PA PA - Richard Petrone, 35, & Danielle Imbo, 34, Philadelphia, 19 Feb 2005 - #3

[Valiant]

I suspect they didn’t go directly to Danielle’s home. The Ben Franklin bridge was the only reasonable route there but CCTV did not pick up Richard’s truck. There are plenty of bodies of water in greater Metro Philadelphia. Where might they have gone? I’m willing to bet the Truck will turn up in a body of water with human remains inside but the location will be a real surprise.

I do agree that’s most likely. This was supposedly an impromptu outing, so unless someone followed them even a targeted crime probably would be unlikely to occur on this trip unless it happened near their residences. Of course I’d love to know why LE suspects foul play.

 

[ilovewings]

I do agree that’s most likely. This was supposedly an impromptu outing, so unless someone followed them even a targeted crime probably would be unlikely to occur on this trip unless it happened near their residences. Of course I’d love to know why LE suspects foul play.

The fact they said,they believed this was a hired hit is a pretty definitive statement which
Leads me to believe there is some type of evidence they have but it isnt enough to solve the case

 

[morf13]

I suspect they didn’t go directly to Danielle’s home. The Ben Franklin bridge was the only reasonable route there but CCTV did not pick up Richard’s truck. There are plenty of bodies of water in greater Metro Philadelphia. Where might they have gone? I’m willing to bet the Truck will turn up in a body of water with human remains inside but the location will be a real surprise.

Adventures with Purpose diving team (and others)have searched that river, but the currents are tough, and parts are deep. So far no results but I am with you, one day an especially low drought or something may aide in finding the truck

 

[Bounceycat]

Adventures with Purpose diving team (and others)have searched that river, but the currents are tough, and parts are deep. So far no results but I am with you, one day an especially low drought or something may aide in finding the truck

I also believe Toni Sharpless and her car are somewhere in the river.

 

[Danaya]

I'm not trying to be dismissive, but so often when a person and their car go missing, true crime enthusiasts conclude that "they're in a body of water." This is especially prevalent on reddit. I'm not sure what sparked this, maybe all the different news articles of old cars being pulled out of lakes with missing persons inside them.

However, I don't think it's that simple.

The police have a reason to believe that Richard and Danielle were murdered, going so far as to declare this a "professional hit" numerous times. They would've had reason to rule out the "drove into water" theory. Occam's razor states that it should be applied in the absence of evidence. There is evidence, though. It points to murder.

 

[ilovewings]

I'm not trying to be dismissive, but so often when a person and their car go missing, true crime enthusiasts conclude that "they're in a body of water." This is especially prevalent on reddit. I'm not sure what sparked this, maybe all the different news articles of old cars being pulled out of lakes with missing persons inside them.

However, I don't think it's that simple.

The police have a reason to believe that Richard and Danielle were murdered, going so far as to declare this a "professional hit" numerous times. They would've had reason to rule out the "drove into water" theory. Occam's razor states that it should be applied in the absence of evidence. There is evidence, though. It points to murder.

Totally agree- I am sure law enforcement does not make statements about professional hit for hire unless they have some powerful evidence. I don't believe the couple are in the water.

 

[kemo]

Totally agree- I am sure law enforcement does not make statements about professional hit for hire unless they have some powerful evidence. I don't believe the couple are in the water.

In order for the FBI to get involved, certain criteria had to be met. Murder for Hire involving multiple state jurisdictions would justify FBI involvement. Obviously, in an unsolved crime, nobody can be certain what criteria are actually met but, but the FBI must justify all involvement based on reasonable possibility that some criteria is met. Since Danielle lived, worked and socialized primarily in New Jersey but the truck does not appear to have left Pennsylvania, if this was a crime, it very likely meets the “interstate criteria”. The possibility that this was a “hired hit” certainly exists and FBI involvement was justified. It is just that FBI involvement is not proof of anything. No one has been named “ person of interest” or otherwise identified by Law Enforcement as a suspect. There is online speculation about the ex-husband but that is about it. I am not aware that any Law Enforcement agency has made any claim that a hired hit was anything more than a possibility.

Of all of the Missing Persons cases where the vehicle also vanished, that I am aware of, only one turned out to be murders (the lil’miss case out of Wyoming) the rest are ether still unsolved or the vehicles have been found in the water with bodies there. Statistically, this is the most likely explanation.

 

[renaebri]

Of all of the Missing Persons cases where the vehicle also vanished, that I am aware of, only one turned out to be murders (the lil’miss case out of Wyoming) the rest are ether still unsolved or the vehicles have been found in the water with bodies there. Statistically, this is the most likely explanation.

This isn't a perfect list, but on that topic these are all the recovered missing with vehicles i've been able to find so far (most where the vehicle was missing for atleast 6 months). Not many are suspected to be foul play, though even when they're found it can be hard to say unless there's obvious evidence.

Recovered: Missing with Vehicle

docs.google.com

But I have to agree, after so much time and publicity on this one, if there was evidence for foul play I feel like there would be some movement. There's good reason why water is suspected for these cases.

 

[ilovewings]

This isn't a perfect list, but on that topic these are all the recovered missing with vehicles i've been able to find so far (most where the vehicle was missing for atleast 6 months). Not many are suspected to be foul play, though even when they're found it can be hard to say unless there's obvious evidence.

Recovered: Missing with Vehicle

docs.google.com

But I have to agree, after so much time and publicity on this one, if there was evidence for foul play I feel like there would be some movement. There's good reason why water is suspected for these cases.

It appears that this case will remain a mystery- it has already been 20 years - if there was foul play, someone would have to come forward with information: if they went into the water, the vehicle would have to be found. Very sad.

 

[kemo]

This isn't a perfect list, but on that topic these are all the recovered missing with vehicles i've been able to find so far (most where the vehicle was missing for atleast 6 months). Not many are suspected to be foul play, though even when they're found it can be hard to say unless there's obvious evidence.

Recovered: Missing with Vehicle

docs.google.com

But I have to agree, after so much time and publicity on this one, if there was evidence for foul play I feel like there would be some movement. There's good reason why water is suspected for these cases.

This is a very interesting list. Most of the cases I had never heard of. Very few are believed to be foul play. Realistically, it is hard to make a car disappear; even in a body of water. A car, hitting the water at a high rate of speed might travel some distance to where the water is deeper and the vehicle would not be visible from shore. It isn’t that easy to push a car into water where it won’t be found. The Case of Carole Pappas has always been interested me. Her husband was a big time retired major league pitcher who was a bit of a local celebrity. He became the prime suspect when his wife and her car went missing. A lot of suspicion but no evidence against him so nothing happened. Then her car with her remains was found in a retention pond half a mile from their home in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. She had lost control of her car and ran off the road into the pond. It was mid-day but no one saw her. A fluke accident that really isn’t that unusual.

 

[Iknewit80]

I suspect they didn’t go directly to Danielle’s home. The Ben Franklin bridge was the only reasonable route there but CCTV did not pick up Richard’s truck. There are plenty of bodies of water in greater Metro Philadelphia. Where might they have gone? I’m willing to bet the Truck will turn up in a body of water with human remains inside but the location will be a real surprise.

I believe they stopped by Richard's place in South Philly.

 

[Angelcat13]

I suspect they didn’t go directly to Danielle’s home. The Ben Franklin bridge was the only reasonable route there but CCTV did not pick up Richard’s truck. There are plenty of bodies of water in greater Metro Philadelphia. Where might they have gone? I’m willing to bet the Truck will turn up in a body of water with human remains inside but the location will be a real surprise.

I’m local on the Jersey side and would consider the Betsy Ross Bridge a better option if they would have been going to Danielle’s home in Mount Laurel. I say this because it is a lot less crowded and because cops seem to be less prevalent and prone to car stops on the PA side on I-95 than on the Jersey side on Rt 295 (just in case they had anything to drink). They could go North on I-95, cross the Betsy Ross Bridge and go South on Rt 73 to Rt 38 or Rt 130 and take any number of back roads to Danielle’s home. This is, of course, a moot point IMO because the Betsy Ross Bridge would have had camera footage showing them cross, which it apparently did not.

Also, they could have taken the Tacony - Palmyra Bridge but that is not as easily accessible from I-95 and I am assuming that bridge would have also had camera surveillance. I personally don’t like this bridge because it is pretty narrow and the only benefit to taking this bridge if it is not on the direct route to where you are going is that it is less expensive. However this wouldn’t factor in here because the toll is only paid LEAVING New Jersey so there is no benefit price-wise taking this bridge into NJ.

I personally don’t think they ever made it near one of the bridges and believe it was foul-play. I’m on the fence about JI being involved, but I am leaning against it.

 

[Bibi55]

Did RP call his sister on the last evening that he and DI were seen? I see people sighting the husbands having the password to his wife's phone. However, I seem to remember that RP called his sister asking her to meet him and she then passed the phone to Danielle. Also, was FB messenger a thing in 2005? How, without the phone would having the password have helped JI in real time know where Danielle was? After the fact, yes, but it would have had to be a scenario where JI finds out where Danielle was and then called the hitman who then waited out on what seems like a street that would have seen a decent amount of foot traffic ( not to mention another couple they were out with). Do we know where they parked the car? I see what looks like on street parking and maybe a lot down a side street. Also, one more though. JI would have to know what RP was driving. How else would he be able to relate to the hit man what vehicle to find and where to wait for DI and RP?

Would not be surprised if their was a tracking device on a Richard and Danielle’s cars

 

[Bibi55]

I'm not trying to be dismissive, but so often when a person and their car go missing, true crime enthusiasts conclude that "they're in a body of water." This is especially prevalent on reddit. I'm not sure what sparked this, maybe all the different news articles of old cars being pulled out of lakes with missing persons inside them.

However, I don't think it's that simple.

The police have a reason to believe that Richard and Danielle were murdered, going so far as to declare this a "professional hit" numerous times. They would've had reason to rule out the "drove into water" theory. Occam's razor states that it should be applied in the absence of evidence. There is evidence, though. It points to murder.

Yes I believe there were tracking devices on DI and RP vehicles. jMO

 

[RedHaus]

Yes I believe there were tracking devices on DI and RP vehicles. jMO

Interesting. Any particular reason why you think that?

 

[ferretnurse]

We're closing in on 21 years. As someone who grew up in delco and spent many nights in the early 2000s on south street (condom kingdom? It was real, right?) I've always been convinced they're in water. No matter what the fbi or whatever conspiracy podcasters and documentaries came up with, none of them made sense to me. A hit man? With what money? Where did that money come from? The ex wasn't rich. The whole evening wasn't planned or told to many people, and having a hit man trail them or a tracker on the car seems unlikely. No one knew they would end up together that night, including DI and RP themselves. People keep saying that there's no way to drive into the water in Philly. I was an emergency hospice nurse in Philly for five years. Which meant I got calls to go out and pronounce at all hours. I can tell from personal experience, there's several places it can happen. I obviously wasn't drinking, but was often very tired. I actually bought a seat belt cutter/glass breaker after the first incident. I've skidded on damp roads, turned too early, etc. Saying it's impossible because "someone would have found them by now" is also inaccurate. You have to realize the size and depth of the possible waterways. I mean, some guy was lost in darby creek for like 20 years, and we're talking way bigger and deeper.

 

[Incomprehensible]

We're closing in on 21 years. As someone who grew up in delco and spent many nights in the early 2000s on south street (condom kingdom? It was real, right?) I've always been convinced they're in water. No matter what the fbi or whatever conspiracy podcasters and documentaries came up with, none of them made sense to me. A hit man? With what money? Where did that money come from? The ex wasn't rich. The whole evening wasn't planned or told to many people, and having a hit man trail them or a tracker on the car seems unlikely. No one knew they would end up together that night, including DI and RP themselves. People keep saying that there's no way to drive into the water in Philly. I was an emergency hospice nurse in Philly for five years. Which meant I got calls to go out and pronounce at all hours. I can tell from personal experience, there's several places it can happen. I obviously wasn't drinking, but was often very tired. I actually bought a seat belt cutter/glass breaker after the first incident. I've skidded on damp roads, turned too early, etc. Saying it's impossible because "someone would have found them by now" is also inaccurate. You have to realize the size and depth of the possible waterways. I mean, some guy was lost in darby creek for like 20 years, and we're talking way bigger and deeper.

I am from Montco and I totally agree with you. I wonder if anyone has searched underwater in vulnerable areas.
The Delaware river and many places in New Jersey.

 

[RedHaus]

I lived in Montco for 10 years while working in Philco.

I've wondered if they made a late night decision to go somewhere for a nightcap or romantic trist and then went into water by accident, farther away than LE considered for the search area.

Then again, I've been close enough to organized crime and drug dealing that I have to always wonder about secret lives.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I am from Montco and I totally agree with you. I wonder if anyone has searched underwater in vulnerable areas.
The Delaware river and many places in New Jersey.

We're closing in on 21 years. As someone who grew up in delco and spent many nights in the early 2000s on south street (condom kingdom? It was real, right?) I've always been convinced they're in water. No matter what the fbi or whatever conspiracy podcasters and documentaries came up with, none of them made sense to me. A hit man? With what money? Where did that money come from? The ex wasn't rich. The whole evening wasn't planned or told to many people, and having a hit man trail them or a tracker on the car seems unlikely. No one knew they would end up together that night, including DI and RP themselves. People keep saying that there's no way to drive into the water in Philly. I was an emergency hospice nurse in Philly for five years. Which meant I got calls to go out and pronounce at all hours. I can tell from personal experience, there's several places it can happen. I obviously wasn't drinking, but was often very tired. I actually bought a seat belt cutter/glass breaker after the first incident. I've skidded on damp roads, turned too early, etc. Saying it's impossible because "someone would have found them by now" is also inaccurate. You have to realize the size and depth of the possible waterways. I mean, some guy was lost in darby creek for like 20 years, and we're talking way bigger and deeper.

There are a lot of places to go into the water, but would be some evidence. e.g. tracks or a broken fence.

 

[LucyOso]

I also have always thought they went into the water somewhere.