives her entire day with a sick feeling in her stomach, like something is wrong. Hed been planning to watch the Daytona 500 at home with friends but nobody had heard from him. "Not a lipstick, not a bag, not a shoe, not a car, not an eyewitness, not a tip," said Imbo's brother, John Ottobre. Through her best friend, Christine, she reconnected with her high school crush, Christine's older brother, thirty-five year old, single father Richard Petrone. But he told his parents how he felt. Witnesses stated that the couple left the bar at about 11:45p.m. en route to Imbo's New Jersey home. We're looking very closely at a murder-for-hire scenario," said FBI spokeswoman Jerri Williams. Place of suicides. Danielles 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. He appears worn down the dark good looks he bore when he met Danielle beginning to whiten and wrinkle. But then I wouldnt know what happened to my son. The case remains unsolved. She and Richard Sr. had long-since grieved their son. No clues. Richard Sr., in the passenger seat, peered out into the dark, searching for his sons truck. I ask him: The affair with the girl he met on the plane to New Orleans? 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. 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. So, maybe this case is cold because the police have been investigating murder-for-hire since 2008 and overlooking other explanations. Youre just not good at your job. Also, he didnt need to incur a capital murder charge when drug dealing provided so much of what he dearly wanted: money. At about 11:45 pm, Imboand Petroneleft Abilene's. Imagine its cold. The easiest way to hide a vehicle with the lowest effort is a body of water. But two people who read the note told me that rumor is false.
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