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. The person who suffers the most is my son. The next morning members of both families were making phone calls, looking for Danielle and Richard. 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. 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. Petrone's black Dodge Dakota pickup truck, the vehicle he was driving that night, also has never been found. Imbo's family first noticed something was amiss when Imbo failed to show up for a hair appointment on Sunday morning at 11 am. Accessed 24 May 2022. Likewise, Richards family was worried. Youve gone crazy!. 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? 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. Their cellular phones have stayed turned off. Thats what the FBI said, and it was a bombshell. With no arrests and no one officially declared a suspect, friends and family on both sides began to speculate. The two clicked instantly. "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.. "[11], In March 22, 2022, a private search and recovery dive team, Adventures with Purpose, announced they were actively working on the case. And two hours later, the reunited couple looked happy together. 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. His memories of Richard arent quite so gauzy. No way.. "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]. At around 11:45 p.m., they got up to leave. It was a crowded spot, though. 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. Unfortunately, as is so common with cold cases, the flow of information in Danielle and Richards disappearance has dwindled to a trickle. 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. In the early hours and days after Richard Petrone and Danielle Imbo disappeared, their families banded together, frantically phoning each other the next morning when Danielle didnt turn up for her hair appointment and both her cell phone and Richards kicked straight to voicemail. When a song his son loved floods the vehicle, his loss arrives with every line. Thats what the investigation is like. 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. She wanted time to focus on the transition from married woman to single mother. Laurel home looking for her. 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. Joe called Richard at his parents bakery, where he worked, warning him to stay away from his wife. Accessed 24 May 2022. Everyone loves their sister, he says, but we went out together on Saturday nights, and she was close with my wife.. Never much for dressing up, Richard Petrone wore a gray hoodie, jeans and sneakers. He orders egg whites. Oct 10, 2014 - On the night of February 19, 2005, Danielle Imbo, 34, and Richard Petrone, 35, vanished. 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/. 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. New Details Emerge In South Jersey Missing Persons Case. Patch, 23 March 2022, https://patch.com/new-jersey/moorestown/new-details-danielle-imbo-richard-petrone-jr-case. Neither the couple, nor the truck, were ever seen again spark He even learned how to do her hair. But two people who read the note told me that rumor is false. 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. In the Careaga case, that suspects name is known. Both the families and investigators now believe that Imbo and Petrone are deceased. Original music created by Micheal Whelan through Amper Music, Theme music created and composed by Ailsa Traves. 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. When asked if their son could still be alive somewhere, Marge waved a hand. Their case remains unsolved. 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. Still, there were whispers that the suicide note he left behind after hanging himself with a shoelace contained a confession. The authorities have since come out and expressed suspicion of their own. 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. No way.. On February 19th, 2005, Danielle agreed to go out for a night of music in Philadelphia. 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 the time, Danielle was married to her husband JoeImbo, but they were estranged, and Danielle was in the process of separating from him. That there was foul play. He also believes multiple people know. If we can find the truck, well find Richard and Danielle. On the one hand, Danielle and Richard had a few drinks that night. Again, as they had so many times before, investigators vowed to redouble their efforts on the anniversary reanalyzing old files and evidence for anything they had overlooked, interviewing old witnesses, and again, they came up empty. 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. The Scope of the Problem: Intimate Partner Homicide Statistics. VAWnet.org, https://vawnet.org/sc/scope-problem-intimate-partner-homicide-statistics. It could be a case of a willful disappearance on the part of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone. But the night no doubt meant something special to him, because she was there. Her brother, John Ottobre, later said, She wouldnt have missed that. The sudden and mysterious disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr. on February 19, 2005, has left investigators and the public with more questions than answers. So if we just take Agent Rosellis word for it (he is the expert after all) and assume it is foul play, my personal reflex, not just in this case but in almost every case, is to suspect the ex-spouse first. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. Just days before he vanished, Petrone told his father he had angry words with Joe Imbo over the phone. 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. The sun set hours ago. To find out what happened, and to see justice done.. She had an appointment with a hair salon at 11:00 a.m. the day after she vanished, but never arrived. Now, lets be honest. His hair was once coal-black, but hes 42 now, and big patches of gray sprout at the sides of his head. 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. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) until John Ottobre intervened. I also have not ruled him out.. We can only speculate. The authorities have since come out and expressed suspicion of their own. They hadnt spoken since she broke things off, blowing right through Valentines Day without even a text message. John paid $1,200 to get a Camden police officer to take him up in a helicopter to search. 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. And he worked alongside his father at Viking Pastries in Ardmore, attending culinary school to learn how to build towering wedding cakes. Not a fingerprint or a hair, not a sighting on a. They were even overheard making plans for the next day. As reported by the Philadelphia Daily News: Danielle's estranged husband, Joe Imbo, says he believes he'll see her again. 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 -. He reportedly didnt date much until he reconnected with Danielle. Police usually wait 48 hours to begin amissing person search, but the families started immediately. I want to thank you, he will say. Their case was episode 11 of season 8 of the TV show Disappeared with the episode named "A Bridge Too Far". Accessed 24 May 2022. Shed started dating another man, Richard Petrone. Im not a mastermind. Tipsters can remain anonymous. I wish I could say someone saw them walk to Richards truck and get in it and drive away, but we cant even say that. Thats a theory that has been recently investigated more thoroughly, but well get to that later. danielle imbo husband, joeare you required to disclose you were fired. Did he cruise the streets outside Richards frequent hangout until he located the vehicle? 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. There are also more pedestrian reasons, equally as damaging, but grounded in our human emotions and interpersonal complexities mixed with feelings of self-worth. Imbo, age 34, was a resident of Mt. Danielle Imbo was 34 years old when . Miller, Janel. But the truth is, we dont know what happened.. Photographs of the truck and license plate are posted with this case summary. Even four months later, at a concert to benefit Danielles son, John told reporters the family still hoped she would turn up alive. He falls silent for a second, whispers, I apologize, reaches for a napkin to wipe away the single tear that escapes down his cheek. Neither of them have been heard from again. 856-234-1414, Philadelphia Police Department
The details offered by the Philadelphia Daily News, however, were not good. Here's everything we know about what happened to Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone. They sat close, smiling and laughing. 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/. When asked for comment, the authorities said they dont comment on lie detector tests but that nobody had been cleared in the investigation. But I think youre involved in some way. Roselli, he adds, even called an old roommate of his, maybe a year ago, to try and arrange an interview. Christian Zajac, the FBI agent in charge, said, "We feel this was an orchestrated act. In a disappearance like Danielle and Richards, we have nothing. The reward is being administered by the Philadelphia Citizens Crime Commission. Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania authorities are investigating their disappearances, which remain unsolved. He realizes now that performing was a big part of her. 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. You know, he says, theres only one person in the world that knows I didnt do it, and its me.. Entering this subject, the story of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone, is like entering a field of misery, a pall so unrelenting that the only thing that might counterbalance all this pain is something unworldly, some kind of magic. They were last seen walking on South Street toward Petrone's parked vehicle, a 2001 Dodge pick-up truck. Much of the speculation centers around the possibility that a hit was ordered on Danielle. If that person has the piece of information that would break the case but never shares it, shame wins, and the case goes cold. I learn this from John Ottobre, who finds talking about his sisters disappearance so painful that he often neglects to return my calls. At ages 34 and 35, they both had lives that appeared to be angled up good jobs, loving families, wide circles of friends. Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. According to Petrone Sr., his son told him prior to his disappearance that he received several threatening phone calls from Joe. You may have been wondering earlier, where was Danielles son while she was out Saturday night? 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. Danielles brother, also John Ottobre, named after their father, arrived at her Mt. Danielle Olivera appeared on Monday night's episode of Watch What Happens Live, where she confirmed Oliver Gray cheated on Mya Allen. After Danielle disappeared, police informed her family that Joe had his wifes cell-phone passcode, and that hed listened to her voicemail. "It was somewhat of a surprise," Petrone Sr. said. Laurel woman, 34, missing since Feb. 19th.. Its easy to see why the couple might have been a good match. 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. A single dad, he moved from Jersey to North and then South Carolina, and also from car to condo sales. Nine vehicles were pulled out of the river yesterday, police said. Her boy, Timothy, the grandson Richard never knew, means everything to the Petrones, whose lives have been mostly blown apart. Did the transfer take place on someone elses property? Their mysterious vanishing has become one of the most intriguing missing person cases in recent history. Their loved ones stated they would never have voluntarily abandoned their families, whom they were close to. 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. THE LOST DOG CAFE sits on a side road amidst a grove of palm trees on Folly Beach, a little resort town (population 2,600) near Charleston, South Carolina. 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. Then there was this weird bit at the end. Their case was featured on the podcast Crime Junkie on May 11, 2020. In a city like Philly, people go missing all the time, for all kinds of reasons. She smoked a pack of Marlboro Lights a day. Nobody could say. They kissed. It was not a willful disappearance.