Neither the couple, nor the truck, were ever seen again spark Police in Philadelphia and New Jersey where the couple were apparently headed have launched an intense investigation, checking financial records, interviewing family, friends and neighbors, even searching the banks of the Delaware River by helicopter. 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. In the Careaga case, that suspects name is known. If we can find the truck, well find Richard and Danielle. Danielle, five-foot-five, trim and pretty, looked like the real thing. And I catch myself not only trying to observe Imbo, but to look through him. Then, a couple of weeks later, shortly after Valentines Day, she received that impromptu invitation from Richard: Come out for a drink? The couple, who had known each other since High School, had only recently started dating after Danielle's split with her estranged Husband. On the one hand, Danielle and Richard had a few drinks that night. But the different outlooks between the two families the Ottobres pressing hope, the Petrones, acceptance confused the girl, and tensions arose. 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. Less-than-perfect families are sometimes shamed by investigators or regarded with skepticism in a way that causes them to stop communicating helpfully. Ominously, the couple's cell phones had not been used in the last two weeks, and there had been no activity on their credit cards or in their bank accounts, the families said. She wanted time to focus on the transition from married woman to single mother. Joe Imbo moved to the Carolinas with the son he had with Danielle, Joe III, and to this day, he maintains his innocence and he has never been named an official suspect by the police. Their case was episode 11 of season 8 of the TV show Disappeared with the episode named "A Bridge Too Far". A police officer tried to prepare John: No one, he said, is ever going to find anything.. Joe reportedly had a rock-solid alibi for the night of the disappearance. Is it either of those things? 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. 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. When a song his son loved floods the vehicle, his loss arrives with every line. Richards camp pointed to Danielles estranged husband, Joe Imbo, and their rough divorce. Friends also swarmed into the picture. 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. But the gulf left by Richards passing sits between them and the rest of the world, enormous and untraversable. It was a normal kind of night, Valentino said. His life only shifted in 2004, when Angela, then 13 and developing a womans interests, decided she wanted to live with her mother. Also, he didnt need to incur a capital murder charge when drug dealing provided so much of what he dearly wanted: money. We're looking very closely at a murder-for-hire scenario," said FBI spokeswoman Jerri Williams. With no arrests and no one officially declared a suspect, friends and family on both sides began to speculate. 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. The FBI had last released information on the case in 2008 and there had been no movement. 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. 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. 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. Believe me, we looked, says Roselli, and we continue to look, but nothing has emerged that there was anything in his background that would suggest him as a target for murder.. "The caveat is that anything's possible in this, but pretty much from off the bat, you could rule out a crime of convenience," Roselli [said]. 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. Even four months later, at a concert to benefit Danielles son, John told reporters the family still hoped she would turn up alive. There are a million Hollywood reasons like that. Absolutely not., He says hes decided to talk to me for a couple of reasons. She could tear through three books in a week, especially murder mysteries. Imagine its cold. The Scope of the Problem: Intimate Partner Homicide Statistics. VAWnet.org, https://vawnet.org/sc/scope-problem-intimate-partner-homicide-statistics. With ten years gone, the team had been whittled down, but refused to give up, the story said. I feel 99.867 percent that they are not within this area.. He doesnt cry like the Petrones passionately and unstoppably. And then the next day she does it all over again. Really naive. "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.. "I don't have evidence to arrest Joe" is all he says. 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. Sure, there are other ways to dispose of a vehicle. Based on everything Ive read, no. 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. "Tips throughout time have indicated logically that this is not a kidnapping case. Missing Memories. Philadelphia Daily News, 10 02 2015, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102526697/missing-memories/. 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. 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. He learned how to dress a little girl. RICHARD PETRONE. FBI.gov, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/richard-petrone. You could dump the vehicle in the wilderness somewhere, pour gas all over it and set it on fire. The two clicked instantly. By Tuesday, he, too, was sure his son was dead. There was no sign of Danielle, Richard, or Richards truck. DANIELLE IMBO. FBI.gov, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/danielle-imbo. But there remain other leads. On the 15th anniversary, in 2020, the FBI again pleaded for information from the public: The FBI, Philadelphia Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Mount Laurel Police Department, and Burlington County Prosecutors Office are seeking the publics assistance as we continue to investigate the disappearance, 15 years ago today, of Danielle (Ottobre) Imbo and Richard Petrone, Jr. The relationship between them was fractured. Joseph O'Brien of the Philadelphia Police South Detective Division. 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. He still saw her several days a week, still served as her chief chauffeur. Cmon, he told me over the phone before I arrived, its been nine years. 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. Imbo had a 2-year-old son and Petrone had a teenage daughter. After Danielle disappeared, police informed her family that Joe had his wifes cell-phone passcode, and that hed listened to her voicemail. They were even overheard making plans for the next day. In Philly, they give it a while, to see how it shakes out. 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. The two clicked instantly. 215-686-3013, Camden County Sheriff's Office 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. 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. Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania authorities are investigating their disappearances, which remain unsolved. A murder-for-hire scenario also remains in play. Couple's disappearance leaves families in turmoil. Philadelphia Daily News, 05 03 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102488322/couples-disappearance-leaves-families-i/. The two clicked instantly. Before long, they told Richards daughter, Angela, that her father wasnt coming home. Hed been planning to watch the Daytona 500 at home with friends but nobody had heard from him. In June, Danielles brother John expressed frustration at a lack of clues. Petrone's black Dodge Dakota pickup truck, the vehicle he was driving that night, also has never been found. 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. What if Richard slipped up while parking or made a mistake? She wouldnt have missed that, John says now. It was brutally cold that night. But the bereaved confronted by a more conventional death, even a homicide, can mourn beside a grave, a crypt, an urn. 215-686-3013, Mount Laurel Township Police Department From every perspective. He reportedly didnt date much until he reconnected with Danielle. Their relationship was going well when Danielle's ex-husband began attempting to rekindle their romance. Imbo at the time was in the process of separating from her husband, who according to reports is not considered a person of interest. Their loved ones stated they would never have voluntarily abandoned their families, whom they were close to. Since their disappearance, there has been no activity on Imbo's or Petrone's cell phones or personal finances. tipton, iowa obituaries. Later, the two moved their festivities to the bar and restaurant where they were last seen. [3] [4] [5] From the inside out, with guilt and suspicion and shame and resentment. Imbo's family first noticed something was amiss when Imbo failed to show up for a hair appointment on Sunday morning at 11 am. 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. 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. Again, the killer is involving other people in the plot when there is a simpler way to accomplish his evil deeds. But it could be. We talk for close to two hours, enough time for the restaurant to get busy. Just a few miles away, in Cherry Hill, the Petrones had gone a different kind of crazy. Unfortunately, in this case, we cant do that because nobody has any idea where Richard was parked. It also doesnt escape my attention that if this is a murder-for-hire plot, Joe Imbos alibi does not exclude him from suspicion. If you call in the tip and it leads to a resolution, youre gonna get paid. Not a fingerprint or a hair, not a sighting on a. John answered Joe Imbo with a spontaneous white lie and said Danielle had just run to get something at the store and would be back soon. The statement reiterated the facts of the case, then mentioned a reward. Or the person who committed the crime died shortly thereafter and left nobody behind who knew the truth. Danielles brother, also John Ottobre, named after their father, arrived at her Mt. He went in and found the place dark, still and undisturbed. Neither of them have been heard from again. 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. That was the last time I saw them.. The authorities have since come out and expressed suspicion of their own. [4][8], Since 2008, the FBI has been investigating the disappearance as a possible murder for hire, but has not named any suspects. The feds, he says, put out that release to shake the tree. They got nothing. Thirty-four year old Danielle Imbo was going through a divorce and raising her eighteen month old son. Place of suicides. Through chance or planning, a criminal pulls off a crime with no witnesses and no evidence. "You feel like you're trapped," [said] Petrone's father, Richard. Christian Zajac, the FBI agent in charge, said, "We feel this was an orchestrated act. There are the obvious reasons, things weve seen before. Richards daughter, Angela, was 14, and Danielle had a son who was still a toddler. 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. After the Petrones reached out to him, Roselli consulted with Richard Walter, a renowned criminal profiler and member of the Vidocq Society, a group of retired criminal investigators who gather in private in Philadelphia once a month to review cold cases. But John Ottobre continues to hope, even if his hopes are the smallest. He falls silent for a second, whispers, I apologize, reaches for a napkin to wipe away the single tear that escapes down his cheek. You know and theyre labeled now as private property, no trespassing, they have some, you know, fencing up there. Want to come have a drink? Richard asked. [1] Petrone, age 35, resided in Philadelphia and worked at his family's bakery. But what will stay with me is something he said about his son. 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. Paraphrasing Occams Razor, all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be true. But Ottobre was already driving toward the city. The best detectives will tell you, they consider all options. Thats what the FBI said, and it was a bombshell. 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. 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. Joe kept pressing, into the winter of 2005, when he came over; they argued. Danielle Imbo, 34, of Mount Laurel, and her friend Richard Petrone, Jr., 35, of Philadelphia, were last seen on Feb. 19, 2005 leaving a bar near 5th and South streets. I wouldnt be able to live with myself this long after such a heinous thing, or look my son in the eye.. Richard Petrones best friend, Rick Bellezzi, would tell a reporter They left the club happy at about 11:45.. Their mysterious vanishing has become one of the most intriguing missing person cases in recent history. They kissed. Both the families and investigators now believe that Imbo and Petrone are deceased. Youre just not good at your job. Imbo was carrying a two-handle black purse at the time of her disappearance. They also bring out his regrets: Right before we were getting married, I kinda said, Youve gotta quit the band., He felt they had no weekends together. It never goes away, Marge Petrone said. Disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Danielle_Imbo_and_Richard_Petrone_Jr. 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. Today would be [Richard] Petrone's 36th birthday, according to a family website. Since she was separated, though, and seeking a divorce, he took his shot. What is known about Anthony Rodesky, a convicted murderer who has not been ruled out in this case (24:50). Police often wait as long as 48 hours to consider adults missing. 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. 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. Her brother, John Ottobre, later said, She wouldnt have missed that. But Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone didnt fit the profile. She'd begun dating Richard during a long separation from her husband a separation she was intending to. 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. According to Petrone Sr., his son told him prior to his disappearance that he received several threatening phone calls from Joe. Nine vehicles were pulled out of the river yesterday, police said. Joe called Richard at his parents bakery, where he worked, warning him to stay away from his wife. And neither wanted to hear that their dearest had been the target. 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. Then, as she put her marriage to Joe Imbo in her rearview mirror and sparked a new beginning, she rekindled an on-again-off-again romance with Richard Petrone, a childhood friend from the neighborhood. But people who knew him say he was more of a bruiser, lumping enemies up rather than killing them. The murder-for-hire scenario, he admits, was only one possibility among many. Hangin with cops at the time of the disappearance? Richard Petrone was described as 59 and about 150 pounds. Their friends stated that both of them behaved normally and seemed happy that evening. 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. No evidence. She has worked as a loan mortgage processor. On The Night They Vanished, Imbo Met Up With Petrone To Watch Live Music At A Bar . 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. We can go in any direction at all, because there are no tracks or markers. He last spoke to Joe Imbo a few months after his sister vanished. 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. Marge Petrone had actually been on record since 2005, about 6 months after the disappearance, that she believed Richard was dead. At last report, Danielles family had a strained relationship with Joe, but they do occasionally get to see little Joe. Accessed 24 May 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. 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. 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. Imbo also said he tried to win his estranged wife back. When he asks about his mom, we tell him she is an angel in heaven, says John. But inside, he hurt. I dont talk about this a lot, he says. 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. But two people who read the note told me that rumor is false. 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. 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 have a conscience. But he told his parents how he felt. By early 2005, shed told both Joe and Richard that she wasnt interested in seeing either of them anymore. He watches the games alone. On February 26th, 2005, the Camden Courier-Post ran a story with the headline Mt.

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