They carried pictures of Petrones black Dodge Dakota truck, knew its license plate YFH-2319 and the image of its NASCAR decal by heart. Accessed 24 May 2022. "We haven't found anything to indicate foul play, but all of our options remain open," said Capt. Nothing. No evidence. Danielle has a tattoo on her lower back of "flowers." 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. Richard and Danielle six months before they vanished. Police usually wait 48 hours to begin amissing person search, but the families started immediately. Witnesses stated that the couple left the bar at about 11:45p.m. en route to Imbo's New Jersey home. Their disappearances are being investigated as a double homicide, possibly a murder-for-hire. Searching for Richard Petrone, Jr. and Danielle Imbo, South Philadelphia Police Department
At 23, he had a daughter out of wedlock, raising her in an apartment above his parents pastry shop. 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. Danielle Imbo, 34, worked from home for a mortgage company andwas the lead singer ofa New Jersey rock band. 215-686-3013, Mount Laurel Township Police Department
At the time, Danielle was married to her husband JoeImbo, but they were estranged, and Danielle was in the process of separating from him. She had a son when she vanished, who is now eleven. Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. Richard Petrone was described as 59 and about 150 pounds. Petrone's vehicle is also missing: it's a black and silver four-door 2001 Dodge Dakota or Dodge Ram pickup truck with the Pennsylvania license plate number YFH2319 and possibly a NASCAR #99 sticker in the rear window. I know this might sound strange, he says, but justice isnt the important thing to me. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. 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. Petrone and Imbo's estranged husband had allegedly exchanged threats with one another over the telephone and Imbo had made multiple failed attempts to reconcile with her husband, who was involved with another woman. And he worked alongside his father at Viking Pastries in Ardmore, attending culinary school to learn how to build towering wedding cakes. A single dad, he moved from Jersey to North and then South Carolina, and also from car to condo sales. Still no leads in couple's mysterious disappearance 5 yrs ago. Philadelphia Daily News, 19 02 2010, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102534940/still-no-leads-in-couples-mysterious-di/. 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. DANIELLE IMBO. FBI.gov, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/danielle-imbo. Joe Imbo has never been declared a suspect in the case. If theres any hope of finding answers in a case like this, we have to narrow the scope of the investigation. Imbo took a lie-detector test, but Roselli won't discuss the results. The website for the Federal Bureau of Investigation holds listings for Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr under the heading Kidnappings/Missing Persons. The listing reads simply: Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone were last seen leaving a bar/restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the late evening hours of February 19, 2005. They were rivals. That said, Roselli hasnt closed the book on Careys involvement, positing a scenario of some sort of beat-down that escalated into a double homicide, or a robbery gone haywire. According to Petrone Sr., his son told him prior to his disappearance that he received several threatening phone calls from Joe. But the gulf left by Richards passing sits between them and the rest of the world, enormous and untraversable. You know and theyre labeled now as private property, no trespassing, they have some, you know, fencing up there. Other family members showed up, and then, just as expected, Joe Imbo showed up to return their son to Danielle. Like, maybe an accidental trip to the bottom of the Delaware River. And I catch myself not only trying to observe Imbo, but to look through him. "[11], In March 22, 2022, a private search and recovery dive team, Adventures with Purpose, announced they were actively working on the case. If anything, I can turn to the family and say You know what? Because it was nice to remember the good times.. Statistics show, for the year 2013, fifteen times as many women were murdered by a male they knew than were killed by male strangers. The next morning members of both families were making phone calls, looking for Danielle and Richard. She wasnt all that serious about him, but he treated her well. No bloodstains. By early-March, a reward fund had already grown to $12,000 for information on the whereabouts of Danielle and Richard. When asked if their son could still be alive somewhere, Marge waved a hand. There was no doubt that there had been some tension between Joe Imbo and Richard Petrone, though. They sat close, smiling and laughing. It was not a willful disappearance. 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. "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. Youre just not good at your job. Based on everything Ive read, no. When asked for comment, the authorities said they dont comment on lie detector tests but that nobody had been cleared in the investigation. 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. Thats a theory that has been recently investigated more thoroughly, but well get to that later. The restaurant is popular among locals, who have jammed the walls with pictures of their dogs. They were still hoping for the best. 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. What is known about Joe Imbo, who was Danielle's estranged husband at the time (22:20). He has told little Joe that his mother disappeared. Is it? Angela now works in the bakery. Imbo's family first noticed something was amiss when Imbo failed to show up for a hair appointment on Sunday morning at 11 am. Danielle, five-foot-five, trim and pretty, looked like the real thing. Their case was featured on the podcast Crime Junkie on May 11, 2020. The two, family friends. What it was like to speak to John Ottobre, Danielle's brother (29:30). Or both. It felt like something was about to happen, but nothing did. The two clicked instantly. And thats why were out here scanning and searching each one of these, to make sure that we clear the entire area, to make sure theres no vehicles underwater that we need to clear. Danielles brother, John Ottobre, had a key to Danielles house. She and Richard Sr. had long-since grieved their son. 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. It is clear that this is a murder, right? Daniel And if so, who and why? Once, the footsteps came very fast, almost tumbling down the stairs. However, one of the least-appreciated and often overlooked reasons a case goes cold is simply perspective. Photographs of the truck and license plate are posted with this case summary. Somewhere in the city of brotherly love there had been a dark conspiracy. So when Danielle disappeared, I felt like I was the man of the family, the younger Ottobre says. Youve got to stop this, Pincus warned him. Their case was episode 11 of season 8 of the TV show Disappeared with the episode named "A Bridge Too Far". 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. She smoked a pack of Marlboro Lights a day. Accessed 24 May 2022. Petrone's friends, Anthony Valentino and his wifeMichelle McLaughlin, joined Imbo and Petrone at the restaurant. Paraphrasing Occams Razor, all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be true. 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. 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 -. Joe called Richard at his parents bakery, where he worked, warning him to stay away from his wife. Kimberly Riley & Jeremy Britt-Bayinthavong, Paul Skiba, Sarah Skiba, and Lorenzo Chivers, June & Jennifer Gibbons (The Silent Twins). Do you have information that could bring resolution to this case? Imbo had a 2-year-old son and Petrone had a teenage daughter. In the summer of 2005, cracks first appeared in the relationship between the families, with the Petrone family particularly suspicious of Joe Imbo. That means everybody, even people who saw something or heard something unusual but didn't understand how important it was. My murder meter swings proportionally with a situations resemblance to an episode of Jerry Springer. 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. [1] Petrone, age 35, resided in Philadelphia and worked at his family's bakery. Or the person who committed the crime died shortly thereafter and left nobody behind who knew the truth. They dont make the papers every day. Pincus, fearing a second tragedy, ordered a search. Richard said hed drive Danielle home to Mount Laurel before returning to his place in South Philly. And thats what keeps me going now. A police dredging operation rumored to be related. "They vanished," John Ottobre [told the Philadelphia Daily News.] 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. FBI Agent Vito Roselli has worked the case since day one, and he told ABC 7 in an interview Im confident that it was a murder. There are a million Hollywood reasons like that. I know I must have looked really stupid, he says now. Petrone's black Dodge Dakota pickup truck, the vehicle he was driving that night, also has never been found. Details: Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone were last seen leaving a. The Petrones, [Danielles] family and one dogged FBI special agent continue to hope for a break, something that can lift the fog and let them ultimately know where the road took the two. ABC 6 said Joe Imbo, the estranged husband, shared angry words with Petrone over the phone only days prior to his disappearance. Shes my sister, he says. I also have not ruled him out.. When his son lived upstairs, he would hear slow footsteps before Richard Jr. came down to start his own workday. If that person has the piece of information that would break the case but never shares it, shame wins, and the case goes cold. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Richard Petrone Sr. considered the admission from the FBI a small victory. The feds, he says, put out that release to shake the tree. They got nothing. It was, perhaps, a lost opportunity for the family to, at the very least, get a gauge for Joe Imbos body language. That theyd be all right.. Cold case. So, maybe this case is cold because the police have been investigating murder-for-hire since 2008 and overlooking other explanations. The details offered by the Philadelphia Daily News, however, were not good. 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). From every perspective. The evening went fine, and friends watched the couple walk towards Richard's truck. He didnt know why Danielle wasnt there, but he didnt want to give her soon-to-be ex-husband anything he could later use against her. He says Roselli once told him, I dont think you did this. [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. 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. I want to thank you, he will say. Since she was separated, though, and seeking a divorce, he took his shot. Danielle and Richards names appeared in the local print media a little less frequently as time went by, but even when it did, you and I both know it didnt amount to much, because Richard and Danielle are still missing. Accessed 24 May 2022. Imbo at the time was in the process of separating from her husband, who according to reports is not considered a person of interest. He went in and found the place dark, still and undisturbed. 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. "You feel like you're trapped," [said] Petrone's father, Richard. Investigators monitored the couples bank accounts, credit cards and cell phones, looked for evidence that either had a secret life. Two years after that, their son, little Joe, grounded her. 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. Rodesky was convicted of murdering two men in the course of separate robberies, and Roselli marshaled federal resources to search his house, dig up his basement, even pore through his septic tank. Danielle Imbo loved Chinese food, her moms meatballs, and a particular Wawa coffee she called Christmas in a cup. She loved one pair of pajamas in her favorite color, baby blue, covered in penguins. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) Many people have been suspicious of Danielle's soon-to-be ex-husband Joe Imbo but he appeared to have a solid alibi. . With the decision to investigate the case as a potential murder-for-hire came a change of scenery. It could be a murder/suicide. Accessed 24 May 2022. 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. What is known about Anthony Rodesky, a convicted murderer who has not been ruled out in this case (24:50). Joe reportedly had a rock-solid alibi for the night of the disappearance. 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. Nine vehicles were pulled out of the river yesterday, police said. Their moms enjoyed a friendship of their own. 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. Petrone was going to drive Imbo to her condo in Mount Laurel, NJ, and then return to his own home. Richard Sr., in the passenger seat, peered out into the dark, searching for his sons truck. The community was engaged but there were no leads to be found. In February 2005, Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone walked out of a South Street bar and disappeared. A few weeks earlier, Danielle Imbo had ended their on-again, off-again relationship. He sees numerous possible culprits, motives and scenarios. If I was them, I wouldnt want to be around me either.. Cmon, he told me over the phone before I arrived, its been nine years. Original music created by Micheal Whelan through Amper Music, Theme music created and composed by Ailsa Traves. 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. Joe Imbo has dealt with a lot of pressure in the past nine years. I am a bitter, bitter man, he says. All of those things considered, the million dollar question then becomes is it foul play? But she put the invitation to Danielle. His reminiscences of Danielle are tender, but his affect is flat. Today, John Ottobre refuses to guess at a culprit, in hopes the families might reconcile. 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. 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. Five years ago, at the relatively young age of 37, he suffered a heart attack. RICHARD PETRONE. FBI.gov, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/richard-petrone. This is how murder and disappearances destroy families. At one point, Ottobre even paid a Camden police officer $1,200 to take him up in a helicopter and try to locate the truck. Thirty-four year old Danielle Imbo was going through a divorce and raising her eighteen month old son. Maybe theres a totally different explanation for the disappearance; an alternate chain of events that we havent even considered. Were in so much pain, she says, that we could kill ourselves tomorrow. Worried, he rushed over and looked around her condo. Richard said he understood; hed raised a daughter on his own. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In Philly, they give it a while, to see how it shakes out. Their relationship was going well when Danielle's ex-husband began attempting to rekindle their romance. Is it just me or is that alibi almost too perfect? But inside, he hurt. 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. At dawn, they returned home, exhausted. Their relationship was going well when Danielle's ex-husband began attempting to rekindle their romance . 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. 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. But tonight, on February 19, 2005, he had been alone, eating in a South Philly bar and working his cell phone, searching for someone to meet up with for a drink. When a song his son loved floods the vehicle, his loss arrives with every line. "I don't have evidence to arrest Joe" is all he says. Laurel home looking for her. His memories of Richard arent quite so gauzy. You always feel it. Thats what the investigation is like. In fact, some 20 minutes after we part, he will call me. If we can find the truck, well find Richard and Danielle. But Ottobre was already driving toward the city. He preferred his Crown Royal straight, his beer Yuengling, and his clothes casual sweatpants and t-shirts. The statement reiterated the facts of the case, then mentioned a reward. He still saw her several days a week, still served as her chief chauffeur. Danielle Imbo, Self: Vanished with Beth Holloway. It could be a case of a willful disappearance on the part of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone. 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. He learned how to dress a little girl. With no answers, you can imagine their families were tortured. Marge Petrone had actually been on record since 2005, about 6 months after the disappearance, that she believed Richard was dead. 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? gold label distribution bud man. They started dating almost immediately, and married a couple of years later, in 2002. Like Richards father, he still speeds up to get a closer view of any black truck. Until police arrest someone else, he will likely always face suspicion. Imbo took a lie-detector test, but Roselli wont discuss the results. Last updated February 14, 2008; details of disappearance updated. In a disappearance like Danielle and Richards, we have nothing. Accessed 24 May 2022. Whats really important to me is to know what happened.. I dont think Ill stop till shes found., The police have warned him: Danielle and Richard may have been incinerated, or left inside Petrones truck and run through a compactor. Sure, there are other ways to dispose of a vehicle. Hed been planning to watch the Daytona 500 at home with friends but nobody had heard from him. [4][8], Since 2008, the FBI has been investigating the disappearance as a possible murder for hire, but has not named any suspects. Hangin with cops at the time of the disappearance? Before long, they told Richards daughter, Angela, that her father wasnt coming home. dr patel plastic surgeon oak brook. What access did you have? Imbo was employed as a loan processor for a mortgage company at the time of her disappearance, working out of her home. 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. By early 2005, shed told both Joe and Richard that she wasnt interested in seeing either of them anymore. Not even the best-funded investigation can run down every thread of every possibility. Even four months later, at a concert to benefit Danielles son, John told reporters the family still hoped she would turn up alive. Joe kept pressing, into the winter of 2005, when he came over; they argued. Neither of them have been heard from again. 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. That such a complicated future awaits an innocent 10-year-old boy seems particularly cruel. Later, the two moved their festivities to the bar and restaurant where they were last seen. 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. He orders egg whites. He had been socializing at a gathering with family and friends who also happened to be law enforcement. Danielles family believed the bad blood between the Petrones and Joe Imbo was counterproductive. In the case of Danielle and Richard, their names didnt show up in the local media for about a week. At the time, Danielle was married to her husband Joe Imbo, but they were estranged, and Danielle was in the process of separating from him. Ottobre drove to the scene, and as the police scoured the train, moving from car to car, he felt flush first with the adrenaline of the moment, then with embarrassment. But several days later, he pulled a gray hoodie on against sub-freezing temperatures, walked the two blocks from his apartment to the South Philly Tap Room, and ate dinner alone. Anyone might wonder if, in time, those questions will grow pointed. Afterward, John Ottobre changed Danielles locks and held a sit-down with Joe. Then he called his sister, who was with Danielle. But the FBI agent never followed through. Is this a potential place to dump vehicles or a dumping ground in general? 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. He readily acknowledges that people looked at him like a monster in the wake of his wifes disappearance. 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. Today would be [Richard] Petrone's 36th birthday, according to a family website. Christine said no. Accessed 24 May 2022. Joe Imbo, on the surface, seemed to be saying the right things, though. When Danielle got pregnant, she had put her own music dreams to rest and left her position as the lead singer for a pop rock band called the Schoolboys. 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. Couple's disappearance leaves families in turmoil. Philadelphia Daily News, 05 03 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102488322/couples-disappearance-leaves-families-i/. I learn this from John Ottobre, who finds talking about his sisters disappearance so painful that he often neglects to return my calls. Leisek has vowed to continue searching, and well just have to eagerly await developments. So, if it is, how did they do it? Did the transfer take place on someone elses property? Danielle Olivera appeared on Monday night's episode of Watch What Happens Live, where she confirmed Oliver Gray cheated on Mya Allen. But people who knew him say he was more of a bruiser, lumping enemies up rather than killing them. Danielles brother, also John Ottobre, named after their father, arrived at her Mt. Laurel Woman, 34, missing since Feb. 19. Camden Courier-Post, 26 02 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102465632/. John immediately called Mount Laurel detective Ed Pincus, who was still working on the case. After host Andy Cohen mentioned a Deux Moi report that claimed a . And so, on a night when the temperature was about 27 degrees and the crowd at 4th and South was probably a little thinner than usual, Danielle and Richard walked out of Abilenes toward Richards truck. A murder-for-hire scenario also remains in play. Both were single parents - Richard's daughter was 14 at the time, and Danielle's son was oneyear old. 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. He falls silent for a second, whispers, I apologize, reaches for a napkin to wipe away the single tear that escapes down his cheek. But in the end, they all found nothing no truck off the road, no hulking shadow flickering beneath the water. Really naive. Thetwo were family friends who had dated as teenagers before they began an on-again, off-again relationship as adults. Sometimes, his son asks random questions about her. The authorities have since come out and expressed suspicion of their own. 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. In 2015, the Philadelphia Daily News recognized the 10 year anniversary of the disappearance of Danielle and Richard with an interview of the Petrones, who still felt the weight of the mystery. They get on the phone with old friends from time to time. He appears worn down the dark good looks he bore when he met Danielle beginning to whiten and wrinkle. There are only a couple of ways to get rid of that truck. She'd begun dating Richard during a long separation from her husband a separation she was intending to. Is that how it went down? Through her best friend, Christine, she reconnected with her high school crush, Christine's older brother, thirty-five year old, single father Richard Petrone. [2] The couple had been involved in what family and friends describe as an "on again, off again" romantic relationship. And two hours later, the reunited couple looked happy together. The two were dating. The killer or killers might have been watching as Danielle and Richard approached the truck. Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania authorities are investigating their disappearances, which remain unsolved. The authorities have since come out and expressed suspicion of their own. Originally published in the April 2014 issue of Philadelphia magazine. Shed started dating another man, Richard Petrone. Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania authorities are investigating their disappearances, which remain unsolved. Here's everything we know about what happened to Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone. Accessed 24 May 2022. Their relationship was going well when Danielle's ex-husband began attempting to rekindle their romance. There are the obvious reasons, things weve seen before. Imbo also said he tried to win his estranged wife back. There may be a NASCAR sticker in the rear window. A grand jury convened at least 6 years ago, interviewing people close to Joe, but took no action. Im not a mastermind. 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. But it could be. He relates to Ottobres feeling of being stuck in the center of that big white circle of trackless snow. Accessed 24 May 2022. He detours through parking lots when he spots one from the road.