PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Anchor Sarah Bloomquist and producer Jessica Gonzalez spent an entire month researching and reporting on this baffling missing persons case that just passed its 15th anniversary. Watch their report on the 6abc True Crime YouTube page and then listen to this podcast extra. Watch the latest True Crime episode Matt O'Donnell discussed the case with Sarah and Jess, going even deeper into what is known about what happened the night of February 19, 2005, the events leading up to it and some of the things the FBI has learned in the 15 years it has been investigating the couple's disappearance. Listen to the "deep dive" in the True Philadelphia Podcast Here are the Main Players to help you follow along: Sarah Bloomquist, Jessica Gonzalez - reporters/producers Danielle Imbo, Richard Petrone - missing since 2/19/2005 Vito Roselli - FBI investigator 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 - convicted murderer of two people in South Jersey; still in jail Recorded in the 6abc studios on February 20, 2020 In this podcast: Sarah and Jess explain why it was so important to do this story (2:10). They reconstruct the night of the couple's disappearance (3:55). What the FBI means when they say "people" know things about this case (8:35). Some background on the couple, their families and what their lives were like before they vanished (10:49). What it was like for Sarah and Jess to visit the bar where they were last seen and to speak to the building's owner (16:35). Why the events that took place that night in 2005 would have been so much different in 2020 (19:13). Some of the events that took place after their disappearance, including the discovery of a truck in the Delaware River (19:49). Some other rumors, including the Kensington pill ring suspect who hanged himself after his arrest (21:28). What is known about Joe Imbo, who was Danielle's estranged husband at the time (22:20). What is known about Anthony Rodesky, a convicted murderer who has not been ruled out in this case (24:50). How the FBI thinks the truck was disposed of (28:10). What it was like to speak to John Ottobre, Danielle's brother (29:30). Why it is so hard for Sarah and Jess to speculate (30:00). If the FBI ever considered a case of mistaken identity as a theory (31:09). Reaction to their True Crime piece from the FBI and the families (32:52). Why authorities may never bring this case to a prosecution (33:50). How changes in technology might help the FBI solve this once and for all (34:40). Copyright © 2022 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved. On February 19th, 2005, Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr. went to a bar on South Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The “on again, off again” pair had met for drinks, and planned to return to Imbo’s Mount Laurel, New Jersey home afterward. They were never seen again. Both the Imbo family and the Petrone family believe the couple to be deceased, and local investigators have passed the case off to the FBI. Over the years, internet sleuths have also tried to solve the mystery in Reddit threads and crime solving forums. Even after 15 years, there is still little information about their whereabouts. In high school, Danielle Imbo was best friends with Christine Petrone, Richard’s sister. Despite knowing each other for so long, Richard and Danielle would not begin their relationship until many years later. Danielle went on to marry another man, and Richard fathered a daughter with another woman. Years later, while Danielle was going through a divorce and custody battle for her son, she reconnected with Richard and the two began dating.  Richard Petrone, 35, was raised by his Italian family in the Philadelphia suburbs. The Petrone’s own Viking Pastries, a bakery in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Richard managed the bakery, originally founded by his father, Richard Petrone Sr. His daughter, Angela, was just 14 years old when Richard vanished. Today, Angela is the manager of the family bakery. Danielle Imbo, 34, was a mortgage loan processor and the mother of an 18-month-old son at the time of her disappearance. Her divorce from her husband, Joe Imbo, was still pending. The two split because Joe left a then-sick Danielle at home alone with their son, who was also suffering from a cold, to attend the Super Bowl. Joe later told Danielle that he had met another woman on the plane en route to the game, and he wanted to separate. When that relationship didn’t work out, Joe showed interest in reconciling with Danielle. Conflicted about whether to give her marriage another shot or continue dating Richard, Danielle decided to end her relationship with Richard for the time being. However, that would not be the last time that she saw him. In February 2005, Richard was spending his Saturday night eating dinner and making plans to go out that night. He he texted his sister, Christine, asking her to meet him at a bar to watch live music. She couldn’t make it. However, she was hanging out with Danielle Imbo at the time, and passed the invitation along to her. Even though Danielle and Richard hadn’t spoken in over a month, their relationship ended amicably, as Richard understood that Danielle was going through a difficult time. She agreed to meet him and he offered to pick her up. About two hours later, Danielle and Richard arrived at Abilene’s, a now-defunct South Street bar. Other patrons later told police that they looked happy together, sitting closely while sharing an occasional kiss. They both had plans the next day: Danielle was due for a hair appointment at 11a.m. on Sunday morning, and Richard had told friends that he would be watching NASCAR’s Daytona 500 at home. As the night ended, Richard was planning to drive Danielle back to her condo in Mount Laurel, about 25 minutes away. They walked out of the bar onto South Street at 11:45pm. No one would ever see Danielle Imbo, Richard Petrone, or his car, a black 2001 Dodge Dakota pickup truck, ever again. The next day, Danielle never arrived for her hair appointment. Any calls to their cell phones went straight to voicemail. Danielle’s brother, John Ottobre, went to her house the next day and found it dark and undisturbed. Her son would be dropped off by her ex-husband that afternoon, but Danielle was nowhere to be found. Family members told investigators that she would have never missed a day with her son, little Joe. No cell phone or credit card activity from either Danielle nor Richard ever occurred after they disappeared. One of the most puzzling parts of this story is the absence of Richard’s pickup truck. In the majority of missing persons cases, any vehicles involved are eventually recovered. Investigators checked toll cameras and did not see any evidence of Richard and Danielle ever driving into New Jersey. They also checked local “chop shops”, establishments that buy cars and disassemble them to sell for parts, and there was no sign of Richard’s truck anywhere. Even after extensive searches of local lakes and rivers, the Dodge Dakota was never found. In 2008, the FBI released a press statement concluding that Danielle and Richard were likely victims of a “murder for hire” plot. This theory is corroborated by FBI special agent and lead on the case, Vito Roselli, who told Philadelphia Magazine in 2014, “Making two people and a truck disappear, with no witnesses and no evidence of any kind for nine years, suggests methodical planning.” Without a suspect, the motive for the killing remains unclear. The Petrone and Imbo families each have their own suspicions, with neither clan willing to blame their own family member for February 19th’s events. Some accuse Danielle’s ex-husband, Joe, of having acted out of jealousy. However, his alibi puts him over 50 miles away at a children’s birthday party, which he attended with his stepfather, a former NYPD officer. Still, Roselli has not completely ruled him out, since there is suspected involvement of a hit man. There are other suspicions that Richard could have had a connection to the mob, or possibly owed someone money that he couldn’t pay back. He had a clown tattoo, which some have speculated could be a stamp of gang affiliation. However, the FBI has found no evidence of any of these theories. In the last decade, the story of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone has been featured in many news articles, on true crime podcasts, and on popular murder mystery TV shows such as NBC’s Dateline. As Danielle’s son and Richard’s daughter get older, their families are hopeful that there will eventually be some closure in learning what happened on the night of February 19th, 2005. |
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