According to DelTondo, her daughter was "deathly afraid of police. On Monday, September 18, 1972, Morgan Walters Peters Jr. was found lying in a small gully; face down approximately 55 feet north of the north edge of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, in the area of milepost 189.2. I'm not a police officer. So, Percivalle says he first refused to give it to Catroppa. Erin Moriarty: But it's just a coincidence, though, that, right after you get it, it's suddenly made public. William Leonard left Micks Taxi Garage in Cresco, PA., for the two mile ride to Buck Hill Falls Lodge. Rachael DelTondo was 33 years old when she was killed in 2018. District Attorney David Lozier told "48 Hours" an announcement will be made when they believe they can win a case beyond reasonable doubt. Frank Catroppa: There was just a lot of outside interference with some of her family. Theory 1 "Do you think anyone in the police department was involved in any way in Rachael's death?" Phylicia Albina Thomas arrived home and after a short time she went outside. They stopped on the sidewalk by her friend's house on Myrtle Street in Scranton. Rachael had become socially isolated. 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Lauren says she took Rachael home to pick up a sweatshirt and then the pair headed out again -- this time to Hank's for ice cream. Super Bowl weekend 2016, Frank was at the game with some buddies and they weren't alone. Will Rachael DelTondo's killer or killers ever be found? All callers remain anonymous and could be eligible for a CASH REWARD. On July 17, 2002, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Shawn Fosnaught and Scott Baur were found lying on Cashdollar Road in Forward Township, Butler County, PA. Shawn and Scott were walking home from a friends house and would have used Cashdollar Road to get home. And she still came around. He's accused of killing 30-year-old Tyric Pugh in Aliquippa. Stephanie Coyle was a very dedicated volunteer for the senior citizen center and had not showed up for service on that morning. Heike was last seen in her driveway located on Fishing Creek Valley Road, West Hanover Township, Dauphin County, PA. Heike left behind her ID, purse, and medication. On Nov. 14, 2017,authorities in Perry County, Pa. charged a local man with the 1983 murder of his wife, providing a reminder that even decades-old "cold cases" are never totally forgotten. They quickly became Aliquippa's "it" couple. Erin Moriarty: At some point, then, did you start talking to Rachel? Frank Catroppa: There were some -- some girls on the -- on the trip. On November 12, 1991, Denises body was found within a wooded portion of an undeveloped cul-de-sac off of Harvey Road, formally Birmingham Township (Chadds Ford Township), Delaware County. It was beautiful. 911 was contacted by a passing motorist who observed the boys on the road. One. Rachael's parents say they never saw evidence of drug use. And they were just talking. The victim had a visible fracture on a front tooth. tony bloom starlizard. I mean it went back and forth a lot. Surratt charted a radically different path when he returned home to Aliquippa from the rice paddies of Southeast Asia and began terrorizing communities during a killing spree unparalleled in. Frank Catroppa: She contacted me and saying that, you know, that people were bothering her or the, you know police --. Rod was also shot in the back outside of his residence approximately four years earlier. Jeter's attorney argues that if anyone knew what time Rachael was going to be home, it was Lauren Watkins. She said "No, no, no, I wasn't doing anything like that." What Glovan told Catroppa is that nearly a year earlier, on the same weekend when he was away with other women at the Super Bowl, Rachael had done something that had put her job and her relationship with Frank at risk. Upon arrival the officer found Stephanie Coyle on her bedroom floor. Come on. but they both agreed to break up with their significant others. S. A person of interest in her murder was convicted in. Jury finds Sheldon Jeter guilty of murder, Sheldon Jeter defense: Juror in recent homicide trial was DelTondos neighbor, Video: New true-crime podcast, "Return To View," set to debut July 28, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Rachael DelTondo's tragic murder remained unsolved, just as Tyric Pugh was killed under eerily similar circumstances in May 2020. Erin Moriarty: At any point did you have Rachael followed? aliquippa, pa unsolved murders aliquippa, pa unsolved murders : 2021217 : 2021217 : : hk usp 45 17 round magazine. I wasn't gonna text back and be like, "Who's this?". Authorities won't say whether they were able to verify Frank's alibi, and eyebrows were raised when he appeared on social media wearing a T-shirt that read: "fake alibi." John Paul: I believe there were a series of events that occurred before her death that could be looked at as the dominoes that kept falling, one after another, that led up to her killing. authorities in Perry County, Pa. charged a local man with the 1983 murder of his wife. Especially her. gr. Catroppa stood by Rachael, but about a year later, he would decide he needed to know more about what had happened between Rachael and Sheldon Jeter. Frank Catroppa: She would never really give names But she would always just, you know, lump in the -- the police department. Frank DelTondo: There was no ill intent. The victim had no prior police record or contact. and -- came together. Law enforcement discovered her body in the vacant home during the early morning hours of September 12, 1997. Lisa DelTondo was extremely close with her 33-year-old daughter. Less than four minutes after Lauren says she drove off, Rachael wound up dead not by the side door of her house, but all the way at the foot of her driveway. Michael Santicola: I'm sure. "Aliquippa is a small community with New York problems.". And Glovan says Rachael was not leaving her parent's house without a commitment from Frank. She was also known to frequent the Kensington / Frankford and Roxborough / East Falls sections of Philadelphia. She had just been dropped off by a friend a few minutes prior and there were no eyewitnesses to the murder. Around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday, May 13, 2018, Rachael DelTondo was shot several times at close range at the foot of her parent's driveway. Erin Moriarty: You had no sense of that at all. More. Then, just minutes after being dropped back home -- around 10:45 p.m. -- Rachael was shot several times at close range. In October 2011, NCIS and the United States Marine Corps Absentee Collection Unit discovered a potential match to John Doe while reviewing records of individuals that were reported Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) in October 1968. Through the combined efforts of the Pennsylvania State Police, Criminal Investigation Assessment/Missing Persons Unit, NCIS, USMC, University of Texas Center for Human Identification, Chester County District Attorney's Office, Chester County Coroner's Office, and family members, John Doe was positively identified via DNA as United States Marine Cpl. "Are you cheating on Frankie?" The unknown male who approached the taxi was wearing a blue-green wind breaker, dark pants, and dark framed glasses. Not only was he my brother, but he was like a father figure to me.. The trip began on April 24, 1970, when Boy Scout Troop 275 traveled from Upper Darby to St. You have to promise me, promise me, promise me. Jen Gloven was one of them. She was too young. In October 1968, Cpl. In the early morning hours of April 26, 1970, unknown suspect(s) attacked the victim while he was sleeping. On November 10, 1994, Rod Hager was shot in the back while outside laying concrete block; building his garage at his residence located along Nices Hollow Road, Porter Township, Lycoming County. Someone anonymously emailed and texted the incident report to Rachael's school, the local school board, the media and the mayor. I knew that. Joe DelTondo: If it was up to them, we knew nothing was gonna happen. Days later it was anonymously leaked to the public. February 23, 2023 in Other. Perciavalle says that's because he heard about the encounter months after it happened, and although police found no evidence that Rachael had engaged in improper behavior, the assistant chief wanted a record of the event. When he was about to leave, his eyes were watery. After the sentencing hearing, Jeters family and friends told reporters, through tears, the truth will come out during Jeters appeal. Frank Catroppa and Rachael DelTondo celebrated their engagement with a kiss in front of the Eiffel Towel, Sheldon Jeter was a star football player for Aliquippa High School, Lisa DelTondo said her daughter told her that she was cooperating in an ongoing investigation by state police into alleged corruption in the Aliquippa Police Department, and that she had received death threats. Both victims were killed inside their apartment at the Chestnut Terrace Apartments located on Federal Drive, Mount Union, Huntingdon County, PA. PA State Police investigators have recently sought the services of Parabon- NanoLabs (Parabon), a DNA technology company in Virginia that specializes in DNA phenotyping: the process of predicting physical appearance and ancestry from unidentified DNA evidence. Michael Santicola: There's only one person that got her outside her house, and that was Ms. Watkins. She is not here for me to hug and kiss and love, not here. The Pennsylvania State Police, Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit, Troop, K, Philadelphia, continues their investigation into the homicide of Denise Sharon Kulb. John Paul: The police departments we have are populated largely by part-time officers. The Pennsylvania State Police is attempting to contact anyone who may have information concerning this incident. Michael Santicola: I'm saying that her story doesn't make sense. Erin Moriarty: Was Frank actually interested in being with Rachael at that point? Both Catroppa and Jeter deny any involvement in Rachael's death. She took hours out of her day to help me with my college resumes and just was the best friend anyone could have. walker funeral homes crosby tx Edwards vehicle (white Honda Sedan) was seen on September 11, 1992, in Lower Yoder Township, near Johnstown, Cambria County, PA. 2009, Christine McWhorter, Beatrice Daniels. There are numerous potential leads for police to follow, including a young Aliquippa High School athlete named Sheldon Jeter and DelTondo's ex-fianc Frank Catroppa. Jen Glovan: I just broke down in tears and I said, "Please ask her. Wendy Chaney, 39, of Hagerstown, Md. When they were together and happy on a Tuesday, they could have been broken up and miserable by Sunday [laughs]. First published on December 9, 2021 / 1:18 PM. This would include members of the United States Marine Corps or Navy who may have served with Cpl. Santicola asked for a mistrial or an evidentiary hearing to prove one juror that convicted Jeter in June had multiple conflicts of interest, including living next door to Rachael DelTondo the teacher shot in her driveway on Mothers Day 2018. A city where, she said, officials were being paid to turn a blind eye to illegal behavior. Erin Moriarty: Why are you texting someone who's sitting right behind you? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. NEWS REPORT: "An Aliquippa man who was a key figure in the unsolved murder of an Aliquippa woman is now charged in another homicide" On May 17, 2020, almost two years to the day that Rachael DelTondo was gunned down, Tyric Pugh, whom Sheldon Jeter and Michael Moreland considered family, was fatally shot. Ray Gricar was 59 years old at the time of his disappearance. And when Rachael wasn't with Bolton, she was spending time with former student, 17-year-old Lauren Watkins. But he gave it to somebody. A person of interest in her murder was convicted in another homicide. Chief Don Couch was placed on leave for reasons not made public. Rachael told John Paul, as well as family and friends, that in late 2017, she began speaking to the Pennsylvania State Police in connection with an ongoing investigation they had into possible corruption in Aliquippa. Karen Denise Wells, a 24-year-old single mother from Oklahoma, disappeared after checking into a motel room in Middlesex Township in Cumberland County on April 12, 1994. I'm not a government official. Michael Santicola: She was engaged at the time she was having a relationship with -- with Sheldon. More. Witnesses in the area stated that they saw a person matching Jolene's description enter an unidentified light yellow car, approximately one block from her family's residence on North Washington Avenue. ", It had been a little over 10 months since Rachael DelTondo and Frank Catroppa called off their engagement, but the final chapter of their relationship was still being written. Lisa DelTondo: I said that night, "You know, this is gonna be a cold case." And I told him [crying]. Erin Moriarty: How did you know he was drunk? The victim spent approximately one month in the US Army. He was initially a person of interest, but District Attorney David Lozier has confirmed that he is not a suspect in her murder. She had been driving cross country to meet a friend in New Jersey. But on July 20, 2019, Otto was shot and killed on Smith Street near Jefferson Avenue in York after celebrating his birthday. Published by at June 30, 2022. Joe DelTondo: We haven't talked to anybody. [crying] I said, "were you doing drugs with this kid in the car?" Him and Chief Couch was good friends, I guess. Sheldon's attorney insists it's not his client's fault that cops picked up the wrong clothes. WHAT YOU CAN DO: If you have information on this crime, any serious crime, or wanted person, call Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers Toll Free at 1-800-4PA-TIPS. And I'm like, "Well, I don't want him to hear, like, I'm coming back" So I kind of just sent it to her like, I don't know, "go for a walk, stay in the car." Basil the Great Church, East Pikeland Township, Chester County. In May 2020, police say, Pugh was found. aliquippa, pa unsolved murdersannalise mahanes height. And I said, "OK, I believe you." Erin Moriarty: But who did send it to you? John Paul says DelTondo was afraid of a lot of people, including the Aliquippa Police. Both say they worried that she looked like she might be doing drugs. Tips can be submitted to the Lancaster City-County CrimeStoppers website, or call 1-800-322-1913 or text LANCS and the tip to 847411. FORENSIC ANALYSIS: To help establish identification, tooth enamel, bone, and hair samples for this unidentified female and her fetus underwent chemical stable and heavy isotope analysis. Michael Santicola: There's no evidence there that ties him to the crime. I miss my son so much.. I don't know. She was on medication for a mental health disorder. Morgan Peters was found deceased with a gunshot wound. So They'd see each other when they could. But according to him, their relationship was much more than a friendship. A city that, John Paul says, can no longer protect its own. Steve Colafella: They haven't actually used the term "cleared," but I've had a number of conversations with them, and he's no longer a person of interest. because she started getting death threats and feared for her life. Contact reporter Chrissy Suttles at csuttles@timesonline.com or on Twitter @ChrissySuttles. She was just trying to help a teenager in need, she told Frank. Hit enter to search or ESC to close. Lisa DelTondo: That was the most negative --. He was in charge of everything -- wanted to go to the hall, wanted to see the flowers, wanted -- I mean, if he could've saw her dress, he'd be happy. Despite intense publicity and distribution of thousands of flyers, his identity and killer remain unknown. During last months verdict, a courtroom spectator from Aliquippa recognized one of the jurors as a neighbor of DelTondo. The report states that Rachael told police that Jeter was "once a student of hers," now a "friend," and they were just talking. Erin Moriarty: But some people would say you were a teenager. Catroppa says it was a joke. The female was most likely born and spent her early childhood in the Western to Central Region of Europe. The Pennsylvania State Police, Troop G, Huntingdon and the Huntingdon County District Attorneys Office continue to investigate the homicides of Christine McWhorter, 22 yoa and Beatrice Daniels, 31 yoa that occurred between January 2 3, 2009. What did eventually bother Catroppa was Rachael's story about what happened with 17-year-old Sheldon Jeter. Ray Gricars vehicle (2004 White over Red Mini Cooper with PA Registration) was discovered near the Street of Shops in Lewisburg, PA, on April 16, 2005. It is believed that the victim was killed and dismembered within days of being discovered. As it turns out, there was a report and Perciavalle had a copy on his desk. The deceased male carried no wallet or identification. The body was badly decomposed. As winter turned into spring of 2018, Rachael DelTondo was trying hard to put her fears behind her. Police made the announcement. Last seen wearing: blue body shirt with design, blue jean vest, blue jeans and brown leather belt, knee socks, beige or tan leather boots with side zipper, glasses with initials "VLS" etched on one lens, beige or tan leather purse with long should strap. Erin Moriarty: Did, in fact, Rachael DelTondo's murder shine a light where people didn't want it to be? Jen Glovan: I do not know, no. Jen Glovan: They were still going out together -- pretty much doing what they were doing before. Frank Catroppa: That's when the wedding planning stopped and -- we were still together, but we weren't, I guess, engaged anymore, so that created some friction. The 2018 crime rate in Aliquippa, PA is 194 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 1.4 times lower than the U.S. average. It was determined that her last destination was a vacant home for sale at 2147 Chelsea Lane, Hellertown, Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County. Robert was 49 years old at the time of his murder. Jen Glovan: And she told me [sighs] that at, like, 11:00, 12:00 at night. LISA DELTONDO [voicemail]: Hi Mr. Paul, this is Lisa DelTondo . The morning after Rachael DelTondo was killed, investigators searched Sheldon Jeter's home. The jury has found Sheldon Jeter, Jr. guilty of first-degree murder in his homicide trial. And I said, "Please don't lie to me.