On February 19, 2005, young couple Danielle Imbo and Richard “Rich” Petrone left a cheerful, informal get-together with friends at a Philadelphia bar and seemingly disappeared into the night, never to be seen again.
It’s unlikely Danielle and Rich disappeared willingly. Each of them was a dedicated parent to a child from a past relationship, and investigators say that a decision to abandon their children would go against everything in their DNA.
This week, as we mark the 20-year anniversary of the couple’s disappearance, the FBI is urging anyone with information to come forward so we can close this missing persons case and—just as importantly—bring closure to the victims’ families.
At the time of her disappearance, Danielle Imbo was a 34-year-old mortgage processor who called Mount Laurel, New Jersey, home.
Investigators said Danielle was known for being warm and outgoing, for quickly turning new friends into adopted family, and for her devotion to her son.
“Anybody who spoke about Danielle would stop at one point and say, ‘You know, she would give her life for that kid,’” recalled Special Agent Philip Blessington, who is co-leading the FBI Philadelphia investigation with Intelligence Analyst Steven Meagher.
“She very much wanted to earn enough money to buy a house that had a grass[y] backyard so her son could play; that was her driving goal,” Blessington said. She was even enrolled in a class to help further her career.
Rich was a family man from blue-collar South Philly who worked at his parent’s’ bakery.
Most notably, like Danielle, had a child from a prior relationship—a tween daughter who was the center of his life.
“Rich wasn’t married at the time, but for whatever reason, the daughter’s mother wasn’t in position to care for her daughter in the best possible manner,” Blessington said. “So Rich, by all accounts, was pretty much a solo dad, and he did everything for his daughter, to raise her.”
Danielle had met Rich through his sister, who’d been one of her high-school classmates. And while Danielle and Rich had an on-again, off-again relationship—mostly because their immediate priorities were different—things between them were always amicable.
On February 19, 2005, Danielle originally had a study date planned with a friend and coworker. But, investigators say, she cancelled at the last minute to instead grab dinner with her mom, Rich’s mom, and their girlfriends. During the dinner, Danielle made plans to meet Rich later that evening.
“Two of the women from the dinner party drove Danielle to a bar to meet Rich about 9 o’clock at night,” Blessington explained. “And shortly after arriving at the bar, Rich informs Danielle that a friend of his and that friend’s significant other were at another nearby bar.”
The couples reportedly had a cheerful time at the second bar before parting ways just before midnight. Rich and Danielle were seen walking to his truck, and were never seen again.
The following day, Danielle uncharacteristically missed a hair appointment. This, and the pair’s sudden radio silence, worried their respective families, who contacted the authorities.
When the Mount Laurel Police Department—the local police in Danielle’s New Jersey hometown—realized they needed help to track down the missing couple, they contacted the FBI.
Ever since, the Bureau’s Philadelphia Field Office, and local, state, and federal law enforcement partners from across the United States have rallied together to determine what happened to the couple.
Investigators are confident that the same tightknit South Philly community that raised Richard—and served as a partial backdrop to his love story with Danielle—is keeping the secret of what happened to the couple.
“The city of Philadelphia is more like a town than a city,” Blessington explained. “Everybody knows everybody. Everybody kind of looks out for everybody.”
While some area residents have shared information with the FBI, Blessington said, others may be worried about being seen as traitors to their community. But as the what-ifs of the case continue to haunt the victims’ families into a third decade, investigators ask that potential tipsters come out of hiding.
“…What I can tell those people—and there are people who know things—[is]: If we only do one thing very, very well, we protect the people that are brave enough and try and help us out,” Blessington said.
You can learn more about Danielle and Rich, as well as view their pictures, at fbi.gov/missing.
Investigators encourage anyone with information about the whereabouts of Danielle, Richard, and/or his truck—a black 2001 Dodge Dakota with Pennsylvania license plates YFH 2319—to call the FBI Philadelphia Field Office directly at 215-418-4000. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone.
The case team can help potential tipsters work through any concerns, navigate difficult emotions, and work through different legalities related to coming forward.
“After 20 years, we really need to bring Rich and Danielle home,” Blessington said.
