I dont have evidence to arrest Joe is all he says. But in the end, they all found nothing no truck off the road, no hulking shadow flickering beneath the water. The two clicked instantly. After she broke things off, that Valentines Day without her was hard. Marge Petrone has said if it was murder-for-hire, she does not believe Richard was the target of the hit. Thats what the FBI said, and it was a bombshell. They were single parents: Danielle had her 18-month-old son; Petrone, a 14-year-old daughter. And he worked alongside his father at Viking Pastries in Ardmore, attending culinary school to learn how to build towering wedding cakes. Absolutely not., He says hes decided to talk to me for a couple of reasons. "Tips throughout time have indicated logically that this is not a kidnapping case. 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. And then the next day she does it all over again. But inside, he hurt. 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 and her boyfriend,Richard Petrone, were last seen at Abilene's (sometime's spelled "Abeline's" or "Abiline's"), a bar and restaurant in the 400 block of South Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 19, 2005. Want to come have a drink? Richard asked. 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. John immediately called Mount Laurel detective Ed Pincus, who was still working on the case. 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. The person who suffers the most is my son. Just days before he vanished, Petrone told his father he had angry words with Joe Imbo over the phone. This investigation into Danielle and Richs disappearance remains open and active, and there is still a $50,000 reward for information on the couples whereabouts or for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for their disappearance. Imbo's family first noticed something was amiss when Imbo failed to show up for a hair appointment on Sunday morning at 11 am. The FBI has questioned Imbo's estranged husband, Joe Imbo, many times. But the night no doubt meant something special to him, because she was there. At 23, he had a daughter out of wedlock, raising her in an apartment above his parents pastry shop. Danielle and Richard both had children from previous relationships. There was no sign of Danielle, Richard, or Richards truck. 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. Disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Danielle_Imbo_and_Richard_Petrone_Jr. Christine said no. Richard loved music, and never missed a Springsteen show. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. However, one of the least-appreciated and often overlooked reasons a case goes cold is simply perspective. In the Careaga case, that suspects name is known. The two were dating. "Not anything.". In fact, some 20 minutes after we part, he will call me. Richard said hed drive Danielle home to Mount Laurel before returning to his place in South Philly. At an early press conference after the couple went missing, Marge Petrone even tried to confront Imbo the short Italian mom stepping right into the lean, raven-haired mans face? Youve got to stop this, Pincus warned him. Just a few miles away, in Cherry Hill, the Petrones had gone a different kind of crazy. Petrone's friends, Anthony Valentino and his wifeMichelle McLaughlin, joined Imbo and Petrone at the restaurant. Im not a mastermind. Now, lets be honest. 215-686-3013, Mount Laurel Township Police Department When asked for comment, the authorities said they dont comment on lie detector tests but that nobody had been cleared in the investigation. Accessed 24 May 2022. The FBI continued to investigate the case and has actively been looking for tips. At 23, she has moved past the fear, which dogged her as a teenager, that whatever evil took her dad will come back for his family. Their disappearances are being investigated as a double homicide, possibly a murder-for-hire. 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. 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. What happened to Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr.? 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. His mom had called and said Danielle missed her hair appointment at 11 am. But people who knew him say he was more of a bruiser, lumping enemies up rather than killing them. The best detectives will tell you, they consider all options. 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. Marge and Richard Petrone Sr. have, at times, thrown what some would call thinly-veiled shade at Danielle and the Ottobres. The Kings Speech: What Kids Should Know About MLKs Dream, Your Guide to This Weeks Eagles-Giants Playoff Game. Richard Petrone was described as 59 and about 150 pounds. Imbo was carrying a two-handle black purse at the time of her disappearance. Thetwo were family friends who had dated as teenagers before they began an on-again, off-again relationship as adults. "It was somewhat of a surprise," Petrone Sr. said. A few weeks earlier, Danielle Imbo had ended their on-again, off-again relationship. Joe Imbo has dealt with a lot of pressure in the past nine years. At dawn, they returned home, exhausted. Thirty-four year old Danielle Imbo was going through a divorce and raising her eighteen month old son. Since she was separated, though, and seeking a divorce, he took his shot. 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. 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. Today, John Ottobre refuses to guess at a culprit, in hopes the families might reconcile. Thirty-four year old Danielle Imbo was going through a divorce and raising her eighteen month old son. 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. Still, there were whispers that the suicide note he left behind after hanging himself with a shoelace contained a confession. The evening went fine, and friends watched the couple walk towards Richard's truck. 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. But behind the scenes, his mother insisted he stay on message: Until some evidence directly indicated that Danielle and Richard were dead, there was no reason to think they werent alive. 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. dr patel plastic surgeon oak brook. As for the Ottobres, Felice wakes up, and before she gets out of bed, she cries, her grief bubbling up in wracking sobs. DANIELLE IMBO. FBI.gov, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/danielle-imbo. He looks me straight in the eye. 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. 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. Danielle and Richard met with friends and watched a live band, then said their goodbyes at about 11:45 PM. 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.. Authorities have questioned associates of both people. Ill admit, that part makes me a little nervous. Shed started dating another man, Richard Petrone. Everyones gut says pretty much the same thing. Her boy, Timothy, the grandson Richard never knew, means everything to the Petrones, whose lives have been mostly blown apart. His reminiscences of Danielle are tender, but his affect is flat. Likewise, Richards family was worried. ABC 6 said Joe Imbo, the estranged husband, shared angry words with Petrone over the phone only days prior to his disappearance. There are a million Hollywood reasons like that. They get on the phone with old friends from time to time. In June, Danielles brother John expressed frustration at a lack of clues. Petrone was going to drive Imbo to her condo in Mount Laurel, NJ, and then return to his own home. "They vanished," John Ottobre [told the Philadelphia Daily News.] They carried pictures of Petrones black Dodge Dakota truck, knew its license plate YFH-2319 and the image of its NASCAR decal by heart. She worked in car sales, and then the financial industry, supervising mortgages. He relates to Ottobres feeling of being stuck in the center of that big white circle of trackless snow. Volunteers fanned out a hundred miles in every direction. It was also featured on the podcast Women & Crime in December 2021. "The FBI decided to come out with something that we've felt has been the case from day one, that it was a murder. They hadnt spoken since she broke things off, blowing right through Valentines Day without even a text message. But John Ottobre continues to hope, even if his hopes are the smallest. Missing Memories. Philadelphia Daily News, 10 02 2015, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102526697/missing-memories/. They sat close, smiling and laughing. Really naive. Only reports and accounts and theories. My murder meter swings proportionally with a situations resemblance to an episode of Jerry Springer. She was wearing a jacket, cream colored sweater, blue jeans and carrying a black purse. What if Richard and Danielle decided to go park down on the piers and make out a bit? Joe Imbo has never been declared a suspect in the case. He falls silent for a second, whispers, I apologize, reaches for a napkin to wipe away the single tear that escapes down his cheek. He says Roselli once told him, I dont think you did this. The two, family friends. 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. But then I wouldnt know what happened to my son. Richard Petrones best friend, Rick Bellezzi, would tell a reporter They left the club happy at about 11:45.. 215-686-3013, Camden County Sheriff's Office 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. Thats a theory that has been recently investigated more thoroughly, but well get to that later. Mt. But since their separation, Danielle Imbo had discovered a new confidence as a single mom. He sees numerous possible culprits, motives and scenarios. It was good to hear them say that on the record, so there really can't be any confusion about what's happened.". 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. If anything, I can turn to the family and say You know what? Again, the killer is involving other people in the plot when there is a simpler way to accomplish his evil deeds. 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. Weve all seen Philadelphia depicted on the screen a thousand times; the steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art so famous from the Rocky movies, Independence Hall where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed, and more commonplace but equally character-defining rowhouses shoulder-to-shoulder in working class (and some would say gentrified) neighborhoods. [8] Media accounts state that both had close relationships with their children and families and were unlikely to have voluntarily disappeared. They were looking for vehicles, they just didnt want people to think they were looking for Richard and Danielle specifically. 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. She lives her entire day with a sick feeling in her stomach, like something is wrong. I know this might sound strange, he says, but justice isnt the important thing to me. A murder-for-hire scenario also remains in play. I wish I had more to say, says Roselli. Imbo's purse and wallet have not been located. Their loved ones stated they would never have voluntarily abandoned their families, whom they were close to. From the inside out, with guilt and suspicion and shame and resentment. The reward is being administered by the Philadelphia Citizens Crime Commission. Anyone might wonder if, in time, those questions will grow pointed. And two hours later, the reunited couple looked happy together. The Cherry Hill High School grad wrote her own songs and performed in a rock band in her 20s and 30s, her. Petrone's black Dodge Dakota pickup truck, the vehicle he was driving that night, also has never been found. 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. Neither Imbo nor Petrone have accessed their bank accounts or used their credit cards or EZ-Pass cards since they went missing. Their case was also recapped on the podcast "Obsessed With Disappeared" in August 2022 in an episode titled "A Bridge Too Far: The Disappearance of Danielle Imbo & Richard Petrone". Also, he didnt need to incur a capital murder charge when drug dealing provided so much of what he dearly wanted: money. She wasnt all that serious about him, but he treated her well. What if Richard slipped up while parking or made a mistake? A detective embarks on a missing-persons case with every possible end in sight. Nine vehicles were pulled out of the river yesterday, police said. With no answers, you can imagine their families were tortured. 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/. You may have been wondering earlier, where was Danielles son while she was out Saturday night? Photographs of the truck and license plate are posted with this case summary. 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 Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone didnt fit the profile. But the evidence, or lack of it, suggested a very particular kind of crime. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone. The two were family friends who had dated as teenagers before they began an on-again, off-again relationship as adults. Last updated February 14, 2008; details of disappearance updated. A lot of time had passed but the police were finally making a good show of it. Their mysterious vanishing has become one of the most intriguing missing person cases in recent history. They have not been seen nor heard from since this last sighting. In 2008, the FBI announced that the case was being treated as murder-for-hire. Richard, a NASCAR fan, planned to watch the Daytona 500. At the time, Danielle was married to her husband JoeImbo, but they were estranged, and Danielle was in the process of separating from him. Unfortunately, none of them had their heads in that place. 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. Agent Roselli had not backed down from the Bureaus position that the disappearance had been an organized hit. 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. Then he drives on to the bakery and registers the silence. Imbo also said he tried to win his estranged wife back. 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. 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.