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

[Sweetluv]

I think if this was a random murder/robbery they would have left the bodies and truck wherever it took place. A " hit" could have been carried out with the instructions to leave nothing behind, which would make more sense .
Many people commit suicide by jumping off bridges and their bodies have not been recovered...shipwrecks too...so I think the truck plunging into a body of water would be the same. Its a wide water area that is murky. I have heard that the rivers are also a dumping ground for vehicles that are plunged, then reported stolen for insurance $. Lately, quite a few vehicles have been recovered throughout the US in bodies of water that were linked to a missing person.
Im on the fence between them going into the water and a hit. South Streer Philly on a busy Sat night and no one seen or heard anything!?

 

[rob525]

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

My question would be; How available were "tracking devices" in 2005. In todays world one may track a cell phone through GPS etc. or an Air Tag (?). But I wonder if, in 2005, would that have been possible? One may see movies or hear stories about tracking devices place on vehicles, but could you just go out and buy one? Where?

 

[rob525]

I still am on board with the "in the water" theory. Just looking into the subject shows that many vehicles end up there one way or another. I also know from experience how difficult it is to find objects underwater, how quickly an object may become lost and completely silted over.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

My question would be; How available were "tracking devices" in 2005. In todays world one may track a cell phone through GPS etc. or an Air Tag (?). But I wonder if, in 2005, would that have been possible? One may see movies or hear stories about tracking devices place on vehicles, but could you just go out and buy one? Where?

I think that some types were commercially available and cell phones could be tracked at that point.

 

[Shamrock1]

My question would be; How available were "tracking devices" in 2005. In todays world one may track a cell phone through GPS etc. or an Air Tag (?). But I wonder if, in 2005, would that have been possible? One may see movies or hear stories about tracking devices place on vehicles, but could you just go out and buy one? Where?

Car tracking devices were available to the general public but expensive. GPS navigation devices (Garmin, TomTom) and satellite tracking (Lo Jack) were 1990s and Google Maps was 2004 IIRC. Putting aside the obvious legality issues, someone with a police background would know which consumer devices had the longest battery life, etc. JMO.

 

[kemo]

In the late 1990’s, I knew someone who owned a “ high end” vehicle and had a GPS tracking device. Their car was stolen and they were able to track it to someone’s garage. I believe Law Enforcement did it through the security company that they had a subscription with rather than tracking it on their own device as it would be done today. Either way, some random “hit man” would have had to be extremely well connected to have access to that signal. (And Law Enforcement would have been able to use it to track the location of the truck).

 

[rob525]

I know about the Low-Jack and I guess in 2005 tracking cell phones was possible for Law Enforcement. I seems that all of the individual components may have been in place but it does not seem that the average joe would be able to track someone like they could today. I agree that someone would need to be in LE or very close to be able to track someone. And even then, could they do it in real time? Probably only Low Jack etc. would have that capability. And then that begs the question. If the car could have been tracked by LE, why haven't they done it? If the car had low jack or similar, or one of their cell phones been tracked etc. LE should know where the last place that the car was pinged.
I thought about this case on the way in to work today. The more that I think about the hitman angle, the more unlikely I feel that it is. How many times is there a news story of someone attempting to solicit a hitman and the solicitee, either before or after receiving some money, going straight to the police? I imagine there are many times where money is paid and the deed is never done as there is no real way force the act or recover the money. Additionally, even when one finds a "hitman" it is often some bumbling drug addict that is caught in short order. To find someone that could pull this off, at this place and time, with two victims involved, and at a moments notice, and without a trace of victim or vehicle even twenty years later seems like something that would be a rarity.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

There was commercially available GPS tracking in 2005: History of GPS satellites and commercial GPS tracking | Geotab

There were other types of racking before that.

 

[Bibi55]

Interesting. Any particular reason why you think that?

Because Jo Imbo was monitoring and listening into Danielle’s phone calls, he had called Richard 20 to 30 times threatening him to stay away from Danielle, he was obviously intent on keeping Richard and Danielle separated and because IMO I do believe the couple were monitored i believe there was a good chance the movement of vehicles was also monitored with GPS.

 

[Bibi55]

I have just been listening to the “There and gone Southstreet” Podcast about this case. Really interesting insight into the case, the interconnections of people and how scared people close to case are to speak out. Intersted to hear what others you have listened to this 10 part podcast think?

 

[Bibi55]

They are oficially listed as Missing per the FBI. an agent with the Philadelphia office said he suspects foul play,but thats not official.

The latest podcast I just watched on case there and gone on South Tree in 10th episode brother said FBI told him both were murdered that night

 

[Bibi55]

Derrick Levasseur covered this case on his YouTube show Detective Perspective yesterday. He basically arrives at the same conclusion that many of us on here have come to, namely that Richard and Danielle had an accident while driving, and that they ended up with their car in a body of water.

However, Derrick proposes an interesting twist. Up to now, we've assumed that the pair were headed back to Danielle's place in Mount Laurel, NJ, based on what they said when leaving the bar. But what if they made a last minute decision to head back to Richard's place in Ardmore, PA instead? It was technically closer and would mean not having to pay the toll to cross into NJ, which explains why their EZ-Pass wasn't used. This route would've made them go over the Schuylkill River, so maybe we've been looking in the wrong place this whole time.

I am more leaning towards murder for hire after listening to podcast there and gone on south street it is apparent the FBI have a lot of info we don’t know about and they believe couple were killed that night. They said they need more info to tie things in

 

[Bibi55]

If it was a hit, I think their only concern would be Danielle and Richard, not the truck. So I wonder why that's missing too? Unless, the shooter (s) were instructed to get rid of the truck to cast suspicion that they both took off together.
Feb 19, 2005 was a Saturday..with people out and about over the weekend, I'm surprised no one seen or heard anything.

FBI and others said many shonky vehicle businesses operating there that could have compacted car or turned it into mulch

 

[Bibi55]

Has it been mentioned whether both couples left the bar at the same time? Just looking at the street view of the area (although not sure what the area was like in 2005) there seems to be a lot of activity / establishments in the area. It would seem very difficult to pull off a planned murder particularly if both couples went to their cars at the same time.

Danielle and Richard left together the other couple stay in bar. Richard had said his car was parked closed. They said South Street was busy in those days

 

[Bibi55]

I did read about the possibility. Two people who viewed the alleged hit man Robert Carey's suicide note confirmed there was no confession. So if he did do it, we may never know. I do believe he was seriously investigated but was never named as a suspect.

I guess maybe Danielle knew too much in regards to the prescription pill ring? Do you know if Joe Imbo knew Robert Carey? Where did this rumour originate?

Philadelphia Daily News article from 2010

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ETA:

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I just listen to 10 part podcast titled there and gone South street it about this case. Robert Carey and many other dubious charecters are mentioned a lot in podcast.,there are connections of sorts between people

 

[Bibi55]

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.

I think GPS tracker was on both Richard and Danielle’s vehicles

 

[rob525]

I think GPS tracker was on both Richard and Danielle’s vehicles

I still go back to availability of tracking equipment. Maybe something was "commercially" available however, that doesn't mean any joe schmo off the street could get it / afford it. Law enforcement, military, private/corporate security, but some dude that wanted to follow his wife around?
After listening to many crime podcasts I am learning not to take everything presents as fact. There is a lot of personal opinion and conjecture that goes in to the production.

 

[Shamrock1]

I still go back to availability of tracking equipment. Maybe something was "commercially" available however, that doesn't mean any joe schmo off the street could get it / afford it. Law enforcement, military, private/corporate security, but some dude that wanted to follow his wife around?
After listening to many crime podcasts I am learning not to take everything presents as fact. There is a lot of personal opinion and conjecture that goes in to the production.

Yes, any joe schmo could obtain a tracking device in the early 2000s. See Robert Sullivan’s use of TravelEyes.

Anecdotally, I can certainly recall seeing internet ads for keystroke loggers and vehicle trackers in the early 2000s. Shows that exposed infidelity were popular back then.

One theory is that Danielle was the target. A person close to her wasn’t just “some dude” but law enforcement.