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

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

Extremely true, Beth. When the details of this case began to emerge very early on, organized crime was one of the first two things that popped into my mind.

 

[PoppyMcTwist]

I'm new to this case, but after reading every post on this thread (took some time) I'm still not clear as to why organized crime would be interested in this couple. I understand that Danielle had issues with her ex, but IMO the "Mafia" wouldn't bother to get involved in a domestic dispute - too much trouble & publicity for very little payoff. If the alleged hit was perpetrated by a street gang or group of thugs, I doubt they could've kept it quiet and covered their tracks so completely. Someone would've come forward for the reward. I tend to believe they met with a fate that is much less complicated.

JMO

 

[kemo]

Thank you, Christine2448 for clearing this up. I never understood the different sections but now I do and I think the ground rules are clear. I also appreciate your sticking up for me. This is the first thread I have experienced anger at my opinions; usually people agree or disagree and present their counter aguments. I assumed this was a "sleauthing" board and what I wrote was expected. I never ment to "take sides" with any person involved with the case.

I joined in this "conversation" because I believed that the thread had deviated from the issue of "what happened to R&D?" . My postings were a genuine effort to put my ideas out there and elicit responses and get back to what I felt is the task at hand. There are some of you who feel you already know "what happened" and it is a waste of time. or worse. a defense of guilty parties, to question their "interpretation" of events. "

I have followed this case for a while but not all the way back to the beginning. I am embarrased that I was unaware that the EZ-Pass issue was setteled and I incorrectly thought Richie worked in NJ. I had not done my homework. This left me vunerable to the accuation that I was "newbie" who was re-opening a "discredited theory" because I didn't know all the background detail. I have taken some time to re-read the entire thread back to day one. I feel I have a better knowledge of the details surrounding their disappearence but my opinion of "what happened" hasn't changed.

Much has been made of the fact that LE has pubicly identified this as a "hired hit". That would tend to add credibility to that point of view but I have seen no evidence to support this. I will conceed that if this was not an accidental misadventure, then it seems unlikly that it isn't a "hired hit". This is, reaistically, the only LE direction this investigation can go. The FBI can only get involved if federal crimes are involved or other "sanctioned" crimes are suspected. A news source reported that "the FBI does not investigate missing persons. They are involved in this case because of the POSSIBILITY of a hired hit or a kidnapping". (They got into the Lacy Peterson case for the same reason; it turned out no federal laws were broken). I think it is perfectly appropriate to question the conclusions of LE.

The entire question of "inside information" comes up frequently. I would think it would be very frustrating to read the prattling of people totally misinformed when you can not use your inside info to shut them down. Any attempt to use "confidential but no disclosible" info to win an argument is futile because it carries zero credibility. I really wonder why anyone who knew the real facts would participate or even read a "sleauthing" thread.

I hope that everyone who has contributed to this thread continues and I would hope that lurkers out there with something to contribute would also join in. I also would like that we keep this on an adult level and strive for the resolution of this case so that justice can be done the cloud of doubt and suspicion can be lifted from those innocent people who have been caught up in this unfortunate situation.

 

[audrey77]

The NJ/PA Mafia is involved in many things- chop shops, waste management, drug trade. I think any connection would involve someone at the associate/soldier level- not necessarily the higher level members that you always hear about. Probably as a resource or as an "extracurricular" activity.

Also, interestingly, many of them live in the suburbs.

 

[Bobbisangel]

I guess it could have been someone who wanted the truck. I always thought that the ex-husband had something to do with the disappearance. He seemed the most likely. But who knows...someone made them disappear quickly and the truck has never been found. They could have been a random choice of someone who saw them get into the truck or saw the truck parked and waited for the couple to come out and then followed them. I really wish the case would get resolved but its been a long time with no sign of anyone or anything belonging to either of the couple.

Who does LE think had something to do with their disappearance?

 

[BethInAK]

I guess it could have been someone who wanted the truck. I always thought that the ex-husband had something to do with the disappearance. He seemed the most likely. But who knows...someone made them disappear quickly and the truck has never been found. They could have been a random choice of someone who saw them get into the truck or saw the truck parked and waited for the couple to come out and then followed them. I really wish the case would get resolved but its been a long time with no sign of anyone or anything belonging to either of the couple.

Who does LE think had something to do with their disappearance?

From DMV's posts it appears the LE believes the ex-husband is responsible, although not firsthand.

 

[Bobbisangel]

From DMV's posts it appears the LE believes the ex-husband is responsible, although not firsthand.

If I remember correctly the ex had their little child and was at the ex's parents spending the night or maybe he was living there. I always thought that he waited until the baby was sleeping and left for a while. Maybe he had it set up for someone else to do the job for him though but I do think he is involved. I hope that LE can prove it somehow. He is probably strutting around like a peacock thinking he is so smart because he got away with murder x 2. Anyone who take the life/lives of others shouldn't get away with it. It just stands my hair on end. :furious:

 

[kemo]

The "ex" Joe Imbo, was staying with the child at his parents house in Toms River NJ, about 46 miles away. His father, NYPD retired and his cousin (?) a NYPD detective verified that he was there all night.

 

[anniem15]

I wonder if Joe Imbo normally would stay with his parents on the nights that he had his son? His alibi seems a bit convenient. Wouldn't you want to be staying at home with two cops on the night that your ex goes missing? Let's say that this is true. The FBI has said that this is a murder for hire. I don't care what your alibi is, if you hired someone to take out your ex, you belong in jail.

 

[christine2448]

I wonder if Joe Imbo normally would stay with his parents on the nights that he had his son? His alibi seems a bit convenient. Wouldn't you want to be staying at home with two cops on the night that your ex goes missing? Let's say that this is true. The FBI has said that this is a murder for hire. I don't care what your alibi is, if you hired someone to take out your ex, you belong in jail.

My exact thought when reading Kemo's post about the alibi was 'how convenient'.

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

I'm new to this case, but after reading every post on this thread (took some time) I'm still not clear as to why organized crime would be interested in this couple. I understand that Danielle had issues with her ex, but IMO the "Mafia" wouldn't bother to get involved in a domestic dispute - too much trouble & publicity for very little payoff. If the alleged hit was perpetrated by a street gang or group of thugs, I doubt they could've kept it quiet and covered their tracks so completely. Someone would've come forward for the reward. I tend to believe they met with a fate that is much less complicated.

JMO

The problem with that concept, IMO, is that there's not a single trace of them or the truck anywhere. I suppose it's possible but it just seems that if something uncomplicated would have happened to them, we would have seen some sort of clues somewhere along the way.

As for the Mafia, I agree that they probably wouldn't get involved in a domestic dispute normally. However, if the person looking for the hit is closely involved with someone in the Mafia, maybe it wouldn't be as hard to get them involved. (?) Mafia or people that know someone in the Mafia aren't tremendously hard to come by in this region.

I know that DMV mentioned that Joe has family in LE. Perhaps a crooked cop would know where to turn for a hit? I'm not implying at all that his family has crooked LE. I don't know the Imbos at all. But it's just another possibility.

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

Much has been made of the fact that LE has pubicly identified this as a "hired hit". That would tend to add credibility to that point of view but I have seen no evidence to support this.

First I want to say that I found your post very well-written and very level-headed. You made some great points.

About the statement above, I think that it's reasonable that we've "made much" of LE's labeling this as a murder-for-hire. I agree that we don't have any evidence to support it but we don't have evidence to support anything. We have no evidence to support that they ran off together. We have no evidence to support that they're lying in a ditch somewhere. Etcetera. This case has received such remarkably little media attention compared to other cases that we don't really have much to go on at all. Only the occassional snippet from a newspaper or a brief update on the local news. It's logical to discuss every possibility especially when LE states outright that it's a murder-for-hire. I'm not sure why we wouldn't go down this avenue of discussion considering it's all we've been given by LE. In my mind, the logical direction of this thread would be ... okay, LE said that it's a murder-for-hire ... who would want them dead and why? As I'm sure you know, the first suspects are always those closest to the victims. I'm sure that no one here wants to incorrectly identify an innocent party as the suspect and I don't think anyone here is trying to bash Joe Imbo. But it's a very strong possibility that needs to be discussed. Referring to him as an innocent party that got swept into this case is indefensible at this point. Him being involved is a logical possibility that any good sleuther would investigate.

The easiest scenario ... they had an accident on the way home. But in the opinion of many that know the area, including myself, it's extremely unlikely. A much more complicated scenario ... an ex didn't want to pay child support (or some similar situation), contacted a Mafia connection or a crooked cop connection and paid them to do away with the pair and to make it untraceable. When I think about it, I'm not even sure why it sounds so unrealistic to people. We've seen spouses and ex-spouses do some amazingly bizarre things to their former loved ones. We've seen many, many, many cases where the ex had an alibi and the bodies have never been found.

In any case, I don't want to see someone's life ruined over a horribly unfortunate situation to which they just happened to be somehow connected but I also think that it would be absolutely ridiculous for us not to discuss every single aspect of the ex-husband in this case. I don't know of a case where the ex hasn't come up in extensive discussion.

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

The entire question of "inside information" comes up frequently. I would think it would be very frustrating to read the prattling of people totally misinformed when you can not use your inside info to shut them down. Any attempt to use "confidential but no disclosible" info to win an argument is futile because it carries zero credibility. I really wonder why anyone who knew the real facts would participate or even read a "sleauthing" thread.

I'm not sure why they wouldn't. :waitasec: Especially since when this first came to WS, no one knew anything.

 

[christine2448]

Richard Petrone's disappearance was a targeted event
February 7, 2008. The father of missing man Richard Petrone stopped by Good Day to talk about the new leads in the case of his missing son and his girlfriend Danielle Imbo. Petrone says he and many others suspected the disappearance was a targeted event, and not a random act of violence.


Were they murdered for money?
February 6, 2008. Today, for the first time, the FBI said the evidence seems to suggest someone wanted them dead and paid for the killing. The FBI said that an arrest is not imminent. They did confirm that the investigation has taken them beyond Philadelphia and New Jersey, and into other states.

Richard Petrone, Sr. Interview
February 6, 2008. The father of a man who went missing almost three years ago speaks to Fox Philadelphia's Dave Schratwieser. Richard Petrone says the FBI is now considering what he's believed all along: his son was likely caught up in a murder for hire plot.

Feds Think Couple's Disappearance Was a Hit
February 6, 2008. "The mysterious disappearance of a local couple on South Street three years ago was the result of a murder-for-hire, sources tell Fox 29 News. Sources say investigators believe Petrone and Imbo were headed to Imbo's Mount Laurel condominium when they were abducted and killed by one or more killers who knew what they were doing.

New Information In Disappearance Of Richard Petrone
February 6, 2008. "As a result of the three-year investigation and all of the leads we have followed up and pursued, we are now classifying this as a murder-for-hire investigation," said Jayne Challman with the F.B.I.

Was couple's disappearance murder for hire?
February 6, 2008. "We have continued to actively investigate this case and have taken all tips and run them down to their logical conclusion," FBI Special Agent Jerri Williams said yesterday. "One of the leads has led us to pursue a possible murder-for-hire scenario."


All videos and complete stories can be found at RichardPetrone.com

 

[audrey77]

Were they murdered for money?
February 6, 2008. Today, for the first time, the FBI said the evidence seems to suggest someone wanted them dead and paid for the killing. The FBI said that an arrest is not imminent. They did confirm that the investigation has taken them beyond Philadelphia and New Jersey, and into other states.

Delaware, Maryland, New York, Connecticut... all within close vicinity... all on I-95... But then again it could be anywhere.

 

[wenchie]

I'm not sure why they wouldn't. :waitasec: Especially since when this first came to WS, no one knew anything.

I believe the OP originally came here for support, and the thread was in the support area.

I see that it has now been moved to the "sleuthing" area so that people can sleuth away.

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

My exact thought when reading Kemo's post about the alibi was 'how convenient'.

Ditto. He just happened to be at his parents' house and it just happened to be nearly 50 miles away and his parents just happened to be able to verify his whereabouts. All of that means nothing other than that Joe Imbo probably didn't it himself.

And like another poster mentioned ... how often did Joe and the baby spend the night at his parents' house?

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

Delaware, Maryland, New York, Connecticut... all within close vicinity... all on I-95... But then again it could be anywhere.

Or North Carolina. Didn't/doesn't Joe Imbo have a connection to North Carolina? I can't recall but I think that DMV said that he moved there. Am I remembering this correctly?

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

I believe the OP originally came here for support, and the thread was in the support area.

I see that it has now been moved to the "sleuthing" area so that people can sleuth away.

I thought that there was one thread in each area. I suppose we may have gotten confused along the way as to which thread was which. I suppose it doesn't matter now but I wish things wouldn't have turned out the way they have recently. DMV, you're always on my mind and the minds of many others of us here.

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

Ah, it was me in post #82. lol. What an airhead I can be at times! :crazy:

Here's the post:

MyFox Philadelphia | First On Fox: Feds Think Couple's Disappearance Was Hit

"The sophistication in which some of the evidence was removed makes this a murder for hire and well planned out scheme," said FBI Assistant Special Agent In Charge Jayne Challman...

Sources say investigators believe Petrone and Imbo were headed to Danielle Imbo's Mount Laurel condominium when they were abducted and killed by one of more suspects...

"Do we have a suspect in mind or anything like that," Challman was asked. "We are aggressively pursuing that."

Imbo's estranged husband has moved to North Carolina with the couple's young son...