The
four murders in Bucks County, Pennsylvania has been a frequent topic of
conversation lately among Bucks residents and people from surrounding areas. Family, friends, and extended circles on
social media have been discussing the incidents and theorizing. People say the DiNardo family is involved in the
mafia, and the “common grave” is suspicious for holding more bodies. Some thought the murders were a result of drug
deals gone bad. That was only while the
details were slowly revealed over the past week.
The
case started out as one missing person, then two, then four. They were Jimi Patrick (age 19) from Newtown,
Dean Finocchiaro (19) from Middletown, Thomas Meo (21) from Plumstead, and Mark
Sturgis (22) from Pennsburg. An
investigation that involved local, state, and federal law enforcement led to
finding the bodies and the two heartless perpetrators who murdered them. The perpetrators were Cosmo DiNardo (age 20)
from Bensalem, and Sean Kratz (20) from Philadelphia.
DiNardo
was initially arrested for stealing Meo’s car and given a $5 million bail. Now both DiNardo and Kratz are both in
custody with no bail. Even after they
were caught, the motives are still unclear, which leaves room for
discussion. District Attorney Matt
Weintraub pointed to DiNardo’s schizophrenia diagnosis as a factor, which the
defense attorneys discouraged. DiNardo
exhibits traits of a sociopath in his disregard for human life and his failure
to plan ahead. A person with
schizophrenia can have Anti-Social Personality Disorder, but the two conditions
are mutually exclusive. People with
severe mental illness are at high risk for being victimized of violent
crime. Here are two resources with
studies supporting this point: North Carolina State University Article, American Journal of Public Health Article.
Since I
am a long time resident of Bucks County, I felt moved to research this
case. The following consists of an
illustrated timeline of the incidents and the aftermath, summaries of each
section, and a case analysis. A full
timeline can be found right before the case analysis.
July 5, 2017
-Cosmo DiNardo was selling 4lbs of marijuana for $8,000 to
Jimi Patrick. At 6:00pm, he picked up
Patrick at his Newtown home and drove him to the DiNardo family’s farm on Lower
York Road in Solebury Township. Patrick
only had $800. DiNardo offered to sell a
shotgun for that amount. After handing
Patrick the shotgun, DiNardo shot Patrick with a .22 caliber rifle, killing him. DiNardo used a backhoe to dig a 6ft deep hole
and bury Patrick’s body on the farm property.
July 6, 2017
-Jimi’s grandfather, Richard Patrick, contacted Newtown Township
Police Department to report Jimi was missing.
July 7, 2017
-Jimi Patrick did not come to work.
-Bonnie Finocchiaro, Dean’s mother, reported her son missing
to the Middletown Township Police Department.
He was last seen within that day, did not show up for work. (Time:
Unlisted).
-DiNardo was selling 0.25lb of marijuana for around $700 to
Dean Finocchiaro. DiNardo picked up his
cousin, Sean Kratz, and drove to Finocchiaro’s house in Middletown, PA. They both conspired to rob Finocchiaro
instead of selling him weed. DiNardo
lent his mother’s .357 handgun to his cousin.
They drove Finocchiaro to the farm on Lower York Road. While Dean was walking out of the barn, Kratz
shot him in the head. DiNardo took the
gun and shot the victim while he was face down on the ground. DiNardo used the backhoe to transfer Finocchiaro’s
body to a metal tank.
-Mark Sturgis told his father that he was going out with his
friend, Thomas Meo.
-DiNardo drove alone to meet Meo and Sturgis at Peddler’s
Village in Buckingham, PA. Sturgis left
his car at the shopping center. DiNardo
instructed them to follow him to Aquetong Rd, and leave Meo’s car there. Then all three rode in DiNardo’s silver Ford pickup
truck to the farm on Lower York Road. Kratz
was waiting there.
-After exiting the truck, DiNardo shot Meo in the back with
a .357 Smith and Wesson. Meo collapsed
and screamed. Sturgis tried to run away,
but DiNardo shot him, killing both victims.
DiNardo used the backhoe to transfer the bodies to the tank, and he ran
over Meo’s body. After placing Meo and
Sturgis in the metal tank with Finocchiaro’s body, DiNardo doused their remains
in gasoline and ignited them. DiNardo
and Kratz left the farm.
[Note: According to
the affidavit, it did not specify if the .357 handgun was the same as the Smith
and Wesson. District Attorney Matt
Weintraub mentioned in a video that there were two weapons used.]
July 8, 2017
-Melissa Fretanduno-Meo, Tom’s mother, contacted the
Plumstead Township Police to report her son was missing. He did not show up for work that day. Neither did Mark that day. (Time: Unlisted).
-DiNardo and Kratz returned to dig a 12ft-13ft deep hole to
bury the tank containing the three bodies.
-At 5:00pm, DiNardo called a friend to attempt to sell Meo’s
car for $500. Shortly after, they met at
the corner of Bristol Road and Galloway Road in Bensalem, PA, but no
transaction was made. Diabetic supplies
were still in the backseat. According to
Meo’s parents, Tom would never leave his supplies in the car. Meo’s car title was hanging on a wall in the
DiNardo garage.
July 9, 2017
-Sturgis’s parents reported their son missing to the
Pennsylvania State Police.
-At 2:10am, Sturgis’s Nissan was located at Peddler’s Village. Buckingham, PA.
-At 2:30pm, Bucks County detectives interviewed DiNardo for
the first time. He was initially
arrested for stealing Meo’s car. His
bail was $5 million, the highest ever set in Bucks County, PA. When questioned about the missing people, DiNardo
lied to the police. He said that he
picked up Finocchiaro alone, and that Finocchiaro wanted to be dropped off in Langhorne
to do a “big coke deal.” DiNardo expressed that he was unwilling, dropped
Finocchiaro off around Route 413 and Bridgetown Pike, and then drove away to
Washington’s Crossing to go fishing. He
denied ever being in Solebury Township that day.
-At 4:30pm, Bucks County detectives interviewed that
DiNardo’s friend/car customer.
-Bucks County Police then collected data from license plate
readers, and found that DiNardo’s silver pickup truck and Meo’s Nissan Maxima
had traveled on Street Road in Solebury Township on July 7, around 7:49pm. This is two miles from the Aquetong
residence, and 1 mile from Sturgis’s car.
July 10, 2017
-Local, state, and federal law enforcement collaborated to
get a search warrant for 6071 Lower York Rd, New Hope, PA, the farm owned by
DiNardo’s parents. Police used cadaver sniffing dogs to search and uncover
three bodies in a common grave.
July 13, 2017
-The Bucks County Police interviewed Cosmo DiNardo
again. He confessed to all four murders,
and he told investigators exactly where to find Jimi Patrick’s body.
-Sean Kratz was interviewed by Bucks County Police at
9:20pm. There were conflicts in the
story. According to Kratz, DiNardo was
armed and Kratz was not. DiNardo did all
the killing, and Kratz only heard the gunshots from the barn. DiNardo lit Finocchiaro before picking up Meo
and Sturgis. There was discussion to rob
the latter two as well. After the Meo
and Sturgis exited the truck at the farm, they started talking about the
marijuana sale, and then DiNardo fired at Meo.
Kratz sounded egotistical in the affidavit by the way he said DiNardo,
“finishes him off” and “basically crushes him” in referring to DiNardo running
over Meo’s body with the backhoe.
Here is the complete timeline.
Case Analysis
The
motives were unclear. There were no
arguments, only sudden gunshots. Each
victim was shot spontaneously without provocation. When Sturgis and Meo got out of the pickup
truck, DiNardo shot them both in the back almost immediately. Three of the victims were shot facing away
from their killer, whether it was DiNardo or Kratz. According to the affidavit, DiNardo said,
“When they turn their backs on me, I shot Tom in the back,” which indicates
that he saw opportunity when his victim was not facing him. It suggests that he preferred his victims not
to anticipate his attack. Although,
where the bullet entered Patrick is unknown, his death was still a spontaneous
shooting.
According
to ABC News, “The only motive disclosed by investigators was that DiNardo said
he wanted to set the victims up when they came to the farm to buy marijuana.” Sean Kratz said they discussed robbing
Finocchiaro, Meo, and Sturgis.
Robbing
them and letting them live would allow the victims to tell police, but they
would have to admit to involvement in a drug deal. Killing them before taking the money obviates
the physical struggle. Murder is a
stupid way to cover up robbery, because the police will investigate everything
down to the last fingerprint and hair follicle, whereas a robbery wouldn’t get
that level of scrutiny. DiNardo’s family
was wealthy enough to own multiple properties, so $1,500 and money scavenged
from Meo and Sturgis is not worth adding murder to another felony. This is unless the perpetrators wanted to commit murder. It is possible that DiNardo’s motive was the
thrill of killing people, considering his crimes within three days describe a typical
serial killer.
Despite what some people believe, these
murders are not about failed drug deals.
Selling marijuana was probably a means to lure victims to the farm. DiNardo did not seem to function as a drug
dealer. A drug dealer is financially
motivated and will not kill clients who provide him with cash inflow, unless there
is a significant altercation. Not having
enough money could result in trading less marijuana. Instead of giving 4lbs of marijuana, DiNardo
could have given him 1.6oz, since 800/8,000 = 10%, and 10% of 4lbs is
1.6oz. Also, DiNardo had no set price
for his drugs, if he ever had any. There
was no way for his victims to know the difference in prices. For 0.25lb, the price is $700. Then a whole pound would cost $2,800. Newtown people are stereotyped as rich, and
the rent is higher there, so price discrimination is possible. Either that, or DiNardo is bad at math.
I believe that Cosmo DiNardo
premeditated the murders, but he did not think too far ahead. With a backhoe and farmland property, he knew
how to hide the bodies, but he did not think about the trail he left leading to
them. The human remains and a victim’s
car were located on properties owned by his parents. He planned on getting rid of the Meo’s car,
but he did not think of the legality in selling a vehicle. Transferring a title requires authorization
and paperwork.
Requiring Meo to relocate his car
to the DiNardo’s residence shows that DiNardo premeditated the murders. DiNardo probably did not want Meo’s car at
the crime scene, and he did not want people finding the car at Peddler’s
Village. Apparently DiNardo did not
realize Meo and Sturgis drove separately to Peddler’s Village, or else maybe
DiNardo would have told both to park their cars. Moreover, if the drug transaction were real,
then relocating the car would be unnecessary.
The house and the farm are less than one mile apart. Since the license plate reader on 2541 Street
Road picked up DiNardo’s then Meo’s car a few seconds later, it indicates they
took Route 202, meaning they drove past the farm to park the car then drove
back. Most people are unaware of license
plate readers, but DiNardo hardly knew his victims, or he did not anticipate
subsequent events surrounding his victims’ simplistic circumstances.
All four victims lived with their
parents, and they all had jobs. Their
absence from work was noticed. The
parents called the police between 24 hours to two days later. Police interviewed DiNardo two days after he
committed the four murders, and they interviewed him a second time on the sixth
day. Although District Attorney Matt
Weintraub was unsure of why he confessed, I drew a separate inference. I believe the uncovered bodies and prospect
of the death penalty pressured DiNardo to confess to all four murders. His confession and his cooperation to find
Jimi Patrick’s body allowed him to avoid the death penalty. Between the first murder on July 5th and
DiNardo’s confession on July 13th shows how quickly a murderer can be caught.
Despite the swift repercussions, an
individual can still commit murder. DiNardo’s
usage of a backhoe in the countryside probably assured him that he would get
away with it. A criminal’s belief that
they can go undetected may be one reason why the death penalty does not deter
murder. There are cold cases, but DNA
fingerprinting is next to infallible and DNA testing wasn’t even used in this
case. Although parents contacted police,
and there was a four-missing person case that swept the media, it did not stop
the murders. They were already committed
by the time the young men were declared missing. Even the death penalty can not undo what has
been done. No punishment can bring back
the four men. The good that came of the
investigation is that with the perpetrators caught, other potential murders
have been prevented.
©2017 Caroline Friehs
Originally posted: July 17, 2017
Updated on July 18, 2017
Updated on July 18, 2017
References
ABC News (2017 July 14).
2 cousins facing charges over 4 Bucks County killings. ABC 6
Action News – Philadelphia. Retrieved
from: http://6abc.com/news/ap-source-dinardo-killed-4-men-separately-burned-them/2199000/
ABC News (2017 July 14).
Timeline: Murder of 4 men in
Bucks County, Pa. ABC 6 Action News – Philadelphia.
Retrieved from: http://6abc.com/news/timeline-murder-of-4-men-in-bucks-county-pa/2210213/
Bucks County District Attorney’s Office (2017 July 14). Two Men Charged With Homicide In Four
Solebury Slayings. Bucks Crime Watch Pa. Retrieved
from: https://bucks.crimewatchpa.com/da/29567/post/two-men-charged-homicide-four-solebury-slayings
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
County of: Bucks (2017). Police Criminal Complaint – -Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania vs. Cosmo Dinardo. [Police
Affidavit]. Filed: July 14, 2017. Magisterial Dist. #: 07-3-01.
Retrieved from: https://bucks.crimewatchpa.com/sites/default/files/29567/post/attachments/dinardo_documents.pdf
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
County of: Bucks (2017). Police Criminal Complaint – -Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania vs. Sean Michael Kratz.
[Police Affidavit]. Filed: July 14, 2017. Magisterial Dist. #: 07-3-01.
Retrieved from: https://bucks.crimewatchpa.com/sites/default/files/29567/post/attachments/kratz_documents.pdf
Chang, D., Stamm, D., & Nakano, D (2017 July 14). Man in Custody Possibly Connected to 4
Missing Young Men in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. NBC -
Philadelphia. Retrieved from: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Bucks-County-Missing-Teen-Boys-Langhorne-Newtown-Township-Pennsylvania-Police-Search-433481293.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_PHBrand
Desmarais, S. L., Van Dorn, R. A., Johnson, K. L., Grimm, K.
J., Douglas, K. S., & Swartz, M. S (2014).
Community Violence Perpetration and Victimization Among Adults With
Mental Illnesses. American Journal of Public Health.
104, no.12 (December 1, 2014); pp. 2342-2349. Retrieved from: http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301680
Menno, C., Savana, F.R., & O’Malley, J (2017 July
12). Update: Bucks DA confirmed authorities ID’d Dean
Finocchiaro’s remains at Solebury property.
Bucks County Courier Times. Retrieved from: http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/crime/update-bucks-da-to-announce-major-development-at-midnight/article_a1968e30-671d-11e7-a176-639a141b790b.html
Shipman, M (2014 Feb 25).
Study Shows Mentally Ill More Likely to Be Victims, Not Perpetrators, of
Violence. [University News Website]. NC State
News. Retrieved from: https://news.ncsu.edu/2014/02/wms-desmarais-violence2014/
Photo credits
Header picture: Bucks County
Courtesy of Bing Maps
Edited by: Caroline Friehs
.22 caliber rifle
.357 handgun
.357 Smith and Wesson
Backhoe
Car icon
Fire icon
Intersection sign
Marijuana leaf
Perpetrators and Victims pictures
Pickup truck
Police Sirens
Telephone
