The Disappearance of Danielle Imbo & Richard Petrone, Jr.

 

Danielle (Ottobre) Imbo and Richard A. Petrone Jr. are an American couple who disappeared together on February 19, 2005, after visiting a bar on Philadelphia's South Street. Their case remains unsolved.

Background

Imbo, age 34, was a resident of Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, and was separated from her husband at the time of her disappearance. Petrone, age 35, resided in Philadelphia and worked at his family's bakery. The couple had been involved in what family and friends describe as an "on again, off again" romantic relationship.

On the evening of Saturday, February 19, 2005, Imbo and Petrone joined another couple for drinks at Abilene's bar and restaurant located at 429 South Street in Philadelphia. Witnesses stated that the couple left the bar at about 11:45 p.m. en route to Imbo's New Jersey home. They were last seen walking on South Street toward Petrone's parked vehicle, a 2001 Dodge pick-up truck.

Investigation

Imbo, Petrone, and their vehicle were not seen again after the night of February 19, 2005. Since their disappearance, there has been no activity on Imbo's or Petrone's cell phones or personal finances. Imbo had a 2-year-old son and Petrone had a teenage daughter. Media accounts state that both had close relationships with their children and families and were unlikely to have voluntarily disappeared.

Since 2008, the FBI has been investigating the disappearance as a possible murder for hire but has not named any suspects.

In 2021, the Philadelphia Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Mount Laurel Police Department, and the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office continued investigating the disappearance. The FBI reported that "an extensive investigation has generated some promising leads; however, neither they nor the vehicle have ever been located."

On March 22, 2022, Adventures with Purpose, a private search and recovery dive team, announced it was actively working on the case.

Media depictions

Their case has been featured on several podcasts, including:

The Vanished, 2016

Obsessed with Disappeared in August 2022 in an episode titled "A Bridge Too Far: The Disappearance of Danielle Imbo & Richard Petrone".

Crime Junkie on May 11, 2020

Women & Crime in December 2021

The Trail Went Cold on June 5, 2024.

There and Gone: South Street, 2024

Their case was episode 11 of season 8 of the TV show Disappeared with the episode "A Bridge Too Far".