PA PA - Richard Petrone 35 & Danielle Imbo 34, Philadelphia, 19 Feb 2005 #2

[Harmony 2]

Is the Cooper River deep enough to hold a vehicle? Using Google maps, this would have been the likely route for them driving back home to Imbo's place. This is the only entry point into a river that isn't barricaded in some way.
Google Maps

I mentioned that exact area three years ago. Here is the link to my post:

PA - PA - Richard Petrone, 35 & Danielle Imbo, 34, Philadelphia, 19 Feb 2005 - #2

There were human remains found in that river a couple of years ago but I could never find the results about identification.

Volunteers discover human remains in Pennsauken river

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Is the Cooper River deep enough to hold a vehicle? Using Google maps, this would have been the likely route for them driving back home to Imbo's place. This is the only entry point into a river that isn't barricaded in some way.
Google Maps

At that location, I don't think so.

The Cooper River is described as having "pockets" of 10" deep water. Extreme Philly Fishing: Introducing the Cooper River Lake and the Upper Cooper River, NJ That is about a mile and a half upstream.

Here is the USGS page on it. USGS Current Conditions for USGS 01467150 Cooper River at Haddonfield NJ Here is NOAA's page: National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service It looks like it is under 10 feet normally, possibly under 2 feet, and it gets lower during dry periods.

 

[Piknik]

Where those hard 90 degree bends are is where the deepest parts of the river would be. 10ft would be more than enough to submerge a vehicle.

 

[Piknik]

I mentioned that exact area three years ago. Here is the link to my post:

PA - PA - Richard Petrone, 35 & Danielle Imbo, 34, Philadelphia, 19 Feb 2005 - #2

There were human remains found in that river a couple of years ago but I could never find the results about identification.

Volunteers discover human remains in Pennsauken river

That looks to be up river and not down river.

 

[carolann0308]

I think its very obvious that the car went into the water. Motorcycle gangs & hit men? Sounds like a bad Lifetime Movie.
Why follow a couple home from a random Saturday night date risking witnesses around every corner, when the deed could have easily been done at the home or place of business where the victims schedule is well known. Then you have to get rid of the truck as well?
I don't know how much the Ex husband is worth but somebody would have flipped by now to collect that 100k reward.
The army corp of engineers has been widening the channel for over a decade years using dredging equipt and blasting to remove rock ledge. Unless you knew exactly where the car went into the water it is literally impossible to search. Anything that went off a boat ramp or launch on the Delaware in 2005 has been probably destroyed.
My daughters friend died his car went off the road into water, it was right off a well traveled side road in broad daylight. They did not find the car for days and that was in only about 10 feet of swampy water in a pond. Slid on the ice going just a little too fast.

 

[Suglo]

I think its very obvious that the car went into the water. Motorcycle gangs & hit men? Sounds like a bad Lifetime Movie.
Why follow a couple home from a random Saturday night date risking witnesses around every corner, when the deed could have easily been done at the home or place of business where the victims schedule is well known. Then you have to get rid of the truck as well?
I don't know how much the Ex husband is worth but somebody would have flipped by now to collect that 100k reward.
The army corp of engineers has been widening the channel for over a decade years using dredging equipt and blasting to remove rock ledge. Unless you knew exactly where the car went into the water it is literally impossible to search. Anything that went off a boat ramp or launch on the Delaware in 2005 has been probably destroyed.
My daughters friend died his car went off the road into water, it was right off a well traveled side road in broad daylight. They did not find the car for days and that was in only about 10 feet of swampy water in a pond. Slid on the ice going just a little too fast.

I agree with you. This man went missing in 1997 and was just found in water after all these years due to the car being seen in a google earth photo.

Found Deceased - FL - William Moldt, 40, missing since Nov '97, submerged car spotted on Google Maps Aug 2019

Google Earth helped locate a submerged car in a Florida pond - and the body of a man missing 22 years

 

[bykerladi]

Except that pond was on private land, behind a development, and was not available to the general public. Such is not the case with the Delaware River, which is always bustling with activity all year round. Both boats, barges, pleasure cruises, and huge multi-ton shipping vessels are around, as well as water skis, etc. AND the Delaware has a habit of purging its dead bodies on a regular basis. Usually because of the big boats always about.

 

[Murkywaters]

I think its very obvious that the car went into the water. Motorcycle gangs & hit men? Sounds like a bad Lifetime Movie.
Why follow a couple home from a random Saturday night date risking witnesses around every corner, when the deed could have easily been done at the home or place of business where the victims schedule is well known. Then you have to get rid of the truck as well?
I don't know how much the Ex husband is worth but somebody would have flipped by now to collect that 100k reward.
The army corp of engineers has been widening the channel for over a decade years using dredging equipt and blasting to remove rock ledge. Unless you knew exactly where the car went into the water it is literally impossible to search. Anything that went off a boat ramp or launch on the Delaware in 2005 has been probably destroyed.
My daughters friend died his car went off the road into water, it was right off a well traveled side road in broad daylight. They did not find the car for days and that was in only about 10 feet of swampy water in a pond. Slid on the ice going just a little too fast.

Except there isn't really access to the Delaware river from the street. There is numerous obstacles.

The FBI have stated they believe Danielle and Richard were victims of foul play and I'm sure they have good reason to state that.

 

[bykerladi]

There's also the fact that chop shops are still fairly common in Philly. so its really not a "bad Lifetime Movie," its reality in this part of the world. Welcome to reality. There are really bad people out there, who will do really bad things for really bad reasons. Money, jealousy, hatred and anger. Its amazing what people will do when they're mad. And the players in this instance had the means and opportunity. I'm ready to mea culpa if they're found as a result of accidentally driving in the river. I pray that I'm wrong, and you're right, and it was an accident. But the facts as they exist indicate otherwise. And the children of these poor people have to live with never knowing where their parents are.

 

[Trackergd]

And...the Delaware River is mapped on a regular basis by the Coast Guard using "tow fish" side scan sonar to identify any hazards to navigation. Cars make nice neat sonar targets. Google "sunken car on side scan sonar" and you will see some nice examples of cars, bicycles, bodies, boats, etc...

 

[cherrymeg]

Is the compacted car with bodies in it a myth?

 

[bykerladi]

I thought Richard drove a truck.... where does the compacted car come from?

 

[CCJD]

I thought Richard drove a truck.... where does the compacted car come from?

 

[cherrymeg]

I thought Richard drove a truck.... where does the compacted car come from?

I meant compacted automobile. I'm wondering if this is possible. They have some shady places in Philly.

 

[carolann0308]

Anything is possible, but most people do not have the means or method to dispose of 2 bodies and a vehicle without leaving a trail. None of these people came from wealth and neither family was linked to organized crime. Burying a body takes a bit of planning, burying two that's a damn big hole. Add an SUV or Pickup and you need serious equipment and help.
I understand sonar mapping, my son is an engineer working on a NOAA ship in Alaska that does mapping and surveys. Surveys are done in a grid pattern and take multiple passes to get a clear image. You have to know where to look and what you are looking for, without knowing where something went into the water it would be be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Those cars in the lake in Foss OK were in only 12 feet of water with no currents or sediment from miles up river being deposited on them, people were launching boats, fishing and swimming right above them for decades. The Delaware has high river traffic, is regularly dredged and conducting a logical search takes proper information.

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

Anything is possible, but most people do not have the means or method to dispose of 2 bodies and a vehicle without leaving a trail. None of these people came from wealth and neither family was linked to organized crime. Burying a body takes a bit of planning, burying two that's a damn big hole. Add an SUV or Pickup and you need serious equipment and help.
I understand sonar mapping, my son is an engineer working on a NOAA ship in Alaska that does mapping and surveys. Surveys are done in a grid pattern and take multiple passes to get a clear image. You have to know where to look and what you are looking for, without knowing where something went into the water it would be be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Those cars in the lake in Foss OK were in only 12 feet of water with no currents or sediment from miles up river being deposited on them, people were launching boats, fishing and swimming right above them for decades. The Delaware has high river traffic, is regularly dredged and conducting a logical search takes proper information.

Most people don't have the means or methods but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Most people don't commit murder but hey, we know that happens. I think if there wasn't suspected foul play and there was just the chance of an accident then the FBI wouldn't be so heavily involved posting about having had leads previously and offering a reward. Where do you suggest they got in an accident and ended up in the Delaware River? I mean, it's not like they drove off the Ben Franklin or Walt Whitman.

 

[kemo]

Danielle was going through a rough divorce. Odds are, the estranged husband’s involved. And, the ex is Italian. A mob it for sure. This is Philly after all. But, there are a few facts about the case that just don’t sync up with a murder for hire.

The first problem is that there is no obvious way some hit man would have found them that night. Their being together was a last minute arrangement made at around 7:00 that night and there is no reason anyone except the couple they were with (friends of Richard) knew where they would be.

The second problem is that they vanished somewhere between South Street and the Ben Franklin bridge, which is the only reasonable route they would have taken. (The bridge had CCTV and the distinctive truck they were in was not seen on the bridge that night). The bridge is only a mile or so through heavily traveled, well paroled, city streets. Nobody saw anything. Had some hit man followed them from South Street, he would have waited until there was a more discreet place to pull off the abduction. Now the reason it is believed they were going to Danielle’s condo is that is the impression the couple they were had. (and it was late on a very cold night). They could have decided to go somewhere else. If that is the case, a hit man could have followed them to a better spot to do the deed, but it opens the possibility that they drove into any number of bodies of water in the Greater Philadelphia Metro area.

The third problem is the disappearance of the truck. Burying or otherwise disposing of two bodies involves some risk but it offers advantages as well. Disposing of the truck offers little advantage. If forensic evidence is a problem, tourching the vehicle is the preferred method. Having some auto business with mob connections crunch it or dismantle it is certainly possible (but not cheap) but there would be no way of preventing some employee being aware that a perfectly good late model pickup was being destroyed. Once news of the disappearances and talk of reward money came out, there is little doubt what would happen.

It is amazing how easy it is for a vehicle to vanish in a body of water. If a vehicle leaves a roadway at a high rate of speed and does not encounter a fixed object, it can travel a long distance before and after it hits the water. There are many cases documented in W.S. of this happening.

 

[bykerladi]

Wasn't the Ex also a former cop? Chop shops are common in Philly, especially then. What if the Ex put a tracker on Rich's car?

 

[Valiant]

Wasn't the Ex also a former cop? Chop shops are common in Philly, especially then. What if the Ex put a tracker on Rich's car?

There is no way anyone wanting the couple to disappear would have sent the truck to a chop shop. The VIN of the truck is stamped on the engine and transmission, the frame, etc. It would be too risky for those parts to be sold. If someone made them disappear, the truck as a whole needed to disappear.

 

[kemo]

Wasn't the Ex also a former cop? Chop shops are common in Philly, especially then. What if the Ex put a tracker on Rich's car?

I don’t mean to quibble but it was the ex’s father and uncle who were ex NYPD. Why would anybody put a tracker on Richard’s truck? She wasn’t supposed to be with him that night.

I don’t know anyone involved in this. I’m not from the area and have no vested interest in what happened to them. My only concern is the fact that many people who know the people involved or are from the area are convinced that Danielle’ husband is behind their disappearances while I am satisfied that he is not.