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Thirty-four year old Danielle Imbo was going through a divorce and raising her eighteen month old son. 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. It was a normal kind of night, Valentino said. Not likely. "You feel like you're trapped," [said] Petrone's father, Richard. Then, a couple of weeks later, shortly after Valentines Day, she received that impromptu invitation from Richard: Come out for a drink? Unfortunately, in this case, we cant do that because nobody has any idea where Richard was parked. This case is both interesting and unusual becausepolice have found almost no evidence of what happened to them. Thats a theory that has been recently investigated more thoroughly, but well get to that later. 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. His memories of Richard arent quite so gauzy. The easiest way to hide a vehicle with the lowest effort is a body of water. They were still hoping for the best. Did the transfer take place on someone elses property? He looks me straight in the eye. She could tear through three books in a week, especially murder mysteries. dr patel plastic surgeon oak brook. By early-March, a reward fund had already grown to $12,000 for information on the whereabouts of Danielle and Richard. 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. Today would be [Richard] Petrone's 36th birthday, according to a family website. Richards daughter, Angela, was 14, and Danielle had a son who was still a toddler. John would later tell ABC7 Joe Imbo seemed surprised to find a bunch of Danielles family at her place, but she wasnt there. On the night of February 19, 2005, on-again, off-again couple Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone left a South Philadelphia bar and were never seen again. In the summer of 2005, cracks first appeared in the relationship between the families, with the Petrone family particularly suspicious of Joe Imbo. Imbo was employed as a loan processor for a mortgage company at the time of her disappearance, working out of her home. Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania authorities are investigating their disappearances, which remain unsolved. Not a fingerprint or a hair, not a sighting on a. Investigators monitored the couples bank accounts, credit cards and cell phones, looked for evidence that either had a secret life. The feds, he says, put out that release to shake the tree. They got nothing. There are only a couple of ways to get rid of that truck. He says Roselli once told him, I dont think you did this. 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/. Imbo also said he tried to win his estranged wife back. After Danielle disappeared, police informed her family that Joe had his wifes cell-phone passcode, and that hed listened to her voicemail. THE DEATH OF A SIBLING or child felled short of a natural lifespan is always tragic. 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. Shes my sister, he says. Laurel, New Jersey home, all in the hope of shedding some light on the situation through a visual representation. The relationship between them was fractured. A devious murderer could arrange to scrap a truck piece-by-piece, but that would involve other people in the plot people who helped dismantle the truck, people who bought the parts and would also run a strong risk that someone who was not part of the plot would see the truck while they had it stored in a garage somewhere as they parted it out. Accessed 24 May 2022. 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/. Danielles brother, John Ottobre, had a key to Danielles house. Petrone's black Dodge Dakota pickup truck, the vehicle he was driving that night, also has never been found. His life only shifted in 2004, when Angela, then 13 and developing a womans interests, decided she wanted to live with her mother. The FBI has questioned Imbo's estranged husband, Joe Imbo, many times. Original music created by Micheal Whelan through Amper Music, Theme music created and composed by Ailsa Traves. 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. He even learned how to do her hair. No clues. Agent Roselli had not backed down from the Bureaus position that the disappearance had been an organized hit. But the FBI agent never followed through. He is married, the father of 11-year-old twin boys, and describes himself as bitter. Before she went missing, during football season he and Danielle would watch the Eagles, and if the team needed a score, hed hide his face until his sister gave my head a squeeze so Id know it was safe to look. Now, Sunday is just Sunday. But the different outlooks between the two families the Ottobres pressing hope, the Petrones, acceptance confused the girl, and tensions arose. They get on the phone with old friends from time to time. Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania authorities are investigating their disappearances, which remain unsolved. Im not a mastermind. Accessed 24 May 2022. And if so, who and why? Richard loved music, and never missed a Springsteen show. 215-686-3013, Mount Laurel Township Police Department There are a million Hollywood reasons like that. But it could be. Thecomplete lack of evidence has even led the FBI to speculate that they may have been targets of a professional hit. The two, family friends. And obviously, firing any kind of weapon would make far too much noise. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Richard Petrone Sr. considered the admission from the FBI a small victory. Danielle was going through a divorce from Joe Imbo in 2005, her husband of 3 years, and had returned to using her maiden name, Ottobre. 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. She wouldnt have missed that, John says now. Pincus, fearing a second tragedy, ordered a search. Were in so much pain, she says, that we could kill ourselves tomorrow. A desperate search for answers. Philadelphia Daily News, 06 06 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102529560/a-desperate-search-for-answers/. Joe Imbo has never been declared a suspect in the case. Hangin with cops at the time of the disappearance? Thirty-four year old Danielle Imbo was going through a divorce and raising her eighteen month old son. As for the Ottobres, Felice wakes up, and before she gets out of bed, she cries, her grief bubbling up in wracking sobs. There may be a NASCAR sticker in the rear window. Mt. Friends, family search for missing couple. Allentown Morning Call, 09 04 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102491020/friends-family-search-for-missing-coupl/. 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. 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. "Each day is the same. Petrone's vehicle, a 2001 black over silver Dodge Dakota pickup truck with Pennsylvania license plates YFH 2319, is also missing. Hundreds of cars and trucks were parked up and down the street. At ages 34 and 35, they both had lives that appeared to be angled up good jobs, loving families, wide circles of friends. He relates to Ottobres feeling of being stuck in the center of that big white circle of trackless snow. What is known about Anthony Rodesky, a convicted murderer who has not been ruled out in this case (24:50). 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. It was not a willful disappearance. You always feel it. You could dump the vehicle in the wilderness somewhere, pour gas all over it and set it on fire. Joe Imbo claimed to have taken a polygraph and that the police told him he passed. Both the families and investigators now believe that Imbo and Petrone are deceased. So when Danielle disappeared, I felt like I was the man of the family, the younger Ottobre says. 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. As reported by the Philadelphia Daily News: Danielle's estranged husband, Joe Imbo, says he believes he'll see her again. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone. "Tips throughout time have indicated logically that this is not a kidnapping case. They were even overheard making plans for the next day. No way.. Marge, the talker, keeps going, her eyes always wet with tears that roll slowly down her cheeks, like blood pumping from a wound. Through chance or planning, a criminal pulls off a crime with no witnesses and no evidence. When asked for comment, the authorities said they dont comment on lie detector tests but that nobody had been cleared in the investigation. 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. 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. Their loved ones believe foul play was involved in their cases, and both families have accused members of the other family of causing their disappearances. And then the next day she does it all over again. He never thought Danielle Imbo would be interested. However, one of the least-appreciated and often overlooked reasons a case goes cold is simply perspective. It was brutally cold that night. Although several theories have been proposed,the case remains cold, and thefamilies are still searching for closure. "Not anything.". Tipsters can remain anonymous. Cmon, he told me over the phone before I arrived, its been nine years. Oct 10, 2014 - On the night of February 19, 2005, Danielle Imbo, 34, and Richard Petrone, 35, vanished. 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. 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. She worked in car sales, and then the financial industry, supervising mortgages. Since she was separated, though, and seeking a divorce, he took his shot. So, maybe this case is cold because the police have been investigating murder-for-hire since 2008 and overlooking other explanations. If the person driving the truck was consumed with homicidal and suicidal intent, he or she could have easily driven the truck into the icy February waters of the Delaware River in a spot where we havent found it yet. [1] Petrone, age 35, resided in Philadelphia and worked at his family's bakery. Joe kept pressing, into the winter of 2005, when he came over; they argued. I wouldnt be able to live with myself this long after such a heinous thing, or look my son in the eye.. 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. 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. Or your sister will be gone forever.. Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. 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 last report, Danielles family had a strained relationship with Joe, but they do occasionally get to see little Joe. 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. Then he called his sister, who was with Danielle. Danielle has a tattoo on her lower back of "flowers." There was no doubt that there had been some tension between Joe Imbo and Richard Petrone, though. Accessed 24 May 2022. But again, coming back to 2005, how much fencing was up here? But hes getting older, and I dont know how long that can last., VITO ROSELLI, THE FBI AGENT charged with ending all of this, doesnt try to hide his feelings. Is it either of those things? Miller, Janel. At the time of their 2005 disappearance, Richard Petrone, 35, was living in Pennsylvania and working at his parents' bakery. "It was somewhat of a surprise," Petrone Sr. said. On the one hand, Danielle and Richard had a few drinks that night. Unfortunately, none of them had their heads in that place. Less-than-perfect families are sometimes shamed by investigators or regarded with skepticism in a way that causes them to stop communicating helpfully. The community was engaged but there were no leads to be found. So, if it is, how did they do it? He wants to get this out there again in the hopes that someone, somewhere, will come forward with new information. Petrone and Imbo have one child each; Imbo has a toddler son and Petrone has a teenage daughter. Because it was nice to remember the good times.. He confirms that a grand jury convened at least five years ago, interviewing people close to him, but took no action. The FBI continued to investigate the case and has actively been looking for tips. Thats what the investigation is like. By early 2005, shed told both Joe and Richard that she wasnt interested in seeing either of them anymore. This is how murder and disappearances destroy families. On The Night They Vanished, Imbo Met Up With Petrone To Watch Live Music At A Bar Imagine its cold. 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. 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. Likewise, Richards family was worried. The murder-for-hire scenario, he admits, was only one possibility among many. Now I know what real love is, she told friends. Police often wait as long as 48 hours to consider adults missing. Later, the two moved their festivities to the bar and restaurant where they were last seen. And neither wanted to hear that their dearest had been the target. Everyone loves their sister, he says, but we went out together on Saturday nights, and she was close with my wife.. But there remain other leads. 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. Laurel, New Jersey, and was separated from her husband at the time of her disappearance. Danielle was going through a divorce from Joe Imbo in 2005, her husband of 3 years, and had returned to using her maiden name, Ottobre. 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. 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. Accessed 24 May 2022. But I felt like I had to do it for my mother.. 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. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Anthony Valentino and his wife Michelle McLaughlin were the last people to see Danielle and Richard. John immediately called Mount Laurel detective Ed Pincus, who was still working on the case. 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. The two clicked instantly. 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. The pair crossed and recrossed the Walt Whitman, Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross bridges. She lived on Dunbarton Road in Mount Laurel in southern New Jersey in 2005; Petrone lived in South Philadelphia. 215-686-3013, Camden County Sheriff's Office All of those things considered, the million dollar question then becomes is it foul play? What access did you have? In the fall of 2021 they took on 36 missing persons cases and actually found 11 missing people. 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. 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. If theres any hope of finding answers in a case like this, we have to narrow the scope of the investigation. She lives her entire day with a sick feeling in her stomach, like something is wrong. 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. Her boy, Timothy, the grandson Richard never knew, means everything to the Petrones, whose lives have been mostly blown apart. Somewhere in the city of brotherly love there had been a dark conspiracy. There was no sign of Danielle, Richard, or Richards truck. Leisek has vowed to continue searching, and well just have to eagerly await developments. 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. On the night of February 19th, 2005, an unseasonably cold night, even for Philly, Danielle had been socializing with family over dinner and asked to be dropped off at a taproom where Richard was having a drink. 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. Danielle Imbo, Self: Vanished with Beth Holloway. Accessed 24 May 2022. You have to act. The statement reiterated the facts of the case, then mentioned a reward. 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. Accessed 24 May 2022. The details offered by the Philadelphia Daily News, however, were not good. The most we can say is that they were alive on the sidewalk as they left the 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. 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. 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. At dawn, they returned home, exhausted. They saw each other sporadically. It leaves us with only one explanation that makes sense. He lost a wonderful person in his life.. If you call in the tip and it leads to a resolution, youre gonna get paid. "I can't look into my son's eyes and think she's not coming back," he [said]. Marge and Richard Petrone Sr. have, at times, thrown what some would call thinly-veiled shade at Danielle and the Ottobres. . I know I must have looked really stupid, he says now. John paid $1,200 to get a Camden police officer to take him up in a helicopter to search. Imbo was employed as a loan processor for a mortgage company at the time of her disappearance, working out of her home. 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 she put the invitation to Danielle. Five years ago, at the relatively young age of 37, he suffered a heart attack. What it was like to speak to John Ottobre, Danielle's brother (29:30). Authorities have questioned associates of both people. Disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr. "Petrone Family Seeks Closure in 2005 Cold case", "FBI Seeks Information On 2005 Disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone", "Adventures With Purpose Confirms They're Working On Richard Petrone, Danielle Imbo Case From 2005", "EPISODE 4: RICHARD PETRONE & DANIELLE IMBO", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Disappearance_of_Danielle_Imbo_and_Richard_Petrone_Jr.&oldid=1128688649, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 21 December 2022, at 12:27. They hadnt spoken since she broke things off, blowing right through Valentines Day without even a text message. What is known about Joe Imbo, who was Danielle's estranged husband at the time (22:20). 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. Thats change your life money for a person who has the right tip. Not even the best-funded investigation can run down every thread of every possibility. Nobody could imagine a scenario in which they would abandon their kids willingly. Their loved ones stated they would never have voluntarily abandoned their families, whom they were close to. 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. A grand jury convened at least 6 years ago, interviewing people close to Joe, but took no action. I cant help but feel the answer is the truck. The sun set hours ago. Nothing. "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. Shed begun dating Richard during a long separation from her husband a separation she was intending to punctuate with a divorce. Chimneys all over the city belch hot gasses into the frigid indigo sky. In the case of Danielle and Richard, their names didnt show up in the local media for about a week. Searching for Richard Petrone, Jr. and Danielle Imbo, South Philadelphia Police Department Did an accomplice follow them in a second vehicle to a second crime scene? 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. They were last seen walking on South Street toward Petrone's parked vehicle, a 2001 Dodge pick-up truck. We were sitting by the bar, and when they left we just hugged and said goodbye. But two people who read the note told me that rumor is false. The former covergirl, 39, detailed her troubled past and battle with mental health . In a city like Philly, people go missing all the time, for all kinds of reasons. I know this might sound strange, he says, but justice isnt the important thing to me. It never goes away, Marge Petrone said. 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. But he has a different view. Laurel, New Jersey, and was separated from her husband at the time of her disappearance. Something was wrong. Danielles family believed the bad blood between the Petrones and Joe Imbo was counterproductive. Still, there were whispers that the suicide note he left behind after hanging himself with a shoelace contained a confession. The two were family friends who had dated as teenagers before they began an on-again, off-again relationship as adults. And he worked alongside his father at Viking Pastries in Ardmore, attending culinary school to learn how to build towering wedding cakes. The authorities have since come out and expressed suspicion of their own. It didnt appear to him that she had been home the previous night. 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. And of the victims who knew their offenders, 62% were wives, common-law wives, ex-wives, or girlfriends of the offenders. Richard and Danielle six months before they vanished. The couple knew each other in high school and began dating ten months before their disappearances after they separated from their respective partners. 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. They were rivals. Again, the killer is involving other people in the plot when there is a simpler way to accomplish his evil deeds. Their friends stated that both of them behaved normally and seemed happy that evening.