That there was foul play. He also believes multiple people know. I know this might sound strange, he says, but justice isnt the important thing to me. The Kings Speech: What Kids Should Know About MLKs Dream, Your Guide to This Weeks Eagles-Giants Playoff Game. The Scope of the Problem: Intimate Partner Homicide Statistics. VAWnet.org, https://vawnet.org/sc/scope-problem-intimate-partner-homicide-statistics. So, if it is, how did they do it? We exchanged words, he says implying that when he called Richard at the bakery, the heat definitely went both ways. I feel 99.867 percent that they are not within this area.. And obviously, firing any kind of weapon would make far too much noise. He still saw her several days a week, still served as her chief chauffeur. The statement reiterated the facts of the case, then mentioned a reward. Later, the two moved their festivities to the bar and restaurant where they were last seen. A desperate search for answers. Philadelphia Daily News, 06 06 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102529560/a-desperate-search-for-answers/. He even learned how to do her hair. On February 19th, 2005, Danielle agreed to go out for a night of music in Philadelphia. Chimneys all over the city belch hot gasses into the frigid indigo sky. The details offered by the Philadelphia Daily News, however, were not good. Now, lets be honest. But the different outlooks between the two families the Ottobres pressing hope, the Petrones, acceptance confused the girl, and tensions arose. DANIELLE IMBO. FBI.gov, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/danielle-imbo. Or your sister will be gone forever.. She wouldnt have missed that, John says now. Were in so much pain, she says, that we could kill ourselves tomorrow. But Ottobre was already driving toward the city. Imbo, circa 2005; Petrone's truck; Petrone's truck's license plate. Joe Imbo has never been declared a suspect in the case. "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.. No way.. He confirms that a grand jury convened at least five years ago, interviewing people close to him, but took no action. Some even believe that it was the mob that carried it out. But the truth is, we dont know what happened.. 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. Were missing couple victims of a hit? Philadelphia Daily News, 07 02 2008, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102527418/were-missing-couple-victims-of-a-hit/. It was, perhaps, a lost opportunity for the family to, at the very least, get a gauge for Joe Imbos body language. I cant help but feel the answer is the truck. She was wearing a jacket, cream colored sweater, blue jeans and carrying a black purse. That sounds like a perfectly innocent statement to some, a nasty insinuation to others that Danielle was the target, through some unspoken fault of her own, and she got Richard killed, too. 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. 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. Pincus, fearing a second tragedy, ordered a search. Just days before he vanished, Petrone told his father he had angry words with Joe Imbo over the phone. Is it? Today, John Ottobre refuses to guess at a culprit, in hopes the families might reconcile. Because it was nice to remember the good times.. No evidence. After she broke things off, that Valentines Day without her was hard. 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. He orders egg whites. Disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Danielle_Imbo_and_Richard_Petrone_Jr. Unfortunately, in this case, we cant do that because nobody has any idea where Richard was parked. He falls silent for a second, whispers, I apologize, reaches for a napkin to wipe away the single tear that escapes down his cheek. Miller, Janel. Today would be [Richard] Petrone's 36th birthday, according to a family website. 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. Christian Zajac, the FBI agent in charge, said, "We feel this was an orchestrated act. Again, the killer is involving other people in the plot when there is a simpler way to accomplish his evil deeds. The sun set hours ago. A murder-for-hire scenario also remains in play. Everyone loves their sister, he says, but we went out together on Saturday nights, and she was close with my wife.. Joe called Richard at his parents bakery, where he worked, warning him to stay away from his wife. Joseph O'Brien of the Philadelphia Police South Detective Division. 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. The two clicked instantly. 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. Is it either of those things? Not likely. She had an appointment with a hair salon at 11:00 a.m. the day after she vanished, but never arrived. They hadnt spoken since she broke things off, blowing right through Valentines Day without even a text message. Friends, family search for missing couple. Allentown Morning Call, 09 04 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102491020/friends-family-search-for-missing-coupl/. Laurel home looking for her. Likewise, Richards family was worried. Police: dredging isn't search for missing couple. Philadelphia Inquirer, 29 08 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102493641/police-dredging-isnt-search-for-missin/. In the summer of 2005, cracks first appeared in the relationship between the families, with the Petrone family particularly suspicious of Joe Imbo. You know and theyre labeled now as private property, no trespassing, they have some, you know, fencing up there. They kissed. It only causes more problems.. In fact, some 20 minutes after we part, he will call me. Thecomplete lack of evidence has even led the FBI to speculate that they may have been targets of a professional hit. [3] [4] [5] Friends and volunteers canvassed neighborhoods for 100 miles in every direction, distributing pictures of Petrone's truck. At dawn, they returned home, exhausted. In February 2005, Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone walked out of a South Street bar and disappeared. Thats what the investigation is like. 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. Laurel, New Jersey, and was separated from her husband at the time of her disappearance. He had been socializing at a gathering with family and friends who also happened to be law enforcement. 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. 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. So when Danielle disappeared, I felt like I was the man of the family, the younger Ottobre says. But John Ottobre continues to hope, even if his hopes are the smallest. Their relationship was going well when Danielle's ex-husband began attempting to rekindle their romance. . 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. They were even overheard making plans for the next day. until John Ottobre intervened. No clues. Richard and Danielle six months before they vanished. Is that how it went down? A police marine unit was searching the river at Cumberland because it was a "known dumping point" for stolen vehicles and cars involved in insurance fraud, a police spokesman said. "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]. 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. Richard Petrone was described as 59 and about 150 pounds. Hed been planning to watch the Daytona 500 at home with friends but nobody had heard from him. Richard said he understood; hed raised a daughter on his own. 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 he told his parents how he felt. They sat close, smiling and laughing. And I catch myself not only trying to observe Imbo, but to look through him. When a song his son loved floods the vehicle, his loss arrives with every line. On February 26th, 2005, the Camden Courier-Post ran a story with the headline Mt. Joe Imbo, on the surface, seemed to be saying the right things, though. He was mulling going to Abilienes later to see a band. He wants to get this out there again in the hopes that someone, somewhere, will come forward with new information. It leaves us with only one explanation that makes sense. But there remain other leads. It was a normal kind of night, Valentino said. He realizes now that performing was a big part of her. Imbo's family first noticed something was amiss when Imbo failed to show up for a hair appointment on Sunday morning at 11 am. 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. In the absence of any discovery by Adventures with Purpose, would you consider it more likely the disappearance of Danielle and Richard was foul play? This would be the last time anyone saw them. In a video that can still be found online via the Daily Voice, Adventures with Purpose chronicled their search of the river in March 2022. 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. Thirty-four year old Danielle Imbo was going through a divorce and raising her eighteen month old son. I am a bitter, bitter man, he says. What is known about Joe Imbo, who was Danielle's estranged husband at the time (22:20). 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. Listen to "Danielle Imbo & Richard Petrone Jr." on Spreaker. At the time, Danielle was married to her husband JoeImbo, but they were estranged, and Danielle was in the process of separating from him. No way.. Imbo also said he tried to win his estranged wife back. A few weeks earlier, Danielle Imbo had ended their on-again, off-again relationship. You may have been wondering earlier, where was Danielles son while she was out Saturday night? Nobody could imagine a scenario in which they would abandon their kids willingly. The authorities have since come out and expressed suspicion of their own. Shed begun dating Richard during a long separation from her husband a separation she was intending to punctuate with a divorce. 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. Never much for dressing up, Richard Petrone wore a gray hoodie, jeans and sneakers. After Danielle disappeared, police informed her family that Joe had his wifes cell-phone passcode, and that hed listened to her voicemail. In April, police said publicly they did not believe the couple simply ran away, which eliminated one possibility. 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. Marge Petrone has said if it was murder-for-hire, she does not believe Richard was the target of the hit. Photographs of the truck and license plate are posted with this case summary. Marge Petrone had actually been on record since 2005, about 6 months after the disappearance, that she believed Richard was dead. We dont say anything about her being missing. Imbo had a 2-year-old son and Petrone had a teenage daughter. Absolutely not., He says hes decided to talk to me for a couple of reasons. Mt. Like maybe it was even up to me to find my sister., The family received lots of calls from psychics. There may be a NASCAR sticker in the rear window. In 2008, the FBI announced that the case was being treated as murder-for-hire. He relates to Ottobres feeling of being stuck in the center of that big white circle of trackless snow. If I was them, I wouldnt want to be around me either.. The two were dating. If, as the FBI maintained, this was a murder-for-hire, the person who hired the hitman likely furnished him with a description of Richards Dakota. I wait till hes nearly finished, just moving bits of egg around with his fork, before I ask, flat out: You had nothing to do with the disappearance of your wife? Richard Sr., in the passenger seat, peered out into the dark, searching for his sons truck. Richards daughter, Angela, was 14, and Danielle had a son who was still a toddler. She wanted time to focus on the transition from married woman to single mother. But the bereaved confronted by a more conventional death, even a homicide, can mourn beside a grave, a crypt, an urn. Danielle Imbo And Richard Petrone Both Disappeared Without A Trace - Heres What We Know. You cant imagine outliving your child.. 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. I learn this from John Ottobre, who finds talking about his sisters disappearance so painful that he often neglects to return my calls. 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. I dont have evidence to arrest Joe is all he says. He lost a wonderful person in his life.. She wasnt all that serious about him, but he treated her well. What if Richard and Danielle decided to go park down on the piers and make out a bit? But in the end, they all found nothing no truck off the road, no hulking shadow flickering beneath the water. Many people have been suspicious of Danielle's soon-to-be ex-husband Joe Imbo but he appeared to have a solid alibi. Before long, they told Richards daughter, Angela, that her father wasnt coming home. Danielle Olivera appeared on Monday night's episode of Watch What Happens Live, where she confirmed Oliver Gray cheated on Mya Allen. The case remains unsolved. In fact, investigators have never named a formal suspect in the case. 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. This case is both interesting and unusual becausepolice have found almost no evidence of what happened to them. Shed started dating another man, Richard Petrone. Danielle was estranged from her husband, Joseph Imbo, who has a solid alibi for the night of the couple's disappearance. We're looking very closely at a murder-for-hire scenario," said FBI spokeswoman Jerri Williams. The person who suffers the most is my son. It was brutally cold that night. 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. Still, there were whispers that the suicide note he left behind after hanging himself with a shoelace contained a confession. That is our setting, because thats where Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone disappeared. I know I must have looked really stupid, he says now. 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. 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. Imbo was employed as a loan processor for a mortgage company at the time of her disappearance, working out of her home. There was no doubt that there had been some tension between Joe Imbo and Richard Petrone, though. Thirty-four year old Danielle Imbo was going through a divorce and raising her eighteen month old son. The authorities have since come out and expressed suspicion of their own. This is how murder and disappearances destroy families. Searching for Richard Petrone, Jr. and Danielle Imbo, South Philadelphia Police Department If that person has the piece of information that would break the case but never shares it, shame wins, and the case goes cold. Much of the speculation centers around the possibility that a hit was ordered on Danielle. Police usually wait 48 hours to begin amissing person search, but the families started immediately. 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. Imbo was employed as a loan processor for a mortgage company at the time of her disappearance, working out of her home. Only reports and accounts and theories. Joe kept pressing, into the winter of 2005, when he came over; they argued. That such a complicated future awaits an innocent 10-year-old boy seems particularly cruel. Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania authorities are investigating their disappearances, which remain unsolved. Laurel Woman, 34, missing since Feb. 19. Camden Courier-Post, 26 02 2005, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102465632/. If anything, I can turn to the family and say You know what? Sitting across from Imbo, I find myself wishing that hed suddenly sprout horns, or a halo, and clear the picture. Two years after that, their son, little Joe, grounded her.